Australian Light Infantry Section Symbol

Australian Light Infantry Section

symbol
Infantry
Australian Light Infantry Section
Australian Light Infantry Section Portrait
UK Forces Icon
Faction

Standard infantry effective against infantry at medium-range. Fast capture speed. Can build defenses and defensive Sangar Walls.

The Australian Light Infantry Section (sometime referred to as Aussies) is a UKF infantry unit. In skirmishes, they are exclusively available only with the Australian Defense Battlegroup.

Their 'light infantry' moniker can be somewhat misleading as in CoH3 skirmishes, they are not necessarily dedicated to light skirmishing and reconnaissance duties. As such, comparisons with the (also known as Tommies) will naturally occur.

Like Tommies, they are a 5-man squad capable of frontline duties. However, there are several key differences.

Australian infantry squads have slightly more health at 100 health per model, and have a significantly higher capture/decapture rate. Unlike Tommies, they also have access to a different scoped rifle package that allows them to gain 3 scoped rifles when upgraded. Australians are also able to construct almost anything a (also known as Sappers) can, giving them the versatility of constructing field defenses like sandbags, as well as resource caches. However, they cannot construct land mines, and instead, have access to building a unique defensive structure called the Sangar Wall which can only be constructed by them.

In terms of damage curve, the Australians actually behave more like the USF compared to Tommies. While Tommies have an extremely linear damage curve (which means their damage per second (DPS) is the same at all ranges), Australian rifles have a standard damage curve, and thus they deal more DPS at closer ranges. Overall Aussies have better DPS compared to Tommies at closer than 20 meters, but perform worse at longer ranges beyond this. As such, their description and thematic can be misleading, as on the surface they seem like units best used long range but in reality are best used at closer ranges.

Note that once upgraded with their scoped rifle package, their DPS at all ranges increases significantly, to the point of having significantly greater DPS than default Tommies at most ranges except for very long range.

Australian infantry also have their own unique active ability, called Sharpshooter. By default this spends Munitions to fire a shot at an enemy infantry, dealing significant damage and marking them, making them easier to hit for a short duration. It has a minimum range. This ability also scales with veterancy levels, improving with each level significantly. See abilities section for more details.

On the other hand, unlike Tommies the Australians have a major weakness in the form of lack of combat versatility. The lack of access to the same weapon packages and abilities as Tommies means they do not have access to any anti-tank snares for example, so they will struggle against vehicles. They also lack access to additional utility, such as the Tommy's Recce Package granting flares. Lastly, they also have a higher cost to deploy comparatively.

Overall Australian squads are an interesting unit with some odd intricacies. On the surface, they sound like defensive infantry that are best used at long range. In reality, they are more like the opposite: Their behave more like USF and can be used to fight more aggressively compared to Tommies due to being much stronger at closer ranges. However, one must be wary since Sharpshooter has a minimum range. On the other hand, they can be useful for those favouring defensive play, as they are another unit that can construct a variety of field defenses including the unique Sangar Wall which creates one-sided cover in a more time-efficient manner compared to building multiple sandbags and barbed wires.

Once upgraded with their scoped rifle package, they become efficient ranged combatants as it significantly increases their performance at all ranges, most notably at medium and long range. As a bonus, these scoped rifles help negate cover bonuses due to having +25% accuracy against those in cover. While this clashes with their close ranged design (units in close quarters already nullify each other's cover bonuses), it does make them far better at medium to long ranges especially in standard cover vs cover engagements.

If one can keep these units alive throughout the match, it can be quite rewarding as not only do they get standard combat bonuses with each veterancy level, but their Sharpshooter ability continues to scale too, granting Australians a powerful way of dealing with enemy infantry.

It bears reminding that they lack the versatility of Tommies, especially the lack of grenades and anti-tank snares.

Veterancy


Veteran Star FullVeteran Star EmptyVeteran Star Empty

1000 XP

Sharpshooter ability now slows targets. Unit is harder to hit and has improved capture and decapture speed.
Veteran Star FullVeteran Star FullVeteran Star Empty

3000 XP

Sharpshooter ability always kills the target. Unit gains increased accuracy and is harder to hit.
Veteran Star FullVeteran Star FullVeteran Star Full

6000 XP

Unit moves and fires faster. Gains increased health and weapons have a chance to instant kill wounded infantry.

Veterancy Abilities

This unit does not gain any new abilities upon reaching veterancy level 1. Instead, its Sharpshooter Training passive ability improves with each veterancy level. These bonuses increase the strength of the Sharpshooter active ability at levels 1 and 2, while level 3 grants a combat bonus to the squad overall.

  • Sharpshooter Training

    • Veterancy level 1: Sharpshooter ability now also slows the target.

    • Veterancy level 2: Sharpshooter ability will now always kill an enemy soldier.

    • Veterancy level 3: All weapons in the squad have a chance to instantly kill an enemy soldier at low health.

Upgrades


  • Scoped Lee Enfield Rifles: Requires a . Upgrades the squad with 3 scoped Lee Enfield rifles, significantly increasing the squad's damage per second (DPS) at all ranges. Also grants the squad slightly increased vision range. These scoped rifles also have a +25% accuracy bonus against units in cover, helping to negate some cover bonuses and making them more efficient against entrenched units. As the only weapon package available to the Australians, it is a straight combat upgrade, though it has an expensive Munitions cost to acquire. While similar to the Tommy's Recce Package, this package notably does not grant any new abilities, and does not increase detection range. In comparison to a Tommy squad upgraded with a Bren LMG, the Tommy squad in this case will out-perform the Australians with scoped rifles at all ranges (though bear in mind scoped rifles are more effective against cover).

    It should be noted that once upgraded with this package, the Australian squad will no longer have weapon slots available, thus preventing them from picking up any new weapons.

Upgrades

  • Infantry Training: Grants veterancy XP and combat bonuses to veteran UKF infantry units. See page for details.

Abilities


Sharpshooter icon
Sharpshooter
Fire a single high-powered shot at the target that deals moderate damage. Targets hit are marked, making them easier to hit.
Marked targets are 20% easier to hit. Lasts %2% seconds.
Munitions Cost

35

Time Cost

60

Sharpshooter icon
Sharpshooter
Fire a single high-powered shot at the target that deals moderate damage. Targets hit are marked, making them easier to hit and are slowed for the duration.
Marked targets are 25% easier to hit and -5% slower. Lasts %3% seconds.
Munitions Cost

35

Time Cost

60

Sharpshooter icon
Sharpshooter
Fire a single high-powered shot at the target will kill a single soldier. Targets hit are marked, making them easier to hit and are slowed for the duration.
Marked targets are 25% easier to hit and -5% slower. Lasts %3% seconds.
Munitions Cost

35

Time Cost

60

Sharpshooter icon
Sharpshooter
Fire a single high-powered shot at the target that deals moderate damage. Targets hit are marked, making them easier to hit.
Marked targets are 20% easier to hit. Lasts %2% seconds.
Munitions Cost

25

Time Cost

60

Anti-tank Grenade icon
Anti-tank Grenade
Damages and temporarily slows vehicles. Causes Engine Damage on vehicles that reach 50% health or below.
Munitions Cost

30

Time Cost

15

Concealment icon
Concealment
The squad gains camouflage when in cover and out of combat. Unit is invisible to enemies unless they get too close.

Note: Abilities not listed below such as anti-tank grenade and concealment, are not available in skirmishes.

  • Sharpshooter: Active ability available by default. Spends Munitions to fire a single shot at the targeted enemy infantry unit. This shot deals a significant amount of damage to one soldier in the targeted squad, and after it lands the enemy squad is marked for a short duration, making them easier to hit. Note that this ability has a minimum range, making it unavailable for use in close quarters.

    This ability scales with veterancy levels, improving its effects at higher levels.

    • Veterancy level 1: Sharpshooter ability now also slows the target.

    • Veterancy level 2: Sharpshooter ability will now always kill an enemy soldier.

    Overall this ability by default will improve the odds of winning a fight due to the burst damage and increased damage per second for a short duration. Focus firing while an enemy unit is marked is advised in order take advantage of the increased damage it can receive. At higher veterancy levels, the ability's strength is increased significantly, as at level 1 the added slowing effect makes it even easier to take down a targeted squad, while at level 2 the ability is now guaranteed to 'snipe' an enemy model near instantaneously, as opposed to just dealing damage. As a downside, repeated usage of this ability will require an abundance of Munitions as this cost can quickly add up.

Construction Options

Note: Australians can construct nearly the same things the can, with the exception of land mines which is replaced with the Sangar Wall.

  • Sandbags: Creates a line of heavy cover that can be utilized by infantry. Counts as an obstacle that can vaulted over by infantry. Can be crushed by most vehicles.

  • Barbed Wire Fence: Creates barbed wire that cannot be passed through by infantry, but can be crushed by any vehicle.

  • Tank Traps: Creates a series of tank traps that cannot be passed through by most vehicles. They also act as scattered heavy cover for infantry. These are hardy obstacles that are durable to damage and cannot be crushed by anything but the heaviest of vehicles.

  • : Constructs an emplacement armed with a frontal facing HMG. Effective against infantry and will suppress/pin with sustained fire. Note the UKF version of this is built directly, and thus costs more Manpower but no Munitions due to bypassing the need of upgrading an existing structure.

  • Sangar Wall: Creates a unique defensive structure available only to the . Essentially a sandbag plus barbed wire combo in one structure, creating one sided cover in a more time-efficient manner compared to building multiple sandbags and barbed wire separately.

  • Resource Cache: Constructs a resource cache over a captured resource node at a Manpower cost. Resource Caches increase the resource granted from its node by 50% (Munitions or Fuel). Does not increase Manpower income if built over a Manpower node. The territory itself cannot be captured until the structure is destroyed.

Additional construction options can be found below with certain battlegroup perks.

Australian Defense Battlegroup

  • Reinforced Resoure Cache: Only available when the perk of the same name is acquired. Replaces the default Resource Cache for the UKF. Allows and to construct Reinforced Resource Caches which have significantly higher health and a significantly lower Manpower cost to build.

  • : Only available when the perk of the same name is acquired. Allows and to construct Artillery Trip Wire Flares for a Munitions cost. Upon triggering, deploys a flare which reveals the area for a short duration once triggered, while simultaneously calling in a single artillery shell onto the area.

  • Defensive Tactics: Allows and to construct the and the 17 Pounder Anti-Tank Gun Emplacement.

    • : Emplacement that can target aircraft. Also effective against infantry and light vehicles. Has no set up time, no arc of fire, rotates quite quickly, and has long range.

    • 17 Pounder Anti-Tank Gun Emplacement: Emplacement that is essentially a stationary structure version of the , with similar range, damage, and penetration values. Can gain access to this earlier than the 'mobile' unit version. Has a slow rotation rate but no set up time.

Weapons


Lee-enfield-australian-uk-sp
Near
Mid
Far
Accuracy0.770.650.38
Range72035
Penetration1.500
14
  • Unlike Tommies, the Australian rifles have a standard damage curve. This means they deal the most damage per second (DPS) at close range, and deal less DPS at longer ranges. Compared to Tommies whom have an extremely linear damage curve, Australians perform better at closer ranges less than 20 meters, but perform worse at longer ranges beyond this.

  • Their Scoped Lee Enfield rifle variant has a +25% accuracy bonus against units in cover, helping to negate some cover bonuses and making the squad overall more efficient in fighting entrenched units.

    • Once upgraded with the scoped rifle package, the squad's DPS is increased significantly at all ranges, especially at medium and long range.


Change Log

1.7.0 Onyx Shark July 16 2024

Australian Light Infantry 

  • Accuracy increased 0.72/0.61/0.35 to 0.77/0.65/0.38 

  • Rifle damage increased from 12 to 14 

  • Scoped Rifle damage increased from 14 to 16 

1.6.1 Hotfix April 11 2024

  • Accuracy increased from 65/55/35 to 72/61/35 (short/medium/far). (Wiki note: These values are listed as %)

  • Increased Sharpshooter penetration from 1 to 2. (Wiki note: This allows the ability to work against all infantry targets even if they have higher armour values).

1.6 'Coral Viper' April 2 2024

  • Australian Defense Battlegroup added to the game.