Hey Troy, perhaps you could share some of your expertise with me as well? I have tried some of the things you have suggested in past games however I seem to simply just fail at it.
I'll try my best - though please keep in mind my experience is in 2v2. I find 3v3 and 4v4 game modes are subjected to snowballing and arty fests
Flak Half track: More often than not, the times I end up building this, I end up losing it before I can recover the cost. I have gotten to the point where I don't really bother with it. Matter of fact, I barely buy anything from the Battlegroup HQ, save 1-2 ISGs. If you could expand further on the proper use of this unit that would be great
Treat this unit like a machine gun, its job is to suppress infantry, control territory and fuck up planes. Buy it when your opponent is spamming infantry, or you need AA in the late game. It can deal with ptrs spam so long as you spot for it and micro the shooting.
The trick is preserving the damn thing, as you mentioned. Here are the things I do to keep it alive.
- Don't use it unsupported, have something spotting for it just ahead. Eg volks in cover or cloaked rakten
- Be aware of its counters and when they are timed, AT guns, AEC, T70 dive.
- Protect/scout for it with a raketen for the light vehicle phase - it can actually kill a T70 with a single raketen hit.
- smoke as soon as it is hit and reverse it away
- don't lose your sturms, they are the only way to repair it
- mid late game, play super conservative with it - protecting flanks or behind treelines
Here is a game of mine where I preserve it against 76 spam.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/235842837
I hope this helps, my channel is littered with flak track usage if you need more examples. Also keep in mind the flaktrack is only useful in the aforementioned roles; it is not a silver bullet and it isn't' always smart to build it every game.
- This replay is actually a rare occasion where I buy an IR Halftrack, and only because I bought the Stuka halftrack in my failed attempt to try to soften the enemy positions for an assault... As you'll see in the replay, that ended poorly.
I don't typically buy an IR, mostly because I would rather have another combat unit and I tend to have great situational awareness.
I can't comment on this thing other then that it bugs and you can sometimes see units on your minimap even if they aren't' scouted. I have a feeling it is more useful in 3v3 and 4v4 - so you can stop large advances.
- I usually try to rush for Obersoldaten as you recommend, but even they have trouble trying to counter the ridiculous amounts of infantry that the US Forces and Soviets can bring to bear.
Obers represent the killing power portion of your infantry composition - I usually get two. They are not designed to deal with large amounts of infantry, they are designed to deal damage. So you need to protect them and create situations where they can actually deal their damage.
So using this logic, infantry blobs require another tool: crowd control. In CoH2 this comes in the form of suppression. So the use of the flak track, or MG34s are required to control the infantry. Once you've controlled it, you can use obers to do the killing and force a retreat.
Doctrine selection is one thing I could use some advice with. Usually, I go with breakthrough tactics, but that rarely ever helps me much once I'm on the backfoot. Fortifications is rather tempting, but it goes against everything I have read about the OKW and it's need to be on the offensive, however, considering I can't seem to hold on to the territory I win in early game, is it really such a bad choice? Luftwaffe ground forces I have read for the most part that it's considered useless.
Everything in this game is situational. Doctrines give you the flexibility to react when needed.
The nice thing I find about OKW is you don't need to select a doctrine right away. I usually choose one when I'm falling behind or have identified which doctrines my opponents have chosen and can pick the best one.
In 2v2 I usually go with breakthrough, fortifications and Luftwaffe. The other doctrines all have their merits and uses too.
Breakthrough:
This is a great doctrine. Nothing wrong with it. The biggest reason I have it equipped is for the JT, assuming that allies start spamming tank destroyers - its really great counter when combined with panzer fusilier flares.
Fortifications: Also an amazing doctrine. There's nothing wrong with defensive play. What most people don't realize is that defensive play prioritizes exhausting your opponent before attacking them yourself.
EG: your bunkers will suppress his infantry blob and then you can counter attack with a single unit - forcign a retreat.
EG: Your artillery pieces will induce manpower bleed such that his next waves are weaker, allowing you to attack with greater force.
Luftwaffe:
Video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/223538655
Wherever you're reading Luftwaffe sucks for ground forces; likely isn't updated for 2018 - or they don't know what they are talking about.
This doctrine is so good right now, its borderline overpowered. Thanks mostly to valiant assault. This ability grants a speed and accuracy buff for all your infantry. This allows you to envelop, dive your opponents formations or just straight up win engagements.
Falls, are some of the highest dps units in the game - but are flimsy. They make up for hat by having a cloak and can be used to hold territory by camping in cover and then only decloaking when needed. They also para drop in, allowing you to cap points on the far side of the map if needed.
Recon smoke plane - For 40 munis, you can drop a smoke screen anywhere on the map. How broken is that? Cover some tanks retreating, split your opponents force in two - all for 40 munis.
Defensive fortifications - you can build structures with this doctrine too.
JU air support thing - Callins some strafing planes for a bunch of munis. The catch here is you can reinforce all your falls in the field while this ability is active.
FurerSturm - Don't feel like typing this one out but here's a video
Video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/218780505?collection=AA5TXijTrBQuAA
Here's my most recent replay. I'm eager to hear what your recommendations are.
I probably won't review this, simply because it is so much easier to scroll through a youtube video or rewind - whereas in game I can't do that
![[1reDIV] Semperfi flag](/images/replay/usf_flag.jpg)
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