The 251 is absolutely fine as a vehicle to support infantry, don't change a thing.
M5 needs a way to provide frontline healing like the 251, cause no one wants to bleed massive amounts of manpower reinforcing low health squads. It should either be able to drop a single med kit or heal units in its hold like the 251.
Thank god, finally a constructive post. So the T70 meta could really be broken through by Build order changes? Who would have guessed...
Well, it wouldn't replace T70 meta, simply cause of how effective the T70 is at its role.
The T70 is perfect at supporting double Zis guns with its fast rate of fire and great AoE damage. Also allows your Zis guns to acquire targets easily if it goes into Recon Mode.
Compare it to a T34 which would come 4 minutes later if you skip the T70 (and kept map control). It has less reliable AI and no recon mode. You get better HP and armor in return (but worse mobility and a bigger target size and both a T70 and T34 will die to two salvos from double AT guns anyway). You get decent AT compared to almost zero AT from the T70, but it's still unreliable at best against other medium tanks, so most of your AT will still come from the Zis guns. You would get 7 men Cons earlier, which is actually the best argument for rushing T4, but overall I wouldn't say it's worth the risk. Getting a T70 only delays a T34 by 3 minutes anyway.
There's an exception though. If your opponent is really overinvested into light vehicles and you have no issue keeping up with his infantry, a T34 will have an easier time than the T70 at hunting the vehicles down.
Just do a simple 4 Conscript build with T2. Then let those Conscripts scale by dropping SVT's or rushing T4 for 7 men upgrade. Substitute the T70 with either a Guard squad, DshK or Quad.
Riskier option is a T1 build with double Shocks and double M-42 straight into T4. Needs a lot of skill to get enough value out of Penals and Shocks without bleeding needlessly. Also need very good M-42 usage to not get overrun by vehicles or tanks, always use camo for better rof and pen. If done well you can exert a lot of pressure without the need of a T70. Here's Kimbo doing it with varying results against a top 3 player: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqem7yAThx0
I agree with everyone you wrote.I just think changing the "gren mechanized group" to "Mechanized Assault Group" is no big deal so we could replace 1 more ability. The small changes to "Festung Support" and "Storm" will make this commanders more attractive, so removing 1 leFh should be doable.
I did consider this while writing the post, but in the end opted with the idea to let Panzergrenadiers upgrade with the Support Package. You'd still get slightly improved repairs over most Ostheer doctrines if you let 2 Pios + a Pgren repair your vehicles.
For who doesn't know, the Support Package is a 30 munition upgrade that allows Panzergrenadiers to repair at a reduced rate (70%~ of a normal unvetted Pioneer), throw smoke nades and mark target enemy infantry.
Emergency Repairs + Support Package would be a bit too much, so if Emergency Repairs gets added then no Support Package imo. I'd also go for a 250 build at HQ at that point, cause the doctrine wouldn't provide a real motive to get Panzergrenadiers.
This the problem is not with shape but with that weapon profile modifiers did not have its damage updated and thus it does far to less damage (I think mortar half truck also)
Interesting.
I actually saw the ability used for the first time in a few years yesterday, in a match between GiaA and Jimmy. The incendiary bombs landed on two AT guns, one had 4 crew members and 40% hp total, the other had 2 crew members at full hp. The incendiary bombs weren't able to finish off a single crew member. GiaA did respond quickly by reversing them out of the flames, but they were in there for at least 5 seconds not receiving much damage.
Riegel could use some changes such as lower time to plant and/or be available to more units maybe AT pgs?
It still wouldn't fit Storm Doctrine. That said, adding them to Schrecked Panzergrenadiers would be a good addition for Jaeger Armor and would be fair if the commander gets toned down in the 2 ways suggested (no Spotting Scope for Elefant and Stuka Dive Bomb replaced with AT strafe pass).
Here is my own idea for a slight rework for "Mechanized" referring to your own suggestion:
- Mechanized Assault Group
- Smoke Bombs
- Spotting scopes
- Command P4 - Emergency repairs
leFh doesnt fit thematically to the commander. Vehicle repairs fits a lot better and will be helpful in all stages of the game.
Yeah, I agree the LeFH doesn't fit the doctrine. This was actually my original commander rework proposal in the thread you linked:
With Fire and Advance being a timed ability that functions like Spotting Scopes with some additional benefits.
But if we are to get another patch, the changes should remain small, so everyone can agree upon them. Lots of small and safe changes is better than more drastic changes that would have more impact on balance and would thus require more testing and be fewer in number.
I don't think the LeFH fits the Storm Doctrine either, but that's the only other LeFH doctrine besides German Mechanized that's actually useful. If the LeFH got replaced on both doctrines because they're unthematic, you'd be softremoving the LeFH from Ostheer as a whole.
So that's why I only replaced 1 ability per commander. If it's ever within the scope of a future patch, 2 or even 3 ability replacements would be cool though.