Profile of StephennJF

@Ratchet. Give advice or say nothing. You should know better than this...

@Sierra Sounds like your lacking early game vision control for your HMG! Really need to ensure they are firing from long/mid ranges because otherwise rifles in cover will shoot down the crew members at short/mid ranges. Don't overextend to get vision because your vulnerable to flanks. Sometimes being content with 1-2 strategic points less can really let you repel flanks better due to sufficient vision for HMG and more concentrated support. 1 VP, 1 ammo and maybe 1 fuel (keep it neutral at worst-case) is all you need as Axis early on for both OKW/OST.

Learning when to actually concede map control is one of the hard things to learn in CoH I find but with combined arms it is extremely important to recognize! Counting your opponents squads, knowing roughly their distribution on the map and keeping in your memory how many have retreated really helps. Obviously most easily applied in 1v1 to do this compared to team games.

Son, blobbing aint tactical, let that be very clear.

Yes it is. I call it tactical blobbing on my stream all the time. If you know there is no risk and can safely blob to disrupt someones lines, may as well do it. I've been doing it in CoH1 and CoH2 for ages.

I rarely blob multiple squads, but it can sometimes really catch your opponent by surprise all of a sudden esepcially in regions where they have no vision control (behind a hedge, mortar smoke). Blobbing in one area can literally cause a chain reaction of victories as you move across your opponents frontline. There is risk, yet great reward. The risk is that if that one unexpected HMG stops your blob and/or vehicle looking for road kill hits your blob. Good bye map control!

The problem I have with blobs in CoH2 is with USF and OKW elite infantry, being both LMG equiped M1919 paratroopers and MG34 obersoldaten. These units break the rules and literally promote forward assault idiot blobbing. They have the potential to reliably beat HMG positions with frontal assaults and prevent all support weapon crew teams from pulling back when firing from mid/long ranges. The fact they have such high DPS and shoot on the move is the cause of the problem and is poor game design by Relic.

CoH1 blobs with rangers/paras with sprint (fire up?!) were poor design as well but snipers were extremely easy to use and could get a huge long term drain on these kind of blobbers. It is a different game in the end when you compare CoH1 and CoH2.

Yeah sorry ThunderHun I can't help you with OKW. Barely been playing them lately and when I have versed SOV it is never con spam.

I assume it is the more urban maps as OST and OKW that are the trouble verse con spam as you can't get full use out of 2 HMG with overlapping fire as on open maps. With OST I know my flame pioneers literally win me early games by just staying around key buildings or my MG42.

Obviously don't bother with sniper verse so many conscripts on an urban map. I'd go for 3-4 grens, 1 flamer pio, 1-2 MG42 and a mortar generally do the job. Defend one side of the map and do not extend onto their side until you get a 2nd pioneer for sweeper or if you do just avoid the obvious mine spots.

Don't forget to wire/s-mine narrow flanking routes as you move up the map when your pioneers have time. Generally the conspam -> T2 -> call-in strats lack the ability to deal with wire/mines asides from CE sweepers. If the CE are on the wrong side of the map it wastes a lot of SOV time. Spam little 15muni s-mine patches everywhere you can!

You realize a 222 can kill it WAY faster then an M20 or Greyhound can kill an Ost halftrack let alone the OKW medic truck.

Yeah I know.

Benefits/Drawbacks list.

I feel these advantages cancel out the disadvantages. It serves a different role the medic truck compared to the HT.

• HT option to be used offensively or defensively in intense fighting. You do have to eventually hard retreat to heal though. Yes, you can build your medic bunker further up as well, however that often has even more risk than the medic truck and your hard retreated infantry must always come to this bunker (may be longer route).
  
• Medic best used in intense defensive fighting (behind building/hedge). Alternatively, it can be used in controlled offensive (you know you can easily soft retreat).
  

But yes it comes early is cheap on fuel (but the Manpower cost is still high enough I dont want to be constantly replacing this thing)

Yeah it is my kill priority when I see it. Killing it actually rewards you somewhere in the order of 400-500MP. Not only does it cost a lot but the lack of healing in the next few engagements costs manpower.
If you get it early you lose a squad on the map, however you also get a lot more map sustain so clever building usage, cover and flanks can overcome.

I think the only way to make this thing easier to kill would be to make it immobile. I mean a single squad can easily kill it from full health before it can escape in most cases and that is just wrong. This is why most people leave it at HQ.

I often bring it forward but bring it back later to HQ because I hard retreat more than soft retreating as my opponent gets more hard hitting units. If I know I am going to lose an engagement to LMG gren or ober, P2 or 222. I rather get out immediately via hard retreating as it saves more manpower. I will not bring the medic back up until I get the Major.

Manpower cost is enough and the Micro demand is so high its not worth the Squeeze unless of course you are the StephenJF, Cataclaw, VonIvans of the world. If I am fighting a battle and dodging potentially squad whiping Rnades all damn day I generally have a hard time sparing tasks for the Ambulance thats going to surely die in a few hits.

Micromanagement speed is irrelevant sorry. This falls into map awareness and vision control, not micromanagement. Positioning your rifles/RE in the right positions on the map prior to fights even commencing make it safe for your medic indirectly. If you can spare time to listen in the FoW it is extra points. The key to the medic truck is safe and smart unit positioning and that shouldn't be lost.

Low Armor and HPs. The only way to reliably escape a SturmPio is to literally retreat the Ambulance BEFORE it sees the Sturmpio.

I love my medics. I typically get them earlier than other players. Trust me though, if there is no risk in having them on the field (aka everyone does it) and they can quickly speed off it could be really tricky to deal with USF on urban maps. It already is pretty hard when USF get good building control.

Catching the medic with its pants down as Axis due to negating the USF players vision control is a early/mid game tactical maneouvre that should be rewarded strongly.

At most I would bump the Medic truck acceleration by the smallest of margins (0.2-0.3). Do not touch its top speed. I rather see no change though to be honest. It is a good risk vs. reward variable and at the moment it is probably one of the easiest risk elements to predict. There is a lot worse risk RNG elements that throw me off than a predictable truck placement.

No.

Placement is the key thing with this unit. If you think there will be a big engagement within that area then move it up there. Likewise, if you believe its dangerous you get out asap. If it has high speed and/or acceleration it will simply be to easy to control the map or escape well executed Axis ambushes.

It is the associated risk and I think it is best that it stays. Having both healing/reinforcing is a huge benefit right on the frontlines and if done correctly (even without a Major) you place so much pressure on your opponent that they can't help but forefit map control.

If you misplace your medic you should be punished for it.