Capture and Decapture Rate Guide
CoH3 still carries the same capture mechanics as the previous CoH games, even mirroring the same stats the previous games used.
In CoH3, each unit has designated capture and decapture values, or stats. These will vary greatly among many different units. Unfortunately, capture/decapture rates of units cannot be seen in-game. Remember that this website (CoHDex) offers a detailed Wiki, where you can find these capture/decapture values, among other 'hidden' stats for each unit in the game.
Some units naturally have larger values and thus they tend to capture or neutralize territory at a much faster rate than many other units. An example is the USF
It should be noted that the vast majority of vehicles cannot cap/decap territory, though there are a few exceptions such as the Wehrmacht
Then there's transportation vehicles. If a vehicle is carrying troops, it will adopt the cap/decap rate of the unit it is carrying and thus allow it to cap/decap! If it is carrying more than one squad, it will adopt the fastest rate available. This means it is possible to cap/decap without disembarking squads from a transport. Of special note is that vehicles with their own cap/decap rate, will still adopt the fastest rate available if they are transporting troops, such as the
You're probably wondering what these values actually mean. How much faster are larger values? How much time does it take to capture something when a unit has a value of '1.25'? Read on!
Different Resource Incomes, Different Time
The time it takes to capture/decapture points will vary depending on what kind of point it is. In general, higher resource points will take longer to capture/decapture, which is further explained below.
Small resource points includes +8 Manpower, +5 Munitions, and +5 Fuel nodes, as well as Victory Points.
Medium resource points includes +10 Munitions and +10 Fuel nodes.
Large resource points includes +16 Munitions nodes.
Capture Rate
Capture rate (or just cap rate) refers to the act of capturing territory from its neutral state. This is an important distinction as decapture rate refers to something else.
A capture rate of 1 means it takes:
20 seconds to fully capture a small resource or Victory Point from neutral.
30 seconds to fully capture a medium resource point from neutral.
40 seconds to fully capture a large resource point from neutral.
The formula for figuring out capture rate in seconds is 20 or 30 or 40 / [capture rate]. For example, a unit with a capture rate of 1.25 will capture a small resource point or VP in 20 / 1.25 = 16 seconds.
Decapture Rate
Decapture rate (or just decap rate) refers to the act of bringing an owned point back to neutral status. In general, it takes less time to neutralize territory due to lower base time compared to capturing from neutral.
A decapture rate of 1 means it takes:
15 seconds to fully neutralize a small resource or Victory Point from enemy control.
25 seconds to fully neutralize a medium resource point from enemy control.
35 seconds to fully neutralize a large resource point from enemy control.
Thus, the formula to figure out decap rate in seconds is 15 or 25 or 35 / [decapture rate]. For example, a unit with a decap rate of 1.25 will neutralize a small resource point or VP in 15 / 1.25 = 12 seconds.
Increasing or Influencing Capture/Decapture Rates
As mentioned before, all units have their own designated values, with some units naturally capturing/decapturing faster than others. However, there are specific ways to influence these, usually through upgrades or abilities.
Some units can permanently increase these rates, such as the Wehrmacht
Some specific abilities can do the opposite and make it take longer to capture objectives (or in other words, it decreases the enemy's cap/decap rate). One example is the DAK Sound the Alarm ability, which is a specific battlegroup ability from the Italian Infantry Battlegroup.
Let's take a look at the Paratroopers as an example.
By default, this unit has a 1.33 capture rate and 1.25 decapture rate. In seconds this means it captures in ~15 seconds and neutralizes in 12 seconds for small resource points or VPs.
At veterancy level 1, one of the ability choices the Paratroopers can gain is called Quick Capture, which permanently boosts both their capture and decapture rate by +40%. This means these rates now become 1.862 and 1.75 respectively. In seconds, it means they can capture a neutral point in ~10.74 seconds, and neutralize an enemy point in ~8.57 seconds (again for small resource / VPs).
Multiple units capturing
What happens if multiple units are capturing/decapturing something at the same time?
That's where these values come in handy, and why the game does not simply state the cap/decap rates in measurements of time.
If multiple units are capturing at the same time, the fastest cap/decap rate will override the rest. For example, if both a
If units leave the capture radius part-way through, the cap/decap rate will of course switch to whoever still remains inside. This means it's possible to start the capture process with an Engineer squad, and then move them out once a Scout squad arrives. The cap/decap rate will then increase accordingly for the rest of the progression.
What does this mean for you in CoH3 skirmishes?
In general, larger rates = capture stuff faster. Some units naturally have faster rates, and thus it's important to make use of the right units when it comes to map control. In many matches for example, its very common to see the Axis players utilize
Remember that cap/decap rates are not always the same. Scouts have a large 1.5 capture rate but only a 1 decap rate, so they're great for USF players taking neutral territory, but otherwise they still take the full 15 or more seconds to neutralize an enemy point. As such, depending on the situation it may be better to have a stronger squad like the
The UKF in particular are weak in this area, and as such this faction generally has the hardest time getting map control due to the lack of dedicated capture units other factions have.
Conclusion
In general, higher rates = capture stuff faster. Every infantry unit can cap/decap, and only certain vehicles can do so by default (but there are many abilities/perks that can enable capturing for more vehicles). Transports will adopt the fastest rate among the troops they are transporting, allowing them to cap/decap without needing to disembark their occupants.
If you're curious about how long it takes to capture stuff in the game, just use the formula of:
20 or 30 or 40 / [capture rate] = capture rate in seconds (Fully capturing from neutral)
15 or 25 or 35 / [decapture rate] = decapture rate in seconds (Fully neutralizing owned enemy point)
An interesting pattern is that decapture rates always tend to be lower in units compared to their capture rate, and very few have ways of increasing this stat.
Memorizing detailed stats for every unit is not required, but it can be helpful to know different cap/decap rates. As mentioned above, one example is realizing that Engineers, Riflemen, and Scouts have the same decap rate of 1, so it is often better to have the Riflemen take the risk of being under fire while neutralizing an objective, and have the Scouts come in later with their superior capture speed if optimizing for faster capture from neutral.
Another example is the higher decap rates of certain units like the Kettenkrad, which means savvy players can use them to neutralize objectives and retreat quickly, rather than putting other units at risk for a full 15 or more seconds.
Fun facts: The Kettenkrad, once upgraded and leveled up, is capable of having the highest capture/decapture rates out of all units in the game. Paratroopers with Quick Capture likewise become the fastest infantry territory grabbers in the game.