Ostheer vulnerability to indirect fire

As of now, Ostheer is incredibly vulnerable to indirect fire, as Grenadiers need to stay still to deal DPS and they rely heavily on MGs to protect themselves from CQC troops

However, they seem to have been designed with this in mind, as they have access to medical kits on grenadiers and pioneers, and counter barrage on their mortars. Exept both these abilities suck.

Medkits would allow Ostheer to heal their squads after they get hit by indirect fire, but Ostheer needs munitions for MG42s. I propose that they become free after you tech to battle phase 2

Counter barrage could allow Ostheer to counter other indirect fire, but According to CoH2.db, Counter barrage doesn’t increase the mortar’s ROF, accuracy, or range, and all it does is make it only target indirect fire. Could this ability made to be useful, Like making it have +10 range or -15%cooldown while active?

EDIT: I checked coh2.db again, and it says that the barrage has 5.5 reload and counter barrage has 4.25 reload. So it does fire quicker.

I alway thought that counter barrage get extra range lol.

I never understood the concept of "Counter Barrage".

What is the purpose of this ability?

Can anyone explain what it does specifically and its benefits.

Currently, I do not see any real reason in using this ability especially for a mortar!

I never understood the concept of "Counter Barrage".

What is the purpose of this ability?

Can anyone explain what it does specifically and its benefits.

Currently, I do not see any real reason in using this ability especially for a mortar!

Micro-tax avoidance.

You could wait for enemy artillery to shoot and then barrage where you see then, and also queue up an attack-ground order in case that turns out to not be enough.

Or you could press Counter-Barrage and micro everything else in your army instead.

I'm told the accuracy of the barrage ain't half-bad:



...but I confess I haven't watched it closely enough to be sure that wasn't just a freak occurrence.

I never understood the concept of "Counter Barrage".

What is the purpose of this ability?

Can anyone explain what it does specifically and its benefits.

Counter Barrage automatically targets enemy indirect units that start firing within the mortar/ability's range.

Counter Barrage uses special stats. Compared to normal barrage it has the following advantages:
- No micro as the unit will engage automatically;
- Low (no) response time: it will start aiming and firing the very second the enemy indirect unit starts firing. This works the same for LeFH18: as soon as something like a Katusha starts the barrage ability (while still aiming, before firing the rockets) the counterbarrage will detect and start aiming/firing;
- Mortar Counter Barrage gets -1.25s reload in between shells compared to a regular barrage so its ROF is a lot faster. Should guarantee to out-DPS the enemy mortar.
- The LeFH18 Counter Barrage gets increased damage (from 160 to 200) so it has more chance to kill enemy artillery.


The reason it doesn't work very well: the range on the Counter Barrage is the same as a regular barrage (both 80). Generally speaking you have your mortar behind your troops, while the enemy mortar shells your frontline troops at their max range. This means they are likely never within your Counter Barrage range.

I'd love to see Ostheer allowed to upgrade their inf squads with medkits for free healing for like 40 muni per squad.

Counter barrage is actually pretty good if range allows it, it automatically targets indirect fire units that are shooting at you and seem to have lower scatter too. My LeFH sniped 3 katyushas in one match once with counter barrage.

Counter barrage is actually pretty good if range allows it, it automatically targets indirect fire units that are shooting at you and seem to have lower scatter too. My LeFH sniped 3 katyushas in one match once with counter barrage.

It's definitely pretty undeniably great on the LeFH considering, well, it'd be only firing off of its barrage cooldown otherwise. Free shots compared to the other howitzers.

Indirect fire was nerfed and Ost had squad spacing fixed a while back. It's impossible to suffer random mortar wipes anymore

try using pgrens, grens are not your only squad to deal with cqb squads.

Pgrens in cover will drop assault Tommies or ppsh penals for breakfast

Back to medkits, look at the op british: they need to upgrade once and then they get free heals, that activate instantly and can also heal nearby infantry.
On the other hand you have to pay for the ostheer one each time you use it, affect only a single squad and takes time to activate. And whats worse is that with the recent PG change even less field medkits are available to wehrmacht, so you are probably better off building a medic bunker on the frontline.
Point is, something similar to the british medkits would be nice, a one-time upgrade to get free, area of effect heals.

Your problem was fixed with last patch.
You know have easily affordable, arriving early mobile troops.

Your problem was fixed with last patch.
You know have easily affordable, arriving early mobile troops.

You mean assault grens? That's just two doctrines.

You mean assault grens? That's just two doctrines.

Panzer grens.

Panzer grens.

But now they don't have medikits. I try to keep my units on the frontline with a 251, but then I have no units around that can heal (I mean when I'm doing a T1 skip, maybe 1-2 pios if they are already vet 1). Despite the clumsiness of the ostheer field medikits I use them quite often... or at least used to.

But now they don't have medikits. I try to keep my units on the frontline with a 251, but then I have no units around that can heal (I mean when I'm doing a T1 skip, maybe 1-2 pios if they are already vet 1). Despite the clumsiness of the ostheer field medikits I use them quite often... or at least used to.

If you are trying to keep units on the front build a healing bunker near it. It's not perfect but it's reliable and better than a full retreat.

If you are trying to keep units on the front build a healing bunker near it. It's not perfect but it's reliable and better than a full retreat.

Yes, that's what I try to do, but there are situations where the somewhat faster field medkits would come handier, mostly when you need to hurry or when in enemy/neutral territory.

It could probably do with some extra range on the mortar I agree.

Yes, that's what I try to do, but there are situations where the somewhat faster field medkits would come handier, mostly when you need to hurry or when in enemy/neutral territory.

You know a unit can use med kits on another unit..? So if you like using them, keep a gren around to play medic for the PGs. Its never a bad idea to have fausts near by anyway.

Counter Barrage automatically targets enemy indirect units that start firing within the mortar/ability's range.

Counter Barrage uses special stats. Compared to normal barrage it has the following advantages:
- No micro as the unit will engage automatically;
- Low (no) response time: it will start aiming and firing the very second the enemy indirect unit starts firing. This works the same for LeFH18: as soon as something like a Katusha starts the barrage ability (while still aiming, before firing the rockets) the counterbarrage will detect and start aiming/firing;
- Mortar Counter Barrage gets -1.25s reload in between shells compared to a regular barrage so its ROF is a lot faster. Should guarantee to out-DPS the enemy mortar.
- The LeFH18 Counter Barrage gets increased damage (from 160 to 200) so it has more chance to kill enemy artillery.


The reason it doesn't work very well: the range on the Counter Barrage is the same as a regular barrage (both 80). Generally speaking you have your mortar behind your troops, while the enemy mortar shells your frontline troops at their max range. This means they are likely never within your Counter Barrage range.

Wait if you're decent with mortar placement though that's pretty good. Especially against the usf mortar isnce it has such a comparatively low range.

IMO to make medkits free after teching T2 is just a bad idea, with bad consequences. All factions really suffer to get heals. Med bunker will dissapear. All teamweapons will be stupid hard to kill. Any pio could heal both infantry and tanks and they are not even medics.

Medkit change: nope at all.

Counter barrage is really good too. Many people have already explained why so i wont repeat their words. Even only OST get to have it, and ukf. Thats a big advantage, to toggle mortars "on defensive" status.

Indirect fire is by definition the counter of OST because its both, attrition damage (that ost squad size suffer from) and it punish static gamestyle (ost moving inf is not meant to excel, maybe tanks, but not inf)

Even though some recen balance patches look to bring OST closer to other factions average performance with/against indirect fire benchmarks