USF Rifle Company Rework

With the many commander reworks that have happened, it seems like USF's Rifle Company has gotten gradually reduced in strength. This Company used to be way to strong and definitely OP, but now has been nerfed into obscurity. Additionally, it no longer fits its own theme. The upgrades it gives to Riflemen are marginal and are overshadowed by other, better Commanders. What follows is my proposal for a rework of the commander thats goal is to make Rifle Company relevant again, work thematically and also not become OP. All Commanders should be good, but none should be too good.

(0) CP - Rifleman Field Defenses.

Just like in the other Commanders. It fits thematically
with a Rifle Company that supports Rifleman play. Enough said.

(0) CP - M4A3(E8) "Easy Eight" Sherman Tank.

No changes. The Easy Eight is really the only reason to go for Rifle Company right now and it doesn't require any changes.

(0) CP - Rear Echelon Troops M2 Flamethrower Upgrade

No Changes. Still a staple of the commander and is not too strong. Plus it is one of only two ways that USF can get a flamethrower.

(2) CP - Veteran Sergeant Upgrade.

New Ability that adds a Veteran Sergeant to a Riflemen Squad.

Cost 60 Munitions. Takes up one weapon slot.

Adds the Veteran Sergeant. Armed with an M1 Carbine with the stats of the Paratrooper M1 Carbine, he adds a small amount of firepower to the squad with his extra Carbine, but his strength lies in adding to the survivability to the squad with his extra model of health and the passive buffs he gives to the squad. The Sergeant grants a 5% reduction in received accuracy to the squad and a 10% buff to the rate the squad gains veterancy. He also grants the squad the Fire Up ability and the ability to launch flares. (This way you combine the previous two abilities into one commander spot, but then locks these two abilities behind an upgrade.) At Vet 3 the Veteran Sergeant allows the squad to heal while out of combat, just as Rangers and Paratroopers do.

The Sergeant himself should use a model that makes it easy to identify a squad that has the upgrade, just like how the 6th man in an Assault Grenadier uses the model of a PanzerGrenadier. I suggest that the model used should be a regular Rifleman model, but with the radio backpack of the Pathfinders added to him. I am not sure if this can be done, but I think it would be a good choice if it can be. If that cannot be done, then the model of the Lieutenant could be used, as it has no identifying insignia or drastic uniform differences that would identify him as not belonging to a regular infantry unit. (Pathfinders have Paratrooper uniforms, Rangers have Ranger insignia painted on their helmets, etc.) The unit icon should add Sergeant Chevrons above the crossed rifles. (Look up current US Marine Corps Sergeant Chevrons for a good idea of what this would look like.)

(6) CP - White Phosphorous Smoke Barrage

No changes.

Some might say that this would be too strong to have 6 man Riflemen, who are already pretty good, but by making this ability take up a weapon slot, you prevent a 6 man squad having double BARs. In fact, a double BAR squad will still have better firepower than a single BAR Veteran Sergeant
upgraded squad for the same cost in munitions. This allows for choices to be made in your upgrading decisions, where the Veteran Sergeant gives you better survivability, and the double BARs gives you better firepower. Thematically this works by reducing the number of BARs in each squad, which means more rifles per squad, hence Rifle Company (Not BAR Company Lol). It also allows the reuse of discarded voice lines from the old Veteran Riflemen ability where the announcer says something like "Veteran know-how can now better train our Riflemen." Honestly I think it's a good fit for the Commander that makes it more appealing to play, but doesn't suddenly make the commander too strong or game breaking.

Let me know what you think!

GL, HF.

seems good, but i feels instated of fire up a more utility related skill might work better i mean it's a vet sergeant

seems good, but i feels instated of fire up a more utility related skill might work better i mean it's a vet sergeant

I wanted to retain it from the current version. I don’t want the changes to be too radical.

I would rather simply see flamers being swamp for rifle-grenades and moved to riflemen (maybe taking all weapon slots).

I would rather simply see flamers being swamp for rifle-grenades and moved to riflemen (maybe taking all weapon slots).

I think that takes away from the uniqueness of the Urban Assault Commander.

Less shared between doctrines is good for commander diversity.

can we already stop with this me! me ! me! me wantsies buffing mechanic? ostheer got the 5-man upgrades in their commander and now suddenly everyone should get them and even ostheer stock because soviets have 6-man squads (mostly) which defines the faction partly and is their charasteristic.. just stop. we dont want 6-man rifles. no. especially no sprinting, buffed up 6-man rifles with double bars wiping all axis infantry..no more bolster mechanics pls its already a problem on ukf

Well when 90% of the commanders that get reworked become batshit OP, might as well make another op one.

I think that takes away from the uniqueness of the Urban Assault Commander.

Less shared between doctrines is good for commander diversity.

Maybe I was not clear.

Suggestion:
Ubran no longer has access to rifle grenades and get flamer instead.
Rifle company no longer has access to flamer and now has access to rifle grenades for riflemen only.

How about just lowering the cost of Fire Up and Rifle Flares. Fire Up should be 10 munitions, easily, or quite possibly even free, considering you have to wait until CP2 to use it and it comes with that stupid debuff afterwards. And equalize flare cost from 45 munitions to the Pfusilier flares for 35 munitions. Boom, commander is buffed. Although I do admit I would like to see riflemen field defenses rolled into the commander considering this is supposed to be THE rifleman commander...

WAY too much utility/power on that Veteran Squad Leader:
-60Muni
-Weapon Slot (1/2)
+1 Model
+1 M1 Carbine
+5% RA Reduction
+10% xp
+Fire Up
+Flares

Seriously, by comparison, here's the OST Veteran Squad Leader:
-60 Muni
-Weapon Upgrades/MG42
-MedKit Ability
+1 Model
+1 G43
+15% Reduced Weapon Cooldown
+10% RA Reduction


Honestly, just copy the OST version and replace the G43 with the carbine. Keep everything else the same (this would take both weapon slots). Right now it's just a 'turbo' button for rifles to give them even more of an early game advantage.

WAY too much utility/power on that Veteran Squad Leader:
-60Muni
-Weapon Slot (1/2)
+1 Model
+1 M1 Carbine
+5% RA Reduction
+10% xp
+Fire Up
+Flares

Seriously, by comparison, here's the OST Veteran Squad Leader:
-60 Muni
-Weapon Upgrades/MG42
-MedKit Ability
+1 Model
+1 G43
+15% Reduced Weapon Cooldown
+10% RA Reduction


Honestly, just copy the OST version and replace the G43 with the carbine. Keep everything else the same (this would take both weapon slots). Right now it's just a 'turbo' button for rifles to give them even more of an early game advantage.

That ability is bundled with some other bonuses for Wehrmacht tho, like getting a 5th pioneer for 30 munitions. This would be only to Riflemen, unless you want to see 5 man rear echelon turn into 6 man rear echelon.

I think that takes away from the uniqueness of the Urban Assault Commander.

Less shared between doctrines is good for commander diversity.

I think Vipper was suggesting swapping them over, not having two of the same.

Urban Assault gets the Flamethrowers, Rifle Company gets the RE Rifle Grenades.

I think Vipper was suggesting swapping them over, not having two of the same.

Urban Assault gets the Flamethrowers, Rifle Company gets the RE Rifle Grenades.

Ok, that makes more sense. Lol

I still think that changing that would change too much of the original doctrine.

Rifle company has always had a flamethrower in it and I want to leave as much as the doctrine alone. Fewer changes is generally better.

My current proposal leaves 3/5 abilities unchanged, adds the Riflemen field defenses, and combines the other two abilities (Riflemen flares and Riflemen fire up) but then locks those abilities behind an upgrade (the Veteran Sergeant). This is why I put it at (2) CPs, because that is where the current flare and fire up are unlocked at. I would absolutely be open to changing it to (3) CPs or whatever the Wehrmacht equivalent unlocks at.

By locking it behind the Sergeant upgrade, you actually nerf the amount of sprinting and flaring that you can do.

Ok, that makes more sense. Lol

I still think that changing that would change too much of the original doctrine.

I think they're a better thematic fit the other way around.

Flamethrowers in Urban Assault, rifle grenades in Rifle Company.

I think they're a better thematic fit the other way around.

Flamethrowers in Urban Assault, rifle grenades in Rifle Company.

You’re not wrong. Lol

It definitely fits the theme better.

If I were to swap the two I would keep both abilities as upgrades to Rear Echelon Troops. If you put Assault Engineers in Urban Assault then you end up with two types of call in infantry in the same doctrine, unless you removed Rangers from Urban Assault and now things are getting complicated.

If you did swap the two then I would think that you would get less Rear Echelon rifle grenade spam because you’d be incentivized to build Riflemen instead of spamming REs with just officers and Rangers. In the revised Rifle Company you’d miss out on the improved Riflemen and their Veteran Sergeant if you spammed REs and you’d not have Rangers to get later either.


Now that you’ve got me thinking about it, I agree! Put RE flamethrowers in Urban Assault and RE Rifle Grenades in Rifle Company.

I think Vipper was suggesting swapping them over, not having two of the same.

Urban Assault gets the Flamethrowers, Rifle Company gets the RE Rifle Grenades.

Yeah i thought that too. Sounds interesting.
I also agree with the too much utility for the sergeant. But maybe because of the fire up ability.
I would like to see this on a live game, riflemen with good upgrades becoming the core opening again.
IMO its ok to have a very demanding muni commander on a already starved muni faction. It kind of balances itself with hard desitions on where to invest.

Yeah i thought that too. Sounds interesting.
I also agree with the too much utility for the sergeant. But maybe because of the fire up ability.
I would like to see this on a live game, riflemen with good upgrades becoming the core opening again.
IMO its ok to have a very demanding muni commander on a already starved muni faction. It kind of balances itself with hard desitions on where to invest.

Exactly! There would simply not be enough munitions to use all of the upgrades, abilities and artillery. It would be self regulating economically.

I don’t think giving the Sergeant all those abilities is too much because the live version currently gives the flare and sprint to all Riflemen for free at (2) CPs. By putting it under the Sergeant upgrade you are actually limiting access to those two abilities. Fire up is also nerfed in a way by preventing it to be used by double BAR Riflemen if the Sergeant takes up a weapon slot. So it makes sprinting past an MG’s arc still an option, but you’re less likely to wipe out the MG crew due to having one less BAR.

That ability is bundled with some other bonuses for Wehrmacht tho, like getting a 5th pioneer for 30 munitions. This would be only to Riflemen, unless you want to see 5 man rear echelon turn into 6 man rear echelon.

Sure, but it also working on Pios isn't why the Ost Vet upgrade doesn't have so many bonuses. Either way, the initial suggestion is simply too powerful; this is what would happen every single game:

Half of rifle squads have Vet Leader + Bar.
Use flare to check for MGs/Flanks
Fire up to rush grens, taking less HP damage due to 6-model squad size and %RA reduction.
Do tons of damage at close range due to Bar, extra Carbine, also rifles just being better at close
Vet even quicker due to +10% xp

It would snowball so incredibly quickly.

I really dont think Riflemen need an extra man. Rifle company just needs abilities that are actually useable. Right now the CP requirement, debuff and price of fire up combine to make it only useable in the most niche situations, like running past a solo MG guarding a point and praying to God there's no light vehicles on the field yet, and the flare is too expensive to be useable when it arrives, at which point your mun should be going into weapon rack upgrades before RM get pushed off the map by upgraded axis infantry. At best it sees some use lategame, but by then you should have a major out, who can call in a recon pass for only 5 munitions more.

If these abilities were actually useable, this would be a decent commander already. It doesnt need any stupid gimmicks or 6-man rifles. Just lower CP requirements or munitions costs or both. Especially on fire up, which already gets a nasty debuff that no other sprint in the game has.

Sure, but it also working on Pios isn't why the Ost Vet upgrade doesn't have so many bonuses. Either way, the initial suggestion is simply too powerful; this is what would happen every single game:

Half of rifle squads have Vet Leader + Bar.
Use flare to check for MGs/Flanks
Fire up to rush grens, taking less HP damage due to 6-model squad size and %RA reduction.
Do tons of damage at close range due to Bar, extra Carbine, also rifles just being better at close
Vet even quicker due to +10% xp

It would snowball so incredibly quickly.

The RA bonus I suggested is half of what Grenadiers get and Grens also get a 15% cool down bonus as well. So the VSL upgrade on Grenadiers is empirically more powerful in raw combat power.

The Fire up and flare ability are already both in the doctrine and are given to all Riflemen squads for free without an unlock cost. With this suggestion you must spend more munitions first unlocking the Sergeant before you can then spend even more munitions to actually use fire up or flares.

If you are worried about this flare, sprint and rush strategy then it would be even more powerful on double BAR squads as it is currently implemented in the game.

That’s the whole point of putting them all on the Veteran Sergeant upgrade. It Prevents the spam of Fire up and Flares by being a munitions sink.

Either way, PanzerGrenadiers or Assault Grenadiers would solidly counter Riflemen sprinting straight up to you and cost zero munitions to boot.