I can get behind Tobis' suggestion. The schrecks are too difficult to handle. On the other hand, removing it completely is upsetting as well. The other suggestion would be to give them 2x STG44 instead.
OKW would probably need another option against lights and Volks are about the only choice for that.
Unless we wanna make Raketen turn and reload super fast so lights will be in abject fear of them...probably shouldn't do that.
I dunno, I can't really see a Market Garden thing happening. A nine-day operation would be pretty hard to squeeze gameplay artistic licence out of compared to the month+ Battle of the Bulge - but hey, I'm sure everyone knows an American counterattack in BotB didn't succeed solely because their vehicles killed more than the German's.
Sensible guess too along the lines of UKF SP campaign like people seem to be expecting. Reason for different gimmicks in it, a lot of work (though not all) already done for it.
My idea for penals would be making them a high dps unit specialized in demolitions.
Cost increased to 330mp.
DPS increased to make them more fearsome combattants, specialized in mid range combat
Flamer upgrade
Grenades and satchels as vet 0 abilities
Democharge as vet 1 ability instead of flare trip mines (demo removed from Engies)
Oorah at vet 2.
This would kill multiple birds with 1 stone.
- Soviets get non doctrinal elite infantry
- Give soviets a non-doctrinal unit that can throw a grenade
- T1 will have a unit that is usefull in the lategame
- Penals will get a clearly defined role instead of 'slightly different conscripts'
- Demo charges, an extremely potent gameplay mechanic that Soviets do not really deserve in their current powerful state, become more rare