Tweak least used commanders

Now that we have some really great patches being produced - thanks to the COH2 community. This might be the best (and last) chance to improve some of the least used existing commanders.

I'm sure Relic have all the stats on how often or not each of the commanders are used, and would be able to provide a list of which commander is least used for each faction (although I'm sure most people in the COH2 community could very accurately guess).

How about we all try and decide on a way to improve one of the least used existing commanders for each faction.

For the sake of keeping things easy and relatively straight forward for balance, I recommend only changing one thing from each commander.

Here is an example:



I'm pretty certain Recon Support Company is the least used US commander. Considering how long the US had to wait to get a heavy tank (and finally get to use all those heavy tank skins...) I think it's worth adding it to one more commander. And I really don't think it would be OP with this commander.
But let me know what you think (try to keep the swearing to a minimum).


How about we use this threat to upload pictures of commanders. Edit one unit or ability with one that you think would improve the commander (in the same format as the picture above).


If we're very lucky we might start to reach a consensus on some of them, at which point we can look into doing some balance testing (perhaps even a mini tournament using the 'new' commanders).

As much as I would like to have more options for the Pershing, this commander losing the Paratroopers is a shame, I'd like another USF commander with Paras so I can use all 3 and the bulletin one day.

There was plans to touch some Commanders and their call-ins but Scope.

As much as I would like to have more options for the Pershing, this commander losing the Paratroopers is a shame, I'd like another USF commander with Paras so I can use all 3 and the bulletin one day.

There was plans to touch some Commanders and their call-ins but Scope.

Yeah, Paras fit it nicely, they really just need to be to a normal 3cp drop with mines or cloak and Pershing feels out of place in Recon.

For me, swap Mechanized Co's Recon Overflight w/ Combined Arms. If the M3 is ever promoted from a 2cp, 40 fuel Soviet scout car to something remotely usable, Combined Arms would provide some really interesting synergy later in the game.

Dear lord please don't add pershing to another commander, I already see it in 80% of USF games as just one commander. I'd rather a rework of existing unique abilities than replacing them; there is enough overlap between doctrines as is.

there is enough overlap between doctrines as is.

I agree and think the part of Recon Support that could use a rework is rather the m8 greyhound. Coming at 3 cp it's largely pointless as its tiny peashooter is barely a threat to even a normal hafltrack, while it has zero AI capabilities outside of spending munitions on hopefully dealing good damage to a squad at close range instead of spending it on BARs/etc. which will guarantee you value unless you are careless and drop them.

Oh and while I'm too lazy to Photoshop a commander picture I would just love to swap out the KV-1 with the KV-8 in Counterattack Tactics (I know, not underused commander, but still). The KV-1 is decent in 1v1 with call-in meta and whatnot, but once FBP changes hit it will be largely pointless as it won't come as a shock unit due to cost requirements and it becomes obsolete vs. other armor quite quickly, whereas a KV-8 will always retain an anti-infantry niche.

That or just put For Mother Russia in almost any underused Soviet commander and that doctrine becomes like 10x better. That ability is amazing as it provides a really awesome muni sink for an otherwise largely muni-plenty faction.

The problem with the para/AT gun drop is that if you need those units that badly, I doubt you'll be sitting on 900 MP. Who in any 1vs1 or 2vs2 would ever be able to save that much MP. Especially for such a poor late game investment.

The commander doesn't have anything useful for the late game. If things are going badly, two squads of (non-AT) paras and an AT gun aren't going to turn things around.


The Greyhound would be a lot better if it could also deploy the same AT mine that the M20 can. At least that way it can be used to bait armour, and still be useful in the late game.
The canister shot is pretty useless for the cost.

Here are my two cents for this doctrine.

1a. I would like to combine riflemen flares and forward observers since they are largely alike

1b. Alternatively, I would like it to see forward oberservers to extended other units such as officers, rear echelons, and HMGs.

2a. I have experimented around in turning the IR pathfinders into a 2 man marksmen like the soviets but still call in arty barrages. Cost would still be 2cp and now 400 manpower. A lot people liked this

2b. The Barrages could be the Major Barrage but shared a global cool down. Not very strong but much more spam-able.

3. The Greyhound main gun needs to be buffed from 60 damage to 80 damage. Maybe additionally the armored skirts should already be upgraded as well. As suggested above, I would not like to see it to lay mines since it would be too overlapping with Lieutenant Tech because the Greyhound is an alternative to the Stuart. The M20 could use a bit of a rework like early WBP. (Weaker gun but cheaper to lay mines and support flanks.)

I would still like to see the standard Paratroopers over the Airborne Assault Group or Pershing

I have devised a crazy overhaul of every faction's commanders. 6 commanders, with 6 abilities each, all pretty potent.

Too crazy to implement, however.

For the Recon Support Company, I have
- 0CP Forward Observers
- 2CP Officer Binoculars (SU-85 sight ability for LT, Cap, and Maj.)
- 3CP M8 Greyhound (with Luchs' Cautious Movement and Hold Fire)
- 4CP Light Mortar Barrage (cheap, can be used to force team weapons to reposition)
- 10CP M4 Sherman Calliopie (keep in mind it exists nowhere else in my 6 commanders, can be removed for 5-ability commander)
- 12CP 240mm Howitzer Precision Strike (Railway with only 1st shell)

Yeah, Paras fit it nicely, they really just need to be to a normal 3cp drop with mines or cloak and Pershing feels out of place in Recon.

For me, swap Mechanized Co's Recon Overflight w/ Combined Arms. If the M3 is ever promoted from a 2cp, 40 fuel Soviet scout car to something remotely usable, Combined Arms would provide some really interesting synergy later in the game.

Lol thompson paras with cloak would literally be the end of all infantry firefights.

Why any usf commander has aerial recon is beyond me. It's like giving them call in vanilla riflemen.

Better start with the Soviet and Ostheer factions first then. Almost all of their doctrines are shit.

Better start with the Soviet and Ostheer factions first then. Almost all of their doctrines are shit.

Well there's plenty of overlap in Soviet and Ost doctrines since there's just so many commanders, so pretty much the only commanders used are ones that combine the best abilities Soviet/Ost have to offer such as ju87 AT loiter, or maybe t-34/85. A lot of "shit" doctrines simply are packed with bad abilities or have mostly bad abilities with only one or two good ability you can get in a better doctrine. Those wouldn't need tweaking, they would require a literal overhaul because tweaking one ability or so could easily make it identical to another commander.

Also 90% of Soviet doctrines are underused simply because Lend Lease abuse is basically the best way to play Soviet atm. It gives you the two things you are absolutely missing, an HMG that actually does HMG things (hopefully FBP changes to Maxim make it viable again), and a great all-rounder medium tank that is great at fighting other mediums. The rest is basically just icing on the cake. Maybe after FBP and call-in meta changes we will see other Soviet commanders surface more often.

However Urban Defense is especially underused outside of abusing it in teamgames, I would like to see the FHQ reworked to make it much less of an investment but remove the absurd aura. Just keep the heal and reinforce, make it able to be cutoff if it isn't now, etc. I would have swapped out Vehicle Detection for something else but I've found that it has its uses. It does detect basically across the map so if your opponent has a pwerfer/stuka you can pay 60 muni to know its exaction position before going in for a dive on the flank with your t-34/etc. Especially great because you can watch the minimap and wait for it to go forward to begin a barrage, where it will be the most vulnerable.

Lol thompson paras with cloak would literally be the end of all infantry firefights.

6 man uber-commando squads, what could possible go wrong

Why any usf commander has aerial recon is beyond me. It's like giving them call in vanilla riflemen.

Yeah, seriously. Especially in Recon Co though, you already have like 3 other abilities to increase your LoS with, but nothing that would actually benefit from said LoS.