That is an aspect you have to consider though. The pop cost of the M5 is only 5, and thats just incomparable to the centaur bofors or ostwind. In fact the only AA vehicle to take up less or even EQUAL pop is the 222 at 4 and the m5 is vastly superior to the 222 though proportionally more expensive.
In 1v1 where supply cost is a huge deal, the M5 quad is the single most pop efficient AA unit. That is more important then its ability to do other duties.
Put another way, if you could buy a 4 man squad for 120mp and 3pop that could minesweep, repair and cap but have no combat capability, would it be worth getting? Would it be too cost efficient for what it does? To me the answer is yes.
Not saying the M5 as a whole is overpowered though, just that its too good at AA for cost by a long shot. I understand that soviets have a lack of AA options-I main them after all, but that is not good enough justification for its current performance.
the thing is though, it isnt going to be doing anything at all but AA. the 222 retains scout ability and if still armoud probably already earned its keep 10s of minutes ago when it was serving as a LV hunter/shcok unit for its timing. the quad has no such luxury. its the most cost effecient because thats all it is full stop. if there is a quad out it was a move to do that and that alone, all other AA from the 222 to even the emplacements generaly are built for more than just AA aas they bring more than just AA to the table.
you more or less created vehicle crews aside from wanting sweeping too and they exist.... without the additional cost.
every faction has a few boons and areas they are cost effecient in, the only AA the soviet can muster hardly seems an issue being one of those things when its so easily taken out imo. for example that 222 we mentioned from earlier can be used to dive and take out the m5 should the time come but i have yest seen anyone dive an m5, despite the similar costs to take out even something greatly more valuable like rocket arty.
Well yes, and at the same time its honestly feels kinda unfair to airbased abilities.
Speaking about single strafe leiter I can care less, considering they are cheap. Abilities like fragbombing and IL-2 bombing requre balansing asweel in my opinion, because they drop bombs quite far away from the targer so its usually impossible to deny them.
But abilities like CAS where planes are flying over specific area are easy to deny, considering that other circle base arty abilities, do pretty much the same and just as deadly, but they cant be denied completly.
This is my concern, some of the most powerfull air-strike abilities are un-countarable, while Okish abilities are easily counterable and all of them cost the same.
Its whole another topic really, point being at least other AA units have somesort of a gamble when you face them, you can try and use airbased abilities and maybe they do at least some damage, M5 in its correct state simply pretty much disables them, there is no point of using them if one is around.
stuka close air can eat a regular 640hp tank in a single pass and you would like the ability to prevent that to be up to RNG because it would be unfair that the player clicked 2 times while there was a hard counter around and stopped it?
it seems like your issue is more in the design of off maps and not specifficly the quad.
AA should by definition make air based abilities ineffective (thats what the AA stands for) IMO he AA of all factions shoulkd do its job and air based abilities should be the damage dealers and arty abilties should be the area denial type ones as there should be counter play present for the powerful ones. you wont find me defending encounterable abilities. quite the opposite actually.
ther should be no RNG involved with AA while there exists the ability to instantly remove a tank from game with an air ability. perhaps the required avenue is a toggle for AA mode with a finite range available on all AA units but having a hard counter not do its only job to make the 2 click no work abilities be able to eat tanks or pin all your enemies infantry is an absolute no go from me.
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