M20 damage

yeah, they're shit without the flamer and an expensive RNG deathtrap with it.

no pios are fine. Volley fire costs 20 ammo and if you're microing right then you force the REs to retreat before they can supress you. Of course they're gonna win if you rush them toe to toe if they are in green cover. A pio group withot grens can give you an deciding advantage early game against lonely enemy units (if they are not alone, then he is certainly blobbing and you got to avoid the blob early game). Never saw them losing against combat engineers if they arent in a building and/or the RNG god intervents. They can place awful mine fields on retreat pathes, palce teller mines that are close to M20 mine placed by a much more expensive car. And at last: have you ever seen a engineer squad moving into a building when the enemy is just passing it close range? at that DPS it feels like Stormpios. If you would buff em they have to be either more expensive or the they would become a to viable combat unit that makes it much easier for you to rush straight for T2 and Pgrens, 221/222.

edit: i usually use a 2 pio start, keeping them supporting each other can even force riflemen to retreat