Profile of sluzbenik

Yep. Effective cost of the British forces if you want all commanders: $25.

I haven't even bought Brits. And probably won't.

I think the main reason I like Ostheer above all else is the PzIV - it's the midgame backbone of a faction with great synergies and good design. Ostheer's thoughtful faction design encourages skilled combined arms play and does not rely on cheese (ie., flamer scout cars, demos) or overpowered units of the month (M5s, T70s, 240mm mortars).

Unfortunately this patch the PziV certainly isn't quite as good, as T3 is arguably pretty weak against multiple SU-76s but it will probably be back at some point.

Maybe a few seconds faster. It gives you just enough time to see the smoke and re-position an MG, any faster and it will not give the MG user the opportunity to re-position and set-up.

While we're at it, can we please let US Shermans fire smoke on the move? This has been a pet peeve of mine since alpha.

Well, now I think I can give my two cents: the patch made the game more boring, except maybe for US and OKW which actually have more options now.

Soviets have to build T3 to get T4. No rushing a Katy. No stalling for call-ins. Well, you can try it but it probably won't work.

Ostheer has to build T2 to fight Soviet T3 or US T1. At least now the flamenwurfer is back, but you can't do a risky T3 rush anymore. You're going to get pulverized, but in 2v2 it was a definite option for one Ostheer player to rush T3. I have tried it and no amount of grens and snipers is worth not having T2 up.

OKW and US have more options. OKW can go Flak HT to whatever AT they want or just insta-counter Sov T3 with a Puma, and then T4 for whatever anti-inf option they choose. Or sit around the med truck and fight off vehicles with shrecks and raketenwurfers until T4 or Stuka, depending on the Sov/US play style. Similarly US can go bars and zooks, or T1 vehicles, or attempt to stall for Shermans with zooks/bars. The viability of bar RE spam now is pretty sickening and another glaring design flaw but at least it compensates for the non-existent late US game.

Mostly I'm disappointed that Ostheer, my favorite faction, now only has flavor offered by commanders and you pretty much have to have Jaegar Armor available every game in case of the dreaded ISU/artillery combo I'm seeing a lot. There were a lot more playstyles available before the Soviet T3 buff. T3 is almost in need of buffs I'd say, since cheap SU-76s easily counter PZiVs/Ostwinds. Only CAS gives you an infantry heavy option and it's barely viable vs the M5's suppression. Hopefully they can figure out the math and slow down Sov T3 slightly without overbuffing Ostheer to make other options available, but right now I'd rather go back to the double IS-2/quartet of T34/85s vs double Tiger fights. At least that was fun, and not as frustrating as trying to get a second pak shot on the M5.

My issue with USF and Sov currently is successful flanks early aren't really that rewarding. You take so much MP damage even with a perfect 3-way flank on an MG/Gren/Gren position that you're really not helping yourself. 5 mins of territory control just doesn't really make that huge a difference. Smart players will just retreat everything after inflicting more MP damage than you've done to them and come back with a higher tier unit. Whereas in COH1 the fact that capping units weren't effective at fighting while capping meant territory control meant a crap ton more (along with the later possibility of a popcap cutoff).

I think USF really needs a jeep - the scout car really helps Sov in figuring out where they can position, and what avenues of attack to use. I don't have the Dodge truck commander - maybe some people can make more use of it. Smoke is still underused though, but nades are a tad expensive I think.

As for Sov, I really wouldn't mind seeing both faction's snipers rebuffed against buildings. Large buildings just let MGs sit in flame, and they probably won't die. You won't get off more than one Molotov against a good player with losing a con squad in the process.