USF Airborne Company

Airborne company is sort of underwhelming right now, seeing as its pathfinders are just significantly worse than recon support's I&R paths at both combat and utility, 4/5 of its abilities are call-in units (half of which are stock USF team weapons lmao), and p47s are still very expensive and are trash compared to other loiters unless their only target is an engine damaged heavy tank spinning in circles to maximize its broadside for the p47s ridiculous rocket width.

That's not to say it's not a useful commander: paths are still a good unit, paras are amazing, and p47s can be useful at times (although overpriced and wildly unreliable), and being able to have an HMG as CPT tech or ATG as LT tech is nice; airborne is still one of my favorite commanders. But overall the commander isn't worth picking over other commanders (cough cough Pershing), and even looking past OP heavies, still is not as good as what basically almost any other USF commander has to offer IMO.

If it were up to me, I'd say replace the weapon drops and make them pathfinder abilities. Of course, if they stayed they'd still have to be locked behind CP but that would free up two ability slots to put things that are actually commander levels of useful. It would make sense for airborne to have the p47 MG strafe that's in tactical support, and airborne would also be vastly improved if the p47 loiter was changed to a p47 rocket run that is just a copy-paste performance-wise of the IL2 rocket run in the soviet airborne doctrine. For the last ability, a copy paste of the stuka dive bomb (renamed like p47 bombing run or something) would give the commander utility for taking out LefHs and the like. These changes would probably make airborne much more usable without making it the meta commander and while staying thematic (no airdropped pershings here).

Alternatively, something I find much more interesting than a copy-paste of the IL2 rocket run would be giving pathfinders an ability to mark a tank for a rocket run that tracks like a loiter (but is still a single pass like the IL2 rocket run), but the pathfinder has to stay in range for the duration of the ability or the p47s break off and stop firing (even mid strafe). That way the strafe isn't very useful against mediums, which can easily outrun pathfinders very quickly, but becomes a credible threat to larger, slower tanks like tigers and brummbars and other heavies. Its damage could obviously be tuned and adjusted to a good spot, but it'd be much more skill-oriented and counterable than the current IL2 run.

Ur idea is great but dont put in P47 MG strafe to airborne company

trash useless skill(In fact, all MG strafe skills are same garbage)

I would like to change the Pathfinder to a 1cp call-in unit and reduce the cooldown of M1c garand
The M1c garand has a terrible cooldown, and Pathfinder's airborn carbine lacks the synergy of both weapons due to poor long range engagement

Ur idea is great but dont put in P47 MG strafe to airborne company

trash useless skill(In fact, all MG strafe skills are same garbage)

I would like to change the Pathfinder to a 1cp call-in unit and reduce the cooldown of M1c garand
The M1c garand has a terrible cooldown, and Pathfinder's airborn carbine lacks the synergy of both weapons due to poor long range engagement

The MG strafes are really buggy, but the damage they can potentially do is great. I'd imagine the bugs and UI for it would be fixed.

Alright here's my take. I like the air drop weapons a lot so I wanna keep em, BUT taking up 2 whole slots kinda sucks.... Allow pathfinder beacons to call in drops like soviet airborne base can call in medical. Boom freed up 2 whole slots for abilities. Jam in An AI strafe and a bombing run. You now have a very munitions heavy but flexible commander.

I'm just surprised that Airborne Pathfinders have 1 scoped rifle, while Recon Pathfinders have 2 despite the fact that they provide additional utility with Artillery Barrage. If anything, it should be the other way around - 2 for regular Pathfinders, 1 for I&R.

I'm just surprised that Airborne Pathfinders have 1 scoped rifle, while Recon Pathfinders have 2 despite the fact that they provide additional utility with Artillery Barrage. If anything, it should be the other way around - 2 for regular Pathfinders, 1 for I&R.

But.... airborne have 2 and I&R have 1...

I'm just surprised that Airborne Pathfinders have 1 scoped rifle, while Recon Pathfinders have 2 despite the fact that they provide additional utility with Artillery Barrage. If anything, it should be the other way around - 2 for regular Pathfinders, 1 for I&R.

As katitof said, I&Rs have the 1 scoped garand and regular have the 2. 1 scoped garand is superior anyways typically because there aren't usually enough below threshhold models to shoot at. So regular paths kinda get the bad end in both less utility and performance.

But.... airborne have 2 and I&R have 1...

As katitof said, I&Rs have the 1 scoped garand and regular have the 2. 1 scoped garand is superior anyways typically because there aren't usually enough below threshhold models to shoot at. So regular paths kinda get the bad end in both less utility and performance.

You guys are correct, my mistake. I mixed up sbps when checking in Attribute Editor.

And is it really worse to have 2? Target entities are chosen randomly, no? So if you have 2 scoped Garands in your team, there's a higher chance that either one of them will target the low-health entity.

As katitof said, I&Rs have the 1 scoped garand and regular have the 2. 1 scoped garand is superior anyways typically because there aren't usually enough below threshhold models to shoot at. So regular paths kinda get the bad end in both less utility and performance.

I am not sure if target priority for the scoped garand is low health entities. If you have 2 scoped garands, the chances of targetting a low health entity increases.

And is it really worse to have 2? Target entities are chosen randomly, no? So if you have 2 scoped Garands in your team, there's a higher chance that either one of them will target the low-health entity.

If the squad is alone, its worse, if there is rifle squad next to them, its better to have 2.

Pathfinders are force multiplier unit, not elite infantry.

The main problem of airborne is the overlap with reckon and it probably the is reckon that needs changes to make it overlap less.

Having that said and with current USF tech system weapon drops taking up to slots seems a waste a commander slot. I guess one could combine the 2 weapon drop into 1 and free a up slot for something different.

Airborne, much like soviet lend lease, is an artifact of previous tech structure of the faction, you could supplement team weapons of tier you locked yourself out of earlier.
Now its not really an issue and doctrine serves more to give team weapons to team mates then yourself, but problem with that is, it doesn't have sufficient late game to warrant using it in team games.

Rather tough nut to crack and an identity crysis of the doctrine, not much to do with other doctrines.

I am not sure if target priority for the scoped garand is low health entities. If you have 2 scoped garands, the chances of targetting a low health entity increases.

It would be interesting to see if this is missing. They don't seem to snipe units like JLI's.

Airbourne is NOT a bad commander.

It would be interesting to see if this is missing. They don't seem to snipe units like JLI's.

That's because they can't.
They snipe at 40% health, JLI at 75%.

It would be interesting to see if this is missing. They don't seem to snipe units like JLI's.

I think this is mostly due to that health cut off for snipes. Iirc, JLI can crit on entities under 75% HP, gerands only under 40% HP.

Edit: also, I think the range profile of the other squad members helps the JLI to more easily get long range crits, as I think the Kar98s are better at long range than the M1 Carbines of the pathfinders.

Airbourne is NOT a bad commander.

Yeah, I don't know how you could call it bad when it's still used so much. (Speaking about 2v2)

I personally think it's completely fine. Pathfinder crewed 50cals and M1s are scary to play against. P47 is strong for late game. Paratroopers very strong. Pathfinders themselves are good too. Great force multiplier due to recon and scoped rifles.

I dont see anyone saying its bad. There's just some things that are outdated, the weapon drop being 2 separate slots for example

P47s are also way overpriced. I think all loiters should just be replaced with something else, but if they're staying p47s could use a slight buff OR cost reduction

I dont see anyone saying its bad. There's just some things that are outdated, the weapon drop being 2 separate slots for example

P47s are also way overpriced. I think all loiters should just be replaced with something else, but if they're staying p47s could use a slight buff OR cost reduction

No. P47 is well worth the price. The weapon drops are good because the idea is to crew them with Pathfinders to get self-spotting team weapons.