How to play Allies

Curious to hear it from the pro's

Since Allies don't have any heavy weapons early game, what do you do?

Generally by the time I have my lieutenant and first HMG or mortar, The Germans are rolling out light - medium vehicles

Alternatively, If I anticipate vehicles and go Captain first, I get shredded by infantry and German heavy weapons.

And if I ever get the opportunity to have both, I get owned by panthers.


What do you guys do? What is your favorite strat super early game against german HMGs, mortars and troops?

For anti-mortar and HMG, if we are talking about all Allies, deploy Partisans to outflank and destroy. If you are fighting large volk/grenadier groups, get some Maxims/Vickers/Browning (Only get browning if possible). I typically counter blobs of volks with riflemen in heavy cover, plus fighting positions. But never, EVER, get the American AT. It's like the M46 for the Russians. Only good in large amounts and in the flank vs light/medium tanks.

I should have specified playing the USF.

Thanks for the tip on the AT gun. I rarely have the opportunity to build them but will avoid overall.

I generally get browning as soon as I can but I still have an incredibly difficult time against HMGs and Mortars. As soon as they garrison some buildings I can't get near them until mid game.

It seems like the Germans have the opportunity to emplace really early, I'm still struggling to figure out the counter as I've had too many games where the first 5 minutes are a deal breaker as theres no coming back.

I would disagree with never, ever getting the American 57mm. It's probably the worst AT gun in the game, but it's your only real option until you can get a Sherman or Jackson on the field. Bazookas can make it happen against lighter armor like Pumas and Flaktrucks, but they won't be able against a combined force of an Ostwind or Panzer IV and infantry.

I almost always build both the 57mm and the Pack Howitzer in T3, then a second of one or the other depending on the situation.

With USF, you need flex your early muscle. Rifle, Rifle, Rifle, grenades is a solid plan against Wehrmacht. Smoke and frag machine guns and mortars and do your best to recrew them (especially the MG42). Against OKW, I tend to go Rifle, Rifle, Rifle, Ambulance instead to keep the pressure up on the front line.

Getting a fighting position with a machine gun on your fuel or cutoff or both, as I often do, is a pretty solid play. Be sure to protect them.

For AT, I usually transition from an AT gun or two into 2 Jacksons, with a Sherman kicking around the field for the occasional HE round into the middle of a Volks or Gren blob. Keep in mind if you're out of pop cap, you can pop the crews out of vehicles to cheat the system and let you build more armor.

3-4 Riflemen with BARs, two Pack Howitzers, a Sherman and 2 Jacksons is a pretty potent fighting force that's ready for just about anything. Do you best to work toward something resembling this and you'll be in a good place. Even you can squeeze an HMG in there somewhere, even better. On smaller, more close range maps you'll get a lot of punch out of the Elite Rifle commander with flamethrowers and the buffed Easy 8. Infantry Company will give you the LMG (which is a bit so-so now compared to the kick you get our of BARs), sandbags and MINES!

Airborne's kind of in a weird place now, since Riflemen are very capable infantry now and the P47 strike is by most accounts pretty underwhelming for the cost in an already munitions-starved faction.

Armor Company can still be very effective if you spam M10s, though I personally would avoid the Dozer Sherman. Might not hurt to tech Major to get a Sherman out if you're rocking the fuel advantage to dish out some anti-infantry punch while the M10s take care of all of your AT.

Hope some of this was helpful!

Practice. Make every loss of yours a motivation to play again.
-Mg cutting you off? Try different routes, or occupy those mg positions for your self faster than your opponent. Never send squads alone, always in pairs, so you can flank the mg with one while the other is drawing the fire.
-Grenades killing your squads? Be faster to react, there is plenty of time.
-Vehicles too soon? Make a preemptive at gun, or even better, have mines in your retreat path, and lure the vehicles there.
Etc.

Practice!

Thank you guys for the replies and tips.

There are a few units that I don't use very often like howitzers and mines as I don't always spec for them, but I will definitely give them a shot and incorporate them into my builds.

I've been playing since the original CoH so the only practice I can really get in is with new strategies. Every time I figure out a tried and true build, a patch or something changes everything. Still trying to figure out what works best with the new one.