00:07I'm Shane Neville, and I'm the producer on Company of Heroes Opposing Fronts.
00:12Opposing Fronts is the new chapter in the Company of Heroes experience
00:15and introduces two-fold playable campaigns, as well as two additional armies.
00:19We'll be taking a look at those armies today.
00:21The British Second Army and the Panzer Elite.
00:27This is one of our new multiplayer maps, based on Juno Beach in Normandy.
00:31The first thing you'll notice is that it's raining.
00:33Weather and time of day transitions are some of the new enhancements we've added to Company of Heroes Opposing Fronts.
00:41Players will be able to set time of day and weather for all multiplayer maps,
00:45adding a new level of immersion to Company of Heroes Dynamic Battlefields.
00:52Known as the Bulldogs of the Battlefield, the British are a defensive-focused army
00:56that introduces a more strategic playing style to Company of Heroes.
01:00With the British, we wanted to design an army that allowed players to dig in and fortify their front line
01:05with slit trenches and emplacements.
01:10At the core of the British Army is their basic infantry squad, known as Tommies by German forces.
01:17And seen here moving out to capture a nearby strategic point.
01:21Notice how the squad shifted from their assault stance in friendly territory
01:25to a patrolling stance when in enemy territory.
01:30When patrolling, British squads move cautiously, using the environment to maximum advantage.
01:35As a more defensive army, the British sacrifice speed for protection.
01:41As the backbone of the British Army, the infantry section is one of the most versatile infantry squads
01:46in opposing fronts.
01:48Each infantry squad can be upgraded with either a recon element, with a trained marksman,
01:53a brand light machine gun, or rifle grenades.
02:04British armies are led by lieutenants and captains.
02:07If the Tommies are the backbone of the British, their officers are their eyes and ears.
02:13Unique to the British, the lieutenants and captains provide bonuses to any squads within their command range.
02:20Lieutenants boost the morale and offensive capabilities of all nearby squads
02:24and allow them to move using their assault stance, even while in enemy territory.
02:28We're going to move this infantry squad out and capture a victory point.
02:32Notice how the infantry is now moving using their assault stance.
02:35While the Tommies pack a punch alone, they are devastating when supported by a lieutenant.
02:43The Panzer Elite hold this point.
02:45The 221 Scout Car is one of the new units for the Panzer Elite,
02:49capable of securing territory and showcases why Panzer Elite is a vehicle-based army.
02:55Notice how the infantry squads react like real soldiers,
02:58ducking behind cover while engaging the 221.
03:01With opposing fronts, as with the original Company of Heroes,
03:05we want players to focus on making tactical and battlefield decisions,
03:09not babysitting their troops.
03:14Excellent. Target destroyed.
03:16After defeating the 221,
03:18I'm going to send the Tommies in to capture the victory point.
03:23With the point secure, it's time to defend it
03:25and show why the British are a defensive-focused army.
03:31British infantry squads have an arsenal of defensive options
03:35making them pivotal when digging in on the front line.
03:38Let's dig a pair of slit trenches to defend this victory point.
03:43Slit trenches allow the British to create defensive positions wherever they need them.
03:48In addition to slit trenches,
03:50British infantry squads can build machine gun emplacements,
03:53mortar pits, and casualty clearing stations.
03:56Let's deploy a mortar pit and MG nest to cover the front line.
04:01As a defensive army,
04:02the British allow players to build up a front line
04:04and let the enemy come to them.
04:07The Panzer Elite are making a push.
04:10Although they are a vehicle-based army,
04:12the Panzer Elite also have access
04:13to some of the deadliest infantry in opposing fronts.
04:16What we are seeing here
04:18are Panzer Grenadier squads
04:19armed with Panzer Shreks
04:20and light machine guns
04:22capable of dealing with any threat.
04:24The Panzer Elite rely on
04:25half-tracks and elite infantry to win the day,
04:27epitomizing the term lightning war.
04:31Vehicles are at the core of the Panzer Elite.
04:33The Panzer Elite half-tracks can be used
04:35as mobile weapons platforms
04:38and units garrisoned in the back of these vehicles
04:40and fire from that position.
04:42But against a well-entrenched British position,
04:45the Panzer Elite are going to need heavy firepower.
04:49And this firepower comes in the form
04:51of the deadliest tank hunter of the Second World War.
04:54The Jagdpanzer is one of the unique
04:56company commander choices available to the Panzer Elite
04:58and showcases the devastating firepower
05:01that the Panzer Elite command.
05:03This Churchill tank is trying to flank the Jagdpanther.
05:06But as you can see,
05:07it's no match for its tank-hunting power.
05:10An 88-millimeter cannon mounted on the front
05:12of the Jagdpanther will tear through the Churchill's armor.
05:16These are M7 Priests,
05:18self-propelled artillery from the Royal Canadian
05:20Artillery Commander Tree.
05:29Even the mighty Jagdpanther is not immune
05:31to the artillery of the M7 Priests,
05:33firing off 105-millimeter high-explosive shells.
05:42Here, in preparation for another attack,
05:45we're deploying the mobile HQ to the front line
05:47and setting up anti-tank replacements.
05:51Hobalt man-posts allow the Brits
05:53to deploy troops to the front lines
05:54and also secure territory.
05:57This means that British players
05:59only need to secure a few key sectors
06:01and then dig in and defend
06:03and prepare for the battle at hand.
06:06One of the best ways to take out the British
06:09from an entrenched position is with artillery.
06:13These Nebel Warpers are a serious threat
06:15to the British position.
06:16However, the British have a number of surprises
06:19and the British have a number of weapons up their sleeves.
06:20Royal Commandos can be deployed
06:22anywhere on the battlefield.
06:28Commandos are elite infantry.
06:30They allow the British to drop behind enemy lines
06:32and wreak havoc.
06:39The Commandos can also land heavy gliders
06:42and deploy their air-mobile light tech truck tank
06:44to the battlefield.
07:04However, the Panzer Leader not done yet.
07:06This is a Panzer IV assault tank
07:08armed with a short-barrel 75-millimeter
07:10high-explosive gun.
07:14Avoiding the frontal attack,
07:15it's trying to flank the British front line
07:17and smash its way to a good attack position.
07:20Now it's time to call in some heavy reinforcements.
07:22The King Tiger.
07:25This beast of the battlefield has no equal.
07:27Even these Sherman Fireflies
07:29can only hope their speed
07:30keeps them in the fight long enough
07:31to engage the King Tiger.
07:36Having run into a wall of defenses in the center
07:38and commandos covering the left flank,
07:40the Panzer Leader trying to move in
07:42and capture the final victory point.
07:45Time to call in the Creeping Barrage.
07:47As masters of artillery,
07:49the British have a number
07:50of unique artillery abilities
07:51including the Creeping Barrage.
07:54This allows players to call in
07:56a devastating barrage
07:57along an attack vector
07:58that can cut off retreating squads
08:00in a hail of fire and brimstone.
08:03This concludes the demonstration
08:05of Company of Heroes Opposing Fronts,
08:07showcasing the two new armies,
08:08the British and the Panzer Elite.
08:10Company of Heroes Opposing Fronts
08:11will be on the shelves in November 2007.
