Still, you are missing the point by a MILE. 60mm mortar which was tested on preview had specific set of stats. When they moved up to 81mm model and release, the stats where completely different. BUGFIXING didn't account for these.
You are really dense. PREVIEW mortar =/= Release mortar. Is that hard to grasp? Bugfixing was just bugfixing.
I have never mentioned the preview mortar and I am not referring to the Bugged mortar. I am not blaming anyone for anything. Since Relic makes patches they are responsible for goes in them.
On the other hand the July 28th Hotfix mortar is described even by the MOD team as OP:
"The USF Mortar barrage, rate of fire and veterancy bonuses have been causing this unit to overperform in most engagements. Furthermore, it has overshadowed the more expensive pack howitzer, lacking only range on its barrage until the pack howitzer hits veterancy 2."
Guards: reminder that we were talking as if current Guards were STRONGER than pre rework PTRS Penal Guards.
Can't you simple accept that you are wrong, for once ? I can open a poll showing up the stats of Guards pre rework and the current status and i don't think ANYONE will agree that the end result makes Guards stronger or that they were buffed. If you mix changes and the end result is a nerf, the unit is simple nerfed.
Guards dancing around losing their DPS was fixed in probably in the December patch, until then Guards where not OP due to the bug, the bug fix is what actually increased their performance.
The fixed guards where described OP even by the moderation team and they applied a number of nerf:
"Guards
Guards were proving to over perform in ratio to their cost, appearing to supplement any strategy, thus, limiting variation in Soviet commanders.
Manpower cost increased from 330 to 360 (NERF)
Damage vs non-vehicles reduced from 27 to 20 (reverted in DBP)
Damage vs vehicles on deflection increases from 13 to 20 (Buff)
Guards can now re-buy lost items and equipment (Buff)
Vet 2 accuracy bonus reduced from 1.3 to 1.14
Vet 3 now grants a further 1.14 accuracy (1.3 total) nerf in timing total DPS the same.
Vet 2 received accuracy bonus decreased from 0.83 to 0.88
Vet 3 now received accuracy bonus increased from 0.77 to 0.75, total received accuracy at vet 3 has been reduced from 0.6391 to 0.66. (Revert in DBP since target size was reduced to 0.97 but now start better so this is buff.)
"
"So, let's make a TL;DR version for people who don't want to look at numbers.
They are more expensive, (true)
they have a higher popcap, (true)
they deal less deflection dmg on PTRS,(?Damage vs vehicles on deflection increases from 13 to 20)
they gain 1/3 of the XP they used to gain with their PTRS (applies to all AT infantry)
they have a weaker grenade but it's cheaper (true)
they start with 0.97 RA but they receive WAY less RA and accuracy buffs at vet 2. At vet 3 the overall RA is despreciable lower. (True)
They replaced an overpowered recon + nuking model (True, "Hit the ground" is a very powerful ability thus increases veterancy gain on top of everything else")
The weapon cd DPS calculation is a mess because you'll have to calculate it towards PTRS/DP/Mosin but i'll take for granted that it's for DPs Guards (cause bolt action benefit way less from cd if memory serves right).
That is incorrect, CD is the best buff after accuracy. In addition to 25% bonus in CD they also get a around 7% more range and thus 7% accuracy. I can calculate the number for you if you want.
I could care less about what type of tag you want to put to a unit. Are new Guard stronger than old Guards ?
If you really think so, i guess i'm not gonna waste more time in this discussion.
Let me rephrase again because this is getting rather pointless, in March 28 the MOD team described Guards as OP
"Guards
Guards were proving to over perform in ratio to their cost, appearing to supplement any strategy, thus, limiting variation in Soviet commanders."
And decided to nerf them both in performance and cost, the majority of the performance nerfs thou where reverted in DBP, they even come with more deflection damage and a very powerful vet 1 ability that increase DPS significantly.
In the end what they actually nerfed was the price and pop and not the performance which remains about the same since most of the nerf where revert. That decision established Guards from 330 "jack of all trade" (as described, by many people including lead designers and you in a older post) to an elite infantry.
I suspect the reason for this decision was the overlap with PTRS penals.
Imo it would have been allot better for the game balance wise if the Guards was balance as 330 unit "jack of all trade", alternatively one could try to move CP3 so that they are closer to USF elite infantry.
The point I was trying to make is that Guard's position has changed from mediocre all around (AI/AT) unit to an good all around unit (at least in AI).