Stuart

What purpose does it have other than delaying your other tanks?

Killing the flaktrack currently.

Decent AT, mediocre AI, a platform to vet up a crew for future tanks, scouting if you can get it vetted, and utility through stun shot (engine shot is less useable). It's very generalist, so you have to make use of (or rather, have a situation where you can make use of) a lot of these elements in order for the stuart to be worth it.

Also stunning enemy tank and leaving it open to jackson is powerful, yet micro intenssive.

I remember when this unit used to wipe squads. Now you're lucky if it wipes a model. If you can successfully use it to counter a flak ht or luchs then I would say getting it is worth it, otherwise I never build it. If you can keep it alive then it does get pretty decent with vet for watching the flanks.

as long as we are messing damage modifier against infantry, might as well give it a bonus against vehicle.

increase the stuart's damage against vehicle to 100.

I feel that the engine shot ability has to be reworked into something more useful to give the stuart any reason to be because in most cases it's cheaper and just as good to get an at gun. Engine shot was tricky to use when stun was still very potent and cancelled movement but now it's an expensive at grenade (60 munitions) with 0 range, atrocious wind up time and a near guarantee to lose the stuart in the process. Engine shot wasn't used a lot when the stuart was very strong, but I have never seen it since the stuart was adjusted. The ability is basically unusable without a stun that prevents movement since you'll never get into range on any vehicle that can still move.

Maybe decreasing the cost to 30 and making it a 1-2s stun (preventing movement) that can be used at range would make it an interesting support ability. Another would be to just turn it into an at grenade (effect wise) that can be used at range. Or get rid of the ability and give the stuart a turn out mode like the t70 that allows it to spot for other vehicles.

60 munitions for the ability to lose a stuart is not very attractive at the moment

It used to have a very powerful stun shot and solid anti-infantry performance.

Then they cut its main gun AI damage in half and turned the stun shot into a blind, allowing anything it hits to just reverse away.

If it didn't require you to not go Lieutenant it'd be a situational unit. However, the Stuart as is can't carry Captain tier. Going Captain means not getting your machine guns or your strongest anti-infantry light vehicles and the Stuart just isn't good enough to make up for that.

I'd hoped Captain tier would be revived in SBP but that patch seems to just be nerfing overperforming abilities. Dead units are staying dead.

Stuart has 0 shock value when it hit the field. You can get it vet3 and still it didn't bring anything on its own.
Special mention for his low vision range at vet0 making it constantly running on enemy infantry and getting pfaust.

I

I'd hoped Captain tier would be revived in SBP but that patch seems to just be nerfing overperforming abilities. Dead units are staying dead.

Which is what I dislikek most about new patch. There needs to be a patch that buffs useless units. The likes of Suxton, Valentine, Shocks etc

Old Stuart stun was batshit OP. Used against a light (say an okw aaht) it was a 100%guaranteed kill with not counterpart. It's super meh now but let's not kid ourselves that it wasn't broken in being able to ensure it was uncontested

Just go Captain and still get the Greyhound.