Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault army strategy games

With a mixture of missions and more freeform engagements on the map, Ardennes Assault always keeps you on your toes. Base management is reduced thanks to giving you a simple and upgradeable circle encampment, with access to more advanced units unlocked by buying officer units – Lieutenant, Captain or Major – for everything from half tracks to howitzers and the famous Sherman tank. These sit atop the American army that recently featured in the multiplayer focused Western Front Armies expansion. They sound subtle, but do figure into how you tackle a particular type of mission and objective, especially once you’ve used Requisition points to upgrade the abilities. Though the core units persist, Able Company’s Airborne focus alters the abilities you can call upon during battle, letting you call in paratroops (which is especially useful when you turn on blind drops), Baker Company has more mechanised support, so you can call in tanks quickly, while Dog company’s all about support and artillery barrages.

The three main companies cover the main three archetypes, with Fox company a fourth unlockable for pre-ordering that I didn’t get to try.

Suddenly, the Ardennes forrest is alive with enemies, and this first mission does a quite excellent job of not just introducing or reintroducing you to how Company of Heroes plays, but also gives you a whistle stop tour of the different companies and their commanding officers as you fight a battling retreat with a Panzergruppe tearing through your lines. It opens on a placid winter’s morning, with one unit taking over the watch from another.

Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault army strategy games