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75mm Pack Howitzer Experiences

23 Aug 2014, 21:49 PM
#1
avatar of miragefla
Developer Relic Badge

Posts: 1304 | Subs: 13

So I've been playing around with the Captain a ton and been deploying the 75mm Howitzer as the first unit after 3-4 rifles and/maybe an ambulance. Crazy since it's stupidly expensive, right?

Despite its cost, I've been having good use with it, though it requires a good position or finesse to use it to its full potential. Most games I play it tends to get it to veterency 2 or 3.

Thing is with this gun, despite being labeled a howitzer, it's far better at direct-fire, I find, than it is indirectly since it takes far longer for the shot to reach. It has good AOE, decent direct-fire range and you can immediately have a second shot by using the barrage ability, useful for trying to get another shot in at approaching infantry. Plus it doesn't need that long to vet with HEAT shells when targeting troop concentrations while laying serious hurt on the enemy if they decide to stay still for a moment. Really helps versus Obers and other long-ranged infantry.

I haven't used WP much since I prefer the direct-fire mode, but having been hit by other WP abilities, it seems useful just before an assault.

I probably need to get some replays to show next time, but anyone else find the 75mm a good direct-fire weapon?

23 Aug 2014, 22:22 PM
#2
avatar of Romeo
Honorary Member Badge
Benefactor 115

Posts: 1970 | Subs: 5

I've tried it out a few times and it seems to be pretty good in its role. I think it's still a little on the expensive side though.

I like using the barrage ability vs OKW trucks. I'd never purchase this vs ostheer unless they're bunker spamming or something. It doesn't seem very reliable vs machine guns.
27 Aug 2014, 00:16 AM
#3
avatar of Gbpirate
Senior Editor Badge

Posts: 1153 | Subs: 1

I played 3 matches in a row on Semoskiy this morning, and used Infantry Doctrine and Lt-Maj. tech each time. In Semoskiy, the pack howitzer is good because of all the buildings. I also got mortar half tracks, for more indirect fire.
On any urban map, I'd recommend getting a pack howitzer. It can be effective against OKW blobs (which are...frequent).

Like Romeo said, it's good against bunker spamming. You can also use it in big team games to break a defensive line, although idk how it performs against mortars.

It is quite expensive with a limited range (but larger barrage range), but with HEAT shells, some AT guns, and a few tanks, it is a great addition to any AT force.
27 Aug 2014, 00:28 AM
#4
avatar of armatak

Posts: 170

if you micro it, replace all the time and have it fire from relative shot distance it is really good but... you could also just get M8A1 who does the same thing and is more mobile :)
27 Aug 2014, 02:19 AM
#5
avatar of Hon3ynuts

Posts: 818

It takes about 10 minutes to get vet 2, in which it might get 10 kills if your very lucky.

The next 10 minutes after that it will probably get 30-40 kills depending on RNG and the number of available targets.

This might be because it does 80 damage at vet 0 and 1, but 160 damage at vet 2. Because that's totally a natural progression...
27 Aug 2014, 16:25 PM
#6
avatar of TheDesertFox

Posts: 61

As an OKW player I have to say this thing is annoying to fight against. It has really good range and is effective at disrupting my MG setups. It also likes to wipe my squads on occasion.
27 Aug 2014, 16:32 PM
#7
Vaz
8 Oct 2014, 12:55 PM
#8
avatar of Vaz

Posts: 1158

I've starting using a defensive build on Semoisky that involves the pak howitzer. I found this sucker always penetrates tigers! I think my opponents realized it kind of late, but I was shaving some nice chunks of health off their tigers with the pak. It's very frequent that it blows huge chunks out of blobs too. It's limited range is kind of stupid, I bet if I check the stats the JT has longer range.
8 Oct 2014, 13:16 PM
#9
avatar of sneakking

Posts: 655

Permanently Banned
Too unpredictable for it's cost. Sometimes, you just burn 480 MP for a piece of scrap that gets stuka'd (gun and crew) after firing it's first barrage. But then sometimes, you get what happened to RiflesReady/Khan. A lot of it is map dependent, but one way or another I'd like to see it get a pretty hefty price reduction, to make it more viable and less risky.
Vaz
8 Oct 2014, 13:34 PM
#10
avatar of Vaz

Posts: 1158

Is there some recording I can see of the game you mentioned?

There is no doubt that it needs buffs. Price decrease and range increase, considering it's the only morear-like thing USF gets non-doctrinal. I got mine to vet3 today for a while. I didn't check the kill count before it got blobbed though.
8 Oct 2014, 14:49 PM
#11
avatar of butterfingers158

Posts: 239

Most games that I get a Pack Howitzer I kick myself later asking why I wasted the manpower.

Then like every 4th or 5th time I get one it gets like 50 kills.
8 Oct 2014, 18:48 PM
#12
avatar of Suralin

Posts: 20

I think the Manpower is worth it if you can't get the gas to grab the Major and the M8A1 in short manner. The Capt costs 80 gas, a nice chunk. If you rushed it, you sacrificed the LT's early anti-inf for anti-armor. In this scenario, I can understand getting the 75mm, especially if you decided not to unlock the BAR for your riflemen.

However, if you grabbed the LT and skipped CPT for the Major for tanks, I would be hard-pressed to justify the 75mm.
8 Oct 2014, 18:56 PM
#13
avatar of VIPUKS

Posts: 431 | Subs: 1

It's really good unit. The phosphorious barrage is such good unit disabler. Unit can't shoot when they are in it, it effect and tanks. Drop it on jagdtiger and you have disabled it for 15sec or force it reverse for 25 munition.
8 Oct 2014, 18:56 PM
#14
8 Oct 2014, 20:33 PM
#15
avatar of frv103

Posts: 3

I don't really see the point of the pack howitzer since if you skip captain and go straight for major you can just get the M8A1 which IMO is not only way better, but if you skip captain it actually costs 5 LESS fuel than teching/buying the pack howitzer in addition to the lesser manpower cost.

Although I can agree that it's not totally useless, I just don't see the advantage of getting the pack howitzer anymore instead of going straight M8A1 unless you are in a situation where you are forced to go captain, but I usually lose these games anyway.
9 Oct 2014, 03:35 AM
#16
avatar of TheMightyCthulu

Posts: 127

Last game I played as OKW on the Minsk Pocket map, two of these things wreaked havoc on my units. It even got a couple squad wipes, one on a Sturmpioneer squad. Ughh.
Vaz
9 Oct 2014, 05:52 AM
#17
avatar of Vaz

Posts: 1158

m8a1 can't penetrate KT
9 Oct 2014, 17:37 PM
#18
avatar of Retaliation
Donator 11

Posts: 97

To be fair even pack howis have a hard time penetrating KTs!

I feel the pack howitzer trades mobility and raw damage for penetration and better area of effect. The scott has a very sharp damage drop off from the center, while the pack has a very gentle one. Heat rounds stack it more in the pack's favor by making raw damage greater and dramatically increasing penetration.
12 Oct 2014, 00:51 AM
#19
avatar of ASneakyFox

Posts: 365

if you can get it to vet2 its going to be worth it. its sort of a weak mid game investment you make while betting that the game is going to end up being a long one where it will pay off.


One thing i cant seem to do with it though, is figure out when to use the white phosphorus barrage. Youd think plane old emplacements and mg teams and stuff would be prime targets, but very often ill use a barrage on an mg squad, theyll not realize its being hit, and then it still ends up with 1 guy left in the squad even though he just sat there burning. If i get lucky and both shots in the barrage land kind of close it seems to do ok, but nothing that a regular barrage wouldnt have done probably.

Vaz
12 Oct 2014, 03:04 AM
#20
avatar of Vaz

Posts: 1158

Well what I understand from my experiences. The white phosphorous is supposed to act like damaging smoke. Meaning units also get their los blocked. This makes it perfect for hitting mg's and then advancing with regular rifles. Once the smoke clears the rifles kill it immediately.

Pack seems to always penetrate kt for me. It does a better job of making it back off than a 57.
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