How can you counter Strumpioneers?

I am having real trouble, I keep losing early game battles and even most late game battles by Strumpioneer spam, I think these guys are OP. A riflemen squad In cover still lose to these guys and even struggle against volksgrenediers, am I doing something wrong? Anyway the main problem is that riflemen really struggle to kill Strumpioneers, each German player plays their strengths and runs them up close, even when I fall back they still tear me apart, any tactics? I do put my troops in directional cover but they still lose. When I get the fuel I get the LT. And then the AA half track but by that time their VG's have panzershreks. In addition the US grenades are so underpowered, they don't kill they just injure whereas the German grenades can kill half the squad. Any help is appreciated greatly

I'm not a pro but most of the times in 1vs1 I manage to reach the mid game after a strong sturmpio opening by two measures:

-First of all, your vanilla rifleman squad is NOT supposed to beat sturmpio in 1vs1. At least not alone, this is why your first 3 squads (which usually are the RE squad and 2 rifleman squads) should move through adiacent sectors, so that they can assist each others. It is not possible to send each single squad to capture different parts of the map trying to gain early map control because they will be forced to early retreat or wiped out, and every sector you capped will be instantly re-capped by the OKW.

-At the same time, once you see that even the joint collaboration of 3 squads isn't enough (maybe because the sturmpios are backed up by a Kübelwagen) you must try to be elsewhere. OKW cannot put the same pressure in two points of the map at the same time, at least not before he places the flak truck. If you are experiencing strong resistance on one side of the map retreat & reinforce and send the squads on the other side, at least as long as you cannot get a suppressing platform (half track, 50cal or M20).

As a footnote, Rifleman vs Volks fight is all a matter of range and cover. In addition, I don't belive the sturmpio are OP: they are designed to be strong at close range, we just have to find a way to deal with it without being unconsciously allowed to not find a solution by thinking they are OP.

Hope it helps!

Focus fire. As soon as you see a Sturmpio squad, FOCUS fire it with your squad(s). If they charge you they will definitely lose 1-2 models by the time they get point blank, forcing a retreat. You CAN beat a sturmpio in 1v1 provided you have sufficient distance between your squad and the surmpio. If however the opponent utilizes trusight to jump your squad(s) and the sturmpio gets point blank at even 2 squads, it's best to retreat.

Focus fire or don't try to go 1:1, it depends if Rifles are in green and Sturms have to cross through no or red cover, you can usually drop 2 models as they hit mid-close range before you lose 2 models and then your DPS will carry you, but usually focus fire, try not to get them get close, or if you can try to drop a grenade in their path/where they are going to.

Thanks for the feedback everyone! Ive been testing the Utility truck's 50cal on them an it works a dream - also its cheap with the added bonus of the crew being armed with bazookas

I'm not a pro but most of the times in 1vs1 I manage to reach the mid game after a strong sturmpio opening by two measures:

-First of all, your vanilla rifleman squad is NOT supposed to beat sturmpio in 1vs1. At least not alone, this is why your first 3 squads (which usually are the RE squad and 2 rifleman squads) should move through adiacent sectors, so that they can assist each others. It is not possible to send each single squad to capture different parts of the map trying to gain early map control because they will be forced to early retreat or wiped out, and every sector you capped will be instantly re-capped by the OKW.

-At the same time, once you see that even the joint collaboration of 3 squads isn't enough (maybe because the sturmpios are backed up by a Kübelwagen) you must try to be elsewhere. OKW cannot put the same pressure in two points of the map at the same time, at least not before he places the flak truck. If you are experiencing strong resistance on one side of the map retreat & reinforce and send the squads on the other side, at least as long as you cannot get a suppressing platform (half track, 50cal or M20).

As a footnote, Rifleman vs Volks fight is all a matter of range and cover. In addition, I don't belive the sturmpio are OP: they are designed to be strong at close range, we just have to find a way to deal with it without being unconsciously allowed to not find a solution by thinking they are OP.

Hope it helps!

Exact.

- sturmpio cost 320mp and 40 to reinforce.
- Kubel 240mp
- Volk 240 or 235mp (after the last patch)

If you see just 1 sturmpio, you can deal with 2 or 3 riflesquad.
If there are 2 of them, 2 or 3 riflesquads can not be enough unlike you have a really good cover and they don't -- Only you having a good cover is not enough, if his sturmpio have also good covers to jump from to your rifle location, you'll not deal enough damage to kill models and be wipe out at close range faster than you expect. But it also means OKW player has a really poor capping power. So avoid fight at maximum and use a Cap and Run Strat. What your opponent wants is to force you to fight before you get your BARs, to make you bleed mp, even more if he has a kubel or a Mg34. But even more if he has a kubel is capping power will be clearly crappy. If he goes 2 sturmpio, it is most likely that he will keep them close and combine his arms at maximum to wipe your squads before you have enough resources to counter-attack.

So What to do: Cap and Run and protect your cutoff. In fact your should only engage the fight if he rushes for your cutoff, unless you have a really good opportunity ==> he made an error keep your squads away from him.
You do not care if he uncap your territory in one side because you already are by the other side of the map uncapping his own ones and at this little game, because you have more squads, he is losing.
Next, it depends of him and you.
Personally I don't go T2 because I don't need half-track and .30 to fight him at this stage of the game. I go BARs and T3 and pump out an early Stuart. The stuart is really good at flanking while Half-track as a direct fire and support, but I feel it as all-in unit, if you lose it, it is almost over as you'll not have any AT before long - overall since the half-track fire range nerf patch 2.2.

What he can do: if he goes T2, he'll have a AT and a mobile arty, and with a couple of shrek be able to take out quickly your halftrak and .30 if yourself as well are going T2.
It is most likely that he will regroup his units send one to cap while pushing with the rest of his troops.
Going BARs + T3, you can handle his pushing with BARs in cover and quickly move your stuart when he tries to cap. T3 Stuart is more versatile and faster than the half-track, you use it to flank and to be able to quickly go from on sidemap to sidemap and to harass his capping units.
If he is goins T3, he is going for the half-track or a PUMA. Here again the stuart is a great asset to counter it. With T3, you can also build a AT and combined with the stuart as a bait, you can easily take out the PUMA.

Well T1-T3 is just a player style in fact, but I found it more effective than half-track.

You mean the T1 version of KCH? Best bet

From what I know, a Rear Echelon Squad following a Riflemen squad is enough to force a Sturmpioneer team back. By using the suppressive fire properly (and dear god do some people not use it properly), you can force Sturmpioneers to either stay in their cover to avoid being suppressed, leaving them to lose the firefight in medium and long range. If they charge, they get suppressed without cover, forcing a retreat or have unnecessary manpower bleed.

I do see how Sturmpioneers can be a headache, but their high maintenance to reinforce is a major downfall for them.

From what I know, a Rear Echelon Squad following a Riflemen squad is enough to force a Sturmpioneer team back. By using the suppressive fire properly (and dear god do some people not use it properly), you can force Sturmpioneers to either stay in their cover to avoid being suppressed, leaving them to lose the firefight in medium and long range. If they charge, they get suppressed without cover, forcing a retreat or have unnecessary manpower bleed.

I do see how Sturmpioneers can be a headache, but their high maintenance to reinforce is a major downfall for them.

and whats the proper use of volley? i read somewhere that you can activate volley fire and still move your echelon, the ability mains active, but the fany volley animation stops, so the enemy thinks it also stoped