Allied Basics Series #1 - Dealing With Axis Armor by Bloodsent

8/8/2019 Allied Basics Series #1 - Dealing With Axis Armor by Bloodsent

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Allied Basics Series

#1 - Dealing with

Axis ArmorBy Bloodsent



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So, after seeing so many numerous posts about Allies being unable to compete against Axis X, Y

and Z, I'm going to write a few guides based on basic tactics that every Allied commander

should know. My goal in this is partially to help build the meta-game of CoHO, but is mostly

self-serving. I'm seriously tired of seeing this crap posted continuously.

This particular guide is going to deal with the finicky issue of how an Allied commander is to

deal with Axis armor. Now, there are a number of tactics to employ, both outside and inside

certain doctrines, so first I'll lay out a basic outline of how this will be written out:

1. Differences between Axis and Allied anti-tank operations.

2. Understanding Axis armor function.

3. Basic hard counters - Simple tactics that will help you win simple engagements.

4. Combined arms tactics - How allied units complement each other in a way to destroy

the enemy.

5. Advanced tactics - Advanced micro for the mouse masochist.

6. Defensive tactics - Understanding mines, tank traps and what this means for fighting

axis armor.

7. Doctrinal tactics - Using your doctrine to its best in fighting the enemy.



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1. The Differences between Axis and Allied Anti-Tank/Armor Operations

The first thing that you have to understand about the Wehrmacht and the Americans is that

Wehr is very much a toolbox faction. Each unit has a specialized purpose, and the trick is finding

the right tool for the right job. Conversely, the Allies are very much a tactical faction. Different

units can get a lot done. I played a 1v1, losing in the end, but with the resources I had pulling

out kill after kill on my enemy's armor with minor units, including an HMG team, Para with RRs,

mines, and Riflemen with stickies. Not even an AT gun. In the end I took out 11 pieces of armor,

which, in a 1v1 game, is a fair amount. So when considering how armor functions on both sides,

they don't equal each other. They're in the same ballpark, but that's about it. Almost every

piece of armor in the Axis toolbox is a complete piece, made for a specific job. They don't do

too well outside of the box, but are very powerful within that specialization. Allied armor pieces

should be considered more support units that primary hitters. If you follow this philosophy,

you'll come to understand your primary hitters (Infantry-level units, such as AT guns and Rifles)

open up the tactical field for your support units.

Also, knowing how your enemy faction functions will dictate your strategy as well. The Allies

need to focus on controlling the economy to limit how big the Axis toolbox gets. You need to

control the flow of battle, so that he's choosing tools that you're expecting and able to deal

with. Axis needs to focus on slowing your flow down. Once you lose the momentum, that lets

them choose their tools as they will, and even the best tactical commander will have trouble

keeping up. And once you lose the tactical battle, you will lose the economic one.



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2. Understanding Axis Armor Function:

Each Axis armor piece has a specialized function. Knowing this, you will know how to fight

them. Remember the wise GI Joe!

Puma Armored Cars: This will usually be the first vehicle employed by an Axis commander.

Knowing how to take these down is critical to ensuring your power through mid-game. The first

thing to remember is this: Retreat the units that cannot contribute to the battle. If you have an

engineer, 2 rifles without stickies, a jeep and an MG, 4 of the 5 units listed there cannot

contribute to fighting those battles. Get them the hell out of there. There's no point in losing

units needlessly. Sure, you will lose map control, but you haven't lost the economic battle, and

you have a force to fight with.

A vanilla Puma is devastating to units in the open, but it suffers from several weaknesses. First,

it has weak armor, making it an excellent target for your HMG team and its AP rounds, as well

as vulnerable to a Greyhound, to mines, and to stickies. Its strength is in its mobility, so a sticky

will often spell doom for a Puma beyond the support line. Second, the downgraded Puma has

nearly no anti-armor ability, and so will quickly fall to a Greyhound, and has difficulty taking out

garrisoned units. This leads into the next point in that Pumas are pretty awful against units in

green cover, or garrisoned units. Finally, the Puma can trade its anti-infantry capabilities to

better deal with armor, but this compromises its safety against HMG teams or anything on two

legs. Use this knowledge to your advantage.

Haltruck: A well-microed HT with a gunner is nothing to sniff at. While not as effective as an

MG42 is at suppressing units, it is a fair hand at it, and this will be your death if you're inevitably



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fighting against infantry being supported from it as well. Fortunately, the HT suffers from the

same weaknesses as the Puma, with the lack of overall anti-infantry capability. It's a support

vehicle, and cannot stand toe to toe with enemies.

StuG: People underestimate a StuG, but it's a real danger unless you take it seriously. At vet 1, it

will outfight a Sherman in a head on fight. It's not guaranteed, but it's a serious enough risk that

you should not deal with it head on with armor, unless it's with a Tank Destroyer or AT Gun. Its

second and third vet are almost solely for anti-infantry purposes, providing an MG42 gunner

and skirts, respectively. Interestingly, the StuG also gains a health bonus, I believe, at vet 2.

Fighting a StuG is fairly straightforward, however. As it is an assault gun, its turret cannot move.

So engaging it by flanking it is the order of the day. Better yet, rush a rifle squad in and sticky it.

But even without one, you can practically micro a Greyhound around it and kill it from its rear

armor.

Ostwind: The infantry killer. Here is where we start having trouble dealing with Axis armor. Our

primary tank killer, the AT gun, suffers from a serious disadvantage of being flanked and

destroyed by Ostwinds. Greyhounds too will die from an Ostwind. But fortunately, these lack

any penetration against Shermans or Tank Destroyers. In addition, it has no top armor, so a

lucky hit from a mortar can crit its engine with some regularity. In addition, like the Puma, the

Ostwind has trouble taking out units in green cover or in buildings. Use this to your advantage.

Know that in order for an ostwind to destroy an AT gun, it almost certain has to flank it,

because even though it kills infantry quickly, the gun's innate green cover, provides the

protection needed to kill the Ostwind. Using this to your advantage, you have many low-tech



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and high-tech tools at your disposal to deal with an Ostwind. Placing tank traps will prevent the

Ostwind from flanking effectively. Placing a mine is an excellent trap against an ostwind. Having

a rifle nearby to sticky in the ostwind will cut short the flank, and win you the day. And of

course, having any piece of armor available will decimate the tank.

Panzer IV: The Axis attempt at a Sherman. With vet, a PIV can be deadly, but in reality, this is

very much a support unit, like the Sherman, and so dealing with them is easier than you would

expect. From my experience, is has poorer frontal armor compared to a StuG, so penetration

against it is simpler, and while its cannon is deadly, it doesn't have the health to sustain an

assault itself. An AT gun coupled with any support tank can destroy it quickly, or even rifles with

stickies. Its engine appears to be held together with duct tape and dreams, and I have not had

one hit a mine yet where it didn't get critically immobilized (Or nearly immobilized, as in engine

destroyed).

Panther: This tank is deadly against armor, but not against infantry. An AT gun is this tank's

bane, and it is highly susceptible to flanks, lacking the mobility of Allied armor. It's also a

resource hog, so killing one will definitely set your enemy back. Vet can make it into a killing

machine, so be careful of that.

Tiger: People disparage this tank, but it's really quite the beast. It's something of a slightly

better Panther with the anti-infantry power of an improved PIV. Dealing with these guys can be

tough, but remember this: It has poor frontal armor, relegating it to a support hitter. Try and

isolate it and it will go down quickly.



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StuH: This destroys infantry, but can't dent armor. Your only real tool against it is to use armor

against it or get some good hits in with an AT gun before it can close distance.

King Tiger: This is a demon on the field, to be sure. It is effective against both infantry and

armor, but less so against infantry, so use this to your advantage. Sticky it, flank it, destroy it.

Don't let your enemy get away with it, or you'll never hear the end of it. Don't underestimate it,

and don't use your armor to engage it until you're fighting on your terms.



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3. Basic Hard Counters:

A Greyhound will beat a vanilla Puma.

An HMG has a 50/50 chance against a Puma in the open, and a good chance of winning an

engagement in cover.

An AT gun destroys all armor except Ostwinds. It is single-handedly the best anti-tank weapon

in the Allied arsenal, Pershing aside.

Any heavy armor (Tank Destroyer, Sherman) will win against an Ostwind, guaranteed.

A Tank Destroyer has a good chance of winning against a StuG with minor micro.

A Tank Destroyer has a 50/50 chance of winning against a PIV against its rear armor.

Rifles, Paras and Rangers will destroy/disable a Panther given half a chance.



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4. Combined Arms Tactics

Never leave your AT gun unsupported. Not only does this risk destroying it, but a common

tactic for Axis when dealing with one is to rush it and flank it. Having some support AT will

cripple this flank. It will also allow you to have a moment's breathing room to deal with

onrushing armor that will follow the Axis dropping arty on your AT gun. The AT Gun is your

primary anti-tank weapon, and should be used by everyone who doesn't have a strong armor

doctrine strategy. It will win against any non-doctrinal armor that's not an ostwind, and

knowing how to use the AT gun to leverage a mobility advantage will win your many

engagements. In addition to destroying tanks, it's an effective method of area denial. The Axis

will need to stay out of its field of fire, or suffer heavy casualties when dealing with you. It gives

you the breathing room necessary to carry out many flanks. When an enemy has to contend

with an AT gun or a Sherman, they will often deal with the AT gun, because of its superior AT

capabilities. But all armor suffers when hit from the rear, and even a vanilla Sherman will have

the necessary firepower to deal such damage. AT Guns are also great for taking out buildings

and bunkers.

Tank Destroyers are meant to be used in conjunction with other anti-armor units. Their

superior mobility makes them deadly, and their low cost allows them to be lost. But to truly win

a fight, you should try to preserve all of your units. A rifle squad with a sticky will let your TD

move in quickly and safely, and deal the damage it needs to before moving back out.

Shermans are not primary anti-armor units. Even when they have their long barrels (A waste, in

my opinion), they lack the hitting power and mobility of tank destroyers. But they are great



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support units. Their resilience will let them win battles against obviously superior armor when

used in their support capacity. An AT Gun/Sherman combo will deal with many enemy armor

combinations, and let you come out at the economic advantage.

Riflemen with stickies will seriously win you battles. The weakness of Axis armor, aside from

specialization, is their mobility. Immobilizing them will put them in serious jeopardy. All you

need is one sticky, one critical, and then to follow up with an AT gun or Sherman. Along the

lines of infantry, don't discount the HMG's AP rounds. They will decimate light vehicles.

In summary, different units open up new tactical possibilities. You will get a lot more done with

an AT gun and a Tank Destroyer than you could with even three TDs. This isn't about brute

force. That's an Axis priority.



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5. Advanced Tactics

How to perform a tactical retreat with armor

Don't simply rush your tank away when you're trying to retreat them from combat. It's a good

way to lose your tank. Armor requires a lot of care to keep alive, so when you need to pull your

unit back, click a close path behind the tank, while using the right-click facing to keep it facing

forward. This has numerous effects: 1. It moves your armor away from the front line while

keeping its frontal armor forward. This can mean the difference between a shot bouncing off

and your tank living, or getting knocked out. 2. It will likely draw the enemy tank into your line.

This is a very good thing, because you are isolating that tank, making it ripe for destroying.

Many enemies who will focus down tanks will lose tanks because of this because the tank will

follow its target come hell or high water, until told to do differently.

Another method of tactical retreat is to have a defensive line planned. This will be expanded

upon in Defensive Tactics, but having a defensive line of mines, a back-up AT gun, and/or tank

traps will spell death for the enemy. Almost exclusively, a [filtered]-for-tat armor exchange

between Axis and Allies will favor the Allies economically, so even if you cannot save your tank,

your defensive line will cripple and destroy the tank giving chase. Even having a rifle squad

providing support against flanks can sticky a tank giving chase and cripple it.

Preserving your AT Gun

Good Axis players learn to quickly deal with AT guns. Not only do they gain vet quickly from

armor kills, but they are beasts against Axis armor. As many of you will experience, AT guns are



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delicious targets for arty and flanks. There are several methods to protect your AT gun, and you

should use as many as you can. For now, we'll focus on two. First, while your AT gun is your

primary tank hitter, it's also your ace up your sleeve. If you've got the Ace on the table for all to

see, that means the enemy's either going to fold or they have a four of a kind of their own

waiting. Metaphors aside, what this means is that a good player won't try to deal with your AT

gun unless he has a method of taking it down. Whether this is superior numbers, artillery, or a

flank en route, an exposed AT gun is an AT gun on borrowed time. The solution, is to keep your

AT gun on your defensive line. Have it immediately available to deal damage, but behind the

front, out of your primary front line. Consider getting the AT gun acceleration cards, which will

save them from arty and flanks both. Having rifles nearby will protect against flanks and offer

yet another tactical option to deal with axis armor. But the deception game is the absolute best

way to protect your AT gun. If the enemy doesn't know where the gun is, he is taking a risk

when attacking you.

We suffer the same way from Paks. Even though they are not as combat effective as AT guns

are, their camouflage makes us second guess our armor pushes, lest we get caught by said

guns. Allied players have to do this the hard way, but the results are more dramatic. AT guns

will turn a fight around for you.

Second, we need to focus on Angles. This is something that many commanders don't consider,

but it's especially necessary given our tactical focus in play. When I talk about angles, I'm talking

about cones of fire, areas of engagement, so forth. A hard and fast rule to consider when you're

fighting the armor fight is this: Close Range makes for a good flank; long range requires a hard



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counter. The AT Gun will counter all Axis armor from long range (With the notable exception of

a KT, perhaps), this is why it is better for an ostwind to rush an AT gun than to try and fight it

from range. And this is why it is necessary to bring a TD in close to flank. The angles are smaller;

meaning the area of engagement is smaller, making a flank more likely to be successful. So keep

in mind your angles in your armor fight, and use them to your advantage. Know what counters

what. If you have a hard counter, it is better to engage your enemy from range, because this

preserves your front line and reduces chances of being flanked or isolated. If your enemy

counters your units, you need to move in close to get the flank and prevent his firepower. In an

ideal world, your AT gun would engage enemy armor from the defensive line, with your rifles or

another unit providing the sight needed for that engagement. From there, the enemy armor

can't even fire on the AT gun. Just keep in mind angles when you're engaging the enemy and

you'll have an idea of what they need to do to win, and what you need to do.

Kiting

Resist being kited, and at the same time, using kiting to your advantage. All axis armor, KT

included can kite infantry well enough to avoid being stickied. But this means they have to

move in a predictable fashion. Try making them kite toward your line to isolate them, or into

mines. Or just buy yourself room by making them kite you. Kiting is a double-edged sword,

because it is forcing your enemy into a predictable action pattern, though it nullifies your unit's

combat effectiveness. If they don't, then you get a sticky and a critical. If they do, just know

how to use it.



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You can kite as well, however. Panzerschrecks are deadly against all allied armor, because of

their penetration and accuracy. But they have awful accuracy, especially at range. An effective

tactic can be to kite them till they fire off their schreck and miss, then move in for a heavy crush

kill with an M10, or simply fight from range, moving every few seconds to gain the necessary

evasion bonus.



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6. Defensive Tactics, or "How Do I Fight the Tank Blob?"

So, how do you fight an Axis tank blob? With an ace up your sleeve, and a lot of hope. If you

experience an Axis tank blob, you've either done one of two things: 1. You lost the early game

enough to allow them to tech up and spew out tanks; 2. You're playing a 4v4 game. Aside from

a lucky arty shot, the best way to deal with this is a good use of defensive tactics.

Understanding this will also improve your gameplay, overall. The key point of defensive tactics

that I like to think about are my defensive line and my front line. The front line is the primary

fighting zone. For example, over a VP, or across certain lines. Ahead of the front line is the

enemy's line, which you should avoid with most units. Behind it is your territory, and where you

should have a defensive line. So what is a defensive line? It's what you use to prevent flanks,

prepare for blob rushes, and generally set the field to your favor. Engineers should always be

doing something, and artillery is often overrated when compared with judicious use of mines.

Know the map. Know where the high traffic areas are. Know the flank points. Know how your

enemy is going to attack. Place wire, tank traps. Place mines. Set up a hell for your enemy to

barrel through. Ideally, your front line is going to move forward, but if the [filtered] hits the fan,

your defensive line will stop their counterattack long enough to get your [filtered] together. It

will prevent flanks from storms and other units. It can support your front line. Make a conscious

effort to create to zones of combat, one of active units, and one of static defenses. It will

provide an excellent reveal against your enemy as well. If you simply throw your units against

the enemy altogether, the enemy will know exactly what they're dealing with.



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It will also eat all of your micro ability keeping them active and effective and alive. It is much

better to finesse a lot out of a few units while setting up your defensive line. If the front line

falls, and they counterattack, your defensive line is all microed already, ready to deal some hell.

If your tanks eat it, you fall them back, repair them, and all of a sudden, the enemy's

counterattack is badly damaged, and your offensive units are back in action, ready to push

forward once more.

So the primary key to defensive tactics is to have each unit a part of a plan. Have an MG

watching over the rear. Have engineers with flamers watching the MG and ready to repair

armor. Have mines over high traffic areas and lanes of attack for the enemy. Have static

defenses ready to make the field your field. The defensive line is your contingency, salvation,

and the true brunt of your thrust all rolled into one.



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7. Doctrinal Tactics

As a disclaimer, I believe that it is far more important to learn basic tactics before coming to

rely on doctrinal tactics in fighting. This is not taking advantage of doctrinal abilities, but rather

creating a crutch. And most often, it is easy to create a hard counter to a specific, dramatic

ability, than a contingency-laced strategy. That said, the Allies unfortunately must rely heavily

on doctrinal abilities to be combat effective in many cases.

Infantry:

Camouflage: An excellent method to hide a support AT unit such as rifles. It is also useful to

camo an engineer squad to lay down mines with no possible knowledge from the enemy until

they hit them.

Rangers: Not very effective in anti-armor combat, they have some strength in numbers and

against light vehicles. Don't blob rangers, however, as you're opening yourself up to a strong

counter, such as ostwinds.

Off-Map Artillery: It can be very effective to destroy a tank blob with off-map arty. Assuming

you catch them unawares, the top armor on most tanks is very weak, meaning that you'll

decimate their numbers quickly. However, its slow landing and expense make other options

more appealing, usually.

FHQ: A key to creating an effective defensive line, this lets your stay in the fight longer.

Howitzers: Excellent in destroying enemy units if you land the hits, but an arty magnet.



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Airborne:

Bombing Run: Currently kinda borked, and definitely not worth the resources in my opinion.

It's useful against static defenses, but lacks damage, is easily avoided, and can be nullified by

Ostwinds.

Strafe: While only being effective in anti-infantry, this is a key ability to take down the enemy's

support, making them more susceptible to flanking.

Para-Dummies: Fantastic units to help you turn a battle. They will reduce the enemy's accuracy

and more importantly when upgraded, stun their weapon fire for a team, giving you the critical

time needed to position and deal the killing blow.

Smoke: More effective as a defensive option, it's good to use as support ability when making a

tactical retreat.

Paratroopers: Effective all-around, I use these guys for many situations. Their RRs almost

always penetrate, dealing moderate, but constant damage, their anti-infantry ability is

underrated, and their ability to toss satchels is an effective area denial.

AT Gun Drop: This is an excellent way to quickly reinforce a line. The support squads can help

construct a powerful defensive line, and can run down any armor piece and sticky it, while the

upgraded AT gun itself is pretty awesome.

Recon Run: A powerful tool to identify the enemy's units and plan of attack. It can also reveal

snipers, making it great for early game dominance.



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Armor:

Pershing: The ultimate support AT unit. The LRS will devastate enemy tanks from afar, forcing

the enemy to come to you. Don't overestimate its resiliency, however.

Calliope: Effective in many roles, it can seriously damage enemy armor, but more importantly

shreds their defensive line, softening their offense or defense, as the case warrants.

HVAP: Don't forget that you can use this on teammates' tanks and AT guns as well.

Self-Repair: This has been talked about enough already.

Raid: This is an ability that lets you increase your mobility, which is great for taking down

enemy tanks.

So, the last part is a little Spartan, but I'm getting tired. I'll try to expand it a little later. Hope

you’ll enjoy it.i

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Allied Basics Series #1 - Dealing With Axis Armor by Bloodsent

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