Profile of StephennJF

Kholodny Summer. This is the best map that lets you execute numerous amounts of strats as it has well placed buildings, cut off access and both open/closed regions. Winter version is good aswell but I feel the hedge layout in the Summer version is better for early game play in both north/south regions.

It's hard to comment though now which are bad maps though guys due to the reintroduction of flanking. It now offers the Soviets to be flexible in their stratergy on some open maps, primarily Langres Summer/Winter. The north spawn position was strategically terrible for Soviets due to the easy access and lack of shot block at the northern cut off. Langres was essentially a T1 must map for Soviets.

I don't really judge this to be a nerf to the Tiger once you consider the trade off they get by gaining a greater acceleration/rate of fire. Time will tell anyway. What I am very curious to see is the chance of effectiveness of a t34 ram against Tiger tanks since its dependent on armour values. The faster acceleration will make it easier to dodge rams however.

To be honest I would not be making the expectation that a Tiger should beat a SU-85 head on. That is completely illogical. Yes, it costs more but your fielding the wrong tank for the job by getting a Tiger to beat SU-85 due to its lack of mobility. Mobility is the key to defeating SU-85's, not armour. If your using a Tiger to fight an SU-85 you have to get close and use true sight to your full advantage.

With heavy late game doctrinal tanks I don't even think you can make comparisons between the factions with the current patches. They all have different purposes and have distinct roles.
Tiger = Medium against tanks, Medium against infantry.
IS2 = Low against tanks, High against infantry.
Elephant = High against tanks, Low against infantry.
ISU-152 = Medium against tanks, High against infantry.

This is my basic rule of thumb with late game Ostheer tanks.
T3 Soviets = Tiger. If not available, make Panther or P4.
T4 Soviets = Elephant. If not available, make Panther or P4.

I think its just the top 20 are more set in stone, I am not sure though but the names on the forum side page always seem the same?

For me personally I still frequently go up and down the top 50-200 scale as I play and try out different stuff. I think there is much room to move below the top 50 imo, so the majoirty of people won't really be discouraged. If there was a stat reset I couldn't care less.

I actually thought the majority of people are against that though, I remember Basilone being burn't down about it...

Over nerf.

This stems from the fact Relic applied the reduced damage/supression rate of a pinned HMG team after they reduced the damage/supression of the Maxim in a previous patch.

The unit is poor and I find it especially aggrevating as unless your Maxim catches Grenadiers from max range you will be naded and quite possibly have to retreat.

Why should a Soviet player have to scout for HMG teams whilst a Ostheer player can sit there and pin a Soviet infantry squad the exact moment they see one another? I have no problem with Ostheer getting that nade off in a frontal assault, but they must be punished for it for not flanking. If you want to get the rifle nade off, you should take more damage for staying still. To often I see Ostheer players go head on into Maxims, win the engagement and pisses me off.

Maxims avoiding rifle nades is harder than an MG42 dodging a molotov aswell due to the spin the Maxim must do to go back and if you go forward the rear crew members are hit. I quite often nowadays just take the nade and hope it only kills 1-2, unless I know my men are really clumped in which I retreat.

You aren't using them right. Stop charging blindly into danger. Rather, scout with a cheap unit first, identify easy kills, and swoop in like a hawk. Or else ambush. Wait behind a sight-blocker, and startle your enemy with a face full of assault rifle. Or else wait until the storm hits. But don't ever spearhead an assault with your most expensive/valuable unit. They suck royally at range. Who needs armour when you have a meatshield?

This.

I use Shocks extensively, I think about 80% of my games I utilize Shock doctrines nowadays. The high reinforce cost is justified by the shear amount of damage they can do against all infantry/support weapons if they find the right spot to enter the engagement safetly and at close range. The reinforce cost is easy to avoid as you can utilize healing station. Don't play wildly with Shocks and keep them present on the field til they are down to 2-3 men, send them back to heal at every given opportunity when they are low health with 4-6 men.

Play smart and don't overextend them, because as you say the reinforce cost is to damn high. It is part of the reason why in 1v1 games I will only ever field 1 Shock squad and the rest of my infantry is Conscripts (3-4 squads).

The 480MP base cost. This I have an issue with as at it deters early game Shock play without severe risk. I often take this risk, however within good measure otherwise sometimes you must go Guards.