Switching from vcoh to coh2

Hi guys

I played a lot the vcoh and managed to get a level between 12 and 16 in 2v2 back in the good old days.
However I am quite lost when switching to this new version

The ostheer takes a lot from the old wehrmacht, yet the force balance is very different.

First off, is there any kind of scoot units able to see further away as the other unit while still being able to not entire into the fire zone of other enemy units ? I miss my recon car a lot

When dealing against USF or UK, I struggle against their unstoppable vet units. While I managed to get 2/3rd of the map in early game, middle and late game is a total nightmare for me, and unit preservation impossible for me. Mg backed by greens don't cut it, sniper or double snipers aren't enough to bleed lots of manpower, besides units are also generally bigger, looks more like a small water bucket taken from the ocean. I would have thought some scoot cars, ostwind or p4 would at least stop and bleed them. Yet they are quite under-powered in comparison to vcoh. Kitting doesn't work well against blob, and when firing they don't suppress or stun them, their vision range is close to the fire range of the enemy units. The vcoh ostwind had a small explosion effect to stun or disperse a bit the enemy greens. The broombar is also a big joke, expensive and ineffective. Back in vcoh we had also elite infantry unit, the Knight cross, but in coh2 I don't see anything similar. How do you fight then against vetted green ? Cause Volks, Panzergrenadiers are turning into simple sitting ducks

Is there no way to camouflage pack units ?

About UK emplacements, I don't have to much problem handling them, but I am amazed how resistant they are. I mean it requires more firepower than a single heavy tank (except flames) to take down. Back in the days a double greens equipped with panzerschreks would have taken them down in seconds....

Regarding the Arty units against mass blobs or emplacements. I have the feeling that ost don't have any strong one outside specialized doc. The damage done by double racketenwerfer won't cut it.

SO is there anything I am missing ? Do you guys have any tips for me please ? Otherwise I am gonna have to change to a different faction

I was used to get hard early game, struggling in mid and winning late game. The goal was to spend your ressource and teching into expensive but efficient units. Here with Ost it's the complete opposite. I am sure that I missed something

First of all:

Your go to scout ressource as Wehrmacht is the 222 Scout Car, which gains it's sight advantage at Vet2 and once again at Vet3 I believe. You can further increase the sight by using the doctrinal scopes (eg Jaeger Armour or Mechanized)

It would be very helpful for our Strategists, if you'd upload a replay, so they can take a look at it and spot some areas, where you may have to work on.

Generally speaking: use indirect fire to dislocate both infantry and support weapons or use snipers to force him to move or pull back his units. Use those units to help your main infantry to win the engagements or take the high ground.
Show Spoiler

You can camo your units with certain doctrines, check out our Ostheer guides for that:
Show Spoiler

Emplacements are annoying to deal with, but once again: link a replay, so we can take a look at your games

Your starting pios have longer sight range than any other unit at the start, you can scout with them a little bit better until you get a scout car.

I will write up something more substantial later today.

The emplacements are more durable but are also more expensive. If you need super-powerfull late game and AT-guns with camo you can try playing OKW.

Thanks all for the replies, I will try to attach a replay soon

I am still trying to better how the different units and abilities works, perhaps you may help me again

All the plane support arty circling around a zone, do I need to spot the enemy or can the plane attack on its own in the fog of war once activated ? In the case I retreat when the heavy infantries or tanks are comming

I would love if someone more knowledgeable than I could further the discussion on bleeding elite infantry, naturally explosives should be the go to, but certainly in the mid-game, the options can be limited.

Hi guys

I played a lot the vcoh and managed to get a level between 12 and 16 in 2v2 back in the good old days.
However I am quite lost when switching to this new version

The ostheer takes a lot from the old wehrmacht, yet the force balance is very different.

First off, is there any kind of scoot units able to see further away as the other unit while still being able to not entire into the fire zone of other enemy units ? I miss my recon car a lot

In terms of scouting, there are 3 units that come to mind for Ostheer:

-Your Pioneers that you build from your HQ have an above average LOS. Not anything amazing, but it lets you see enemies coming slightly before they see you, making them ideal for supporting your MGs. They also have fairly good DPS at close range, so they can protect you from flankers and punish suppressed units.

-The 222 is your baseline scouting unit. It also functions as a handy light vehicle counter. With vet, it gets much better sight vision, and if you have a spotting scopes equipped commander, you can basically upgrade your 222 to give you maphacks.

-Finally, you have the Ostheer sniper, who can cloak in cover and scout enemy positions.

When dealing against USF or UK, I struggle against their unstoppable vet units. While I managed to get 2/3rd of the map in early game, middle and late game is a total nightmare for me, and unit preservation impossible for me. Mg backed by greens don't cut it, sniper or double snipers aren't enough to bleed lots of manpower, besides units are also generally bigger, looks more like a small water bucket taken from the ocean. I would have thought some scoot cars, ostwind or p4 would at least stop and bleed them. Yet they are quite under-powered in comparison to vcoh. Kitting doesn't work well against blob, and when firing they don't suppress or stun them, their vision range is close to the fire range of the enemy units. The vcoh ostwind had a small explosion effect to stun or disperse a bit the enemy greens. The broombar is also a big joke, expensive and ineffective. Back in vcoh we had also elite infantry unit, the Knight cross, but in coh2 I don't see anything similar. How do you fight then against vetted green ? Cause Volks, Panzergrenadiers are turning into simple sitting ducks

Your best bet against vetted enemies is combined arms. Have a sniper for picking off lone enemy units, backed up by mgs to prevent dives, and armor and indirect fire to actually bleed the enemy. In COH2, units gain recieved accuracy as they vet, making them less susceptible to weapon fire, however, this accuracy does not effect explosive weapons. Suppression is also a great choice, because it reduces the enemie's outgoing firepower and movement speed, allowing even pioneers to beat dedicated elite infantry.

Is there no way to camouflage pack units ?

No, unless you are OKW, who can camouflage their base AT gun, or the Soviets, who can camouflage any at gun doctrinaly.

About UK emplacements, I don't have to much problem handling them, but I am amazed how resistant they are. I mean it requires more firepower than a single heavy tank (except flames) to take down. Back in the days a double greens equipped with panzerschreks would have taken them down in seconds....

Emplacements die quickly enough, except when braced. If you see a little green indicator of a shield, it means the unit is braced, and takes less incoming damage. To counteract this, simply wait until brace ends (30 seconds I believe) or use incindiary weapons.

Regarding the Arty units against mass blobs or emplacements. I have the feeling that ost don't have any strong one outside specialized doc. The damage done by double racketenwerfer won't cut it.

The panzerwerfer is your best bet. It is a T4 unit, and it can quickly wipe enemy units caught in its barrage area. It also suppresses enemies in the kill zone, making it easier for your other units to pitch in.

SO is there anything I am missing ? Do you guys have any tips for me please ? Otherwise I am gonna have to change to a different faction

Many players who use Ostheer use only a few select docs until they get better, because they give you a much easier time.

-Any tiger doctrine allows you to get powerful armor onto the field without actually having to tech up. Very useful as either a game ender, or as a "save my bacon" callin for lategame. You usually want 2 pak40s to cover it, and protect you from enemy armor before it can hit the field.

-Mobile Defense is great because it gives you the P4 command tank and the puma. The command tank reduces incoming damage for all units nearby by 20%, which in effect increases their HP by 25%. This aura allows weaker armies to beat much stronger ones. It also does not require tech. The puma is great as an "oh, sit" AT unit, which can reliably scout around quickly and take out any light armor (or even some mediums) from range.

-Remember to use pgrens without their upgrades. Panzergrenadiers use STG-44s, and are best used behind cover at mid range. They can reliably beat enemy infantry charging towards them, and are the perfect support units for your mgs. If needed, you can upgrade them with to panzerschrecks for 120 munitions, allowing you to kill enemy armor that attempts to flank your tanks and AT weapons.