Profile of hubewa

People will just rushtech T2 and then blob with your Panzerjagers idea. 290MP isn't a huge cost to 4-man squad, especially if you got like one Volksgrenadier squad nearby to pick up dropped panzerschrecks.
It might fix volksblob, but the result is creating a different blob. It may be even worse as you no longer need T1 queue to get Kubels, trucks and Sturms, you have a separate T2 queue for AT blobs. For better results, you train a mix of PJs and Volks and blob your way to victory.

As for becoming more like Ostheer, it shouldn't be embraced.

In any case few people will bother with a MP40 upgrade, they'll keep the slots and munitions for re-equipping panzerschrecks and dropped LMGs, etc.

Not really.

Because the spam of units that only have AT units will lead to trouble with OKW, especially considering how strong allied infantry is.

That and considering how panzjerjager squads as proposed start with AT rifles and you still have to upgrade schrecks, you wouldn't necessary have a volksquad to tag along.

MP40 upgrade is designed to be situational. It can help in certain situations and certain maps just like in VCoH. It's not like the LMG42 upgrade which is always good.

It is a nice idea but:
1. I wouldnt change OKW at all, they have early AT, the puppchen.
2. I would give the rifle to actuall combat infantry: the grenadiers. They are less spammable than pios. And it would be much more of a choice between LMG and AT than just between flamer and AT. This would work well against LMG meta too. And ofc they are not T0 but T1 unit.

The problem with the puppchen is the range is relatively inadequate and as such its very clumsy to use. At the same time, I'm trying to fix the meta of volk schreck spam.

The Gren is valid too, so you end up picking between MG42 and AT rifle. I kinda preferred the pioneers more because they're more of a short ranged unit than the grens but I can see Grenadiers easily working too.

They would with higher probability than soviets or brits. They are figting in their own country in 1945 and every AT weapon, even outdated, is better than none.

That would be true. Keep in mind that while it certainly would be outdated against modern tanks, it certainly isn't outdated against light vehicles and the allies would have fielded a fair number of these just like the Germans.

Hell the Soviets used AT rifles to great effect in 1945 against the Japs.

Hey all!

So in the recent patch, axis forces tend to have a problem with light vehicles where they can respond in the following ways.

1. Get wiped off the map (Ostheer)
2. Spam the garden out of Volk Schrecks (OKW)

Both which are either not good for the game. So to fix this, I propose the following - the German AT rifle.

At the moment, armour-wise there is nothing to distinguish Allied light and medium armour. I feel something like an AT rifle that is useful for killing light armour (more effective than pzschreck) but is useless/very situational for killing medium armour is something that is needed. ATM the Soviet AT rifle and zook to an extent fills that role where they're very good against light vehicles but very so so against medium armour. Its a kind of hole in the AT arsenal that the Germans are lacking and I feel it could make medium armour for allies a bit more meaningful.

But where would the German AT rifle go?

Well for OKW, I already made a post outlining
this - essentially we remove schrecks from the volks and add a new panzerjager squad which starts off with an AT rifle that can be upgraded to panzerschreks. The upgrade isn't simple because AT rifles have better DPM against light vehicles than schrecks but have less penn. So an upgrade as such becomes DPM for pennetration.

As for Ostheer, I propose that it goes on the Pioneers. It doesn't really fit anywhere else in the Ostheer armory and at the same time, I feel that it gives Ostheer a bit of counterplay to light vehicles while not completely discouraging light vehicle play. Moreover, if pioneers get the AT rifle, they cant get a sweeper or flamer so they trade AT ability for AI or utility. Also, Pioneers can't really be spammed either so you won't end up with something like volk blobs of doom.

IMO for pioneers, the AT rifle should cost 60 muni and be available after battle phase 1 is researched, much like the MG42.

TLDR: Changes proposed:
1. Make new squad for OKW in med truck that starts with AT rifles upgradable to schrecks.
2. With squad for 1, remove schreck upgrade for Volk and give them upgradeable MP40 as discussed in other thread.
3. Allow pioneers to get AT rifle for 60 muni once Battle Phase 1 is researched for Ostheer.

Thanks for reading! If you have any comments, whether you agree or not or whether you want to see any tweaks, please comment in this thread

i would prefer more AT rifles in general because they're effective (but not OP) counters to light vehicles and it would delay schrecks some. it also adds variety. a dedicated AT squad would also be nice but it would be a lot of work.

I think we're talking from the same page here, except I see tactical options. Because they are more effective due to ROF and hardly missing, they do end up having more DPM against light vehicles but lack pennetration to deal with medium tanks or heavies.

So getting schrecks is really trading penetration for DPM which adds to strategical depth.

Moreover, with current axis weapons, there is no way to distinguish light and medium armour in the way that allies weapons like the Zook can. What do I mean by this? All Axis AT will penn light and medium armour practically all the time so in these cases, it makes armour redundant, the only difference between a light and medium vehicle is HP. This is heavily exaggerated with the AEC which does compare to a mini Cromwell. This kind of change would end up fixing this.

As for work, not so much. Its acceptable to copy the Soviet AT rifle and use that for Panzerjager squads.

the point isn't to make volks close combat squads, it's to make them suck at range so they don't deal with both infantry and tanks at range. kind of like how pgrens get 2 schrecks instead of 1 so that they get really good at AT but shit at AI. in the case of a schreck + mp40 (NOT mp44), volks would have effective AT while still having effective AI but ONLY at close ranges. again, it's not about giving OKW close combat options but instead about making volks less cost effective with schrecks.

If we have panzerjager squads, I feel Volks with schrecks has to go. However, like VCoH, they can be given mp40s to engage at close range. Its situational but if I have this option, I'd rather use Volks to spearhead than sturms for instance.

But sure if panzerjager squads don't appear than thats a good alternative.

thought about this a little bit and i think that paking mp40s INTO the schreck upgrade might be a solution. this would make volks shit at anything other than melee range which would make them easier to counter with other units. it wouldn't make a huge difference for pub stomp heros but for people who can use HMGs it would be significant.

alternatively a dedicated AT squad could be a good solution or PzB 39 or PrG 39. would be an interesting solution. the PrG 39 in particular would be cool as it would function like a Piat (OKW has mines for snare and other decent AT options) while also being able to have some kind of frag barrage ability.

This could work, call it the close combat package?

Although I'd rather the AT rifle so it does have higher DPM vs light vehicles with the Panzerjager squad, but doesn't have any effect on proper armour, which would require Panzerschrecks ugraded.