World War 2 saw the unprecedented innovation of a variety of military vehicles. Company Of Heroes 3 allows players to explore and see these vehicles in action as an inevitable part of any battle. From scouting motorcycles to heavy tanks and artillery, vehicles will provide the most versatile set of units in any Company Of Heroes army.
Many of these units will already be familiar to those with even the most cursory historical knowledge of the period, from the infamous German Panzer and Tiger tanks to the allied Sherman and Grant vehicles. These units can most certainly make or break a battle, so knowing which ones are strongest and why can be of great value when trying to edge out your opponents.
8 Kradschützen Motorcycle Teams (Afrikakorps)
These fast-moving scout units can swiftly capture territory and plant mines to ensure that any control points are not given up for free. Considerably faster and better-armed than their comparative rival the Kettenkrad Recon Vehicle, this unit can provide a huge advantage to the Afrikakorps Faction in the early game, and even later on if there are any accessible territories lying undefended.
Accessible from the Afrikakorps Headquarters immediately, these units can ensure that the battle starts on the front foot, and can immediately start supplying its army with the resources it needs to produce heavier vehicles and weaponry.
7 M3 Armored Personnel Carrier (US Army)
This versatile vehicle unit is useful in a variety of ways. In addition to being a personnel carrier - enabling the fast transport and distribution of infantry units around the battlefield - it also has a range of upgrades which make it useful in almost any scenario.
Unlocked via the Weapon Support Center rather than the Motor Pool, this vehicle becomes accessible quite early in the game for the US Forces and for 75 Munitions can be converted into an M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage or a 75mm Anti Tank Motor Carriage. For 50 munitions it can also be converted into an M3 Armored Medical Half Track. This unit also has a special ability to re-crew equipment such as anti-tank and anti-air field artillery.
6 8-Rad Armored Car (Wehrmacht)
This inconspicuous recon vehicle may not seem like much at a first glance, offering only moderate power in the way of fire support and offensive capabilities compared to some heavier units. What makes this vehicle unique, however, is that it is the only heavy armor vehicle unit that is able to capture territory and victory points.
The enables the Wehrmacht to capture even the most heavily contested points in the midst of heavy fire, and its Smoke Canisters ability can help protect it from anti-tank units. The 8-Rad is only available through the Mechanized Battlegroup, but at the cheap cost of just 2 Command Points, makes this rare vehicle a worthy acquisition.
5 M3 Grant Medium Tank (British Forces)
This versatile tank comes with three weapons as standard, without any need to upgrade. The 75mm main gun is strong against vehicles, and can take on the rival Panzer IV quite steadily. The 30. Cal machine gun ensures that infantry units are kept at bay, while a 37mm cannon can cause huge area-of-effect damage against close-range infantry targets.
Available through the Company Command Post for the British Forces, this unit costs 360 Manpower, 90 Fuel and 12 Pop, making it a fantastic choice in the mid-game when vehicle units are becoming more common. The Steady Assault ability can be unlocked at Veterancy Level 1, granting the unit an increased rate of fire at the cost of movement speed.
4 Flammpanzer (Afrikakorps)
This vicious anti-infantry vehicle does precisely what its name suggests: spraying jets of fire from its 75mm tank barrel and causing huge disruption and chaos on the battlefield.
Particularly effective against infantry and light vehicles, this vehicle is sure to leave its mark on the battlefield whenever deployed. Produced through the Afrikakorps Armored Support Battlegroup, this unique tank can be unlocked for just 3 Command Points.
3 Churchill Black Prince (British Forces)
The Black Prince is a very effective and efficient heavy tank. At a relatively cheap cost of 6 Command Points to unlock, the tank can be accessed via the British Armored Battlegroup, and will cost 690 Manpower, 180 Fuel and 20 Pop to produce.
With more health than most, heavy tanks, this one is difficult to knock out of the fight. At Veterancy Level 1, this unit will unlock both the Infantry Smoke Screen ability as well as Critical Repair, enabling the vehicle to repair itself when out of combat without the need for engineers or a repair center. The combination of this unit's anti-infantry, anti-vehicle and anti-tank capabilities, coupled with its good maneuverability, make this tank a valuable asset to deploy on the battlefield as the late-game approaches.
2 Tiger Heavy Tank (Wehrmacht)
The notorious Tiger Tank is every part as beastly an intimidating as its name and historical reputation suggest. Available via the Breakthrough Battlegroup, this heavy vehicle unit will cost a staggering 9 Command Points just to unlock, and an additional 700 Manpower, 180 Fuel and 20 Pop in order to take to the field.
The Tiger truly is a moving fortress though, and especially when upgraded with the pintle-mounted MG34 Machine Gun, which can pin down infantry units while its 88mm Main Gun can seek and destroy larger targets. In combination with the Side Skirts upgrade, the Tiger is very difficult to destroy, and its Timed Fuse Shot ability can be devastating when used on groups of enemies.
1 Flakpanzer Wirbelwind (Wehrmacht)
Perhaps the most devastatingly efficient vehicle when it comes to taking out enemy infantry, the Flakpanzer fires its twin anti-air guns with an incredibly high rate of fire. Able to sustain reasonable damage and stay in the fight for longer than some of its rivals, this vehicle is almost always guaranteed to favorably swing the battle in the Wehrmacht's direction during the early-to-mid phase of a battle.
Produced via the Luftwaffe Kompanie for a very reasonable cost of 360 Manpower, 70 Fuel and 10 Pop, this vehicle is cheaper than some elite infantry units, and can clear vast enemy-held territories in addition to defending against any aerial support the enemy might call in. With a combat efficiency usually exceeding 100%, the Flakpanzer is the ideal balance of cost and combat effectiveness.
Company of Heroes 3 is out now for PC and will release later this year for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.