Company of Heroes 3: US Forces Units and Buildings Guide

The US Forces are one of the most complicated factions to play in Company of Heroes 3, with a wide variety of tactics, doctrines, and upgrades allowing them to face any situation. The faction relies on its flexible infantry and fast, aggressive light vehicles to secure territory in the early game, preferring to seize the day before the heavy German tanks roll onto the field.

The US Forces' Headquarters

The Headquarters is the starting building of the US Forces in Company of Heroes 3 and acts as the initial retreat and reinforcement point for the faction. It allows the construction of the following buildings:

Field Infirmary (125 Manpower, 20 Fuel)
- Heals nearby wounded infantry.
Barracks (120 Manpower, 15 Fuel)
- Unlocks Tier 1 units and upgrades
Weapon Support Center (160 Manpower, 15 Fuel)
- Unlocks additional Tier 1 units and upgrades.
Air Support Center Upgrade (100 Manpower, 30 Fuel)
- Unlocks reusable air support abilities as well as upgrades to improve their effectiveness.
Mechanized Support Center Upgrade (100 Manpower, 30 Fuel)
- Repairs nearby vehicles, unlocks global vehicle upgrades and allows players to buy the M16 and M3 75mm Halftracks directly.
Infantry Support Center Upgrade (100 Manpower, 30 Fuel)
- Unlocks global infantry upgrades, also instantly deploys a Captain Retinue squad, and allows the construction of more.
Motor Pool (200 Manpower, 55 Fuel, and any Support Center Upgrade)
- Unlocks Tier 2 units and upgrades.
Tank Depot (300 Manpower, 120 Fuel, and any Support Center Upgrade)
- Unlocks Tier 3 units and upgrades.

As well as these buildings, the US Forces WW2 Headquarters also produces their starting units:

Scout Squad (160 Manpower, 4 Pop)

The US starting unit is a 3-man team with an extended line of sight, making them ideal for early scouting and capturing territory in the classic RTS style.
Best used as a harassing unit from maximum range, as their low numbers make them vulnerable in close-quarters combat.
Can be upgraded with a Utility Package (30 Munitions), allowing them to fire a Recon Flare to reveal a nearby area or launch a Smoke Rifle Grenade to block line of sight.
Can choose to gain passive healing out of combat or the ability to perform Stealth Reconnaissance when reaching Veterancy Rank 1.

Engineer Squad (200 Manpower, 4 Pop)

The US construction and repair unit is a 4-man team armed with submachine guns for close-quarters defense.
Can be upgraded with either Flamethrowers (50 Munitions) for Company of Heroes 3's new breaching mechanic and AoE damage or a Hazard Removal Package (30 Munitions) for spotting/removing mines and cutting barbed wire.
At Veterancy Rank 1, Flamethrower Engineers gain the ability to fire long bursts for extra damage, while Hazard Removal Engineers can increase their Mine detection, construction speed, and repair speed.
Can build Sandbags for heavy cover, Barbed Wire to block infantry, Tank Traps to block vehicles, general-purpose Mines (30 Munitions each), or a Resource Cache (200 Manpower), which can protect and boost the income from a capture point.
Can also build a Fighting Position (150 Manpower), which can be garrisoned by a squad for increased protection or upgraded with a 30.cal Machine Gun (75 Munitions) or Mortar (75 Munitions).

Captain Retinue (240 Manpower, 6 Pop, and only available with the Infantry Support Center Upgrade)

A 4-man infantry team equipped with weapons for all ranges as well as useful support abilities.
Passively increases experience gain for all nearby infantry units, both the player's and their co-op RTS teammate's.
Can designate themselves a static retreat point, allowing the player's infantry to regroup without retreating all the way back to Headquarters.
Can order a friendly infantry unit to perform a Flanking Maneuver, boosting their speed and reducing the accuracy of incoming fire and suppression.

The US Forces' Barracks

The first US Forces' building that strategic players should aim to build is the Barracks, which allows access to the faction's versatile Rifleman squad as well as the 1/4-ton Truck and M1 Mortar.

Rifleman Squad (260 Manpower, 7 Pop)

The core infantry unit of the US Forces in WW2 is a 6-man squad best suited to medium-range combat and highly customizable through the Barracks, Infantry Support Center, and squad upgrades.
Has the ability to Breach a garrisoned building (25 Munitions), forcing out the occupying enemy unit.
All Rifleman Squads can be permanently upgraded at the Barracks with the Grenade Package (100 Manpower, 25 Fuel) and the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifles Package (150 Manpower, 40 Fuel).
- The Grenade Package allows Rifleman to throw a Frag Grenade (25 Munitions) or an anti-vehicle Sticky Bomb (25 Munitions).
- The M1918 Package grants all Rifleman one BAR rifle that is effective at all ranges, after which individual squads can unlock a second BAR (60 Munitions).
At Veterancy Rank 1, Rifleman can either gain an ability to increase damage and allow suppression or an ability that increases their speed for a short time.

1/4-ton 4x4 Truck (240 Manpower, 4 Pop)

The US Forces' first vehicle is cheap and fast but only lightly armed.
Best used in the established RTS scouting role, discovering and harassing enemy infantry in the early game, but can be destroyed by massed small-arms fire.
Has the ability to Self-repair (15 Munitions) but can't move during the ability.
Can be upgraded into a Command Truck (25 Munitions), increasing line of sight, boosting the fire rate of nearby infantry, and unlocking the passive ability to reveal the presence of enemy units within a certain range.
Gains the ability to either capture sectors or the ability to deploy machine guns, mortars, and medical crates.at Veterancy Rank 1.

M1 Mortar Team (260 Manpower, 7 Pop)

A 4-man team equipped with a light Mortar, which requires setup but can fire at long range without needing line of sight.
Although the Mortar will automatically attack detected enemies that are in view, players can also use the Barrage ability to target a specific area in the fog of war.
Can fire a Smoke Barrage, dealing no damage but blocking the enemy line of sight, which is particularly useful for protecting advancing infantry or vehicles that are in danger.
Gains either the ability to fire airburst shells that scatter their damage over a wider area or delayed fuse shells that deal extra damage to emplacements at Veterancy Rank 1.

The US Forces' Weapon Support Center

The third US Forces' building is the Weapon Support Center, which grants access to a number of specialized infantry units and weapon teams, as well as a versatile personnel carrier popular in many historical RTS titles.

M1919 Machine Gun Team (250 Manpower, 7 Pop)

A 4-man team equipped with an M1919 HMG that requires a few seconds of setup, making them primarily a defensive unit in the new WW2 campaign.
Can be used to suppress enemy infantry, heavily reducing their movement speed and accuracy.
Best used to cover likely angles of enemy approach from the safety of heavy cover or inside a building.
Gains either the ability to Button a vehicle to reduce its line of sight and accuracy or improved defenses in light or zero cover at Veterancy Rank 1.

Bazooka Squad (300 Manpower, 7 Pop)

A 4-man dedicated anti-tank team, with medium-range rifles and a pair of anti-armor bazookas.
Best used alongside other frontline infantry to tackle vehicles of all sizes, though they will need to hit the side or rear of heavy armor to deal serious damage.
Has the ability to target cover with a bazooka round to destroy it or to throw an Anti-Tank Satchel Charge at close range (45 Munitions).
Gains either the ability to sprint for a short duration or the ability to fire an anti-personnel White Phosphorous Rocket at Veterancy Rank 1.

Sniper (340 Manpower, 8 Pop)

A stealthy single-man infantry unit capable of killing an enemy infantryman with a single shot from long range.
Can go invisible when in cover or garrisoned in a building, making him difficult for enemies to track, but is extremely vulnerable if caught in the open or at close range.
Perfect for RTS players with good micro skills when picking off high-value targets like weapon team gunners or dealing damage to enemies in heavy cover.
Can choose to gain passive healing out of combat or the ability to perform Stealth Reconnaissance when reaching Veterancy Rank 1.

M3 Armored Personnel Carrier (270 Manpower, 25 Fuel, 6 Pop)

A highly versatile APC in the WW2 Italian campaign, capable of carrying infantry and providing covering fire in its default configuration or fulfilling a wide variety of roles when upgraded.
Can recrew abandoned heavy weapons or reinforce nearby friendly infantry in its default and Medical configurations.
Can choose to gain the ability to salvage wrecks or accelerate nearby construction at Veterancy Rank 1.
Can be upgraded with an M45 Quad Mount (75 Munitions), a 75mm Anti-Tank Cannon (75 Munitions), or a Medical Conversion (50 Munitions).
- The M45 Quad Mount is devastating to infantry, aircraft, and lightly-armored vehicles, with a very high suppression rate. At Veterancy Rank 1, it can either gain the ability to increase its speed and mobility for a time or the ability to Button an enemy vehicle like the M1919 MG.
- The 75mm Cannon is effective against most vehicles and tanks and can also be fired as an artillery piece using the High-Explosive Barrage ability. At Veterancy Rank 1, it can either gain the ability to Target a Weak Point for increased penetration and a slowing/weapon disabling effect or gain increased accuracy and penetration on the first shot of each combat.
- The Medical Conversion loses all weaponry but can heal nearby infantry. It has the same Veterancy bonuses as the default M3 Halftrack.

The US Forces' Motor Pool

The fourth US Forces' building is the Motor Pool, which grants access to the standard US Anti-Tank Gun Team just as the chance of meeting German WW2 vehicles increases, as well as two light vehicles to help players secure territory in the mid-game.

M8 Greyhound Armored Car (280 Manpower, 40 Fuel, 6 Pop)

A swift and maneuverable light vehicle, the Greyhound can deal with infantry and light to medium vehicles using its 37mm gun and 30. Cal MG.
Can be upgraded with a 50.cal HMG (50 Munitions), increasing its damage to infantry and light vehicles along with its suppression.
Best used as an up-armored version of the 1/4-ton Truck, scouting, supporting infantry, and flanking enemy vehicles to deal damage with its light cannon.
Can choose to passively buff the accuracy of nearby friendly vehicles or gain the ability to detect enemy vehicles through the fog of war for a short time at Veterancy Rank 1.

M1 Anti-Tank Gun Team (250 Manpower, 7 Pop)

A 4-man team armed with a long-range Anti-Tank Gun that can either be pushed on foot or towed using a support vehicle, much like the British Forces' Company of Heroes 3 6-pounder.
Deadly against light and medium vehicles and able to damage heavy vehicles, but vulnerable to infantry, grenades, and artillery strikes.
Requires a few seconds of setup when adjusting the angle or moving, making it best as a defensive weapon covering a large area from heavy cover.
Can use Armor-Piercing Rounds (50 Munitions) for a short duration, increasing damage and penetration.
Can choose to gain an ability that increases frontal line of sight at the cost of peripheral view or an ability to stop moving and brace to reduce incoming damage at Veterancy Rank 1.

M24 Chaffee Light Tank (320 manpower, 50 Fuel, 7 Pop)

A versatile tank from the final months of WW2 that straddles the line between a light vehicle and a medium tank.
Although it has slightly more armor than the Greyhound, the Chaffee has higher HP and a powerful 75mm cannon ideal for tackling medium tanks.
Best used as a mobile anti-vehicle platform, chasing light vehicles using its superior speed and then retreating before it's overwhelmed.
Can either choose to gain an ability that boosts speed and lowers enemy accuracy for a short time or the same ability as the Greyhound to detect enemy vehicles through the fog of war.

The US Forces' Tank Depot

The fifth and final US Forces' building is the Tank Depot, which grants access to three tanks representing the heaviest US vehicles in WW2.

M4A1 Sherman (360 Manpower, 90 Fuel, 12 Pop)

A powerful and well-armored medium tank, the workhorse of the US Forces in WW2.
Although its weapons aren't much more powerful than the Chaffee's, it sports almost twice as much armor and HP, making it much more effective in a frontline role.
Struggles against very heavy armor but can use its speed to flank and engage from the rear.
Can be upgraded with a 50.cal HMG (50 Munitions), increasing its damage to infantry and light vehicles along with its suppression.
Can choose to either gain the ability to fire High-Explosive Rounds for a short time or the ability to disable an enemy vehicle with a White Phosphorous Round at Veterancy Rank 1.

M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer (320 Manpower, 70 Fuel, 10 Pop)

The best anti-tank unit of the US Forces in the North African campaign of WW2, the Hellcat can pierce even the heaviest armor using its specialized 76mm cannon.
Best used as a tank sniper, destroying enemy armor from long range without putting itself in danger.
Low armor and no anti-infantry weapons leave it vulnerable when charged or outflanked by infantry.
Can be upgraded with a 50.cal HMG (50 Munitions), increasing its damage to infantry and light vehicles along with its suppression.
Has the ability to increase its speed and reduce enemy accuracy against it for a short time.
Can choose to gain either the ability to fire an indirect High-Explosive Barrage or gain increased accuracy and penetration on the first shot of each combat at Veterancy Rank 1.

M4(105) Sherman Bulldozer (420 Manpower, 90 Fuel, 14 Pop)

A variant of the Sherman equipped with a high-explosive 105mm howitzer for destroying enemy structures and dealing high damage to infantry.
Comes with a bulldozer blade that reduces its speed when activated but allows it to plow through heavy cover or Mines without taking any damage.
Can be upgraded with a 50.cal HMG (50 Munitions), increasing its damage to infantry and light vehicles along with its suppression.
Can choose to gain either the ability to fire a Bunker Buster Barrage that deals increased damage against emplacements or the ability to fire a damage-over-time Incendiary Barrage at Veterancy Rank 1.

Company of Heroes 3 is out now for PC and will release later this year for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.