OKW early game options vs Sniper/MGS openings >>
Mgs are fine in 1vs1, its just OKW that need some tweaking as the other factions all have some decent counters. Mgs unsupported are not the biggest problem for OKW but once you start support mgs with shocks, mines, demos on strategic points, zis guns to counter early OKW armor or rush for T34s to counter stukas/luchs/flak ht. Once mg spammer combine all that, OKW have basicly no effective counter. Same problem with sniper openings, once combined very hard to counter and turn into cat and mouse play where OKW are running around the map trying to keep some map control and avoid any direct confrontation. Mg/sniper openings (early game) should be "high reward/high risk" not "high reward/low risk".
OKW armor are very predictable to counter because they have no medium tank that have both AT and AI. To get a hard counter against mg openings OKW need to invest approx. 150 fuel into stuka first (less fuel income) or T4 into luchs which all delay your first AT armor by alot. Investing to much fuel into AI armor are very risky because soviet can then just spam T34s or get a Kv8.
Rather than nerfing mgs or buff OKW performance I think best solution are to give OKW new options to flank in the early game which also should make it more risky to use mg/sniper openings.
OKW Early Game - flanking buffs
1) Give sturmpioniers more vision so they can more easily deal with mgs and snipers. Kubels are mostly useless in the midgame anyway so sturmpioniers could fulfill a niche role here.
2) Jaeger light infantry should get infiltration grenades and/or smoke grenades so they can more easily flank mgs and decrew zis guns.
3) Reduce "Infiltration Tactics" to 2 CPs
4) Give kubels mg AP rounds so they can more easily deal damage to mgs but more importantly kubels need early game options to defend against scout cars and snipers. As atm snipers counter sturmpioniers/at guns, scout cars with flamers counter kubels/volks. So sniper openings turn into cat and mouse play as OKW have no early game counter to that either.
Making the kubel more powerful vs mg/sniper openings should not make them OP vs soviet midgame if mgs/snipers are supported by guards.
Soviet Early Game - need T0 infantry buff
1) Early game cons are to weak against sturmpioniers/kubel combo and later against OKW long range units such as obers/fusiliers. Penals should be moved to T0 so soviet has new early game infantry options to make a more "slow" transitioning into mgs from T2 or snipers from T1. Since Relic have made T0 infantry spam more popular with the new factions there are no longer a good reason to keep penals in T1. Personal im no fan of T0 infantry spam but its to late now going in the opposite direction thx to the new faction design.
Something similar to this is all thats needed to deal with snipers/mgs openings.