just how bad would it be to have non-doctrine 5man gren squads like Kyle suggested?
OFC this would cause some other issues but how is this a big problem?
people think adding models is an easy thing to implement but it changes a lot and is difficult to balance. look at conscripts who were often regarded as garbage and never deemed worth investing in, but now with 7 man, even being so delayed are suddenly worth getting and are now a staple of the faction (as they were supposed to be)
look at UKF. their infantry will NEVER be balanced as long as they can freely get 5 men with no thought other than affordability.
adding a model does much more than it seems. an extra man isnt just 80 more hp, its also 25% more firepower (for 4 man going to 5 man squads) its also 25% more targets meaning models are less likely to be burst down meaning more actual dps. it also affects build times and repair speeds.
is the 5th man going to be locked out with the lmg specifically in place to offset the small squad size?
is the 5th man going to replace the 20% damage reduction at vet 3?
is it going to effect reinforcement costs via adjusting for the formula? is it going to stack with the buff at t4?
will the number of ways ost has to offset the expected casualties need changed when durability is increased? ost has more on field healing and reinforcement stock that they can shake a stick at. combine this with previous considerations and you end up with an immovable force.
how will this increased durability work with something like a command panzer?
5 models at vet 3 with a command panzer could end up as a rifle squad with an lmg that ignores 30% of all damage incoming.... that would be madness.
this is a dramatic change that alters the entire faction design and can easily be incredibly OP especially when you consider that the faction with something similar (ukf) still hasnt found balance with such an ability and a faction where the ability is not only restricted heavily but also is in line wth the units design (sov) has proven incredibly strong.
there is a reason the ability is restricted for ost. its powerful and too hard to balance outside being a one off.