Penal Troops Idea

It's a concept that I've been thinking about, but it may get people a reason to use the Soviet Special Rifle building other than snipers and cheesing around with the Scout Car.

Basically I began think that the Penal Troops should be specialized in a damage dealing role and considering the fact that they are a Penal unit I was thinking that they should have more combat abilities than the conscripts, but at the cost of squad health. Now this may change the unit entirely since this is after all a concept that I just thought up. Though it will only focus on their veterancy, since I really don't know the numbers between the Cons and the Penals.

Now before anyone replies that this idea could be stupid I need to mention that this is a concept. So it's possible that it may actually work or it could fail, but that's how ideas end up most of the time.

At Vet 1, they get an ability called "Fight harder, cowards!" What it does is that the Penal Troops get a similar ability to the conscripts, but instead of charging in they increase their rate of fire while they get an increase in received accuracy.

At Vet 2, they receive an anti-tank grenade ability. Now I've notice that people don't want them to be like some weird conscript squad. So I have decided to bring a SOFT anti-vehicle/tank idea by having them go with the RPG-40 anti-tank grenade assault, but it won't be like the AT nades the conscripts use. Instead, the Penals have a less likely chance to cause damaged engines to Ostheer or OKW vehicles/tanks.

At Vet 3, they get an increase in accuracy. (I don't know what to really put in this spot, but it's up for debate)

As for things like the flamethrower or the satchel charge, I think they're fine in their spots. It may differ among other people, but this is my opinion. Though I do wish the satchel charge could get a bit of a buff.

To sum it all up, the objective of this thread is to give the Penal Squads an identity in their role while they possibly get a good veterancy path. Plus it gives a chance for the Special Rifle Command to be used more often.

So throw your ideas around and see how this could work.

P.S. If someone could, please throw in the stats for the Conscripts and the Penals.

Well, having them be glass cannons wouldn't be too good since in volks and grens would completely annihilate them while they're trying to close up

But here's my thoughts: Your Vet 1 ability idea sounds nice, could be something like the STroopers and ThompsonParas ability

But vet 2 could be a short range sticky explosive of some sort to throw on tanks that would deal medium damage on a tank and cause the tank to move slower for a while, also received accuracy buff for this vet could be nice

Vet 3 - They would get 3 ppshs to replace their rifles to have some kind of late game scale

There shouldn't be a radical change to these unit but making the squad vet and scale a lot better would be better for them, right now they're a bad unit because there's about zero late game value for them

Well, having them be glass cannons wouldn't be too good since in volks and grens would completely annihilate them while they're trying to close up

But here's my thoughts: Your Vet 1 ability idea sounds nice, could be something like the STroopers and ThompsonParas ability

But vet 2 could be a short range sticky explosive of some sort to throw on tanks that would deal medium damage on a tank and cause the tank to move slower for a while, also received accuracy buff for this vet could be nice

Vet 3 - They would get 3 ppshs to replace their rifles to have some kind of late game scale

There shouldn't be a radical change to these unit but making the squad vet and scale a lot better would be better for them, right now they're a bad unit because there's about zero late game value for them

Well... I was thinking of having this system where the Penals gain this decreased accuracy bonus whenever there is another unit around. However, that does not stack and it gives Penals a chance to not get pummeled by other units. I didn't put it in this thread since I wanted to see if anyone else had ideas that could help this unit out.