It is always wise to think before the beginning of a match or after it has been commenced. Thinking about what you ought to do during a match in progression is, well, a complete NO!
There are basically two ways to choose your Commander. Either choose a Commander first and then plan your strategy according to it or plan your strategy first and then choose a Commander that is well suited for it.
The most important thing to keep in mind while deciding which Commander to choose is to see what it has to offer you in terms of units and their abilities. For example, the Jaeger Armor Doctrine provides you with Elefant Heavy Tank Destroyer which can be called in during an engagement.
Let’s say you wish to stick to Tier 1 and Tier 3; you can always get an Ostwind and a Panzer IV first and then call in the Elefant as your anti-tank unit.
On the other hand, if you chose the Festung Armor Doctrine, you would be able to get yourself a Panzer IV Command Tank which can be used as a defensive unit.
Building units that take any Commander abilities is also a good idea. For instance, if you plan on choosing Jaeger Armor Doctrine, it would be a bad idea not to use Half-tracks to put Riegel 43 Anti-tank mines, etc.
Another important thing to keep in mind while choosing a Commander is to see the type and availability of Munitions it provides. Following is the complete set of German and Soviet Commanders at your disposal in the game.
For more help on Company of Heroes 2, read our Build Orders Strategy, Counter Strategy and Units Control Guide.
Company of Heroes 2 German Commanders
Festung Armor Doctrine
With this Commander, you will get the following unit and unit abilities:
Railway Artillery Support
This will allow your off-map railway artillery to fire three large caliber shells at the target provided. It can be used to destroy heavily fortified positions and force your enemy to take risky decisions.
Command Tank
Command Tank can be ordered from Support Armor Korps and it will improve your armored forces nearby.
Pak 43 Emplacement
Using this, your Pioneers will be able to construct Pak 43 88mm Anti-tank emplacements. It is just like an AT gun but with exceptional range. I can might even compare it to the Elefant but it does not cost you any Fuel.
Hull Down
It allows your squads like Pioneers, Grenadiers and Panzer Grenadiers to set German armor in a non-mobile Hull Down position thus improving accuracy, defense and providing better reload time. It is also free!
Panzer Tactician
This is by far the best ability related to this Commander, at least for me. It allows your armored vehicles to have smoke launchers making them hard to spot.
It can be used to take you out of many tight spots like getting your infantry out of enemy attacks, repairing your vehicles without worrying about enemy attacks, etc.
Festung Support Doctrine
Following are the unit abilities and units you will get with Festung Support Doctrine Commander:
Sector Artillery
With this, your troops entering a targeted area are barraged with 10.5cm artillery.
This can be used to get your infantry units inside a Half-track to safety after your enemy has sent in his squads to take you out as you are capturing his cut-off points.
leFH 18 Artillery
This will give you a 10.5cm Field Howitzer. Use it and you will realize that it does not have the strength of some Soviet Artillery but it does have a very long range with a pretty decent rate of fire but lags behind when it comes to damage.
Relief Infantry
This will allow another infantry unit (Ostruppen Infantry) to take the place of your deceased infantry units. This infantry unit is not that powerful but it can certainly do tasks like harassing enemies and capturing team weapons vehicles reasonably.
Smoke Bombs
As the name suggests, this will allow you to drop large smoke pallets which will obscure enemies’ line of sight.
This can be used at any given target. The best place to drop it is in front of a heavily fortified position and then order your troops to attack.
SdKfz 250/7 Mortar Half-track
SdKfz 250/7 Mortar Half-track with its 8mm Mortar can provide superior support to your infantry units.
This is the highlight of this Commander as it is highly mobile, you don’t have to worry about the enemy attacks. All you need to do is keep it moving!
Jaeger Armor Doctrine
Following are the units and unit abilities that are the highlights of this Commander:
Stuka Bombing Strike
A JU-87D Stuka will go to your targeted position and will drop a 50kg bomb there.
It is great for taking our large infantry forces or vehicles while capturing points. But they may be able to move away from that particular location once they hear Stuka is inbound.
Elefant Tank Destroyer
This amazing Anti-tank weapon is mounted on a fighting vehicle; the 88mm Pak43. It weighs 65 tons and is easily one of the best Anti-tank weapon in the game.
This is the highlight of this Commander and can even take out IS-2 Heavy Tanks and ISU-152 Heavy Assault Guns but it needs proper positioning and scouting.
Spotting Scope
This allows you to have Spotting Scope on them allowing them to see the farthest areas of the map while they are stationary.
Reconnaissance Overflight
This ability will allow your aircrafts to make a reconnaissance pass on the locations targeted by you to reveal the enemy forces in that area.
Knowing the kind of production buildings you enemy is constructing, you can have an idea about its units.
Half-track Riegel 43 Anti-Tank Mine
As the name itself suggest, this ability will allow you to lay a heavy Anti-Tank mine.
This works best when you pair this up with the Elefant and also by luring your enemies to it by using some of your units as a bait.
Assault Support Doctrine
Following are the units and unit abilities that are related with this Commander:
Fragmentation Bomb
This will allow you to target an area and have fragmentation bombs dropped on it.
Fragmentation bombs works well when you use them as a direct hit. They don’t have that good of a damage, so they don’t affect the vehicles the most.
Tiger Tank
Tiger Tank is easily one of the best tanks in the game. The perfect blend of armor, mobility, and rate of fire make
it a must have unit in the game. The 88mm KwK-36 gun is fatal to anyone in its range.
Strafing Run
Using this will allow you to have a JU-87D with its two MG-17 machine guns to target enemy infantry forces and suppress them.
This ability is a low cost ability and can be deadly when paired up with Tanks. It can suppress enemy infantry forces for a long period of time – long enough for your tanks to get in the battlefield.
Artillery Field Officer
This unit will allow you to have an Artillery Field Officer on the battlefield. He can be deployed from the
Infanterie Kompanie Building.
Artillery Field Officer is pretty handy unit that will work best when paired up with Mortars and Panzerwerfers but it can also work solo providing support to your infantry units like improving their accuracy and dropping smoke bombs to keep their cover intact.
Cargo Truck
This unit will allow you to gain plenty of resources from the areas you own. It is actually an Opel Blitz supply truck.
This is an important unit as it will provide you with Munitions and Fuel that will come in handy while Teching and using other Commander abilities.
Jaeger Infantry Doctrine
Following are the units and unit abilities related to this Commander:
Stuka Close Air-Support
This will allow you to have a Stuka JU-87 roam around the targeted area and taking out any enemy units with the 37mm cannons.
Stuka Close Air-Support will work greatly to your advantage before launching an attack on enemy forces to weaken their position.
Light Artillery Barrage
The Light Artillery Barrage support guns will disperse enemy forces.
Just like the Stuka Close Air-Support, Light Artillery Barrage also work best when you are trying to weaken enemy forces before launching the main attack on the enemy base.
Tactical Movement
This ability will allow your infantry units to move at their full speed for a limited period of time. However, this does not apply to the Anti-tank squads.
Tactical Movement is an inexpensive ability and comes in very handy in situation where you are counter-attacked by enemy forces. Since it increases you speed, you will escape the enemy base even before Heavy Machineguns pin you down.
Jaeger Light Infantry Upgrade
This ability will allow your combat infantry squads to have two G-43 rifles at their disposal and also includes training in interrogation.
We would recommend using it on Grenadiers since they have a really long range and when combined with the LMG-42 upgrade, they become fatal to anyone who crosses paths with them.
Ambush Camouflage
Ambush Camouflage will enable you to have camouflage on your units like Panzer Grenadiers, Grenadiers and HMGs, thus concealing their location.
This works best when used on the Panzergrenadiers. You can capture an enemy point by using this and then hide in deep cover and wait for the enemy to get there to re-capture it. Or you can always keep your cover intact and ambush enemy vehicles in a high traffic area.
Company of Heroes 2 Soviet Commanders
Guards Motor Coordination Tactics
The unit and unit abilities that come with this Commander are given below!
T-34/85 Medium Tank
T-34/85 Medium Tank with its 85mm gun can be ordered into the battlefield directly from Tankoviy Battalion Command.
T-34/85 has significantly more cannons than the T-34/76 tank and it can damage German tanks in a much better way because of more damage. Defend it with a few AT guns and infantry and you will wipe off the enemies.
Vehicle Crew Repair Training
This ability will allow your vehicles crew to repair their vehicles damaged during the war after they leave the combat.
This ability is extremely useful when you have a damaged vehicle and you are away from your engineers. But note this, the crew will only repair vehicles once the battle is over!
Mark Vehicle
This ability will allow you to target a specific vehicle and it will get more focused fire from your troops.
You can always use Mark Vehicle ability to support your units like AT guns, Conscripts with AT grenades and Guards Rifle Infantry, etc. This is also useful during the end of the game while fighting the German Heavy tanks.
Guards Rifle Infantry
Elite Guards Rifle Infantry units can be ordered on the battlefield from Special Rifle Command building.
These infantry units can easily destroy the light vehicles themselves and when paired up with M3A1 Scout Cars, they become a deadly mobile killer team.
HM-38 120mm Mortar Squad
The heavy HM-38 120mm Mortar Squad can be ordered on the battlefield from the Support Kampaneya building.
Guards Rifle Anti-Tank Tactics
The units and unit abilities given below comes with this Commander:
IL-2 Sturmovik Attacks
This unit will allow you to have an IL-2 Sturmovik roam the air base of your battlefield and engage targets with its 23mm cannons.
IL-2 Sturmovik can’t be considered as a super powerful weapon but yes, it can provide a good support to your other units.
ML-120 152mm Gun-Howitzer
This beast of a Howitzer named ML-120 152mm can be built by the Combat Engineers and owning to its long range, can reach the farthest areas of the map.
Conscript Assault Package Upgrade
This ability will unlock the assault package on your Conscript units that will allow them to swap two of their rifles with PPsh-41 submachine guns for better firepower and more accuracy.
Hit the Dirt
Using this ability will allow your Conscript units to get on the ground for protection – more like getting prone. But while this ability is active, they will not be able to move.
Pair this ability up with the Assault Package Upgrade for your Conscripts and you will stand a great chance against Grenadiers and Panzergrenadiers in one-on-one combat.
Guards Rifle Infantry
Like I mentioned above:
“Elite Guards Rifle Infantry units can be ordered on the battlefield from Special Rifle Command building.
These infantry units can easily destroy the light vehicles themselves and when paired up with M3A1 Scout Cars, they become a deadly mobile killer team.”
Shock Rifle Frontline Tactics
The units and unit abilities that come with this Commander are given below!
IS-2 Heavy Tank
The unit – IS-2 Heavy Tank can be called in the war from Tankoviy Battalion Command building.
The IS-2 consumes a good amount of Fuel and if you wish to build it, you will be at a great advantage throughout the game until it is available.
Incendiary Artillery Barrage
Using Incendiary Artillery Barrage, you will be able to bombard the targeted areas of the map with incendiary weapons to set the enemy infantry units on fire and restrict the access to your base or any other area.
This is a quite cheap ability and can be used over and over again. It is very useful against enemy infantry squads, HMGs, Mortars and AT guns. If enemy infantry forces are rushing to an area that you are protecting, DO NOT hesitate for a second and drop it on them.
KV-8 Flamethrower Tank
This unit – KV-8 Flamethrower Tank can be called in the battlefield from Tankoviy Battalion Command building.
KV-8 can easily take out enemy infantry forces and team weapons. It can also be used to counter-attack the enemy infantry units as they try to harass your positions.
Anti-Tank Gun Ambush Tactics
Your mobile Anti-Tank forces can hide their weapons and conceal themselves using this ability.
Guards Rifle Infantry
Elite Guards Rifle Infantry units can be ordered on the battlefield from Special Rifle Command building.
These infantry units can easily destroy the light vehicles themselves and when paired up with M3A1 Scout Cars, they become a deadly mobile killer team.
Shock Troops
These units are very effective at close-range battles and can be ordered in the battlefield from Special Rifle Command building.
This Commander unlocks these Shock Troops which are can easily engage Grenadiers and Panzergrenadiers. Having Shock Troops, M3A1 Scout Cars and Conscripts in the early game will give you a huge advantage over your enemies.
NKVD Rifle Disruption Tactics
The units and unit abilities associated with this Commander are given below:
IL-2 Sturmovik Attacks
As I have mentioned before,
“This unit will allow you to have an IL-2 Sturmovik roam the air base of your battlefield and engage targets with its 23mm cannons.
IL-2 Sturmovik can’t be considered as a super powerful weapon but yes, it can provide a good support to your other units.”
Fear Propaganda Artillery
Airburst propaganda leaflets will make your targeted soldiers question the morality of their actions.
This is primarily used to force a key enemy unit to ‘Retreat’, as soon as you engage his troops in the battlefield.
Rapid Conscription
This is a great ability! While you have activated this ability, you will be granted Conscript infantry for any soldier you have lost during the war.
This work wonders if you activate it before entering into any major fray/battle.
Recon Overflight
This ability will allow your aircrafts to fly at a more speed at the targeted area.
Recon Overflight can be used to roam the enemy areas and see what strategy are they using to give your AT guns and Mortars a better shot at taking their units out.
Radio Intercept
Again a very useful ability! Radio Intercept when activated will allow you to intercept enemy radio to gather valuable information regarding enemy movement and other Intel.
Your radio will tell you when your enemy builds a vehicle so you can get your Anti-vehicle squads like AT guns prepared to counter them.
So there you have it! We’ve broken down all German and Soviet Commanders with the units and unit abilities that they had to offer! Still, if you have anything to ask or you would like to tell anything. DO let us know in the Comment Section below!
