Stuart Stuff Poll

The Stuart works as well as the Puma and AEC in in the light vehicle phase, but its high-armour, low penetration design drops off hard once medium tanks roll out.

I made some suggestions to help it scale in another thread that were well-received, so here's a poll.

Stuart Skillshot

The Stuart's Point Blank Engine Shot is an amazing ability on paper. However, everyone who's used it knows firsthand how much of a mess the implementation is.

A solution is to turn it into a manually targeted skill-shot, like the Firefly's Tulips or the Pershing's HVAP round.

Give it 150 penetration up to Range 10, then have that rapidly drop off to 0 by Range 20.

150 penetration means it'll penetrate the rear armour of anything (it's meant to be an engine shot!), but it can bounce if you fire it at the front of mediums up.

You've now turned the Engine Shot from an unusuable ability to one with a lot of tactical depth.

Stuart Smoke

Give the Stuart a smoke discharger ability like the AEC, but lock it behind Major.

This gives the Stuart the survivability it needs to function in the mid-late game without messing up the balance of the light vehicle phase.

No to Stuart buff.

Yes to Stuart adjustment.

secound question is biased (ofc it would scale better), but the question is: does it need it? already more than enough o-shit-i-got-outplayed-smoke in the game

I don't think the Stuart needs smoke at all. It already has a panic escape ability in a sense. If you want a survivability buff I think it would be fair to reduce its target size to 18, the same as Panzer II, Valentine or T-70.

secound question is biased (ofc it would scale better), but the question is: does it need it? already more than enough o-shit-i-got-outplayed-smoke in the game

It's a light vehicle based around debuffing larger tanks. It's not going to survive in mid-late outside 1v1 on its 400 HP and 80 armour.

It needs sight blockers, but it doesn't necessarily need a smoke discharger on the Stuart itself. You could use the Sherman's launcher to support it.

secound question is biased (ofc it would scale better), but the question is: does it need it? already more than enough o-shit-i-got-outplayed-smoke in the game

That's a fair point. Too late to edit it now though.

That's a fair point. Too late to edit it now though.

Tell me what you want it to be and I can change it around.

Tell me what you want it to be and I can change it around.

It'll be a little unfair to change the question on a poll people have already answered, so delete the smoke discharger question perhaps?

The skill-shot is the main thrust of the thread anyway.

My only concern with the skill shot engine damage is that it runs the risk of making the Stuart more Supreme in the light vehicle matchup. Get halfway in range of a luchs and it's doomed. I love the smoke and love the spirit of the skill shot but am fearful... I remember the dark days of the Stuart 100% shutting down any light vehicle play at all...

Stuart doesn't really need smoke because it's armor is already good enough to deal with Luches and 222. Any more and it's a little too dominant versus lights I think. The skill shot is an interesting idea- I personally have NEVER seen engine shot used so it definitely needs changed if the balance team has the inkling to look at it while it's in scope.

Stuart doesn't really need smoke because it's armor is already good enough to deal with Luches and 222. Any more and it's a little too dominant versus lights I think. The skill shot is an interesting idea- I personally have NEVER seen engine shot used so it definitely needs changed if the balance team has the inkling to look at it while it's in scope.

Reread the op for the smoke. They want it locked behind the major so it's not for use against 222s but panzer4s and what not. It's a scaling measure that will have no effect on lights at all

My only concern with the skill shot engine damage is that it runs the risk of making the Stuart more Supreme in the light vehicle matchup. Get halfway in range of a luchs and it's doomed. I love the smoke and love the spirit of the skill shot but am fearful... I remember the dark days of the Stuart 100% shutting down any light vehicle play at all...

It depends on the aim time and scatter on the skilshot.

Try hitting a moving Luchs with a Firefly.

Reread the op for the smoke. They want it locked behind the major so it's not for use against 222s but panzer4s and what not. It's a scaling measure that will have no effect on lights at all

Wouldn't you say the Stuart's stun ability already allows it to sometimes escape the P4 though? I really am not sure if the Stuart needs, or, for lack of better word, deserves smoke.

I would think the Stuart is already possibly the most survivable light tank.

As I have said before, however, if someone were to attempt to buff the survivability a bit, giving it the same RA as every other light tank might be a good change. It is currently 19 to every other light tank's 18.

There is also a question as to whether even that change is necessary considering the Stuart's 1.5s long aim time disadvantage it had up until this point will soon be gone.

Wouldn't you say the Stuart's stun ability already allows it to sometimes escape the P4 though? I really am not sure if the Stuart needs, or, for lack of better word, deserves smoke.

If it's simply a question of survival, yes. But if you just want the Stuart to survive, you might as well leave it in your base.

Point Blank Engine Shot and Shell Shock have a shared cooldown. If the Stuart uses either for its intended purpose, Shell Shock is no longer available as an escape tool.

If the Stuart doesn't use either for their intended purpose, it's essentially useless beyond the light vehicle phase.

I would think the Stuart is already possibly the most survivable light tank.

It's not. Its 80 armour is only good for completely, unnecessarily dominating multiple 222s.
Anything above and including a Puma will punch straight through that, leaving the Stuart no more durable than the AEC or Puma.

What allows the AEC and Puma to scale past the light vehicle phase is their decent penetration and their escape smoke. The Stuart has neither.

As I have said before, however, if someone were to attempt to buff the survivability a bit, giving it the same RA as every other light tank might be a good change. It is currently 19 to every other light tank's 18.

There is also a question as to whether even that change is necessary considering the Stuart's 1.5s long aim time disadvantage it had up until this point will soon be gone.

That won't change the fact that it's only got 75 penetration.

No to Stuart buff.

Yes to Stuart adjustment.

I'm up for giving it the Jackson's AoE if that means it's decent at its actual job.

I'm up for giving it the Jackson's AoE if that means it's decent at its actual job.

And what’s the Stuart’s actual job? Enlighten us.

And what’s the Stuart’s actual job? Enlighten us.

According to Relic's patch notes? It's meant to be an AT light vehicle.

The smoke simply isn't needed. Most other LVs get away without it, so I don't see why the Stuart would need it, either.

As for the Skillshot engine critical, I really like the idea.

According to Relic's patch notes? It's meant to be an AT light vehicle.

And it counters lights quite well. I'm not really sure if it is meant to fight mediums as a primary role, and its current abilities and sight range with veterancy allow it to support allied medium tanks or tank destroyers quite well without any penetration buffs or smoke dispensers.

I will freely admit that I have never really seen this unit as a Puma/AEC analogue, but a normal light tank with some useful (or intended to be useful in case of the snare) abilities for fighting or escaping more powerful vehicles.

Edit: Just fyi I think reworking the engine shot is a good idea. But I think smoke is too much. USF already has so much smoke on so many vehicles and units, stock and relatively accessible

It depends on the aim time and scatter on the skilshot.

Try hitting a moving Luchs with a Firefly.

That true, and as I said I like the idea, but I do think it's something for consideration.