I recognize that CoH2 is not adding any more factions. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t still have fun creating ones. Perhaps some of this could be inspiration for a future third installment.

When I look at the balance between axis and allies, it’s obvious that the axis have less options to choose from. The allies have the Soviets, Americans, and British, while axis only has two german options. I set out to create a third hypothetical German faction that would thematically be an alternative to the British, while bringing a lot to the table. I hope you enjoy reading over my proposal. I realize this is incredibly long, but I wanted to cover as much as I could.

Faction Overview

The DAK is a third German faction, aiming to fill the gaps in the existing two as well as provide their own unique playstyle. The DAK features some of the more exotic german weapons and vehicles, and has more emphasis on a mechanized army rather than an armored army. While most of the equipment is focused around 1943 in the African and Italian campaign, there are a small number of units that were not used in Africa, but for the sake of gameplay have been included. I cannot stress this enough, this is supposed to be fun and balanced first and foremost.

The unique feature of the DAK is that their weapon crews can dismount their guns and fight as a weak infantry squad. Weapon crews which normally require two units to man will instead decrew once they have been reduced to one soldier. They have a cheaper repair cost than any other germany infantry except Osttruppen, meaning they’re excellent for recrewing weapons if they had to flee. This squad is known as a Kanonier Squad, and are armed only with Kar 98ks and a single P08 Luger. When they recrew weapons, all four members will recrew. Veterency is carried over to new weapons. As a squad they’re incredibly weak, and unfit for frontline combat.

The DAK base is a central structure with all buildings predetermined in their location. Each building is unlocked through a one-time purchase much like how the US forces function, except no unit is given upon research. The Field Command is the only building unlocked to start, with options to unlock either the Artillery or Siege Command. Each of those has another upgrade which unlocks more units. In order to access the Panzer Command, the player must unlock either both commands, or fully upgrade one command.

In order to best organize this, I will list their base buildings and what units they create, followed by the units themselves. Finally, I will go over my ideas for potential commander or abilities. This is all subject to balance changes in terms of numbers, but I'd like to keep the basic units and progression intact.

Building Overview

Kampfgruppe Field Command

Units

Schützen Squad

Panzerpioneer Squad

Sd.Kfz 247 (4-Rad)

MG 42 Squad

Tiger I (Requires Construction of all other Commands)

Panzerjӓger Squad (Requires Doctrinal Choice)

Spӓhtrupp Squad (Requires Doctrinal Choice)

Sd.Kfz 232 (8-Rad) (Requires Doctrinal Choice and Command HQ)

Sd.Kfz 251/1 (Requires Doctrinal Choice and Command HQ)

Upgrades

Heavy Combat Packages - Unlocks the Throw Fragmentation Grenade, Plant Demolition Charge, and Launch HE/Flare abilities.

Field Medics - 3 Medics will heal infantry near the base.

I envision this building to be very similar to the OKW base in that it produces a lot of your core army if you invest in it. You can make your basic infantry, engineers, a light scout, and an MG. It’s everything you need to start off with, but focusing too heavily on them might delay you from getting better units later on. The DAK has limited healing options, so I wanted them to have a basic healing aura around their base. The Tiger I can only be unlocked after every other base structure has been constructed. There will never be more than 1 doctrinal unit that can be built from the base.

Kampfgruppe Artillery Command

Units

Panzertruppen Squad

PaK 41 Squad

Granatwerfer 42 Squad

Sd.Kfz 234/4

Sd.Kfz 251/9

Upgrades (Mutually Exclusive with One Another)

Infantry Support - Unlocks PaK 41s and GrW 42s.

Mechanized Support - Unlocks Sd.Kfz 234/4s and Sd.Kfz 251/9s.

The Artillery Command is what produces your support units. I think this is a good blend of giving access to a new infantry unit, as well as what I think is one of the cooler aspects of the DAK, the choice here between crew weapons and mechanized units. In order to unlock your support weapons, a choice between upgrades must be made, much like how the British must choose their units. Crew weapons are of course cheaper to build and less vulnerable to anti-tank weaponry, while also being slightly more damaging. The trade off is that they’re very slow to maneuver, like all crew weapons. Mechanized units give you access to a slightly less powerful, and more expensive unit that’s far more maneuverable.

Kampfgruppe Siege Command

Units

Panzer III L

Sd.Kfz 6/2

StuH 42 (Requires Unlock)

StuG IV (Requires Unlock)

Upgrades

Assault Support - Unlocks StuH 42s and StuG IVs.

The Siege Command unlocks access to a variety of support vehicles. Both the Panzer III and Sd.Kfz 6/2 are available upon construction, which cost a decent amount of fuel, meaning you really can’t use them until later on in the game unless you have very good fuel control. Furthermore, the more specialized vehicles require an additional unlock, further delaying their appearance. In order to construct the final building, you must either construct both previous buildings, or one previous building and its unlock, very similarly to the USF.

Kampfgruppe Panzer Command

Units

Nashorn

Panzer IV G

Nebelwerfer 41 Squad

The Panzer Command unlocks your best and most powerful units. I felt that delaying the Panzer IV until the very end prevents the DAK from becoming too powerful early on, as the Panzer III is a mediocre medium tank albeit with a unique upgrade. Beyond that, you can access some specialized anti-tank and rocket artillery options.

Unit Overview

Units will be organized with infantry first, followed by crew weapons, vehicles, and finally emplacements. Doctrinal units will be indicated separately. Weaponry indicates possible weapon combinations, with the first being the default combination.

Infantry Squads

All infantry abilities cost munitions unless otherwise stated.

Schützen Squad: 4 Soldiers

Weaponry

4x Gewehr 43

3x Gewehr 43, 1x Scoped Gewehr 43

3x Gewehr 43, 1x Panzerschreck

Upgrades

Long-Range Combat Package (Requires Command HQ) - Replaces one Gewehr 43 with a scoped version, slightly increasing accuracy and unlocking Snipe Unit ability.

Anti-Tank Combat Package (Requires Doctrinal Choice and Command HQ) - Replaces one Gewehr 43 with a Panzerschreck. Replaces Panzerfaust with Vehicle Tracking ability.

Survival Training (Requires Doctrinal Choice and Command HQ) - Decreases Received Accuracy by a small amount.

Abilities

Throw Fragmentation Grenade (Requires Unlock)- Damages units caught in the blast. Short countdown timer.

Panzerfaust (Requires Command HQ) - Deals light damage to vehicles and damaged engines of light and medium vehicles. Heavy tanks require prior damage.

Snipe Unit (Requires Upgrade and Veterency 3) - Kills and enemy model. Requires a short aiming period.

Vehicle Tracking (Requires Doctrinal Upgrade) - Reveals the location of enemy vehicles in a 25 meter range.

Sprint (Requires Doctrinal Choice) - Allows unit to sprint for a short period of time.

Assault (Requires Doctrinal Choice) - Deals increased accuracy to garrisoned units and structures.

The Schützen Squad is your basic infantry. It performs the same role as most other infantry in the game, having access to a balanced choice of weaponry and abilities allowing it to fulfill many roles. It is armed with G43s, giving it a much higher RoF than other German infantry, but it still only has a squad size of 4. The scoped G43 gives the model that uses it slightly higher accuracy. Though it has the powerful ability to snipe a unit, to do so requires significant investment in the unit, and a decent munition cost to disincentivize heavy use. The Anti-Tank Combat Package will be tied with the Vehicle Tracking ability, turning the squad into a somewhat decent anti-tank squad.

Panzerpioneer Squad: 4 Soldiers

Weaponry

4x Kar98k

3x Kar 98k, 1x Minesweeper

3x Kar98k, 1x MG 15

3x Kar98k, 1x Flammenwerfer 35

Upgrades

Minesweeping Package - Replaces one Kar98k with a minesweeper, allowing the unit to clear mines.

Heavy Combat Package (Requires Command HQ) - Replaces one Kar98k with an MG 15, unlocking Suppressive Fire ability.

Flamethrower Combat Package (Requires Doctrinal Choice) - Replaces one Kar98k with a Flammenwerfer 35 and unlocking Salvage ability.

Abilities

Construct Field Defenses - Construct various field defenses to support the DAK on the battlefield. Sandbags Tank Traps (Dragon’s Teeth) Barbed Wire Tellermine 43 Munitions Cache Fuel Cache sFH 18 (Requires Doctrinal Choice) FlaK 36 (Requires Doctrinal Choice) Flakvierling 38 (Requires Doctrinal Choice) Covered Fighting Position (Requires Doctrinal Choice) Forward Observation Post (Requires Doctrinal Choice)

Plant Demolition Charge (Requires Unlock) - A Devastating Demolition charge that must be manually detonated. Can only be detonated if the unit is within 25 meters.

Repair - Repairs vehicles, crew weapons, and structures.

Heavy Repair (Requires Veterency 3) - Repairs vehicles, crew weapons, and structures faster than Repair.

Clear Obstacle - Removes Barbed Wire, Tank Traps, and Mines.

Suppressive Fire (Requires Upgrade) - Unit fires MG 15 rapidly, suppressing enemy squads that are being fired at. Immobilizes unit for 5 10 seconds.

Salvage (Requires Doctrinal Choice) - Allows unit to salvage destroyed vehicles for munitions; 15 from light vehicles, 25 from medium vehicles, and 40 from heavy vehicles.

Sprint (Requires Doctrinal Choice) - Allows unit to sprint for a short period of time.

Assault (Requires Doctrinal Choice) - Deals increased accuracy to garrisoned units and structures.

The Panzerpioneer Squad is your engineer unit. It fulfills most of the standard engineer roles like construction and repair, but in order to contrast with the stronger core infantry, the Panzerpioneer is only equipped with Kar98k rifles, leaving the DAK without the ability to engage enemy units in close range at the start of the game. The Heavy Combat Package gives the Panzerpioneer an infantry-held machine gun, the MG 15. This gives them much greater presence on the field, able to effectively create a zone of control around them, at least against infantry. The flamethrower upgrade functions much the same as other flamethrowers. When it comes to field defenses, the Panzerpioneer can create many useful defenses. There are standard ones such as sandbags and barbed wire, but also the concrete dragon’s teeth fortifications, slightly sturdier that steel tank traps. Emplacements will be covered in a later portion of this post, but the covered fighting position acts as a hybrid between the trench and USF fighting position. It can be manned by infantry, MGs, and mortars, providing them with additional cover. The forward observation post can be built anywhere on the battlefield, increasing field of vision.



The MG 15 was a makeshift infantry conversion of an aircraft machine gun.



Dragon's Teeth were concrete barriers used to stop enemy tanks.

Panzertruppen Squad: 4-5 Soldiers

Weaponry

4x Kar98k

5x MP40

2x Kar98k, 2x Sturmpistole

Upgrades

Close Quarters Combat Package - Adds a 5th soldier to the squad. Replaces rifles with MP40 submachine guns.

Grenadier Combat Package (Requires Doctrinal Choice and Command HQ) - Replaces 2 rifles with 2 Sturmpistoles and unlocking Fire Smoke Round ability.

Survival Training (Requires Doctrinal Choice and Command HQ) - Decreases Received Accuracy by a small amount.

Abilities

Tactical Advance - Unit takes less received accuracy and is less vulnerable to suppression for 15 seconds.

Launch HE Round (Requires Unlock) - Unit fires a small HE mortar from a 5cm Granatwerfer 36 at a targeted location.

Launch Flare (Requires Unlock and Veterency 2) - Unit fires a flare from a 5cm Granafwerfer 36 at a targeted location. Reveals map for 20 seconds.

Fire Smoke Round (Requires Doctrinal Upgrade) - Unit fires a directed smoke grenade from a Sturmpistole.

Sprint (Requires Doctrinal Choice) - Allows unit to sprint for a short period of time.

Assault (Requires Doctrinal Choice) - Deals increased accuracy to garrisoned units and structures.

Panzertruppen are the standard elite infantry of the DAK. They only have bolt-action rifles when they’re constructed, but can upgrade to be quite deadly close-quarters fighters with 5 MP40 submachine guns. Alternatively, a special upgrade gives them two sturmpistoles, allowing them to cause havoc across the battlefield launching explosive grenades at enemy units. Both the HE round and Flare ability are launched from small mortars, meaning they can’t be used in close range and can fire over cover. They are relatively inaccurate until the squad has full veterency. The Sturmpistole’s smoke round is directed smoke, meaning it covers in a line.



German Officer with a sturmpistole.

Kanonier Squad: 4 Men. Recrews weapons with entire squad.

Weaponry

3x Kar98k, 1x P08 Luger

Kanonier squads are the unique feature of the DAK. They can leave, or be forced to flee crew weapons in the case of those that require two men to operate them. Kanonier squads are not very good in combat, but they’re great for recrewing lost weapons on the battlefield, as the entire squad crews it and carry over their veterency.

Doctrinal Infantry

Panzerjäger Squad: 4 Soldiers

Weaponry

2x Kar98k, 2x Panzerbüchse 39

2x Kar98k, 2x Panzerschreck

Upgrades

Heavy Anti-Tank Combat Package (Requires Command HQ) - Replaces 2 PzB 39 with 2 Panzerschrecks, replacing Button Vehicle ability with Mark Vehicle ability, and HEAT grenade with Concussive Rocket.

Abilities

Fire HEAT grenade - Fires a HEAT grenade from PzB 39. Deals light damage to vehicles, and damages engine of light and heavy vehicles. Heavy tanks require prior damage.

Vehicle Tracking - Reveals the location of enemy vehicles in a 25 meter range.

Button Vehicle (Requires Veterency 2) - Prevents vehicle from moving or firing for 10 seconds. Immobilizes unit. Heavy vehicles are unaffected.

Mark Vehicle (Requires Upgrade) - Targeted vehicle takes additional damage. Can only mark 1 vehicle at a time.

Concussive Rocket (Requires Upgrade and Veterency 2) - Prevents vehicle from moving or firing for 5 seconds.

Panzerjäger squads are anti-tank infantry that can be utilized by the DAK. They can be used to put light pressure on enemy vehicles, though they don’t come into their full potential until they unlock their Panzerschrecks. When they are armed with PzB 39s, they work better as hunters and ambushers to support heavier anti-tank units, but when they unlock their Panzerschrecks, they are much more capable as dedicated tank killers, at the expense of being able to control vehicles as well.



A German soldier with a panzerbüchse 39.

Spähtrupp Squad: 4 Soldiers. Has stealth in cover.

Weaponry

4x MP40

3x MP40, 1x LMG 42

Upgrades

Machinengewehr Combat Package - Replaces 1 SMG with an LMG 42

Abilities

Hold Fire

Infiltration Grenades - Each model tosses a fragmentation grenade at a target area.

Throw Dummy Flare - Unit tosses a red flare that looks like artillery, but does nothing. Does not break stealth.

Reconnaissance Tracking (Requires Veterency 3) - Unit detects enemy units within a 30 meter radius for 30 seconds.

Plant Flare - Unit plants a tripwire flare that can be triggered by enemies.

Observation - Unit gains additional sight when immobile. Passive ability.

This squad is more of a reconnaissance squad than a direct frontline combat squad. Their MP40s allow them to do fairly well in close-quarters combat, but can serve a more useful role in gathering intelligence on the enemy and acting on that knowledge. They have an LMG 42 upgrade which gives them better long range damage. As they have stealth in cover, they can be used to spy on the enemy. To assist in their duties, they can throw infiltration grenades to ambush enemies if needed, but it may be better used to plant flares, observe enemies, and track units. The dummy flare allows them to play mind games with enemies.

Begleitgrenadier Command Squad: 5 Soldiers. Limit of 1.

Weaponry

3x StG 44, 2x Gewehr 43

Abilities

Throw Bundle Grenade - Unit tosses a very powerful bundle grenade that deals severe damage. Short countdown timer.

Coordinated Fire - Nearby infantry have increased accuracy against enemies for 15 seconds.

Covering Smoke - Nearby Mortars fire smoke at a designated area.

Rally (Requires Veterency 1) - Suppressed and Pinned units within 10 meters are freed from the effects, and have immunity for 5 seconds.

The Begleitgrenadier command squad is the DAK’s officer unit. Though you can only have 1 at a time, they have a number of powerful abilities to boost your armies capabilities in combat, while being quite potent themselves. They are the only squad with access to StG 44s, which gives them two very powerful long range weapons. In addition, they are capable of providing cover for units, and their Coordinated Fire and Rally abilities greatly increase the potency of infantry.

Gebirgsjäger Squad: 4 Men. Has stealth while in cover at Veterency 1.

Weaponry

4x Gewehr 43

3x Gewehr 43, 1x Flammenwerfer 35

Upgrades

Flammtruppen Upgrade Kit - Replaces 1 Gewehr 43 with a Flammenwerfer 35.

Abilities

Hold Fire - Unit will not fire unless directed to.

Throw Incendiary Grenade - Unit tosses an incendiary grenade at the target location.

Ambush Tactics - Unit fires rapidly at enemy units, slowing them down for 5 seconds even in retreat. Deals additional damage if breaking stealth.

Fire Fliegerfaust (Requires Veterency 1) - Unit fires a barrage of Fliegerfaust rockets at enemy planes, tanks, or occupied structure.

Superheat Vehicle (Requires Upgrade and Veterency 2) - Unit concentrates flamethrower(s) on an enemy vehicle, dealing heavy damage to modules and to the crew if it has one. Has a very short range.

Gebirgsjäger squads are a callable unit that specializes in routing enemy emplacements and punishing improperly used squads. They are capable frontline units as well, having four Gewehr 43s which allow them to supplement the rest of your army. Once they achieve Veterency 2, they can stealth in cover, opening up new opportunities for use. Many of their abilities center around disrupting and denying the enemy from abilities or positions, which is reflected in their Fligerfaust and Superheat abilities. If you can get this squad to an opportune position, it can wreck significant havoc.



The Fliegerfaust gives infantry a way to attack enemy planes.

Crew Weapons

Crew Size indicates how many men are needed to operate the weapon. If it drops below this, the unit retreats to the nearest retreat point as a Kanonier squad.

MG 42: 4 Men

Crew Size and Weapons

1x MG 42, 3x Kar98k

Abilities

Load APIT Rounds (Requires Veterency 1) - Fires APIT rounds for 30 seconds, dealing high damage to units and gains light armor penetration. Costs Munitions.

The standard MG 42.

PaK 41

Crew Size and Weapons

2x PaK 41, 2x Kar98k

Abilities

Prioritize Vehicles

Hold Fire

Rapid Reload (Requires Veterency 2) - Shoots 30% faster for 30 seconds.

The PaK 41 is an interesting alternative to the PaK 40. It fires tungsten APCR rounds, which do have greater penetration but deal less overall damage to enemy vehicles.



A PaK 41 in a museum.

Granatwerfer 42

Crew Size and Weapons

2x Granatwerfer 42, 2x Kar98k

Abilities

HE Barrage - Fires 6 high explosive shells in a designated area.

Smoke Barrage - Fires 3 smoke shells in a designated area.

Precision Shot (Requires Veterency 2) - Fires a single shell in an exact area. Costs Munitions.

Incendiary Barrage (Requires Doctrinal Choice) - Fires 4 incendiary shells in a designated area. Costs Munitions.

The Granatwerfer 42 is a heavy German mortar capable of dealing severe damage to the enemy, but it takes longer to deploy and pack up, and fires slower than the GrW 34. Besides that, it functions similarly to most other mortars. Its Precision Shot allows for accurate fire against an area on the map.



The Granatwerfer 42 was a very powerful mortar.

Nebelwerfer 41

Crew Size and Weapons

2x Nebelwerfer 41, 2x Kar98k

Abilities

HE Barrage - Fires 6 devastating high explosive rockets in a wide designated area.

Caustic Smoke Barrage - Fires 6 large smoke rockets in a wide designated area. Causes minor damage to infantry.

Precision Barrage (Requires Veterency 2) - Fires 6 devastating high explosive rockets in a very close area. Costs Munitions.

The Nebelwerfer 41 is the DAK’s rocket artillery, and a personal favorite weapon of mine. Unlike the OST and OKW, this is much more survivable against vehicles, as it is a crew based weapon. This of course comes at the cost of being far less maneuverable, however it can be recrewed. It has a standard HE barrage, but befitting its name also can fire smoke rockets. These are powerful enough that they deal light damage to infantry, somewhat similar to Blendkorper or White Phosphorus.



Nebelwerfer 41s could fire six rockets in quick succession.

Doctrinal Crew Weapons

Leichtgeschütz 42

Crew Size and Weapons

2x Leichtgeschütz 42, 2x Kar98k

Abilities

Prioritize Vehicles

Hold Fire

Fire HE Rounds - Fires 3 high explosive rounds at an area. Requires line of sight. Costs Munitions.

Crack Armor (Requires Veterency 3) - Fires a precisely aimed shell at an enemy vehicle, damaging modules and causing high damage. Guaranteed to penetrate. Costs Munitions.

The LG 42 is an interesting alternative to the PaK 41. It’s a recoilless rifle that fires the same rounds as the leFH 18. I see this functioning similarly to the ZiS-3 field gun, which can function as makeshift artillery.



The LG 42 was a recoiless rifle mounted on a mobile chassis.

Vehicles

Sd.Kfz 247 (4-Rad)

Weaponry

1x Forward Facing MG 42

Abilities

Defensive Maneuvers - Vehicle gains decreased received accuracy for 10 seconds. Costs Munitions.

Suppressing Fire (Requires Veterency 3) - Nearby infantry are suppressed by a hail of bullets.

The Sd.Kfz 247, while technically an armored car, is only slightly stronger than other early recon units for gameplay purposes. It has more HP than the Bren Carrier, but is less versatile overall. I wanted to have this be a Kettenkrad, but since that has no offensive armament, I felt it would be mostly useless. Instead, this is a vehicle that might be good if you are a confident player who can use light vehicles well. It’s good at surviving, but doesn’t come into its full potential until much later. Historical documents show the 247 was not armed with an MG when built, but there are examples of MG 42s being mounted on them later in the war as a field modification.



A light scout car with a single defensive MG 42.

Sd.Kfz 234/4

Weaponry

1x Forward Facing PaK 40 - Requires a short setup time.

Abilities

Prioritize Vehicles

Hold Fire

Rapid Redeploy (Requires Veterency 2) - Vehicle uses both drivers to quickly and easily maneuver around the battlefield for 15 seconds. Costs Munitions.

The Sd.Kfz 234/4 aka Pakpuma or Pakwagen is a personal favorite of mine. It’s a very maneuverable vehicle mounting a very potent gun. In game, it would be a fast anti-tank platform, but the downside is that it is vulnerable to other vehicles, has a setup time before it can fire, and is generally less powerful and less survivable. When using Rapid Redeploy, the vehicle cannot fire. Some of the other tradeoffs to taking mechanized support weapons is that they cost fuel, can’t be recrewed, and are generally less powerful overall.



Pakpumas have access to considerable firepower on a mobile chassis.

Sd.Kfz 251/9

Weaponry

1x 75mm KwK 37 L/24

Abilities

Hold Fire

HE Barrage - Fires 4 high explosive shells at a designated area. Requires line of sight.

Smoke Barrage - Fires 4 smoke rounds at a designated area. Requires line of sight

Shock Round (Requires Veterency 2) - Fires an extremely high powered shell at an area, stunning infantry for 5 seconds. Costs Munitions.

The Sd.Kfz 251/9 is a halftrack armed with a short-barreled 75mm cannon. The biggest tradeoff with the mortar is that it cannot fire indirectly, at least not over cover. Since it does not have enough gun elevation, it has to fire at things directly in front of it. Beyond that, it has the same abilities as other mortars, and can briefly stun infantry allowing for other units to finish them off.



This halftrack can fire HE shells at enemy positions.

Panzer III L

Weaponry

1x 5cm KwK 39 L/60, 1x Coaxial MG 34, 1x Hull Mounted MG 34

1x Turreted Flamethrower, 1x Coaxial MG 34, 1x Hull Mounted MG 34

Upgrades

Flammpanzer Kit - Replaces Main gun with a flamethrower.

Abilities

Prioritize Vehicles

Hold Fire

Blitzkrieg Tactics - Tank drives faster for 10 seconds. Costs Munitions.

Target Module (Requires Veterency 2) - Damages a random module on an enemy vehicle. Costs Munitions.

Fire APCR Rounds (Requires Doctrinal Ability) - Gains increased penetration of rounds. Costs Munitions.

Defensive Smokescreen (Requires Doctrinal Ability) - Fires a defensive smoke grenade. Costs Munitions.

Things get juicy with the Panzer III L. It’s a somewhat decent medium tank, but one of the weakest of the game. It has good armor, but its gun is somewhat lacking. It gets a little better at veterency 2, where it gets additional armor on the front and sides. I envision it to be akin to the Puma, Stuart, or T-70. There is no reason to get it once you unlock the Panzer IV G. Except one. The Panzer III L can swap out its main gun with a flamethrower, turning it into a terrifying mobile flamethrower. As the DAK doesn’t have flamethrower pioneers by default, I wanted to give it something to compensate. In this case, the Flammpanzer III can be very powerful against infantry, but is not as tough as the Churchill Crocodile or KV-8.



A standard Panzer III L.



A Panzer III converted to a mobile flamethrower

Sd.Kfz 6/2

Weaponry

1x 37mm FlaK 36. Requires short setup time. Cannot fire forward.

Abilities

Prioritize Aircraft

The Sd.Kfz 6/2 is a halftrack armed with a FlaK gun. It’s relatively straightforward in its use.



When you need to get an anti-aircraft gun somewhere in a hurry.

StuH 42

Weaponry

1x Modified leFH 18 Cannon

Abilities

Hold Fire

Light Barrage - Fires a light artillery barrage of 6 shells at a designated area. Requires Line of Sight. Costs Munitions.

The StuH 42 is an anti-infantry assault gun. It’s armed with a 105mm cannon, giving it good damage against infantry but not much else. It can double as a makeshift artillery piece.



The StuH 42 resembles the StuG III in many ways, but has a slightly bigger gun.

StuG IV

Weaponry

1x StuK 40 L/48

1x StuK 40 L/48, 1x Forward Facing MG 42

Upgrades

MG 42 - Adds a top-mounted MG 42 on the vehicle, increasing anti-infantry damage.

Abilities

Prioritize Vehicles

Hold Fire

Assault Tactics (Requires Veterency 1) - Gains increased accuracy and reload rate while moving for 10 seconds. Costs Munitions.

The StuG IV is the armored tank destroyer of the DAK. It specializes in killing vehicles but not much else. Performs very similarly to the StuG III, but does not get an armor upgrade with veterency. In a pinch, it can help with a push using its Assault Tactics ability.



The StuG IV mounts the PaK 40 on the Panzer IV hull as a cheaper alternative.

Nashorn

Weaponry

1x 88mm KwK 43

Abilities

Prioritize Vehicles

Hold Fire

Hunter Mode - Immobilizes vehicle, but fires faster and more accurately. Short time to disable.

Fire APCR Rounds (Requires Doctrinal Ability) - Gains increased penetration of rounds. Costs Munitions.

The Nashorn is a powerful tank destroyer available to the DAK. Its 88mm PaK 43 can devastate most tanks, but it comes at the cost of having little to no armor. Even a few rounds from a light vehicle can destroy it if caught off guard. Consequently, the Nashorn is best kept in the back of the line, and used as a sniper.



The Nashorn is the cheapest way to get a PaK 43 on the battlefield.

Panzer IV G

Weaponry

1x 75mm KwK 40, 1x Coaxial MG 34, 1x Hull Mounted MG 34

1x 75mm KwK 40, 1x Coaxial MG 34, 1x Hull Mounted MG 34, 1x Pintle Mounted MG 42

Upgrades

MG 42 - Adds a top-mounted MG 42 on the vehicle, increasing anti-infantry damage.

Abilities

Prioritize Vehicles

Hold Fire

Blitzkrieg Tactics - Blitzkrieg Tactics - Tank drives faster for 10 seconds. Costs Munitions.

Launch Defensive Mines (Requires Veterency 1) - Fires an S-Mine at a designated location, damaging nearby infantry. Costs Munitions.

Fire APCR Rounds (Requires Doctrinal Ability) - Gains increased penetration of rounds. Costs Munitions.

Defensive Smokescreen (Requires Doctrinal Ability) - Fires a defensive smoke grenade. Costs Munitions.

The Panzer IV is the mainline tank of the DAK. it performs almost identically to the OST’s Panzer IV. The only difference is that it has the ability to fire a defensive mine at enemy infantry.

Tiger I: Requires all Command HQs. Limit of 1 Heavy Tank.

Weaponry

1x 88mm KwK 36, 1x Coaxial MG 34, 1x Hull Mounted MG 34

1x 88mm KwK 36, 1x Coaxial MG 34, 1x Hull Mounted MG 34, 1x Pintle Mounted MG 42

Upgrades

MG 42 - Adds a top-mounted MG 42 on the vehicle, increasing anti-infantry damage.

Abilities

Prioritize Vehicles

Hold Fire

Blitzkrieg Tactics - Blitzkrieg Tactics - Tank drives faster for 10 seconds. Costs Munitions.

Launch Defensive Mines (Requires Veterency 1) - Fires an S-Mine at a designated location, damaging nearby infantry. Costs Munitions.

Fire APCR Rounds (Requires Doctrinal Ability) - Gains increased penetration of rounds. Costs Munitions.

Defensive Smokescreen (Requires Doctrinal Ability) - Fires a defensive smoke grenade. Costs Munitions.

The Tiger I is available to DAK players who have constructed all three base structures. Only one is available at once. The Tiger is to compensate for the lack of Panther tanks that the DAK has. It performs similarly to other Tigers, with the same defensive mine ability as the Panzer IV.

Doctrinal Vehicles

Sd.Kfz 232 (8-Rad)

Weaponry

1x 2cm KwK 30 L/55, 1x Turret Mounted MG 42

Upgrades

Funkwagen Radio Kit - Adds radio equipment and unlocks Radio Coordination ability.

Abilities

Hold Fire

Capture Territory - Vehicle immobilizes and becomes unable to fire, but may capture territory.

Fire APIT rounds (Requires Veterency 1) - Deals increased damage to infantry. Increases suppression. Costs Munitions.

Radio Coordination (Requires Upgrade) - Vehicles in a 25 meter radius gain increased accuracy for 30 seconds. Costs Munitions.

The Sd.Kfz 232 is a light scout car armed with an autocannon. It functions as a light scout that can put pressure on infantry or control territory, but later in the game shifts to a supporting role for other vehicles.



A 232 with a mounted radio frame.

Sd.Kfz 251/1

Weaponry

1x Forward Facing MG 42, 1x Rear Facing MG 42

1x Forward Facing sPzB 41, 1x Rear Facing MG 42

Upgrades

Pioneerpanzerwagen Support Kit - Converts vehicle to Sd.Kfz 251/7. Gains abilities Secure Territory and Defensive Mortars. Cannot transport troops.

Abilities

Troop Transportation (If Unupgraded) - Troops inside can fire from within, and slowly heal if out of combat.

Secure Territory - Vehicle immobilizes, increasing sight range and increases the ability recharge speed of nearby units. 2 dedicated pioneers repair nearby vehicles.

Defensive Mortars (Must be Immobilized) - Offmap mortars fire at a location within 20 meters of the vehicle. Costs Munitions.

The Sd.Kfz 251/1 is the standard German infantry carrier. Unlike its OST counterpart, the DAK version allows troops to fire from within cover as they traverse the battlefield. It can also upgrade to a Pioneerpanzerwagen, changing its look and replacing the forward MG with a heavy anti-tank rifle. It can lock down territory and provide buffs to nearby units, but is easy to get caught off guard.



A Pioneerpanzerwagen, with an MG 42 instead of a sPzB 41.

Jagdpanther: Counts as a Heavy Tank.

Weaponry

1x 88mm KwK 43, 1x Hull Mounted MG 34

Abilities

Prioritize Vehicles

Hold Fire

Fire APCR Rounds - Gains increased penetration of rounds. Costs Munitions.

Launch Defensive Mines (Requires Veterency 1) - Fires an S-Mine at a designated location, damaging nearby infantry. Costs Munitions.

The Jagdpanther is a heavy armored tank destroyer that completes the trifecta of German tank destroyers, the other two being the Elefant and Jagdtiger. Only one is available at any time, and this cap is shared with the Tiger I. It has access to defensive mines.



The Jagdpanter is the best tank killer the DAK has to offer.

Panzerbefehlswagen IV: Counts as a Heavy Tank.

Weaponry

1x 75mm KwK 40, 1x Coaxial MG 34

Abilities

Prioritize Vehicles

Hold Fire

Light Artillery Barrage (Requires Veterency 1) - Nearby leFH batteries fire on a designated location.

Coordinated Barrage - All on-map artillery units fire at a designated location.

Schwerpunkt Tactics - Nearby vehicles gain increased accuracy and movement speed for 15 seconds.

Defensive Smokescreen - Fires a defensive smoke grenade.

The Panzerbefehlswagen IV is a command Panzer IV which gives buffs to nearby vehicles, and can direct artillery both on and off the field. It can hold its own in a fight, but its increased cost means losing it hurts quite a bit. There can only be one Panzerbefehlswagen IV on the map at once, and this cap is again shared with the Tiger.



The Pz.Bfw.IV has additional radio equipement.

Hummel

Weaponry

1x 150mm sFH 18

Abilities

Fire HE Barrage - Unit fires 6 high explosive shells at a target location.

Counter-Barrage (Requires Veterency 2) - Unit fires at enemy artillery positions that have fired.

The Hummel is the mobile gun artillery that the Germans have been lacking for quite a while. It's quite self-explanatory; it can fire artillery barrages, then move. Alternatively, it can fire at other artillery pieces on screen if leveled up enough.



The Hummel can provide regular artillery fire against enemy positions.

Emplacements

150mm sFH 18

Abilities

HE Barrage - Fires 6 devastating high explosive rounds at a designated location.

Creeping Barrage (Requires Veterency 2) - Fires 3 devastating high explosive rounds in a line. Costs Munitions.

A heavy artillery emplacement. Deals more damage than the leFH 18, but costs more.



The sFH 18 packs a bigger punch than its leFH counterpart.

88mm FlaK 36

Abilities

Prioritize Vehicles

Hold Fire

Fire Proximity Shell (Requires Veterency 2) - Fires a single Proximity shell set to detonate at a very close range. Deals low damage to infantry but causes immediate pinning for 10 seconds. Costs Munitions.

The FlaK 36 is a makeshift anti-tank gun employed by the DAK. It has better traverse than the PaK 43, but has less penetration and damage. Its Proximity Shell ability discourages infantry from attacking it alone, but it is not enough to stop them, as the recharge time for it is far longer than infantry are pinned.



Though the FlaK 36 is a bit old, it can still pack a powerful punch.

20mm Flakvierling 38

Abilities

Prioritize Aircraft

Efficient Firing (Requires Veterency 1) - Fires half as fast but twice as long for 60 seconds. Higher suppression but lower damage. Costs Munitions.

The Flakvierling is a very powerful anti-aircraft gun that may be constructed. It costs more than other FlaK emplacements, but can lock down an area from infantry, and shoot down planes as well.



The Flakvierling 38 can deliver a deadly burst of anti-aircraft fire.

Commanders and Abilities

I’ve conceptualized some offensive commander abilities that may be used here. Some are cooler than others. I wanted to create a balance of useful and fun abilities with different effects, and some new effects. Of course, it wouldn’t be a German faction without some awesome abilities like the Fritz X bomb or Karl-Gerat mortars. I’m particularly proud of the Terror Barrage.

Fritz X Bombing Strike - A single high-precision bomb dropped on an enemy position. Can be used to target vehicles and will stay relatively on target even if vehicle moves.

Bf 109 Fighter Overwatch - Bf 109s will shoot down any enemy planes for a set duration and attack targets of opportunity.

Bf 109 Bombing Run - A 50 kg bomb is dropped on a set location.

Bf 109 Strafing Run - A Bf 109 strafes the enemy with its MG 151 and MG 131 cannons.

Propaganda Shells - Shells containing fear-inducing messages are dropped on the enemy, causing suppression or forcing already suppressed units to retreat.

Coordinated Artillery Strike - Nearby leFH 18 artillery batteries fire in unison at a designated area, quickly devastating an area.

Heavy Artillery Barrage - Heavy 150mm artillery cannons fire at a designated area.

Scorched Earth - Nearby artillery fires incendiary shells in a designated territory zone.

Concealing Smoke - Smoke shells are dropped in a wide area.

Terror Barrage - Nearby artillery fires a salvo of rounds covering a wide area based on stockpiled munitions. Shells will be a mixture of HE, incendiary, or caustic smoke shells.

Nebelwerfer Creeping Barrage - Nebelwerfers fire HE shells followed by smoke rounds in an advancing line.

Beobachter Counterbarrage - Artillery Observers watch for enemy artillery fire, which are then barraged by nearby leFH 18 batteries.

Karl-Gerät Mortar Shelling - A Karl-Gerät fires five heavy mortars on an enemy area in a wide radius.

Bf 109 Reconnaissance Run - A Bf 109 flies over a set area in a line.



Radio-guided bombs in WWII. How cool is that?!



It wouldn't be a German faction without something that pushes the limit of what is considered practical.

With that, I conclude my proposal for a new faction. If by some miracle Relic decides to add a new faction, I hope it can be similar to this. Either way, I hope you enjoyed reading through my proposal, and if you have any feedback, please leave it in the comments below. I’d love to hear what you have to say on the topic. Thank You.