[updated 31 July 2023]
Theater of War Mission Pack: Operation Barbarossa
Mission: First Kharkov
This 3v3 is not consistently winnable on the General level of difficulty with a CPU-ally, for the usual reason that the CPU-Russians are given extreme buffs and other advantages, while your forces are heavily nerfed, and your CPU allies often cannot hold even one VP between them.
Though not consistently winnable, it can be won on General in various ways. One is to use HMGs, bunker-HMGs, Paks, and grenadiers initially to cover your (default right) VP and nearby fuel point, and then to move as far as possible toward the Russian base, to delay their armor-led onslaught which will arrive eventually (but, you hope, not before your victory on points). You also have to make occasional pokes to cap and help hold the center VP. Another strategy is to use your first four HMGs to secure the right VP, middle VP, right fuel point, and left VP—in that order—and then build up from there with grenadier blobs, 251s with flamethrowers, mortars/mortar-halftracks, Paks, maybe a Panzer, and move up the map as much as possible to keep the Russian focus away from the VPs. Note that 10-15 minutes into the mission (on General), the Russians will start getting huge allotments of T-34s, KV-1s, and T-70s, which will be more than your side can reasonably handle (your two CPU allies are usually very weak, and may collapse early). When this happens, the Russians will just swarm their way down the map, overwhelming VPs and fuel points with combined-arms attacks that often include Katyusha barrages. If you are well ahead on points by the time that happens, you may be able to retake VPs as needed to get the Russian points to zero for the “win.” But you’ll always be aware that the Russians have a crushing superiority on this map.
On Captain, the contest is more balanced, and frankly a lot more enjoyable, despite all the usual irritating cheats. Strategies like those outlined above will work fine, from any base.
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