Heroes. Combining for Maximum Gain.

[tycoon1969]

Anyone out there like to couple or team-up heroes? Some have turned out very well, but others I can't seem to figure out what to do with them. For the most part, though, combining Heroes can make a killing machine or a successful scavenger, there are many possibilities. Anyone have any Hero combinations they like to put together?

[Tassadar]

This topic surfaces from time to time and there are various opinions on best combinations. The ultimate and super powerful one that is at the same time most obvious once executed, is the Envelopment/Overwhelming Attack combo or the Shock Tactics/Overwhelming Attack combo - both result in instant surrender of enemy unit that gets attacked, if it is damaged and not entrenched above the base level after damage gets done.

Some of the other combinations I grew to enjoy are:

No Retaliation and Ignores Entrenchment on Azul Infantry or on a different infantry unit (would have to be overstrengthened). It will often clear out enemy infantry in one shot. You could also combine Overrun and Ignores Entrenchment for a very similar result - it would require first slowly grinding the Steamroller award, but once don, you'd get a unit clearing multiple close combat tiles in a turn.

Provocator and Vigilant on a heavy tank will get a unit that not only protects your vulnerable units and can set up great traps, but also completely changes the way you can battle infantry in cities, hills and forests. It is a very powerful way to again deal with multiple units in a turn.

Camouflage and Lethal Attack on a heavy AA gun (as long as you don't already run the AA Veteran trait) - apply and watch enemy planes fall form the sky.

Consolidator and Zero Slots - a no brainer for maximum power and core slots saved.

Aiming Assistance and Leadership on light AT vehicles early in the game can make most use of them and allows them to gain experience much faster, plus you are unlikely to have the in the first row anyway.

Double Move and Double attack on any plane - essentially having 2 planes for the price of one.

Aggressive Counterattack and Readiness - perfect for fighter planes as it protects them since they do not support each other.

There are many other useful options as well, but these are the ones I'd say are the ones that come to mind at least to me.

[Panzer73]

I would add Lightning Attack as the 3rd hero to several of the double-hero combinations Tassadar mentioned, to the infantry and tactical bomber combos especially.

Camouflage + Rapid Fire on an AT gun or heavy AA gun is very useful and lethal for protecting a formation. Even more so if you get the unique heroes that fire 2x instead of 1.5x (Rapid Fire).

Rapid Fire + No Retaliation/First Strike on a fighter plane is pretty good, add Fast Rebase for rapid response.

First Strike might seem better at first sight, as it kicks in for both attack and defense. However, Readiness trumps First Strike so No Surrender is the better for attacks.

[adiekmann]

Oh boy, there are a lot and some of this depends on what you get. Sometimes, early and mid-game, you discover some interesting uses for the heroes that you have, rather than want. After AO1939, I always play with Force Concentration because I like heroes going back to Panzer General 2.

Allow me to ponder some of my favs...

• I like overpowering units so that they can one-shot destroy even OS enemy units. I love to combine Crippling Blow with Rapid Fire, for instance, on a strong tank.

• Hit and Run proves to be the equal to No Retaliation if you assign it to the correct unit, like high initiative fighters, tanks, or even flame panzers since they are engaging primarily enemy infantry. Furthermore, I like to give my flame unit a Rapid Fire, Lightning Attack, and Consolidator heroes that enable them to blast through entrenched enemy forces, most commonly infantry. You can do the same thing with fighters, tactical bombers, and AT, especially an AT with Camouflage.

• Lethal Attack, Double Attack, Unyielding, Double Move on a Strategic Bomber. The first two are the critical ones, however.

• For early war, especially '39, Panzer IIC (with its inherent Rapid Fire trait), with Herr Kerscher, Crippling Blow, and Provocator.

Okay, so those above aren't exactly creative or rare. So lets dive into some that utilize some of the lesser heroes that may not seem that helpful.

• On recon, combing an assortment from the following: No Surrender, Prudent, Avenger, Liberator, Aggressive Counterattack, First Strike/Readiness, Resilient, Overrun (for early game), Sixth Sense, Aiming Assistance, Leadership, Fearsome Reputation, Artillery/AT Support (early game), Distraction, Superior Maneuver, and Evasive in no particular order. I'll leave it to you to figure out how these can be useful on a Recon unit.

• Infantry: Fierce Fighter, Tenacious Defender, Ferocious Defense, Aggressive Counterattack. On a well entrenched unit this becomes difficult to overcome in a key defensive position, especially later historical war route. There are other options to sub in too, like Fearsome Reputation, Unyielding, First Aid, among others. Notice that they all involve heroes that mostly are looked down upon by most players, but when combined in a purposeful way can add some value.

• Pioniere and Strat Bombers: These are the most obvious ones to add Flag Killer. Unyielding/Lightning Attack are also no-brainers for them as well. For Pioniere, First Strike, No Retaliation, Aggressive Counterattack, Fearsome Reputation, Shock Tactics, and even Entrenchment Killer if you're expecting to follow up the attack with another (non-) engineer infantry unit can be useful too.

• Leadership, Aiming Assistance are both great add-ons to support units like AT and artillery. You position them behind your panzers or infantry and they instantly give those frontline units a boost. Though, it must be said I actually prefer to use Aiming Assistance on fighters and/or fighter-bombers like the Bf-110. That way the can support your fighter's primary attack, and then already be there for the "clean up" to finish off the weakened enemy aircraft.

• I saw some forum posters a while back hate on Double Support. I love Double Support! One of my favorite combos in the game is to take 15 cm Artillery (or equivalent), add Camouflage, Double Support, Lethal Attack, and *whatever else* and watch it tear the AI apart! Same is true for early war AT, like the 5 cm PaK: Low slots, 6 ammo, 2 movement, and strong HA for that period of the war. Later (like 1941-1943), boost its attack power with one of the Karl/Karla AT/AA unique heroes, Crippling Blow/Tank Killer, and watch your tank kill totals pile up! Eventually, after you get Karl/Karla, you add CB or Tank Killer, you don't even need Double Support because it will be powerful enough to one-shot kill OS T-34s with the upgraded AT units that become available starting in '43 (like the 7.5 cm PaKs and SPAT units.
  
  A couple more very useful applications of Double Support:
  
  Take a good fighter, like a Bf 109 or later the Hs 129 (because they both have 6 ammo), add Camo, DS, OS, and ambush enemy fighters! Later, I like taking the Hs 129, adding Barkhorn (with his Reduced Slots and Consolidator traits), OS it to 20, possibly add another attack boosting hero (like Rapid Fire, Crippling Blow), and it won't need DS to take down enemy fighters!
  
  Lastly, my other favorite combo is with a good tank, ideally a Tiger I, but early I use a Pz IVD, Pz IIIN or even Pz IIC, and give it Artillery and AT support heroes, Double Support, and Camouflage. This is especially true if you don't begin your core in Spain and you automatically get the dual purpose special hero starting in AO39 and onwards.

Hope that proves helpful to you! Time to do other things...

[tycoon1969]

Sounds like some great combos that I've never thought of before. Some that I like to combine are as follows:

On Stuka dive bombers putting Heros with Ignores Entrenchment and Lightening Strike along with Fast Rebase for example, makes for a nice attack on entrenched infantry or AT gun. And with Lightening Strike, any AA fire is non-existent.

Adding a hero with lethal attack when you have chosen the trait Antiaircraft Veteran and use it on an 88 or an AA vehicle to sweep the skies of fighters and Tactical bombers and with the 88, any type of aircraft including Strategic bombers will bother you no longer.

My favorite combo is to add Heros with Shock Tactics and Scavenger. Currently have those on a Pzkpfw VII and get loads of captured equipment when they surrender.

I have a strength 15 Hummel with Butcher, and it can devastate infantry real fast.

[adiekmann]

Adding a hero with lethal attack when you have chosen the trait Antiaircraft Veteran and use it on an 88 or an AA vehicle

This is redundant. Lethal is great if you don't have AA Veteran, but it basically does the same thing as AA Veteran and they do not stack. Even if you did not select AA Veteran, I would not use it on any AA unit that has Rapid Fire. In other words, not on small caliber AA units. They are already deadly against any fighter or tac bomber. Lethal does greatly help AA weapons like the 8.8 cm FlaK gun. I almost always select AA Veteran when I play. Lethal is then saved for more important uses like artillery and Strat bombers.

[DefiantXYX]

Consolidator, Zero Slots, Rapidfire on a Tiger I and you just have 6 freekills every turn. You can play carefully and keep one ammunition, but nothing can really harm a Tiger I in 1942/1943.
You will notice, that some combinations are like cheatcodes. It is a long story, but you have to punish yourself to play with all heroes and still have an entertaining game.

[BarbarianHunter]

Early STuH 42 artillery from Industrial Connections + Field Repairs/Tank Killer/Rapidfire/Camouflage + Anti-Tank Mode = fun (but only if you like watching enemy units implode one right after the next).

-Once Brumbars and Sturmtigers become available swap AT Support hero for Field Repairs and Lethal Attack for Rapidfire.

[adiekmann]

Early STuH 42 artillery from Industrial Connections + Field Repairs/Tank Killer/Rapidfire/Camouflage + Anti-Tank Mode = fun (but only if you like watching enemy units implode one right after the next).

-Once Brumbars and Sturmtigers become available swap AT Support hero for Field Repairs and Lethal Attack for Rapidfire.

Yes, I have long used the Sturmgeschütz units in this way! Starting in 1940 with the StuG IIIB. To use artillery with camouflage to decimate especially enemy infantry, they need to be adjacent to the "bait" anyway. So why not use the 1 range SPAG units that have more ammo and cost significantly less slots?

[truth80]

I often use tanks with Shock tactics or Envelopment, combined with Ignores entrechment heroes. I support them with 4x Entrenchment killer AAs, one shot guarantees the capturing of the unit.

This is a great prestige boost combined with the Trophies of war perk.

[PanzerCro]

Anyone out there like to couple or team-up heroes? Some have turned out very well, but others I can't seem to figure out what to do with them. For the most part, though, combining Heroes can make a killing machine or a successful scavenger, there are many possibilities. Anyone have any Hero combinations they like to put together?

If you want make Strategic bombers deadly - lethal attack and double attack hero on same unit

[robman]

When faced with enemy air superiority (as in AO 1946), Double Move on tac bombers is key to their survival. I usually rebase after each attack--if two bases are within range, they can simply swap places. I combine Double Move with some combo of Lightning Attack, No Retaliation, Ignores Entrenchment, and Unyielding, depending on availability.

AA also becomes increasingly vital in this environment. Very useful are 88s with some combo of Rapid Fire, Lethal Attack, Exterminator, Crippling Blow, Expert Support, and Double Support. I have gotten as far as Second Wichita without suffering a second nuclear attack, thanks to a forest of AA units.

[PanzerCro]

Volksgrenadier infrantry with : Rapid fire, no retalitation and consolidator. Brutal !

[DefiantXYX]

Nothing about "prudent" so far?
Put it on any units, lets say some recon car, use overstrength and your unit will be unkillable at some point.
Its a hero I did always recycle in my recent playthroughs.

[milliethedog]

hi, I feel i have to ask, where do you get the "Double move" hero. never ever had one. i know it is a choice for Rudel, but never as a single hero.
thanks
Martin

[Panzer73]

Double move is a regular hero trait. Getting one with it is based on your luck with the random number generator. Most of my cores have at least one and at most two, but they might not have showed up until the AO43 for example.

[adiekmann]

hi, I feel i have to ask, where do you get the "Double move" hero. never ever had one. i know it is a choice for Rudel, but never as a single hero.
thanks
Martin

My current core that I began in AO39 after '46 released got two Double Move heroes. I am now early in AO46. I usually get one or two at least so this core is about average. You've just had poor luck when it comes to that hero. But your point is still interesting. There are some heroes over all of my many hours of play that simply seem to be awarded at a far lower rate than others, even though they are all supposedly equal opportunity. Strange.

[VirgilInTheSKY]

hi, I feel i have to ask, where do you get the "Double move" hero. never ever had one. i know it is a choice for Rudel, but never as a single hero.
thanks
Martin

The commander trait that gives your ground units a second move action would remove this trait from random hero, since they are basically the same thing.

[DefiantXYX]

Random hero generation is just bugged or intentionally not really random.
For example I get double attack way more often than double move. In any year, in any campaign.

[robman]

Random hero generation is just bugged or intentionally not really random.
For example I get double attack way more often than double move. In any year, in any campaign.

I always get Double Move, and never Double Attack! I suspect that the lack of randomness is personalized! It’s probably embedded in the activation codes….