One of the most striking (pun intended) features of Headquarters: Cold War, compared to its predecessor, is that for the first time in the series, the player has direct control over aerial-type units - Helicopters, some of which are also capable of transporting infantry units. This is a massive change in terms of the tactical capabilities of the opposing forces. It brings lots of new considerations to keep in mind when building your strategy and tactics for each battle.
Now, let us look into every facet of the helicopter units and what exactly they are bringing to the battlefield:
Unprecedented mobility
With the highest Move point parameter in the game and the ability to move through the air, ignoring the terrain limitations, obstacles, and land troops, the helicopter units can reach any nook and cranny of the battlefield with unprecedented speed. It allows both sides to make unexpected and swift tactical moves to challenge the control of the key points.
Rapid troops redeployment
Not only can helicopters move swiftly across any terrain, but they can also carry infantry units and deploy them at the designated locations. This allows for rapid strikes against key points without sufficiently strong garrison forces. You can catch the enemy guard by moving in fast across significant distances and establishing control, or laying an ambush for its advanced troops, while waiting for your own heavier reinforcements to arrive and strengthen your control over the area.
Mobile firepower
On top of carrying troops, helicopters boast solid firepower that can be used as fire support for the ground forces they just dropped off, or as supporting firepower that can be easily redeployed across the battlefield. Most helicopters are capable of rocket strikes, while some are also fitted with a gun. Keeping a safe distance and using terrain and line of sight to their advantage, helicopter units can sneak in on the enemy forces and, after a quick strike, follow up with an even swifter retreat. Although it could only work with a proper reconnaissance in place.
Counter measures
However fearsome and irreplaceable the helicopters may look on paper, they all have one big caveat - they are quite fragile with only 3 HP and low defence parameters. This means any enemy ambush could very well be fatal. All sorts of anti-aircraft units will be hunting the sneaky helicopters, trying to ambush them and make them land for good. Often time sall it takes is one good hit, and the helicopter is down. This means sending in your helicopters without the reconnaissance and support is more of a gamble than a solid strategy, but a surprise move could also give you an edge sometimes. So, you will always have to think about when to allow a risky move, and when it would be better to play it safe.
NATO helicopters
Boeing AH-64 Apache
The legendary attack-type helicopter that excels in the attacking and fire support roles, having the best attacking capabilities in the game across both factions, but lacking the ability to transport troops.
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
The utility-type helicopter is capable of both transporting the troops and providing fire support.
USSR helicopters
Mil Mi-8
The transport helicopter, which is also capable of providing fire support with its rocket weaponry.
Mil Mi-24
Generally classified as an attack helicopter, it nonetheless has transport capabilities, thus combining solid attacking power with the utility features.
Key mechanics
The key mechanics for helicopters are their ability to land and take off.
When the helicopter lands, it hovers close to the ground and is unable to move or attack, but can land troops on board, or deploy them to the ground. It can also be attacked by all types of units while in this state. Landing ability takes all the remaining Move points, so the helicopter cannot land and immediately take off again in one turn, allowing the other player to take action against it.
When the helicopter takes off, it can move freely and attack all types of units, while only units with AA capabilities can attack the helicopter. It cannot drop off or take on board units until it lands again. Taking off costs 50% of the helicopter’s maximum Move points.
The key idea behind this design was to make the helicopter units vulnerable when they deploy troops in remote areas, so that the opponent can use this opportunity to ambush them, creating a risk vs reward dynamic.
Conclusion
While the helicopters may look overpowered, we look forward to seeing all sorts of tactical know-how and countermeasures the players’ community would come up with when playing the multiplayer matches using the helicopter units. Despite the obvious powerful capabilities, those units are quite fragile and have a high cost, so losing them could hurt a lot. Yet, even with this in mind, the tactical opportunities they provide are just too good to pass up.
See you next time!
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