Manstein

**Manstein** is a special elite German general who can only be obtained through in-game purchase (IAP). Specialized on armored units but highly effective on artillery and infantry units as well, his versatility is further enhanced by his excellent mobility. Well worth his cost, Manstein is an obvious choice for those who seek a breakthrough general combining both heavy firepower and armour protection.

## Description

Manstein is very deadly if encountered. He deals an extra 28 damage when commanding armored units, he's deadliness is spiced up with a 16% chance to deal maximum damage through the Panzer Leader ability, added with a 24% chance for the target to be unable to retaliate through the Blitzkrieg ability. Also, he deals 32 extra damage to fortifications/cities with the Explosives ability, along with the 15 extra damage through Plain Fighting.

After Update 1.7.1, Panzer Leader and Defense Tactic can be swapped out for Tide of Iron and Anti-Armor. It's recommended to use the 2nd set of skills with Tide of Iron, instead of the old skill set with Panzer leader.

Manstein has 5 stars performance on Marching ability and Panzer ability. It is then followed by 4 stars performance on Infantry ability and Artillery ability. Next, is followed by a 2 stars performance on Air Force ability and finally followed by a 1 star performance on Navy ability.

In the game, Manstein is the best tank commander. If he is on a heavy or super tank, he has a high chance of defeating infantry units in one go. Depending on situations, he has a medium chance of destroying fortress units in one go as well. A well commanded Manstein is able to survive in an epic tank duel when engaging enemy tank commanders. Also worth noting is that his 5 star performance on mobility and the perks Explosives and Plain Fighting allows Manstein to be viable for both infantry and artillery. Applying him on a Field Artillery can enable the unit to move three plain tiles, which may be a matter of victory or defeat without it.

One important shortcoming is the lack of ability to heal. This can be somewhat mitigated with his Defense Tactic ability, which activates 10% of the time and reduces 60% of incoming damage. Alternatively, put Lv3 Legion Medal and Assault Medal will cure the problem by granting him healing skill with expropriation.

## History

Born into an aristocratic Prussian family with a long history of military service, Manstein joined the army at a young age and saw service on both the Western and Eastern Front during the First World War. He rose to the rank of captain by the end of the war and was active in the inter-war period helping Germany rebuild her armed forces. In September 1939, during the invasion of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War, he was serving as Chief of Staff to Gerd von Rundstedt's Army Group South. Adolf Hitler chose Manstein's strategy for the invasion of France, a plan later refined by Franz Halder and other members of the OKH. Anticipating a firm Allied reaction should the main thrust of the invasion take place through the Netherlands, Manstein devised an innovative operation called the *Sichelschnitt* that called for an attack through the Ardennes and a rapid drive to the English Channel, thus cutting off the Allied armies in Belgium and Flanders. Attaining the rank of general at the end of the campaign, he was active in the invasion of the Soviet Union, and was promoted to field marshal. He also participated in the Siege of Leningrad.

Germany's fortunes in the war began to take an unfavorable turn later in 1942, especially in the Battle of Stalingrad, where Manstein commanded a failed relief effort in December. Later known as the "backhand blow", Manstein's counteroffensive in the Third Battle of Kharkov regained substantial territory and resulted in the destruction of three Soviet armies and the retreat of three others. He was one of the primary commanders at the Battle of Kursk, one of the largest tank battles in history. His ongoing disagreements with Hitler over the conduct of the war led to his dismissal in March 1944. He never obtained another command and was taken prisoner by the British in August 1945, several months after Germany's defeat.

Manstein gave testimony at the main Nuremberg trials of war criminals in August 1946, and prepared a paper that, along with his later memoirs, helped cultivate the myth of a "clean Wehrmacht"—the myth that the German armed forces were not culpable for the atrocities of the Holocaust. In 1949 he was tried in Hamburg for war crimes and was convicted on nine of seventeen counts, including the poor treatment of prisoners of war and failing to protect civilian lives in his sphere of operations. His sentence of eighteen years in prison was later reduced to twelve, and he served only four years before being released in 1953. As a military advisor to the German government in the mid-1950s, he helped re-establish the armed forces.

## Campaign

Manstein appears exclusively on the european theater of World War 2:

* **Fall Gelb** (Axis Campaign)
* **Battle of Kursk** (Allied Campaign)
* **Destination Berlin** (Allied Campaign)

## Conquest

### 1939 Conquest

Manstein is located near Cologne, ready to strike Belgium. In "Challenge" conquest, his unit has been substantially buffed with a set of two medals enhancing his abilities:

* **Legion Medal (Lvl 3)** - Command unit HP +90
* **Combo Medal (Lvl 3)** - When commanding units to attack, the probability of attacking again +9%

NormalChallengeSuch combination means that Manstein also gains a brand new skill:

* **Ammunition filling (Lvl 1)** - HP +15 after the second attack of the unit commanded each turn.

### 1943 Conquest

Mainstein will eventually spawn in Minsk on his Super Tank after a few turns. The same applies in "Challenge", although his unit is significantly buffed. This time, Manstein is notably equipped with a set of medals that increases massively his health as well as his damage output.

* **Legion Medal (Lvl 5)** - Command unit HP +150
* **Assault Medal (Lvl 5)** - When commanding units to attack, DMG dealt to enemy troops +15%

NormalChallenge
### 1950 Conquest

Mainstein is located in Cologne but since Germany is neutral and cannot be bribed, he won't do anything. In "Challenge" however, there is significant change. This time, his unit has been massively buffed. He is notably equipped with a set of medals that greatly increases his health as well as his damage output:

* **Legion Medal (Lvl 5)** - Command unit HP +150
* **Assault Medal (Lvl 5)** - When commanding units to attack, DMG dealt to enemy troops +15%

NormalChallenge
### 1960 Conquest

Manstein is located in Berlin, still on his Super Tank. In "Challenge" however, there is significant change. This time, his unit has been massively buffed. He is notably equipped with a set of medals that greatly increases his health as well as his damage output:

* **Legion Medal (Lvl 5)** - Command unit HP +150
* **Assault Medal (Lvl 5)** - When commanding units to attack, DMG dealt to enemy troops +15%

On his Super Tank (Lvl 6), Mainstein is now at a whopping 610 HP, the highest possible in-game. Like in the 1943 Conquest, such combination means that Manstein gains a brand new skill:

* **Expropriation (Lvl 3)** - Restores HP of 30% of the damage done to enemy after attack.

Normal

## Trivia

* Manstein is one of the three original IAP generals alongside Zhukov and Eisenhower.
* Once purchased, Manstein cannot be dismissed. The only way to effectively remove him from your Headquarters is to uninstall and then, reinstall the game.
* Manstein is the only general in-game (along Zhukov and Eisenhower) whose skills can be swapped.
* He is particularly recommended on armored units, but he will do very well on artillery units as well.
* Purchasing him will grant the player 10,000 Industry as well as a permanent privilege of +100% income from Wonders.