14 DAY TRIAL // The problem with the Germans, both of the Wehrmacht and Afrikakorps varieties, is how quickly they get their tanks out. My infantry squads were doing a good job capping resources and controlling two of the Victory points but when even weak armor shows up it's time to reconsider my tactical approach.
I have enough manpower to upgrade exactly one of my rifle squads to the Rangers designation. I activate the Tactical Pause and I ponder for a good 40 seconds which is more deserving of the promotion. I select the squad that has just received replacements near HQ and then call in a weapons package to give it anti-tank capabilities.
This lone Ranger squad, backed up by some scouts and one anti-tank gun, manages to eliminate a StugIII and an armored car. This blunts the German attacks and means I can move to take back lost resource nodes. As I often do, I push my best unit a little too far and it gets mauled, retreating back to base with just two survivors. But by now I have more Rangers and I’m confident I can consolidate my line and then push.
Company of Heroes 3: Hammer & Shield Expansion Pack is developed by Relic Entertainment and published by SEGA. This is the first downloadable content pack for the real-time strategy game that uses World War II as a setting.
For the single-player Italian campaign, Hammer & Shield gives players a new Air & Sea Company, built around British forces. It’s available from the start and gives players extra options, both on the strategic and tactical level, while they strive to reach Rome and deal with requests from the three factions.
For Company of Heroes 3 fans focused on multiplayer, the DLC adds two new battlegroups. For the Allies, the Advanced Infantry Battlegroup introduces Rangers, heavily armed and capable of calling weapon drops to adapt to battlefield conditions. Their abilities are augmented by extensive artillery support, both from light and heavy howitzers.
The Axis gets the Coastal Reserves Infantry battlegroup as reinforcements. Reservist troops are defensive-focused, building and benefiting from bunkers, including a long-range anti-tank one. An Artillery Officer can call down barrages and boost nearby infantry. The Axis also gets access to the Obice da 210/22, which can deal with any incoming units while getting a boost from a bunker network.
The 1.4.0 update delivers an extensive list of balance changes, bug fixes, and improvements. It also introduces 2 new maps, the 1v1 Villa Fiore and the 2v2 Day 101. The daily and weekly challenges have been re-designed, and players can pick up the two new featured battlegroups for 10,000 Merit obtained by playing.
Company of Heroes 3 largely has the same core ideas as the original, focusing on small unit tactics and careful use of special abilities. Each of the four factions favors certain strategies and players constantly choose when and how to engage the enemy.
Hammer & Shield doesn’t tweak the general presentation of the core game, although alongside the new units players get access to extra cosmetic packs to expand customization. Company of Heroes 3 remains a good-looking strategy game and it also has good effects and a varied soundtrack.
Conclusion
The development team at Relic has also been delivering regular patches, trying to respond to community requests while adding more content. Company of Heroes 3 remains a work in progress and Relic should strive to deliver future packs that offer content for all the featured factions.
Review key provided by the publisher.
