OKW early game dominance

Hi Guys,

First time poster, loooong time CoH player here.

As far back as I can remember, almost 10 years now, this game has always had a loose rule. Allies dominate early game, Axis rule the late game. But it feels like OKW have the ability to shut down the map within the first couple of minutes if you make a single mistake.

Take a map like Kolodny Ferma for example. A sturmpio rush into a key building like the church, or even the house near the West base is almost uncontendable. Especially when they're almost always supported by Volk. Their extremely high DPS means that you've got to focus all your early squads firepower to force them back, or you have to avoid them completely. If you're playing as Soviets then using Maxims is one counter, but they are so easy to flank.

My main question is - why do OKW start off with a 300mp, extremely high DPS unit? When by comparison combat engineers cost 180mp and have no combat effectiveness early on? It seems from the very beginning OKW have the best T1 infantry before VET and upgrades. And if the map has a lot of shot blockers and close quarter opportunities then OKW have a natural advantage.

Read a guide or something on soviets then. Not sure why you are complaining when you can get penals, or sniper. As okw you can only build 2 inf units and a kubel. As soviets you can have maxims, morters, scout car, sniper, penals. So okw needs higher dps to be at equal footing.

I am not a fan of the current game mechanics of units in house. What you explained to us is not a balance issue, but clearly a problem with your strategy. Don't complain about the game balance, but have a look at your replays, learn from your mistakes, watch other people's replays, well, get better at the game first. I hate these words, but this is a L2P issue.

Please play nice, especially to first time posters. OKW have a high DPS high bleed unit to begin the game. This unit is powerful but only if you ignore the number and types of supporting squads it gets.

If you are having problems with SPs feel free to drop a replay in the replay review section of the forums and a strategist will respond.

My current opinion is that SPs are overburdened with utility not that they are too good in the early game.

Please play nice, especially to first time posters. OKW have a high DPS high bleed unit to begin the game. This unit is powerful but only if you ignore the number and types of supporting squads it gets.

If you are having problems with SPs feel free to drop a replay in the replay review section of the forums and a strategist will respond.

My current opinion is that SPs are overburdened with utility not that they are too good in the early game.

Thanks,

How would I go about uploading a replay?

or better to start play okw

Just spam rifles, they will melt sturmpioneers. If they get the middle church on kholodny, just ignore them. They can't do anything whilst they are in there. Secure your fuel, defend it properly, get a mortar and nuke the church with the extreme rate of fire. Wait for captain and call in stuart and have the best light vehicle in the game to wipe the rest.

Good luck

If you hover over the forum menu at the top of the page and go to the state office you will see an entire forum called Replay Reviews. Save a replay you would like reviews and follow the directions on the website. Once you upload the review it will take from 1-7 days to get a replay reviewed usually.

cloth is right, you can work around a single squad of sturmpios in the early game, especially with USF and SU infantry. if he goes multiple squads of sturmpios then he will bleed a ton of MP. engage them at range and make them try to advance on you... never assault a squad of sturms in cover. snipers also do good work against them.

the OKW player will try to do the opposite... use his volks to hold defensive positions while flanking or assaulting with sturmpios. remember to only engage if you can win.

Take a map like Kolodny Ferma for example. A sturmpio rush into a key building like the church, or even the house near the West base is almost uncontendable.

Does not compute, either they rushed it and thus have no volks on the field, or they didnt rush it and you didn't take it.

Almost any SU t1/t2 unit will force OKW out of a building, so whats your issue?

Thanks,

How would I go about uploading a replay?

Check this screenshot:



Or use this link https://www.coh2.org/replay/upload

Then create a new thread in Replay Reviews section https://www.coh2.org/forum/109/replay-reviews
and ask for guidance.

As long as you're not trying to Con spam OKW then you should be doing okay. Sturms are basically an ambush/defensive unit if you're playing them properly.

Hi Guys,

First time poster, loooong time CoH player here.

... A sturmpio rush into a key building like the church, ...

If you're playing as Soviets then using Maxims is one counter, but they are so easy to flank.

My main question is - why do OKW start off with a 300mp, extremely high DPS unit? When by comparison combat engineers cost 180mp and have no combat effectiveness early on?

SPs are close range unit, and they are not durable. If you play against OKW you will notice how they try to get close to your infantry with SP to get max effectiveness. Your job is to keep distance and fight at a range where they are not effective. So get in cover and fight from a distance.

If you play soviets dont do conscripts. I would also suggest to watch replays from other good soviet players how they play 1v1. Usually they go T1 instead of T2, and build sniper+penal or penals only instead of support weapon spam.

I beg to differ; properly used Cons can be a nightmare for OKW. And they add the much needed flame nades and vehicle nades that will stop a fast P2.

Anyway, OP, try starting with Tier1. While it leaves you more vulnerable to vehicles, it gives you access to 3 units that OKW simply cannot deal with very effectively early game.


1) Penal battallions - they own OKW infantry early, can equip flamers for clearing garrissons and you can use their demo charges to blow up key defensive structures on the enemy side as well as any OKW trucks deployed in the field.

2) Scout Car - good speed, great chasing power, single squad garrisson. As long as you micro it properly you are not likely to lose it. Volksgrenadiers only get access to nades after the first truck is laid down, which usually doesn't happen sooner than 4-6 minutes into the game.

3) Sniper - technically the Kubel counters the sniper, but that is only true if there is no other infantry around him. A single squad of Cons with a nade (or two without) can punish a diving car very fast. Other than that, the sniper is absolutely one of the best early units to use against OKW, due to their high reinforce cost. Always aim for the highest value targets (eg. Sturmpioneers over Volks, Obersoldaten over Sturmpioneers, etc.).

OKW has a shit midgame outside of fast P2 so they have the best early game to compensate. You can debate the effectiveness of this early game (Volks could be 260 mp imo) but that is why.

OKW has a shit midgame outside of fast P2 so they have the best early game to compensate. You can debate the effectiveness of this early game (Volks could be 260 mp imo) but that is why.

But they don´t have the best early game lol, that would be USF

In the initial stages, you want to be really thinking about negating that S pio. Sometimes you can duke with it, if it starts to close in on you, fall back softly and make it waste time chasing you. Try to cap around it. Or double up with 2 squads when its in a weak position. Try to force one of their squads to retreat giving you the numbers advantage.

One way to go against OKW with Soviet, is not build T1/2 straight away, instead use a doctrine to call in multiple Guards/Shocks/120mm/Dshk combined with conscripts. You can quickly out number the OKW and put a lot of bleed on them causing constant retreats before their DPS takes its toll.

120mm is handy to start demolishing any forward base buildings they place, which puts further pressure on them and something else to think about, all while you can simply press retreat on the unit if its in trouble, so its a low risk high reward tactic.

With Soviet, I always try to get the battle going in my favor before tecking up.

It all takes a lot of frustrating practice though

In my experience neither Shocks nor the 120mm are particularly great vs. OKW. Guards or more Maxims are both better investments. The DShK is bloody annoying though.

I do agree with you that Guards and maxims are a lot easier to get results with vs OKW.

But it is possible to go ultra aggresive with Ppsh Cons, Shocks and a single 120mm. Just flank flank flank spam blob, while using the mortar to hit their truck. It works well in 1v1. Maybe not so much above that. You can really have them on the back foot, then pull out a T34 and they cant respond.

keep playing! you loses, you learns