Profile of Stark

There are some changes being cooked up, but nothing definitive yet so not much to comment on right now. There aren't many straightforward buffs because of how strong Ostheer currently is in teamgames, so progress is slow because every change has to be very well thought out.

Can you at least whisper us what unit are you planning to touch?

Feedback to brits:

1. Infantry Section
I feel like double both (target size and moving accuracy) maybe too much. Not early game when they have 4 men but later, at stage of 5 men - not to meansion when they will be equipt with 2x bren. I think we should let one of those buffs go OR make medic/pyro upgrade requiring 1 weapon slot. If not i fear we will see old Tommies blob back. Smoke idea is great. I would also look at the unit price. I think there is a bug there.
Is there anyway to buff them when they are 4 men and not when they are 5 men?

2. Assault IS
Sound okey. I would think about visual changes and maybe sound changes if possible. I think their phos. nade should require a mils nade upgrade.

3. Tank Hunter Infantry Section
I think they should have something extra. I would allow them to upgrade with special late game AT weapon. Like a paratroopers can have a better zooks i would do the same with UKF. I would make additional Piat upgrade after reaching T3 to better fight medium tanks. Right now this unit looses his point after killing all enemy light vehicules.

4. Assault Officer (Previously Was Airlanding Officer)
- there is a bug that unit can pick up bren but unit isn't shows up. Plus there isn't restriction to 2 weapons. Plus unit doesn't shows up from HQ but comes off map.
- they kinda weak at vet0 but performs really well at vet3 (don;t think are OP). Hard to say if that should be the unit strength to scale in time. If not i would move some vet 2/3 buffs to vet0 becouse at start they can loose vs sturmpio although they cost more.
I wonder if recon pass should stay?

5. Universal Carrier - buffing armor for WASP is really good idea. Love it.

6. HQ Glider
Ok, here i have the biggest issue so far. Why for that small price i have so much stuff? Commandos squad for free, FRP for free without needing T3. I would say: add option to repair and add 30 fuel cost. FRP require T3. Becouse currently it's waaaaay to good for it cost. Let me remind that Inflitration commando squad with 3 men costs 350 MP so only 100 mp less.
To diverse it from a commando regiment, make it less similar i would be for:
- commando squad for a AT commando squad with special piats,
- mortar squad with a commando crew (like rangers zooks) - another way to get indirect fire option,

If not the vanguard commander will be way better than other commanders. It gives cheap commandos with FRP, universal strafe and Croc. That's way to good combo.


7. Medics in HQ.
Interesting idea although brits can already build a Forward HQ with upgradable medics which works the same as ostheer. I often see players like tightrope using it. With medics buildable i really think med pack for Tommies should take 1 weapon slot to prevent masive 2 bren, 5 men IS blob. You want deadly, a-moving blob, then get a healing in a diffrent form.

Some on the fly ideas from me personally to help make UKF better (even though I think they're not that bad, especially not in teamgames), to fill up some holes and weakness in their early and mid game:

- Perhaps a very small (5-10%) cooldown bonus when in cover, so 4 men Infantry Sections in the early game feel just a bit better, without having much of an influence on performance when they are Bolstered and/or with veterancy and weapon upgrades;

That would help early game but it would have much bigger inpact when they reach 5th men so later stage of a game. I would go for buffs that help more early game but doesn't progress with strength in time.

- Smoke barrage added to Pyro Infantry Sections, to substitute the lack of easily accessible indirect fire. Would help to fight HMGs, but by being a barrage and having a delay and shared global cooldown, would prevent it from being spammed like back when Riflemen all had smoke grenades;

I would say - a must add ability. Global cooldown is a great idea as well.

- Veteran Squad Leader upgraded added as third option for Infantry Sections; replaces one Lee Enfield with a Thompson, gives the squad a small DPS bonus, and removes the out of cover and movement penalties. Basically a way to make some squads more mobile and less vulnerable to indirect fire, with an STG44 Volksgrenadier-like DPS profile;

I would more focus on royal engineers as a more CQC. If anyone i would add them upgrade. Another way is to simply add a artillery officer which is in a game files. Making his performance similar to pgrens would help brits even as exlusive to 1 unit to fight axis more elite CQC infantry squads. Anycase, veteran squad leader for Tommies could work as well, just it would make UKF build almost always into 4 tommies (when with diffrent upgrade they still gonna be IS).

- An affordable medic upgrade for the HQ that adds two medics to help heal up support weapons and engineers, because even though Infantry Sections heal is great for frontline healing, it's usually quite hard to keep all other troops healed up;

Well, brits already has a HQ with medic upgrade. In his form it can work same as ostheer med bunker. Diffrence is that it's more expensive 200 mp 60 ammo upgrade if i remember correctly. Change the cost of it and people can use it like it's axis equivalent.

- Removing grenades tech and making grenades available stock after researching T1, as I don't feel the upgrade is cost effective anymore now that IS spam is no longer a viable strategy. It'd help IS fight elite and CQC infantry without having to invest extra resources;

But lock it behind vet 1. I think it's the least safe solution.

- Assault Sections changed to 0CP call-in infantry, to give UKF more diverse and surprising opening strats, and help them start on certain CQC orientated maps, even if only in one commander.

Yes, as it should be from the begging. Plus add snare ability - that would finally diverse the UKF strat. It's not a strong commander becouse it doesn't have a late game ability so i would afraid of it being overpowered. USF armor commander has powerfull arty with assualt enginners, ostheer with assualt grens has a Tiger. If someone could think about adding a mortar to brits it could be replace by a pakhowi which would make a commander even more interesting.

Ideally Bolstered would be overhauled so it'd become something that's an interesting and strategic choice, rather than being a mandatory upgrade, but I think that would be a very extensive and risky thing to do, so I'm not sure if that'd be possible or desirable at this point.

Although, implementing even 1 of those ideas should bring with it 1 locked weapon slot for pyro IS or a med upgrade (or a boolster upgrade) to not end up with 2x bren 5 men Tommy universal terminator squad that cannot be stopped.

Obviously when it comes to top level play when even seasoned ukf players are picking soviets or USF instead this is an indicator to where UKF balance is currently. Tommie 10mp decrease or not let's face it their in a pretty dire place right now. A couple of token 3-0 stomp fests in the early rounds aside.

But lurking the forums it seems like there's not much discussion to WHY Brits are weak at current time.

Some would blame it on sub par infantry options, lack of mortar or real heavy tank in a heavy tank meta.

This thread is intended to shine a spotlight on just what the issue is so the balance team can get a better idea of gripes from players and overview to the problems that exist. Hopefully a few top players can throw their hat in the ring and explain why they avoided UKF in competitive play

1. lack of basic mobile indirect options
2. lack of serious smoke options expect mortar pit
3. lack of more elite basic CQC infantry unit

All that other factions possess and it could be added also for brits without creating a new content.

And to those who complain lack of heavy tank where is obviously a croc, avre and churchill which do there job.

I read somewhere the idea to give StugE option to switch ammo into AI/AT like sherman can. Of course the concept wasn't to make it stug III G volt. 2 but it's to give him more defensive option vs tanks.