It’s been 10 years since 2013’s Company Of Heroes 2, and Relic Entertainment is finally back with a full sequel to the legendary World War 2 RTS franchise. You can head on over here for our full review of the game.

Meanwhile, Company Of Heroes 3 is slated to release for PC on 24 February 2023, and before you put your commander’s cap on, here are some tips on how to be the best commander you can be:

Plan Your Moves And Save Scumming Is Always An Option

One of the major new gameplay modes in Company Of Heroes 3 is the Dynamic Italian Campaign, where you have to manage troops across a massive map à la Total War. It’s best to plan your moves ahead and while that may seem like obvious advice, it’s easy to simply barge in and get destroyed. Take it slow, and march one step at a time.

Plus, save scumming is always an option, as veteran Total War players would know. There’s no shame in save scumming. In case you don’t know, save scumming is regularly saving your game and reloading that save whenever you don’t like the current situation. Oh, and yes, there are unlimited save files in Company Of Heroes 3.

Speed Is Vital In Skirmishes, But You Can Take Your Time In Missions

There are two main types of battles in the Dynamic Italian Campaign, which include Skirmishes and Missions. Most battles (including all battles with enemy companies) are Skirmishes, which are essentially just to take control of the points on the battlefield and dominate them. In Skirmishes, speed is vital because your points will decrease when your enemy is dominating the field. Grab as many areas as you can but don’t forget to keep building more units and reinforcements to defend them as well. It’s easy for enemies to swoop in and grab your territory under your noses.

Meanwhile, Missions are usually battles with unique narratives and objectives, some of which feature a fixed company of units that you can’t change for the entire mission. Each Mission is unique, but you can usually take your time to complete them, unlike a Skirmish. That is; unless the objective of the mission is to keep an ally or building from being destroyed.

Always Have At Least One Tank Or Armored Vehicle Alongside Your Infantry

Make sure that your infantry units are always accompanied by a tank or armoured vehicle. A lot of the time, they can turn the tide of any battle. Plus, they are vital if your infantry units are stuck and pinned by enemy machine gun fire, or if you need a quick makeshift cover from intense enemy fire.

Yes, you can make your infantry take cover behind tanks or armoured vehicles, so don’t forget that. It’s easy to forget in the middle of an intense battle.

If you can’t afford a tank or vehicle but is in need of something to destroy enemy armour, a Bazooka unit, a Paratrooper unit (which can be upgraded with a bazooka) or an SSF Commando unit (can swap to bazookas) can be just as effective.

Don’t Forget The Full Tactical Pause Option

Another element that Company Of Heroes 3 borrows from the Total War franchise is the Full Tactical Pause mechanic. You can pause at any time during a battle and queue up commands to units without worrying about getting overwhelmed by having to juggle too many actions at the same time.

This is probably more for casual players who aren’t used to RTS games, but they’ve always been available in Total War, so it’s nice to see this accessibility option in Company Of Heroes 3 to ensure more players can enjoy this great game without having to force themselves to “git gud” at playing an RTS game.

Don’t Autoresolve, Always Manually Play For Better Rewards And Extra Skill Points

When you’re playing the Italian Dynamic Campaign, I’m sure you’re tempted to auto-resolve battles just because you can, or if you’re used to the mechanic from Total War.

However, while you can abuse the same mechanic in Total War, it’s not as reliable in Company Of Heroes 3 (at least, for now). Plus, if you manually play battles, you can get better rewards and extra skill points, which will go a long way in making your companies even stronger as you can unlock more powerful units and upgrades quicker.

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