USF Officer improvement

I think that the USF officers should serve a greater role than riflemen with smoke. I always thought it was kinda stupid that you could upgrade the officers with weapons that you could pick up from the racks so I came up with a nifty idea. Why not give the LT. a CQC combat package to offer the USF a close combat unit if they did not go elite infantry. Also give the captain the ability to get 30.cals to be the long range defender. I feel like this would add better variety to the USF's core units, allowing you to do specific tasks with the officers that the riflemen wouldn't be able to do as effectively. (basically it would turn the LT. into something like the assault section and the CPT. into a wanna-be ober)
feedback would be nice fellas

I think the abilities on Cap and Major give them enough of a uniqueness. LT makes sense to be just a better rifle squad, so maybe give him the AT grenade

I think the abilities on Cap and Major give them enough of a uniqueness. LT makes sense to be just a better rifle squad, so maybe give him the AT grenade

CPT maybe has some unique abilities LT is just like any other Rifle squad really.

Why should LT and CPT receive free buffs?
Did you want to make those units more unique or want them to powercreep?

I disagree about the suggested changes too, both units are unique but also part of a riflemen platoon and can even be in the frontlines. For comparison OKW sturmoffizier cant risk himself to take damage or the entire blob falls back.
OST arty officer is somewhat similar but its doctrinal

LT makes sense to be just a better rifle squad, so maybe give him the AT grenade

I think not, not at all. Lt zook + AT early combo is simply OP

Why should LT and CPT receive free buffs?
Did you want to make those units more unique or want them to powercreep?

I disagree about the suggested changes too, both units are unique but also part of a riflemen platoon and can even be in the frontlines. For comparison OKW sturmoffizier cant risk himself to take damage or the entire blob falls back.
OST arty officer is somewhat similar but its doctrinal

its not a free buff its a weapon upgrade path. think about it, all the axis have some sort of specialized mainline infantry they can get with tier buildings (pgren and obers) while all the USF have is the rifles. the Lt. and captain would not get buffs to the unit itself, simply its toolkit. These upgrades would most likely be very pricey as well. I feel a small change like this will give variety with USF play so it isnt just 5x mid range rifle squads running around everywhere. I would also say they are not that unique, they are simply rifle squads with smoke but missing other items such as grenades or at nades. Sure the Captain can speed up buildings but that is about as far as his uniqueness goes.

I would remove the zook off LT altogether. Give him nades without tech instead, so he's literally just a better rifle squad.

Thematically, it makes sense for an LT to be a better rifle squad. LTs were in frontline combat regularly, the other two officers not so much

I would remove the zook off LT altogether. Give him nades without tech instead, so he's literally just a better rifle squad.

Thematically, it makes sense for an LT to be a better rifle squad. LTs were in frontline combat regularly, the other two officers not so much

His veterancy was always designed with the BAR in mind anyway; its the captain who gets the critical -15% reload vet for the bazooka. LT just gets cooldown bonuses, which are totally useless for the zook.

It's worth noting, however, that the bazooka is the only AT / even competent anti-light vehicle weapon USF has access to for going LT. The M2HB is mostly hopeless, particularly compared to the MG34/MG42 IAP ammo, due to it's sluggish rate of fire and burst duration, and the M20 takes god-tier micro or lucky 60 mun mine placement to be useful versus even a 222, much less the Luchs. The Stuart is there, I guess, but that'll put you down quite a bit of fuel.

I would personally give both the CPT and LT techless (no weapon rack) Zook/BAR upgrades, so there's some ability to choose. Or possibly even remove the BAR from Captain altogether since his utility upgrades are so good (On Me! is the best USF ability in the game, by and far).

50 cal will eat a 222 it's anything heavier it struggles with (not unreasonably)

On the OP I too would like to see officers adjusted. Making them more options than forced IMO would be a better and easier to balance method. Again imo.

His veterancy was always designed with the BAR in mind anyway; its the captain who gets the critical -15% reload vet for the bazooka. LT just gets cooldown bonuses, which are totally useless for the zook.

Yeah I never upgrade zook with LT. Usually just put them on Echelon as early as possible if i go LT tier

It's worth noting, however, that the bazooka is the only AT / even competent anti-light vehicle weapon USF has access to for going LT.

Zooks are always available no matter what. I don't think US needs to be babied into getting a zook squad with LT, which isn't even good for zooks as you said

its not a free buff its a weapon upgrade path. think about it, all the axis have some sort of specialized mainline infantry they can get with tier buildings (pgren and obers) while all the USF have is the rifles. the Lt. and captain would not get buffs to the unit itself, simply its toolkit. These upgrades would most likely be very pricey as well. I feel a small change like this will give variety with USF play so it isnt just 5x mid range rifle squads running around everywhere. I would also say they are not that unique, they are simply rifle squads with smoke but missing other items such as grenades or at nades. Sure the Captain can speed up buildings but that is about as far as his uniqueness goes.

But its not a weapon upgrade at all. To be honest the picture you have of axis infantry is wrong, because one trades versatility and generalist capabilities (both sinergyse too) and the other requires a mixture of units to fullfill the same roles. Riflemen can be massed without the same risk as grens/pgren/volks/obers.
Imagine it like this: Riflemen are half penal squad + quarter obers + quarter grenadiers and T0 mainline inf. Riflemen AI with BARs or M1919 (i know is rarely used though) is competent vs equal numbers of axis infantry, AT potential against LVs and light tanks is also good enough to solve their threat. Both desitions are reactive, wich means you can get the upgrades AFTER the enemy shows their units. That pricey.
If you were playis axis, as an example and you massed volks but no raketen, when a T70 or a stuart appears you are simply forced to back up, a minor loss but you also would need to allocate manpower to get AT, this kind of reaction is slower when compared to USF, it has to pay a less expensive, fuel dependent, side tech and after that you slap in munitions but no manpower, any riflemen squad could receive the weapon even when they need to go back to base to get the zooks.
If you were to say, but pgren wouldnt do the same? Yes, you would be correct, but pgrens are also more expensive than riflemen and pzsheks comes only in pairs, you are forced to get both, therefore a single pgren squad becomes AT exclusive, until you get another one to make up the AI loss. Pgrens are less versatile, hence more effective for balance purposes. Its also worth mentioning that this kind of reactions tends to leave OST weaker in the AI or the manpower bleed aspect, that can be exploited when playing USF with howitzers or shermans

Every unit toolkit is considered in the unit cost. If you were to add a new toolkit and try to keep things balanced, you should increase LT or CPT cost proportionally.
I would say that CPT is a bit off in the mainlines and since the USF tech rework its often used like this. I would give to the LT the CPT recall ability and change the CPT to have either a stationary aura effect (that should be toggled), or maybe a new ability to be able use rear echelons to transport weapon upgrades to its position.

Yeah I never upgrade zook with LT. Usually just put them on Echelon as early as possible if i go LT tier
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Zooks are always available no matter what. I don't think US needs to be babied into getting a zook squad with LT, which isn't even good for zooks as you said

Wether you use it or not, the upgrades are there by faction design. Its like saying "I never used the spare wheel of my car" until you need it, and you realize its flat out too.

The current meta game allows for early echelon zook, but if you were to loose echelons would you rather wait to recuit new ones? I think its up to each player skill level to decide to upgrade zooks or not.

Why dont we just remove weapon racks and put a zook weapon upgrade on echelons then? We could even remove the sidetech

Give LT arty flares

Give LT some buff……upgrade special weapon is good idea

make Lt a sniper type unit, similar to like pathfinders but the only the LT and like a 25 chance to gib a model would be interesting

i would also like to see a rework for the officer's in this faction

Honestly, after thinking about it some I feel like moving "On Me!" to the LT would be enough. It sort of fits the Lieutenant a bit more than the company commander imo. But, then you would have to make all sorts of other changes to veterancy and etc so at this point why bother. The officers are more or less fine as they are even if LT in particular is pretty bland and generally just a rifle squad with a Thompson, extremely high vet requirements, and worse starting RA.

The only thing the Lt. needs is a spotting flare. Then the Rifleman + Lt combo becomes quite powerful - grenades & AT rifle grenades + smoke & flares - and that's before you start adding BARs and bazookas.

I’ve been doing a study on WWII infantry tables of organization and equipment for the US, British and German forces. Real US infantry platoons had one sniper rifle that was unallocated to a specific man and kept as part of the Platoon Headquarters section with the Lieutenant. Additionally, there were no Thompsons at the platoon level and the Lieutenant himself would’ve had an M1 carbine.

At the Company level, the Captain has access to six unallocated Thompsons, six unallocated BARs and five unallocated Bazookas. He would also have been armed with an M1 carbine as would several other members of the Company Headquarters element unlike the Platoon HQ which would’ve all had M1 Garand rifles. Additionally, support elements in the weapons platoon of the company had M1919A4 or M1919A6 Machineguns and would be dispatched at the discrediting of the company commander (the Captain).

Considering all of that, here is how I would rework the USF officers.

Lieutenant: 5 man squad with 3 M1 Garands on Riflemen models, 1 M1 paratrooper carbine on the Lieutenant himself and 1 M1C sniper rifle on a Rifleman model. The squad has better vision than a regular Riflemen squad and has access to regular grenades and smoke grenades when teched and starts with an AT rifle grenade shot at Vet 0. No upgrades are available but can still take up to two weapons from the weapon racks. No changes to abilities or veterancy. This unit functions like a superior rifleman squad that can snipe at long range like a pathfinder squad, but with only one sniper rifle. It would also have less overlap with dedicated SMG units like Rangers and Paratroopers.

Captain: 5 man squad with 2 Riflemen models with M1 Garands, 1 Captain model with a Paratrooper stat M1 Carbine and 2 Rear Echelon models with the weaker Rear Echelon M1 Carbines. Abilities stay the same but has two mutually exclusive upgrade options. An M1919A6 upgrade for 70 munitions where one of the Rear Echelon models gains the LMG making the squad a dedicated long range squad that is good at supporting against infantry and a double bazooka upgrade for 100 munitions that gives the two Riflemen the Bazookas making the squad a good bazooka support squad but has almost no anti infantry ability. Squad abilities and veterancy remains the same. The squad can still upgrade with weapons from the weapon racks and still gains smoke grenades from the grenade tech.

Major: 4 man squad of three Rear echelon models with rear echelon M1 Carbines and 1 Major model with his trusty pistol. No other changes to abilities, but now he can be used to recrew weapons and is slightly less easy to wipe out, which should encourage using him more aggressively rather than just throwing him away.

I think these changes would make USF officers more unique and have better defined roles as well as encourage side teching to both LT and Captain and also better reflects the real US table of organization and equipment.

I’ve been doing a study on WWII infantry tables of organization and equipment for the US, British and German forces. Real US infantry platoons had one sniper rifle that was unallocated to a specific man and kept as part of the Platoon Headquarters section with the Lieutenant. Additionally, there were no Thompsons at the platoon level and the Lieutenant himself would’ve had an M1 carbine.

At the Company level, the Captain has access to six unallocated Thompsons, six unallocated BARs and five unallocated Bazookas. He would also have been armed with an M1 carbine as would several other members of the Company Headquarters element unlike the Platoon HQ which would’ve all had M1 Garand rifles. Additionally, support elements in the weapons platoon of the company had M1919A4 or M1919A6 Machineguns and would be dispatched at the discrediting of the company commander (the Captain).

Considering all of that, here is how I would rework the USF officers.

Lieutenant: 5 man squad with 3 M1 Garands on Riflemen models, 1 M1 paratrooper carbine on the Lieutenant himself and 1 M1C sniper rifle on a Rifleman model. The squad has better vision than a regular Riflemen squad and has access to regular grenades and smoke grenades when teched and starts with an AT rifle grenade shot at Vet 0. No upgrades are available but can still take up to two weapons from the weapon racks. No changes to abilities or veterancy. This unit functions like a superior rifleman squad that can snipe at long range like a pathfinder squad, but with only one sniper rifle. It would also have less overlap with dedicated SMG units like Rangers and Paratroopers.

Captain: 5 man squad with 2 Riflemen models with M1 Garands, 1 Captain model with a Paratrooper stat M1 Carbine and 2 Rear Echelon models with the weaker Rear Echelon M1 Carbines. Abilities stay the same but has two mutually exclusive upgrade options. An M1919A6 upgrade for 70 munitions where one of the Rear Echelon models gains the LMG making the squad a dedicated long range squad that is good at supporting against infantry and a double bazooka upgrade for 100 munitions that gives the two Riflemen the Bazookas making the squad a good bazooka support squad but has almost no anti infantry ability. Squad abilities and veterancy remains the same. The squad can still upgrade with weapons from the weapon racks and still gains smoke grenades from the grenade tech.

Major: 4 man squad of three Rear echelon models with rear echelon M1 Carbines and 1 Major model with his trusty pistol. No other changes to abilities, but now he can be used to recrew weapons and is slightly less easy to wipe out, which should encourage using him more aggressively rather than just throwing him away.

I think these changes would make USF officers more unique and have better defined roles as well as encourage side teching to both LT and Captain and also better reflects the real US table of organization and equipment.

The major is already such a critical utility unit for USF, I cringe whenever I see people letting him get wiped so easily.

Recon planes, artillery, the forward retreat point.

If he gets upgraded to a 4 man squad I think he should lose weapon slots, since seeing people stack bazookas or even BARs on the Major squad just looks and feels dumb, particularly since his guys are supposed to be radiomen and shouldn't be carrying all this extra combat junk.