Soviet Penal Ground Forces Doctrine
How does a Penal forces commander sound to everyone?
Employing the expendable lives of enemies of the state, criminals, or undesirables in the eyes of Stalin, machine gunners will be overrun by your numerous Shtrafniki seeking forgiveness in the eyes of the state with their blood! Penals will be rehabilitated as tramplers, clearing a path through the German minefields! And tanks will ambushed by those willing to spend their lives blowing up panzers for the good of the Soviet people!
1 CP- Penal Fortification Ordinance- Shtrafniki Battalions can lay demo charges, normal soviet mines, and construct barbed wire.
3CP- NKVD Commissar- An officer unit who supports nearby infantry with a potent defense/attack/speed aura (only one of those I haven't decided). He can call in smoke but those within his aura cannot retreat.
5 CP- Penal Reinforcements- Criminals are transported from Siberia to fill in the ranks. For every four soldiers lost during the duration of 120 seconds a Penal squad of seven soldiers is provided. These penal squads may merge with squads and come with AT grenades. Weak but numerous.
7 CP- NOT ONE STEP BACK- all soldiers on the map move foreward at the orders of Stalin! Infantry units take no suppression, inflict more damage, and have a defense bonus when in cover for 25 seconds. Costs 100 munitions. During this time soldiers cannot retreat.
9 CP- Shtrafniki Tank Hijack- Shtrafniki gain the ability to stun tanks with special AT grenades and hijack the tank. The process takes some time as the soldiers climb onto the tank and throw a grenade down the hatch. During this period the Shtrafniki a very vulnerable so it's best used as an ambush one unprotected tanks.
^ the stun grenade and the hijack are two different abilities gained at 9 CP. Shtrafniki could just stun the tank; the don't necessarily have to attempt a hijack.
I'd like to know what you guys think about this doctrine. I was reading up on penal units during ww2 and thought it'd be so cool if they became a larger part of the game in some way.
Do you guys think this doctrine is viable/not viable/OP or maybe just needs some tweaking? I'd like to hear about it. And maybe Relic will consider a Penal Doctrine
OTHER IDEAS
-maybe special lend lease open carriage tank destroyer that penal units can disembark from and lay special AT mines that stun the crew.
-this doctrine is very munitions hungry so maybe penal troops could be given scavenge that gives manpower and munitions.
-I was thinking maybe the addition of a very early war tankette that was some special utility but couldn't think of anything.