Company of Heroes - Legacy Edition: Complete Guide

A practical guide to the original Company of Heroes on Steam: which of the two Steam versions to launch, how territory and resources work, faction and doctrine basics, opening build orders, the Normandy campaign, and mods.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the Steam versioning change of November 2017 (Legacy Edition kept for old mods; "Company of Heroes" is the maintained version for online play and the Workshop). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Important: Which Version Should You Launch?

Buying Company of Heroes - Legacy Edition also puts a second app in your Steam library, simply called Company of Heroes (formerly "Company of Heroes (New Steam Version)").

Relic's own instruction is clear: "PLEASE USE THE LATTER TO PLAY ONLINE." The Legacy Edition stays on the store because older mods and most of the game's Steam reviews are tied to it.

Quick Start

1. Launch "Company of Heroes", not Legacy, for online. See above.
2. Territory is everything. Capturing sectors gives you resources; sectors must be connected to your HQ by a chain of your own territory to supply you.
3. Three resources. Manpower (units), Munitions (grenades, abilities, upgrades) and Fuel (vehicles, tech buildings).
4. Victory Points win games. In the standard mode, each side has a ticket counter that drains while the enemy holds more victory points than you.
5. Cover decides fights. Green shields (heavy cover) and yellow shields (light cover) show when you hover a squad over a position. Red means negative cover. Never fight in the open if you can avoid it.
6. Flank machine guns, never charge them. A suppressed squad is useless. Hit MGs from the side or pop smoke/grenades.
7. Doctrines shape your mid and late game. Each side picks one of three doctrines (commanders) mid-match that unlock powerful units and abilities.
8. Retreat saves veterancy. Pull hurt squads back to your HQ with the retreat command instead of letting them die; reinforcing a veteran squad is much cheaper than rebuilding it.
9. Play the campaign first. It teaches cover, suppression, garrisons and vehicle facing.

Core Systems

Resources and territory

• Standard sectors give some of each; munitions and fuel points give extra of their type.
• Supply lines: a sector cut off from your HQ by enemy territory stops producing. Recapturing the "link" sector reconnects the chain.
• Observation posts (built on points) increase income and make the point harder to recapture.
• Upkeep: manpower income falls as your army grows, so a huge infantry blob is less efficient than it looks.

Victory Points

Victory Points sit at fixed spots on each map. If you hold more VPs than the enemy, their counter ticks down. Most games are decided by who holds the majority long enough, not by base destruction. Annihilation mode (destroy everything) is available but slower.

Combat fundamentals

Factions

The base game has two factions; the Opposing Fronts expansion (2007) added two more, and Tales of Valor (2009) added new missions and modes. What you can play depends on which expansions you own.

United States basics

• Start with Engineers, who build and capture.
• Barracks produce Riflemen, the backbone of the army, who later get upgrades (sticky bombs, BARs).
• Weapon Support Center unlocks machine guns, mortars and snipers.
• Motor Pool and Tank Depot bring light vehicles, then Shermans and tank destroyers.
• Doctrine choice: Infantry for artillery and strong rifle play, Airborne for paratroopers and air support, Armor for tank-heavy play and powerful late armor.

Wehrmacht basics

• Start with Pioneers for building and capping.
• Early infantry (Volksgrenadiers) and the MG42 hold ground well.
• Tech is tiered and fuel-hungry; late game brings heavy tanks that outclass Allied armor one-on-one.
• Wehrmacht units gain veterancy through upgrades bought at a dedicated building rather than purely through combat.
• Doctrine choice: Defensive for bunkers and artillery, Blitzkrieg for aggressive infantry and assaults, Terror for propaganda, V1 and heavy late options.

Opening Build Orders (1v1 fundamentals)

Build orders shift by map, but these patterns hold across most competitive COH1 play.

US standard opening

1. Engineers capture the nearest point, then start the Barracks.
2. Queue Riflemen and send the first squads to contest key points and a munitions or fuel point.
3. A second and third Riflemen squad, with engineers capping behind them.
4. Weapon Support Center once you see enemy MGs (you want a mortar or your own MG).
5. Transition to Motor Pool or Tank Depot based on what the enemy fields.

Wehrmacht standard opening

1. Pioneers capture nearby points.
2. Build your first infantry building and produce an MG42 early to lock down lanes.
3. Add infantry squads to capture behind the MG's cover.
4. Tech toward light vehicles to punish exposed infantry, then save fuel for armor.

Economy rules of thumb

• Never float resources. Big unspent numbers mean idle production.
• Cap everything early. Even small sectors add up and extend your supply lines.
• Cut, don't just take. Cutting an enemy's link sector disables several of their points at once.
• Spend munitions. Grenades and upgrades win engagements; hoarding munitions is lost value.

Campaign

The base campaign covers the Normandy invasion and the fighting after it, alternating between Able Company (29th Infantry Division) and Fox Company (101st Airborne Division). It starts with the D-Day landing and teaches each mechanic in order. Opposing Fronts adds British and Panzer Elite campaigns; Tales of Valor adds shorter episodic missions.

Campaign tips:

• Cover every advance. The AI sets MG nests along roads; scout and flank them.
• Use the mortar and sniper for the fixed defenses the campaign loves.
• Save before objectives, especially with tanks involved.
• Watch vehicle facing against Tigers and other heavy armor in the later missions.

Mods and Community Content

• Steam Workshop (newer app only): browse and subscribe from the in-game Workshop hub.
• Eastern Front mod: brings the Soviet Army and German Ostheer factions to COH1; officially added to Steam in June 2017.
• Far East War mod: released free on Steam in December 2016.
• Many classic total conversions remain tied to the Legacy Edition app, which is why it still exists.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Launching Legacy to play online. Use the newer "Company of Heroes" app.
• Fighting in the open. Always look for heavy cover.
• Walking into MG arcs head-on. Flank or smoke.
• Losing veteran squads. Retreat early.
• Showing tank rear armor. Back away rather than turning around under fire.
• Ignoring supply lines. A cut link sector silently kills your income.
• Floating resources. Keep production running.
• Overbuilding infantry. Upkeep eats your manpower income.

Advanced Tips

• Reinforce in the field. Squads can reinforce near forward structures and certain vehicles, saving the walk back.
• Garrison, then leave. Buildings are great until a flamethrower or grenade arrives; exit before it does.
• Use craters. Artillery and explosions create new cover; move squads into fresh craters.
• Target priority. Kill enemy MGs and anti-tank guns first; they dictate where your army can go.
• Doctrine timing. Picking your doctrine as soon as you have a plan lets you save for its key abilities.
• Watch replays. Seeing your own supply lines and idle resources from the outside is the fastest way to improve.

FAQ

What is the difference between Company of Heroes and Company of Heroes - Legacy Edition? Legacy is the original Steam build, kept for old mods and reviews. "Company of Heroes" is the updated version you get automatically with Legacy and should use for online play and the Workshop.

Can I still play Company of Heroes online? Yes, through the newer "Company of Heroes" app. Player counts are much lower than for Company of Heroes 2 or 3.

Does the Legacy Edition include Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor? They are separate products on Steam; check your library or the store page for what you own. You need Opposing Fronts to play the British and Panzer Elite.

What does "cut off" mean on a sector? The sector is no longer connected to your HQ through your own territory, so it produces nothing until you reconnect it.

Which faction is easiest for beginners? The United States. Riflemen are forgiving and engineers make building intuitive.

Is Company of Heroes still worth playing in 2026? Yes, for the campaign and the Eastern Front mod especially. For active multiplayer, Company of Heroes 3 has the larger player base.

Sources

• Company of Heroes - Legacy Edition on Steam
• COH1 Versions: "Legacy, New Steam" etc. (November 2017)
• Modding Update & Franchise Sale (June 2017)
• Far East War mod releases (December 2016)
• Company of Heroes on Wikipedia