Mechanised Assault Doctrine Overview

Unit and abillity overview of the Mechanised Assault Doctrine availible for purchase as DLC for the Germans in COH2. I'll include unit basics, some tactics i've used as them and how best to counter this relatively new Doctrine in the Game.

The Mechanised Assault Doctrine

The Mechanised Assault Doctrine for German players in COH2 is very much about early game aggression and map control followed up by fast teching and aiming to get strong units out before your soviet couterpart can react. Axis players have typicaly always struggled early game to get to grips with russian infantry tactics, who normaly overwhelm grenadier squads with numbers and use of abilities. This doctrine allows Axis players to regain some initiative during early gameplay and follow it up with strong deployable units.

Commander Abilities

Here is a quick Unit and ability round up for the Doctrine:





Assault Grenadiers are a level 0 unit summons, meaning they can be called in right from the start costing you 320 manpower for a five man squad equipped with close range sub machine guns and a grenade ability that is unlocked at battle phase one.




The Mechanised Assault group is a level 1 unit summons, and cost 520 manpower and 50 fuel to call in a Panzer grenadier squad mounted in a 250 model halftrack. An excellent mobile anti infantry unit that can also be upgraded with panzershrecks as anti-tank.




The Stug III assault gun is a level 3 unit summons that costs 160 manpower and 55 fuel for a dedicated anti structure/infantry tank with a large splash radius but limited effectiveness against anything but light armour.




A light artillery barrage is a level 4 ability that costs 120 munitions and is effective at scattering grouped infantry and denying units from capturing points.




The Tiger Heavy Tank is a level 5 unit summons that costs 720 manpower and 200 fuel for access to one of the deadliest tanks of the war, with an excellent mix of speed, armour and firepower. Capable of taking on almost anything the soviets can throw at you.

Why is this doctrine so different?

Typically in COH2 German players are at a significant disadvantage early game, as good Russian players will make use of mass amounts of conscripts to overwhelm there Grenadier counterparts through mass firepower and use of molotoves to establish map control and force German players into defensive posturing, and especially since the nerfs to the MG42 german deffensive positions are deffinatly not as robust as they were in vCOH. While not necessarily a bad thing (they were op) it left germans lacking throughout T1 &T2, as this is where this doctrine really shines. Assault Grenadier(AG) squads if properly micromanaged are easily capable of defeating conscript squads in a 1vs1, and two-three units of AG can easily mop up up to five units of conscripts through use of the grenade ability(in which every squad member throws a grenade) and getting close enough to deny conscripts the use of molotovs.

The Mechanised Assault group is also the perfect complement to AG's as being a mounted unit they can deploy fast to assist AG's against 'elite' infantry like Guards and Shock Troops, but also have the flexibilty to be uprgraded with Anti tank weaponry should the need arise, and Panzershrecks in sufficent quantities can happily chew up any Russian tank (with maby the exception of the IS) in just a few shots.

This doctrine however is very dependant on its AG's for victory, and in turn they are vulnerable to flamethrowers, mortars and light armour. In particular M3 scout cars loaded up with snipers or penal squads packing flamethrowers, aswell as the M5 Halftrack with the quad mount tearing them up extremly fast. As such use of scout cars with the 20mm cannon and the later on both varieties of Stug's you have are vital to protect them, and many Russian plays who know how to counter them will go straight for a T-70, which can really ruin your day. Assault Grenadiers are also more expensive than regular grenadiers, costing 80 manpower more to summon and the Mechanized Assault group is VERY expensive, costing 520 manpower and 55 fuel is a VERY high cost, considering regular Panzer Grenadiers just cost 360 manpower and you cant reinforce from the type 250 halftrack.

Being used in combination, AG's and Mechanised assault groups in particular can give the German play map control and allow for an even faster tech than normal, as fuel will be more readily avalible. This is then used to pump out heavier units at at fast rate than you opponant can.

The other reason this doctrine is oftern seen as overpowered as it grants not just early game bonuses to Germans, but also late game ones in the form of an extra Stug type, artillery strikes and the Tiger. The destructive abillity of all the other units and abilities in this Doctrine make getting the Tiger easier than normal, and a well supported Tiger can very happily carry a game if used correctly. Also having disruptive artillery is nice, being especially usefull againt support weapons and anti-tank gun teams.

How do i counter it?

This Doctrine is however far from unbeatable, the key to understanding how to beat this doctrine is to realise its just like beating any other German player but that AG have to be killed off as fast as possible or you risk allowing the German player to gain superiority, fast tech and crush you tier 3-4. This doctrine makes the Germans into a different type of animale to fight early game, oftern being more agressive than you would normally expect.

As already touched upon AG's are extremly vulnerable to any form of armoured opposition and also flamethrowers. If caught in the open by a M3 with snipers or any infantry packing flamethrowers the fight can go quickly against them. If you know you opponent is using this doctrine i would recommend specalising in fast moving light armour and going straight for a T-70 if possible to take down those pesky grenadiers, also remember to keep as much pressure on as possible as they are more expensive than regular Grenadiers and as such there will be less of them, keep raiding supply points and tackle him like any other German player, denial of fuel = victory.

Late game the tiger is very scary opposition to come up against, as unless you have access to an ISU-152's, a KV-2 or IS's they are hard to take down if properly micro'ed and supported. Your best bet is use of minefields, Conscript anti-tank, Guards rifles buttoning and SU-85's in numbers. Also be aware that there is an artillery ability so keep and eye out for red smoke.

Final thoughts?

In the hands of a skiled German player, this Doctrine is oftern perceived as overpowered as it effectivly allows them to overcome there biggest weakness in early game and put alot of pressure on Russian players who normaly wouldnt expect it. However, the problem i have with this doctrine is that other that the AG's there is very little in the way of variety to the way you play, it simply becomes a tool for faster development of tech and late game AG's are almost useless in any other role other than meatshield or raiding, as they have absoultly no anti-tank or structure based weapons or abilities. Even regular Grenadiers have rifled grenade abilities and and MG upgrage.

Probably the worst unit in the tree is the Stug III, which is basicaly a 1941 vehicle in 1942 online play. while very effective against fortifications and structures, very few Russian players bunker down and its performance against armour is worse than the scout cars. The only nice thing i have to say about it is that its cheap.

In conclusion i would recomend this doctrine if you feel like your not teching fast enough and need an extra boost or want that extra bit of map control, but it's your choice if you want to pay the £2.99 just for one/two new playable units in the game.

[간디]

Mechanized*

[orgusha^_^]

?? please tell me sir.

[orgusha^_^]

how get this command

[STG-44]

pls how to unlock this doctrine ??

[Sirsucksalot]

I bought this thinking that my Tiger will blow up everything the Soviets can chuck at me and more, got my Tiger's ass handed to me by a T-34/85 in a slugging match, and I got sad. :P

[Julius]

i must say the stug ausf.e is in multiplayer pretty good vs infantry and buildings,but i really hope they buff it in theatre of war.its much worse there and a waste of resources

[ψ.Xenophon.ψ]

The Stug E is not useless it is very effective against infantry and weapon teams.

[--==[ ZaiS ]==--ACE]

Gud

[Hell Patrol]

Sadly... assaultgrenadiers have been hit by the nerf-hammer, they are useless now

[BusinessPenguin]

Yeah, it's a very good doctrine, agressive and has the Tiger+arty support. The 250+pgs with shrecks counter can hold off russian armor if supported with 1-2 paks.