Recon Support Company

Hello and Welcome. For this doctrine guide I will be dicussing in-depth about the special abilties and units of the US Recon Support Company. The purpose of this is to show the different kinds of tactics and tricks that can be used to your advantage while with this doctrine and to use its full effective potential against your opponents.

US Recon Support Company General Overview

The Recon Support Company

The title is pretty synonyms with it core purpose and function. The whole point of using this doctrine is to be able to effectively scout out the map and find the enemy positions long before they can see you. In all the doctrine itself is very balanced one as it can be used both

offensively (scouting out where the enemy has their support weapon teams or MG bunkers/halftrack HQs before maknig an attack)

and defensively (seeing enemy advancements in the distance giving you time to properly prepare defensive measures for an assault).

The doctrine can be use ethier in 1v1s or even larger team-games, anyone on your side will benefit from your support abilties because you can gather intellgence on enemy troop movements and plan engagements to your team's advantage.



Overall this is a Balanced Doctrine in my opinion and I like to use it fairly often.

Riflemen Forward Observers

The first ability you gain going the Recon Support Company doctrine is the Forward Observers package which is unlocked for all riflemen units on the map. This ability is incredibly useful and a key element that is needed for the doctrine to work. It is only One Command Point so you will unlock this ability fairly quickly in the battle.

This ability gives all riflemen units the ability to see much farther then other standard units when only in cover or garrisonable buildings. Both heavy and medium cover and any building will allow the ability to activate.

Note: That standing out in the open or worse in negative cover will not activate the sight range bonus, SO STAY OFF THE ROADS!



An Example Image of when the Observer ability is active, an icon will appear overhead on the riflemen.





This image shows how far the riflemen can see and it is vast, you can easily see the enemy apporach you long before they come into contact with you. So you can either decide to stand and fight the enemy or if they have larger numbers simply retreat to another position before the enemy engages you.

Tips and Tricks of the Foward Observers.

As I stated before, with the increased sight range riflemen (the mainstray of your forces) will be the eyes and hears of your army. But they can be used in additional ways.

• Observer Riflmen are OUTSTANDING when paired up with support weapon teams such as MGs, and Anti-Tank guns of your own army or that of your teammates. Weapon teams have incredibly good engagement ranges but have poor line of sight range. When used in combination with riflemen they can spot further out with their bonus observer range allowing MGs to suppress infantry from greater ranges and Anti-Tank guns can attack vehicles before they know what hit'em.
  
  
• Hop from cover to cover or building to building to ensure maxiumum sight range to find your enemies.
  
  
• Riflemen sight range can also be used very well with sniper teams. Again riflemens will be up in the front with their bonus range allowing the sniper teams to pick off the enemy at extreme ranges.

I&R Pathfinders

210 Manpower


I&R Patherfinders or Intelligence and Reconnaissance Pathfinders are perhaps the most valuable and important unit in the entire doctrine. This unit defines what the Recon Support Company is all about. Coming at two Command Points I&R Pathfinders are primarily used as a recon/artillery support unit. They are not combat units and should not be used as the mainstray of your force! The Pathfinders are equipped with three M1 Carbrines so they are only good to medium to close range combat they should not be used for long range engagements. In all you'll only need one or two of these units in the open field during a game and they should be accompanied by riflemen as the I&R Pathfinders are not combat but SUPPORT units that are weak on their own.

I&R Pathfinders Abilities

The main things you will be using for the I&R Pathfinders is their ability to call down rapid artillery barrages that are precise. Because of their fast travel time the artillery can easily be called upon against weapon support teams such as MGs, Paks, Mortars and bunker or even Halftrack HQs. This ability should be used when you or your team are doing an offensive push against the enemy, the artillery can displace or kill the enemy allowing you to advance or even push at the flanks of the enemy. There will usually be 7-8 rounds fired from a call-in, 1 or 2 rounds may not hit their target zone but most of them will.

140 Ammunition for an artillery call-in, its a lot so make them count.



Another useful ability is being able to call in a fake artillery barrage. This is the most unique aspect of this doctrine as no one else has this. This other call-in can be used either offensively or defensively, the idea of it is simply, scare off the enemy and make them think you are calling in a real barrage. Again targets can be weapon support teams or even infantry. They can pointlessly retreat that MG thats been holding you back allowing you to advance, or it can be used to scare off advancing enemy units allowing you to buy yourself much needed time to build a defense.

20 Ammunition Be sure not to over-use this ability or your enemy will catch on the fact that you are faking it, and will not as easily intimidated next time you call it in.


Another useful tactic of the Pathfinders is they can build radio triangulation sets. These camo radios can detect enemy advancements in the fog of war so you can keep your eye on the enemy at all times. They are free to build, and you can only deploy three of them. Make sure they are in hard to see spots, behind trees, buildings etc etc.
Free Cost



Note: THAT THE ENEMY UNITS CAN ONLY BE SEEN ON YOUR MINIMAP!



Now, perhaps the most useful ability of the I&R Pathfinders is their ability to automatically camouflage themselves when in any kind of cover! When on recon and in cover tell them to hold their fire, and just let them stand around in cover and act as you eyes on the battlefield. The I&R Pathfinders HAVE THE MOST SUPERIOR LINE OF SIGHT IN THE GAME! These guys are better then the observer riflemen at spotting the enemy from very long ranges. Use this to you advantage with weapon teams, snipers or even mortar spotting.

Note: The I&R Finders must not move when they are in cover, a single move order will automatically make them break their camouflage and allow them to be spotted by the enemy. They cannot camo-cover hop.

Note: Going into buildings will not camouflage the unit.

Tips and Tricks of the I&R Pathfinders.

• Use the artillery from these guys, it will nuke the ♥♥♥♥ out of most units that don't move within 2-3 seconds.
  
  
• They can fight the enemy, but not alone keep them with riflemen, there are exceptions.
  
  
• Exception is if you want to use them in a covert recon role, try and position them near the enemy base along the path routes they take to enter the battlefield. Have them behind cover camouflaged with them holding their fire, and just have the watch what comes in and out of their base. Knowing is half the battle and these guys are damn good at gathering intel.
  
  
• If you are fighting an Oberkommando West player with HQ's halftracks get two I&R
  Pathfinders, if you call in a double artillery strike on their Medical or Repair HQ, you can destroy a full-health HQ INSTANTLY, sometimes though a shell or two MAY not hit the HQ, allowing it to live with a very small amount of health but severely damaged nonetheless. Its 280 ammo, but worth it.

M8 Greyhound

280 Manpower


40 Fuel


The M8 Greyhound is a unique light vehicle called in by the Recon Support Company. Though the unit itself has been nerfed the ♥♥♥♥ out of. It's seen better days, but it still has some uses. Mainly this vehicle is used to surprise your opponent with one or two of these things, if they are unprepared they will suffer greatly as a result because this unit can kill infantry fairly quickly. In 1v1s the Greyhound is good, although in team-games not so much as this fragile glass-cannon can be quickly turned into scrap by Paks, Panzersherks, MG incendiary rounds and worse instantly killed by Teller mines. It is only good in the early to mid-game, it should not be called in late game. In mid to late game the M8 can be hunted down easily by enemy armor and the vehicle itself has no defensive or escape capabilities when it comes to Stugs, Pumas or Panzer 4s hunting it. Not even its speed is that great, if caught out in the open and alone it will surely perish.

M8 Abilties

The Greyhound has one abiltiy, canister shot which can be used to great effect against infantry units. Though you don't want to pit this thing against blobs of infantry because it can be easily killed, best way to use this vehicle is at the edges and flanks of the map to hunt down separated infantry units trying to cap territory on their own. Go quickly use canister to kill the squad or hurt it severely and try and finish them off before your enemy trys to hunt you down ruthlessly.

50 Ammunition per canister shot.





Note: In addition you can upgraded the M8 Greyhound with armor skirts to provide it with a little bit more protection against Panzerfaust and Panzersherkcs, though I strongly advise against this, as the vehicle itself good enough as it is.

80 Ammunition for armored skirts upgrade.

Tips and Tricks of the M8 Greyhound

• Only use this unit in the early to mid-game phase, do not call it in during late game you are simply wasting resources.
  
  
• Prime targets for the M8 is infantry, it will not fair well against medium armor or even buildings.
  
  
• M8 can go after and attack light vehicles such as Scout Cars, or Flak-Halftracks etc etc

Aerial Recon Sweep

60 Ammunition




Pretty basic Doctrinal ability, call in a recon plane to make a single pass over the battlefield mapping out and reporting enemy positions and troop movements. Useful when either your planning to make an offensive assault somewhere to look and see what the enemy has there, or to recon and find out what the enemy is up to if they have been passive or quiet for some time. Can also be used to spot for mortar or artillery units to barrage the enemy or have your teammates call in their own doctrine abilties upon the enemy.

Note: That if the enemy has AA enplacements or Flak vehicles the plane can be shot down, preventing you from seeing what they have. In addition every plane the enemy shoots down adds to their Command Point experience, be mindful of that. But sometimes if your lucky the plane can crash into their units killing them in a glorious kamikaze!

Airdropped Combat Group

900 Manpower




An...interesting but rarely used ability, at seven Command Points the Airdropped Combat Group can allow you to quickly call in reinforcements to the battle if you have suffered serious casualties. When called in you get automatically two fully equipped airborne squads along with an Anti-Tank gun and sometimes another random equipment such as an MG or even another Anti-Tank gun that comes along with it. One airborne squad will be fully loaded with Bazookas and another with M1919A6 Browning LMG or Thompson submachine guns. It is possibly though VERY rare to have the both airborne squads come in with an identical set of weaponry. In-all this is a somewhat useful ability, because airborne are the strongest allied infantry in the game. Though it takes a lot of time to save up for 900 manpower to call in 2 Airborne Squads 1 AT gun and 1 additional random set of equipment. And most of the time you will be calling in this ability in the late-game phase.

Personally I don't use this ability a whole lot.

Tips and Tricks for the Airdropped Combat Group.

• DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT, Drop this force behind enemy territory, they will be alone and isolated from your army, and if the enemy discovers them they will be sure to move quickly to wipe out your force making your drop a complete waste. This group alone cannot hold off the whole axis forces.
  
  
• AGAIN DO NOT, Drop this force into the middle of a combat zone between you and your opponent or opponents. It takes time for the group to drop and then get themsevles organzied, if they are dropped into the middle of a battle they are absolutely defendless and will be slaughtered!
  
  
• The proper way to deploy this ability is to have the Combat Group drop in behind your battle lines safely in your territory without enemy interference. Have them drop, get themselves organzied which takes them a couple of seconds. And then have them gradually move up to the battle to relive you other battered units.
  
  
• When ordered to drop, have one or two rear echelon troops link up with the force and have them crew the support weapons that drop with the airborne units. DO NOT, make the airborne units crew the support weapons because the airborne squads are not cheap to reinforce!
  
  
• Don't leave the equipment just laying around, the battlefield will change rapidly and if the enemy gets their hands on the support guns they will either use them against you or just salvage them for extra fuel. Which does not benefit you or your teammates in anyway.

Conclusion

This concludes my detailed review of the Recon Support Company. I hope you enjoyed reading the information, and hope you use the advantages of the doctrine to your benefit and to your enemies' dismay.

Creditted source for the doctrinal unit pictures and ammo/fuel/manpower tags: http://www.coh2.org/guides/19066/u.s.-forces-commanders

Thank you very much and have a wonderful day!

[MathiasCZR01]

I'm lazy... ;)

[The Stallion]

JESUS MAN THAT WAS ALMOST 4 YEARS AGO

[MathiasCZR01]

100% Right. And I'm too lazy to change it.

[The Stallion]

pretty sure this is outdated

[MathiasCZR01]

If there not in the in-game store for you, then you already have it in your inventory. Airborne is a doctrine that is automatically given to you, so it should be in your inventory. But Recon Support is either a commander you get to buy in the store if you get really lucky and it drops for you.

[Lorcis]

cant find recon commander and now same with airborne, why cant i find these commanders? where should i look please? i have been all through the store, thanks.

[Lorcis]

I am trying to buy the recon i&r pathfinder commander for america but it i cannot find it in the store.
can someone tell me where to locate it please.
thank you

[Lorcis]

in my opinion, two of the most useful and underrated options in the game are smoke and recon, i am brand new to this game, just bought it a couple days ago and am still reading.
i also play wargame red dragon and the same is true there.
i was looking for a good recon unit to support my game and here it is.
one thought, you could keep dropping deliberately the smoke signal of impending arty and then, when they ignore it and stop running, drop the real arty and blast em all to hell, just a thought.
thanks for the great guide, good work.

[:CrynBx: DeuceRex]

I just wanted to say that I used this doctrine to hold on to 2 CPs (we only had 13/1000) with nothing but 4 3-star vets and a radio array for a serious clutch victory. The airborne drop is incredibly useful and is the mainstay of my attack force. Granted I usually have a mechanized or armored ally when I play this doctrine, but I do believe that this doctrine is seriously underrated.

[tombombadill]

out of allt he crappy comanders usf has this is the worst one. a few tweaks and it could be a great one too.