Company of Heroes 3: British Forces: Special Features, Strengths & Weaknesses - Game Guide

 In Company of Heroes 3, the British Forces faction shines with adaptable infantry and a wide range of tanks specializing in infantry and anti-vehicle defenses. In this guide, you can find out what special features the British bring with them and what advantages and disadvantages they have compared to other factions.

Important: In this guide, we will go into more detail about the underlying characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of the British Forces. Combat groups, which can be unlocked with command points in battle, play only a minor role or not at all in the context of the guide.

Special building features and technologies

Even before the construction of a new building, the British Army has unique features. It's the only faction that can recruit a heavy gun squad from HQ.

• Headquarters: While the reinforcement of incomplete troops takes place automatically as with the other factions (by stationing them near the headquarters), however, battered soldiers are only completely healed by the construction of the field hospital.
• Headquarters: The British Forces are able to train heavy weapon squads (with Vickers machine gun) right from the start of the game.
• Training Center: In the Training Center, each type of unit (infantry, light, medium, and heavy vehicles) can be upgraded by researching technologies, such as increasing damage and/or improving the rate of fire of that type.
• Tip: Only research technologies for unit types that you actually train or produce.
• Company Command Post: Vehicles that have already been produced can be removed from the battlefield using the Retire and Re-Equip feature, which will refund you for the unit costs incurred.
• The Survival Pack for tanks (e.g. M3 Stuart Light Tank) not only unlocks the Smoke Pack, which allows tanks to "hide" in battle but also brings with it Auto-Repair, which allows tanks to recover when not in combat.

The best units

The best tanks:

• Infrastructure: Matilda II heavy tank (2-pounder gun with Besa machine gun).
• Anti-infantry: M3 Stuart light tank is effective against both infantry and (light) vehicles and is relatively inexpensive.
• Anti-tank: Crusader II medium tank in the case of the 6-pounder gun conversion to a Crusader Mk 3.

The best infantry:

• Foot Guard Section: Two Thompson submachine guns are ideal for countering infantry and with two M9 bazookas, even tanks no longer pose an insurmountable threat.
• Infantry Section: The standard British Forces unit ranks among the best infantry in the faction for a number of reasons. For one thing, it's cheap (260 labor). On the other hand, it can be equipped with anti-tank rifles or light machine guns, allowing it to specialize in anti-infantry or anti-tank roles. Incidentally, the infantry section also carries rifle grenades, which not only offer a range advantage over other grenades, they also explode immediately on impact. As if that weren't enough, the unit also has supporting fire, making it easier to hit enemy troops from cover.

Other noteworthy units:

• The Royal Engineer Section can be equipped with Flamethrower No. 2, a powerful flamethrower version that unlocks the Breakthrough ability deals area damage, and ignores cover.
• The CMP-15cwt truck can be converted into a medical and anti-aircraft truck.
• An M3 Grant Medium Tank is not quite as armored as the Matilda II Heavy Tank, but it can fire its gun twice in close succession, making it more suitable for fighting infantry.
• With the exception of the Field Hospital, the Light Dingo Scout Truck can also heal nearby infantry, but does not provide reinforcements in return and is quickly cannon fodder in battle.

Strengths & Weaknesses of British Forces

British Forces Benefits:

• Cheap yet adaptable infantry section.
• The M3 Stuart light tank is one of the best in its class (not least due to its low cost).
• Infantry rifle grenades have increased range and explode instantly on impact.
• Plenty of opportunities to counter enemy infantry and vehicles.

Disadvantages of the British Forces:

• Royal Engineer Section (Pioneers) cannot build bunkers without specific battlegroup specializations.
• Few infantry types and no snipers.
• Most tanks cannot be upgraded with MG emplacements.
• Weaknesses in destroying infrastructure.