Commander

Role Overview

The Commander is responsible for representing military command in the field of battle. They devise the strategy for their team and support ground forces with non-battlefield assets — airstrikes, supply drops, vehicle reinforcements — while providing crucial information and direction to unit leaders.

Each team has one Commander slot. The Commander is considered the leader of all units and possesses both offensive and defensive abilities to aid in victory. Their role is to direct the battle and provide objectives to unit leaders.

To call in an ability, open the tactical map and select an ability to use.

Command Abilities

Commander abilities are split across three resource tracks: Munitions, Manpower, and Fuel. Each ability costs resources from its respective track. Spending resources wisely — and at the right moment — is the core skill of the role.

Munitions Abilities

Munitions fund your offensive strike assets and intelligence.

Manpower Abilities

Manpower funds reinforcement, spawn infrastructure, and deep insertions.

Fuel Abilities

Fuel funds vehicle reinforcement — tanks, trucks, and armoured assets.

Faction-Exclusive Abilities

US Armed Forces

• Napalm Strike — F-4 Phantom delivers incendiary strike. Confirmed via NapalmStrike and NapalmF4FlyBy audio events. Area denial that persists beyond initial impact
• C-130 Supply Drop — confirmed via C130FlyPast1 audio. Heavy logistics delivery
• Helicopter Airhead — US-only deep insertion spawn point via helicopter

North Vietnamese Army

• NVA Aircraft Flyover — confirmed via NVA_PlaneFlyover audio. NVA equivalent strike asset
• Tunnel Network Support — NVA Commander abilities likely interact with tunnel infrastructure. Specific mechanics TBA at launch

Confirmed Vietnam Changes from Original HLL

The Vietnam Commander differs from the WWII original in several confirmed ways:

• Napalm Strike replaces standard incendiary — F-4 Phantom-delivered napalm is a Vietnam-specific ability absent from the original game
• Helicopter Airhead — the Establish Airhead ability is now powered by an actual helicopter, not a scripted drop
• No half-tracks or jeeps — Fuel abilities no longer include half-tracks; the Vietnam vehicle pool uses trucks and armour
• NVA asymmetric abilities — NVA Commander has different ability options reflecting their doctrine

Strengths

• Game-defining strike capabilities — Napalm Strike, Bombing Run, Precision Strike can flip objectives
• Full tactical map awareness — the only role with the true macro picture
• Direct voice line to every Officer on the team
• Shapes vehicle availability, spawn infrastructure, and air support timing throughout the match

Weaknesses

• One per team — the whole team’s macro rests on you
• Useless without Officers and squad leaders communicating below you
• High-value target once your position is known
• Heavy cognitive load for the entire match duration

Best Playstyle

Commander is not a kill role. Your value is in voice comms, tactical map use, and rationing abilities for moments that actually shift the battle. A Napalm Strike wasted on a skirmish is a Napalm Strike that doesn’t exist when you need to flip the final objective.

Track your three resource pools constantly. Generate abilities let you shift resources between tracks when one is starved — use them deliberately, not as a last resort.

Ability Priority by Situation

Early match — Supply Drop to push logistics forward, Recon Plane to establish the map picture before the enemy settles.

Mid match — Reinforce sectors under pressure, Strafing Run on contested strongpoints, generate resources on starved tracks.

Late match — Napalm Strike or Precision Strike timed with a coordinated squad push on the final objective, Establish Airhead if you need a deep insertion, Heavy Armor if enemy armour is dominating.

Teamwork Tips

• Establish comms with every Officer in the first 30 seconds of the match
• Designate one or two squads as your strike force — coordinate Munitions abilities around their pushes
• Use Dismantle Garrison to destroy enemy spawn infrastructure at decisive moments
• Establish Airhead is expensive — save it for a decisive push, not a stall
• Remind Officers of supply drop timing so they can plan Garrison builds around incoming resources
• Keep the Fuel track alive — Heavy Armor (M48 Patton or T-54) is the most expensive single ability

Advanced Tactics

• Strike timing with pushes: a Napalm Strike landing on a strongpoint 10 seconds before your squad assaults creates a two-vector problem the defenders cannot solve simultaneously
• Garrison dismantling as a tactical reset: a well-timed Dismantle Garrison at the right moment can force an entire enemy squad to walk from base — often more disruptive than an offensive strike
• Airhead timing: deploy the Helicopter Airhead after the first wave has cleared pressure from the landing zone — not before
• Generate cycling: if Munitions is full and Manpower is dry, generate early rather than capping a full track
• Counter-tunnel doctrine: the NVA’s tunnel network creates deep spawn threats. Use Recon Plane sweeps to identify unusual NVA activity behind your lines and relay it to your Officers

Recommended Loadout

The Commander runs a sidearm rather than a full primary — you should not be on the front line. Binoculars for spotting and marking are essential. Stay alive and off the line of fire; your value is entirely on the tactical map, not in a firefight.

Related

• Officer — your primary communication channel to every squad
• Helicopter Operations — the US aerial asset the Commander controls
• Tunnel Warfare — the NVA mechanic the Commander must counter-plan around
• Game Modes — resource and spawn infrastructure rules