M1931 B-4 Howitzer - Let's do something about it!

at least its popcap finally refers to its usefulness. Worth of third army :/

I belive this was long waited fix for Counter Attack.

Make it less useful so no one will every try to use it

- reduce price to 500
- add supperssion in AoE 1.5-2 times bigger than actual explosion
- add instapin to any squad that got damaged by explosion
- add 100% chance of crew shock to any vehicle

What we achieve by these changes:
- you don't shoot yourself in a leg by going B-4
- no BS precision strike, but still useful when near-hit (near-miss?)
- somewhat better as a counter to heavy tanks if used as engagement opener

I think that's one of the best ideas in this thread so far.

I also like Miss-Commisar's idea of making the B-4 fire more shells per salvo. But then, there will be very few differences to keep B4 distrinct from its little brother (ML-20).

If you want long-range arty with huge alpha strike, the shell that lands should do way less damage than sustained-barrage arty (kind of how Katyusha vs Panzerwerfer balance should look like). Otherwise, the alpha-strike howitzer becomes by leaps-and-bounds better than the sustained-barrage howitzer (since they cost the same; for no reason).

I don't have a good proposal for B4 (apart from the suppression one that has already been suggested). However, I am going to throw this one to the pool of ideas:
- You can design a deathcrit that affects a very big radius such that every infantry model affected has X% chance of dying (say 20%) -- that should be similar to the way troop transports work when they become destroyed.

Thus:
- You can use B4 to severely bleed somebody blobbing everything they have in one area
- But you will almost never ever get any wipes with it (unless the squads have not been reinforced).

(off-topic: imo, that deathcrit should be something that should be implemented for other one-off things as well (different percentage though). e.g., demo charges, AVRE, Sturmtiger etc).

I think that's one of the best ideas in this thread so far.

I also like Miss-Commisar's idea of making the B-4 fire more shells per salvo. But then, there will be very few differences to keep B4 distrinct from its little brother (ML-20).

I think keep number of shells unchanged is a way to go. Otherwise they are too similar.

If you want long-range arty with huge alpha strike, the shell that lands should do way less damage than sustained-barrage arty (kind of how Katyusha vs Panzerwerfer balance should look like). Otherwise, the alpha-strike howitzer becomes by leaps-and-bounds better than the sustained-barrage howitzer (since they cost the same; for no reason).

I was surprised that they added suppression to Panzerwerfer. IMO it belongs to Katyusha.
Think about it:
Panzerwerfer fires all rockets at once in a huge alpha strike. It is already deadly. If someone got caught under its volley it will get killed.

Katy fires rockets in salvos. Its damage is stretched in time. To compete with Panzerwerfer alpha strike it needs for its target to remain static.
I had numerous times when I've desperately tried to hit a-moving blob only for them to just walk through barrage area.

I don't have a good proposal for B4 (apart from the suppression one that has already been suggested). However, I am going to throw this one to the pool of ideas:
- You can design a deathcrit that affects a very big radius such that every infantry model affected has X% chance of dying (say 20%) -- that should be similar to the way troop transports work when they become destroyed.

Thus:
- You can use B4 to severely bleed somebody blobbing everything they have in one area
- But you will almost never ever get any wipes with it (unless the squads have not been reinforced).

(off-topic: imo, that deathcrit should be something that should be implemented for other one-off things as well (different percentage though). e.g., demo charges, AVRE, Sturmtiger etc).

IMO this is the best idea on RNG wipes in general.

Infantry models have chance of dying.
If they don't then deal some damage to them (like 60?)

at least its popcap finally refers to its usefulness. Worth of third army :/

not exactly but close. It's worth 30 pop cap now!!!!!!!!!!! but it still can't hit anything.