Commander tweak/rework proposals

Because of Covid I am stuck in my house, so I started thinking of ways to improve underused commanders. Here’s what I came up with!

I hope you like them





Wher
Festung support rework
In this doctrine, there are not fortifications to support, so I’d recommend giving the commander Fortifications instead of the mortar half track - the LefH provides all the indirect firepower you could need.
Replace the gimmicky mobilize reserves with plain Osttruppen
I would also like to use this opportunity to give Ostheer a 60 range TD - the Jagdpanzer IV.
0cp - Jagdpanzer IV/70
0cp - Osttruppen
2cp - fortifications
8cp - LefH
12cp - sector artillery


OKW
I think all of their commanders are well balanced, so I don’t have any proposals for them.


Sov
Lend lease tactics tweaks:
Rework assault guards to fill the missing heavy infantry AT gap of the Soviets, and replace the cheesy fuel drop with a AT loiter, which the soviets are also missing.
About the historical accuracy of the Bazookas - Obersoldaten run around with 80 pound battery packs, Ostwinds, of which only 47 were built, are a tech tree unit, a single rifleman carries around a 150 pound .50 cal, and valentines fire HE shells despite none EVER being issued. This game is not 100% historically accurate, just history based. And the Soviets did receive Bazookas.
0cp - M4C Sherman
2cp - Assault Guards
~ 6 man, SVTs, Upgrades: x2 Bazookas or x3 Thompson SMGs
2cp - Dshk
5cp - Conscript repairs
~ 10cp - 37mm Cobra AT loiter
Lend-lease cobra CAS planes provide AT close air support

Soviet reserve and conscript support tactics tweaks:
Replace rapid conscription with the kv1, as the soviets need heavier tanks or off map AT to compete late game, and rapid conscription is rather gimmicky


USF
Rifle company rework:
0cp - M4A3E8 Sherman
0cp - Advanced combat training
~ Riflemen can sprint and be upgraded with camouflage, and Rear echelons can be upgraded with flamethrowers
2cp - Riflemen combat packages
~ flares, Riflemen upgrades: x4 M1 carbine, x2 scoped Garand
8cp - 105mm bulldozer Sherman
10cp - White phosphorus barrage


UKF
Special weapons regiment tweaks:
UKF only have one doctrine with rocket artillery(and it is paid) while USF now have two(with one free), so I would recommend replacing the gimmicky hold the line ability with the more useful and thematically fitting land mattress so that they have rocket artillery in one of their base commanders:
0cp - AT sections
3cp - m5 support half track
8cp - Land mattress
10cp - Vanguard operation crocodile
12cp - Concentrated artillery operation

For Festung Support I’d replace sector artillery or the lefh with the mortar HT. Probably the LeFH.

For lend lease, I fully agree with Guards having either Thompsons or Bazookas, would fill a niche for the Soviets. I would consider the .50 cal as a 4man squad for the faction but only if its setup/teardown time was nerfed, otherwise Dshka is fine. Not a fan of the Conscript repairs, I think a Valentine would be a lot more thematic since the Soviets got a lot of lend lease Valentines and they loved them as reconnaisance vehicles. M4Cs I’m not a fan of, I’d rather see themn replaced by Cromwells.

For rifle company I don’t think camouflage fits the riflemen role, I’d rather just see a 6th man sergeant that locks out weapons slots and gives 2 M1 carbines that paras get to the squad. I’d also replace the combat package with cover to cover.

I've been fooling around with retooling some of the USF commanders, as I think they either don't match their concept, or are just a mess overall. It seems we had a lot of ideas in common.

My alternative setup (including Rifle Company) is as follows:


RIFLE COMPANY:
0cp: Infantry Defenses
0cp: Advanced Weapons (RE Flamethrower, Lieut/Capt have flares, Riflemen AT Snare range increased by 30%)
0cp: Sherman E8
3cp: Rangers
9cp: 155mm Arty and Smoke Barrage (reworked 155mm strike now drops smoke over the area after the barrage finishes.)

Rifle Company has always sort of been this 'E8 and other stuff' company. It has a lot of 'ok' things going for it, but nothing else really stands out. That it was even more munition intensive than normal USF really limited what you could do with it.

Changes therefor revolve around giving the Company more impact abilities, fewer munitions sinks, more unit unlocks, and a greater focus on diversifying your infantry selections. Rangers are the newest addition, adding strong CQC or AT units. Flares being moved to the Lieutenant / Captain helps those units carve out a niche that riflemen can't fulfill. While Riflemen remain important for their improved AT snares, and early game dominance from Sandbags and Mines. The redesigned 155mm Barrage now works similar to Artillery Assault, giving Rifle Company a lategame way to forcibly take over an area.


ARMOR COMPANY:
0cp: Veteran Vehicle Crews
0cp: Reserve Armor (Bulldozer Sherman upgrade and 76mm Sherman unlock)
0cp: M10 Wolverine
6cp: White Phosphorus Barrage
10cp: Sherman Calliope

Armor Company has always been sort of a strange duck in my opinion. Assault Engineers were its primary selling point in the early game despite having very little to do with the Company theme. The Sherman 105, while a powerful tool, isn't really what came to mind when you thought of American Armor, and the 240mm Barrage was almost a wasted slot with its insane munitions cost and low reliability.

The changes made to Armor Company therefor revolve around pushing its vehicular theme while making sure to stay far away from Heavy Cav and Mechanized in design. Veteran Vehicle Crews and the M10 remain as reliable stables for the Company, while Reserve Armor gives its Shermans some extra punch. White Phospherous is one of the best tools for dislodging AT gun positions in the lategame, and combines well with the factions gameplan, while the Sherman Calliope gives the faction a unique tool that will keep it powerful in the late game.


URBAN ASSAULT:
0cp: Assault Kits: (Sherman WP Shells, Riflemen Camouflage, RE Incendiary Grenades)
0cp: Assault Engineers
4cp: Cover to Cover
6cp: Sherman 105
12cps: 240mm Barrage (Probable rework of ability needed)

Urban Assault is probably the one I'll catch the most flack about, but its design has never sat right with me. Rocket Artillery, Rifle Grenade Spam, and Rangers never felt like units that make sense in a short range, in your face sort of faction. This is probably the most imcomplete of my designs, but I would get some questions about how you get Assault Engineers or the 105 Sherman otherwise.

The redesign focuses on reworking the early game a bit. Incendiary Grenades aren't quite as mandatory now that the Faction has Assault Engineers, which in turn allows me to give Riflemen some ambush and scouting potential from Camouflage. Cover to Cover remains a potent tool, while the Sherman 105 gives the Faction a strong lategame, but infantry smasher. The 240mm is probably the weakest remaining piece, and I'd like to see it reworked a bit. I feel like most Companies strength is dependent on if they can be useful the entire way though, and while the 105 Sherman is quite good, it needs a good calldown if it wants to compete with things like Calliopes and Pershings.

Wow usually when I post something a 3 page argument ensues about something not even related to my post

I wonder what I did different this time

Red Army
Lend lease tactics tweaks:
Rework assault guards to fill the missing heavy infantry AT gap of the Soviets, and replace the cheesy fuel drop with a AT loiter, which the soviets are also missing.
About the historical accuracy of the Bazookas - Obersoldaten run around with 80 pound battery packs, Ostwinds, of which only 47 were built, are a tech tree unit, a single rifleman carries around a 150 pound .50 cal, and valentines fire HE shells despite none EVER being issued. This game is not 100% historically accurate, just history based. And the Soviets did receive Bazookas.
0cp - M4A2(76)W "Sherman"
2cp - Assault Guards
~ 6 man, SVTs, Upgrades: x2 Bazookas or x3 Thompson SMGs
2cp - Dshk
5cp - Conscript repairs
~ 10cp - 37mm Cobra AT loiter
Lend-lease cobra CAS planes provide AT close air support

I believe you know, that there is no P-39/P-63 model in the game. There are three planes in the game, which were used by Red Army, so maybe try out ideas around them:
- IL-2; Currently has almost all variants of abilities.
- P-47 "Thunderbolt"; Wasn't used widely as ground support plane. Also, the skin is USAAF.
- C-47 "Skytrain" (and his soviet licensed copy Li-2); Not even a fighter, but probably some other type of ability can be brainstormed. Also, the skin is USAAF.

A more interesting approach for Soviet Lend Lease would be:

M4A2(76)

Universal Carrier w/DsHK: Imagine a Vickers K Carrier but with higher pen and damage, offset by lower moving performance and shorter bursts.

Assault Guards: 3x Thompson + 3x SVT. Can Oorah at vet 1. Halftrack can drop Bazookas. Guards and Shocks receive Elite Bazooka.

Airdrop Fuel

IL-2 Rocket Strafe

This brings an interesting and unique LV option for Soviet T2 and focuses the doctrine more around anti-tank, with HVAP Emcha, Bazooka access, and IL-2 rockets. Since IL-2 rockets seem to be a point of contention, I have no qualms substituting that for any other off map; I just thought it would be cool to see some newer abilities in older doctrines.

I believe you know, that there is no P-39/P-63 model in the game. There are three planes in the game, which were used by Red Army, so maybe try out ideas around them:
- IL-2; Currently has almost all variants of abilities.
- P-47 "Thunderbolt"; Wasn't used widely as ground support plane. Also, the skin is USAAF.
- C-47 "Skytrain" (and his soviet licensed copy Li-2); Not even a fighter, but probably some other type of ability can be brainstormed. Also, the skin is USAAF.

I know, but it looks very similar to the p47, and you barely ever glimpse the planes during loiters anyways, so I would say just use the p47.

If the mod team can’t stand this then replace it with the p47 rocket strike maybe

The IL-2 had 37mm NS gun pods.