Brace yourselves, a long post is incoming
Revamping OST and SOV Commander
I think focusing on commanders is a very bad idea when it comes to Soviets. Most commanders are just a bunch of abilities "randomly" put together. Thats why I would focus on revamping the abilities and not commander. Here I have picked 10 most underused abilities with huge potential that will give a new wind to many commander without even touching them directly.
The advantage of this proccess is that you rebalance many commander with only revamping 2 of them (10 abilities = 2 commanders)
SOVIETS
- Shock Troops - these guys are in most of Soviet doctrines, yet they are the worst elite infantry in a game.
SUGGESTION: Make their DPS profila match to Rangers so they actually deal some damage at mid-range. Right now simply Axis squads will bleed them and vet on them while Shocks close in and the retreat without any consequences.
With better Mid-DPS these guys can also serve behind the lines better, dealing with any retreaters
- Guards - Currently there is no point in using these guys because Penals do everything better yet come sooner and are indoctrinal.
SUGGESTION: Remove starting PTRS. Give them 2 upgrade options: 4x PTRS or 3xDP Lmg. This way guards will have a more defined role, being able to be rather a great AI (with 3 DP and 3 rifles they can act similarly to obers)or AT (4 PTRS pack some punch after all) squad instaed of being a shitty jack-of-all trades.
- IL Sturmovik Loiter (and pass) - First ask yourself a qestion: Would you ever buy a loiter that only supresses infantry ? Of course not ! You have arty propaganda for that.
SUGGESTION: Change the Sturmovik loiter role from AI to AT. It will perform similarly to Stuka Close Air support - 2 sturmoviks that will hurt any medium tank while being able to hurt bigger cats too. This change will turn shitty doctrines like is NKVD of Conscript doctrine from useless to actually useful in teamgames becuase who woudnt want a player with t34/76 horde and stuka close air support on his side ? :huh
- M42 45mm Light AT Gun - lets admit it, this little AT gun sucks balls since 2013.
SUGGESTION: Increase its firing cone and speed to be able to quickly reposition to different threats. Give it better veterancy so it is better to hurt medium tanks in the end of the day. Increase its accuraccy so it almost always hits any vehicle. Give it vet 1 ability - piercing rounds that will allow it to penetrate heavy tanks from time to time.Increase team weapon healhpool so it doesnt die to a single breeze (talking about AT not crew members). Increase cost to 240mp
This way it will be a nimble, fast AT gun being able to keep up with infantry, serving an invaluable role on the battlefield - protecting infantry from light and medium tanks.
- KV1 - this tanks suck, its only advantage is that it is a call-in.
SUGGESTION: Tie it to tier4, makit it a Churchill Copypasta with armor and health, increase DPS of its Hmgs greatly so it can serve as a counter to infantry attacks on your other units.
- KV2 - This tank was always niche and never served a good role.
SUGGESTION: Increase its penetration against tanks and decrease its RoF a bit when in set up mode. Normal mode should remain the same. This way the tank will have a defined role of a moveable bunker that can actually lock down a section of map against both infantry and TANKS.
- For Mother Russia - this ability is OP, Smith knows what to do with it. We cannot risk not nerfing it when Shocks and KV1 from the same doctrine are buffed
SUGGESTION. Nerf it
- Ambush Camouflage - every time I use this ability I feel like if it glued my AT guns to the ground.
SUGGESTION: Make AT guns move faster - to a vet0 rakketenwerfer level
- Hit the Dirt - very niche ability becuase of many reasons: There is always at least green cover present, you dont want to keep your unit static and unable to move and it is contraproductive with another ability present among it in several doctrines - ppsh for cons.
SUGGESTION: Replace this ability for something more useful - either fear propaganda or rapid conscription
- Vehicle Detection - this ability is very niche too- who would pay 40 munnition for something that Britons get for free ?
SUGGESTION: Either increase the radius at least 1,5 times or decrease ability cost to 20 munnition
With more useful abilities and reliable core infantry (conscripts) and elite infantry (guards, shocks) the Soviets will be able to experiment with far more commander without being on a back foot.
OSTHEER
is in much better shape than Soviets because their core army isnt lacking and commander actually only add new tools, they arent the core of the army.
It is also much harder to rebalance Ostheer commander abilities, because most of these abilities are useful yet inferior to WFA counterpart.
SUGGESTION: Rework some abilities and tie some abilities together, but because this is rather complex I think it will be better to create 1-2 useful OST commanders among all those Copypaste ones.
Fot example make hull down deplayable without infantry nearby - tanks can do it themselves. Increase tear down time to give obvious weakness to tanks then.
Put together some abilities and add new ones to commanders:
Stuka Smoke bombs and command panzer 4 - not only stuka smoke bombs come late and are inferior to panzer tactician they also take a slot in some commanders. Tieing them together with command panzer 4 (which can call the smoke strike now) will add some flavour to these commander + they will be able to have one more ability. Commander which only have one of these abilities will now have 1 more ability (theoretically) - for example a Stuka Fragmetantion bombing or Stuka AI loiter
or tie together Tactical movement and Artillery Officer - the Artillery officer will be able to start a tactical movement - similar to british commandos tea and biscquit commander, just a bit weaker.
Commander which only have 1 of these abilities will now have 2 of them. Commanders which have both of these abilities may be given a new ability - for the Fatherland - copypasta of OKW ability
The post about WFA and British Faction Commander abilities will come soon