NEW PLAYER TIPS - 1v1 USF, Post 100 Automatch 50% win

Hi All,

I made a Balance feedback and just wanted to also make a 'TIPS' thread. As my win% shows, im not a pro by any measure, but there are various tips that ive learnt over the course of my first 100 games and hopefully this thread will help other new USF 1v1 players.

GENERAL TIPS:

- Know the maps. v/s both OKW/OSTH its key to deny them fuel while having enough fuel for yourself. To a lesser extend this is also true for Ammo. Most 2p maps will have 2 fuels and 2 ammo points. This is going to be the focus of your fights. Individual maps have key choke points or critical areas where eventually most fights land up - you must try and control these regions at all times. (I will make a map specific tip section in later posts maybe)

- Keep your squads together: Whether its Volks spam, or a Kubel with Strums or Grens with MG42s, your best chance of success is to ensure flanking with 2-3 Rifle squads during an engagement. Use garrisoning to buy time (remember Strums will eat up rifles inside a building and vice-versa i.e. holed up strums will eat up solo Rifles who are outside)

- Volks are great at long range, charge them down. Strums are great at close range, run away from them into cover or into firing range of another rifle squad. Against Grens its usually an even fight, so look for superior cover. Against Kubels, you need to flank, just as with any MG squad. (Running into a nearby building works well vs Kubels)

- Its easy to get trigger happy with early Grenades. They not only delay your FUEL-based tech, but theyre easy to avoid by decent players and will lead to Ammo shortage, which you desperately need for BARs/Zookas. Unless facing a MG spammer, using garrisoned MG42/34s avoid teching Grenades.

- Dont sit on idle resources, even if youre winning the early game (pre 10 mins), either the German player is rushing Med or heavy Armor. Prepare for it. Its best to start with a clear PROACTIVE strategy in mind, rather than react 1-2 mins after seeing what units the German player is throwing in.

- PROTECT YOUR VEHICLES AND SQUADS: Do not let them die easy. The key difference between fresh newbies and better players is how effectively they manage their investments. Make each vehicle count. Learn to use 'U' and reverse away from dangerous situations. That 2nd hit must be avoided!

BUILD PRIORITIES: This isnt a static 'Build Order', rather a tactical priority i.e. at any given point in a match you need to evaluate multitude of factors and decide what you should be building to best combat the situation.

V/S OKW

CORE STRAT: use AIRBORNE Command. Early 3 Rifle + 1 RE squad with a rushed Lieutenant and M20 should help you control the map. Then you want the Major out and rush Shermans. As the adage goes, this is the ideal core strategy, since most plans are blown away as soon as you make contact, try and follow this priority.

Why Airborne? The Strafe is needed to help negate later Heavy OKW Armor. The Airborne squads with Thompsons are your best Anti-Infantry v/s Obers or Fallschrims. When used with their special ability, they will rip up Obers and Falls, key is to send in a meat shield up front. The MG and AT drops reinforced with RE squads are an expensive but mobile way to help a remote point of the map in a pinch. (I rarely use them though, the AT gun is fairly trash)

FUEL PRIORITY:

- *Grenades: If the opponent is spamming MGs on a map with lots of key buildings on key points]

- Lieutenant: great Anti-Infantry. (Dont charge with them head first unless vs a solo squad, use them to flank and bring up the rear after charging with a Rifle or RE squad.)

- M20: many people advocate Half-Track, but maybe my micro isnt good enough, i just find by the time it comes out the OKW player has a Puma out or PSchreked Volks, both of which wreck the significant fuel investment.

Im still learning to best optimize the M20 mines, when placed well, they swing games since they do 1 shot German light/med vehicles and cripple the tanks.

Also, dont send them solo into multiple squads, they will get overwhelmed. Keep away from Volks with PSchreks (revolve around his squads like a madman).

Once youve made his squads retreat, rush to the farthest fuel point and take with your vehicle crew. You should do this for Fuel/Ammo/VPs throughout the game to pressure multiple points.

- Ambulance: On 2-4p maps, its critical to not cede map control by retreating all the way back to base. You need a forward point. Use the ambulance to repop your injured squads near the frontlines. (Ambulance needs to be stationary in a friendly territory). Once you have your Major, you send him near the Ambulance and use him as retreat point.

- *BARs/Bazookas+Captain: If you see the OKW T4 truck or a single Ober squad, you need to get BARs. If you see a Puma or a Luch you need to cancel your Major (if u can) and instead tech for Zookas and Captain ASAP. While Zookas are nowhere near as effective as PSchreks, they still do very well vs Light/Med German Armor. Forget the Major/Shermans and win the game with Rifles + Airborne, at least half the squads with Zookas and your Captain.

Only if the game still drags on do you need the eventual Major, since the OKW even with fuel denied will eventually get off-map Heavy Tanks. You need your shermans/jacksons then.

- Major: You need him for the Shermans, and use him as a forward retreat point.

- Shermans: Your core fuel dump. DO NOT rambo in solo. OKW will certainly have Volks+PSchreks, AT Guns and a Panther/P4 around the corner. If youve played a good game, your first Sherman will hit the field at about the 12 min mark.

AMMO PRIORITY:

- *Grenades (Try and avoid unless OKW spamming MGs into buildings)
- M20 Armor skirts and Mine
- Thomsons
- *BARs (if T4 truck spotted/Obers)
- Sherman .50 Cal
- Strafe run

TLDR:
- 3 Rifle, 1 REch, 1 Lt, 1 M20, 2 Airborne (Thompsons if v/s Obers or Fallschrims), Ambulance, Major with Shermans is your ideal army
- Fuel Priority is Lt-M20-Ambulance-Major-Shermans. Bazookas+Captain only IF early Puma/Luch. BARs to be added late game OR pre-Major if early Obers or if you DONT have Airborn+Thoms.
- Add 1 Fuel and 1 Ammo cache if you have the early advantage. Airborne strafe costs 240! ammo and is needed to deal with OKW Heavy Armor Panthers/Tigers.

Next post, v/s OSTHEER.

Dude, nice write up but this is not the section to post tips. This is the balance section.

Whoops, i guess the moderators can shift the thread to its appropriate section

Also people, please feel free to add/critique etc.

Just adding next section, in hope it may help other new USF 1v1 players:

V/S OSTHEER/WEHR

CORE STRAT: use Rifle Company. 4-5 Rifles (depending if he is spamming Grens or mixing with MGs/Mortars) + 1 RE squad with a Captain and 11-12 min. Stuart. Then you want to sustain till you have 9CPs and spam E8 Shermans. As before, this is the ideal core strategy, since most plans are blown away as soon as you make contact, try and follow this priority.

Why Rifle Company? The E8s stand a much better chance vs his P4s and eventual Tiger, than regular Shermans. The early vet Rifleman stand up better vs Grens. In case the map has many buildings and the OSTH is spamming MGs into them, you can add a flamethrower to 1 Rifle squad.

FUEL PRIORITY:

- *Grenades: ONLY If the opponent is spamming MGs on a map with lots of key buildings on key points]

- Captain: great Anti-Light Armor, they eat half-tracks up. Stick them in a building near where the halftrack is or get them near the rear. At Vet 1 you get the 'On Me' ability which is great for charging positions locked down by a MG42. Enables the Stuart.

- Stuart: If its past 12 mins, avoid it, just get some AT/AI guns instead till you have 9CPs for the E8s. Early Stuart is really good v/s almost everything OSTHEER classically has pre 12 mins. Also is useful for the engine crit ability vs late Heavy Armor. (BEWARE of the PAK AT. It 2 shots the Stuart. Avoid charging in head first with the Stuart. The pfaust will hit the engine and then youre easy 2-hit by the PAK AT. Use it like the M20/Kubel and almost always with support infantry around)

- BARs: You will need BARs. Question is pre or post Stuart. If you see excessive Grens or Assault Grens, then the classic OSTH strategy of Grens with MGs, Mortar, PAK and early P4 is incoming. You need BARs to fight off the many Gren/AssGren squads and the eventual PanzerGrenadiers. So hold off the Stuart till BARs tech is up.

- Ambulance: On 2-4p maps, its critical to not cede map control by retreating all the way back to base. You need a forward point. Use the ambulance to repop your injured squads near the frontlines. (Ambulance needs to be stationary in a friendly territory). Unlike with Airborne, were likely NOT going to go for Major, unless a Tiger Ace is likely, because then you need the Jacksons, the E8s wont cut it.

- E8 Shermans: Your core fuel dump. They dominate the P4s and are the best Tank the USF have. Target your first by the 15-16th minute, which needs 9CPs, which means, dont sit back, attack attack attack and earn those CPs.

- *Major: ONLY if you fear a pending Tiger Ace. You need him for the Jacksons, and use him as a forward retreat point. Else, save your fuel for the E8s.


AMMO PRIORITY:

- *Grenades (Try and avoid unless OSTH spamming MGs into buildings)
- BARs
- Stuart Abilities
- Flamethrowers on 1-2 Rifle squads
- E8 Sherman .50 Cal
- Smoke Strike is kind of weak, but eh, every little helps when assaulting those big OSTH camps with the holy trinity of MG+Mortar+PAK AT.

TLDR:
- 4/5 Rifles, 1 REch, 1 Capt, 1 Stuart, as many E8 Shermans (3-4 if the game is going well) is your ideal army
- Fuel Priority is Capt.-Stuart-BARs-Ambulance-E8Shermans.(Grenades early on certain maps)
- Add 1 Fuel cache if you have the early advantage.

My win v/s OSTH playing the above is over 65% in my first 100 games - i just need to get better v/s OKW