Support infantry that can provide limited anti-infantry combat support, repairs, and build defenses. Can reveal nearby camouflaged units. Combined Arms bonuses when near combat vehicles.
The Panzerpioneer Squad is a DAK infantry unit. In skirmishes a single Panzerpioneer Squad will always spawn as a starting unit, and additional squads can be produced from the
As an engineer unit it is capable of repairing damaged vehicles and emplacements, constructing defences and resource caches, as well as laying mines. They can be upgraded with one of three packages, including a flamethrower, minesweeper, or grenade launcher. More info about their upgrades and associated abilities can be found below.
The Panzerpioneer also counts as a detector unit, allowing them to reveal enemy camouflaged units at a larger 25 meter range instead of the usual 12.5 range.
Unlike other factions, the DAK are not reliant on only Panzerpioneers to repair, as many of their infantry units are also capable of repairing. However, these infantry repair at a lower rate compared to Panzerpioneers. As with most DAK infantry, Panzerpioneers receive the Combined Arms bonus when near combat vehicles, making it ideal to fight near vehicles when possible. They also benefit from several Battlegroup perks, as well as various upgrades from the
Panzerpioneers are armed with rifles instead of submachine guns, and so their damage curve is far more linear compared to other engineer units. This means that while they will not have a surprising burst of damage when in close quarters, they are far more consistent at farther ranges whereas other engineer units are only effective at close range.
While this unit is fairly lacking in durability and damage (especially as it has one of the lowest health in the game), it is a very cheap squad to produce and field. By default they are most effective in numbers and when supporting other units that are more suited for direct combat, especially when fighting with vehicles that grant them the Combined Arms bonus. As with other engineer units, upgrading them with one of their available packages can dramatically increase their utility and combat effectiveness.
Note that units that are performing repairs/construction will take significantly increased damage from enemy fire. Thus, be careful when ordering these tasks in a fight!
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Stun Grenade: Active ability. Throws a stun grenade at the target area which will debilitate infantry by disabling their weapons and greatly reducing their movement speed and vision range for a few seconds. The Panzerpioneer squad throwing the stun grenade cannot stun themselves, but the grenade can affect other friendly troops. Note that the duration still continues even if the affected infantry retreats after being stunned (but not if already retreating), meaning they will still be slowed until the duration ends.
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Advanced Hazard Removal Package: Equips the squad with one Minesweeper, allows the squad to destroy barbed wire via the Wire Cutters ability, and increases the squad's repair rate. While the Minesweeper is equipped, any nearby enemy mines the squad encounters will automatically be detected, revealing it and preventing it from triggering regularly (can still explode from being damaged). The squad can then defuse the mine (either automatically or by right click from the player), removing it from the field completely. Note that the soldier holding the Minesweeper effectively has no weapon, so in combat situations the squad will actually deal less damage. The Minesweeper can be unequipped or equipped via a toggle ability, allowing the squad member to use his weapon again but forgo detecting mines if the Minesweeper is not equipped.
Flammenwerfer 35: Grants the squad one flamethrower. The flamethrower is very effective against units in cover or garrisoned inside structures, but it cannot be fired on the move. Overall the weapon dramatically improves the squad's anti-infantry and anti-structure performance. If the entire squad is killed, the flamethrower will drop to the ground and can be picked up by any infantry with available weapon slots, including the enemy!
GrB 39 Grenade Launcher: Grants the squad one grenade launcher, as well as the Smoke Rifle Grenade ability. The grenade launcher uses indirect fire projectiles that land with a small blast radius, creating area of effect damage. Due to the projectile's travel time it is less effective against moving targets, though it boasts impressive range for a small arms weapon. As such, it is effective against stationary targets especially infantry in cover or garrisoned, though it can damage light vehicles too. If the entire squad is killed the grenade launcher will drop to the ground and can be picked up by any infantry with available weapon slots, including the enemy!
Note that once the squad has been upgraded, this decision cannot be reversed/changed.
Veteran Squad Leaders: Globally adds combat bonuses to all infantry. +25% veterancy rate gain, -10% incoming damage. Increases Panzergrenadier squad size by 1.
Advanced Field Repairs: Globally increases the repair speed of all infantry by +2.5 health a second.
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Combined Arms: Passive ability. The squad will gain +10% accuracy, +15% movement speed, and -10% received accuracy when near friendly vehicles. This encourages fighting while near friendly vehicles due to substantial combat bonuses.
Repair: By default Panzerpioneers can repair at the standard engineer rate of +8 health per second. Their repair rate can be increased with the Advanced Field Repairs upgrade from the Armory, increasing it by an additional +2.5 per second for a total of +10.5 per second.
Minesweeper Toggle: Toggle ability only available when the squad is upgraded with Advanced Hazard Removal Package. Toggles equipping or un-equipping the minesweeper. While the minesweeper is equipped the squad can detect mines. Note that while the Minesweeper is equipped, one squad member effectively has no weapon in combat and thus the squad will deal less damage overall.
Smoke Rifle Grenade: Active ability. Available only when equipped with GrB 39 Grenade Launcher. Fires a smoke round at the target area, creating a smoke cloud that obscures line of sight. Smoke is useful for a variety of offensive and defensive purposes.
Wire Cutters: Active ability only available when the squad is upgraded with Advanced Hazard Removal Package. Allows the squad to remove a targeted barbed wire section.
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: Creates barbed wire that cannot be passed through by infantry, but can be crushed by any vehicle.
Schu-Mine 42: Lays down a mine that is triggered when any enemy units pass over it. The explosion is significantly damaging to infantry and will initially suppress them. Also deals significant damage to light vehicles, and guarantees 'Engine Damaged' to any vehicle.
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 gained from the Defensive Operations perk available within the Italian Infantry Battlegroup (see below for more info).
This unit can benefit or unlock additional capabilities below:
Salvage Kits: Enables Panzerpioneers and Panzergrenadiers to use the Rapid Salvage active ability. Rapid Salvage will salvage a targeted vehicle wreck for resources, granting more fuel proportional to how expensive the wrecked unit was (i.e heavier tanks will salvage for more than light vehicles).
Vehicle Support - Secure Location: Passive ability. Increases the capture and decapture rate of infantry when they are near vehicles.
Vehicle Support - Force Recon: Passive ability. Increases the vision range of infantry when they are near vehicles.
Territory Booby Traps: Enables Panzerpioneers and Guastatori to plant Booby Traps on captured territory and Victory points. These traps are triggered after a short delay when an enemy unit (including vehicles) moves into the capture radius.
Defensive Operations: Enables Panzerpioneers and Guastatori to build Teller Mines, Tank Traps, HMG Bunkers and Reinforced Barbed Wire.
Teller Mines: Lays down more expensive mines that only triggers upon vehicle contact. Deals far more damage than regular mines, and is quite capable of taking down many light vehicles on its own. Guaranteed to cause 'Engined Damaged' state to 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.
HMG Bunker: Construct a directional facing HMG bunker for Manpower costs. The HMG bunker effectively acts as a stationary HMG structure that can suppress enemy infantry.
Reinforced Barbed Wire: Replaces the regular Barbed Wire construction option. Creates a line of reinforced barbed wire that cannot be crushed by several light vehicles. Takes slightly longer to build compared to regular barbed wire.
Intel Disruption Beacon: Enables Panzerpioneers, Panzergrenadiers and Funkpanzerwagens to construct Intel Disruption Beacons (
Sector Subterfuge: Enables Panzerpioneers, Panzergrenadiers and Funkpanzerwagens to construct Siphon Radio Beacons (
Plunder: Plunder a vehicle wreck for leftover weapons that is dependent on the wreck being an Allied or Axis vehicle. This perk conflicts with Transfer Depots.
Panzergrenadiers - M1918 BAR or Breda 30 Light Machine Gun.
Assault Grenadiers - Thompson SMGs or StG 44 Assault Rifles.
Panzerjäger Squad - Panzerbuchse AT Rifle or M9 Bazooka.
Panzerpioneers - M1919 Light Machine Gun or G43 Scoped Rifle.
Transfer Depots: Resource Caches are upgraded to the
Advanced Ambush Training: Improves the First-Strike ambush accuracy bonus of infantry squads from +40% to +50%, damage bonus from +25% to +35%, and the duration is increased from 5 seconds to 7.5 seconds.
Kar98k-panzerpioneer-ak | Near | Mid | Far |
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Accuracy | 0.75 | 0.688 | 0.625 |
Range | 7 | 22 | 35 |
Penetration | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
Panzerpioneer
Accuracy increased from 0.6/0.55/0.5 to 0.75/0.688/0.625