BM-13 Katyusha rocket truck | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 A BM-13 Katyusha rocket truck. | |||
| Role | Artillery (support) unit | ||
| Unit Cost |
 360 85 10 | ||
| Prereq. | None | ||
| Produced By | Mechanized armor kampaneya | ||
| Health |
 160 | ||
| Armor | none | ||
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The BM-13 Katyusha rocket truck is an artillery unit fielded by the Soviet Union in Company of Heroes 2. It is built in the mechanized armor kampaneya. It is capable of shooting deadly rockets from a respectable distance, raining destruction on unarmored targets. This unit offers the Soviet army the artillery capacity they need: it is more mobile and thus safer than a mortar and has the ability to take out static units from a faraway distance.
Overview
The katyusha is available from the mechanized armor kampaneya building for 360, 85, 10. It is a formidable unit when used right, but easily falls prey to virtually any enemy unit.
Katyusha does not fire rockets on its own; instead, the player must use the (free) ability: rocket barrage. Upon activating, the rocket launcher will fire four volleys of four rockets with a short pause in between. The rockets have trouble damaging armored units though, but wreak havoc on infantry units: 16 rockets can wipe out multiple squads. After firing the rockets, the ability will be locked until the cooldown expires. Note that accuracy decreases the farther the designated firing location is!
Veterancy
The katyusha rocket truck will usually, if well-preserved, gain veterancy sooner or later. Upon achieving veterancy 1, the rocket truck will gain the precision barrage. This very powerful ability will hit a designated small location with deadly precision with one volley. Each use costs 60 munitions. This ability will always be deadly accurate. Do notice that the rocket barrage and the precision barrage share the same cooldown: using one ability will also lock the other. Further veterancies do not really constribute to the katyusha's performance.
In multiplayer, it is replaced with creeping barrage. The Katyusha fires rockets following a line rather than in a circular area.
veterancy 0: unit is at normal combat efficiency
veterancy 1: precision barrage unlocked (creeping barrage in multiplayer)
veterancy 2: -20% scatter, -40% ability recharge
veterancy 3: +33% range
Weaknesses
The katyusha is arguably the weakest unit in the game in a face-to-face confrontation: It has no direct weapon whatsoever. What's worse, the rockets cannot fire from nearby. Couple that with 160 and pathetic armor, and you have a sitting duck. This means that the katyusha must never ever be in firing range of an unit. Keep them safe behind your front lines. Even then, keep a close eye on the unit. One sneeze and they're dead, whether it be tank cannon, Panzershreck rocket, AT Gun shell or Walking Stuka barrage. With a cost of 360 and 85 , the katyusha is not cheap to replace.
Counterfire may also exist in the form of panzerwerfer or walking stuka barrage or doctrinal artillery fire: the Soviet player should move the katyusha away to avoid this fate after firing every volley, especially if the rockets have hit the enemy: the enemy can clearly see your katyusha in the fog for a second or two!