Combat Engineer Squad

1x ROKS-3 Flamethrower\*

1x PTRS-41 Anti-tank Rifle\*

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**Combat Engineers** are the core engineer unit found in the basic Soviet unit roster. Equipped with a wide array of tools and construction equipment, Combat Engineers are capable of carrying out practically every task an engineer is expected to do. However, their poor combat performance and bad weaponry makes them ineffective as a combat unit.

## Overview

As far as engineer units go, Combat Engineers are rather basic in spite of their wide variety of abilities. Unlike most other engineer units, this squad has no characteristics or abilities that allow them to work well on the frontlines. As a result, they primarily are relegated to the role of a rear-line construction and support unit, with their only real involvement on the front-lines taking place in the opening stage of the match and if they have a flamethrower upgrade.

Overall though, there isn't much more to say about Combat Engineers. Apart from saying that they build and fix stuff very and suck at fighting, there isn't much else to say about them. That said, don't mistake their blandness for ineffectiveness, they work very well in their intended role and are a great unit to have in any army.

## Pros-and-Cons

### Pros

* Very cheap to deploy and maintain
* Fast repair speeds due to large squad size
* Wide array of traps and defensive structures

### Cons

* Horrible combat capabilities
* Limited availability

## Upgrades

### ROKS-3 Flamethrower

* 60 Munitions
* Improves damage vs structures and units in cover

This upgrade replaces one of the squad's rifles with an ROKS-3 Flamethrower. The addition of the ROKS-3 greatly improves the effectiveness of the squad against structures and units in cover. Overall this is a good upgrade to have in some situations, but putting a close-range upgrade on an incredibly vulnerable unit is often just a waste of resources that would be better spent elsewhere.

### Hazard Removal Package

* 30 Munitions
* Grants mine-detection and wire-cutting capabilities

This upgrade replaces one of the squad's rifles with a mine sweeper and grants access to additional tools tools. This is a valuable upgrade to have in most situations since it allows the squad to remove mines and barbed wire while increasing the already rapid repair speed of the squad even more. Additionally, the loss of firepower is hardly a weakness like it is on other engineer units because Combat Engineers are already ineffective in the first place.

### Airdropped Weapons (SVT-40s)

* 60 Munitions; Requires the ***Airborne Troops Tactics*** commander
* Improves DPS of the squad at all ranges.

This upgrade replaces three of the squad's Mosin-Nagants with SVT-40 semi-automatic rifles. While this may seem appealing, spending 60 munitions to marginally improve the combat performance of an entirely ineffective combat unit just isn't worth it.

### PTRS Anti-Tank Rifle

* 20 Munitions; Requires the **Tank Hunter Tactics**
* Improves AT capabilities of the squad

This upgrade replaces one of the squad's rifles with a PTRS-41 Anti-tank rifle. Though this is a very niche ability that isn't even listed in the description of the ability that unlocks it, its cheap cost makes it useful against certain enemy early-game compositions (read. Kubelwagens).

## Abilities

### Repair

Repairs the targeted vehicle or structure at a rate of 6 HP per second. Repair speed is increased by ~25% when equipped with Hazard Removal Package.

### Wire Cutters

Quickly tears down the targeted segment of Barbed Wire; Requires ***Hazard Removal Package***.

### Demolition Charge

**50 Munitions**;The squad plants a manually-detonated explosive charge at the targeted point. Deals massive damage to any unit or structure caught in the blast.

### Booby Trap Capture Point

* 40 Munitions
* Requires **Urban Defense Tactics** commander

Allows the squad to plant a concealed explosive charge on the targeted (friendly) sector. This charge is triggered when an enemy squad attempts to capture the sector, dealing heavy damage to the unit that triggered it.

### Scorched Earth Trap

* 35 Munitions
* Requires **NKVD Rifle Disruption** commander

Allows the squad to plant an incendiary trap in any in-supply friendly sector. When triggered by an enemy unit moving into the capture point, the trap explodes, engulfing the area in flame and preventing the point for ~90 seconds. After detonating, the sector does not produce any resources for roughly two minutes.

## Constructions

*Combat engineers are able to build a wide array of structures and defenses as well as HQ buildings. For the sake of saving space, I will not expand on those in this section.*

**Sandbag Fighting Position**

Builds a long wall of dirt and sandbags. Provides heavy cover to units behind it and can accommodate more troops without clumping models together.

**Razor Wire**

Builds a standard segment of barbed wire that blocks infantry movement but does not impede vehicles of any type.

**Tank Traps**

Builds a standard metal tank trap along the targeted location. Due to their rapid speed of construction, high durability, and ability to provide heavy cover to troops behind them, these fortifications are very useful in situations where a strong defensive line is needed.

**Cointet-Element**

Requires **Defensive Tactics (Community)**; Builds a large Belgian Gate capable of blocking tank movement at the target location. In spite of its large size, it is highly vulnerable to all manner of weaponry and can be easily destroyed by concentrated small-arms fire.

**TM-35 Mine**

**30 Munitions**; Builds a basic TM-35 landmine at the target location. This mine can be triggered by both infantry and vehicles and deals heavy damage to anything that sets it off.

**Trip Wire Flares**

**15 Munitions** and requires **Veterancy One;** Plants a small trip-wire trap that explodes when an enemy unit moves over it, dealing damage and illuminating the area for 8 seconds. Standard infantry squads are guaranteed to lose a single model while vehicles are unaffected.

**PMD-6 Anti-Personnel Mine**

**7 Munitions** and requires the **Defensive Tactics (Community)** commander; Plants a very light anti-personnel mine on the selected location. The mine deals chip damage to infantry squads that walk over it (maybe 20 per model at most) and is entirely ineffective against vehicles, but its low cost allows it to be spammed in large numbers.

**PMD-6M Light Anti-Vehicle Mine**

**10 Munitions** and requires the **Tank Hunter Tactics** commander; Plants a light anti-vehicle mine on the selected location. The mine does a very minor amount of damage to vehicles and temporarily damages their engine, slowing the vehicle for ~5 seconds. These are pretty niche mines but they can be useful for slowing concentrated tank attacks.

**Round Trench**

Builds a large trench that provides heavy cover for any squad inside it; can garrison one squad or team weapon.

**DSHk HMG Bunker**

**150 Manpower** and **50 Munitions**; Builds a standard dugout with a DSHk-38 HMG inside of it. Due to its cheap cost and relatively strong firepower, these emplacements are very useful for covering flanks and quickly establishing a defensive line. Can garrison one squad or non-mortar team weapon.

**Repair Station**

**75 Munitions**; Builds a repair station at the selected location. This repair station is staffed by four engineers that will automatically seek out and repair damaged friendly vehicles that are close to the repair station.

**Field Camp**

**200 Manpower and 25 fuel**, requires **Urban Defense Tactics** commander; Builds a forward HQ building at the selected point. This structure is capable of reinforcing friendly troops and providing healing to nearby units but is not able to act as a forward retreat point.

**Rally Point**

**100 Manpower and 15 fuel**, requires **Airborne Troops Tactics** commander; Builds an airborne Rally Point at the selected position. This structure is able to reinforce friendly troops and call in medical supply crates for 20 munitions as well as function as a forward retreat point when the *Mechanized Armor Kampaneya* is built.

## Veterancy

**Veterancy One**

340 XP: Unlocks the 'Trip Wire Flares' ability

**Veterancy Two**

680 XP: +20% weapon accuracy; +1 HP/s repair rate per model.

**Veterancy Three**

1360 XP: No longer takes extra damage while repairing; +15% weapon accuracy; -15% weapon cooldown.