Time to Expand Halftrack Capabilities? - Support Weapons

I am just coming back to the game after a long break and decided to expand my tactics with something I hadn't used enough. Unupgraded Halftracks. Quite possibly the most underappreciated vehicle of combat. Yes, the ability to reinforce is the main reason we get one but I wanted to try and make it work for me in a more direct role. Such as raiding behind enemy lines or making a quicker flank.

I noted that most Halftracks does have two slots for infantry to garrison them but as we are aware, not all of the squads inside can fire out of it at the same time. Ideally, you want long-range infantry to fire from them. Such as Soviet Guards or any other LMG Infantry. Short Range Infantry like SMG-equipped ones (Such as Conscripts with PPsh41s or Shock Troops) fall short and require you to get dangerously close and blow up your vehicle. So I started to work with that in mind.

The M5 has the nifty ability to speed up quickly with Overdrive, allowing you to quickly close in or even pass by. So I would select the short ranged infantry tab and have him ready to just out when I'm say... Passing behind an HMG or Mortar. This is of course, while I distract the enemy with my main infantry force. The Close Range infantry would be at full health and at prime range to do real damage, while the Half-track, keeps moving with long range infantry still firing from it. Great thing is, infantry can jump out of the halftrack without it needing to stop! Couple that with the fact that Halftracks reinforce and it makes an incredibly potent assault vehicle in less guarded areas of the map.

Now to the point of the thread! We know once a game drags on, people tend to start rolling out Standard Infantry and Tanks, support weapons start losing their usefulness. Mainly because they move slow and are very vulnerable to an enemy blob coming into view when re-positioning. It really is a shame to see people have to give those weapons up when you start to lose freedom of movement on the battlefield you enjoy in the beginning.

So I believe it's high time that Support Weapons such as HMGs and Mortars should finally be allowed into Halftracks. Obviously, they should NOT be able to fire out of them while boarded, nor should they deploy while inside them. If you could make them quickly dismount like normal infantry do, think of all the great enfilade fire you could set up! And Infantry that remain in the Halftrack could support the Weapons Team while it sets up.

I believe this change is long overdue and would help meet Mr.Smith's goal of expanding viable tactics on the battlefield.

I've often wished halftracks could be used more (especially on big maps) to actually transport troops. I wonder if reducing the time it takes to enter and exit HTs could be decreased without it being abused somehow.

Mortar can already be moved with 251.

I'm pretty sure the mg42 can also go in the 251

I honestly never used the transport functionality in a SdKfZ 251 (German Halftrack from T2) because although it has two slots, it is the only halftrack that is not able to let its passengers shoot out of it.

The loading/unloading is also a mess, maybe it became more effective with the handbrake, but 7 years of vCoH and CoH2 can't change my mind because of a new toggle ability.

I never had the feeling that driving my troops in a halftrack would be faster because unloading a single unit is still a mess if you don't want to unload all squads at once.

The thing that could change it for me would be the ability to tow Paks which has been in the game before with mods. But this will never happen.

It's just not worth 30 fuel, easy to kill, annoying to use. I would use it if it would be much cheaper.

It's just not worth 30 fuel, easy to kill, annoying to use. I would use it if it would be much cheaper.

This. It need suppression too badly.

It's just not worth 30 fuel, easy to kill, annoying to use. I would use it if it would be much cheaper.

On the other hand it is a very necessary tool for team games when you have an OKW with battlegroup to reinforce on the front lines.

It's just not worth 30 fuel, easy to kill, annoying to use. I would use it if it would be much cheaper.

Yeah that's also a thing. It can "only" eat two PaK shots. You usually realize the PaK when it got its first hit and if you want to move it back, the fucked up pathing will get it killed all the time.

On the other hand it is a very necessary tool for team games when you have an OKW with battlegroup to reinforce on the front lines.

I think a reinforce bunker is better, just 60 muni, if you hide it behind a building is very hard to kill. Save your 30 fuel for tech.

I think a reinforce bunker is better, just 60 muni, if you hide it behind a building is very hard to kill. Save your 30 fuel for tech.

I wouldn't always recommend skipping the 251 for teching reasons because a flame halftrack is a Brit's worst nightmare.
If the 251 got its ability back to reinforce while equipped with flamethrowers, I would be PERFECTLY okay with it. But this might be too strong.

In Comparison to Dawn of War 2. Ork players love to transport da boyz across the field with their trukks. This could be similarly done with Assault Grenadiers. As mention above the load and unload times are greatly slower however.

Yeah that's also a thing. It can "only" eat two PaK shots. You usually realize the PaK when it got its first hit and if you want to move it back, the fucked up pathing will get it killed all the time.

Yeah well that's a problem with all non-tank vehicles. Most lights can survive 2 AT gun/tank cannon rounds IIRC. Usf flaktrack can only take 1 shot lol.

I certainly hear what people are saying. The pathing is extremely bad on most Halftracks. Not to mention that disembarking a stationary one can be messy. The Halftrack can get stuck for a few seconds while your infantry are dancing back and forth, ignoring the enemy a few seconds too long.

However, my way around that issue was to not let the Halftrack stop moving. Use it almost like a strafing run, but on the ground. Select the tab of the unit you want to disembark and right-click the spot behind the Halftrack, while it's going at full speed. The infantry will get out immediately and the Halftrack will not be in the way, still speeding along to it's destination. You can circle it back around yourself as additional support for the disembarked infantry.

I do agree about durability being an issue though. Which makes a diversion critical to pull it off properly. Smoke comes in handy for this too.

Lastly, I had no idea the 251 Halftrack held support weapons! Admittedly, I have only tried upping my Allied Halftrack tactics so far. I'm certainly going to give Ostheer a shot today and see if I can make it work well.

Raketenwerfer can also go into 251

The reason we didn't allow mortars etc into other halftracks is because the models holding the mortar (including the mortar) disappera, and that doesn't look nice.

We could also reallow snipers into HT's but disable their firing capability.

I can see what you are saying. One could also argue that Soviet Weapon Teams are an exception to the rule involving invisible Heavy Weapons since there are four slots on a Halftrack's Firing Points but the same can't be said if the squad isn't fully manned.

I don't suppose Relic has any unused models of M3 and M5 Halftracks that have the canopy still on them? If so, it could be an upgrade to "enhance" it's transportation capabilities? Certainly interesting to know that a Raketenwerfer fits in the Halftrack. lol. It's a little unbelievable in a realism sense but ah well. Still nice to know.

Though having a Sniper be able to get in would be nice. Stealth can only let you maneuver so far so having some armour plating for protection when moving would be welcome.

I can see what you are saying. One could also argue that Soviet Weapon Teams are an exception to the rule involving invisible Heavy Weapons since there are four slots on a Halftrack's Firing Points but the same can't be said if the squad isn't fully manned.

I don't suppose Relic has any unused models of M3 and M5 Halftracks that have the canopy still on them? If so, it could be an upgrade to "enhance" it's transportation capabilities?

Though having a Sniper be able to get in would be nice. Stealth can only let you maneuver so far so having some armour plating for protection when moving would be welcome.

The M3, M5, and the M21 are roughly the same model. The M21 Mortar half track uses a mortar visibility model so this can be removed and the same goes for the M3 and M5 Mg. You may be able to mount a weapon based on garrison. I have not tried this before however.

The WC51 has a canopy animator, so it is possible to link this with an upgrade.

Oh!? Finally, the WC51 Truck won't feel like the inferior version of the M3! That is of course, if we can utilize it.

I think a reinforce bunker is better, just 60 muni, if you hide it behind a building is very hard to kill. Save your 30 fuel for tech.

That requires a building to hide behind, can't move forward with your army, all your support weapons have to move toward it to reinforce whereas the HT comes to them. HT can retreat and is harder to kill. I think it's worth the fuel.

I honestly never used the transport functionality in a SdKfZ 251 (German Halftrack from T2) because although it has two slots, it is the only halftrack that is not able to let its passengers shoot out of it.

I never had the feeling that driving my troops in a halftrack would be faster because unloading a single unit is still a mess if you don't want to unload all squads at once.

TIL.
Explains why I cant kill anything.
Thanks Stranger

It's just not worth 30 fuel, easy to kill, annoying to use. I would use it if it would be much cheaper.

+1

I've often wished halftracks could be used more (especially on big maps) to actually transport troops. I wonder if reducing the time it takes to enter and exit HTs could be decreased without it being abused somehow.

+1 on decrease

If the 251 got its ability back to reinforce while equipped with flamethrowers, I would be PERFECTLY okay with it. But this might be too strong.

Modded games allow for this, and even then the half track gets melted by basically any armour