Its another good idea/bad execution by Relic. War spoils must prioritize things that affect game play (commanders, bulletins) rather than cosmetic trash (faceplates/skins/victory strikes) for the sake of the game play. Thats why Valve f2p games doing so well (dota2 300k+ players any given time): everybody gets exactly same full content for free, then players can buy/win customization items from load screens to tons of cosmetic.
And what we have in coh2? You want rifle/mech company for unique play stiles they provide? Playing a lot and dont bother to spend some cash on them if they were available in steam? Well, FUCK YOU, either grind 24/7 with scripts or enjoy another shitty faceplate.
And giving commanders which everybody who want them bought anyway months ago not fixing anything.
Knowing op, probably waste of symbols, but skill hard counters maxim spam. You never believe me, but, hell, it hard countered even dshk spam back in days of pre-nerfed defense doc.
All pub games I lost with axis I lost because of bad teammates, not because right played okw pak 43 turtle (rushed walking stuka into pak 43 into kt) is weak or easy to counter. Yes, there are maps/combination of commanders on enemy side which can make pak 43 life very difficult, but in even conditions pak is super strong unit. Again, you cant attack pack 43 with at guns (walking stuka/pak behind huge-ass building). You cant advance with infantry either (1 well-positioned mg bunker). Artillery will be killed by walking stuka. Priest barrage cant hit anything, and with sturmpio repairs pak 43 can survive forever even under double priests untill series of very lucky hits (but, as all we know, RNG in CoH can kill anything). Only option is offmap arty. And offmap arty which reliably destroys pak 43 gun cost alot of ammo and require specific commanders.
90-95 range pak43 like op suggested will be op as hell. It will be better than jagdtiger both in terms of risk/reward and costefficiency.
And whats the point? You can build 3 paks 43 if you want and backed up with your team support they can cover entire map. For 0 fuel. In 1v1 situation is quite different, but again, for it damage pak 43 still good even in 1v1.
Pak 43 fine as it is. Srsly, it costs only 500 mp, no fuel, 2-shots tanks, fires through obstacles, covers large area of the map, and with vet and sturm officers buff shoots faster than hmg. Also, afair 5vet bonuses gives pak 43 +range twice.
Arty and mortars which supposed to counter pak 43 (which arty and mortars? vet 1 b4 with precision strike?) already hard countered by Stuka zu Fuss.
Well, i wont say i tried all counters, or have complete understanding of 3v3 or 4v4 after expansion release (not even close, lol), but Stuka zu Fuss just feels unfairly powerful compared to everything else (even mighty sturmtiger).
It comes too early - from 6to7 minutes on maps with fuel near base and 8 minutes on maps with contested fuel at the middle, ofc if it rushed with fast t2 and fuel conversion.
Then counters. Partisans close to worthless since skilled players will always drive stuka all the way back after barrage. B-4 sure is an option, but it needs vet1 to hit anything and, again, could be decrewed or even completely destroyed with 1 barrage from stuka.
So i think minor nerf (unlike volley fire) will be good.
But Von, in 3v3+ (thread about 3v3 and 4v4 anyway) its near to impossible to push okw no-tank play due to cheap and effective at guns supported by mines, their flak building and shrecks. t34/m5s/shermans will die in frontal attack and only good at gaining some map control. And then true breakthrough tanks such as sherman dozer and kv8 will face pak 43 (which cost 0 fuel) at the time they finally arrive.
Stuka beyond op and one of the main reasons why 3v3 and 4v4 imbalanced as hell atm. It disposes perfect accuracy, amazing range, it wipes support weapons in 1 shot, devastates blobs, annihilates buildings in same 1 shot, and kills artillery pieces in same freaking 1 shot. Also it comes in good 6-7m with t2 after core units (pio+3volks/2pios and double volks) and fuel conversion.
And if it is not bad enough, you can multiply this by 2-3 okw players and see current okw artyparty 3v3 and 4v4 dominance.