The Royal Artillery Regiment

I think it's pretty safe to say that this guy is the weakest of all the British commanders. I know there have already been quite a few threads about this, but they focus mainly on the Sexton. Instead, I want to go through the commander as a whole.

So what have we got?

Early Warning
3 CP, 60 munitions, 30s duration

This ability is good. Lights up enemy frontlines for a reasonable price. Not much else to say really.

Concentration Barrage
4 CP, 100 munitions

This ought to be the core ability of the doctrine, but the restrictions on it kill it entirely. To use this ability you have to have line of sight, pay 100 munitions (sections flares are 45 per use by comparison) and each gun will only fire 3 shells as opposed to 6 fired when section flares are used. Also comes with a big red "I'm firing here" flare.

When the game launched it could be fired without line of sight - allowing the base howitzers to be used like an ordinary howitzer with the exception that other howitzers don't give a big red flare to warn the opposing player. Combined with anvil it could be used an accurate counter to ISGs and the likes, but was munitions intensive. Without explanation or even a patch note it was changed to require line of sight - which begs the question "why would I use this instead of section flares?", especially given that the section flares barrage is cheaper and better.

Even when blind firing in the past, Anvil was more or less required to make it worthwhile. The base howitzer shells have the worst possible dispersion for a howitzer, and their AoE is small to say the least. A direct hit is required to do anything and even against stationary OKW trucks you couldn't rely on shells hitting them without airburst.

I would suggest that the line of sight nerf be reverted to give the doctrine back one of its key pieces.

EDIT:
As of the February patches, Concentration barrage can now fire into the fog of war again! This is a massive improvement and almost makes the ability viable again. Problems remain due to the 25 pdrs being generally unimpressive, the high expense relative to tommy flares for half the shells fired and anvil being more or less required to get mileage out of it.

Valentine
6 CP, 300 MP, 80 Fuel, 12 Pop

Any time I've seen this used, it has essentially just been a fog of war scanner. I've never found it good against inf, and at 80 damage its main cannon is pretty weak against anything but light vehicles. Indeed it seems worse at combat than the cheaper (340/50/8pop), non-doctrinal AEC which does 120 damage.

It's also the only unit I can think of that requires another specific unit for its vet 1 to do anything at all.

Sexton
9 CP, 375 MP, 90 Fuel, 14 Pop

There has already been a ton of discussion on the Sexton and why it's just plain bad, so I'll simply link a few for now:
http://www.coh2.org/topic/44942/i-m-surprised-they-didn-t-buff-trash-sexton
http://www.coh2.org/topic/41457/the-sexton-sucks
http://www.coh2.org/topic/43619/sexton-underperforming-for-cost
http://www.coh2.org/topic/43672/ukf-sexton-stats-comparison-buff-needed
http://www.coh2.org/topic/43429/the-valentine-and-the-sexton

Perimeter Overwatch
10 CP, 225 Munitions, 2 minute duration

All this ability effectively does is turn your map sectors orange and eat munitions. Assuming even perfect sight, you have to wait for the base howitzers to turn to target and by that time the point can be decapped so nothing will happen anyway. Assuming it does get a volley or two off, it does little to deter or wound an attacker since the AoE on 25 pounder shells is so low and the accuracy bad enough that hitting anything at all is pure luck. For this to be useful at all the base howitzers need to turn a bit faster.



Really, the main problem is that the artillery the entire doctrine is based around simply isn't good. Low area of effect and splash cripples both the base howitzers and the Sexton. It simply isn't worth giving up units like commandos for artillery that's too random to have an effect. Likewise if you want to use artillery to clear entrenched positions, you're better off using the Concentrated Artillery Operation from Special Weapons Regiment.

I'd also say that the Valentine and Sexton seem to be balanced around the synergy between them - but as a result neither are useful. A higher cost, better Sexton would make the synergy harder to obtain - but it would actually be worth doing. A combat capable Valentine would mean you might actually get vet 1 to use it in the first place. Both being viable would also mean sinking your pop cap into it wouldn't be suicide.

Anyway, that ended up longer than I thought it would but I do think this commander badly needs looked at.

its such a shame, the doctrine was really fun and quite potent in alpha, then LELIC decided to completely destroy it. In my opinion the primary issue is just the british base howi's are shit, like even if they directly hit a squad it will kill 1 model... I've barraged bases and seen entire blobs top kek at the shells as they walk through them.

Dead doctrine leave it rest.

It's more of a problem with the 25pounder power level, if it was better the doctrine (and probably the whole british faction) would be fixed.

Now to await OKW only players who come in and say its fine, while lieing about a time when it was ok.

Honestly British arty should make up in number of shells to make up the lack of acc or damange. A small decrees in mun for abilitys to get the base howtzers to fire and increase the number of shells for both the base and sexton. Im. Talking about 9-12 shots per gun.

It should be a fear for the axis when that red smoke pops up, not a "Eh whatever".

Now to await OKW only players who come in and say its fine, while lieing about a time when it was ok.

Honestly British arty should make up in number of shells to make up the lack of acc or damange. A small decrees in mun for abilitys to get the base howtzers to fire and increase the number of shells for both the base and sexton. Im. Talking about 9-12 shots per gun.

It should be a fear for the axis when that red smoke pops up, not a "Eh whatever".

That would simply make it more deadly to structures, infantry and tanks still wouldn't care about the shells. Just a straight, noticeable buff to AOE is the way.

That would simply make it more deadly to structures, infantry and tanks still wouldn't care about the shells. Just a straight, noticeable buff to AOE is the way.

I do agree with this, but I don't think its the right way to go about it, for infantry and tanks still wouldn't care, you can only make its aoe so much closer until you got almost spot on shots.



Just saying fire by volume would be a intresting way to do it. The lack of shells is contrubieing to how sucky it is.

Heavy artillery as a whole is just a dud right now, my problem with the whole situation is that on map options for the Brits are just meh. Sexton is dead in the water and the base artillery is not faring much better.

Used it a couple of times, then just abandoned it cause it sucks dick.
Should get a revamp.

Concentration Barrage
4 CP, 100 munitions

Reduce price for 80 ammo.

Valtentine
6 CP, 300 MP, 80 Fuel, 12 Pop
...Indeed it seems worse at combat than the cheaper (340/50/8pop), non-doctrinal AEC which does 120 damage.

+1, reduce price or increase damage.

This too things can be made without any risk of imbalance. In a few seconds.

I accidentally found that valentine is the best men crushing machine ever. super fast and big enough, though it's not intended....

anyway, in this manner i can get enough benefit from valentine.

I'm still waiting for the Mr senior strategist aka axis fanboi to come and say it's fine, adopt! kappa

I'm still waiting for the Mr senior strategist aka axis fanboi to come and say it's fine, adopt! kappa

Hehe too true.

But you asking to be boy lol.

1 round of sexton + concreate with anvil round and OKW will gone

only one thing to worry about is tank rush and usaully pay the price for go arty first

if you want to lose sometimes, call-in sexton. it works greatly in this way.

Eh, I'm not sure that giving good artillery to a turtle faction is a good idea. True, emplacements are bad right now, but history suggests that they're going to get buffed at some point. If the sexton/base howitzers are good when that happens it's a recipe for a balance clusterfuck even worse than what we've presently got. Getting battered to death from an unassailable fort is not my idea of a good time.

I don't see how giving the brits decent indirect fire in a doctrine built entirely around indirect fire would be a problem.

It was certainly implied at the brits launch that the two base howitzers would be the brits late game indirect fire option, but the restrictions placed on it along with the general lack of effect mean that they're largely unused. I casually spectate games and replays sometimes, and more often than not the base howitzers will end the match having not fired at all.

Since the base 25 pounders suck, and the Sexton is possibly the worst on-map arty in the game, the doctrine sucks. Nothing else to say, really. Buff these please, Brits need good arty.

it's shit, but for some reason relic refuse to buff non-DLC commanders

I don't really understand why the base howitzers are so bad. I thought they were bugged the first time I used them as even landing a shell directly on a squad seems to do little more than displace them.

Sexton is just laughably awful, has very little synergy with the Valentine.

Valentine is just a fog of war scanner with a little utility. Not that I mind but good lord trying to use it to supercharge the sexton is a waste of effort.

Base howies in general are more decoration than a real threat. Even with Anvil the amount of time it takes between the flares, the rotation and the hits coming in you'd have to be comatose to get hit.


Alt suggestions:

-Make the doc about actual artillery. I am 99% of the time not a big fan of arty spam (ugggh scheldt) but in this case with the doc based 100% around artillery support it's worth a little look.

The way it would work is that infantry positions are supported by artillery that can respond in a reasonable amount of time. The valentine works as a spotter/caller that comes out when you have both howies up and serves as a way to skirt the cooldowns.


Barrage : Remove the Barrage ability entirely. Instead add the ability to manually fire the base howies for a munitions cost per barrage. 40 Per cast, 6 shots per barrage. Have this be independant of flares from infantry.

Valentine : It's okay where it is. Add a button to call down both base howies on a target for 60 mu. This cooldown operates independently of other cool downs.

Sexton : Everything I could say has been said. Just bad.