Profile of Olekman

Came back to CoH2 after long break and this is my first time using the Soviet Airborne commander. Plenty of mistakes, especially me wasting Rocket Strafes left and right. Totally could have killed the Tiger with it that one time when it overextended.

It is SMG. Thanks to Lago and SneakEye, these symbols were founded as base for concepts:

Ah, I see! While not very readable due to stylization, it's certainly unique enough to tell what unit it is at a glance.

EDIT: typo

Waste first burst of an MG, move back whatever seconds it requires for it to reload, push MG frontally.

Doubt that would be viable, as it would require plenty of attention to execute. Plus, telling precisely when MG stops being in combat state is not obvious - it lingers a bit after it stops firing or when entities leave it's vision.

Will Assault Section get a different unit icon or some other decorator to denote its assault variation? After they get the Thompson symbol after their upgrade, but before that they are same as regular Tommies.

I know that's it's patch season and people are more interested in discussing incoming changes, here's what I've been working on for the past week. It's available as a mod replacing the Breakthrough Doctrine here. Give it a try and tell me what you think!


Desperate Measures Doctrine
Hold the line using improvised units and raw fervour. Augment your front with dismounted Panzer Crews, basic fortifications and officer supervision. Call-in emergency "Ersatz" Panzer IVs to check the enemy advances.


[0 CP] Panzer Crew
Deploy Panzer Crew squad. Having more crews than panzers, the high command authorized using dismounted crews as substitute infantry.


[2 CP] Sturm Officer
Deploy a Sturm Officer and his Obersoldaten bodyguard. The officer improves nearby infantry and has a number of abilities to weaken the enemy.


[2 CP] For the Fatherland
Infantry in friendly territory will receive a defensive bonus and movement speed increase for the duration of the ability.


[3 CP] Field Defenses
Volksgrenadiers can build minefields and bunkers.


[8 CP] "Ersatz" Panzer IV
Deploy "Ersatz" Panzer IV. Rushed to the battlefield, this tank can still engage the enemy, but arrives in poor state and its maintenance takes longer.


Panzer Crew details:Show Spoiler

"Ersatz" Panzer IV details:Show Spoiler

Rationale:
Representing the state of OKW after the failed operation Wacht am Rhein - having lost most of their materiel and even marginally competent personnel, they have to rely on sub-par substitutes and fanatical fervour to hold the line against the Allies. Everything and anything is thrown to the frontlines.

Panzer Crews are not very potent in combat alone, but synergize well with For the Fatherland (decreases received accuracy and increases movement speed) and Sturm Officer (Smoke Grenade, Target Them!). They are primarily a support unit - on Vet0 they have 20% higher repair speed than Sturmpioneers and on Vet1 unlock the handy "Repair Critical" ability. However, Sturmpioneers repair rate scales better with veterancy and upgrades, while also being more potent combat unit. The LMG-34 upgrade is there to make them slightly more relevant in the late-game.

Rushing for Schwerer Panzer HQ is very appealing, as "Ersatz" Panzer IV promises medium tanks 60 fuel earlier than usual. Will you rush one out to the field as a shock unit or spend time to repair it first? Remember that all of its downtime is doubled!

Sturm Officer is one of my favourite units, both thematically and mechanically. Sadly, he has to compete with Panzerfusiliers for munitions in the ONLY doctrine he's in. I think he has some more breathing room in here even with For the Fatherland, minefields and MG bunkers available.