Faction & Commander Recommendations

DISCLAIMER!

The Commander you pick can have a large impact on how you play the game. If you are new to the game, it is recommended to try different commanders to find what best fits your playstyle. Some are more defensive in nature while some encourage more aggressive tactics. Also keep in mind that some Commanders are more effective depending on the map or number of opponents (ex. fixed gun and artillery Commanders are generally better on big maps or with many opponents). Finally, keep in mind there are always exceptions to the guidelines provided here. That being said...

RECOMMENDED COMMANDERS FOR NEW PLAYERS:
(click to navigate)
Starter Factions (Soviets and Wehrmacht)
DLC Factions (British, USF, OKW)

Skjaldborg Project Page (with additional info):
https://sites.google.com/view/skjaldborgproject/home/company-of-heroes-2/coh2-player-guides

BASIC TIPS:
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Top 5 Tips for CoH2:

1. Avoid total squad wipes; better to give ground and retreat than lose whole squads.
2. Mines are powerful at choke points and for booby trapping capture points, use them.
3. Use best available cover: avoid negative (red) cover; light (yellow) cover = 25% less damage taken; heavy (green) cover = 50% less damage taken!
4. Only fight when you can win; again, its okay to give ground if you think you will lose a fight.
5. Spread out, don't blob; artillery is deadly and numerous.

ADVANCED TIPS:





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If you are looking to pick up some additional commanders to expand your gameplay, here are my personal recommendations as "first buys". Pick the faction that best suits your playstyle:

I have made recommendations according to three categories:

• Infantry Assault (IA) - Commanders that reinforce infantry deployment and special abilities; generally stronger in early game.
• Armor/Mechanized (AM) - Commanders that reinforce vehicle deployment and special abilities; generally stronger in late game.
• Support (S) - Commanders that provide heavy fire and/or logistical support ; generally stronger in large team matches.
• Balanced (B) -Commanders that truly offer a balanced package of the other three types.

- DEFAULT FACTIONS -​

Soviets
Excellent all-rounders with a wide selection of abilities and types of units. Generally speaking, this is the "zergiest" of the factions; both their basic infantry (Conscripts) and tank (T-34) are cheap, meant to be played aggressively, and have abilities that encourage suicidal charges to kill more powerful units. This is amplified by their copious use of molotovs, grenades, and satchel charges (all which require a lot of munitions). However, depending on the commander, you can also get a some very strong elite infantry (Guards Rifle or Shock Troops), heavy vehicles (IS-2, ISU-152), and/or heavy artillery (152 Gun-Howitzer). The Soviets are a little more forgiving than some other factions, but are most effective in the hands of aggressive players who can utilize some of their special abilities to the fullest.

Recommended Starting Commanders (included with the base game):

• IA) Airborne Troop Tactics - Highly mobile infantry commander, excellent for taking and holding ground in the early game and harassing flanks.
  
• AM) Guard Motor Coordination Tactics - Very strong early and late game abilities; Mark Target is one of the best abilities in the game.
• S) Soviet Combined Arms - A more defensive Commander, but with very strong support capabilities.
• B) Guard Rifle Combined Arms - Arguably one of the most "well balanced" Soviet commander with a wide variety of tactical options available.

Recommended Commanders To Unlock:

• IA) Urban Defense Tactics - Very strong defense support and anti-infantry capabilities, especially on urban maps.
• S) Soviet Industry Tactics - Some of the best support abilities in the game; particularly strong with other teammates using armor.
• B) Mechanized Support Tactics - Strong infantry and AT camo for early game, two excellent support abilities, and the powerful ISU-152 for late game.

Honorable Mentions:

• IA) Tank Hunter Tactics - Very potent Anti-Tank capabilities as well as some additional defenses and heavy fire support.
  
• S) Defensive Tactics - Not the best, but definitely the most defensive; gives you a lot of specialized infantry, defenses, and heavy arty support.
• B) Soviet Shock Army - Strong infantry, cheap vehicle detection, upgraded T-34s, and good arty support.

Wehrmacht (Eastern Front)
The East German Army is also good at doing a lot of different things, but they are a bit slower out the gate than the Soviets. This is largely in part to many of their units being more expensive, but in return they generally have access to more upgrades and are a bit more durable. That being said, they are a little less forgiving than the Soviets if you start taking a lot of casualties (but not as bad as the British or Oberkommando). By default, their basic infantry are kind of average, but get better with a wide array of equipment upgrades. By comparison, their default armor is roughly on par with the elite Oberkommando and can be further improved with various upgrades. Depending on your Commander, even stronger infantry (Stormtroopers or Assault Grenadiers) and vehicles (Tiger or Elefant) are available. They have more defensive options compared to the Soviets, but they are not the MOST defensive faction on this list. That award goes to the next faction...

Recommended Starting Commanders (included with the base game):

• IA) Jaeger Infantry - adds a variety of strong infantry abilities plus good off-map fire support.
• AM) Strategic Reserves - some nice infantry upgrades for early game combined with two very strong tank options.
• S) Festung Support - adds supply stations with powerful support abilities and strong fire support.
• B) Blitzkrieg - Strong bonuses to both infantry and armor plus great air-support.

Recommended Commanders To Unlock:

• IA) Storm - similar to Jaeger Infantry, but trades some infantry upgrades for improved air and artillery support.
• AM) Spearhead Doctrine - Panzer Tactics + Tiger makes this a very strong armor commander combined with some great support abilities.
• S) Joint Operations - adds a wide variety of powerful defensive and support abilities; excellent for large teams.

Honorable Mentions:

• AM) Jaeger Armor - adds some infantry abilities, three new recon options (1 air + 2 vehicle upgrades), and the powerful Elefant tank destroyer.
  
• S) Defensive - gives the Wehrmacht a wide selection of defensive and support options; not the best, but good for large teams.
• B) Elite Troops - very strong CQC infantry and abilities for early game, the always good Panzer Tactics, and epic Tiger Ace for late game.

 

I have made recommendations according to four categories:​

• Infantry Assault (IA) - Commanders that reinforce infantry deployment and special abilities; generally stronger in early game.
• Armor/Mechanized (AM) - Commanders that reinforce vehicle deployment and special abilities; generally stronger in late game.
• Support (S) - Commanders that provide heavy fire and/or logistical support ; generally stronger in large team matches.
• Balanced (B) -Commanders that truly offer a balanced package of the other three types.

- DLC FACTIONS -​

British
The British are by far the SLOWEST, most defensive faction to get rolling, but make up for it by having many strong units; especially in the late game, they have some of the strongest fire support and tanks available. Even more so than the Wehrmacht, the British infantry are very expensive, but unlike the East German Army, the British have no reinforcement halftrack to support infantry on the move. This makes it very hard for them to make mobile offensives until they get some combat vehicles out. On top of this, they can be delayed further if the player sinks too many resources into defensive structures (which are very vulnerable to artillery and bombers). This usually means the British MUST take and hold as much territory as they can at the start and then try to hold on until their tanks arrive. The British can build forward bases, but these are vulnerable to attack and cease to function if the territory they are in becomes contested. This also means that if they lose a lot of their stationary defenses, they have the hardest time recovering. However, many of the Brit's biggest weaknesses can be compensated for by picking the right doctrine or teaming up with the Americans or Soviets.

Recommended Starting Commanders (included with the base game):

• IA) Commandos - a very mobile infantry doctrine; can rapidly deploy infantry in gliders and provides heavy fire support.
• S) Royal Artillery - gives the British very strong spotting and fire support options; particularly great for big team games.
• B) Mobile Assault - improves tactical flexibility by adding CQC infantry, mobile fire support, and vehicle self-repair abilities.
• B) Lend Lease - similar to Mobile Assault, but trades self-repair abilities for mobile US vehicles.

Recommended Commanders To Unlock:

• IA) Special Weapons - adds lots of better equipment for infantry, a Crocodile heavy flame tank, and heavy arty support.
• S) Tactical Support Regiment - adds new infantry, a Crocodile heavy flame tank, rapid deployment FOBs, and can designate command vehicles.

Honorable Mentions:

• B) Vanguard Operations - similar to Commandos, but with a more evenly balanced set of abilities between infantry and vehicles.

Americans
The Americans owe a great deal of their strength to their flexibility, but their infantry in particular are very strong. When used properly, their infantry can give them an early lead from which the enemy may never recover. They can also build an assortment of defensive structures and barriers that can make them surprisingly strong on the defensive (especially against the AI). Their late game armor options are not particularly strong, but their many upgrade options and special abilities help to compensate (don't forget to use them!). They also have some very specialized vehicles (M20 Utility Car, M36 Jackson) and many encourage combined arms tactics (ie. tanks supported by infantry). Because the American's strength is generally centered around combined arms (with some exceptions), their effectiveness is largely dependent on your ability to manage multiple units and their various abilities. They are definitely faster on the offensive and more "forgiving" than the British (less reliance on stationary structures), but they generally require a bit more micromanaging than the Soviets.

Recommended Starting Commanders (included with the base game):

• IA) Urban Assault - adds very strong Ranger infantry, upgrades for both infantry and Sherman tanks, and the Sherman Calliope.
• AM) Armor - adds CQC infantry, elite vehicle crews, new US armor, and heavy fire support.
  
• S) Infantry Doctrine - some early infantry bonuses combined with the best motorized artillery in the game, great support for larger teams.
• S) Tactical Support - offers great bonuses to infantry and some strong support abilities.

Recommended Commanders To Unlock:

• IA) Recon Support Company - extremely mobile infantry commander that can strike from anywhere and drop in powerful reinforcements.
• AM) Mechanized Company - adds very strong CQC infantry, upgraded Shermans, a variety of support vehicles, and a strong combat buff.
  
• B) Rifle Company - very well balanced doctrine with great early and mid-game infantry support abilities as well as the upgraded Sherman Easy 8.

Honorable Mentions:

• B) Heavy Cavalry Company - not the best commander, but offers fairly solid abilities while giving the US its only "big tank" option.

Oberkommando (Western Army)
While all factions play very differently, the "OKW" easily plays the most differently. The OKW is dominated by elite, but very expensive units as well as very specialized vehicles with unique abilities. Individually, their infantry are very strong, which gives them a stronger early game than most, but like the British, as casualties mount, they get very expensive to replace. Their late armor is second to none in terms of full potential, but again, very expensive to field. On their own, resource management is going to be a constant issue; not only should you expect to be constantly running out of manpower, you have no default option to improve resource points. Their one saving grace is their basic infantry can salvage Fuel from any wreckage left on the battlefield (but this requires manual collection). Like the British, the OKW relies heavily on forward operating bases which are vulnerable to territory capture and concentrated assaults. But also like the British, most of the OKW's weaknesses can be compensated for by working alongside other factions. More than any other, the OKW rewards skilled players who can minimize casualties, but likewise it also severely punishes players who take a lot of casualties. As a result, inexperienced players tend to play very defensively with the OKW (which is a huge mistake!) and doing this often reinforces bad habits that will get them in trouble against more aggressive opponents. For these reasons, the OKW is NOT recommended for newer players until they have some understanding with effective map control strategies.

Recommended Starting Commanders (included with the base game):

• IA) Luftwaffe Ground Forces - easily the best infantry-centric OK doctrine; gives them much better mobility. Reinforce anywhere!
• S) Feuersturm - many incendiary abilities and upgrades combined with, more resource buffs, and heavy arty support.
• B) Grand Offensive - very strong infantry and armor abilities as well as on-call smoke cover; great for aggressive players.
• B) Special Operations - a very well balanced commander with great infantry upgrades, recon support, and an improved Command Tank.

Recommended Commanders To Unlock:

• AM) Elite Armored Doctrine - very strong vehicle abilities as well as better resource management with the scout car's special ability.
• S) Overwatch Doctrine - offers powerful fire support and recon options as well as being the only doctrine to offer the infamous Goliath!

Honorable Mentions:

• S) Fortifications Doctrine - combined with the OKW's default defensive abilities, this is one of the best defensive doctrines in the game.

 

This was part of the OP post, but it has been moved here as some of the information is out of date enough to warrant it. Still, there's some general good advice here for people that want to watch it.

 

updated info for recent major official patch