Why I love Brits

I love and hate playing Brits 1v1. I hate them because they are so bad and love them as this is a challenge. When I am tired with them I play USF... and it seems so easy (for those who say USF is week - try Brits)... They (USF) have got all the tools and when i loose I know that I made mistakes and opponent is better. In case of Brits (when playing with decent opponent) you need great play, avoid mistakes and use every slightest possibility to punish enemy. It's so frustrating, but I can't stop playing them. I will share with you my thoughts on the units 1v1 (probably many times discussed), thoughts of average player (but who played a lot of games). I will not focus on doctrinal units, apart from 2 cases.


Infantry - where the problem starts

Some say they are good - but they are good only on paper, but I believe that there utility is much lower than grenadiers (both factions). They are slightly better than grenadiers from behind the cover, but they lack in many more important departments. In practice there is not much situations where there is one infantry unit fighting other behind cover. There is always other unit supporting sooner or later (and grens are cheaper), artillery, sturmpioneers engineers with flames (or without), much better and free grenades (no upgrade). Brits grenades are good against flanked Mgs, but in infantry fight OKW or Wehr grenades are much more useful. Brits grenades are easy to dodge, while AXIS grenades deny cover or are much harder to dodge. Brens are much worse than they were and they loose with grens MG long range and short range with OKW guns. And the solution is not to fight medium range because medium range gap can be closed against OKW, and its difficult to shorten the distance with MG as you will be shredded while doing it. Additionally the penalty in movement is terrible to sections thus any offensive moves are much less effective. But the worse thing about UKF infantry is lack of snare (I know that it engineers will have it). It gives so much freedom to AXIS vehicles which is so terrible design - even hard to describe. The only real advantage I see is the pyrotechnics (?) which give vision and cheap bombardment.

MG

House to house MG fight is favorable to UKF. But I’d prefer having suppressing MG that MG dealing damage. But countering MG in a house is a different story. As Wehr you need just a mortar or 2 units assault from 2 flanks (flames from one side) – not even talking about flametruck. As OKW – two grens – flame grenade – done. As brits you may counter MG using sections with grenades… but you will need at least 3, preferably 4. One to distracts – the others to grenade or at least scare. If there is no other support it will work – if not 4 units retreat and you loose map presence. Carrier with flames is a good option, but only early game and mainly with Wehr. It looses its value and potential rather quickly as it comes just a while before light vehicles (which can follow it to the base – no snare????). Other options like mortar and sniper will be described later.

Engineers

Pretty decent unit short range, especially 5 man. I am using them to destroy everything obstructing vision – as it works usually against brits – as they generally lack short range ambushing infantry. And commandos do not need it to hide. Common upgrade is PIAT – which is a joke again - faction without snare has the at weapon which misses ¾ shots.

AT gun

The gun itself is fine, but due to lack of snare you need much more caution with it. It happens that medium vehicles dance around it as there is no risk to loose it (no snare – risk hugely limited).

AEC and medium vehicles

I know that many people use AEC, but I believe its overrated. It hard counters medium vehicles and is still valuable against tanks but it costs 70 fuel in total. The problem is that it’s to early to build it before seeing vehicles appear ( very limited use against infantry, slowing you tech significantly) and it’s to late to build it after they appear (teching and building takes a lot of time and res of you territory is grabbed????). I believe it’s much more useful against Wehr – 222 is less mobile than Luchs, there is less infantry (less snare) and OKW is cheaper and easier to use against medium vehicles.

Mortar

Mortar is another joke. Its 350 for 2 mortars, its not expensive… but so easy to kill. Mortars, infantry guns, AT, vehicles, tanks, grenades, flames, shrecks. There is no other unit which can be killed in so many ways. And it looses with focused mortars easily (which are recrewed or retreated). You place it too far from the lines it looses its value, you place it a little bit forward – it’s much easier to kill. Building mortar limits you offensive abilities as you will need to defend it.

Sniper

Useful against OKW, will bleed them indefinitely (but they seem not to care realy????). Against Wehr is tricky and risky for both sides, but I use it sometimes to countersnipe. But before that – good Wehr sniper has done its job against 4 man squads…

Bofors

I believe that bofors is hidden jewel, much better choice than AEC (in most cases). I know that it’s lame and simcity and other things. But I believe it is the only effective tool which brits have early game. Obviously it does not kill much (maybe one rushing vehicle), but it locks the area and secures the flank. I am not using it with mortar generally, as those 2 will consume too much pop and decrease your offensive. The point is that it is not a start to be defensive, it is when you can become offensive. While your fuel, vp and flank secure you may concentrate your infantry. Light vehivles and even tanks are less threat as you AT can go forward without risk of being overrun. It costs one infantry and 30 fuel and gives you time and options. Even if destroyed it costed a lot of time and effort to deal with it, but you can always rebuild it (depending on situation). If opponent goes for 2-3 artillery, he has less infantry. You may attack the artillery or grab something else. If decides going for tanks – its fine - you will have two guns which will deter it. For the price of light vehicle UKF has something which is extremely useful. It’s even more effective when you know that opponents skips tiers one. The tech has the value the whole game, ie. late game securing of VP for 2- 3 minutes maybe invaluable. This is not a game winner, but it helps Brits enormously.

Commandos

Pretty common choice, in many commanders. I find them useful in many cases, but they require more of micro and attention than other units. Some games one unit can kill 30-40 and other games just few or die instantly.

Centaur and Cromwell

I generally prefer building Centaur before Cromwell. Centaur deals decent amount of damage to flash, while Cromwell does very limited to flash and armour. There is no chance Cromwell beating PIV, thus the option is to have 2 Cromwell’s against 1 PIV if possible, chasing it most probably you will loose one and PIV is killed. Smoke shell adds a little value to Cromwell, but it will never beat PIV. I like watching Propagandacast – and there is one thing which Dane repeats, that UKF has fast track to armor. But this is huge misunderstanding. Fast teching to tanks costs 10 fuel less in case of UKF, in case you did not build grenades, brens, AEC, 5 man squad, bofors (and imagine surviving without any of them to the point of tanks). Additionally we must remember that probably, in equal players game AXIS should have much more fuel income. In reality much more expansive PIV (and much useful) comes at the same time as UKF tank.

Firefly

Firefly – decent tank destroyer, nothing to complain.

Comet

Comet is another unit similar to axis one which is just weaker. Panther beats it easily. Smoke and phosphorus shell add value, but its still weaker for the same price. Pretty good counter to… PIV????.

Churchill

I believe it is a good tank. Slow but dealing some damage to armor, good against infantry, hard to destroy. When supported with infantry and AT can lead very effective charges.


Crocodile

If you survive till that point it may be game changer. It still kills infantry in large amounts. Frontal charge of crocodile supported with infantry and 2 at and/or firefly and 200 muni planes (vanguard) can really change the game. But it still can be countered…

Concluding – I still play UKF 1v1, but it is sometimes a nightmare. Dealing with equal players is extremely difficult early game. You may be killed in so many ways, by mass infantry, mortars, or light vehicles. And you must be prepared for everything while posing no real threat to enemy. There is no weaponry early which can really deal damage. When you are contained – this is the only faction which can do barely nothing. No mobile mortar, AEC deals limited damage to infantry, moving and shooting terrible, no smoke to break encirclement. To deal with containment you will have serious looses and before you grab something there will be PIV. The snare on engineers will improve situation a little bit but brits will be still struggling early game. Late game, when you have some tanks is a little easier, but still both axis faction have better options… I think I am masochistic...

idk man, how do you glorify bofors but hate on mortar pit when they suffer the same issue and mortar pit has more range and utility with smokes. there honestly a lot of cancer in this post lol

I think I am masochistic...

You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you that's what I thought as well when I read your post, either that or you're a troll.

But if it's the first I feel your pain since I tried to play UKF mainly but then switched to OKW as I saw their hopeless situation.

It's sad really but what can you do.

idk man, how do you glorify bofors but hate on mortar pit when they suffer the same issue and mortar pit has more range and utility with smokes. there honestly a lot of cancer in this post lol

Is it hate really? I gave a lot of arguments. The difference between bofors and mortar is that bofors defends you and mortar needs to be defended.

Is it hate really? I gave a lot of arguments. The difference between bofors and mortar is that bofors defends you and mortar needs to be defended.

The bofors also denies you the AEC which is your mid game crutch.

I don't know, but i think that in high skill plays bofors is inferior, because:
- it is counterable by mortars, AT guns, Smoke + bundle grenades, Smoke + FHT.
- it is stationary
- it locks AEC, which i think is the main problem - u get bofors and then u get wrecked by enemy LVs everywhere else.

Or maybe i'm using bofors incorrectly...

I don't know, but i think that in high skill plays bofors is inferior, because:
- it is counterable by mortars, AT guns, Smoke + bundle grenades, Smoke + FHT.
- it is stationary
- it locks AEC, which i think is the main problem - u get bofors and then u get wrecked by enemy LVs everywhere else.

Or maybe i'm using bofors incorrectly...

Smoke does nothing to the bofors, just attack grond with it through smoke.

I don't know, but i think that in high skill plays bofors is inferior, because:
- it is counterable by mortars, AT guns, Smoke + bundle grenades, Smoke + FHT.
- it is stationary
- it locks AEC, which i think is the main problem - u get bofors and then u get wrecked by enemy LVs everywhere else.

Or maybe i'm using bofors incorrectly...

- I am no pro, probably things work diffferently at different levels
- Yes, there is a lot of ways to destory it, but it needs to be well planned and executed and you still have your units to counter. And if it is killed... it has a price of cheap LV - which are generally killed at some point.
- It has wheels, but it woud be pretty sick if it is mobile
- I do not find LV a major problem (artillery is much bigger). You are given a lot of freedom with your AT which can be much more mobile when acting not to far away from bofors. Sniper against okw works great as well againt LV>

Centaur deals decent amount of damage to flash

Had to laugh… decent damage to flash. xD


Yes, Brits are a challenge to play with. I don't like their play-stile. But more annoying is their
voice output: ignorant, retarded and not funny. So I stoped playing them.

But when I play them I feel, that this fraction is lacking of units and abilitys between their stock. So some units have to be some mutants to fit in more roles. Like Comet, a small Tiger. Centaur, a Ostwind on steroids. Churchill, a Panzer 4 with adipositas. Firefly, a Jackson got a baby with Püppchen. ^^