A guide for Skirmish mode

A guide for Skirmish mode, both solo and Co-op.

The Basics

TERMS THAT WILL BE USED
MP - Points to buy units with
TD - Tank Destroyer
Inf - Infantry
HMG - Heavy Machine Gun

First of all, lets go over what skirmish mode is.
Skirmish mode places you into a confrontation with a large amount of entreched enemies and any possible reinforcements that may arrive.
The Maps for skirmish mode are small for the amount of men on the map, so there is generally very little maneuvering room.
To be more clear, this is a straight up slugfest.
Armored cars and most light tanks are next to useless beyond the first line of defense. Your in it for the long haul in a battle of attrition with an enemy with infinite resources. So, it stands to reason that EVERY point(mp) must be conserved.
There are four types of skirmish maps.
One-Lanes/ Tutorials.
These guys are fun to take on solo, and generally a nice break because they only have one lane opposed to 3. They are much easier, and if your going to start ramping up your diffuculty from normal to hard to heroic, start with these.
Basic 3 Lanes
These are the majority of missions, and constitute the maps where there are three lanes. Their diffuculty ranges wildly.
Defense
Defense missions involve defending 3 points and then counterattacking. They are generally pretty easy.
Stealth
Stealth missions involve sabotaging superior enemy forces with a small force of infantry and maybe light vehicles.

Delegating and basic Tactics

The best number of people for most maps is 3 people, second best is six people. 7 or 8 gets unwieldy and you lose team cohesion (unless you all are friends, then it is fine and you can benefit a lot from 8 minds working as one).
In Hard of Heroic, delegating is almost completely necessary. If you have 3 people, assign one to each lane (left, middle, right). If you have 6, assign 2 to each lane. One to attack, and one to defend. Be sure to coordinate and provide support with the other lanes, never forget you are part of a team.
Basic Tactics
In the first line the best strategy is to establish a base of fire and then advance slowly on the points.
To do This: Station half your men in a good firing position in good cover. Wait for them to engage the enemy. Advance the other half to a closer good position. Wait for them to engage the enemy. Advance the original half to the point itself, storming it. Unless your on heroic, you can easily do this with 8 men a point, even less on normal.
Canibalizing, stealing, and repairing.
All three are important to success.
You should endeavor to only damage enemy tanks as far as you are capable. Then you can secure them for your team, repair them and get a free tank.
One lesser known strategy is canibalizing MGs. Halftracks, jeeps, and light vehicles generally come with a hvy machine gun. If your (or your enemies) vehicle is taken out, you can loot the MG from the vehicle, giving a rifleman the punch of a light vehicle. Note that commandos and other elites have 3 stars with all weapons, so have them take the weapons if possible.

Teamwork and Humility

First and foremost in this section, if someone asks for something: Give it to them, unless they are a troll. You can always get another tank, or loot at gun or whatever later in the game.
That being said, some people are simply not very good at controlling tanks, or microing infantry, or using bazooka's or whatever.
For example, I am absolutely atrocious at using AT guns. I am not very good at the idea of continuously moving up, though I recognize it as an important aspect. I (as do we all) have many more faults. Some people refuse to accept them, and this can lead to problems.
If someone on your team is bad at using tanks, and you don't think they will accept that and give it to another player, you can use some tricks to ensure that you get the tank (or other important unit)
The easiest is to give all your infantry to a player good at mass infantry tactics, all your tanks to a player good at armored warfare. This may seem extreme, but if for example a Veteran Tiger is coming, that vehicle can easily last you all game, and would be a total waste to get destroyed by an M5 the player didn't bother to notice or think it could damage the Tiger.
You should receive it if you have the least men, then you can give it to someone good at armor or use it yourself if you want that responsibility.
Then simply get a few infantry units and you should be up to full strength in no time. In the meantime, don't sit there twiddling your thumbs! Your teammates are busy holding the line, and while you have next to nothing you can tour the map and point out threats and oppurtunities. Forgotten soldiers, repairable tanks, hidden at guns etc.

First Moves, 1 and 3 Laners.

Starting off on any map you generally want -
1 Squad of Infantry
1 mortar.
Infantry because numbers are important, and you need the medic. The mortar because that will be your only long range fire support for a long time. I often see people getting HMGs. DO NOT DO THIS. Each point you take will give you two free (if immodible) HMGs, giving you plenty of fire support.
Take the Left points first, almost always. Use that position to flank the center then do the same for the right.
Do not buy anything except infantry during the assault of the 1st defense line, unless circumstances are exceptional. A tank once the middle point is taken is optional. If your Russian, German, or American it is generally a good idea to get one. Keep it well back to provide infantry support. AT guns are brutal if placed effectively, and maps differ wildly on places the put them. In some, spamming AT guns is incredibly effective, in others it is a recipe for disaster/waste of points.
Now that you have taken the first line of defense, establish some defenses, but be careful not to lose your momentum.

Mid Game - 1 and 3 Laners.

Advance slowly and surely, using much the same tactics as before. If you are the UK, grab a matilda. They are tough and can destroy most AT guns with pure virtue of armor. If not, storm the area with infantry before advancing your tanks.
Not much to say about this, just be patient and advance slowly. Get at least one tank for each lane, preferably stolen from the enemy.

Late Game 1 and 3 Laners.

Now you are probably in artillery range. You cannot stay here, you need to advance. Taking the last point is generally very hard, but airborne can be used to nock out the arty if used a little cleverly, and heavy german tanks can withstand most AT guns. Specials like air-strike or barrage can obliterate enemy defenses as well. Storm them with elite infantry under cover of Mg and sniper fire. Be sure to provide armor support as well.

Weapon Types

On Request, I'll do a small guide for the various weapon types.
Bolt Action Rifle
Slow firing, high damaging rifles that are equipped to most infantry. They are good for your base of fire in assaults, and generally good in defense.
Submachine gun
A short range, rapid fire weapons well suited to the attack but not as effective in defense. They are also great at door-blocks (placing a man next to a door or entrance prone and waiting for ai to come through so they can be shot close range.
Light Machine Gun/Squad Support Weapon.
-LMGs must be in your base of fire, so they can provide covering fire.
-Rifle Grenades are good at storming entrenched positions, and great oppurtunities for some direct-control fun.
Assault Rifle
-Semiautomatic Rifles are an effective balance between Rifles and SMGs, leaning towards rifles
-Assault Rifles are an effective balance between Rifles and SMGs, leaning towards SMGs.
Special
-Flamethrowers should be used in direct control to defeat entrenched positions.
-At Rifles are great at killing light vehicles. They should be direct controled to target tracks and turrets.
-Bazookas and Panzershreks can kill even the heaviest vehicles. DO NOT CHARGE THEM AT THE ENEMY!!! Prone them in a trench or behind a building. When the tank comes close (and I do mean VERY CLOSE) stand and fire. Aim for sides and rear.

America

America has an excellent loadout and some fun missions, and are probably the best nation for beginners, tied with Germany.
Things to keep in mind:
Your squad support weapon (BAR) is lackluster at best, you will not have fire superiority when facing the Germans with their amazing MG-42.
Your tanks are designed to support your infantry, not the other way around. Don't advance tanks alone and always keep a hearty force of infrantry around the tank, ESPECIALLY is fog of war is enabled.
Your Ranger and Airborne troops are superb, use them well.

To Buy or Not to Buy:
DO NOT BUY:
Greyhounds - In some very rare situation they are useful, otherwise they are useless beyond the first line. Don't waste your points.
Heavy MGs - If they were fifty cals, it MIGHT be worth it. Because they are not, don't bother.
Sniper - This is controversial. In the hands of a good player a sniper is a critical tool, and they are incredibly useful late-game to pick off guys in the trenches, but in the early game they lose out in every category to mortars.
IFFY PURCHASES
Sherman Tank - The chaffee can generally suffice until you unlock heavier tanks. The various sherman variants should be used aplenty however. These tanks can hold their own and are useful enough in the second line, but they are outclassed by Panzer IVs and other heavier german tanks.
BUY
Mortar - Always useful, always worth it. Just watch you ammo capacity, and remember you can deploy bheind high cover

United Kingdom/Commonwealth

The UK is an extremely effective faction is used properly, and can fall flat if not.
You have two types of tanks: Cruiser and Infantry tanks.
Cruiser tanks are designed to rush into gaps in the enemy line, punching through and causing maximum damage. They do not have the armor or firepower to stand toe to toe with equivalent german tanks.
Infantry tanks are designed to work in concert with infantry to create said gaps, providing most of the firepower. Infantry tanks are slow, and very heavily armored.
In general the british strategy is to advance slowly and inexorably, fortifying each point so it cannot be taken back.
Know this. Trying to use a british army to blitzkrieg will not be nearly as effective as a german tank.
DO NOT BUY:
Crusader tanks - A common mistake is to buy crusaders as the first tank. Ignore the 6 pounder and spring for the Matilda.
Armored Cars - See Above "Greyhound"
HMGs - Pathetically useless vickers machine guns.
IFFY PURCHASES
Early game commandos - Useful in some situations, but that jeep with a two pounder is extremely vulnerable to just about everything. The amount of men to points spent is also lackluster.
DO BUY
Matilda. The best early game tank hands down, should get you through the first two lines with ease. Use them to damage and repair panzer IIIs. In my expierence, a panzer III has NEVER penetrated the front plating of a Matilda. Neither has a pak 36, which are easily destroying by this behemoth. Beware though, these monsters are slow.
17 pounders - One of the best, if not the best AT guns in the game. Get them.

Germany/Third Reich

Germany is an extremely fun faction that basically excels at everything.
Their tanks are superb, as is the MG-42 machine gun. Their half-tracks are excellent, and they can use a variety of tactics to pursue their goals.
MORE COMING

Japan

Japan is a faction I'm least familiar with, and also seems to be the most exotic country.
MORE COMING (Slowly)

Russia/Soviet Union

Russia is a factions that focuses on blugeoning it's enemies to death with pure, brute strength rather than strategy, individual virtue or tactics. The T-34 and it's variants are fantastic, and should be used right up until the third line.
MORE COMING

To-Do List

Add Pictures
Add Specific stats
Add map to map strategy and tactics.
I want to make this as comprehensive as possible, so any tips are greatly appreciated.
No-One is a master, we can all learn here.

[RiddlyWiddly]

This massively helped I was struggling on normal still new to these kind of games and I would get to the objective and get pushed all the way back till I lose. I have learned what I was doing wrong I was way to passive to start and investing in bad troops or tanks such as the sniper (not bad just bad at using them so skill issue) but using things like motors instead that's easy to use and very effective

[inga26r]

Airborne DLC for AI.

[Nellenbach4]

witch DLC is it?

[DinoRoar312]

how do you add AI? Your thing does not tell us.

[DinoRoar312]

Just got it

[DinoRoar312]

it is a DLC

[DinoRoar312]

yeah how do you get it

[Cull]

How do you get skirmish mode

[Cheese wheel from Skyrim]

What about that insufferable tank defence mission?

[Chief22121]

I purchased skirmish and I can't play the mode someone please help