Profile of EtherealDragon

Am I the only one who thinks it's still the best or maybe second best US commander? Would love to hear top player's opinions on this but the top 200 popularity ranking is definitely not representative of its strength.

At best I'm a high 200s 1v1 player (for what it's worth). I don't think Mechanized is bad per se' its more a collection of underrated units and abilities that allow you to do different and interesting things but nothing really wows. For me Calvary Rifles are the highlight of the doctrine for their earlier timing, utility of smoke (criminally forgotten about), and being a rare elite(ish) unit with a snare. M3 lets you do some cheeky things and Mortar HT gives you more early game indirect options (and I've always liked the Vet 0 WP even if it's not super strong). I think Combined Arms can swing pivotal engagements (hello Jackson reload bonus) but it's not a flashy munitions dump.

Where is falls out for me is that when you consider it for your loadout other Commanders just start to look more attractive. Rangers and Paras have a higher ceiling and elite bazookas make up for no snares/can have more impact. New Easy 8 has several perks over the 76MM. Calliope is the Calliope. Most Commanders have better offmaps or munitions dumps. At the end of the day I think Mechanized is good-ish but more in a pre-planned strategy role where you're not crutching on a strong doctrinal late game.

I basically use the Commissar as a anti-blob and HMG tool making liberal use of grenades and Fear Prop. He has tons of utility but I feel like you need lots of muscle memory to remember his front line healing and buff abilities (late game you generally don't have the micro to be buffing individual conscripts.)

I generally feel like Fight to the Death is more useful (especially with PPSH or if you opponent isn't good about switching targets). Stand Your Ground is only decent if your unit is getting charged by Ass Grens or Sturms and the extra defense negates their close range advantage. (IMO).

NKVD is the better team game commander with better late game potential but I guess you could make Reserve work if you want the Howie.

I've used the Greyhound as a fun and extremely difficult to pin down interceptor unit. Can scare off 222s easily, threaten Luchs even and is great at punishing caps. And then there's the sight range which can make it perform exceptionally as a scout.

Vet 0: 50 sight range
Vet 1: 60 sight range
Vet III: 78 sight range iirc

Thus it is almost impossible to kill with AT guns except for pre-prepared death traps and roves the battlefield as a real menace. Generally anything that can really threaten a Greyhound will also flatten a Stuart too. Its timing is late but earlier and it becomes outrageous.

The fact that it's so fun is what makes it so annoying that the timing is what really holds it back. The sight range is definitely an undervalued aspect of the Greyhound - I recently used it in a game to siege a Flak truck with AT guns because you can spot at max range with it while the Greyhound provides AI support. So good. Cannister Shot is also the Spanish Inquisition of abilities (especially when you see HMGs behind light cover and you vaporize it). I think you could fiddle with the timing by making it 3CP but build time - just give it the Luches treatment and increase the build time until it hits at a non oppressive timing given average fuel control. Sadly probably won't ever have a patch with sufficient enough testing to make that work.

Another argument I hear all the time is that it's "unfun to go against".
Guess what, going against the most sweaty-ass axis builds is the same, or someone thinks it's fun to go against G43 fusi blob with force retreat Offizier, p4 and JT?
Or a-move gren blob with spotting scope brummbar, double pak40 and elefant.

Guess the difference with these last two axis cancer builds is that you're considered a god, but as USF you're a cancer player

Preach!

Actually You guys are 100% troll not me.

I'd just ignore them. If anything it's just kneejerk reactions to all of the threads on here that are just raging about losses and complaining or blaming balance as opposed to honest questions about game mechanics or strategies. They probably just didn't take the time actually read your post and assumed your thread was on of those... (or they were just trolling for reals)