Profile of Cinders

I did love the halftrack in CoH1, so I naturally feel inclined to this guy. The ability to reinforce out of it and drive troops around that are in semi-cover, able to shoot out of it... great stuff. But it comes about the time I can access the standard half-track with the 37mm gun and 2 .50 cals...

So the M5 lets me reinforce and later I can upgrade it to quad .50s. Which does decent damage.

But the dedicated AA half-track does much more damage and suppression. You just can reinforce out of it. But they both come about the same time. The AA half-track can easily take most early game enemy troops and light vehicles out.

I feel like the USF truck, M3, and M5 are just more stuff jammed into the game chaotically. They don't fit a roll that isn't already covered (ambulance anyone?). Troop transport is pretty good stuff, but if I can simply buy an AA half-track that can take me into mid-game with it's heavy main gun... why would I want the quad .50 halftrack? By the time you can get it, it's outdated.

Not so much a complaint as a "explain it please". I'd like to see how it fits in and how to use it better, but... it seems better to skip it for a longer-termed vehicle for a few more fuel and no munitions cost.