RET heavy play

Hi, I've been experimenting with 4 RET--> vet rifle lately. The timing and MP works out almost perfectly so that the vet rifle comes out as soon as it can. The 4 RETs allow huge capping potential and theyre okay infantry in large groups or with BARs. A lone volks can be creamed by 3-4 RETs and they usually don't see it coming. I only build vet rifles and immediately tech to BARs and nades with extra MP, followed by CPT and fast stuart.

I suspect LT might be better though. The BAR/SMG plus fast M20 could be interesting.

The real value of the strat is that you can apply almost constant pressure on your opponent. The RETs reinforce so cheaply (16 MP IIRC) that as soon as they're back at the base, you just dump 48 MP and back in the fight!

Anyhow, is this a valid strat at higher levels of play?

Anyhow, is this a valid strat at higher levels of play?

Fight to the top and find out; however, on feel, I'm going to say no.

Hi, I've been experimenting with 4 RET--> vet rifle lately. The timing and MP works out almost perfectly so that the vet rifle comes out as soon as it can. The 4 RETs allow huge capping potential and theyre okay infantry in large groups or with BARs. A lone volks can be creamed by 3-4 RETs and they usually don't see it coming. I only build vet rifles and immediately tech to BARs and nades with extra MP, followed by CPT and fast stuart.

I suspect LT might be better though. The BAR/SMG plus fast M20 could be interesting.

The real value of the strat is that you can apply almost constant pressure on your opponent. The RETs reinforce so cheaply (16 MP IIRC) that as soon as they're back at the base, you just dump 48 MP and back in the fight!

Anyhow, is this a valid strat at higher levels of play?

I tried it in the last patch against a ~500 elo player and the RE's got stomped by Grenadiers on an open map. They couldn't close across open ground, don't do any damage at long range, and just caused a lot of mp bleed. Might work better on Kholodny or something like that.

The trouble with Riflemen was two-fold.

1) They scaled terribly into the late game

2) They have the highest reinforcement cost of any core infantry

Riflemen essentially had an expiration date on their effectiveness, being great in the early games for smoking and fragging and awful late game since they would show up to engagements with vetted Grenadiers and say, "There's Fritz, guys! Let's take 'em d-AAAAAHHRRGLGLBLRRHHRHRL... For Pete's sake already!"

All while any losses you inflict on his Grenadiers costing nill while your Riflemen that dropped like flies were basically just a big hole in your manpower bank.

POST PATCH though, veteran 3 Riflemen are some of the biggest take-no-shit infantry in the game, able to stand up to Grenadiers and Obers at range pretty respectfully while their BARs got a pretty nice buff to their fire on the move.

Building lots of REs to avoid bleeding manpower with Riflemen might still be effective in some other ways, but given the durability of late game Riflemen, I would say it's not worth it. The manpower bleed shouldn't be as atrocious as it was, which was the whole reason RE spam became a thing in the first place.

On a 4 v 4s or 3 v 3s it's borderline OP as you can use all the extra MP you save to spam VPS and make it a fast Sherman rush! But in 1v1's you are basically sacrificing your late game to dominate early and possibly mid game.

It can work, but it requires allot of micro and patience. Not to mention grabbing a few 50 cals as line backers essentially forcing you into lieutenant.

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

If you build more than 3 RE you are a no-skill blobber.

Joking aside: REs are great, but for best use combine them with Riflemen or other troops.

A BAR RE blob with some riflemen is great; a zook RE blob with Paths or Paras is also great.

Rule of thumb is to make sure they don't get wiped, treat them like the trash troops they are, and never forget all the things they can do. In a lategame situation a rushed fighting position can mean the difference between holding a sector, or forcing your opponent to commit to a different army comp/use arty.

Also, don't forget that the Captain can rush production of infantry. At vet 3 he can get an RE in literally 3 seconds.