Clown car hardcounters MG. If it hits vet 1 you need to be careful. But you have a whole reloading cycle time to adjust.
Can we get 2 grens vs penal at around same time? Besides if you move 2 squads to combat, you lose the capping advantage. Im not sure if earlier map control helps in 2v2. I think the meta now is for allies to build up a sizeable force even if you lose earlier map.
Things to look around at the beginning of the game:
-You know which opponent you are most likely going to face 90% by the side they are in. Scout the enemy base and check if you see any shadows at all (IIRC only SU/OH had their base hidden because you could actually see what tier they went before. I think it's still possible if you want to tryhard and check if you see xp kickers in the FoW).
-Check which points are been capped. A slow capping process more than likely indicates a tier construction, no 2nd CE or no conscripts opening.
-I favour winning the first engagement and then soft retreating and capping with damaged squads.
-3:30 is a good all around time to take into account. It's both the time at which a officer arrives for USF and at which you expect to see a flamer popping around.
-If they go clowcar, then you won't see heavy penals for quite some time. If you don't open up with double CE, you don't have any capping power. If they go clowncar after first Penals, you don't need to spread your army around.
Description of the usual Penal opening:
1': you have an MG42, Pio and Gren on the field. The opponent has 2 CE and it's 25% on building his first Penal.
1'30: by the time Penal arrives, you are already starting to build your 2nd gren.
2': if you didn't float mp, you have your 2nd Gren on field and the opponent has a Scout car arriving on the map.
3': 3rd Gren already on the field for some time and your opponent is some seconds away of fielding his 2nd Penal.
You will always be squad ahead on the field.