Observation Post

American Observation Post
An American Observation Post on top of a low-yield Munitions point
Army	United States Wehrmacht
Role	Sector protection and resource enhancement structure
Unit Cost	200 200
Prereq.	None
Produced By	United States Engineer Squad Riflemen Squad Airborne Squad Wehrmacht Pioneer Squad
Production XP	17+17 xp
Health	420 420 620 620 Wehrmacht only, requires Defensive Doctrine: Fortify the Perimeter
Armor	None

The Observation Post is a Defensive Structure that can be constructed by the either the United States or Wehrmacht factions in Company of Heroes. Built directly on top of a Strategic Point, this structure protects the point from being captured by the enemy, while increasing the resource production in that sector. Additionally, it enhances the sight-range of the sector point by a small amount, and provides early-warning against sector takeovers simply by drawing enemy fire. It can be constructed by several different Infantry units.

Overview

An Observation Post can be constructed by Engineer Squads, Riflemen Squads and Airborne Squads for the United States and by Pioneer Squads for the Wehrmacht. It costs 200 200 to build and it can only be built on top of a Strategic Point that has been captured and linked directly to your HQ territory. It consists of a large wooden shack, surrounded by sand bags and barbed wire, with a communications mast mounted on its side. The Strategic Point flag sticks out the top of the structure.

Once created, an Observation Post "secures" the Strategic Point on which it is built. As long as the Observation Post remains standing, enemy units cannot capture the Strategic Point or even render it neutral. They can only open fire at the Observation Post.

In addition to protecting the Strategic Point, the Observation Post also enhances resource production in the sector. The more resources a sector produces by default, the bigger the bonus you get from placing an Observation Post inside it, as illustrated by the table below:

Resource Point Type	Resource Point Size	Original Value	Bonus	Total
Strategic Point	--	3 3	+1 1	4 4
Munitions Point	Low	5 5	+3 3	8 8
	Medium	10 10	+8 8	18 18
	High	16 16	+10 10	26 26
Fuel Point	Low	5 5	+3 3	8 8
	Medium	10 10	+8 8	18 18
	High	16 16	+10 10	26 26

Furthermore, the Observation Post also increases the sight-range of the Strategic Point to 15 meters (from the default 10 meters). More importantly however, since it serves as a target for enemy fire, you will receive an early warning when enemy units pass by the structure as they will usually open fire at it, prompting you with an "Under attack!" message. Without the Observation Post, your first warning of enemies in the sector will come when they actually start grabbing the Strategic Point, which may already be too late.

Tactics

The ability to protect Strategic Points can be of paramount importance. Defensive fortifications, while intricate, can often be wiped out in concentrated enemy attacks, leaving sectors entirely undefended. Buying a few extra seconds for mobile defense units to respond to an enemy attack can save a sector from being overrun.

Additionally, it can often take quite some time to fortify a sector properly to begin with. If you can ensure that a sector won't be captured while your units are busy fortifying it, it can save a lot of effort and needless headaches.

Therefore, construction of Observation Posts on forward Strategic Points is very helpful. Once a Strategic Point is secured in this fashion, you'll have the extra time you need to fortify against or respond to enemy attacks.

In addition, resource production is extremely important throughout the game. High-end buildings and units require large quantities of resources - especially Fuel Fuel. Therefore it is necessary to construct these posts on all high-yield Strategic Points under your control as early as possible, even if such points are not easily defensible. The Manpower Manpower cost can be tricky to meet, (the United States has an advantage in this regard thanks to their reduced unit upkeep costs, see Supply Yard), however the reward in Fuel Fuel and Munitions Munitions can be well worth the investment. Even if the enemy does manage to drive you out of the sector, the Observation Post will at least delay him from taking the sector and milking it for resources.

Try putting Observation Posts on high-value sectors first, then medium-value sectors, and only then fortify your forward sectors. Start this process early - as soon as the forward sectors are becoming secure enough to protect your rear, or even earlier if you can afford it.

Weaknesses

The Observation Post does not have much health, though the main problem is that many weapons - especially high-explosives and tank guns - receive bonus damage against this structure, and can take it out easily. Mainly, this structure will only really protect the sector against infantry - assuming they don't have high-explosive munitions themselves.

Note that when constructed on a forward Strategic Point, the immobile Observation Post becomes a great target for enemy artillery. Even light artillery (mortars) find this a great target. They can easily reduce the structure to rubble in a few hits. This will often happen just prior to an attack on that specific sector, so use this foreknowledge to your advantage.

Trivia

• The game files reveal that the United States Observation Post was originally meant to act as a Medic Station, retrieving nearby casualties to create new squads. This function was eventually split to a new structure instead.