Infantry

German infantry numbers were capped by the Versailled treaty and so the Whermacht was compelled to select only the best of the best. A rigorous militaristic training regime produces soldiers who possess skill and elan. German infantry doctrine also emphasises specialist troop types, with rifles designed to operate with support from heavy weapons. Thus, German commanders have access to a wide range of troop types right from the start of the war.

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Axis Riflemen

Tech:

Start

Cost:

50

Training Time:

6 secs (trains 2)

Health:

60

Firepower:

60 (bullet)

Rate of Fire:

1.2 secs

Range:

175

Riflemen form the basis of an army. They can use their rifles to kill enemy soliders, shoot them out from garrisoned buildings and improvised molotov cocktails to disorientate and suppress enemy tank crews. Their verstaile roles make riflemen an essential backbone for any force. Tanks without infantry support could soon find themselves outmanouvered and ambushed, flames lapping around their cupolas and smoke filling their air intakes.

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MP-40 Sub-machine-gunners

Tech:

Start

Cost:

60

Training Time:

6 secs (trains 2)

Health:

60

Firepower:

3 (bullet)

Rate of Fire:

(rapid fire)

Range:

110

Sub-machine-guns are designed to fire pistol calibre bullets very quickly reducing the need for careful aiming. They were developed to allow infantry to assault entrenched enemy positions. They are are shock-troops trained to combat enemy infantry and artillery in close quarters. They are great for urban warfare and are a match for riflemen, but they lack versatility and are useless against tanks.

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Axis Flame-Throwers

Tech:

Start

Cost:

100

Training Time:

8 secs (trains 2)

Health:

80

Firepower:

150 (flame)

Rate of Fire:

4.5 secs

Range:

75

Flame-throwers are brutal weapons prized for urban warfare. By cooking the air inside a confined space, a flame-thrower can asphyxiate as well as incinerate any troops unlucky enough to be caught in the blast. They are unparalleled for clearing enemy garrisons, and can make short work of wooden structures. However they are a short ranged weapon and actually getting close enough to use one is not always easy. They can work well when fired from bunkers or nearby garrisoned buildings.

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Axis Snipers

Tech:

Start

Cost:

500

Training Time:

15 secs

Health:

60

Firepower:

100 (bullet)

Rate of Fire:

8 secs

Range:

300

Snipers are primarily forward observers. They are invisible to most enemy units allowing them to provide essential intelligence on enemy troop movements. Further, they can spot other stealthed units that are close by - since these are normally other snipers, their high powered and long-ranged rifles are essential for self-defence. However they are also great for shooting enemies out of garrisoned buildings from beyond their rifle range, and for killing enemy officers.

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Axis Anti-Tank Rifles

Tech:

Start

Cost:

200

Training Time:

6 secs (trains 2)

Health:

60

Firepower:

10 (light penetration)

Rate of Fire:

2 secs

Range:

220

These troops use anti-tank rifles. These are huge weapons, barely portable by a single soldier. They fire large calibre bullets designed to penetrate light tank armour. However they are more effectively used to target fuel lines, tracks and other weak points on enemy vehicles. Anti-tank rifles are used to disable enemy tanks, giving an opportunity for heavier guns to destroy them.

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Panzershreck Team

Tech:

Rockets Level 1

Cost:

100

Training Time:

9 secs (trains 2)

Health:

60

Firepower:

400 (rocket)

Rate of Fire:

4 rockets @ 6 secs (45 second reload)

Range:

125

The Panzerschreck is a reusable recoiless rifle that fires a copy of the HEAT round found on the US Bazooka. These rocket-propelled grenades contain a compound of chemicals that burn like a high-powered welding torch. When they strike the armour of a tank they melt it, causing molten fragments to explode inwards into the crew compartment, igniting ammunition, damaging the tank itself and causing horrific injuries. The Panzerschreck represents a hugely powerful and cost-effective anti-tank weapon but suffers from a great deal of innacuracy. Even at very modest ranges it is by no means certain for the unweildy rocket to hit its target. And yet the low cost makes them a perfect ambush or point-defence weapon. They can be used against disabled tanks in the open, fired from concealed positions or used to prevent a tank charge.

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Axis Officers

Tech:

Start

Cost:

500

Training Time:

20 secs

Health:

100

Officers guide their troops on the battlefield. They give an enhanced understanding of the tactical situation to their superiors (you) with a large vision range and the ability to spot concealed enemy units and structures. They also provide guidance and inspiration to nearly troops, inspiring them to fight better and coordinating fire to improve effectiveness when targeting the officer's designated target.

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Combat Engineers

Tech:

Start

Cost:

400

Training Time:

15 secs

Health:

100

Combat Engineers are very useful infantry. They lack any ability to directly fight with enemy troops, but can prepare the battlefield to give friendly troops an edge. They can build towers, mines, tank traps and bunkers as well as planting dynamite on enemy buildings to disable them. As well as building defences they can also repair nearby friendly tanks, just move them into proximity and they will get to work automatically.

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Axis Fallschirmjägers

Tech:

Start

Cost:

5000 per drop - 20 Fallschirmjägers, includes 3500 rebate if Ju 57s survive

Recharge Time:

60 secs (per drop)

Health:

60

Firepower:

3 (bullet)

Rate of Fire:

(rapid fire)

Range:

110

Range Upgraded:

160

Fallschirmjägers are elite infantry trained to jump from transport aircraft using a parachute. They are dropped behind enemy lines to disrupt the enemy's rear areas and capture vital buildings, forcing them to send frontline troops to deal with the attack. As such they are a great distraction well worth the cost, especially if the enemy is too busy elsewhere to immediatly notice their drop. They are trained as storm troopers and are equpped like SMG troops but as elite infantry they get access to extra funds for new weapons. Later in the war can be upgraded to use the experimental FG-42 assault rifle. This gives them almost the same effective range as a rifle with all the advantages of a sub-machine-gun.