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The Deutsches Afrikakorp faction has access to three Battlegroups in Company of Heroes 3, allowing players to adapt their strategy or focus on their strengths. Players will earn Command Points throughout any Company of Heroes 3 match, and choosing what to spend them on can make the difference between victory and defeat.
Italian Infantry Battlegroup
The Italian Infantry Battlegroup adds several defensive options to the Deutsches Afrikakorp's normally aggressive playstyle in Company of Heroes 3, including new engineer constructions, artillery, and booby traps.
Field Engineering Tree
The Field Engineering Tree begins with the elite Guastatori Squad, after which players need to make a decision between Defensive Operations and Territory Booby Traps before finishing with the towed Cannone Howitzer.
Guastatori Squad (2 Command Points, 400 Manpower, 10 Pop)
- An elite 6-man Italian WW2 infantry squad with advanced construction and repair abilities, armed with close-range weaponry.
- Has the Advanced Repair ability, enabling them to quickly restore vehicles and emplacements.
- Has the ability to throw a Smoke Grenade and T.35 Gas Masks that grant suppression resistance, speed, and defenses when emerging from a smoke cloud.
- Can be upgraded with a Breakthrough Package (80 Munitions) granting two flamethrowers for Company of Heroes 3's new breaching mechanic and AoE damage and the ability to cut barbed wire.
- Gains the ability to throw an Anti-tank Satchel Charge (45 Munitions) at Veterancy Rank 1.
Defensive Operations (1 Command Point)
- Allows Panzerpioneers and Guastatori Squads to build a variety of new structures.
- Teller Mines (50 Munitions) that are only triggered by vehicles.
- Tank Traps to block enemy vehicles.
- HMG Bunkers (200 Manpower) to provide damage and suppression.
- Reinforced Barbed Wire that is much harder to destroy.
Territory Booby Traps (2 Command Points)
- Allows Panzerpioneers from the Deutsches Afrikakorp Headquarters and Guastatori Squads to Booby Trap Territory points (30 Munitions), causing them to explode when an enemy attempts to capture them.
Towed Cannone DA 105/28 Field Howitzer (4 Command Points, 420 Manpower, 40 Fuel, 10 Pop)
- A 4-man squad armed with a medium artillery cannon capable of firing a High-Explosive or Smoke Barrage over extreme range.
- Can't be pushed like the British 6-pounder anti-tank gun and relies on being towed to move around the battlefield. It comes with a free 2.5-tonne Utility Truck for this reason.
- Players need to be very careful with their placement, as it can easily be overrun by infantry or artillery.
Defensive Warfare Tree
The Defensive Warfare tree consists of three choices. Firstly, players must pick between the Light Tank Group and Hold the Line, then between Registered Artillery and Propaganda War, and finally between Prepared Positions and the Obice 305mm Barrage.
L6/40 Light Tank Combat Group (2 Command Points, 450 Manpower, 30 Fuel, 10 Pop)
- Deploys a pair of Light Tanks from Italy's North African campaign in WW2, armed with 20mm autocannons effective against infantry and light vehicles.
- Can be upgraded with Spotting Scopes (30 Munitions), increasing line of sight, and a L6 Lanciafiamme Conversion (75 Munitions), swapping the 20mm autocannon for a heavy flamethrower.
Hold The Line (1 Command Point, 60 Munitions)
- Designate a friendly sector to make it much harder for enemy units to capture and to increase the fire rate for all friendly infantry within.
Registered Artillery (2 Command Points, 80 Munitions)
- Calls in a light artillery barrage that can only be targeted at a Territory or Victory point.
- Useful for preventing enemy infantry from capturing key points.
Propaganda War (3 Command Points, 150 Munitions)
- Drops a rain of propaganda leaflets that will force all British and US infantry within a small area to retreat.
Prepared Positions (3 Command Points)
- All team weapons and emplacements have increased line of sight and take reduced damage.
Obice 305mm Barrage (4 Command Points, 250 Munitions)
- Calls in a heavy barrage covering a wide area while also revealing the target area with flares.
Italian Combined Arms Battlegroup
The Italian Combined Arms Battlegroup doubles down on the Deutsches Afrikakorp's focus on WW2 light vehicles and infantry support, offering increased bonuses for close cooperation and more light vehicle options.
Combined Arms
The Combined Arms tree starts with the Bersaglieri core infantry squad; then, players must choose between the Bersaglieri Bolster and the Vehicle Support Secure Location, and finally between the Breda Model 30 LMG and the Vehicle Support Force Recon.
Bersaglieri Squad (320 Manpower, 8 Pop)
- A 6-man core infantry squad armed with medium-range Carcano carbines, similar to the US Forces M1 Carbines.
- Has the ability to throw a general-purpose OTO Mod.35 Grenade (30 Munitions).
- Gains increased running speed when out of combat.
- Gains the Urra ability at Veterancy Rank 1, increasing speed and defenses for a short time.
Bersaglieri Bolster (2 Command Points)
- Increases the size of all Bersaglieri Squads by 1.
Vehicle Support - Secure Location (2 Command Points)
- Increases the capture and decapture rate of infantry when they are near friendly vehicles.
Model 30 Light Machine Guns (2 Command Points)
- Increases the line of sight of infantry when they are near friendly vehicles.
Vehicle Support - Force Recon (2 Command Points)
- Grants each Bersaglieri and Panzergrenadier Squad a Breda Model 30 Light Machine Gun for improved firepower and grants each squad the ability to add a second (80 Munitions).
Italian Armor
The Italian Armor tree begins with the Semovente Assault Gun, followed by a choice between the Carro Light Tank and the Strafing Run, and finally between Pact of Steel and Artillery Cover.
Semovente DA 75/18 Assault Gun (3 Command Points, 300 Manpower, 45 Fuel, 10 Pop)
- A lightly armored but cheaper equivalent of the Wehrmacht's StuG tank, armed with a 75mm anti-tank cannon.
- The Semovente fills a role similar to the Marder III but has more versatility through its upgrades.
- Has the ability to fire a High-Explosive Barrage at close range, dealing extra damage to infantry and emplacements.
- Gains the ability to fire a HEAT Round (30 Munitions) at Veterancy Rank 1, reducing the target vehicle's speed and rotation rate.
Carro Armato M13/40 Light Tank (2 Command Points, 320 Manpower, 45 Fuel, 8 Pop)
- A swift light tank from WW2's Italian campaign, armed with a low-caliber 47mm cannon and three Breda machine guns.
- Best used against light vehicles and particularly infantry, where its multiple machine guns let it deal significant damage for its cost and size.
- Has the ability to use Armor-Piercing Rounds (45 Munitions) for increased penetration for a short time.
Strafing Run (1 Command Point, 120 Munitions)
- Calls in a strafing run by two dive bombers armed with light cannons capable of damaging infantry and vehicles.
Pact of Steel (2 Command Points)
- Reduces the cost of all Deutsches Afrikakorp and Italian light vehicles by 15%
Artillery Cover (2 Command Points, 250 Munitions)
- Designates off-map artillery to overwatch an area for a minute, calling in a barrage on any enemy that enters it.
Armored Support Battlegroup
The Armored Support Battlegroup has a heavy focus on Axis vehicles in WW2, both through bolstering friendly vehicle units and adding new options to destroy enemy tanks.
Support and Airpower
The Support and Airpower tree starts with a choice between Vehicle Awareness and Salvage Kits, after which players can pick up Panzer Storm, and then ends with a choice between Stuka Dive Bomb and Stuka Anti-Tank Loiter.
Vehicle Awareness (1 Command Point)
- Allows all vehicles to detect nearby enemy vehicles in the fog of war.
Salvage Kits (1 Command Point)
- Allows the Deutsches Afrikakorp's Panzerpioneers and Panzergrenadiers to salvage vehicle wrecks for Fuel.
Panzer Storm (3 Command Points, 100 Munitions)
- Globally increases the speed of all vehicles and grants immunity to engine critical damage while active.
Stuka Dive Bomb (4 Command Points, 250 Munitions)
- Calls in a dive bomber to drop a massive bomb onto a precise target area.
Stuka Anti-Tank Loiter (3 Command Points, 225 Munitions)
- Calls in a pair of anti-tank bombers to overwatch a large area for a minute, engaging any enemy vehicles that move within it.
Armored Warfare
The Armored Warfare tree starts with a choice between Veteran Gunners and Superior Fire Drills, after which players can unlock the Flammpanzer tank, and ends with a choice between the Panzer IV Command Tank and Battlefield Salvage.
Veteran Gunners (2 Command Points)
- Increases the armor penetration of all vehicles.
Superior Fire Drills (2 Command Points)
- Improves the performance of all secondary machine guns on vehicles.
Flammpanzer III Medium Tank SD.KFZ.141 (3 Command Points, 400 Manpower, 30 Fuel, 10 Pop)
- Medium tank armed with a heavy flamethrower and two MG 34s, great for clearing out entrenched RTS infantry.
- Has no anti-tank capability and will need to be protected from vehicles.
- Gains the ability to Flame Blind at Veterancy Rank 1, blinding an enemy vehicle and disabling their weapons.
Command Panzer IV F Medium Tank (3 Command Points, 400 Manpower, 80 Fuel, 12 Pop)
Battlefield Salvage (3 Command Points)
- A slightly tougher medium tank used throughout WW2, armed with a pair of MG 34s and a 75mm gun specialized for destroying infantry and light vehicles.
- Has the Armored Leadership passive ability, increasing the rate-of-fire and armor of nearby friendly vehicles. The rate-of-fire bonus is increased whenever a friendly vehicle is destroyed in the aura.
- Gains the Supervised Advance (30 Munitions) ability at Veterancy Rank 1, increasing the speed and defenses of nearby vehicles and infantry for a short time.
Battlefield Salvage (3 Command Points, 150 Munitions)
- Any enemy vehicles destroyed by the player's units during the 45-second duration will grant a small amount of Fuel and Manpower.
Company of Heroes 3 is out now for PC and will release later this year for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.