Bunker

Bunker
	; The Bunker
Army	Wehrmacht
Role	Multi purpose defensive structure
Unit Cost	150
Prereq.	None
Produced By	Pioneer Squad
Primary armament	None, can be upgraded with MG42
Can Be Garrisoned By	Up to 2 squads of Infantry, 6 men maximum
Health	600 base ; 900 with Defensive Doctrine: Fortify the Perimeter
Produces (1)
	Goliath A very powerful demolition device, can wipe out entire squads of infantry or do heavy damage to vehicles; Costs 125; Build time 20 seconds;
Abilities (1)
	Reinforce Squad Can reinforce nearby Infantry units; Costs vary by unit type; Requires Defensive Doctrine: Fortify the Perimeter;
Upgrades (3)
	MG42 Heavy Machine Gun Upgrades Bunker with a MG42 Machine gun in direction bunker is facing; Costs 50; Upgrade time time 30 seconds; Aid Station Deploys 2 medics that will bring wounded soldiers to the station; After 4 wounded soldiers are brought to the station a new Grenadier Squad is deployed for free; Medics will respawn if killed; Costs 50; Upgrade time time 30 seconds; Repair Station Deploys 2 pioneers that will automatically repair any damaged vehicles that are near the station; Pioneers will respawn if killed; Costs 50; Upgrade time time 30 seconds;

The Bunker is a defensive structure that can be built by the Wehrmacht or found on several maps.

Overview[]

The Bunker is a fortified, garrisonable structure that provides heavy cover to any unit inside. It has 4 openings for firing out of in all cardinal directions relative to its facing, and any Infantry unit except a Mortar Squad can fire out of it- including Machine Guns, which will set themselves up inside just like they would normal buildings. As such, the building is essentially the Wehrmacht version of the Allied MG emplacements- though unlike their counterpart they're immune to small arms fire- the units inside are not but are very protected nonetheless. Allied troops may never enter a Pioneer-constructed bunker, even if it's empty.

When constructed by Pioneers, a process which takes 30 seconds, the Bunker instantly becomes a Wehrmacht-controlled building (unlike neutral Trenches or the map-based version,), and is able to upgrade in several different ways. At base, it is also able to produce the Goliath, a large, mobile explosive capable of dealing heavy damage to any enemy unit or building it detonates near- including your own or allied units.

Even after upgrading to a specialty, the Bunker can still be garrisoned to the same effect as beforehand- your units will take no issue with firing out of a medical bunker if you so choose. Additionally, any bunker on the map is able to reinforce friendly units if the appropriate upgrade in the Defensive Doctrine is chosen.

MG 42 Heavy Machine gun[]

The most common Bunker upgrade adds an MG42, facing the way the Bunker was when constructed. The MG operates essentially identically to the weapon used by its Infantry-based counterpart, though trading the ability to re-deploy for being tied to the bunker- the gunner inside has no health of his own and simply lives and dies with the structure.

The MG42 is one of the very best Anti-Infantry weapons in the game- it's highly suppressing, does a respectable amount of damage with decent accuracy, and does not frequently have to stop firing. It's even decent against light vehicles- however, the weapon is absolutely useless against a target with even light armor, so keep this in mind when preparing a defense.

Aid Station[]

With this upgrade, the Bunker will be equipped with a pair of medics who will recover Infantry casualties, in similar fashion to the Medic Station or Casualty Clearing Station for the Allied forces. The Medics will roam within 150 units of the Bunker, collecting the wounded (but not dead) Wehrmacht troops. After 4 are collected, a new Grenadier Squad is formed for free- assuming that the casualties are from squads getting reinforced rather than wiped, this is very efficient recycling, with a Grenadier squad formed from this method being decidedly cheaper than creating them from scratch.

This is particularly useful for Wehrmacht commanders who have for some reason opted to skip building the Krieg Barracks, as this is the only way to get a Grenadier Squad without. In addition, early investment in this building will let you use these squads before even reaching tier 2- which is good for commanders making early investment in Veterancy.

Units will not automatically attack Medics, but they can be ordered to.

Repair Station[]

This upgrade converts the Bunker into a Repair Station, spawning a pair of Repair Pioneers who automatically repair any vehicles within its radius. These units repair at the same rate as standard Pioneers, and operate beyond your control. Unlike the Medic Bunker or MG42, this particular building has no Allied equivalent.

The Repair Pioneers can be killed enemy forces, though they respawn over time. They also take up no population cap- ultimately making them expendable. A Repair Pioneer showing up to a battle can easily save a tank that would have otherwise been scrapped, without risking a Pioneer Squad to do the job itself. In more general use, they will also take the duty of repairs from the Pioneer Squad, allowing them to focus on maintaining and repairing other structures or vehicles.

Tips[]

Unlike in real life, Panzerschreks as well as captured Bazookas or PIATS can be fired from within a Bunker. Keeping one or multiple of these weapons garrisoned inside an MG bunker can make a formidable obstacle for Allied commanders.
Keep the Munitions cost for the upgrades in mind when constructing a Bunker- the less time spend waiting for an upgrade the more time it can be recovering troops or firing the MG.
Machine Guns can set up in a bunker that already has an MG inside, either to cover the flanks or simply further shred any Infantry attacking head-on.
When building a complex of all 3 bunkers, resist the urge to stick them all directly together- spread them out both to help unit navigation and make sure Artillery can't ruin the whole thing with one barrage.
Watch out for Satchel Charges! A Charge to a bunker will almost certainly kill anything inside and deal massive damage to the building itself. If you see Rangers, Airborne, or Commandos approaching your Bunker, take them out before they can get close- or make sure at least all of your units are outside before the explosion.
Quickly move created Goliaths away from the bunker- if an Allied unit shoots it, it detonates no matter what, potentially damaging the garrison and building.

Weaknesses[]

Unlike even the allied MG Emplacement, the Bunker has no innate ability to deal with enemy armored vehicles- even Armored Cars or Light Tanks can simply roll up to an unprotected bunker and fire at it at its own leisure, making them the simplest and most direct counter to the building. In addition, Mortars, AT Guns, and Artillery can all simply outrange the Bunker, continually firing until it's dead- while guns under 75mm will take a very long time to finish them, anything above that caliber can deal with them in a matter of seconds.

Flamethrowers are a major threat to any unit inside a Bunker- even a fully veteran Knight's Cross Holder squad will be roasted in mere seconds by any unit wielding them, particularly the Crocodile Tanks, which have the added benefit of being able to ignore the MG42, if applicable. Satchel Charges and Demolition Charges not only clear a bunker out, but deal drastic damage to it as well. Finally, Medic and Repair bunkers are useless if their personnel are constantly cut down whenever they spawn, even if the Bunker itself remains untouched.