Fun Non-Meta USF Strat

Back into the game after a few years, figured I would share a USF strategy I've been having fun with recently that has been pretty successful for me for anyone else who hasn't been successful with meta builds or wants to try something new.


The general idea I had is that USF benefits greatly from map control and leveraging early game advantage, so the primary goal of this strategy is to maximize on this.

Commanders:
Mechanized Company, Rifle Company, Armor Company (Rifle and Armor can be your favorite two other companies, Mechanized is the only one you really need)

Initial Build Order:
Rear Echelon (RE) - RE - Rifleman

Super Early Game:
Send your starting RE squad to cap side points, and your second RE Squad to default capping order. Have your third RE squad help the second and spread out. Send the Rifle out to support your 2nd and 3rd REs. Usually you'll have started your first skirmish by now, play conservatively with your RE squads, keeping them out is important for maintaining map control.

Below is an example of capping order from Langres North. Follow similar tactics on most other maps with a few exceptions like Road to Kharkov.




Now, how you're going to proceed will depend on whether you're facing OKW or Ostheer.

Early Game:
VS OKW:
Go Mechanized Company. Call in a Dodge Jeep and have it pick up your rifles. Volks cannot hold against a Dodge with Rifles inside, and don't get fausts until they deploy the first truck. Sturms can do good damage against it however so be careful, and be sure not to hit any mines. Also, be careful if you suspect a Raketen somewhere.

Using this Dodge you can push and win engagements against most volks anywhere unless they are garrisoned. You can also use it to chase down Kubels pretty effectively.

VS Ostheer:
Get a 2nd Rifle instead of a Jeep. With 5 units you'll be able to outflank just about any MG, and you'll be able to hold important garrisons with the large field presence. Try to keep your RE away from Grens, REs are best for capping at this stage.


Middle Game:
Leverage your early game map control and resource advantage to rush an early LT. This unit is great at close range combat and later will be great for capping.

The second you have 50 fuel build the M15A1 AA halftrack. This unit is just incredible. It doesn't do great damage, but it can suppress multiple infantry units at max range in absurdly short time. It takes 2 raketen shots to kill which means you can usually get away from a single raketen unless you significantly overextended.
I cannot overstate how good this vehicle is against both OKW and Ostheer. It is an MG42 on wheels but better. It can survive against a 222 and even win with support, and makes just about every engagement go your way.

If you went Mech vs OKW pop out your Dodge crew and have them climb into the M15A1, then place the new 0 vet crew into the Jeep and Withdraw and Refit the jeep for 200+ MP and 17+ fuel. At this point in the game the Dodge is basically useless anyway.

Once the AA truck is out, get weapon racks and ambulance.

Get 1-2 bazookas on all of your RE squads. This will allow you to keep away light vehicles like Luchs, although with your huge amount of infantry helping map control, it should be difficult for OKW to rush out Luchs.

BAR up your rifles as you can afford, eventually double BARing in late game.

Around this time you can choose any doctrine you feel appropriate against Ostheer. I usually go Rifle in garrison heavy maps for the flamers on REs, or Armored for M10s sometimes, but do whatever works for you. I recommend against elite infantry like Paras as they take a ton of manpower to maintain late game.

Build Rifles as you can afford throughout this process. Unless you control both fuels, there will probably be a good gap before you can get the LT out, or after your LT is out and before the M15A1 where you'll be floating MP, so get more rifles.


Late Game:
Once you have weapon rack and ambo, get a Major. If you can push him up and make a FHQ with an ambulance. If not, use him in a support role. Usually around this time you can now get a Sherman to cement your win. Rest of the late game is standard USF fair, getting M18s and Shermans as you see fit.




Hope people try out this strategy and enjoy it. I went from 300-400 on the ladder to 150 using this, and it has been pretty damn fun to play and use units like the M15A1 I never really had the chance to use before.
Somewhere in early-mid you should probably grab some minesweepers too, when depends on your opponent and when you can afford it.

Interesting strat. I've never branched out and tried a multiple RE opening 1v1, but I might play with it a bit. I really enjoy using the M15, although, for clarification, it can take 1 raketen shot, the second kills it. Paras actually cost the exact same to reinforce as riflemen and I really enjoy using them as well, especially with Thompsons even though the 1919s are arguably superior and also beastly. Both are much more cost effective muni-wise and only more expensive to call in in the first place (by a pretty decently large 100mp). However, starting with so many echelons, you might have extra later. I like getting a .50 with my M15 because two suppression platforms is insane and .50s generally have a little more holding power since they aren't usually as threatened except by indirect spam as the M15.

Hey Loop, thanks for letting me know about Paras, I had no idea that Paras had the same reinforce, they always feel like they drain MP more than rifles, but I guess that's just mental.

Also yeah, sorry I should've been more specific with the M15 AA, I meant they can take 2 shots TOTAL, not two shots and live.

Also yeah, depending on the map I'll get a .50 too. They're great if you can afford it.

Interesting strat indeed!

How long does it approximately take you to push out the M15A1 when using this approach? about 5-6 minutes? If so, then that beast will certainly have the privilege of being the apex predator for quite a while, especially against Ostheer

If you take take out your vehicle crew from WC51, let RE drive and put vehicle crew in a back, you will have a lot better short-range DPS.

Source:
https://www.coh2.org/guides/39348/the-most-overpowered-usf-strategy-ever

If you take take out your vehicle crew from WC51, let RE drive and put vehicle crew in a back, you will have a lot better short-range DPS.

Source:
https://www.coh2.org/guides/39348/the-most-overpowered-usf-strategy-ever

Surprisingly, even with all the changes from patches, most issues are relatively the same since the eve of British release.

Exploit OKWs inability to effectively handle being rushed by vehicles and exploit OSTs inability to handle USF infantry field presence production.

Hey Loop, thanks for letting me know about Paras, I had no idea that Paras had the same reinforce, they always feel like they drain MP more than rifles, but I guess that's just mental.

I don't think it's just mental, there is that extra model on airborne squads vs riflemen, and they do cost the full 100 more initially. That said I think they're totally worth it. If you go airborne you can often forego weapon racks entirely as long as you get up in CPs quick enough. You'll have the AT gun no matter which officer you go and the tommys/m1919s on paras are way better than BAR riflemen. Lack of engine snare is the biggest weakness in them IMO, but vs just infantry they are so much better.

I don't think it's just mental, there is that extra model on airborne squads vs riflemen, and they do cost the full 100 more initially. That said I think they're totally worth it. If you go airborne you can often forego weapon racks entirely as long as you get up in CPs quick enough. You'll have the AT gun no matter which officer you go and the tommys/m1919s on paras are way better than BAR riflemen. Lack of engine snare is the biggest weakness in them IMO, but vs just infantry they are so much better.

Pretty much agree with everything here.

Tried out this strat against okw in 1v1 on crossroads and absolutely loved it. I actually ended up floating around 700mp because I sustained like zero losses due to the Dodge and M15, and spammed caches everywhere.

Any replays of this working at a higher level? I've been trying it out, but can't seem to make it work. Ive taken about 6 losses with it now and can't figure out what im doing wrong. Ive lost to everything from a forward HQ blobber to a raketen rush. Cant seem to keep the jeep alive - or anything for that matter. REs get shredded and by the time I get BARs im usually behind enough that the game slips into an unwinnable state. I feel like I have to work so much harder with USF than my axis opponents. One micro slip or lost squad and its a tailspin of losing shermans as soon as they hit the field and the inability to flank a ShwerHQ.