Penals build (Suggestions welcome)

Hello everybody.

I'm a new guy here at least a new active guy, anyway, I'll go straight to the point:

Since the nerf to penal I haven't seen a lot of use for them, and I rearely used them before the patch, I was a conscript guy (all mi commander had the PPsh upgrade), but lately I want to try penal again to add more variety to my builds.

I think the new penals are really good, they can fight most infantry and can be a force to be reckon with in pairs or with a con squad by their side. The problem resides in how much manpower they bleed and the fact you are left weak vs blobs because of going for penals.

My build goes like this: 1xcon, 3xpenals, after that T70 or SU76, but I can't get beyond this, becuase I simply lack the resources. In a strange twist, OKW player complain about Maxim spam, but the second there is no maxim on sight they'll blob with Volks and the Stg44s like there is no tomorrow. And that is what kills me, I can´t fight it.

My new plan is about Lend Lease and the DsK Machine Gun besides the 3 penals to deal with all of it, and then try to use SU76 and M4C Shermans as my tanks and AT, besides mines, because with penals you'll have a surplus of ammunition.

So that's it, any suggestion to that idea is welcome, maybe reduce the number of penals to 2 and then the DSK? Or anything really. What do you say?

Your build order sounds more than alright. Your last point about trading a penal out for a DSHK is completely fine but may be manpower heavy if you go 3 penals into DSHK. TBH I think it will be dependant on how the CPs are coming in that game. You need 2 CPs IIRC for a DSHK, so if you've got it or close to it hold at 2 penals and go DSHK. If not you could try sniper play if you're up to the micro or go for that extra penal. Commader wise, lend lease commander is fine but because the M4C sherman is getting a cooldown nerf in GCS patch you won't be able to spam them like you can now, so don't get overly attached to them.

Thanks, maybe I'll try the sniper as counter to MGs.

Putting a Penal in a M3 ( i think thats the right one) is still a really great way to have mobile firepower, You can then use it later in the game with PTRS Penals for mobile light AT.

Also try using the commander with the 120mm mortar and DHSK mg and teching to the t-34-76 which is still a great tank.

Also maybe try leaving out the conscript?

GL

My opening starts with Armored Assault for the radio intercept.

Starting CE goes capping build CE get T1 by the time T1 is done you have 300 mp can go straight to penal without losing any time.

Having 2 engineers fighting from the start means you reach vet2 faster, upgrade flamer on the squad with less veterancy since they will gain experience faster.

So 1 CE 2 penal and m3 but this build may vary due to radio intercept, kunbel or ostheer not getting t1, go penal m3 and hunt kunbel or punish lack of snare.

Then either medics or a third penal, if OKW techs mech truck for p2, go T2 for AT gun, vs ostheer light vehicles, upgrade one of the penals with ptrs and put them in the m3.

Against heavy mg play get a mortar and use the m3 too flank either with flamer or penal for satchel.

As for light vehicles I go m5 quad too suppress inf and maybe SU-76, you can always back tech for AT gun its not that expensive.

Later since I went Armored Assault I got T34-85 and IS2 plus AI Strafe so even if the quad goes down I have suppression from airstrike.

So far so good I feel comfortable with this strat, going against either OKW or ostheer.

Isn't the M3 too weak vs Ostheer? How should I use it then? As a backcapper with enginners, because having a Penal squad away from the other one will speel doom for the other.

Sniper+Penal+Penal...

It will kill every thing up to Medium tanks... Ost and OKW can only pray for a lucky Mortar or a LeiG hit... Be weary of you retreat path because thats where those are the weakest...

I realize that this post is a bit dated at this point, but I thought I'd adress it just for the hell of it.

T1 and penals are pretty much the meta in the current version, so I'd recommend going 2-3 penals and then possibly a sniper if you feel that your micro is good enough for this unit (you have to consistently be able to get 15 kills on a sniper for it to break even in cost-efficiency).

Against OKW I'd very much advice getting the scout car, as that will make you dominate the early game, vanquish any kubelwagens and rout any infantry until they either get fausts or are forced into a rakettenwerfer, which will hamper their infantry presense.

The Lend lease is a very viable strategy right now, up to the point that the call-in of shermans has actually been prolonged because it was so powerful, and the dshk is arguably the best Mg in the game right now.

I realise that when comparing to conscripts, the penals can seem like a manpower-bleed, but when you compare it to literally anything else you will se that this is not the case, especially considering the bang for the buck and the fact that they become more powerful as their models start to drop.

...then possibly a sniper if you feel that your micro is good enough for this unit (you have to consistently be able to get 15 kills on a sniper for it to break even in cost-efficiency).

Comparing scout-sniper usage to Ost and UKF sniper even pre-nerf ones.
Scouts-sniper screened with penals is a easy mode. (okay never quite got that UKF one to work for me)

Sniper just makes enemy bleed by just being with penals. It kills MGs before they can hurt anyone and forces enemy to try and bumrush it only to be obliterated by penals. Scout and Kubel counter, well those PTRS are quite good at making you think otherwise.

Only decent counter is to manage to survive to 3 tier and start capitalizing the lack of zis...

Thank GOD it has so slow reinforce time thinking that it can be reinforced from a halftrack.

Comparing scout-sniper usage to Ost and UKF sniper even pre-nerf ones.
Scouts-sniper screened with penals is a easy mode. (okay never quite got that UKF one to work for me)

Sniper just makes enemy bleed by just being with penals. It kills MGs before they can hurt anyone and forces enemy to try and bumrush it only to be obliterated by penals. Scout and Kubel counter, well those PTRS are quite good at making you think otherwise.

Only decent counter is to manage to survive to 3 tier and start capitalizing the lack of zis...

Thank GOD it has so slow reinforce time thinking that it can be reinforced from a halftrack.

I guess that makes sense, but it is not a strategy I have personally encountered when fighting Soviets.

I'm not a big sniperplayer, but I might want to test out that strategy as it sounds pretty powerful on open maps without too many buildings where doctrinal flanking units can be spawned