Looking to learn more about the Company of Heroes 3 factions? Company of Heroes 3 has four factions available at launch, and each one has unique units, abilities, and playstyles. But choosing which faction to play is quite the complex task, as there isn’t a clear in-depth explanation covering their differences in Company of Heroes 3 itself.
In this guide, we break down each of the factions in Company of Heroes 3. We’ll explain what makes each of them special, so that you know which faction to pick when heading into a AI Skirmish or multiplayer battle. We’ll also explain which faction we think is best overall, and which is better-suited to those new to the franchise.
Of course, the tools available to each faction can only go so far. If you’re looking to up your game, make sure to check out our Company of Heroes 3 beginner tips.
Company of Heroes 3 best faction
The best faction in Company of Heroes 3 is the Afrikakorps. However, those new to RTS games or the Company of Heroes franchise should consider using the British Forces for a better learning experience.
The Afrikakorps are Vehicle specialists, and can overwhelm the battlefield with heavy tanks if you move fast in the early-game. However, they demand skill and a solid understanding of resource management and efficiency, which isn’t easy for those new to the RTS genre.
That’s why we’ve also recommended the British Forces for new players. The British are much easier to learn, and more forgiving for those who fail to push hard early on. You can overwhelm the field with cheap Infantry, Weapons, and Vehicles, and then purchase simple upgrades later on for a significant power boost.
We’ll list all four Company of Heroes 3 factions below, alongside a short bit of info touching on their respective playstyles:
- Afrikakorps: Specialists in vehicular warfare, the Afrikakorps move quickly across the battlefield and control key areas with heavy firepower.
- British Forces: A varied force of easy-to-use Infantry, Vehicle, and weapon units, excellent for those new to Company of Heroes 3.
- US Forces: Flexible and aggressive, the US Forces use highly adaptable units that can specialise later on to suit your needs.
- Wehrmacht: Highly defensive, able to persist relentlessly against incoming fire while preparing to counter with powerful forces later on.
Below, we’ll go into more detail on each Company of Heroes 3 faction, so that you can determine which fits your playstyle best.
Afrikakorps
Afrikakorps Battlegroups:
- Italian Infantry: Deploy light tanks, train and upgrade engineers, and designate artillery barrages.
- Italian Combined Arms: Train and upgrade special Infantry, deploy tanks, and call in air support.
- Armored Support: Deploy tanks, upgrade Vehicles, and call in air support.
The Afrikakorps are the Vehicle experts in Company of Heroes 3, so choose this faction if you’re after lots of big tanks throughout the game. Send out your Panzerpioneer squads early on to get those crucial resource points (you’ll need lots of fuel), and then back them up with Panzers and, later, the infamous Tiger 3 heavy tanks.
The Afrikakorps are really strong, but they also demand skill to perform effectively. You need to be prepared to move fast in the early game to grab those resource points, because failing to do so will make your tanks come much slower.
If you are able to rush, though, your opponents will find it hard to bounce back. The Afrikakorps have a wealth of anti-Infantry, anti-Vehicle, and anti-air tanks that can prove impenetrable for almost any enemy.
In the right hands, the Afrikakorps are the best faction in Company of Heroes 3, and will be an unstoppable force for any enemy that isn’t on top of their game.
British Forces
British Forces Battlegroups:
- Indian Artillery: Train and upgrade Infantry, and designate artillery barrages.
- British Armored: Deploy and upgrade Vehicles, upgrade engineers, and call in light air support.
- British Air and Sea: Build on capture points, paradrop Infantry, and call in air support.
The British Forces don’t specialise in any one area, instead opting for a mixed approach that might feel similar to the US Forces. However, the key difference is that the British Forces are much easier to understand, as you don’t need to worry about specialising with one specific unit type as you progress through the match.
The upgrades that are available for the British Forces are usually simple, yet highly effective. The Infantry Section unit, for example, can be upgraded with two anti-tank rifles that make them competent against heavy Vehicles that might otherwise prove a problem later on.
The British Forces also have access to a Training Center which allows you to boost veterancy points and bonuses for each unit type. You get one simple upgrade for Infantry, Weapons, light Vehicles, and armored Vehicles, and getting each will make your forces much stronger as they level up.
While clearly the simplest of the four factions, the British Forces are still plenty strong. Opt for them if you’re new to Company of Heroes 3 and are still trying to wrap your head around the various systems.
US Forces
US Forces Battlegroups:
- Airborne: Call in air support, and para-drop units and supplies.
- Armored: Deploy and upgrade Vehicles, and shorten the time and resources they take to train.
- Special Operations: Create light Vehicles, train commando squads, call in air support, and paradrop supplies.
The US Forces can use all unit types, but their real strength comes from the Support Centers you can build during a match. There are three Support Centers (Infantry, Vehicles, and Air Support) to choose from, and you can only build one per match.
These Support Centers grant access to new upgrades that you may later unlock with resources. These upgrades will make your units far stronger than their counterparts from enemy factions. For example, US Infantry can get extra health, faster ability cooldowns, lower reinforce costs, and the ability to plant demolition charges or anti-tank mines.
The idea here is to remain flexible and react to whatever your opponent uses. If you find that they’re swarming the battlefield with tanks, for example, you can build the Vehicle Support Center and overpower them with your own upgraded units.
Of course, the clear risk for the US Forces is to specialise too early, as that’d give your opponents chance to counter back. If you immediately specialise and upgrade your Infantry, for example, they may pivot and build an Anti-Infantry army that can cut through your upgraded units and leave you flailing without an army.
Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht Battlegroups:
- Mechanized: Upgrade Vehicles and Infantry, deploy heavy tanks, and call in artillery.
- Breakthrough: Upgrade Infantry, speed up Vehicle production, and designate bombing runs.
- Luftwaffe: Call in air support, paradrop Infantry, and create anti-tank emplacements to defend positions.
The Wehrmacht are all about biding your time until you wreak havoc with incredibly strong units. Start by flooding the field with a few Pioneer squads and recon Vehicles, which you can use to quickly capture resource points.
As your stockpiles start to flow, you want to either rush the Panzer Kompanie building as fast as possible for the biggest tanks, or go for a mid-tier building and flood the field early with lighter, less-expensive Vehicles. We prefer to wait for the Panzer Kompanie, as it grants access to the extremely powerful Stosstrussen squads, along with the Panzer and Sturmpanzer tanks.
These units elevate the Wehrmacht far beyond the other factions, and if you rush them early enough, you can dominate the battlefield with ease. You can then deploy more units, such as the heavy tanks available in the Mechanized Battlegroup, to bolster your defenses and ensure the enemy team can’t break through.
With a mix of powerful Infantry and tanks to flood the field in the late-game, and fast capture units to create a huge resource stockpile early on, the Wehrmacht are an incredibly strong faction in Company of Heroes 3.
That wraps up our guide on every faction in Company of Heroes 3. If you want to hear more about the return of this WW2 RTS franchise, make sure to check out our Company of Heroes 3 review.
