OKW Flak Halftrack Sucks

I've been trying to use the OKW Flak Halftrack lately and I'm left with the impression that it's more trouble than it's worth. The only reason it's usable is the attack-move bug, which shouldn't be there in the first place. Even with that, I almost never see this unit in use - which is too bad because I think the concept is interesting.

Pros of the Flak Halftrack
- Can arrive extremely quickly
- Good suppression
- Attack-move bug allows it to set up while on the move
- Kills bunched-up infantry very quickly
- Can shoot down aircraft
- Decent vs. Soviet T1 - (but then who goes Soviet T1?)

Cons of the Flak Halftrack
- Arguably the most micro-intensive unit in the game
- Countered by comparable Allied vehicles
- Gets engine-critted easily
- Doesn't kill spread-out infantry very quickly
- Poor mobility
- Extremely vulnerable to anti-tank guns
- Rather fragile

So I'm left wondering what exactly to do with it. Personally, I'd like to see the attack-move bug removed, the set-up time reduced significantly or even eliminated (so that it can fire immediately after it's stopped), and maybe a moderate damage-output increase. It also needs to be less vulnerable engine criticals.

Any thoughts on this unit? Anybody out there actually use it?

I kind of agree, I noticed that a few patches ago it got ninja nerfed when they changes the attack type from a scatter based to accuracy based attack. Since then it's not nearly as good as it used to be, but then again it was really good before. I think it could use a slight AoE increase to make it better against groups of infantry, and maybe make it so it's not so prone to engine crits.

Good thing next patch its more accessible with the teching changes. Yes, it has its disadvantages, but thats largely due to being forced into mechanized this patch to build it. It will be less of an investment come tomorrow, and will see much more use.

I think primarily the engine crit bug needs to go. Relic apparently fixed it last patch, but it still happens. Makes the unit a lot more shitty than it should be. At the moment you can trigger this with small arms fire which happens with no other vehicle in the game.

Generally agree with the suggestions. It needs a buff, which should come in the form of an instant (or short) set up time because:

1) The American aa can suppress when moving and comes out at a similar(ish) time and rekts it 1v1. The soviet one is just hands down better (which it ought to be), but doesn't change the fact that the OKW one is still underperforming like crazy
2) it gets shut down so easily by AT guns, and rushing it from multiple sides with AT grenades will often kill it.
3) It has a very small window in which it is good. There is currently no real reason (may change with patch, but I'm not sure) to go for it, because T70 and Stuart hard counter the unit. The engine crit bug really makes this worse.
4) It takes ages to get vet. Make its vet worse sure, but at least make it get to vet 1 quicker, which is absolutely crucial. Never got one of those things beyond vet 2 (although I have never managed to keep it alive after the 20 min mark)
5) now that it is the only OKW suppression platform, it must be more viable than currently is the case.

The unit can be very powerful if you are ahead, but sucks in every single other aspect. Putting it into t2 will help, but the above quirks still remain. Also it actually still misses a lot because it hits objects instead of the units its actually meant to shoot at.

Good thing next patch its more accessible with the teching changes. Yes, it has its disadvantages, but thats largely due to being forced into mechanized this patch to build it. It will be less of an investment come tomorrow, and will see much more use.

Yeah, this is a good point. We'll see how it is in the new tech structure.

additionally. it is too bad against garrisoned infantry.
http://www.coh2.org/topic/45154/flak-251-weird-damage-bug-video/page/1#post_id443631


engine crit fixed dec patch.

i don't think it needs big buff because it has AA capability. use luch for dedicated Anti-infantry vehicle.
do not use it as blob counter or suppressor because it has very small area of suppression. it is basically just a support attacker with small suppression bonus.

additionally. it is too bad against garrisoned infantry.
http://www.coh2.org/topic/45154/flak-251-weird-damage-bug-video/page/1#post_id443631


engine crit fixed dec patch.

i don't think it needs big buff because it has AA capability. use luch for dedicated Anti-infantry vehicle.
do not use it as blob counter or suppressor because it has very small area of suppression. it is basically just a attacker with small suppression bonus.

Currently its very bad at attacking because of its slow set up time. To differentiate it from the Luchs the suppression aspect of the unit should be improved. OKW won't have any way to suppress infantry other than the HQ, so blobbing may prove to be effective against them. HT should be able to fill this role now, so I guess it needs some sort of buff/rework.

-Remove deploy but don't let it shoot on the move. No longer work arounds using attack move to be somehow useable.

-Fix the small arm crit bug

-Fix damage against garrison

-Give vet1 smoke muni cost

The AA Halftrack is rather in a bad shape in the upcoming patch. So it's the ISG. I don't think Relic will do something about it.
Sigh. It looks like OKW must pay dearly for a non doctrinal supression platform. In terms of low durability, effectiveness and costs.

I would say that in the upcoming patch, ISG and flack HT will not worth building anymore.

The AA Halftrack is rather in a bad shape in the upcoming patch. So it's the ISG. I don't think Relic will do something about it.
Sigh. It looks like OKW must pay dearly for a non doctrinal supression platform. In terms of low durability, effectiveness and costs.

I would say that in the upcoming patch, ISG and flack HT will not worth building anymore.

LoL. You dont play preview patch? Easy tech and back autoface of ISG make it both very usefull.

-Remove deploy but don't let it shoot on the move. No longer work arounds using attack move to be somehow useable.

-Fix the small arm crit bug

-Fix damage against garrison

-Give vet1 smoke muni cost

+1

This is exactly what it needs

LoL. You dont play preview patch? Easy tech and back autoface of ISG make it both very usefull.

Auto-face isn't mentioned in the december 3th patch notes so I don't know if it's back

LoL. You dont play preview patch? Easy tech and back autoface of ISG make it both very usefull.

I don't care about autofacing if it hits 4 times a RE squad and kills one model.

Needs more health, as well as better and more consistent damage

what is autoface?

what is autoface?

Your support gun automatically moving the gun around to get its arc on a target; instead of manually having to do so.

You know the MG arc? Pack howies and leigs have it but the autofacing was removed so they couldn't automatically move them around to shoot at targets. It's coming back in the dec patch.

Auto-face isn't mentioned in the december 3th patch notes so I don't know if it's back

If they nerfed the support guns, removed the suppression, and kept the feature of having no auto-facing. This will be my face:

Your support gun automatically moving the gun around to get its arc on a target; instead of manually having to do so.

You know the MG arc? Pack howies and leigs have it but the autofacing was removed so they couldn't automatically move them around to shoot at targets. It's coming back in the dec patch.



If they nerfed the support guns, removed the suppression, and kept the feature of having no auto-facing. This will be my face:

Kappa, but my face will be the same. But in the preview mod it's back, but it's not in the balance patch notes. Ninja patchnotes? Where's Cruzzi if you need him the most!

With the bug fix from getting engine crit from small arms fire, it's in a good spot. Only issue is damage to buildings and the smoke not costing munitions but it's a very good vehicle for punishing blobs, defending flanks, and being a cheap, reliable source of AA for your needs. By having a set up time it requires some forthough and positioning as well as scouting. Also really good against Brits aircraft late game, just watch out for those pesky snipers and anti-guns.

just used the AA HT and in fact itś good, only thing I'd change is the fact that it has a set up time or reduce it to 0.5 seconds or remove it and only let it fire when your AA HT stands still. Rest is fine

Where's Cruzzi if you need him the most!

The grave.