Mission 03 - Support Is On The Way | The Campaign Mode Company of Heroes 2 Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Main objectives:
1. Protect the mountain range
2. Retreat to the village
3. Protect the village
4. Protect the HQ
5. Recapture the mountain range
Bonus objectives:
1. Recapture the mountain range without losing any vehicle, at the General difficulty level
2. Set, at least, 10 mines before you start defending the village
3. Capture at least 3 enemy weapons
1. With only a squad of conscripts and three HMGs at your disposal, you will have to protect three key points that guard access to the village. The first attack will start at the foot, the second one on top and the third one in the middle. After you drive the enemy away for the first time, mass attacks will start from every possible direction. The most important matter is not leaning out from behind the cover, as well as the protection of the Maxims' sides.
Soon, the Germans will double their efforts. As a "consolation prize" you will gain access to better trained conscripts which you will be able to cal to the battlefield by using the ability. They have Molotov's cocktails at their disposal (V) and may be equipped with machine guns. The whole trick is to introduce them to the front skillfully. If everything goes according to the plan, all squad are doing well (which is not that probable) and you are incapable of calling new units- use the other ability that enables you to retire a squad in order to receive additional unit count points. This will enable you to call new conscripts in. While retreating, remember that squads with less experience should be retired as the first ones It is also a good idea to leave a few "newbie" squads in the field to have them ready to replenish your losses in better squads, by means of merging.
2. Several minutes into the battle, heavy equipment will roll out into the battlefield. Further holding of your positions will be impossible so, you will have to retreat behind the river.\
3. this will win you about 3 minutes to get prepared for the attack. First of all, you will have now access to the Guards Rifle Infantry, i.e. an elitist Soviet infantry. Produce them and upgrade them as soon as it becomes possible. Apart from the high battle standards, they also heave the ability to slow the enemy vehicles down, which you will find useful in the upcoming battle. Next to the defense positions, there are four anti-tank cannons. Man them with your conscripts in order not to waste your Guards Riflemen. Also equip the engineers with the flame throwers lying next to the HQ and order them to deploy mines around the river, and on the exit roads to fulfill the bonus objectives (2). As much as possible, try to deploy the mines not too far away from the defense positions. Before the main attack, the enemy will send a scouting unit which can be easily eliminated with the Maxim machine guns. It would be a loss of resources to waste your mines on it. If there is time, and it is possible, you can enclose them within entanglements to make sure that the mines are activated only by vehicles, and not the infantry. As an alternative, you can also use explosives in the place of the mines which explode after they are activated, instead of on contact. Still, their high cost will limit the numbers of these that you can deploy. Try to deploy them mainly on the ice and wait to make sure that you drown as many of the enemy units as possible.
The battle itself will be quite an ordeal. First of all, use your cannons to destroy the ice under the enemy vehicles. If any vehicle manages to drive into the village, use the guard riflemen to slow it down and then, use the ZiS cannons. The infantry should be relatively quickly eliminated with the HMGs. It is also a good idea to make use of the flamethrowers that the engineers are equipped with, that will prove useful against any attempts to flank you, and enter the village. Also, remember to replenish any losses (among the guard riflemen above all) with conscripts.
4. After the exhausting battle, the enemy forces will turn out to gain the upper hand again. Retreat deeper into the village and protect the HQ. Soon, a small surprise will appear.
Soon, T-34 tanks will roll into the battlefield. They will make the tables turn and will drive the Nazis away. T-34 is one of the best Soviet units in the entire game. What you need to do now, is recapture the terrain across the river that you lost earlier. You can do it in two ways - either by total destruction of the enemy forces or, by taking over the entire territory. Regardless of which tactic you decide to follow, there is nothing more to do but enter, forcibly, the area occupied by the enemy. Keep your engineers close to the tanks and order them to repair the vehicles, if necessary (if you are playing at the "General" difficulty level, you will also fulfill the bonus objective 1).
It is also a good idea to get the remaining units across the river as well. This will make the process of recapturing easier. Before you deal the final blow, do not forget to send the infantry to seize, at least, three cannons, in order to fulfill the last bonus objective (3).