This is a list of changes that I think could really help bring some of these underused commanders up to par with their more meta counterparts.
And to Relic, allowing the community balance team to rework commanders is a good business decision as people will be more likely to buy commanders in the shop if they are more interesting and viable.
Sov
Most of their doctrines without T34/85s or KV1s, or doctrines without Shock troops, PPsH cons or Guards, really need one of these abilities to be viable, and my suggestion would just be to give the doctrines which don’t have KV1s or T34/85 either one of them, and doctrines without Shock troops, PPsH cons or Guards one of them.
Other suggestions:
Soviet reserve tactics tweak:
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
Conscript support tactics tweak:
Replace rapid conscription with the NKVD officer for the same reasons as above
USF
Rifle company rework:
Currently, this doctrine is too thematically close to Infantry Company.
This rework aims to change this doctrine into a doctrine that encourages aggressive use of rifles (flares, sprint and fire on the move upgrades) and direct fire support(E8 and 105mm Shermans), compared to Infantry company’s defensive rifle abilities (mines, sandbags and LMGs) and indirect fire support (MHT, Priest).
0cp - M4A3E8 Sherman
1cp - Enhanced combat training
~ Riflemen can sprint and be upgraded with camouflage
2cp - Advanced infantry equipment
~ flares, Riflemen upgrades: x4 M1 carbine or x2 scoped Garand, Rear echelons can be upgraded with flamethrowers
8cp - 105mm bulldozer Sherman
10cp - White phosphorus barrage
UKF
Special weapons regiment tweak:
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, as it is a special weapon. This would also give UKF 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
Ost
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
Smoke drop is also rather un thematic, and giving it the Jagdpanzer would fit the defensive theme and make it very unique.
0cp - Jagdpanzer IV/70
0cp - Osttruppen
2cp - fortifications
8cp - LefH
12cp - sector artillery
Lightning war doctrine tweak:
Replace Osttruppen reserves with the SdKfz 250 half track
OKW
Firestorm tweaks:
This doctrine can be very good, but 2 things hold it back. First, upgrading the flamethrower on your Sturmpioneers often isn’t done as this locks out the minesweeper on your Sturmpioneers, leaving up you very vulnerable to mines, and getting a second Sturmpioneer causes you to bleed too much MP late game. Second, The flammpanzer 38t is also a very good unit, but you lack a good unit to pair it with as your cheapest tank is 140 fuel.
Making the Rocket barrage leave flame pools like the waking stuka’s vet2 barrage would also make it more thematic, though this change is more thematic in nature and might make the barrage too powerful, so it’s not really necessary.
Allowing Sturmpioneers to upgrade both a minesweeper and flamethrower would solve the first issue, and I think allowing OKW to build the StuG 3 with this doctrine will help alleviate the second.
0cp - Assault gun support
~ In addition to the Flammpanzer 38t, StuG 3s can be build after upgrading panzer authorization
0cp - assault package
~ Sturmpioneers can now upgrade both a flamethrower and a sweeper
0cp - incendiary munitions
2cp - Opel blitz
9cp - rocket barrage
~ now leaves flame pools