Like sov you have alot close combat option:
- first, it's CE flamethrower. They not great, but they can clean up the house or cover;
- second, cons&molotov. Some sort of you main spam forse so you have few of them anyway;
- trid, partyzans. They have nade, molotov and SMG.
- fourthly, Shock troops. A bit outdated but still effective.
- fifth, PPSH cons. Cons have some real weapon.
- At sixth. Assault guards. Something even worse than a PPSH cons, but still have SMG and nade.
So why choose penal? No reason. And you do not choose them.
Sorry but you are completly wrong.
- CE, like you said. They are not fighting infantry. They can just help you with garrisons.
- Cons have shit DPS in late game and molotv is very, very easy to dodge.
- Partisants, squihy 4-men squad with melee range PPSH and they base on surprising. Cannot be your mainline.
- Shocks, melee range, doctrinal, don't come right away, expensive, cannt be mainline infantry.
- Doctrinal, melee range, you need to Ouurah every time. While doing so, you gonna lose model or two.
- Assauly Guards. Let's just leave them crying in corner.
Penals:
- Come right away.
- Very good at close range, useful at mid and long range.
- Non doc flamer.
- Can be your mainline infantry.
- 60% accuracy with vet.
Shame I don't have anymore screens of after game stats in 2v2 where 3 Penals squads have like 70-100 kills everytime. Impossible to achieve by Partisants, CE, Cons, sometimes maybe shocks.
The only thing is they don't do the job on every map and it makes T4 less desireable.