| Panzer-Jäger Kommand | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 The Panzer Elite Panzer-Jäger Kommand Structure | |||
| Army | Panzer Elite | ||
| Role | Specialized Attack-Unit Production Structure | ||
| Unit Cost |
 220,  30 | ||
| Prereq. | Either Logistik Kompanie or Kampfgruppe Kompanie already constructed | ||
| Produced By |
Panzer Grenadiers, Assault Grenadier Heavy Infantry, Tank Buster Heavy Infantry | ||
| Production XP | +21 xp | ||
| Health |
 1,000 | ||
| Armor | None | ||
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The Panzer-Jäger Kommand is a large production structure built by Panzer Elite infantry in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. It produces three very different kinds of units: the Assault Grenadier Heavy Infantry, Armored Car and Marder III Tank Hunter. Additionally, it has two Global Upgrades - one for enabling the Marder III construction, and the other for a unique group-bonus granted to basic Panzer Elite infantry.
Overview[]
One of four available Panzer Elite base structures, the Panzer-Jäger Kommand is a production center that can field three different combat units. The theme connecting these units is "brute offensive force", and they are some of the most important units in the Panzer Elite arsenal.
The option to build a Panzer-Jäger Kommand only becomes available once you've built at least one Logistik Kompanie or Kampfgruppe Kompanie. The structure is constructed by basic Panzer Elite Infantry, including the Panzer Grenadiers, Tank Buster Heavy Infantry and Assault Grenadier Heavy Infantry, for the price of 220, 30. It must be placed within your HQ Territory. More than one Panzer-Jäger Kommand can exist at the same time, provided you have the resources and available space required to do so.
The units produced by the Panzer-Jäger Kommand are very different from one another, but all share a common trait: they lack special abilities, making up for it with brute offensive strength against specific unit types. The Assault Grenadier Heavy Infantry are elite anti-infantry squads, specializing in close combat. The Armored Car is excellent against both infantry and other light/medium vehicles. The Marder III Tank Hunter is one of the most powerful mobile Anti-Tank guns in the game.
In addition to unit production, the Panzer-Jäger Kommand offers two Global Upgrades for purchase. The first upgrade, called Jager Kommand Upgrade, is required for the production of Marder III tanks. The other is called Group Zeal, and it bestows a sort of shared bonus that affects basic Panzer Elite Infantry units whenever they are bunched up in close proximity.
The very existence of the Panzer-Jäger Kommand structure is required in order to upgrade Panzer Grenadiers with the MP44 assault rifle. Note of course that the Panzer-Jager Kommand can itself produce such an infantry unit (with MP44s already installed).
Finally, the Panzer-Jäger Kommand can reinforce any nearby Axis infantry units within a 25-meter radius of itself.
The Panzer-Jäger Kommand is one of the most important structures for the Panzer Elite army, as it produces its core assault units. Therefore, many players aim to construct this building as soon as possible, in order to overwhelm the enemy with offensive power before he can put up strong defenses.
Production[]
The Panzer-Jäger Kommand produces three different kinds of units, each with its own specialty at taking out specific types of enemies. The Assault Grenadier Heavy Infantry specializes in close-combat with enemy infantry, thanks to their MP44 Assault Rifles. The Armored Car is a 20mm cannon mounted on a fast vehicle, which can easily kill both enemy infantry and other vehicles. The Marder III Tank Hunter is a specialized anti-tank weapon, with a massive gun that can penetrate almost any armor.
Assault Grenadier Heavy Infantry[]
- Costs 360, 3 or 4
- Takes 25 or 34 seconds to produce
Though they wear a different uniform, a squad of Assault Grenadier Heavy Infantry is, for all intents a purposes, a Panzer Grenadier squad armed with MP44 Assault Rifles. This small infantry team can close the distance with enemy infantry to take them out with a quick shower of bullets.
The same squad can be acquired by recruiting Panzer Grenadiers from the Panzer Elite Headquarters and arming them with the MP44 upgrade. The difference is in resource and time consumption: an Assault Grenadier Heavy Infantry squad costs 105 more, but it comes ready with MP44s, whereas the Panzer Grenadiers would require the separate installation of a 
75 upgrade which takes 30 seconds to complete.
Nonetheless, the end result is exactly identical in both cases. Granted, the light-brown uniforms may make the Assault Grenadiers a little harder to spot, but only in some environments and definitely not when playing against an AI.
Armored Car[]
- Costs 255, 25, 4
- Takes 45 seconds to produce
The SdKfz 222 Armored Car is a medium vehicle, lightly armor-plated and driving on wheels. On top it has a small turret armed with a 20mm Autocannon, rapidly firing large-caliber shells at enemy targets. A barrage of 20mm rounds can devastate infantry and have the strength to punch through light armor. The turret also has a co-axial MG42 machine gun that can kill and suppress enemy infantry.
As a result, the SdKfz 222 Armored Car is a terrific anti-infantry and anti-vehicle mobile platform, similar in function to the American M3 Halftrack with the Quad .50 Cal upgrade installed. Though vulnerable to anti-tank weapons, it is very resistant to small-arms fire laying waste to entire squads of infantry. Enemy light vehicles are rarely a match for it, but allied troops equipped with automatic weapons can damage it greatly so it has to be used with care.
This is a terrific vehicle to obtain early on, as it can single-handedly ward off enemy advances on your territory, protect infantry and light vehicles, and possible even break through into the enemy's base. Later on, it provides good anti-infantry support to all units, it is fast and versatile, but it is very fragile to enemy AT weapons and explosives.
Marder III Tank Hunter[]
- Costs 300, 40, 8
- Requires the Jager Kommand Upgrade
- Takes 45 seconds to produce.
The Marder III is a medium-armored Tank Destroyer equipped with one of the most powerful anti-tank cannons in the game. Comparable to the Sherman Firefly's 17-Pounder gun, the Marder's 75mm gun inflicts enough damage to destroy light and medium vehicles in a single shot (and the accuracy to do so). It will also cause massive damage to a tank's armor - front or back.
The Marder's primary disadvantage is the lack of a rotating turret. Its cannon fires forward along a narrow cone, so the entire vehicle must rotate to acquire new targets. However, the Marder can trade its mobility for a hefty increase to its rate of fire, allowing it to rapidly take out enemy threats.
The Marder III can be considered one of the Panzer Elite core units, due to the excellent ratio between its damage output and its cost. Nonetheless, it is much more vulnerable than Allied Tank Destroyers, and can potentially be destroyed even by prolonged Machine Gun fire.
Abilities[]
The only manually-activated ability of the Panzer-Jäger Kommand building is the ability to reinforce infantry units in its vicinity.
Reinforce Squad[]
- Costs vary based on reinforced unit
- Activation: Through the target unit's menu
- Duration varies based on reinforced unit
Any infantry squad within 20 meters of the Panzer-Jäger Kommand can replenish lost men for a specific cost and duration determined by the type of unit being reinforced.
Note that the Panzer-Jäger Kommand does not heal wounded infantry.
Global Upgrades[]
The Panzer-Jäger Kommand allows purchase of two Global Upgrades: Jager Kommand Upgrade and Group Zeal. The first is little more than a requirement for unlocking Marder III Tank Hunter production (though it does have one other benefit not discussed here). The second is a more interesting upgrade which is applied to infantry groups to increase their potential in large teams.
Jager Kommand Upgrade[]
- Costs 250, 25
- Takes 55 seconds to install
This Global Upgrade is really just a way for the game to delay construction of Marder III Tank Hunters, since unlocking their production is all it really does. You won't be able to produce the powerful Tank Destroyer without it.
Also note that the Jager Kommand Upgrade is one of three required components to unlock the Activate Panther Battlegroup Global Upgrade at the Panzer Elite Headquarters.
Group Zeal[]
- Costs 240, 40
- Takes 35 seconds to install
This is an interesting upgrade that doesn't resemble anything other factions can buy. With the Group Zeal upgrade installed, all basic Panzer Elite Infantry units begin radiating a unique aura that bestows bonuses to other infantry groups. These bonuses are cumulative, so the more infantry units are bunched up together, the more bonuses they give each other.
With this upgrade, each man in each infantry team will provide the following bonuses to all other men within 10 meters of his position:
- About 1% damage reduction
- About 1% extra Maximum Health
- A tiny amount of health regeneration
For example, when two squads of 3 men each are within 10 meters of each other, each infantryman should receive about 5% damage reduction, 5% extra Maximum Health, and a small amount of health regeneration roughly equal to that bestowed by a British Captain (slow but existent). If the two squads have 4 men each, then each man receives 7% damage reduction, 7% extra maximum health, and a slightly higher regeneration rate. The more infantrymen are added, the higher this bonus goes, though there are some diminishing returns involved (and there's a physical limit to how many men you can fit in a 10-meter circle, of course).
Overall, this Global Upgrade fits in with the Panzer Elite mentality of using large groups of infantry together - since each Panzer Grenadier squad is small and fragile on its own anyway. This increases the incentive to use entire platoons of men, as per the tactics discussed in the Panzer Grenadier article. Of course, one should avoid overdoing this, as a large bunch of infantry are much more vulnerable to artillery fire or mines.
When this Global Upgrade is purchased, the following squads will begin radiating a Group Zeal bonus:
The radiated bonus affects any Panzer Elite Infantry (that is, including Luftwaffe Ground Forces and Fallschirmjäger Squads), though they don't radiate the effect themselves.
Tactics[]
After constructing a Logistik Kompanie or Kampfgruppe Kompanie, the Panzer Elite player gets the option to build either a Panzer-Jäger Kommand or Panzer-Support Kommand to produce his mid-level forces. The decision which structure to build is based mainly on the player's style, as well as the requirements posed by the current strategic situation at the time.
The Panzer-Support Kommand offers two general-purpose units - the Panzer IV Infantry Support Tank and Light AT Half-track, both of which are good against a variety of targets, but specialize against none. Contrast this with the Panzer-Jäger Kommand, which produces three units that specialize in destroying particular types of enemies. Therefore, the Panzer-Jäger Kommand is useful for increasing the offensive strength of the Panzer Elite army against the specific kinds of threats the enemy has fielded at the time.
Early production usually consists of Armored Cars, since these are terrific at tackling early threats. They can patrol your territory against enemy infantry, and will take out enemy light vehicles easily. Alternately, a more infantry-centric Panzer Elite army would benefit from the introduction of Assault Grenadier Heavy Infantry, especially if the enemy is concentrating on anti-vehicular tactics.
Later on, once the Jager Kommand Upgrade has been purchased, the Panzer Elite can start concentrating on Marder III Tank Hunters to counter enemy armor production. These vehicles can be useful both on attack and defense, with their long-range cannons being able to snipe out enemy positions, as well as surround and annihilate tanks.
Early Production[]
If you can construct a Panzer-Jäger Kommand early, possibly by skipping either the Logistik Kompanie or Kampfgruppe Kompanie, you can get access to one of the most useful anti-infantry vehicle in your arsenal - the Armored Car. This fast-moving unit can quickly intercept and destroy enemy infantry with ease, and can even protect you against enemy light vehicle incursions. Early on, it can give you a significant advantage by actually sending it into enemy territory to take out their units and/or early defensive emplacements. The Armored Car is somewhat vulnerable, but at this stage the enemy should have few weapons to counter it.
For a Panzer-Elite army more focused on infantry tactics, the addition of Assault Grenadier Heavy Infantry (or Panzer Grenadiers with the MP44 upgrade, which are the same really) offers a much-needed anti-infantry capability as well. This is more appropriate if you have Infantry Halftracks available to ferry them across the battlefield, since they are otherwise too slow to protect your territory. This is a more defensive option, but when coupled with the Group Zeal upgrade a few of these units can present a very good counter for enemy infantry, and a good long-term investment.
Late Production[]
To being producing Marder III Tank Hunters, you'll need to purchase the Jager Kommand Upgrade. This is little more than an artificial delay, meant to ensure that you cannot produce these powerful units too early in the game. They should become available just before enemy tanks begin appearing, assuming you've constructed the Panzer-Jäger Kommand early enough.
Marder III Tank Hunters will often become the Panzer Elite's core anti-tank units, especially because Tank Buster Heavy Infantry tend to be a tad under-powered to take out large enemy tank groups. While fragile, the Marder III's offensive power is impressive, and a single unit can often fend off several tanks in face-to-face combat, especially when "sited" at a favourable position. These units can be used as mobile defensive emplacements, or they can be used to snipe enemy tanks and emplacements from a long range, provided you use spotters to locate targets for their long-range cannons.
The usefulness of the other two units (Armored Cars and Assault Grenadiers) decreases as the game matures. In later stages, you may wish to produce fewer of these, keeping only as many as necessary to fend off infantry invading your territory.
Global Upgrades[]
As mentioned above, the first available upgrade (Jager Kommand Upgrade) is little more than a way to delay the production of the powerful Marder III Tank Hunter, and so can be skipped until such time that you actually need these units to tackle enemy tanks or emplacements.
The second Global Upgrade, Group Zeal, is important primarily for a Panzer Elite army focusing on infantry tactics. It gives a much-needed upgrade of efficiency to large Panzer Grenadier platoons, allowing them to match enemy infantry in combat. This is best coupled with the Increase Squad Sizes Global Upgrade from the Logistik Kompanie, which increases the shared bonus thanks to having more men in each squad. You may purchase the two upgrades in any order.
Weaknesses[]
As with all base structures, the primary vulnerability of the Panzer-Jäger Kommand is that it is stationary, and thus a good target for enemy artillery bombardments. Make sure to keep your base structures as spread out as possible, to avoid losing several of them to a single artillery strike.
Keep an engineering unit nearby (but not too close) to repair the structure as necessary when such attacks occur.
Gallery[]
| Panzer Elite Arsenal | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Structures | Panzer Elite Headquarters · Logistik Kompanie · Kampfgruppe Kompanie · Panzer-Jäger Kommand · Panzer-Support Kommand | ||||||||||
| Infantry Squads | |||||||||||
| Light Vehicles | |||||||||||
| Medium Vehicles | |||||||||||
| Heavy Vehicles | |||||||||||
| Defensive Structures | |||||||||||
| Other Structures | |||||||||||
| Tactics | |||||||||||
| Tactics-specific Units |
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| Tactics-specific Structures |
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