Recon Support Company

Can someone that has it enlighten me on its performance? For example, what are the I&R Pathfinders like, and how does the Greyhound behave?
Would you recommend it overall?

I've found it to be fairly lackluster. I&Rs are a pretty bad unit - only 3 men in a squad and they lack the sniper crit of the Airborne Pathfinders, so they don't hold up at all as a combat unit. The Artillery call-in is kinda nice, but a bit too expensive to justify the unit IMO.

They Greyhound is decent. It sort of fits in half-way between the M20 and the AA halftrack. The problem is, it doesn't really offer anything those units don't, so simply building the LT is probably a better idea. Also, since it doesn't suppress it can be driven off fairly easily just with Panzerschrecks. The armoured skirts upgrade helps with this a bit, but is a little pricey at 70 munitions. The best use I found for it was to go Captain first, using a pair of Greyhounds to provide the early dominance you would normally get from the LT. Still, not a great strategy in my experience.

Aside from the that, the Rifle vision boost is a bit hard to utilize (have to be stationary and in cover), and the big airdrop is just impractical for its cost and what it provides. Recon Plane is nice, but overall its not a commander I would reccommend. Basically, it just doesn't offer as much as other commanders

Alright, thanks for that. I thought the Greyhound would be a bit redundant with the M20 and Stuart already available. Shame about the I&R guys, but oh well. I remain unimpressed with most US commanders for now

Yeah, I don't know why Relic decided I&Rs have to be so much weaker than the Airborne pathfinders. To be honest it seems like they haven't put much effort into the commander at all, for example the paratroopers from the airdrop still only get 3 Thompsons because they are technically a different unit and Relic didn't give them the buff.

I love the forward observers ability personally.

Recon sweep is nice.

Im a bit surprised you dont like the IR's Kalli.

The IR pathfinders fill a different role,they are more of the scout-artillery radiomen rather than the sniper scouts that normal pathfinders are.

I do find the artillery strike from the Finders is weaker.

You used to be able to call one down and one shot an OKW flaktruck,which is obviously very nice.

The airdrop group is nice if you get thoms or 1919's on the paras.(hate getting bazookas) I use it to quickly replenish my infantry losses i may have sustained.

Greyhound used to be great against people that forgot to buy shreks for their volks,or people who dont get PaKs or shreks early enough.

Now since okw will basically have a shrek team everywhere with 100% muni it makes the greyhound obselete. Against Ostheer its meh.

Overall,i wouldnt say the commander is WEAK,but I would definitely take the other two rare doctrines over it,anyday.

Forward Observers and Recon Sweep are definitely decent, I just don't think they have enough impact on the game to make it worth choosing the doctrine.

The IRs aren't terrible, but I don't think they are worth it given the lack of combat utility. The US have other artillery solutions in other doctrines, and the Major has a very similar ability (not sure exactly how they compare as far as damage goes).

As you say, Greyhound is obsolete these days against OKW. I actually think its decent against Ostheer as long as you can avoid Panzerfausts, since it counters the Scout Car fairly well. The only use I can think of for it vs OKW is maybe suiciding to kill a Stuka or something.

The reason I don't like the Airdrop is that it comes very late and is very expensive, and normally as US there are other things I would rather purchase. I also think that Paratroops are way stronger early than late - early there isn't as much armour on the field and they have to time to accrue veterancy. Especially with Thompsons, I think the need veterancy to go up against late-game, vetted OKW units.

Overall, I just don't think the commander has enough impact on the outcome of the game. US early game is already very strong, and so I would rather supplement the late game, either with Rifle Company for E8s or Airborne, which allows you to start building tanks earlier without sacrificing tech. Admittedly, that's just personal preference.

I also think the commander is kind of weirdly designed and has a lot of redundant units/abilities. Forward Observers, Recon Sweep and IRs are all based around scouting and vision, but really just 1 or 2 of those would be sufficient.

Rifleman observers should both be constant, but have a slightly reduced radius, and also at 0CP. If Rifle Company gets Vet 2's off the bat, so should Recon.

I&R Pathfinders need to be equivalent of airbourne AT LEAST. Then their intial MP cost should be adjusted up slightly. In fact, I'd be fine if both pathfinder squads were exactly the same, for once. It's nice to have variety, but right now they are worthless.

Greyhound needs some serious work to be more attractive and make it different to the M20/Stuart. Maybe reduce its CP cost by 1? The crew should also have bazookas (as a feature of the armoured car series).

The combat group should be redesigned - perhaps as an "elite paratroopers" ability, dropping two squads with random veterancy for 650/700MP. that would be nice.

But, the commander needs an overhaul for sure. So many redundant or useless abilities. I doubt Relic will do anything however.

Corp.Shephard has written a guide for this commander that will be out soon Hopefully today.

I look forward to hearing what he says, but it doesn't change the fact it's still one of the weakest commanders. It is truly awful compared to the Airbourne commander and has no reliable muni-sink. Even rifles scout better than I&R pathfinders (because they can take some hits)

I actually must disagree with the majority of you. As a 2v2 player, the I&R doctrine is great for supporting your allies and harassing the enemies.

The rifle vision upgrade is useful when your game has bogged down into a German defensive line to provide sight for your allies' long range units (arty/ ISU/ etc.)

The I&R pathfinders are noncombat units, use them with their weapons turned off to creep into enemy lines after a mass enemy retreat and nuke their battlegroup HQ/ other targets of interest. The artillery they have is the time on target barrage from the infantry company with the added bonus of a slightly lesse delay and a cost of 140 mu.
They also have the ability to drop beacons, which not only help your airborne but also provide sight behind enemy lines.

The M8 greyhound is an excellent scout unit that can snipe infantry from max range fairly easily. if you are engaged by an enemy blob, you can engage it with your main army, then flank behind and murder the blob with the canister shot. The canister shot is great at wiping squads after a mass retreat too, just drive up to their building, canister, pick up the meat chunks, and head back to base.

The recon plane I have slightly less use for, especially since the major gets one as well, but the recon plane from the doctrine has the added bonus of being invulnerable too enemy AAA.

Last but not least is the airborne callin. I have mixed feelings about it. At 900mp, it is by far a niche ability, but I have found it great at supporting advances and filling in the losses suffered by your rifles. In conjunction with your pathfinder beacons, you can use the airborne to hold the front while you reinforce. As an added bonus, they come with "free" weapon upgrades!

I&R pathfinders are pretty solid. The artillery barrage is laser specific, which makes it great for squad wipes.

Greyhound is a beefed up m20, near as I can tell. It's nice because you can skip lieutenant then bust out a greyhound alongside something in captain tech.

Vision is always useful.



One of my favourite "generic" doctrines. It's the kind of thing to get alongside a vehicle centric army since it doesn't require much investment in infantry but gives them a decent boost all around.

And there's nothing better for countering weapons crews/buildings than I&R pathfinder barrage.

Pathfinder barrage is, for the cost, the best off map arty in the game. Radius actually seems larger than ToT and anything in its circle of death dies or limps away mortally wounded. Almost no delay too. When you aren't calling arty, you put them on hold fire into cover to spot for arty. Beacons cue you to enemy advance.

M8 has a NASTY cannister shot. It'd cheap as hell and one of the best blob thinners in thr game. You're not supposed to make te M8 and Pathfinders as combat units but to be sneaky and hit and run blobs, buildings, weapons teams and garrisons