[Winter Balance Update] USF Feedback

FlakHT is utterly insane and the most underrated unit in the game imo. Just difficult to use compared to other LVs. No room for fuck ups.

Scott change looks good but the unit will still be obsolete in 1v1.

US still lacks a sniper counter. Give the captain a snipe shot upgrade that locks weapon upgrades and costs ~60 ammo. People need to get the M20 counters sniper idea out of their heads. M20 is good vs sniper opening builds but it's not relevant when fighting a sniper mid-late game.

Honestly, I just avoid the sniper and use smokes. Last time I played M20 (at all) was 2 years ago. Haven't built one since, don't even plan to with those quasi buffs it's getting. Can be cancerous, but counterplay vs a sniper as USF is basically avoiding and using smoke until you get AAHT at which point you can drop it easily.

Imagine OKW AA HT would get a buff to its disadvantages...like can shoot on the move /maybe for muni cost or time ability or vet-----but nooo)

You mean like when it got the handbreak ability?

WTF is up with the AA halftrack rotation changes? It already had handbrake that worked pretty well, this change makes the vehicle more difficult to use, not easier. Please reconsider this.

The AA mode is good though.

...
The AA mode is good though.

Probably too good from the little test I did.

WTF is up with the AA halftrack rotation changes? It already had handbrake that worked pretty well, this change makes the vehicle more difficult to use, not easier. Please reconsider this.

The implementation of the fix is bugged, it's obviously not supposed to function like this. Miragefla is looking into it.

i tested a bit Stuart Point-Blank Engine Shot on 3.1 version before ML Patreon tourney i and sometimes shot does not trigger.

Most of the times happens when you are on almost max range, and i also think that facing with backside makes it more frequent. (i tried to fire while on the move)

sorry if i did not read other posts but there are to many of them

50cal price ($280) should be brought in line with other MGs if it is isn't going to have any notable advantage over them.

50cal price ($280) should be brought in line with other MGs if it is isn't going to have any notable advantage over them.

USF where design to have less access to support weapon and thus where given a superior infatry. Having more expensive support weapons is part of that design.

Also the 50 cal is more than worth the 280mp

Also the 50 cal is more than worth the 280mp

After nerf no. At least we need price buff like 240mp. Btw 50cal nerf is deadblow to Usf gameplay. It will be fun to see how USF will control or cannot control axis death blobs with minesweeping shrecks holding axis sturms and volks with valiant assault.

After nerf no. At least we need price buff like 240mp. Btw 50cal nerf is deadblow to Usf gameplay. It will be fun to see how USF will control or cannot control axis death blobs with minesweeping shrecks holding axis sturms and volks with valiant assault.

A second longer to set up is hardly a deathblow to the 50. Especially combined with more consistency in the aim time.

V4 changes

USF

Officer Transfer Orders
Given how USF is given a free officer as part of their teching structure, we are giving players an option to call-off their officers to avoid taking up population. This is primarily for the late game where a player back-techs but does not want to be burdened by a fresh officer squad.
- New Ability on Barracks: Officer Transfer Orders
- Ability forces the selected Officer squad - Lieutenant, Captain, Major - to withdrawl from the map. This ability does not refund any resources.

M1 81mm Mortar
Given the weaker stats of the USF mortar in terms of its AOE, the unit is receiving a slight price reduction to better reflect its performance.
- Cost from 240 to 230

M7 Light Anti-Vehicle Mine
The build time of the M7 Mine is being decreased to make these cheap mines easier to plant.
- Build time from 6 to 5

Pack Howitzer
With the lethality decrease to the Pack Howitzer, the unit is having its 6th man returned to help with its limited survivability - particularly against late game rocket artillery.
- Crew size from 5 to 6; population unchanged at 8

M15 AA Half-Track
To give the Captain some anti-sniper power, the machine guns on the M15 are gaining bonuses against snipers. The AA mode for the M15 is also being toned down as the M15 has multiple guns dedicated to killing aircraft while other AA units only have one.
- M15 machine guns now have a 15% accuracy bonus against snipers
- AA Mode 37mm chance to destroy planes from 30% to 20%; remains at 30% when not in AA mode

V4 changes

USF

Pak howi does not need a survivability buff. The 1 extra man is a quasi-buff. It should remain vulnerable to stukas and werfers. If anything, it needs an accuracy nerf and reverting the AOE nerf.
Officer change is a great QoL change.
M7 is quasi buff at best.
81mm mortar is a neutral buff.
The AA HT is a good change, it's pretty chaotic at AI, either suppresses instantly and wipes models on the move or static won't do anything. Great change all in all for the sniper countering.

Played a one quick game with USF and.... don't know really. Only change that is felt so far in all Versions are in the pak howi and scott. That's for 3v3 at least. Double mortars was much more successful than the double pak howi. Double mortars after the AT gun or weapon rack did much more while being cheaper and more maneuverable (retreat). Since the pak no longer has the AOE to scare away the blobs or static infantry, I can get the same effect for less with mortars.

Considering the games from V1 to V3: Every game I went scott I got owned. No matter how well I micromanage it, beyond the occasional barrage on some static emplacement, it was pretty useless. Even vs the 4x volks blob 2x scotts needed around 15 seconds or so to take down I think 4 models out of 20. I always attacked the first unit in the blob so that the shell lands in the middle of the blob. Pretty useless. The vetted scott (only managed to vet one scott) barrage is really really accurate. A good and a bad thing. Great vs an AT gun but bad in general damage in model rich areas. Still don't see a reason to go for the lieutenant in 3v3 and go for an M20. AA HT + AT gun is much more useful there. Stuart is more useful in 1v1 though due to the higher hp and less punishment if caught out of position.

That's all 3v3.
How the changes affect 1v1, I won't comment but I can definitely say that I did more dmg and wrecked more with double mortars as opposed to double paks I go in live game:
My build live that netted me most wins: 3 rifles -> ambo -> captain -> upgrade -> AA HT -> AT gun or weapon racks depending if I have rangers or not (3 zook delaying BARs and using AA HT to do the "heavy" lifting against LMGs and STGs + constant smoke to counter raketen and paks).

New 100% win build 3v3: 3 rifles -> ambo -> mortar -> captain -> AT gun/zooks -> mortar/AAHT -> etc...
Of course, depending on the game I either needed to delay the captain+ phase or rebuild.... All in all, mortars did much much more than the paks and scotts, had more damage in all of the 30-40 min games and bled less.

EDIT: Since I play random teams only, how it fares when it reaches live is to be seen since right now custom games are viable so...

i dont see the point of transfer officer ? There are little reason for one to remove a powerful fighting unit like officers, especially when there is no refund.

If the aim is to reduce micro tax and pop strain with by reduce number of unit type active at the same time then just make unlock building nolonger spwan officer but instead give the ability to deploy the officer for free the fist time if wanted (if lost, then one have to buy them at current cost). By doing this, once teched, player can chose to deploy the officer or not.

Relic wont let the team seperate tech and the officer. This is just a work around for late game pop strain. Its fine for its job.

I'd sooner make officers something you WANT than make it easier to get rid of them...

A second longer to set up is hardly a deathblow to the 50. Especially combined with more consistency in the aim time.

Really ? Aganist okw shreck wielding mine sweeping axis blobs with valiant assault good luck then. You lost your connection to reality.

Really ? Aganist okw shreck wielding mine sweeping axis blobs with valiant assault good luck then. You lost your connection to reality.

If the enemy is blobbing sturms and all you have is a single mg then when they walk all over you nobody is to blame but yourself.

If the enemy is blobbing sturms and all you have is a single mg then when they walk all over you nobody is to blame but yourself.

Completely agreed. However, one has to point out that neither scott nor pak howi can punish blobs with this patch. Right now, with the nerfs on scott and pak, calliope is even more needed to punish blobs (+ Pershing is downright useless atm). Double mortars also seem to do the trick

I still feel like the Scott is too far in the "keep it from being toxic" territory for it's AOE profile to be useful. I like the idea of it being able to be a not super lethal precision barrage machine at Vet 3 but it's a long road to Vet 3 and it feels like the Scott can't pull it's weight up till that point. Personally I'd like to see see some tradeoff nerfs like slower autofire RoF or decreased survivability (remove smoke pots?) in exchange for a slightly better AoE for either barrage and/or Autofire. It just feels super underwhelming to see near misses do almost no damage.

I suppose another option would be to replace smoke pots with a Pak Howie type HEAT barrage that has a better AoE profile for munitions cost.