USF Tips

*UPDATE 10/19/15* -

This is a tip that I'm going to throw out there from observing many USF matches and personal experience.

Get weapon racks and an Ambulance before you tech - follow up with BARS to put pressure on your opponent. I see so many USF players hold off on getting the weapon racks and ambulance, they think that getting a light vehicle out fast will catch the opponent off-guard. This logic is flawed for several reasons.

1. If you hold off on getting your weapon racks, you don't get bars until you've got the munitions for at least 3 BARS in an even match. This is huge wasted potential, as 3 bar equipped infantry units will do reliable damage sooner and at less risk than with a light vehicle.

2. Your riflemen need to close distance to have an advantage against volks. The best way to accomplish this is having an ambulance early (after 3rd Rifle squad), so that in all future engagements you have full-health squads. Because you are not investing munitions in healing like other factions, you have more freed up for special weapons. This is a key aspect of USF design, take advantage of it early.

3. You need to invest in your infantry first before all else. You will be investing in fewer squads that have higher vet and thus higher durability. At vet 1 your rifles get AT nades, at vet 2 and 3 more durability. A couple vet 2 Rear Echelon with a BARs throwing down suppression is nothing to laugh at.

4. Finally, if you are going rifle company, don't invest in more than a couple of flamethrowers. BAR equipped riflemen are better in most tactical situations.

Here is a standard build that I use with this mindset - Rifle - Rifle -Rifle - Ambulance - RE - Weapon Rack - Tech

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've got a couple of simple tips that have cut some of the frustrations I've had with the USF

-Bind the ambulance to a control group and set up a macro for healing. I assign the ambulance to CTL+0 then and have 0+Z tied to the numpad enter key for one button healing. This contributes significantly to cutting back on the inherent healing micro tax.

-Make use of superior USF LOS in the early-mid game. A fighting position that been upgraded to a .50 cal AND garrisoned (with RE squad) has some of the biggest LOS in the game. The increase LOS allows the RE squad to begin shooting its rifle grenades sooner if there's no spotter around. Both prerequisites need to be met for the LOS boost. Consider putting up a fighting position on one side of the map that acts as a spotter and deterrent. Combine with a scout car to help flank the inevitable AT gun.

Do you have a USF tip to add that you haven't seen mentioned elsewhere? That's all for now, cheers!

Do you have tips for the use of stuart?

A tip: M20 compliments Jacksons well. Going purely anti infantry with your troops and unit choices and dedicating T3 to Jackson production is more prudent when fighting Ost. If you manage to get out 3 Jacksons and a nice LMG RE blob, with maybe some rifles and an M20 for utility reasons, you have a winning lategame combination.

I've got a couple of simple tips that have cut some of the frustrations I've had with the USF

-Bind the ambulance to a control group and set up a macro for healing. I assign the ambulance to CTL+0 then and have 0+Z tied to the numpad enter key for one button healing. This contributes significantly to cutting back on the inherent healing micro tax.

-Make use of superior USF LOS in the early-mid game. A fighting position that been upgraded to a .50 cal AND garrisoned (with RE squad) has some of the biggest LOS in the game. The increase LOS allows the RE squad to begin shooting its rifle grenades sooner if there's no spotter around. Both prerequisites need to be met for the LOS boost. Consider putting up a fighting position on one side of the map that acts as a spotter and deterrent. Combine with a scout car to help flank the inevitable AT gun.

Do you have a USF tip to add that you haven't seen mentioned elsewhere? That's all for now, cheers!

Be as aggressive as possible in the early stages, if you are playing USF in a 1v1 or 2v2, LT into a m20/halftrack will push the enemy back if they arent prepared. With the extra map control try to get a Sherman out fast, Shermans are really strong if they get out quickly.

Tip: Shermans can fight P4s easily now, so use them to fight infantry and mediums, but you will need a Jackson or Easy 8 for the heavier tanks.

Do you have tips for the use of stuart?

Sorry for the delay - I have a few.

-Stuarts need a follow up, just one Stuart is not effective on its own. 2 Stuarts can work in combination to take down even medium armor. Use chain stunning and follow up with an engine critical at close range. Panzer IVs can be reliably taken down with a couple of Stuarts. The Panzer might not even get a single shot off if you activate the stuns in succession. Watch out for Pak or Pup support!

-The abilities of the Stuart can be even more useful later in the game when you are facing medium or heavy armor and have armor of your own. Punish enemy armor that's out of position or pushing forward with stunning and follow up with your tank destroyer or medium armor.

-My last tip has to do with vet. Did you know Stuarts require the same vet as the M8A1 Howitzer Motor Carriage (which is just a Stuart with a different gun, after all)? That vet 2 Stuart crew can become a vet 2 motor carriage. The reason this is important is for the ability to pop smoke at vet 1. In addition, you don't lose the abilities of the Stuart by rotating out the crew because they are inherent.

-Stuarts need a follow up, just one Stuart is not effective on its own.

Agree 100%

2 Stuarts can work in combination to take down even medium armor. Use chain stunning and follow up with an engine critical at close range. Panzer IVs can be reliably taken down with a couple of Stuarts. The Panzer might not even get a single shot off if you activate the stuns in succession. Watch out for Pak or Pup support!

This is a very risky play and a single pak backing up that PIV will punish you and make your double Stuart play a horrible mistake.

-The abilities of the Stuart can be even more useful later in the game when you are facing medium or heavy armor and have armor of your own. Punish enemy armor that's out of position or pushing forward with stunning and follow up with your tank destroyer or medium armor.

This is really the best way to employ a Stuart, getting one and following up with a Jackson isn't as bad as you would think, provided you play smart and don't run into a pak wall.

-My last tip has to do with vet. Did you know Stuarts require the same vet as the M8A1 Howitzer Motor Carriage (which is just a Stuart with a different gun, after all)? That vet 2 Stuart crew can become a vet 2 motor carriage. The reason this is important is for the ability to pop smoke at vet 1. In addition, you don't lose the abilities of the Stuart by rotating out the crew because they are inherent.

While this is correct a high vet Stuart at late game can give you very good sight range allowing you superior field awareness, late game this can be important as spotting the difference between a push and harassment is vital and mistakes here can cost games.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKlnjwzT1IruAZFb0EA-5pQ

Stuart + Jackson are indeed a good combination but it force you to micro 2 different gameplay unit. Stuart need to be close and Jackson need to be at max range, it is not an easy task.

Stuart + Sherman are easier to play and have a great survivability with the stunlock and smoke. Use the stunlock to place your sherman behind the tank and use the smoke to cover your attack.

I'm not fan going 2 stuarts since it is a lot of fuel investment for a unit that become just a stunlock dealer after 10 minutes. Stuart + zooks are more than enough to take out most of the medium target until heavies hit the field.

I often build an early Stuart to go for units like ISG/LeiG deep in enemy territory by flanking somewhere around map edges and stuff. But I am not sure if its the best unit for that maybe I should use one of the other light vehicles instead. But then I often skip Lieutenant for Captain so then thats my only choice.

2 barrage from Priest can bring down an OKW truck. If you happen to play 2v2, 2 Priest + Su-76 screening absolutely trash Axis base.
WP shells slow down inf so combine WP shells from Pack Howi + other arty can wipe inf instantly.

*UPDATE 10/19/15* - See first post.

Thanks, this is a really useful post. I've been wondering about tips like these, trying to glean them from replays, etc.

I recently arrived at the same conclusion wrt early bars. It can win you early game.

It is not really a good, general advice though. IMO the main reason why it works is, because the meta game at this time is exactly that bars are being postponed. Most axis players adapt to that.

If early bars was meta, it would not be effective. So my advice is kind of: enjoy it while you can. One day it may not work.

As for the Stuart, I disagree that 1 Stuart isn't effective. Ofc. it depends how you define effective.

In my book, inflicting losses on the enemy without suffering losses yourself, is effective. My Stuarts usually pay like 400%.

You won't kill a medium tank with one Stuart ofc., but using 'a couple of Stuarts' sure isn't costeffective either.

In fact more than one is a waste IMO.

I am happy to confirm we hope shortly to publish a new guide about USF tactics, written by a top USF player.

I recently arrived at the same conclusion wrt early bars. It can win you early game.

It is not really a good, general advice though. IMO the main reason why it works is, because the meta game at this time is exactly that bars are being postponed. Most axis players adapt to that.

If early bars was meta, it would not be effective. So my advice is kind of: enjoy it while you can. One day it may not work.

As for the Stuart, I disagree that 1 Stuart isn't effective. Ofc. it depends how you define effective.

In my book, inflicting losses on the enemy without suffering losses yourself, is effective. My Stuarts usually pay like 400%.

You won't kill a medium tank with one Stuart ofc., but using 'a couple of Stuarts' sure isn't costeffective either.

In fact more than one is a waste IMO.

This is also true for most of USF's light vehicle, you also don't need more than 1 Utility Car or 1 AAHT either, Stuart is good because it is useful throughout the entire game (if you can keep it alive) but not cripple your economy too much if you lose them after dealing some dmg (Unlike OKW light vehicle where you cannot afford to lose them at all).

If you can ever capture a schreck with a pathfinder unit the results can be very satisfying. The ability to cloak & do AT damage from fairly long range plus spot for other units is pretty hard to counter.

I may not agree with everything you say, but I complement you for being very non-meta.