Ostheer Faction Design

As the companion to my Soviet Design found here: https://www.coh2.org/topic/111405/soviet-faction-design/page/1#post_id895865

I also did a design for Ostheer. Like I said in that other thread, I feel the Eastern front is the way to go. This Ostheer faction tries to make use of a number of units that have never been used in Coh before, some old favourites from previous games and as many of the new mechanics as possible. Before anyone raises historical accuracy comments, 2 words; Black Prince.

I will keep light on the text and let the diagram speak for itself:



A few notes on the design. Landsers would be the mainline infantry, 5 models with K98 rifles. The Kubel would be essentially a capping unit but can be upgraded with an MG for munitions. Before being upgraded, it would be cool if it had the ability to transport a squad in a similar manner to the Universal carrier of Coh2 (ie the models can’t shoot). It would also be nice if it could tow weapons as well. However, the SDKFZ. 9 would be the primary towing and reinforcement vehicle of the faction. I could well imagine it having 3 different upgrades:

- Ambulance.
- Famo Recovery Vehicle
- Flak 88 Conversion.

The first 2 upgrades would require either T1 and T2 to be built or either T3 or T4 to be built. The latter would require either T3.5 or T4.5. With the Flak 88, it would essentially be able to lock down and become the towed Flak88 of DAK, however, more viulnerable to other vehicles and less vulnerable to infantry and indirect. I could see this having 2 modes, a moving mode where it can relocate but is unable to fire, but then also a firing mode where its stationary and can fire in a 360 degree arc. Similarly, the Panzer I would also have a number of upgrades:

- Flamethrower upgrade.
- Panzerjäger upgrade (47mm AT gun).
- Sig 33 Howitzer upgrade.

All of these upgrades require any other tier to be constructed before they can be purchased. The Panzer I should basically have a power level somewhat like the upgraded Bren carrier in Coh2, with the Panzerjäger upgrade it would be like a weak Marder and with the Sig33 upgrade it would fill the same niche as the Bishop.

Combat medics would be a 4 man squad which passively heal nearby squads when out of combat but also have the ability to drop medical supplies like Sturmpios could in Coh2. Another cool ability would be if they could target casualities on the battlefield and revive them, to reinforce nearby squads, allowing for in field reinforcements.

The nice thing about this setup is that given the AT gun is in T0, you can tech in any drection and still have access to an AT option, granting a lot of flexibilitry to your build orders.

T3/T4 base tier constitute the mid game of the faction. The Munitions Halftrack would have an aura which allows nearby units to fire 10% faster and reduces the munitions cost of their abilities by 20%. This means this unit can compliment almost any strategy. It would also be cool if it could plant Goliath demolition vehicles like the Vampire HT could in Coh1. The Flak 41 would be not unlike the Bofors in function and power level and would also be towed, so presumably you would tow it into position and it would provide area denial and also AA services.

The SDKFZ 234 would be the same as the Armoured car for Wehr in Coh1, with the 20mm auto cannon, but also have the upgrades:

- 50mm upgun, converting it to a Puma.
- 75mm upgun, making it more like the Stummel.

The Tank Commander would be a fun unit which you can place into any vehicle, improving that vehicle’s performance. I imagine something akin to a 15% accuracy and reload bonus would be sufficient, increasing with vet. When the commander is inside the vehicle, it shoule be clear to the opponent, making it a high value target. In large part, I imagine this unit being like veteran vehicle crew for US in Coh2, where they get transferred from vehicle to vehicle frequently.

Then we have tier 3.5 and tier 4.5, which make the Ostheer lategame. The Hetzer and Ostwind would be the primary AT and Anti infantry platforms respectively, whereas P4J and Panzerwerfer would be your main battle tank and indirect fire solutions respectively. The nice thing of this setup is that no matter which way you go, either tier 3.5 or tier 4.5, they both allow you to tech for the Panther in the HQ, rounding out your composition.

Concerning the upgrades, I felt the DAK upgrade system to be the most fun and interesting upgrades that are currently present in the game, so in many ways I took inspiration from that. However, I wanted to make things yet more interesting by making a number of the upgrades mutually exclusive. In T1, the upgrade for G41s is a global upgrade which upgrades all Landsers with 2 G41s and unlocks a squad upgrade for a further 2 G41s, this upgrade improves Landers performance at all ranges. The MG30(t) upgrade, is also a global upgrade and gives Landsers 1 MG30(t) and the option to upgrade a second, this upgrade being more suited to long range engagements. However, both of these upgrades are mutually exclusive, so you can only ever have 1 of them in the match. Similarly, there would be an upgrade which allows all infantry to Sprint which is mutually exclusive with allowing vehicles to Blitz. In T2, M39 grenades for Landsers, Satchel Charges for Sturmpios and Smoke grenades for Combat Medics are an upgrade that is exclusive with S-Mines for Landsers, Booby Traps for Sturmpios and Trip wire flares for Combat medics. Also in T2, Advanced Repairs for Sturmpios and the Famo Recovery HT are mutually exclusive with Zimmerit paint on vehicles, which make vehicles more resilient to hand held AT and snares. In T3, the choice of either HE shells or Smoke Shells on P4s, Hetzers, Panthers, Pumas and Panzerjäger Is is again mutually exclusive as is Flares on Landsers with recon mode on your vehicles. Finally, in T4, camo allows your infantry and support weapons to upgrade themselves with Camo in cover, however this is mutually exclusive with a self heal ability on your infantry squads. Then the chocie between Focus Fire and Rapid fire is a choice between an ability for your vehicles to move slower and fire more accurately or an ability for your vehicles to go stationary and fire more rapidly.

The upgrades not only affect a number of units in the faction but being mutually exclusive, you’re faced with the tricky decision every game of permanent opportiunity costs and trade offs.

As for subsitutions, these are the units I feel would make sense to have:

Swimwagen -> Kubel.
MG08 -> MG37(t).
Stug IV -> Hetzer.
Raketen -> Pak.
SDKFZ 7 -> SDKFZ 9.
For the latter, the primary difference would be in upgrades, with the SDKFZZ 7 having these upgrades:

- Ambulance.
- Forward Retreat Point.
- 37 Flak gun.
The teching structure allows for a variety of tech paths and flexible teching.