The US Forces faction has access to three very different Battlegroups in Company of Heroes 3, allowing players to focus in on the faction's versatile gameplay. Command Points are the currency to unlock Battlegroups, and although they can be easy to earn, players must choose wisely where to spend them.
Airborne Battlegroup
With its low Command Point cost, the Airborne Battlegroup favors an aggressive early-game playstyle, paradropping in everything it needs to dominate the map before Company of Heroes 3's heavier vehicles become available.
Aerial Support
The Aerial Support tree begins with a choice between the Smoke Bombing Run and Recon Loiter, then between the Supply Drop and Paradrop Reinforcements, and finally between the Dual P-47 Rocket Strike and the Carpet Bombing Run.
Smoke Bombing Run (0 Command Points, 50 Munitions)
- Calls in a cluster of smoke bombs that block line of sight.
Recon Loiter (1 Command Point)
- Calls in a recon plane to circle the target point for two minutes, revealing the fog of war in a large area.
Supply Drop (1 Command Point, 150 Manpower)
- Calls in two Medical Crates that infantry units can interact with to heal outside of combat, and two Munitions crates that are worth 60 Munitions each.
Paradrop Reinforcements (2 Command Points, 80 Munitions)
- Any under-strength infantry or weapon team in the target area will be automatically reinforced from the air. This effect lasts for one minute.
Dual P-47 Rocket Strike (3 Command Points, 120 Munitions)
- Calls in two P-47 fighter-bombers to strafe the target area with anti-tank rockets.
Carpet Bombing Run (5 Command Points, 200 Munitions)
- Calls in a massive bombardment in a long, line-shaped area that arrives after a 10-second delay.
Paradropped Infantry
The Paradropped Infantry tree begins with a choice between Pathfinders and the Heavy Machine Gun Paradrop, followed by the Paratrooper Squad Paradrop and finally the Anti-Tank Gun Team Paradrop.
Pathfinders (0 Command Points)
- An upgrade to all current and future Scout Squads, with increased firepower, HP, and abilities.
- Has the ability to fire a Rifle Grenade (35 Munitions) or a Smoke Rifle Grenade over long range.
- Has the ability to fire a Recon Flare to prove line of sight and reveal enemy RTS units at long range.
- Can gain either Stealth Reconnaissance, in which the Pathfinders are camouflaged but cannot fire, or Passive Healing outside of combat at Veterancy Rank 1.
Heavy Machine Gun Paradrop (0 Command Points, 300 Manpower, 7 Pop)
- Paradrops a 4-man team equipped with an M1919 HMG to the target area.
- The MG requires a few seconds of setup, making them primarily a defensive unit in the new WW2 campaign.
- Can be used to suppress enemy infantry, heavily reducing their movement speed and accuracy.
- Best used to cover likely angles of enemy approach from the safety of heavy cover or inside a building.
- Gains either the ability to Button a vehicle to reduce its line of sight and accuracy or improved defenses in light or zero cover at Veterancy Rank 1.
Paratrooper Squad Paradrop (1 Command Point, 320 Manpower, 10 Pop)
- Paradrops a 6-man elite infantry squad to the target area, armed with M1A1 Carbines for medium-range combat.
- Best used as an expensive but versatile alternative to the standard Rifleman squad, able to attack from unexpected directions and counter both Wehrmacht infantry and Deutsches Afrikakorp vehicles through their upgrades.
- Can be upgraded with either a pair of M9 Bazookas (90 Munitions) for anti-tank firepower, or a pair of M1919A6 Light Machine Guns (90 Munitions) for anti-infantry.
- Has the ability to throw a Cooked Hand Grenade (25 Munitions) that has a very short fuse, or a Satchel Charge (45 Munitions) that has a long fuse but causes heavy damage to vehicles or emplacements.
- Gains the ability to quickly capture territory or camouflage while stationary at Veterancy Rank 1.
Anti-Tank Gun Team Paradrop (2 Command Points)
- Paradrops a 4-man team armed with a long-range Anti-Tank Gun that can either be pushed on foot or towed using a support vehicle, much like the British Forces' Company of Heroes 3 6-pounder.
- Deadly against light and medium vehicles and able to damage heavy vehicles, but vulnerable to infantry, grenades, and artillery strikes.
- Requires a few seconds of setup when adjusting the angle or moving, making it best as a defensive weapon covering a large area from heavy cover.
- Can use Armor-Piercing Rounds (50 Munitions) for a short duration, increasing damage and penetration.
- Can choose to gain an ability that increases frontal line of sight at the cost of peripheral view or an ability to stop moving and brace to reduce incoming damage at Veterancy Rank 1.
Armored Battlegroup
The Armored Battlegroup is all about late-game armor, with high Command Point costs and a focus on the US Forces' tanks and vehicles. With passive upgrades like Veteran Crews, Strength in Steel, and Fast Deploy, players will be able to field a large, cheap, and effective armored force.
Engineering Corp
The Engineering Corp tree begins with a choice between Assault Engineers and Veteran Crews, followed by another decision between Field Repairs and the M31 Recovery Vehicle, and ends with the War Machine passive ability.
Assault Engineers (0 Command Points)
- Adds an additional soldier to all Engineer Squads, as well as improving their health, firepower, and repair speed.
Veteran Crews (0 Command Points)
- Grants Veterancy Level 1 to all vehicles.
Field Repairs (2 Command Points, 125 Munitions)
- Causes all stationary, out of combat vehicles to quickly self-repair for a short time.
M31 Recovery Vehicle (1 Command Point)
- A lightly-armored WW2 support vehicle, designed for advanced repairs and salvaging.
- Has the ability to restore any wrecked vehicle to a functional state or salvage it for fuel.
- Players can select a wrecked vehicle to see the cost of restoring it or the fuel gained from salvaging it.
War Machine (3 Command Points)
- Reduces the Manpower cost of all vehicles by 25%.
Armored Doctrine
The Armored Doctrine tree begins with a choice between Fast Deploy and Strength in Steel, followed by another choice between the M8 Scott SPG and Seek and Destroy, and ends with the M4A3E8 Sherman Combat Group.
Fast Deploy (1 Command Point)
- Reduces the production time of all vehicles by 50%.
Strength in Steel (2 Command Points)
- Reduces the Population cost of all vehicles, allowing players to field a larger army and lowering the upkeep effect on Manpower.
M8 Scott SPG (3 Command Points, 320 Manpower, 60 Fuel, 8 Pop)
- A light tank armed with a 75mm howitzer from the US Italian campaign in WW2, effective against infantry and structures at close to medium range.
- Has the ability to fire a High-Explosive Barrage or Smoke Barrage.
- Gains the ability to either fire a White Phosphorous or Bunker Buster Barrage at Veterancy Rank 1. The White Phosphorous blocks line of sight and deals damage over time, while the Bunker Buster is particularly powerful against buildings.
Seek and Destroy (2 Command Points, 125 Munitions)
- Globally increases vehicle speed, rate-of-fire, and accuracy for a short time.
M4A3E8 Sherman Combat Group (8 Command Points, 800 Manpower, 120 Fuel, 22 Pop)
- Calls in the most advanced version of the Sherman tank used by the US Forces in WW2, which is accompanied by a Rifleman Squad riding on the back.
- The M4A3E8 is fast, well-armored, and armed with a powerful 76mm cannon and a pair of .30cal machine guns.
- The 76mm cannon has an easier time piercing heavy armor than the standard Sherman M4A1's 75mm.
- Can be upgraded with a 50.cal HMG (50 Munitions), increasing its damage to infantry and light vehicles along with its suppression.
- Can choose to gain the ability to fire HVAP Rounds or use Flanking Speed at Veterancy Rank 1. HVAP Rounds increase damage and penetration at the cost of explosion radius, while Flanking Speed increases speed and defenses for a short time.
Special Operations Battlegroup
The Special Operations Battlegroup combines specialized WW2 vehicles like the M29 Weasel with the top-tier elite SSF Commando Squads. Compared to the Airborne and Armored Battlegroups, Special Operations is more versatile and has a heavier focus on the mid-game, where the SSF Commandos will be able to tackle any threat.
Combat Support
The Combat Support tree starts with a choice between a standard M29 Weasel and the M29 Weasel Assault Team, followed by a choice between Mark Vehicle and P4-47 Strafing Run, and ending with the Sherman Whizzbang.
M29 Weasel Recon Vehicle (0 Command Points, 240 Manpower, 4 Pop)
- A cheap recon and support vehicle, similar to the Wehrmacht's Kettenkrad but also able to carry infantry.
- One of the few vehicles that can capture territory and self-repair when out of combat and stationary.
- Has the ability to deploy an unmanned .30 cal HMG or M1 Mortar (75 Munitions each), allowing nearby infantry to form new weapons teams.
- Can be upgraded with a Pintle-Mounted .30cal Machine Gun (30 Munitions) for some light anti-infantry firepower.
- Can gain either the Signal Layer or Medical Station ability at Veterancy Rank 1. Signal Layer causes all territory taken by the Weasel to generate more resources, while the Medical Station allows the Weasel to heal nearby infantry when out of combat and stationary.
M29 Weasel Assault Team (1 Command Point, 360 Manpower, 8 Pop)
- Deploys an M29 Weasel carrying an Engineer Squad with the M2 Flamethrower upgrade.
Mark Vehicle (2 Command Points, 60 Munitions)
- Marks an enemy vehicle for a short time, providing line of sight to it even if it retreats and making it easier to hit and penetrate.
P-47 Strafing Runs (3 Command Points, 100 Munitions)
- Calls in a pair of P-47 fighter-bombers to strafe the target area, dealing damage and suppressing infantry. Identical to the P-47 Strafing Run from the Air Support Center.
M4A1 Sherman Whizbang (6 Command Points, 400 Manpower, 100 Fuel, 14 Pop)
- Calls in an M4A1 Sherman equipped with a Whizzbang rocket launcher in place of its main cannon.
- The Whizzbang can fire a devastating rocket barrage at close to medium range, but takes 90 seconds to reload.
- Gains either the ability to perform a Precision Sweep or Jettison Launcher at Veterancy Rank 1. Precision Sweep fires a more accurate barrage of incendiary rockets, while Jettison Launcher will remove the Whizzbang to convert the tank into an ordinary M4A1 Sherman from the US Forces roster.
Combat Operations
The Combat Operations tree starts with a choice between Raiding Flares and Smoke Screen, which is followed by the famous SSF Commando Squad, and then a choice between Assault Operation and Air Re-Supply Operation.
Raiding Flares (1 Command Point, 65 Munitions)
- Illuminates the target area with flares, providing line of sight and granting increased accuracy for friendly infantry.
Smoke Screen (1 Command Point, 50 Munitions)
- Calls in an off-map Smoke Barrage, blocking line of sight over a large area.
SSF Commando Squad (2 Command Points, 440 Manpower, 10 Pop)
- Calls in an elite and extremely versatile infantry squad, armed with semi-automatic rifles for medium range combat and a choice of heavy weaponry.
- The only infantry squad in Company of Heroes 3 that can switch between LMGs and Bazookas at-will, enabling them to adapt to infantry or vehicles in just a few seconds.
- Has the ability to throw a M15 Willy Pete Grenade, blocking line of sight and dealing damage over time.
- Gains the ability to either Knife Throw or use a Timed Demolition Charge at Veterancy Rank 1. Knife Throw is a close range ability that instantly kills an enemy soldier, while the Timed Demolition Charge creates a huge explosion capable of instantly destroying buildings, bridges, or other structures.
Assault Operation (2 Command Points, 110 Munitions)
- Increases territory capture speed and defenses for all infantry squads for a short time.
Air Re-Supply Operation (3 Command Points, 120 Munitions)
- Paradrops in an unmanned M1 Anti-Tank gun, M1919 HMG, and a crate worth 40 Fuel. This ability can be particularly useful to supply an RTS co-op teammate.
Company of Heroes 3 is out now for PC and will release later this year for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.