Much like Commanders in Company Of Heroes 2, Battlegroups in Company Of Heroes 3 offer a range of special abilities and units, from infantry upgrades to full scale air assaults. Each faction is only able to select one Battlegroup per battle, and each Battlegroup has two 'trees' within it, providing players with a choice of how they want to develop their fighting force. Options from both trees can be selected, but certain items will lock out others when chosen and advance onto the next tier.
With a variety of new units and abilities available across the game's four factions, these are the best Battlegroups and their contents:
8 British Armored Battlegroup (British Forces)
The British Armored Battlegroup provides some of the most powerful units and abilities available to the British faction. The Heavy Armor Support tree will first offer the choice between Radio Net and Vigorous Vehicle Training, both providing valuable bonuses to vehicle units. Next, the Crusader AA Medium Tank, which is equally adept at challenging infantry and light vehicles as it is at air-defense. Next, the Churchill IV and Churchill Black Prince become available, which are the two strongest tanks available to the British Forces.
Field Support And Logistics will first offer the Engineer Detachments ability, lowering the deployment and reinforce costs for Royal Engineers. Next, the Forward Repair Assembly or Light Vehicle Withdraw and Refit abilities offer strong vehicle support. Finally, Recon Artillery and Designate Targets offer aerial support able to target and mark hostile units within a selected area.
7 Special Operations (US Forces)
The Special Operations Battlegroup provides more upgrades and abilities than it does units, but the ones it does provide are well worth the choice. Combat Support unlocks the M29 Weasel, and will provide a useful early-game counter to the fast-moving scout vehicles of the German factions. They also have the added ability of being able to deploy weapons to the battlefield which can be operated by certain infantry units.
Available via the Combat Operations tree, the elite SSF Commandos are some of the best infantry units in the game, able to switch from anti-tank M9 Bazookas to anti-infantry LMGs in a matter of seconds. The Combat Support arm of the Battlegroup can also provide P-47 Strafing Runs, which are particularly useful when bogged down by a large group of entrenched enemy infantry. Overall, this is a well-balanced Battlegroup that can elevate the US Forces significantly.
6 Italian Infantry (Afrikakorps)
This powerful Battlegroup is available to the Afrikakorps and combines excellent defensive abilities and artillery barrages, as well as the dual-flamethrower wielding Guastatori Infantry unit. The Defensive Operations, Territory Boobytraps and Towed Cannone Da 105/28 Field Howitzer are available from the Field Engineering tree, while a Light Tank Combat Group, Hold The Line defensive ability, Propaganda War and Prepared Positions abilities are available from the Defensive Warfare tree, in addition to Registered Artillery and the Obice 305mm Barrage.
The Guastatori alone are reason enough to choose this Battlegroup, particularly if playing against the US Forces where lots of strong infantry units are likely to be encountered. The range of powerful defensive abilities and the unique Propaganda War ability, which will send enemy units into an automatic retreat where deployed, make this Battlegroup versatile and dangerous.
5 Airborne Battlegroup (US Forces)
This US Forces Battlegroup will unlock the use of various aerial abilities, allowing drops to be placed anywhere on the battlefield, not just inside controlled territory. The Aerial Support tree will grant access to Recon and Smoke Bombing Runs, before progressing to Supply and Reinforcement drops, enabling the US Faction to stay further up the field and not have to return to base. Finally, the Dual P-47 Rocket Strike and Carpet Bombing Run abilities will flatten enemies of any unit type.
The Paradropped Infantry tree will enable the production of a variety of paratrooper units and equipment, from Heavy MG units and Anti-Tank Teams to the highly effective and adaptable Paratrooper Squad. The tactical advantage this Battlegroup provides, in that supply lines of troops and equipment do not necessarily run from the base, but can be deployed anywhere - in addition to devastating aerial firepower make it one of the better picks for players siding with the US Forces.
4 British Air And Sea Battlegroup (British Forces)
The British Forces were famed for their Aerial and Naval prowess during the battles of World War 2, and this is exemplified in Company Of Heroes 3 by the power of the British Air And Sea Battlegroup. Royal Navy Support will grant either the Supply Surplus ability for resource gain or the Naval Blockade, which will prevent the enemy from capturing neutral territory or gaining resources when activated. In the 2nd tier of the tree, the Centaur AA Tank becomes available, a powerful defensive anti-air unit. Finally, the tree offers a choice of either Assault Flares or Naval Bombardent, both of which provide off-map support.
The Royal Air Force tree will provide access to paradropped troops such as Commando Section and Commando LMG Section, in addition to an M1 Pack Howitzer drop, particularly useful for shelling buildings and emplacements. The Incendiary Bombing Run and Anti-Tank Loiter are powerful aerial abilities that can dominate the battlefield, but be sure to check that any anti-air defenses in the area have been neutralized before calling them in.
3 Mechanized Battlegroup (Wehrmacht)
The vehicle-focused Battlegroup can allow Werhmacht players to capitalize on all of the faction's natural strengths. The Mechanized Armor tree will first offer the Raid Package ability, enabling all light vehicles to capture territory points. The 2nd tier unlocks either a Stug Assault Group or the 8-Rad Armored Car, both of which are highly effective combat units for different purposes. Finally, the Panther Heavy Tank is made available and is sure to dominate as one of the game's strongest heavy tanks.
The Mechanized Support tree will provide either the Fuel Seizure ability, granting a bonus to infantry-captured fuel points, or Spotting Scopes, which improve vehicular line of sight. Mechanized Assault will enable vehicles to auto-repair themselves in the field, while a Zeroing Artillery Barrage is also available to flatten certain sectors of the battlefield.
2 Armored Support (Afrikakorps)
The Armored Support Battlegroup truly unlocks the full potential of the Afrikakorps faction, who primarily excel in fast-moving vehicular combat. Support And Airpower will provide a range of useful support abilities such as Vehicle Awareness, Salvage Kits and Panzer Storm, while the final tier of the tree provides Stuka support in the form of either the Stuka Dive Bomb or the Stuka Anti-Tank Loiter. Finally, the Stoßtruppen Assault Package will provide this unit with STG-44 machine guns, or alternatively the Wespe Self-Propelled Artillery unit becomes available to smash through structures and emplacements.
The Armored Warfare tree will unlock the Veteran Gunners and Superior Fire Drills abilities, which provide bonuses to vehicle units. This tree also unlocks the deadly flame-spewing Flammenpanzer, which is sure to be deadly against enemy infantry. Likewise, the Panzer IV can be unlocked for the Afrikakorps here, and the Battlefield Salvage ability grants Manpower and Fuel for every enemy vehicle destroyed.
1 Luftwaffe Battlegroup (Wehrmacht)
The name alone was enough to strike fear into enemies' hearts. The Luftwaffe Battlegroup is powerful and domineering in every area of the field. Luftwaffe Air-To-Ground Support will initially provide an early Stuka Strafing Run, in addition to a Reconaissance Run and then Fallschirmjager Paratroopers, which can be deployed anywhere and provide stern resistance against most infantry units. The Stuka Loiterer and Fragmentation Bombs will provide effective aerial support, capable of wiping out vast groups of enemy units.
Alternatively, Luftwaffe Field Support will provide Fallschirm Pioneers at the first tier, before a choice of either the Infantry Reserves ability or a Luftwaffe Combat group which consists of a Wirbelwind Flakpanzer and a Jager Support Squad, two of the most powerful and effective units in the game. Finally, the LG40 Recoilless Launcher can be paradropped, or the Flak 36 Anti-Tank Gun Placement can be deployed, which are guaranteed to stall even the heaviest of enemy armor.
Company of Heroes 3 is out now for PC and will release later this year for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.