Can't get a hang of OKW

I have quite a decent grasp on how to play Wehrmacht with randoms on 2v2 (I'm like rank 600-ish), like I know when the match is on our favor, when it's not, when to go this tactic or that tactic, when to disengage, when to extend, when to help my random teammate and if he's Wehr as well, I even know what is his situation so I can help, all that kinds of stuff. It's not the best, just decently good, to say the least. 

However, I can't seem to apply those "skills" from playing Wehrmacht to play OKW. It just feels... strangely difficult (While my Wehr 2v2 rank is around 600, my OKW one is like 2000+ ... very bad if you ask me). To me, OKW just doesn't have much diversities, open up with 3 Volks then tech (Even teching is difficult if you want to play them aggressively), then everything just kinda snow-balling from there. It just seems so predictable, and then a lot of tool-lacking (Smoke, anti-garrison, etc.), it just... so hard to get a firm grasp on them.‎

So I'm here to ask those that have a firm grasp on OKW: How do you play them effectively? Like, just some constructive tips, tactics, ideas if you can (Those that works for "2v2 with randoms" would be great if you can). I really don't know how to get good at OKW. This Eastern commander just can't seems to know how to control the Western army. 

P/S: My view on OKW can be wrong to many, so please prove me wrong. I'm begging for differs.‎

I think most players will confirm OKW is very one-dimensional and maybe even boring (to me it certainly is). Boring to play as, and boring to play against (endless Volks blobs into KTs, duh). I have tried to make it more fun for myself by foregoing Volks altogether and relying on doctrinal infantry like Fallschirmjaeger and Jaeger Light Infantry in addition to Sturmpios, but it did not change the feeling of one-dimensional gameplay at all.

Regarding the faction's lack of smoke causing trouble against early game HMG spam, you can find many threads and comments on it so it is a universal issue too.

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Some general wishes and observations:

In Relic's place I would actually have made OKW as a faction less mobile than the Ostheer - tank destroyers making up the main non-doctrinal force to reflect the late-war Western Front German situation, and infantry relying on cover (like the British) to function at their best.

That, in addition to doctrinal specifics, would have made OKW-Ostheer play more diverse in team games, but would have also kept the historical picture of less mobile German forces on defence against Allies on the move - something that made vCoH feel so sensible and historically accurate compared to this title.

In Relic's place I would actually have made OKW as a faction less mobile than the Ostheer - tank destroyers making up the main non-doctrinal force to reflect the late-war Western Front German situation, and infantry relying on cover (like the British) to function at their best.

That, in addition to doctrinal specifics, would have made OKW-Ostheer play more diverse in team games, but would have also kept the historical picture of less mobile German forces on defence against Allies on the move - something that made vCoH feel so sensible and historically accurate compared to this title.

I'm actually kinda fine with the idea of OKW being aggressive, for the sake of gameplay, since Wehrmacht already is a defensive faction. And yes, I understand and also like the idea of Allies being the aggressive one on the move while the German Army have to dug in and being more defensive, but that would split the fanbase a little too radical: Those can play Allies well would can't play Axis as good since two complete different playstyles. The way it is right now would seems better, actually.

However, that's probably the exact reason why I can't seem to master OKW. I'm too familiar with the defensive playstyle of the Wehrmacht and the number of options are just way more than what OKW has, tactic wise, gameplay wise, basically, everything wise (Except for non-doc heavy tank). I can change my tactic mid-way as Ostheer if I need to (Like skip T3, or go Stormtrooper instead of Panzergrens; skip T1 with Osttruppen or rush T2, etc.) but with OKW, no matter what I do, generally it will be still the same, actually, but then, I still can't seem to master this "predictable pattern" of a faction (probably because it's too predictable for the enemy as well)‎

That, in addition to doctrinal specifics, would have made OKW-Ostheer play more diverse in team games, but would have also kept the historical picture of less mobile German forces on defence against Allies on the move - something that made vCoH feel so sensible and historically accurate compared to this title.

But OKW was designed to be a highly offensive and early-game concentrated faction.

But OKW was designed to be a highly offensive and early-game concentrated faction.

What he meant here is OKW before it was release, while still in development. That was a second option of what OKW could have been.‎

I mean designing OKW as aggressive and mobile faction could have worked too, but then they would have needed to at least give it doctrines that shaped its gameplay and gave the faction its own face.

Just look at the amazing theme-based doctrines in vCoH for Panzer Elite - they felt like you picked one of them to represent something and perform better in that area, which was fun and felt purposeful.

And then look at the OKW doctrines that just feel like a randomly generated mix of abilities and units. I mean that's a problem all CoH2 factions have, but OKW suffers doubly from it because other factions at least have some gameplay/historical context in their non-doctrinal design, while OKW is so faceless and repetitive on non-doctrinal and doctrinal side.

One OKW design decision single-handedly removed a whole bunch of possible gameplay decisions: the fact that their healing is tied to picking a particular teching path, while all other factions can get healing from the HQ. This makes the majority of players stick to the Battlegroup HQ into Schwerer HQ teching path because the only other (expensive) alternative is getting vet 1 SP's to drop medical crates.

This leads to a boring and predictable unit composition consisting mainly of Volks and Rakettens followed by either a tank or an Ostwind if things are going badly. Rarely do people risk going for an early Luchs to seal the deal or countering enemy light tanks with a Puma.

Hopefully the changes in the WBP will alleviate this enough for people to enjoy both light vehicles and healing, although imo they should just make medics an HQ upgrade available once any of the two initial trucks is set up. I can see this making the forward retreat point feature a lot less powerful since now medics aren't a part of it, but if the original factions can live without it then so can OKW.

Interesting comments on future mods... but the OP asks

So I'm here to ask those that have a firm grasp on OKW: How do you play them effectively?

Personally I've found that practicing your Kubel micro is a good way to play effectively as OKW.

If you play as Allies you'll sometimes run into OKW players whose Kubel micro is so good that it's very hard to deal with. Early Kubel pressure can easily give you an early advantage for several reasons.

1. Fast/More efficient Capping (either opposite side of map allowing you to concentrate your forces elsewhere or by harassing your opponent's fuel or cut off)

2. "Free" Manpower bleed and damage - Kubels can soak up damage very well if RNG bounces land in your favor - if you get good at keep them repaired with a nearby SP then it's a huge headache to deal with at no MP cost to you. Also Kubels are very good at doing HP damage so that sqauds get low and drop models faster in future engagements- forcing your opponent to go for healing sooner than ideal.

3. Cheesey stuff like pushing squads out of cover (especially Brits). Just drive at them and shoot at the squads with your volks while the Kubel pushes them around. It's very effective in some cases.

If you do that kind of stuff correctly then you can snowball into fast STGs/Luches/PZ4 and gain an upperhand while delaying the current overperforming Allied light vehicles.


Otherwise OKW in general is all about good truck placement and Synergy - using your Flak Truck to cover important points/ ISG batteries while supporting your Battlegroup for reinforcement. Once you get the hang of placing trucks in a defensible but useful location then OKW gets a lot more effective as well. Well placed Truck Sim Cities supported by support weapons are one of OKW's major strengths I would say.

Just dont play it untill patch, its in terrible state..

*snip*

What about AT options? When I play Wehr, I always go for 2 Panzergrens with 1 upgrade to Schrecks then rush for StuG (Usually 2 StuGs or 1 StuG + 1 Pak if I have limited fuel income).‎ But when I play OKW, I can't seem to have anything equivalent to that AT force I built as Wehr: Sturmpioneer can only have 1 Schreck and I have to use them for other purposes as well (Repairing + mine-planting), get 2 of them kinda lame cause they're not exactly like Panzergrens (They seem squishier than Panzergrens), Raketens just kinda flaws when compare to Paks (Slow aim-time, shoot ground often) and I can't rush for Jadgpanzer IV like StuGs (At least, can't get a pair like StuGs). 

Then, there's also Obersoldaten: They seems really lackluster, to be honest. Not like Panzergrens where you can make them even more useful late-game with Schrecks upgrade (They can both be good AI and good mobile AT if you need), Obers can only fulfill AI role and they still need an upgrade to actually good at it (Panzergrens don't need upgrade and they're still good). It seems that OKW just seriously lacking AT options (Non-vehicle wise) as well, and those that fulfill that role just seems really lackluster.‎