In every mission you will get various objectives from the High Command. These objectives can be primary and secondary. To win the victory you must fulfill all primary objectives.

The list of current objectives can be seen in the left part of screen. To know the details, click the icon with the left mouse button. Note that symbols for primary and secondary objectives differ in their color.
While fulfilling the objective, it's very important to meet the assigned deadline. The time left can be seen on the timer, near the objective icon. The total list of the objectives can be looked through in the statistics window.

Remember that you as a commander must assure the fulfillment of the objectives, given by the High Command. It is ready to support you with the reinforcements, artillery or air forces. Your task is to dispose of the available resources most effectively.

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The Control point is a strategically important position from the your Command point of view. As a commander you must capture and secure the control points. On the battlefield the control points are marked with a special symbol; the similar one is used on the map. The border of the control point is a circle. To see it hover the cursor to the middle of the control point.

Capture and securing of the control points give you the flow-in of the resources for calling reinforcements and deprive the enemy of his resources.

Objectives > Control points > Capture and securing

Objectives > Control points > Resources

All your troops are united into companies. You can't divide a company and control separate units. Each company can fulfill your orders or act on its own and play it off the cuff.
While fulfilling your missions you will order about all the forces that the High Command can hold out. Besides, the enemy will be attacked by the neighboring forces. They have their own objectives but in some cases the Command can release them to your control.

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In the battlefield you'll meet units of various branches of arms: infantry, armored forces, artillery and aviation. Depending on the branch the number of units in the company is different.
Note that every weapon has its disadvantages. Combine branches of arms wisely no matter attack or defense will it be. Protect artillery with your infantry, and infantry with tanks. Use the maneuverability of light units and endurance of heavy ones.
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Apart from the rifle or submachine-gun each infantryman has grenades, which can bust even heavy tanks. Infantry units can be reinforced by heavy armament: machine-guns, bazookas or panzerfausts.

Only infantry can:

1. use defenses: trenches and buildings. Don't scout this while in the defense.
2. cross forests

Under enemy fire infantrymen can take ground. In this case the motion rate and fire efficiency of the unit decrease.
For fast unit deployment use transport. Note that inside transports your infantry is very vulnerable.

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During the battle you'll meet or get under your command various types of artillery batteries, which are aimed for different purposes:

1. anti-tank guns. Don't forget that they should be protected against enemy infantry;
2. howitzers. It is an excellent instrument for unexpected strikes over non-mobile targets: enemy batteries, infantry, armored clusters;
3. anti-aircraft guns. As experience proved their direct fire is very effective against armored vehicles, the guns switching on flying target automatically when enemy aircraft appears.
4. rocket launchers. They deliver only Attack Ground and don't shoot up separate units. Like howitzers, they are especially effective against armored clusters and infantry areas but demand long-term preparations for the next barrage.

All the guns, except AA-ones, can be rolled by their crews, but for a long-distance transition calling for transport will be much more effective.

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When you use tanks and SPGs in the battle you must remember that:

1. the machines are best protected from the front. Frontal attack is less effective.
2. Though your tanks have machine guns in addition to the main gun, you'd better keep them in a distance from the enemy infantry.

During the battle tanks will turn their front armor to the enemy automatically. The SPGs have no turning turrets, so try to protect them from the flanks, if it's possible.
Tanks and SPGs can't fire on the move. If you want to ensure the maximum speed of the maneuver, use the command with the modifier Ignore the enemy ([Crtl]+Move, [Crtl]+Attack]).

In the course of the campaign you will get access to more powerful machines, but you'll also have older models because the High Command resources are limited. Don't forget that light armor is more mobile than heavy one.

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If you don't give any orders to your troops or command them to stop, your company will act automatically as situation demands: hold the current position and open fire on the enemy within firing range.

Peculiarities of behavior:

1. Under the enemy fire infantrymen can take ground or lie in trenches and the effectiveness of their fire will decrease.
2. tanks and SPGs will turn on the spot remainig with less vulnerable front armor to the enemy.
3. guns will be turned by their crews to the enemy within firing range.

Note that your troops' initiative is limited. Thus during the transportation your infantry or artillery will not unload automatically without your direct order. Your rocket launchers won't fire on their own initiative. Consider these peculiarities and take care of the forces given you in charge.

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One and the same order can be given to several companies. You should just select necessary companies (frame or Shift + Left mouse button) and give them order.
If you plan to address the group more than once, it will be convenient to assign a hot key for it. Having selected necessary companies, press Ctrl+[0-9]. Now in order to select the whole group you can just press [0-9]. You can freely re-assign the hot keys for your groups.

Note that if you unite companies of different branches of arms in one group, not all the orders will be fulfilled by the whole group. For example, let's take the group of tanks and infantry:

1. Command Attack Ground — your guns will fire, your infantry will act as the situation demands;
2. Command Occupy fortifications — your infantry will occupy a trench, while your tanks will stay on the spot.

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If you want to put the game on hold, press Pause button. During the pause you still can move over the battlefield and give orders to your units. Their fulfillment will immediately begin after you resume the game.
To resume the game press Pause once more.

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From time to time the High Command will give you an opportunity to use aviation or corps artillery. Aircrafts and heavy guns are able to deliver a powerful strike on the area but not on certain units or companies. The right choice of the point for the strike is your responsibility.

To call off-map support the relevant button and indicate the centre of the area where you want to strike. Pay your attention to the circle resembling the aiming sight. Its diameter corresponds the damage zone of your strike. After having given the order you'll see a smoke marker. The same marker will appear in the centre of coming enemy strike. In this case try to put your troops out of dangerous zone.

Don't forget that:

1. The enemy can also use the same strikes. Take care of your troops to avoid accidental extermination during your own strikes;
2. the strike cannot be immediate;
3. after you have called for the strike, you can't call it off or transfer;
4. anti-aircraft guns can protect you from enemy aviation.

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The spot turn allows facing your units to the most dangerous enemy or turning them for Attack Ground without regrouping. In the course of the battle your troops will turn automatically, but sometimes it'll be better to do it beforehand.

Remember that:

1. tanks and SPGs are best protected from the front. Face them to the most dangerous enemy;
2. your guns have a limited sector of fire and their turning demands some time. It'll be better to turn them beforehand;
3. AA-guns can't be turned by the crew, but they have all-around sector of fire.

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For moving your troops on the battlefield use the order Move. Your troops will start moving to the prescribed point and on arrival will line up in the necessary direction. If you give the order to the group of the companies, your troops will disperse automatically in order not to cross the positions of each other.

If you, while giving the order to move, keep the right mouse button pressed, you can orientate your companies and prescribe their lining up towards one another: in depth and width.

On their move your companies will fire at the enemy in the firing range. If you want your troops not to waste their time while engaging, give the order with the modifier Ignore the enemy (Ctrl).

If you want to prescribe the route of moving, give the series of orders Move with the modifier Add to the List (Shift).

On default all your units will move together with one common rate. In order to provide the maximum rate of group arrival, use the modifier Alt — and each company will move at a maximum rate without waiting for the neighbors.

It's important to remember that:

1. under the enemy fire your infantry will take ground and move at a run. This can considerably slow the moving rate of the company;
2. for your infantry and artillery long-distance moving it'll better to use transport. But be careful — loading and unloading require some time and, being loaded, your troops are not able to engage;
3. while the crew is rolling the gun, it is not able to fire;
4. maneuvering your tanks and SPGs under the enemy fire, try not to subject machine boards and rears to abuse.

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Your units automatically choose targets and deliver fire at the enemy. Giving the order Attack you make your troops concentrate fire at a particular company.

If the enemy is out of the hitting area, your company will come up to the firing distance. While moving your units will deliver fire at the enemy within the firing range. If you want your troops not to straggle at other targets, use the modifier Ignore the enemy (Ctrl).
When you attack the enemy who is out the firing range, remember that your infantry won't leave fortifications to attack. The artillery can't be moved either. Both infantry and artillery will track the enemy and deliver fire when he appears within the hitting range.

You may assign more than one target for your attack using the modifier Add to the list (Shift). If the assigned targets are situated far from each other, your company will attack the nearest first.

Note:

1. anti-aircraft guns switch to the aerial targets automatically;
2. companies loaded into the transport can't attack the enemy.

Modifiers Ignore the enemy (Ctrl) and Add to the List (Shift) can be used simultaneously.

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Infantry deployed inside the fortifications acquires additional protection against the enemy fire but loses an opportunity of moving and can be limited in fire sectors. As fortifications you can use farms, trenches, bunkers and pillboxes.

When you give such an order remember that not every building can be a reliable cover from the bombs and howitzer shells. If the house is destroyed everybody inside will be killed.

If you want your infantry to leave the fortification, give the order Leave the Fortification and assign the position where the company must line up.

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Transport should be called for quick transportation of infantry and artillery for long distances. Besides, transport is the only way to transfer anti-aircraft guns.

Remember that:

1. troops inside the transport are very vulnerable and can't deliver fire, and if the transport is destroyed all the passengers will be killed. Be careful!
2. Loading and unloading requires some time. It's better to start loading when there is no enemy nearby or he is smothered by the battle;
3. the infantry which has not been loaded yet or has already been unloaded is able to deliver fire, but the artillery crews need some additional time for getting ready;
4. try to destroy enemy transports before they get unloaded.

Infantry and artillery companies being got as reinforcements arrive by transport.

Just after the loading is finished the transport starts moving to the point of unloading. You can stop it giving the order Stop — and the trucks will stand without unloading waiting for new orders. The trucks having been stopped can be given the order to move. The transport having been already loaded can be given a new order Transport to...

Empty transport — before loading and after unloading — moves automatically and doesn't come under your command. You can call the loading off with the order Stop only when it hasn't actually been started: no infantryman is inside the truck and no gun is hooked.

In order to unload the company quickly give the order Emergency Unload.

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Usually for the transportation by trucks it is convenient to use the order Transport to..., but sometimes the battle situation is vague and it's not clear till the very moment where you must unload your troops. Then you should load your troops into the transport beforehand, using the order Load.

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Use this order when there is a need of urgent unloading. You will not assign the position and direction for your troops orientation, the main thing is to get them ready for the battle as soon as possible.
Having got the order the transport stops and unloads immediately. The fulfillment of the command can be interrupted with the order Stop, if the unloading hasn't begun yet.

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The order Stop interrupts the fulfillment of the last command given and makes the troops act as the situation demands.

The order Stop cannot be given to aviation or corps artillery. The order to deliver a strike cannot be call off.

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The order is available for artillery, tanks and SPGs.
As a rule, the units deliver the aimed fire, trying to hit the enemy unit chosen by them. The order Attack Ground makes the company to deliver unaimed fire, just into the assigned zone. The fire will be kept on until the company gets the order Stop or any other order.

Note that having got the order Attack Ground:

1. rocket launchers make only one salvo;
2. the fire will be kept till the calling the order off, even if the enemy appears nearby or your own troops get into the killing zone. Be attentive and transfer or call off the fire in due time.

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On the minimap you can see the dispositions and identity of all the troops in the battlefield. The left mouse button allows instant transitions over the battlefield, the right one is for giving orders on the minimap as if you are in the action scene.

Apart your forces on the minimap you can see symbols of control points, mission objectives, notifications of reinforcements arrival, and aspect angle of battlefield view.

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Above each company you can see a stylized symbol resembling a shield by its form. It is a marker. Its color depends on the side for which the company fights. If you hover the cursor on the marker, it will maximize to its full size showing the icon of a company type and the strip of total health of the units.

The order to attack or company selection can be made by right and left mouse buttons on the marker as well as on the units. It can be especially convenient when the company is far or it can't be seen behind some obstacle.

The configuration of the markers cam be customized: you can choose if the markers are shown full-size or only the marker which you hover to will maximize.

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The shop is used for calling for the reinforcements, air or artillery strike. Calling for the reinforcements or strikes is not free of charge — you spend your resources.
The shop window is situated in the upper part of the screen and consists of two parts. The first one shows your recourses, the second — list of available reinforcements and strikes. The list panel can be minimized or maximized.

Your available resources are presented as two figures named «Resources available» and «Resources left». «Resources available» is the sum that you can spend at the moment. «Resources left» shows how many resources are left on all the control points under your control.

The list of reinforcements includes companies and off-map support which can be given you by the High Command. To call for reinforcements off-map strike you must have enough resources. Except the number of resources you are limited by the overall number of companies that can be under your command. If you have 40 companies or more, reinforcement will be inaccessible.

To call for the reinforcement press the button of the appropriate unit and by the right mouse button show the position where the unit must arrive.

Don't forget that artillery or infantry are hauled by transport. Watch the enemy, he can attack unprotected lorries!

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In the right lower corner of the screen you can find the companies icon panel. Each company under your control has its own icon on the panel, allied and enemy forces being not reflected there.
Each company type has its own icon. Under the icon there are some dots reflecting the relative incidence and health of the units.

Sometimes there on the icons you can see additional symbols:

1. flag – the company fulfills the order given by you;
2. Shield – the infantry company is inside the fortification (pillbox, trenches, etc.)
3. steering wheel – the company is loaded into the transport.

The left mouse button will select the corresponding company. Double click will immediately transfer you to the company.

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Cinematic Camera — is a built-in mechanism which shows the most entertaining moments of the battle at optimum camera angle.

You can turn the cinematic camera on by pressing the button (hot key C) or setting the automatic turn-on — in this case the mode will activate if you do not control the game for a certain period of time. To come back to troops control press the button once more or C or Esc on the keyboard.

You can not control your troops when the cinematic camera is turned on. Your companies will continue fulfilling your orders.

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