Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Countering Good
Hero Choices
By Inverse
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Contents
American Heroes............................................................................................................................. 3
Credits ........................................................................................................................................... 25
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One of the major changes implemented in Relic's switch from retail Company of Heroes to
Company of Heroes Online is the addition of hero units. These specialized squads operate
within their own veterancy system, often differ in cost relative to their vanilla counterparts, and
do not benefit from global upgrades such as Wehrmacht veterancy or American Barracks
upgrades. Thanks to this small but vital detail, hero units tend to peak extremely early in the
game, and decrease in utility as the match progresses. With that in mind, learning when and
how to best exploit this narrow window of opportunity, as well as understanding what must be
done to counter your opponent's similar tactical actions, is an emerging aspect of CoHO's
shifting metagame.
This guide takes five of the strongest and most popular hero units from both factions and
breaks down their strategic boons and fatal flaws. You'll learn when to build these units, how to
use them once they've hit the field, and how to counter them effectively if you find yourself on
the receiving end of a player who knows how to make smart hero choices in the heat of battle.
Heroes are an exciting dynamic of Company of Heroes Online gameplay; this guide aims to help
you take advantage of these units in order to sway the game in your favor. I hope you enjoy it.
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American Heroes
Wilson's Riflemen
Commander Level: 19
Wilson's Riflemen are the quintessential American Rifleman hero unit. They come equipped
with a BAR right off the bat, are able to throw long-range grenades at vet 2, and receive an anti-
tank bazooka at vet 4 that is excellent at taking out those pesky early-game Bikes and fast
Pumas.
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In order to maximize this hero's use, it is best to get Wilson's Riflemen early in the game, ideally
after your third regular Rifleman squad. The reason you wait this long is that regular Riflemen
need kills in order to gain veterancy and remain viable into the late-game, whereas Wilson's
Riflemen do not. Furthermore, the higher cost and longer build time of this unit necessitates
two Riflemen on the field before its arrival because a single Rifleman squad will not be able to
achieve and sustain map control while Wilson's Riflemen are in production.
In order to get the most out of this hero when it's on the field, always try to use it as a flanking
squad and have a regular Rifleman squad draw the fire of an MG while you send Wilson's
Riflemen around the side to take it out. Thanks to the BAR and the ability to throw grenades,
this hero is a deadly flanker within the first 15 minutes of the game. Do note, however, that its
utility will dwindle throughout the game because it only has one BAR to an upgraded regular
Rifleman squad's two, and it is unable to throw sticky bombs. Furthermore, it does not benefit
Wilson's Riflemen need to be treated as a regular BAR Rifleman squad from the moment they
hit the field. As with any Wehrmacht early-game counter, solid MG micro and smart unit
placement are the best ways to ensure Wilson's Riflemen don't tear through your MGs. Always
stagger your Volks and MGs behind different pieces of cover so that his squad can only charge
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one at a time, and focus fire with the forces you have nearby while paying close attention for
the grenade throw animation so you can successfully dodge any grenades. Wire and mines,
staples of any successful Wehrmacht player's T1, are also excellent at slowing down these
deadly units.
Demolitions Engineers
Commander Level: 14
Able to set Demolition Charges whenever they like on base buildings, bunkers, and houses for
40 munitions a pop, detect and defuse mines at vet 2, and throw satchel charges at vet 5, these
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hero Engineers are excellent at softening and destroying Wehrmacht defensive positions at a
nominal cost and without the fuel costs normally associated with Demolition Charges.
At vet 1, Demolition Engineers are equivalent to regular Engineers with the exception of their
access to Demolition Charges. However, the minesweeper upgrade at vet 2 drastically reduces
their early-game utility. With this in mind, don't build this hero until you are sure you will be
Demolition Engineers do not benefit from the Rifles Granted army item, making them
preferable to a regular Engineer with the minesweeper upgrade because this hero's infantry-
If you are attempting to demo a medic bunker defended by your opponent's forces, set up a
flank and be sure you draw the fire of any MGs before you send the Demolition Engineers in.
Always keep a Rifleman squad grouped in close proximity to this unit during the charge, as this
will make it more difficult for your opponent to focus-fire the demo squad. Alternatively,
Mortar or Airborne Smoke is excellent for ensuring your Engineers reach the bunker unscathed.
Be sure you position the bunker between your Demolition Engineers and the bulk of your
If you see your opponent has Demolition Engineers on the field or you suspect they will be
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coming soon, never leave your bunker undefended. Flamethrower Pioneer squads and short-
range anti-infantry weapons such as MGs, MP40 Volksgrenadiers, and StG44 Stormtroopers
excel at rapidly cutting down this unit before it is able to lay its charge. Also be wary of
buildings when your opponent has one of these units, as a Demolition Charge placed on a
Charismatic Engineers
Commander Level: 22
Level 2: Add one member to the squad increasing the cost by 50 manpower
Charismatic Engineers are the prime offensive Engineers available to an American player.
Fielding five men and being able to break suppression and heal themselves, Charismatic
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Engineers add an additional assault squad to the field that performs similarly to a Rifleman
squad in the early moments of a game. They are excellent flankers, strong against
Volksgrenadiers at close range thanks to their damage and health buffs, and able to rapidly
In order to get the most out of this hero, it should be your first unit out of your Headquarters.
Beware, however, that they are not particularly effective until leveled to vet 5, primarily thanks
to their inability to purchase flamethrowers or minesweepers. If lost during mid or late game,
Charismatic Engineers are rarely worth repurchasing, as an extra flamer squad will be more
Once this unit finishes building, send it out capping. Thanks to its increased firepower and
versatility, Charismatic Engineers can be used far more aggressively than regular Engineer
squads. Push forward early in a game and force your opponent's capping Pioneers to retreat
early, hurting his manpower. When flanking, pair this hero with a Rifleman squad in order to
reduce the chance of it being focus-fired and allow you to charge and start dealing damage
without taking many casualties. Mid and late game, these Engineers should focus on repairing
damaged vehicles, since their increased squad size gives them a higher repair rate.
Because of their immense health and damage output at vet 5, Charismatic Engineers cannot be
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countered by Volksgrenadiers alone. However, MP40s are able to level the playing field, mainly
because this hero must charge and get to close range before it becomes a threat. Furthermore,
a bike and MG microed together can push off flanking Charismatic Engineers by utilizing bike
pushing to give your MG enough time to set up. Don't forget to keep your MGs supported by
Volks or flamer Pioneers in order to prevent fired-up Charismatic Engineers from take out your
weapon teams.
Commander Level: 3
The first hero you'll probably use, and the best Rifleman hero until you hit level 19, Weapon
Utility Riflemen are able to use grenades, sticky bombs, and satchel charges when fully vetted,
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and can pick up fallen weapons to boot. Powerful early-game flankers, this hero is a vital part of
Just like Wilson's Riflemen, wait until your third Rifleman squad to start building this unit.
Although it's less of a big deal to wait for this hero because of its negligible differences in cost
and build time, remember than your regular Riflemen need all they kills they can get in order to
gain veterancy and remain useful into the late-game. Furthermore, the main use of Weapon
Utility Riflemen is to flank that early MG quickly and get a grenade off, the munitions for which
you will not have until your third Barracks unit hits the field.
Early in the game, draw fire with another Rifleman squad and use your Weapon Utility Riflemen
to execute a simple flank around the enemy position. Against experienced players, the mere
presence of this squad will more often than not force your opponent to pull his MG back in
order to avoid a grenade. If this is the case, quickly issue a move order to your hero in order to
cancel the grenade and save the munitions. Later in the game, use this squad to satchel any
pesky medic or MG bunkers and salvage any fallen weapons in order to increase your
firepower, since Weapon Utility Riflemen do not benefit from the BAR global upgrade.
Keep your MGs moving and in the open early on, and relocate whenever you suppress one of
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your opponent's squads or force back a flank. Treat Weapon Utility Riflemen as a squad with a
grenade at all times and keep a keen eye out for the grenade throw animation, which is usually
preceded by a sudden stop in the squad's movement. If you do manage to get flanked by this
squad, pick up your MG before he is able to throw a grenade and relocate while using your
Assault Jeep
Commander Level: 6
Rarity: Common
With its excellent health, accuracy, and damage bonuses, as well as its trademark ability to
capture points, the Assault Jeep is king of early-game harassment and an enormous map
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controller within the first 10 minutes of a match. Able to easily force-retreat capping Pioneers
and instantly take the territory for itself, this hero is also able to support Riflemen with ease
In order to get the most out of the Assault Jeep, it is best built as your very first unit out of the
Barracks. While doing this with a regular Jeep comes at the risk of losing map control, fielding
an Assault Jeep gives you the capping power of an infantry squad with the harassment
capabilities of a Jeep in one tidy package. Like all heroes, this unit declines in usability as the
game progresses. It is best to get as much out of it as early in the game as possible.
Queue it up immediately upon your Barracks finishing and send it to a point you're fairly certain
your opponent will be capturing early in the game (for example, one of the +16 fuels on
Angoville or +10 fuels on Langres). Engage from medium range if you feel you can force the
squad off before it finishes capping the point; if not, push the squad off the point by issuing
directional move orders (hold down the right mouse button and drag it in a direction before
releasing it) on top of the squad so they are forced to move away from the point. Once your
opponent has a sizeable force fielded, use the Assault Jeep to scout for MG locations and
Thanks to its health bonus, the Assault Jeep is especially strong against Panzerfausts. Don't
waste the munitions on one unless you can use small-arms fire to get this hero's health around
50% beforehand. The hard counter to the Assault Jeep is mines; place them on heavily
trafficked areas (for example, the crossroads on Angoville) and use a Pioneer or decloaked
Sniper to lure the Jeep over the mine. A mine will one-shot an Assault Jeep for less than the
cost of a Panzerfaust. Take advantage of this and get mines up as soon as you can.
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Wehrmacht Heroes
Katzenmeier's Volksgrenadiers
Commander Level: 1
The Wehrmacht parallel to Weapon Utility Riflemen, Katzenmeier's Volksgrenadiers is the first
hero Volks squad you receive, and the one with the most utility up to level 19. Its health buffs
make it a difficult unit for regular Riflemen to face early in the game, and its ability to throw
grenades and fire Panzerfausts provides diverse utility that lasts to the mid-game and beyond.
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Katzenmeier's Volksgrenadiers should be the first unit you build out of your Wehrmacht
Quarters. This is because they don't need to fight to gain vet like Riflemen do, and their utility is
far greater than that of regular Volksgrenadiers during the early moments of a match, when
you'll be using this unit the most. If you lose this squad early in the game and were planning on
building another Volks squad, feel free to rebuild this hero. However, if you lose them mid- or
late-game, don't bother, as vetted Grenadiers are far superior to them in every way possible.
Because of its health buffs, Katzenmeier's Volksgrenadiers can be used far more aggressively
than regular Volks early in the game. Chase off any capping Engineers quickly and position
yourself in cover and at range against any regular Riflemen you face. Once your MG hits the
field, take advantage of this hero's 25% sight increase to scout ahead for flanks and reposition
your forces accordingly. Furthermore, use grenades intelligently while defending your flanks by
forcing your opponent out of cover and keeping his Riflemen on the move, increasing the rate
at which they take damage and tipping the scale in your favor.
A hero Riflemen squad of your own can compete with Katzenmeier's Volksgrenadiers early in
the game, and should be built as your third Barracks unit every game. Engage intelligently with
your regular Riflemen when you can, fighting from superior cover even at range and closing
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when you have the chance, such as when you catch a squad capping or moving across a road.
While flanking, avoid blobbing even two squads near them and pay close attention for the
grenade throw animation in order to dodge them. Once you have BARs, Katzenmeier's
Volksgrenadiers can be regarded as a typical Volks squad, and should be engaged as such with
Commander Level: 19
Arguably the strongest T1 hero unit in the game, Close Combat Volksgrenadiers come equipped
with five MP40 submachineguns the moment they hit the field, and can throw a modified
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Volksgrenadiers are a perfect counter to American players who love charging with their
This is a little tricky to answer for Close Combat Volksgrenadiers because there is a number of
ways to approach it. The first thing you need to understand is that you should NOT make this
hero your first Wehrmacht Quarters unit. They take exactly twice as long as regular
Volksgrenadiers to produce (60 seconds versus 30 seconds) and are more expensive, meaning
they hit the field far later and set you back significantly in terms of map presence and control.
Rather, make sure you have at least one T1 unit on the field (preferably a regular Volks squad)
before you produce this hero. It's never a bad idea to get a Bike between it and the regular
Volks as well, since you need all the help you can get before the Close Combat Volksgrenadiers
Many players may feel that the extreme utility of Close Combat Volksgrenadiers allows them to
be best used as aggressive assault squads. To the contrary, this hero excels when supporting
MGs against flanks. Thanks to the extremely low accuracy of their MP40s while this squad is
moving, it is best to plant yourself in a strategic piece of cover and wait for the enemy to come
to you. And because Riflemen deal the most damage at shorter ranges, your opponent needs to
approach in order to kill your MGs, leaving him extremely vulnerable to this hero. Alternatively,
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use Close Combat Volksgrenadiers to charge squads already suppressed by MGs. You will take
less damage from the suppressed squad and will be able to close the ground and open fire with
ease.
Fast BARs is the natural counter to Volksgrenadiers of any kind. Suppression fire stops charging
Close Combat Volksgrenadiers in their tracks and BARs will shred MP40s at medium and long
ranges with equal cover. If encountered extremely early, avoid taking too much manpower
damage from them. Park in green cover and tick away at their health until they close the
distance, then retreat. Rinse and repeat with flamers and Riflemen in cover and buildings until
Field Pioneers
Commander Level: 3
One of the most powerful Headquarters heroes in the game, Field Pioneers are resilient, able to
rapidly capture territory, equipped with area-of-effect healing, and eventually able to
camouflage in yellow or green cover. A no-brainer at lower levels, this hero remains useful
throughout your trek to level 50, and can give you that vital early game advantage that
Your first unit out of the Headquarters. Send your regular Pioneer to build while this one caps.
Get the most out of your Field Pioneers in the early moments of the game, because unless you
love to spam Crippling Traps, their utility drops sharply as the game progresses thanks to vet
and their inability to equip flamethrowers and minesweepers. If they're killed, you're usually
In the early game, just cap cap cap. Take advantage of their superior capping speed, and send
your Field Pioneers out to cap whenever you can. Don't be afraid to spam Crippling Traps
either; they're free, quick to lay, and give you time to react against the extreme mobility of the
American forces. Furthermore, don't forget about the Field Pioneer's excellent area healing
ability. For scant more than a regular health pack, you can heal as many units as you can fit
inside its extremely generous radius. Take advantage of this early in a match when you haven't
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yet purchased early infantry or support veterancy and desperately need healing at an
affordable price.
Treat them like regular old Pioneers early in a game. Engage from cover with Engineers, charge
with Riflemen, and counter any pesky harassment attempts. If you're so inclined, a Jeep
counters this unit well, as it does any Pioneers early in a game. Bottom line when facing these
guys: pretend they aren't a hero, just engage normally. That being said, prepare for the
possibility of Crippling Traps, and be ready to react quickly if one foils a potential flank.
Berger's Puma
Commander Level: 14
Level 1: Unit comes equipped with the powerful 50mm Puma cannon
With a free upgun and no price increase over the regular Puma, Berger's Puma is a mainstay for
serious T3 players. When used in conjunction with Blitzkrieg Stormtroopers, this hero makes a
straight T3 rush viable even against American players who attempt to rush an M8.
It takes a bit more experience and practice in order to get the feel for when this unit needs to
hit the field. If you see fast BARs, you should be fairly safe getting a regular Puma before this
hero simply because your opponent should not have a substantial vehicle force on the field yet.
If you suspect an M8 is on the way, however, get Berger's Puma ASAP, as it counters M8s and
Quads hard as well as provides valuable support against infantry and Tank Depot units
(especially M10s).
Berger's Puma is able to defeat a skirted M8 in a 1-on-1 engagement, and although it doesn't
have the infantry-killing power of a regular Puma, this hero is still a capable infantry harassment
vehicle that can snipe infantry semi-regularly. Against Tank Depot units, Berger's Puma is best
used when supported by some sort of handheld AT, such as Stormtroopers or Grenadiers.
Berger's Puma is able to absorb damage while the infantry closes in to make the kill. If the
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enemy tank escapes the panzerschrek assault, this hero is more than able to chase down
Treat Berger's Puma like you would treat any other upgunned Puma. Kite it into AT guns and
mines, attempt to surround it by flanking with Riflemen and get close enough to throw a sticky
bomb before it can back away, and play aggressively with Shermans supported by infantry and
AT guns. The best counter to anything T3 is combined American arms. Three of the American
faction's four tiers have capable static and mobile anti-tank weaponry; mix and match to find a
Commander Level: 19
Hands down the best MG hero in the game, the Fatherland HMG team excels at combat within
their own territory. Thanks to bonuses toward vision, accuracy, health regeneration, and most
importantly movement speed, this hero is extremely difficult to flank when used correctly and
even harder to actually take down. Able to reposition rapidly and return fire with ease, the
Fatherland HMG will keep your opponent guessing throughout the match.
Thanks to the extreme versatility of the Fatherland HMG at any vet level, it should be the first
MG unit you build out of your Wehrmacht Quarters after your first or second Volksgrenadier
squad. Players confident in their micro can think about making the Fatherland HMG their first
Wehrmacht Quarters unit to hit the field, although it is recommended that this be followed up
by a Motorcycle in order to aid against flanks early in the game. Once it has vet 5, opening with
this hero can be especially powerful on maps such as Langres and Angoville, whose large
territory sizes allow you to get the most out of the Fatherland HMG's speed bonus early on.
Looking at this hero's vet bonuses and you'll see an undeniable theme: this unit excels in its
own territory. Attempt to keep this hero on blue ground as much as possible, and be sure to
support it well when in neutral or enemy territory since it will be relatively weaker. Abuse the
speed bonus it receives in friendly territory in order to kite enemy infantry and avert flanks by
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unpacking and rapidly relocating to a more favorable position. Furthermore, don't forget that
the Fatherland HMG's combat bonuses apply to the two support submachinegunners as well;
don't be afraid to leave this unit in sticky situations a little longer than you would a regular MG
team as the support soldiers are far more effective than their vanilla counterparts.
Hard-countered by snipers, mortars, and vehicles just like any other MG team, the Fatherland
HMG is a pain to deal with early in a game primarily thanks to its movement bonuses. If you
don't want to invest in a sniper early on, the best way to deal with this hero is to flank from as
many angles as possible in order to cut off any potential avenues of retreat. Also remember
that decapping or cutting off the territory this hero is current in will remove its bonuses, leaving
it far more vulnerable to flanks. BARs are not advised against a player able to competently
micro this hero; think about a WSC after 3 Rifleman squads or a fast M8 if you're having trouble
with your flanks. Keep in mind as well that if you manage to decrew the Fatherland HMG team,
your opponent will have to completely repurchase the hero, since recrewed heroic weapon
Credits
Written by Inverse
Edited by Schmieds
Special thanks to Marcus2389 for the Charismatic Engineer and Fatherland HMG write-ups.
i
Source: Making and Countering Good Hero Choices by Inverse
<http://www.gamereplays.org/companyofheroesonline/portals.php?show=page&name=company-of-heroes-
online-making-and-countering-good-hero-choices >