This mission, based loosely on a small battle near Mtsensk in late 1941, seems very challenging initially. That is largely an illusion, though: It is scripted so as to give you the “experience” of a losing battle that is suddenly transformed into victory by the just-in-time arrival of tanks—you are usually not seriously in danger of failing the mission.
One way the devs create this illusion is with extreme nerfing of Russian units, e.g. infantry with SMGs can’t hit German infantry even when the latter are pinned at point-blank range; Zis-3 field guns take 10+ shots to kill a StuG3 (should take one) and have a clear-sight range of less than thirty meters; direct mortar hits do no damage to German infantry or weapons crews. Unfortunately, Company of Heroes 2 (and 1, and 3) despite the success of the franchise is just not the place to go for realism—these games are what I call “simulations of simulations” and even as such are generally not very good.
PART ONE: DEFEND THE HILL POSITIONS
You start with very low quality raw conscript rifle squads manning fortifications at three positions on a hill above Mtsensk. You can bring in more squads immediately, so do that.
German infantry, starting with grenadiers and Osttruppen, will attack from the north, starting at the left position, then the right position, then usually two or three positions at once from then on. You have to use cover, use the conscripts “Oo-rah” ability (sparingly since it costs muni points), and shift your squads’ positions frequently, to hold off these attacks and avoid squad-wipes from rifle grenades.
It’s not an easy task, as increasingly becomes clear—the attacks will intensify and eventually overwhelm your weak and slow-moving squads.
Along the way, you will get some Maxim MG crews, and your raw conscripts will turn into “frontoviki conscripts” (with molotovs) but also the Germans will bring in mortars, LMG-equipped grenadiers, and on the whole just a lot more squads than you can reasonably be expected to stop.
Try to be creative in your use of cover, for example using the tank traps in front of the revetments as cover to get closer to the attackers (Russian conscripts can’t hit anything at a distance), and also flanking attackers from the space between the positions when possible.
The attackers will finally overrun your positions and start to annihilate your defending squads, and then German tanks will arrive. At this point, the UI colonel will order your remaining forces to retreat down the hill to the village—which clicking the Retreat button will accomplish (and until now no retreat was possible).
Throughout this first phase, try to gather or at least de-crew as many German weapons as you can—some/all of these will be made available to you in the next phase when you have to defend Mtsensk village at the bottom of the hill.
PART TWO: DEFEND THE VILLAGE
You will be given some time to build defenses. You will have a normal base with loose weapons from the hill battle such as mortars and flamethrowers on the ground nearby. Lay mines along German approach paths, including on the frozen creek and on the bridge (neither very realistic!). Make sure you have at least HMG and Zis-3 field gun support for right, center and left positions. The following images should give you some idea.
The German attack will build in strength and include StuGs and scout cars. Try not to let the Germans cap your points—if necessary just keep flinging conscripts into those points. Also remember to keep mining the approaches to your three VPs as your muni point flow allows.
Watch out for panzergrenadiers throwing powerful explosives and grenadiers firing rifle grenades.
And remember that mortars or even single AT gun shots can kill vehicles by sinking them when they are on ice.
At one or two points in the Mtsensk village phase, the UI will warn you that artillery is incoming, but in my experience (on Hard level) it never comes—I guess too many players couldn’t cope with that so the devs switched it off.
PART THREE: T-34 COUNTERATTACK
After a while, an attack wave will be so strong (though very experienced players should be able to defeat it) that the UI colonel will order you to retreat your units to base. Now three T-34s will come up from the bottom of the map, and you will get control of them. The Germans won’t have much to stop them with, so use them to rout the Germans from Mtsensk village and then annihilate them on the hill and re-cap the three points you lost in the first phase. Be methodical and group your tanks for overwhelming effect, with infantry in support—this part is relatively easy but not a slam dunk.
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