Profile of JohnnyB

The Jackson is quite powerfull lately, so it should be. I see no real problem with it, nor with USF faction as a whole. Tiger is a little shitty atm compared to what it should be, but that's another topic.
I think that currently USF armor finlay found its balanced place. If USF where bathing in manpower as OKW, then their tanks would feel OP, but it's not the case. Before patch, USF had nothing strong enough to work in lategame with. Not the case anymore and I'm glad. For balance's sake.

Erm, get a panther?

What, in ostheer's case? Dunno, I rather don't, Tiger sems a better choice and more cost effective. If I target Panthers, my beard will grow over keyboard untill I will get to see one on the battlefield...which can be killed faster than a Tiger.

In OKW's case? My best performance was 2 of them in late game in a long game of course where I didn't build anything requiring fuel except an AA sdkfz, and 2 OKW tiers. My mate had a Tiger at that moment.
As for soviets: 2 SU-85s, double 85s call in, then another 85s callin, one IS2.

Only the RNG god helped me not to lose one panther which bounced 2 zis shells while it had 10% of its health. I don't even know how we managed to kill those tanks, but that was an exception. Usualy you are rolled over.

If you assume no callins, you see why soviets are so weak in game. Their core army CANNOT stand on its own legs lategame, and that is why callin tanks are a requirement for soviet players in all gamemodes.

Then we are speaking about an ideal situation that happens in a fairy land but not in COH2. 'Cause TODAY soviet core army + callins > any axis core army + callins.

If we are to consider only the core armies I can see your point, except T34 rush is a good tactic and it can win you the game if you don't screw it up. But nothing will be the same again I heard so I am waiting - like the others - the next patch that is currently alpha tested.

The thing is that the T34/76 DOES underperform. Don't think of the tank itself, think of it in the context of soviet teching.

That's exactly the point. T34/76 can come fast, messing all oponent's line.

If you go for T3, it is the heaviest tank you will get for the rest of the game.

No shit. What about the call-ins that will suplement your T34/76s? You can confortably call an IS2, or 85s. Together with your 76 will win you the battle. As simple as that.

That is not a vehicle that you can really expect to win off of unless you have most of the map for the rest of the game, as you WILL lose some.

If you went early T34/76s then you better get that map control or consider playing other game....

In terms of armor swarming, it costs 310mp and 100fu, which is 40mp and 25fu less than a P4. That means that for every 4 P4s, you get a T34/76. That is not a numerical advantage worth having, since the P4 is not only a better tank to begin with, but it also scales better (armor bonus at vet 2, blitz). Not to mention that the price to tech to a P4 and the price to tech to a T34/76 is the same I believe.

Dunno, I was allways able to build more T34s than my opponent could build his P4s. And this is quite simple: the teching costs for ostheer + the fact that ostheer NEEDS SOME VEHICLE from T2 , the AC or at least the SDKFZ, it simply CANNOT PLAY WITHOUT ONE OF THOSE. That also, costs fuel. Not soviet's case. The idea is, as soviet, you can confortably build a T34 as your first vehicle. At this point, any Axis faction is way behind.

The SU85 is a good unit. I agree. It can counter medium armor very well. However, remember that we are looking at soviets in terms of lategame potential. If the Soviet player has su85s, and the axis player has a KT + panther or just 2 panthers, the Soviet player will be hard pressed to hold the line. Not only that, but the SU85s cannot chase, so killing armor is just about out of the question. \ But remember that going T4 means that you do not have access to a frontline AI unit. And if we are looking at soviets without callin meta doctrines, that means that you do not have a hard counter to lategame german infantry, such as Pfus, obers, falls, and lmg grens. Relying on conscripts won't do you any good, the only real way to have a chance is to have gone a penal heavy opening and gotten some vetted penals out, or to have good RNG with indirect fire. The SU85 should at least be able to hit targets, its accuracy is not good enough IMO. Not to mention that your entire lategame tier structure gets countered if your enemy gets a JT/ELE/Pak43.

Aren't you forgeting the call-ins again?

So please, tell me how the current soviet tech system is any good lategame?

Dunno, but maybe you can explain to me why OKW player is struggling in late game trying to hold the line with one Jagdpanzer against a su-85 and double T34/85s? Or with a KT against 4 T3485s?
How an ostheer player builds his first P4 way after the T34 lurked free on the map for several minutes? And so on....

Yes, please kill every chance an Axis faction has to retaliate in early, middle and late game. MVGame.