Sander's personal balance changes

ATGs now spawn at their production building
> DOnt make this change for USF because it is 100% get stucked inside the base.

I like most of these changes.

Not sure about the adjustments to the Command Panzer IV though. Restricting the aura to not work on teammates would take a teamplay element out of the game and would be inconsistant with other auras. So we might want to keep the buffs away from it and keep it as is.

Is there any official word about all or any these changes making it into the game? It is from a member of the patch team after all. There must be some communication about it.

HI Sander,
it would nice if the p-47 strafe in the "Tactical support commander" would get some love. Right now the ability is rather weak AND very expensive.
Considering that the US had the biggest air power in WW2 it would be nice if the faction would get another good air attack.

I wouldn't mind changing it to become more consistent, but I don't know much about airplane ability stats so I'd have to refer to Miragefla for specific changes.

What's best in Sander's changes is the polish and cleanup.

There's a lot of junk left in the game like improper XP values and unfitting veterancy. I'm glad these are getting attention from veterans.

Some of the disputed changes should be put to voting. Personally I would like to have one on the schreck changes.

So far this is the most reasonable patch notes I've red since 2017 winter patch, especially nerfs to f%king flares and scoped elefant

Love the patch changes.

Of course being a German player, love all the changes made, especially the JLI upgrade (if this patch is somehow invoked, I can play Elite Troops again).

OKW needed the most work and it showed in your patch notes. This would make them viable but not OP.

If I may suggest something for Fallschims, instead of removing an upgrade entirely, how about changing them to something along the lines of what you suggest. Remove the nuke nade and add a Sabotage package? Let them have an AI grenade similar to shocks and add a sabotage package?

Sabotage Package - 50 munitions (Once Heavy Panzer is built)

Access to satchel charge, access to smoke grenade (similar munitions)

If I may suggest something for Fallschims, instead of removing an upgrade entirely, how about changing them to something along the lines of what you suggest. Remove the nuke nade and add a Sabotage package? Let them have an AI grenade similar to shocks and add a sabotage package?

Sabotage Package - 50 munitions (Once Heavy Panzer is built)

Access to satchel charge, access to smoke grenade (similar munitions)

Falls need a deeper rework, cuz right now they are only marginally worse than an lmg ober squad at long range (actually they deal more dps, but have worse dps preservation), while being far more effective at medium and close range (they are only marginally worse than stg obers at close range dps wise). This combined with their earlier availability, a timed dps buff plus a very decent air support that can reinforce them anywhere results in a squad that in blobs can melt any soft (infantry and lightly armored vehicles) opposition anywhere. I mean sure, it is fun to use them, but very annoying to deal with them. And with a little micro they can be made even more effective by using their ambush capability.

My proposal would be to put more focus on their ambush capability, make them more reliant on it, similar to stormtroopers and commandos. Despite these two examples are close range focused I found them very effective even on open maps when their camoflage is properly used, I just love sneaking all the way up and clearing out 1-2 squads (or just simply provide sight).
In fact OKW lacks an infantry with camouflage that lasts for a while after leaving cover, falls seems a good candidate for that.

I like 90% of the suggestions in your updated changes list, but there are some things I disagree with or have a different take on. I've played all 1v1 faction match-ups in the past few weeks, instead of just those including Wehrmacht, so I feel I can have a decent opinion about most of the changes.

OKW

Flak HT 251/17

The 251/17 is still not very popular due to how vulnerable it is, and how clumsy it is to use. By giving it slightly higher penetration, it should hopefully be slightly better at fending off enemy light vehicles. Veterancy requirements are reduced to help it scale faster to make it a more competitive choice compared to the Mechanized HQ light vehicles.

• Penetration from 30/30/30 to 40/40/40
  
• Veterancy requirements from 880/1760/3520/4750/5750 to 790/1580/3160/4270/5120.

The Flak HT is already very popular in 1v1, just check recent OKW matches here and you'Il see the majority of matches include it: https://www.youtube.com/c/Propagandacast/videos. Making it harder to dive by increasing its penetration is fine, but I don't agree with lowering veterancy requirements and letting it reach its extremely potent vet 2 bonus earlier.

It can really shut down infantry play hard, with the ability to suppress even infantry in green cover quickly. Especially Soviets have a hard time against it, because there's a 2-3 minute window before the T70 where only an AT gun can force it away, which can only be in one place at a time. Handheld AT, snares and mines don't really work against this kind of vehicle. It's harder to use against UKF because of the AEC, but if the AEC's starting damage gets reduced like you suggested, this should become easier.

Tiger II

The Tiger II is in a fairly good spot since the last changes, but its very high population cost makes it hard to give it the support it needs in order to function well. To improve synergy between the Tiger II and the rest of the army composition, its population cost is being lowered.

• Population cost from 23 to 21

The King Tiger is already really potent against an opponent that is less than perfectly prepared. It didn't get its AoE buffs partially reverted like most other heavies, so has some of the best AI of all heavies. For what it requires your opponent to get to counter it, I think 23 pop is fine.

You can get the following 100 pop army with a King Tiger:
- 4 STG volks
- 1 Sturmpioneer
- 1 MG
- 2 Raketens
- 1 le.IG
- 1 P4 J
- 1 King Tiger

Which is a strong campy build against any non-popcap-abusing allied army composition, except it lacks a light vehicle, which you could maybe swap out a team weapon or Volk for if you kept it alive.

Opel Blitz truck

Now that it has a healing option and has become more like an ambulance than a halftrack, the unit’s health is being reduced to make it more vulnerable. This should discourage its use as a frontline unit.

• Health from 240 to 160
  
• Armor from 7/5 to 4/1.8 (same as Ambulance)

I don't see much of an issue in using it as a frontline unit. Compared to a 251, it's less mobile, has less hp, no back-up healing in base (if you went Mechanized) and has slower and clunkier healing (AoE though, also clunkier is a bit imo). I don't think I've ever seen it used on higher levels, but would like to see a replay/cast if there is, be it 1v1 or 2v2, out of interest, not scepticism.

Artillery Flares (Special Operations)

Due to the uncounterable nature of the artillery flares, the ability is being overhauled completely. Instead, it will now give a vision bonus to units which should be very useful when fighting in a particular area.

• No longer gives vision on its own
  
• Flares are now a visual indicator only (that the ability is being used)
  
• Now gives every (player owned) unit within proximity of the ability +50% sight range for the duration of the ability
  
• Ability is now activated by designating a particular resource sector. Ability is extended to all adjacent territory sectors

Sounds like a useless ability. OKW already has the Uhu and Puma for "frontline" sight. In addition, the Command Panther has 50 sight and gives nearby vehicles +15 sight in an 80 range radius, which stacks with both the Puma and Uhu. It would also change the role of the ability allot. In any case it would be fun to see an Uhu with 142.5 sight though, that's even higher than the old vet 2 222 + spotting scope combo.

Here's my rework idea:
- Allow all medium/heavy tanks to order Artillery flares, similar to the Mobile Observation post 251.
- Because of reduced flexibility (requires a tank and has limited call-in range) price is reduced from 60 to 50 munitions.

105mm Howitzer Barrage (Scavenge)

This barrage is a good offmap with a unique mechanic, but due to the very high requirements this unique mechanic is rarely applied in practice. Splitting up the requirements into smaller chunks should make it more viable to use this ability strategically.

• Interval requirements changed from 5 extra shells per 300 munitions interval to 2 extra shells per 100 munitions interval

IIRC it works like this last time I checked: normal amount of shells at 180 munitions, 5 more shells at 300 munitions, 5 more at 400 munitions, 5 more at 500 munitions, 5 more at 600 munitions (where it's capped). What the ability guide says is not correct.

Ostheer

T1 / BP1 adjustments

In order to make strategies to rush Panzergrenadiers and light vehicles on top of T0 call-in infantry slightly less potent, tech fuel costs are being reshuffled. This should make Grenadier-based strategies more attractive.

• Fuel cost of Infanterie Kompanie (T1) from 10 to 0
  
• Fuel cost of Battlephase 1 from 40 to 50

This could work to make Panzergrenadier rush strats less potent, but also streamlines Ostheer's teching even further. I also think it's just Osttruppen builds that are the issue, not Assault Grenadiers or the Jaeger Infantry T1 skip with just Pios and MG's, which this change also nerfs.

I'd reduce the effiency of Osttruppen and effectiveness of Panzergrenadiers a bit instead:
- Osttruppen cost from 200 to 220 manpower.
- Osttruppen faust range from 18 to 15. They don't need extended faust range, because they're not nearly as vulnerable as Grenadiers against light vehicles. In addition, you should have so many tellers with Osttruppen builds, that light vehicles aren't much of an issue.
- Remove Panzergrenadier's split up veterancy. RA reduction at vet 2 only and accuracy bonus at vet 3 only. The timing change was enough to make them really strong, the veterancy change on top of that makes them OP.

I'd also like to see the extra range on the bundle nade with veterancy removed, as well as on the light gammon bomb, it's really cancerous. Osttruppen should scale a little bit better by changing the accuracy modifier on their T4 lmg from x0.5 to x0.75 or by letting their lmg have better accuracy in cover.

Field First Aid (Grenadier and Pioneer veterancy 1 ability)

Cost is being adjusted to better reflect the performance, more in line with the faction's already heavy dependance on munitions, to make them more viable to use.

• Cost from 15 munitions to 10 munitions.

Make this a veterancy 3 bonus. 10 munitions would be too cost-effective in the early game, but perfectly fine in the mid/late game.

Teller Mines

Adjusting the performance and cost of Teller Mines should both increase their availability and make them less oppressive for the enemy, giving a positive net result. With these changes they will no longer instantly kill light vehicles, and will require a follow up (Panzerfaust etc.) to finish one.

• Cost reduced from 50 munitions to 40 munitions
  
• Damage from 400 to 320
  
• Now guarantees a heavy engine damage critical on light vehicles

I'm 50/50 about this. It does make Tellers less impactful when they're placed aggressively, but forces Ostheer to make a 222 even more to finish of strangled vehicles. Also, a Stuart crew would just be able to hop out and crit repair the engine damage.

I'd cripple the light vehicle even further:
- Cost reduced from 50 munitions to 40 munitions
- Damage from 400 to 320
- Now guarantees a heavy engine damage critical and main gun destroyed on light vehicles

Now USF only has a 50/50 chance for an easy escape, because only 1 crit can be repaired.

Veteran Squad Leader (German Infantry)

-10% received accuracy modifier removed

Jaeger Light Infantry upgrade (G43 Grenadiers)

• CP requirement from 2 to 1
  
• Now gives a total of 3 G43s to Grenadiers
  
• Now takes 1 weapon slot
  
• Cost from 45 munitions to 60
  
• Reduced moving accuracy of Gren G43 so that now three rifles have the same total moving DPS as two rifles had previously.
  
• In light of Grenadier G43 changes, Jaeger Command Squad will now receive 2x PGren G43 instead of 3x Gren G43 to let them keep their firepower advantage over a regular Grenadier squad

I think VSL Grens are only too strong early on, but not that strong once Allied infantry is fully kitted out. The G43 changes sound too complicated and impactful (CP reduction is cool though). I'd do the following instead:

All Grenadiers:
- Now get an additional -5% RA at veterancy 3.

VSL Grenadiers:
- RA bonus reduced from -10% to -5%.

G43 Grenadiers:
- Now get an additional -5% RA bonus.

This would be a slight buff for LMG Grenadiers, a modest buff for G43 Grenadiers and VSL Grenadiers would start a bit weaker, but have the same performance as in the current patch once they reach vet 3. You could nerf VSL Grens a bit further by reducing the cooldown bonus if necessary.

Panzer Tactician

Panzer Tactician is too easy to use because it deploys smoke instantly. By adding a delay, it will become slightly less powerful.

• Now has a 0.5s delay before deploying

Would be great if this got extended to all YOLO smoke (besides OKW Flak HT). It would also be great if all snares would be able to target vehicles inside of smoke instead of just AT nades. It's infuriating if you can't snare a vehicle in range because it popped smoke: https://www.twitch.tv/pauladsic/clip/UnusualHotPhoneOneHand?filter=clips&range=all&sort=time

Relief Infantry
Relief Infantry is a very weak ability. It is being adjusted in order to make it more attractive to use.
Ability no longer gives Osstruppen squads to replace losses, but instead gives a manpower bonus of ~15 per casualty sustained while the ability is active

This still sounds too situational to be worth it, unless it would be made very cheap but with a very long cooldown. I like abilities that are situational, but it shouldn't be necessary to pull out a calculator during a match to check if using an ability is worth its cost.

I'd change the ability to do the following:
- CP cost reduced from 6 to 3.
- If you lose an infantry squad (Pioneer, Grenadier, Panzergrenadier) during the ability duration, it will be replaced with an Osttruppen squad (limited to 1 per use).
- Ability duration reduced from 60 to 30 seconds.
- Cost reduced from 90 to 70 munitions.
- Osttruppen squad has the ability to make sandbags (not wires or trenches) and starts with vet 1, so it's not completely useless at the time it arrives.

Yes, it compensates misplays, but it would at least be useful. You'd use it if you're sure a squad is about to get wiped; for example, if your retreating Grenadier squad has 1 model left and you see Shocktroopers on your retreat path.

Another option would be replacing Relief Infantry with a call-in Osttruppen squad that carries AT-rifles and has special AT abilities. Maybe not for Lightning War, but it would be cool for Festung Support, which is currently a very lackluster commander.

Soviets

HM-38 120mm mortar

The HM-38 will become slightly cheaper to use, and its barrage AOE is getting fixed.

• Cost from 340 to 300
  
• Population cost from 10 to 8
  
• AOE distance now properly correct to 1.1/3/4.5 for both auto-fire and barrage

Its current population cost is 9. The 10 pop was from back when it had 6 crew members, this is still displayed incorrectly in-game.

The cost reduction is maybe a bit too much, but in any case it should have flares unlocked at vet 0 instead of vet 1, like the 82mm. Currently it's hard to justify getting it over the 82mm if you just want to use smoke and flares, because of the vet 1 requirement and slower responsiveness (besides obviously the higher pop and cost).

Rapid Conscription

Rapid Conscription is a very weak ability. It is being adjusted in order to make it more attractive to use.

• Ability no longer gives Conscript squads to replace losses, but instead gives a manpower bonus of ~15 per casualty sustained while the ability is active

Same as my thoughts on Relief Infantry, altough it makes a bit more sense for Soviets. Anyway, I'd just replace the ability with the Commissar squad for both commanders that have Rapid Conscription, but maybe with a special flavor for each of them:

Commissar:
- Some of the activation voice lines of Rapid Conscription moved to the Commissar's "Hold the Line", "Not One Step Back" and new "Rapid Conscription" abilities (they fit quite well).

Conscript Support Tactics:
- Instead of Propaganda Artillery, the Commissar squad can order a smoke barrage.
- Free ability, same as Ostheer's Artillery Officer.

Soviet Reserve Army
- Instead of Propaganda Artillery, the Commissar squad gets the Rapid Conscription ability; the Commissar designates an infantry unit that will have its manpower losses replenished by Command.
- Select a nearby squad, for each casualty this squad suffers, you get refunded some manpower.
- Costs 35 munitions.
- Strong synergy with merging and the Commissar's combat buffs (maybe the latter should be mutually exclusive).

UKF

Infantry Sections

Changing the squad’s formation should hopefully have the effect of slightly nerfing Infantry Sections when attacking / out of cover, because they are more likely to drop a model faster (most forward model gets focussed), while keeping their defensive performance (in cover) the same.

• Cost from 270 back to 280
  
• Squad formation from regular shape to V-shape

Instead of the cost increase, I'd remove their 25% capping bonus. This would slow down AEC timing a bit so there's a slightly longer time window to bully sections with light vehicles (221, 222, FHT) and Snipers, especially if the UKF player gave up additional capping power by going UC.

Medic squad

Due to the buggy nature of the squad’s automatic healing, it is being replaced.

• Automatic healing removed
  
• Replaced with ambulance-like AOE healing ability that locks squad into place and slowly heals units in proximity over time

I don't see the point of the Medic squad. I'd prefer seeing the Forward Assembly's cost reduced from 200 to 150 mp and its medic upgrade from 60 to 45 munitions or a base medic upgrade being added to UKF's HQ for 200 manpower.

Lend Lease Assault

In order to make the Lend Lease Assault doctrine a more viable choice across multiple game modes, one of its abilities is being replaced to give the doctrine more late game power.

• Vehicle Crew Repairs replaced with Strafing Support (from Vanguard)

Instead of adding more skillplanes, I'd prefer seeing the 155mm barrage removed from the WC51 and moved to this commander. USF Mechanized is already stacked with strong abilities and units.

Otherwise, maybe add a single pass Rocket Strafe like in Soviet Airborne, but with a P-47 so it fits with the Lend Lease theme. There's a potentially strong combo with the AEC's stun shot.

USF

Stuart

Fix for the Stuart Shell Shock ability and a small buff for the Engine Shot ability.

• Shell Shock ability now (correctly) only stuns vehicle upon penetration. This means it is no longer guaranteed to frontally blind tanks anymore (unless it gets a lucky penetration)
  
• Engine Shot ability range from 5 to 15

I think Shell Shock penetration should get increased with this change, maybe +50%.

Ambulance

Without changing the durability of the ambulance (which would have consequences for its very effective use as forward healing and reinforcing in teamgames), this change aims to mitigate the loss of the ambulance in situations where it (accidentally) gets killed in the main base.

• Destruction of the vehicle will now give a 50% chance per model of the medic crew to bail out and survive
  
• Medic squad now gets the same AOE healing ability as the British Medic Squad

50/50 about this. With this change you could just swap out the medic crew inside the Ambu with Rear Echelons and have risk-free frontline healing. Or you could simply never use the Ambulance and jump out because they'd both have the same healing anyway (Medic squad wouldn't increase reinforcement radius though). On the other hand, it wouldn't impact things that much and base diving Ambulances is kinda cheesy anyway.

Pack Howitzer

The Pack Howitzer is receiving further adjustments to tone down its autofire power level while making the barrage better, shifting the power of the unit more towards player input.

• Autofire AOE Distance from 1.5/3/4.5 to 1/2/4.5
  
• Autofire scatter from 8.5 back to 6
  
• Barrage AOE unchanged
  Show Spoiler

Could also increase reload time of the Pack Howitzer when autofiring instead. Currently the stats suggest its time between shells is even shorter than Ostheer's 81mm Mortar when you add reload + wind up + wind down together (9.5 seconds vs 10 seconds). For reference, the 120mm mortar's autofiring time between shells is 12.4.

Rear Echelon Grenade Launcher (Urban Assault)

The automatic fire will be replaced with a targeted ability in order to equalize the micro investment for both players to use and dodge the grenades.

• Automatic fire removed and replaced with a targeted ability. No cost. Recharge 15s.
  
• Performance of the grenade might have to be adjusted accordingly

I like this change, but it shouldn't be mutually exclusive with the sweeper, otherwise it's either only used for cheese or too niche. Maybe make the Riflenade launcher upgrade cost 30 munitions and each riflenade you fire 10-15 munitions. It should of course still take up a weapon slot so the squad can only carry 1 Zook.

Can OKW Overwatch flare setup be tweaked a bit? It went from being automaticly placed on all friendly points to requiring a squad to be brought to a single point and spend extra time setting it up, almost never being used.
It either needs a setup time reduction or to be allowed to be put on neutral points or make it a passive sight radius increase around points, identical to UKF anvil tactics' passive (would require schwerer HQ panzer authorization to activate).

...

One other thing I'd like to see if we are indeed hitting close to the last patches is for the tool tips to be cleaned up and made better descriptive-especially around veterancy.

I know we have a mod that gives more precise vet stats, but having them implemented in the live game would be godsend. On top of that, making sure they are easily understood is something to consider as well.
For example: "-20% cooldown" may not make much sense to a lay person, but "-20% delay(or cooldown) between shots" while more verbose would be comprehensible.

And for unit descriptions, having something like:
"PANTHER: Best medium tank of the war with excellent firepower and mobility."
Is less helpful then
"PANTHER: heavily armored from the front with excellent penetration and above average range, but lacks good anti infantry."

Soviets

Its current population cost is 9. The 10 pop was from back when it had 6 crew members, this is still displayed incorrectly in-game.

The cost reduction is maybe a bit too much, but in any case it should have flares unlocked at vet 0 instead of vet 1, like the 82mm. Currently it's hard to justify getting it over the 82mm if you just want to use smoke and flares, because of the vet 1 requirement and slower responsiveness (besides obviously the higher pop and cost).



Same as my thoughts on Relief Infantry, altough it makes a bit more sense for Soviets. Anyway, I'd just replace the ability with the Commissar squad for both commanders that have Rapid Conscription, but maybe with a special flavor for each of them:

Commissar:
- Some of the activation voice lines of Rapid Conscription moved to the Commissar's "Hold the Line", "Not One Step Back" and new "Rapid Conscription" abilities (they fit quite well).

Conscript Support Tactics:
- Instead of Propaganda Artillery, the Commissar squad can order a smoke barrage.
- Free ability, same as Ostheer's Artillery Officer.

Soviet Reserve Army
- Instead of Propaganda Artillery, the Commissar squad gets the Rapid Conscription ability; the Commissar designates an infantry unit that will have its manpower losses replenished by Command.
- Select a nearby squad, for each casualty this squad suffers, you get refunded some manpower.
- Costs 35 munitions.
- Strong synergy with merging and the Commissar's combat buffs (maybe the latter should be mutually exclusive).

Cons support has actually incendiary barrage. But i would personally keep it as it gives at least a bit more flexibility and less reliant of katyshas on some cases.

Cons support has actually incendiary barrage. But i would personally keep it as it gives at least a bit more flexibility and less reliant of katyshas on some cases.

You get me wrong, NKVD has the Commissar with propaganda artillery at vet 1, Conscript Support would have the Commissar with smoke barrage at vet 1. Makes more sense for the doctrine's name and theme.

Incendiary barrage is an ability of the doctrine itself.

I don't really love the idea of doctrinal units not being the same across the board. The game can be confusing enough for new players

You get me wrong, NKVD has the Commissar with propaganda artillery at vet 1, Conscript Support would have the Commissar with smoke barrage at vet 1. Makes more sense for the doctrine's name and theme.

Incendiary barrage is an ability of the doctrine itself.

my mistake