Profile of Diogenes5

except roll0's assessment is fairly on point.

The soviet is definitely the strongest allied faction in game and tied with ost for being best overall.

British just feel bad atm.


The main thing I just disagree with the OP is his assessment of the OKW. I don't think They are as effortless as he portray them as. The ost is basically the superior Axis faction.

Generally, I would go:

soviet with good doctrine >= Ost => soviet > USF >= okw >>>>> brit.

I gave him the generic balance-whine response. Apparently he is decent but I disagreed with most of what he said.

Brits are underpowered but there are doctrinal things you can use. Their design is just trash and can't be fixed without rework of their design. Accuracy bonuses in heavy cover is too map dependent. At the same time, if you play to British players strengths; then they are very annoying. Their bonuses in cover are ridiculous. But this is nothing new in the last year.

AEC is ok but it's still better than a 222. 222 kills infantry faster but is mostly useless against other medium vehicles. 222 is undercosted a bit. Should be nearer 240 and not 200 to stop spam. British have been underpowered ever since AE Cancer Commander was nerfed because their design is so dependent on structures. This is nothing new that has changed in the last year.

OKW analysis is WAAAAY off. It still takes a ton of time to get to a Panzer IV. If you rush to it without any side-teching, it's relatively quick, but it's unlikely you'll have enough map control without use of a flak half-trak or luchs to win battles. OKW has an incredibly hard time getting wipes and is dependent on good engagements with Obers or some lucky rocket hits to win the manpower game now and both come late. Before then, they have a very difficult time doing more than trading evenly depending on lucky mines and ISG shots. The advantages it use to have in timing are muted by nerfs to teching.

Pershing analysis is off too. All the heavies take fuel now when they didn't before. They also cost more pop. That is a large nerf to them. Pershing is like an upgunned wolverine with more hp. It's good, but frontal armor can be penetrated with most AT guns unlike Tiger Ace or Tigers where it seems many shots just bounce. It's gun is good, but really no different from other heavy tanks in terms of wiping.

And USF can't just play extended Tier 2/3 and just get a Pershing. You'll be at like 350+ Fuel by the time you get enough CP. You only need 230 for the Pershing. It is worth it to get the major to start vetting him, maybe use some barrage and recon flight, and most importantly use him as foward retreat to help push axis off the map. And Axis meta is rush to PIV now which is hard to fight with just AT guns. You definitely need a jackson if map control is being threatened.

Soviets are strong but seem linear. Most people only go the two Commanders (we all know which). Guards still seem a little good and required and other call-in infantry are not as great right now. Their strength is from being so cost-effective and mid-game advantage from having the best vehicle (t70) in the game before main tanks. In the end game they have a wide variety of answers to any situation that are cheap. Soviets are always good but the edge should go to Osteer because of the cost-effective stug and better heavy tanks.

Ostheer is strongest now because of a few reasons:

Heavies are no longer oppressing the Meta.

Being very expensive and less powerful than they use to be, heavies are less dominant. This means the faction with the best medium tank gets a big buff and that's Ostheer with the most cost-effective, versatile tank in the game; the Panzer IV. And in a meta more dominated by medium tanks than ever before, this also means that the faction with the most cost-effective tank destroyer gets buffed and that again is Ostheer with the extremely cost-efficient Stug.

And even if heavy tanks start to impact the game, Osteer still have the best heavies.

Weakening of Mortar Play and Explosive Effects.

Having the smallest mainline Infantry Squad meant that Grenadiers were much more likely to be one-shot than other squads. But Mortars are much weaker now and I believe some of the squad AI changes still remain which prevent Grenadiers from clumping as much. As long as Grenadiers can survive, they are the best main infrantry group in the game as they scale the best out of all the factions. At Vet 3 and with an LMG; they are terminator squads at long range and if they happen to pick up another weapon with the LMG, they beat double-bar riflemen as the highest-dps main squad in the game. They don't flank as well as Riflemen with Bars but their long-range DPS is insane in the late game.

222 is really, really good.

I think this unit is OP or on the edge of being OP. For the speed at which you can get them and their increased infantry-killing power; they are probably the most-improved unit coming out of the last patch. They are a little too cheap and should probably cost about 10% more manpower.

**********************

Really the strength of Osteer is really the result of other factions having their manpower-bleeding tools weakened allowing the faction with the best-scaling units to become the best along with the best end-game units which are now medium tanks.

It's not an overwhelming level of overpoweredness and balance is probably the best it's ever been in the game (Brits could definitely use a buff); but Osteer is probably the strongest faction right now.

They also shut down medium armor extremely well considering how low the opportunity cost/investment of getting 2 pumas is. 160 fuel to shut down their medium tank means that pumas turn a ~70 fuel deficit (enemy spends 230 for his tech + medium) into even ground.

But they miss a lot. I've seen plenty of games where rngesus is against you and the puma keeps missing while chasing. I think they are balanced for the cost considering they aren't good at anything else other than being an emergency counter after falling behind. Any player would rather have the pop cap being taken up by a real AT vehicle like a stug.

And when you are near 100 pop unit space, they are pretty mediocre units for the price and in almost all cases, people would prefer an actual tank or assault gun for the upkeep.

************************************************

I feel that mobile defense doctrine is more of a "Lose-more-slowly" kind of doctrine. Pumas scale mediocre into the late-game and Command Tank is so fuel-heavy. The ability is nice, but you give up way more relevant abilities in other tech trees and have problems countering end-game compositions (heavy tanks).

Rifle Commander also has Rear Echelon Troops with Flamers though that commits you to a doctrine. Somewhat worth it on garrison-heavy maps. Assault Engineers can also upgrade to flamers. You can't get around using a doctrine for a quick clear but USF mortar is good and almost always necessary for smoke anyways to beat MG's so it's not too big a deal.

Pak Howitzer also gets White Phosphorous rounds as well with some vet but that's mid-game.

• Russian mines one shot full-health, spread-out squads?
  
• Riflemen could get flamers?
  
• Vehicles almost always decrewed rather than being destroyed?
  
• AEC cars one-shot squads?
  
• Centaurs one-volleyed squads?
  
• Sandbags and wires and other buildings could be ghosted?
  
• Trenches were not killable in early game and could built almost instantly anywhere?
  
• Target weakpoint stunned vehicles completely?
  
• Off-Map insta-wipe abilities didn't telegraph themselves at all?
  
• Pay-to-win commanders (Advanced Emplacement) dominated?
  
• Maxim Spam was a thing?
  
• Full-Health Squad Wipes happened all the time from everything (including Pak Howitzers, Bazookas, etc)?
  
• UK Sniper Critted Vehicle Engines?
  
• Engine damage ocurred from normal hits?
  
• Destroyed engine rng was a thing?
  
• Bofors Suppressed and almost insta-wiped?
  
• Bofors Suppressive Fire could wipe units in seconds?
  

Pepperidge farm remembers. This game is in a better place than it's ever been. One-man soviet snipers would probably remove the last piece of glaring imbalance in the game.