Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts is the standalone expansion built around the British 2nd Army and German Panzer Elite. Relic Entertainment developed the original release, with THQ as original publisher; Feral handles the mobile version inside its Company of Heroes release. On PC and Mac, treat this as the Opposing Fronts package; on mobile, treat it as an add-on. This guide stays inside those armies and campaigns, not later Company of Heroes sequels.
Content warning: Opposing Fronts is rated M for Mature with battlefield violence, blood and gore, and strong language. The tips below stay focused on tactics, missions, and army systems.
Your first goal is not to memorize every unit. Learn the shape of each army. The British win by building a stable front, using officers and trucks well, and turning protected territory into artillery and armor pressure. The Panzer Elite win by moving first, hitting with vehicles and small squads, and refusing to sit in one place long enough to lose the map.
Essential Tips
1. Start With Training Before the New Armies
Opposing Fronts gives you two specialized forces, and both punish sloppy fundamentals. If you are new to Company of Heroes, play the training missions before jumping straight into Caen or Market Garden. Basic orders, cover, squad control, and base management matter more here because neither new army plays like a simple mirror of the original Americans or Wehrmacht.
2. Treat the British as a Front-Line Army
The British are strongest when they claim ground, hold it, and turn that position into a stronger position. Build your plan around a defensible front rather than constant wandering. Command trucks, emplacements, and artillery all reward deliberate territory control, with officers staying near the force you plan to use. Once your line is stable, push forward with concentrated force and then fortify the new ground.
3. Keep British Officers Near the Fight
Officers are part of the British tool kit, so do not leave them parked far from the army you are actively using. Move them carefully, protect them, and keep them available near the main body of your force. Losing an officer at the wrong time can leave your next push with fewer options.
4. Do Not Overbuild Static Defenses
Emplacements are a British strength, but they are not a substitute for map control. A few well-placed defenses can anchor a line; too many can trap your manpower in the wrong place. Build enough to protect important territory, then keep units ready to attack, repair, flank, and answer threats outside the emplacement arc.
5. Use British Doctrines for a Clear Job
Royal Artillery fits players who want barrages, counterbattery pressure, and area control. Commandos fit harassment, glider play, and forward pressure. Engineers fit tougher defenses and heavy Churchill-style breakthroughs. Pick the branch that solves the problem in front of you instead of choosing one because it sounds powerful in every situation.
6. Play Panzer Elite Like a Mobile Force
The Panzer Elite are not built to wait behind a wall. Their light vehicles, halftracks, scout tools, and small Panzer Grenadier teams are strongest when they seize tempo. Capture, probe, hit weak points, and back away before bad trades pile up. Your advantage is making the opponent answer several problems at once.
7. Preserve Panzer Elite Vehicles
Panzer Elite vehicles are central to the faction’s pressure, but light vehicles still need care. Do not drive scout cars, halftracks, or tank hunters into fights without infantry or vehicle help. Use them to support infantry, chase openings, reinforce pressure, and punish exposed targets. Pull damaged vehicles back early enough to keep your army’s mobility intact.
8. Choose Panzer Elite Veterancy With Intent
Panzer Elite units can lean into offensive or defensive bonuses as they gain combat experience. Give survivability and speed to units you need alive for repeated pressure, and give firing-rate or accuracy bonuses to units whose job is damage. Random choices waste one of the faction’s best flexibility tools.
9. Prepare Answers Before Armor Arrives
Do not wait until enemy tanks appear to think about anti-vehicle play. The Panzer Elite have tank hunters and mobile anti-armor tools; the British can lean on emplacements, tanks, and doctrine support. Watch the opponent’s tech direction and add answers before your infantry gets forced off the field.
10. Separate Campaign and Skirmish Expectations
The two campaigns teach faction themes, but Skirmish asks you to build plans against flexible opponents. Campaign missions can emphasize scripted objectives, dramatic defenses, or set-piece attacks. Skirmish is about victory points, annihilation, map control, and adapting your army faster than the enemy adapts to you.
Campaign Priorities
The British campaign follows the Liberation of Caen and is the better first stop if you want to learn how the new Allied army holds and advances. Expect defensive lines, artillery support, armored pushes, and missions that reward patience. Take time to set up before major attacks, and do not mistake a quiet moment for safety.
The Panzer Elite campaign follows Operation Market Garden from the German side. It teaches the value of speed, disruption, and mobile response. When the mission gives you room to move, use it. Panzer Elite units are at their best when they are forcing reactions rather than absorbing a slow siege.
Weather and day-night presentation add atmosphere, but do not build tactics around the idea that rain or darkness changes the battlefield rules. Focus on cover, territory, unit roles, and objective pressure. Those habits carry across both campaigns and into Skirmish.
On mobile, remember that Opposing Fronts is an add-on to Company of Heroes, and it needs extra storage. Give yourself a short adjustment period before judging your timing, especially if you learned the game with mouse and keyboard.
Army Habits
| Army | Best Beginner Habit | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| British 2nd Army | Build a defendable line first | Their tools reward held territory |
| British 2nd Army | Move officers with care | They are part of the faction’s active tool kit |
| British 2nd Army | Use artillery to break positions | Barrages support slow, strong pushes |
| British 2nd Army | Fortify after gaining ground | New territory needs protection |
| Panzer Elite | Keep pressure moving | Mobility is their central advantage |
| Panzer Elite | Save damaged vehicles | Light armor losses remove tempo |
| Panzer Elite | Support squads with halftracks | Small infantry teams need help |
| Panzer Elite | Pick doctrine tools for threats | Each branch solves different problems |
The matchup lesson is simple: the British want to make the map more stable, while the Panzer Elite want to make it less stable. If you are British, ask whether your next move protects income, anchors a route, or prepares a strong attack. If you are Panzer Elite, ask whether your next move forces a response, cuts off territory, or catches a unit before support arrives.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Do not import habits from later Company of Heroes games - Opposing Fronts uses Company of Heroes 1-era factions, units, and campaign structure.
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Do not treat the British like a rush army - They work best when they build a front and then attack from strength.
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Do not leave British officers idle in the rear - Keep them near the force you are actively using.
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Do not cover the whole map with emplacements - Static defenses help only when they protect territory you can actually use.
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Do not choose a British doctrine without a purpose - Artillery, Commandos, and Engineers solve different battlefield problems.
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Do not park the Panzer Elite in a static line - Their faction identity depends on speed, vehicles, and pressure.
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Do not throw light vehicles into fights alone - Early losses make the Panzer Elite much less flexible.
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Do not delay anti-vehicle planning - Both campaigns and Skirmish can punish you if armor arrives before your answer does.
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Do not confuse mobile DLC packaging with PC packaging - On mobile, Opposing Fronts is an add-on inside Company of Heroes.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| Scope | Play this as the Opposing Fronts British and Panzer Elite package |
| First Steps | Finish training before learning the specialized armies |
| British | Establish a strong front, then push from it |
| British Support | Keep officers protected and close to active units |
| British Doctrine | Pick Artillery, Commandos, or Engineers for the current job |
| Panzer Elite | Use mobility to create pressure and deny easy fights |
| Panzer Elite Vehicles | Preserve light armor and halftracks instead of trading them away |
| Campaigns | Learn Caen for British defense and Market Garden for mobile response |
| Skirmish | Build around victory points, annihilation rules, and map control |
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8 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts.
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