Yes. 3 manpower per model of mainline infantry that has to act as more or less a crutch for the whole faction is a "huge difference". They are also more expensive to make but that really is marginal. They cost double the muni to be considerably more effective than volks. Again, be careful with using hard dps calculations, as they may not be as accurate as you think. I'm no expert but if anyone else wants to take the time/effort to confirm on this godawful thread then I tip my hat.
As for flamenades vs. pineapples, you really shouldn't be getting wiped by pineapples. Also, mainline infantry cover denial is a "huge difference". Pineapples deny cover for, in practical use, maybe 1-2 seconds, while flamenades usually deny cover past the end of the engagement. They also have no fuse and a normal grenade windup time, so are almost guaranteed to cause damage to a squad. Most other grenades are pretty easily avoided by infantry with decent micro. Garrison denial on mainline infantry is also a big deal.
Also, smoke and make hmg obsolete? Sure, if you already know where the enemy's mg is before it starts firing and/or he has absolutely zero supporting troops of any kind (even pios will rightfully demolish suppressed rifles), and/or if he's just an idiot and doesn't reposition, all of which cases signal you outplaying the enemy. Volks can basically just waltz up to an hmg from the front (even single squads can sometimes do this to vickers or maxims) and flamenade it, forcing a retreat. If you actually flank, it works even better.
I never said volks became gods in lategame, but I maintain that they are unreasonably cost effective in both manpower and munitions in a faction that they have no business being so in. Funny how obers are seen more than rangers or paras. Maybe it has something to do with how easy it is to float mp as okw and how they're nondoctrinal? Meanwhile usf has many different things pulling faction choices, elite infantry only being one.
1) NO, they only need 1 bar, 2 makes them a cost efficient killing machine OP AF.
They so powerful that will outdps any mainline with just one.
It's just a bullshit argument honestly, we ALL KNOW a single bar rifles have better dps than stg volks, stats are taken from the game code in coh 2, but anyway any INACCURACY has to be corrected by proportionally raising bith dps's.
Another fact is the RA, god awful RA even cons get better, as opposed to 0.61 RA of rifleman.
2) they AREN'T meant to be the crutch of anything more than grenadiers and is are, unless we eliminate he shells/scott/50 cal(aka third best hmg in the game)...than yes, they surely become the crutch of usf.
3) it doesn't matter, you won't dodge pinapple if you don't move before they throw it, and at that point you cal also see volks throwing it, getting potentially no flame damage.
Anyway it is surely much less forgiving and people wouldn't throw pinapple if micro intensive moments wouldn't allow for wipes because of distraction, even for the best players, but if i shouldn't get wiped by pinapple you shouldn't get cover denial.
It's 30 muni to deny cover compared to 30 muni to pick off 1-2-3 models off or entire squad. Flame nades have no fuse and a normal animation because COST as a grenade (quite a point isn't it ?).
4) they can break any suppression and there is usually a non suppressed squad that can chase the crew nontheless.
5) They aren't cost effective at all, they lose to 3mp and 0 muni more squad, they lose to penals even with 60 muni more despite having same cost unless they have high vet, they drop like flies to enemy fire.
The reason you see obers is because volks can't keep up, pershing is meta so rangers should have also been seen frequently, they weren't tho because riflemen are supermen that can run and gun at ANY range with 120 muni, with that nonsense double slot.