Best Commanders 2018

Assuming CoH2 is now pretty much done with balance updates, new content, etc.. what are your opinions on the best commanders/Doctrines of each faction?

I'm a mediocre player whom recently returned. But here are my favorites:

US
Tactical Support Company
- P47 recon for allies
- Strafing run and Calliope for anti blob

Airborne Company
- P47 Rocket strike is a game winner in long games with a lot of heavy Axis armor.

Rifle Company
- Flamethrow
- Flares
- White Phos
- Easy 8

SOVIET
Armored Assault Tactics
- Radio Intercept = know what your enemy is building
- 85s>76s
- Vehicle repairs
- Sturmovik attacks to force retreat or rape inf blobs
- IS2 to be backed by SU76s or SU85s

UKF
Royal Arty regiment
- Early warning to scout for your allies
- lots of arty

Commando Regiment
- Air supremacy operation is OP

Mobile Assault regiment
- flamer engineer
- Advanced cover boost to inf
- Commandos
- Land Mattress
- Vehicle repairs

OKW
Luftwaffer
- Falls = great anti inf inf
- smoke
- heavy fortification

Special Operations
- Assault grenades
- Flares
- Command tank

Feustrum
- Flamer engineer
- Incendiary arty
- 280mm arty

Wermacht
Anything with Reconnaissance Overflight.
Fortified for Command tank + Elephant and panzer tactician.

Joint Operations for Lefh counter arty, arty and arty field officer.

Spearhead for mortar halftrack, Panzer tactician, fragmentation arty and tiger.

Blitzkrieg for Panzer tactician, Tactical movement, Command tank and close stuka support.

yep, ele and Jagdtiger basically got killed from the game.

like expected

Assuming CoH2 is now pretty much done with balance updates, new content, etc.. what are your opinions on the best commanders/Doctrines of each faction?

Typically you want in your 3 commander choices 1 or 2 always good commanders, these would be your "main" commanders and the other to be a situational commander.

The situational commander should be one in which choosing it is dependent on the specific map or game. For example, if you have fallen behind or on a map in which that commander excels.

For the 5 factions:

OKW

Good/Main Docs
Luftwaffe Ground Forces Doc- Falls are great but expensive anti-infantry troops, Valiant Assault is a great and underused ability, fortifications are meh but aren't bad to have, smoke and recon plus a decent late game ability that gives another fall and a loiter. Great doc overall and good in most situations, this one should always be in your loadout.

Scavenge Doc- Decent elite anti-infantry jagers, additional resources from scavenging, ostwind, nice anti-garrison/cover denial nade on top of flame nade, a very good artillery barrage (although expensive). Pretty good doc definitely usable in most situation.

Special Operations Doc- STG obers, a less effective but still good command panther, anti-garrison/cover grenades, flares. Good doc

Situational Docs

Feuerstorm Doc- Great doctrine in maps with large amounts or important buildings also good in CQC maps. Lots of flame abilities make garrisons a nightmare for the enemy. Hetzer is meh. Powerful but only on specific maps.

Fortifications Doc- Basically an anti emplacement doc in team games. Most just use it for mines/bunkers/lefh arti.

The rest of the docs are meh pick 2 of the first 3 plus feursturm/fortifications is a nice okw loadout

OST/Wehr
Good/Main Docs

Lightning War- Tiger, g43s, ju87 strafe plus a sprint ability on top, literally everything you need. Great Doc, I always have it on hand.

Jaeger Infantry- ju87 strafe, g43s, and a light artillery barrage. What truly makes this a good doc over an average doc is the Jaeger Command Squad. This squad is a 5 man gren squad and they are so good.

Elite Troops- Stormtroopers, g43s, stun grenades, smoke for tanks. On top of those already great abilities comes to Tiger Ace aka the comeback mechanic of OST, good for against opponents not expecting it plus the tiger ace is beast when used properly.

Situational Docs
Ostruppen Doc- Ostruppen are powerful when used correctly. But incredibly punishing when not used properly. With the mg42 upgrade after tier 3 Ostruppen actually have some scaling into late making them even more viable. Arti Officer shreds close range plus has useful support abilities. I love this doc but I put it in situational because if you don't support Ostruppen then you will get crushed and is one of the harder doctrines to use.

Mobile Defense Doc- Have you been struggling in the game? Has the opponent been stacking fuel for a medium that will come out way before yours? Pick this doc and pull out some Pumas. Ostruppen can support your grens while the pumas deal with mediums and the command tank buffs them. This is a doc you use when you are losing and need immediate counters to a possible medium or overwhelming presence against you (This doc is a 1v1 doc most of the time). This is the panic button Doc for Ost

Basically, choose Lightning War plus 2, you'd typically know when you want to go Ostruppen and Mobile Defense Doc is always important to have for that just in case. Mainly the decision is between if you want a 5 man gren squad or a final blow to seal the game Tiger Ace.

USF

Good/Main Docs

Airborne/Recon- These two are alternating as each one basically removes the need for a side tech. Airborne allows you to skip LT tech as you can just get 50 cals from drops. Airborne infantry is strong, the p47 rocket strafe is very good against all tanks now, especially against slow heavys. Recon removed the need to side tech Captain for an AT gun. Support Paras are paras that instead of Thompsons get zooks which are better than usual and have an ambush mechanic. IR pathfinders arti can be devastating. Cluster bombs are good area denial, Greyhound is actually a good light vehicle against infantry now. These two aren't necessary but are nice to have and arent weak, don't pick both in your loadout but one is always nice.

Tactical Support/Infantry- These are basically the same doc with minor differences. Sandbags, mines, the m1919 upgrade. The difference is that Tac support gets recon, calliope, and a strafe while Infantry gets mortar halftracks, time on target arti, and priests. You can decided which one is you prefer, but I believe in current meta Infantry is favored. Once against one of these should always be in the loudout but not both.

Heavy Cav- Rangers, Pershings, smoke and sandbags. Main focus is the Pershing. Nice tank that acts like a panther but with better anti-infantry. A nice doctrine but not a necessity.

Situational

Rifle Co.- RE flamers are a nice addition to anti garrison that USF sometimes needs, good on city or building based maps. E8 is a nice generalist but not necessary for USF. This is a good to have for specific maps. Its never a bad choice just not one I'd always pick over the other better docs.

Armor- The fallen from grace USF 1v1 and 2v2 powerhouse. Not used as much since the Jackson isn't awful anymore. M10s use to be the most cost-effective call in. Now its not bad but not as insanely good as it once was. AssEngis are meh, good DPS but squish. M10 is still a nice tank but is more typically used when a Jackson isn't avaliable for medium counters.

Mechanized- This company is a nice addition but is a has a hard time finding light in the huge variety in USF doc choices. Makes your Shermans Beefer which is nice. While also provides the 76mm which is takes a sherman and adds more anti-tank instead of anti-infantry. Mortar halftracks are nice and the early jeep isn't bad in certain situations.

Id go for either Airborne/Recon/Heavy Cav + tactical support/infantry + Rifle for those building maps. USF's commander roster is full of very viable options and no commander is truly awful.

Soviets

Main Doc- I could honestly just say pick a PPSH cons + t3485, Guards+t3485, or Guards+ISU

Advance Warfare- Ppsh cons+85 with a strafe and conscript repairs. Great Doc to have for con based builds.

Guard Motor- Guards+85, Doom Mortar of doom, mark vehicle and vehicle repair. The bread and butter Soviet Doctrine. When guards are strong this doc is strong. I always have this available

Lend Lease- Has seen much less play than before the patch, but always a good commander M4C Sherman isn't call in anymore but still good. DSHKs are less effective but still good in t1 builds.

Guard Rifle Combined Arms- PPSH cons and guards plus the broken ass loiter and the ml20. This doc would be a no-brainer pick every game if it didn't have the mediocre KV1. The KV1 works best in 1v1s though and should be considered then

Situational

Shock Rifle- Shock Troops are great at close range, currently overshadowed by more cost-effective PPSH cons. IS2, KV8 flamer, and Incindenary make this doc a good anti-garrison. Good put overshadowed by Guards which makes it situational.


(There are a bunch of other viable Soviet docs but these are what I consider the mains ones that I used. I can't really speak for the others as I don't use them much).

Honestly, I just go for Guards, Advanced, Lend Lease. These are all good docs and are useful at all times. This is the only factions I don't really have a situational map/game based commander. Mostly because Soviets don't really need them with these really strong commanders.

Brits

Main Docs

Vanguard/Commando: These two achieve the same basic goals. The main difference is between the Croc and the Air Supremacy ability. This is solely up to you to decide.

Special Weapons: This commander provides a very important ability that gives the Brits one thing they lack, reliable snares! Getting 1-2 tank hunters is great against LV spam and the snares are great for the late game. These also help protect your Tommies from vehicle rushes. Halftrack provides Vickers which are basically brens. You also get a strafe, Croc and artillery ability

Situational:

Mobile Assault- Provides flamers for anti-garrison plus the Land Mattress which basically blankets a part of the map in arti. This is common because it helps brits deal with garrisons without investing in a flame UC.

Advanced Emplacement- Used solely for Sim City. There is no other reason to use it.

Royal Artillery- Has nice abilities and the Valentine is a situational tank with a very good maphack ability. Sexton sucks and not worth it. You also get flares.

I go Vanguard/Commando + Special Weapons + Mobile Assault imo this is the most flexible Brit commander loudout.



Hope this helps

Ive updated my US loadout to:

- Airborne Company
- Infantry Company
- Armor Company

I've noticed an issue with T3 Whermacht fast P4's and Ostwinds that I struggle with. I usually go T1-T2. I prefer BAR's over Bazookas. Leaves me with an expensive run to T3 or T4 and struggling until I get Jacksons or multiple AT. The cheaper M10's from Armor Company tend to deal with that quicker.

joint operations? lawl.

fortified? lawl. jäger armor is still the way to go. ele, recon, skill bomb, scopes.. like what else do you want? if i were the balance guy here, i would nerf the versatility of this doctrine.

but overall, i cant agree with most of your choices.
one more note towards usf: its funny how the calliOP no brainer got butchered to a "never going to use this anymore"

yep, ele and Jagdtiger basically got killed from the game.

like expected

Support Ele with STUG and it's fine LUL

yep, ele and Jagdtiger basically got killed from the game.

like expected

Lol so sad Just deiete that cancer from the game because its still viable in teamgames