Back in 2006, Company of Heroes took the RTS world by storm. Arriving at an age where the genre hadn't yet been snubbed for the inferior MOBA model, the game's World War II setting and strong Saving Private Ryan/Band of Brothers vibe was extremely well received.
Relic followed that critical acclaim with 2013's Company of Heroes 2, and despite its early flaws is bigger, newer, and more intricate than its predecessor. Nearly 10,000 people still play it every day, according to Steam Charts. I jumped back into the game over the holiday period after a friend got the franchise on the Steam Winter Sale, so three of us have been running games almost every day.
However, the game's limitations and slightly predatory microtransactions quickly took its toll, so we started to look into the Steam Workshop for mods that could reignite our interest in the matches.
Enter 170 Units mod, a giant game restructure that is much deeper and cooler than it sounds. This is not a balance mod -- the game's unit stats such as health and damage remain untouched. Instead, this amazing fanwork takes every single unit in the game -- including those locked behind pay-to-win Commanders -- and makes them all available at the same time. Gone are the times where you were prevented from using airdrops or artillery because you choose an infantry or armour command -- this mod turns every single battle in Company of Heroes 2 into a full-form, gigantic combined arms assault.
RELATED LINKS:
The King of Battle - A Guide to Artillery in Steel Division: Normandy ‘44
Review: Steel Division: Normandy '44
Reality Check: Four Great Realism Mods