Profile of BeastHunter

Because no one is his right mind will use 450mp 50fu doctrinal 8cp investment for smoke.

400 mp but i think the 15 popcap is more of an issue if you take the time until the barrage recharges into account.
It could work to implement other barrage types like flares, smoke or white phosphorous for example if those had shorter cooldowns attached: for example at 90s standard cooldown for the 10 10,5cm HE shells from the LeFH which could also fire 2 or 3 smoke shells with a lower scatter with only a 25s cooldown so you wouldn't have to replace mortars in the lategame if you want to use smokescreens and do not waste the full potential of your Howitzer.
Those ideas however would probably be part of a major rework which may not be needed as Howitzers do work fine as it is and the new commanders seem to be the next big thing.

As if early Maxim/Vickers spam ain't stronk enough.

This would be for all machine guns and doesn't really matter in the early game at all it just helps microing the hmg vs multiple targets if it has line of sight on them i would be suprised if any maxim spammer would stop attack-moving them and all of a sudden start spamming the reload key or a manual "handbreak" this pretty much benefits players with few machine guns to get the most of it in the mid and late game when they have fired multiple rounds and migth have to reload.

Isn't bad for starters but some maps simply favour mechanized or battlegroup headquarters and when playing p2 or the 251/17 which is usually quite useful it depends which faction you are facing and how they play what they tech and which commanders they could choose or already did choose. Against allied elite infantry any light vehicle can do wonders.

The flak ht usually needs better support and cannot follow infantry and wipe them out on the move but comes earlier and can make quite an impact if you aren't facing atguns which could work versus soviet t1 or american LT tech but both factions can call in atguns via commander or sidetech and maybe go for call-in tanks if things go south.

The Luchs comes out a bit later and gets its true power only after vet2 with accuracy on the move, damage and some other quite relevant buff and can fight off allied ultra light vehicles or halftracks (m15 can win but should be flanked anyway) the P2 play allows to get a Sdkfz. 234/2 Puma right after to counter allied light vehicles if you dislike relying on raketenwerfers but this combination mgiht delay your tech quite a bit and might force you into a callin tank for the lategame.

The choice might also differ not only on your opponents playstyle and map but in teamgames on spawns and teammates teching tree and playstyle.

Is this doctrine good vs shock troops?

I'm really struggeling to find the good counters against the increased power and versatility of these guys.

I wouldn't recommend countering Shock Troops head on ever, but you can try to throw some of the HE-Grenades over walls and bushes or at enemies who seem to have a slower micro. The variant of the Volksgrenadier upgrade is quite nice as you can unleash chaos on your enemy by throwing multiple different grenades and he will have troubles doging each one in the right way or will lack time if he is playing support weapons.
The strongpoint of the doctrine in teamgames were the devastating Flame Hetzer rush by going for the Medic HQ mostly relying on the Sturm Pioneer medic crates for healing (dependant on ammo/fuel economy) and then rushing Schwer HQ and getting the Hetzer as first unit.
My exact buildorder is varying from map to map but i usually play with 4 volksgrenadiers (atleast one of each Upgrade) on Building heavy maps only 3 Volks and a second Sturm for the flamer upgrade ideally you do not play with leigs and try to use your infantry to pressure points and only get Raketens if you expect vehicles.
If your enemy does play in a defensive manner a single leig should do the trick unless emplacements are involved then a second (more emplacements more leigs) mostly to stop Sappers from repairing and to lay some hot love on the structures should solve all your problems.
To support your first Flame Hetzer 2 raketens would be optimal but if you lack some manpower and can surround it with volks to faust incoming vehicles a single raketen could do the trick.
I get the Opel Blitz Truck usually in the lategame to build and support my own defensive positions or assaults.
The Rocket Arty offmap can destroy howitzers or stolen Pak43s or can be great to delocalise or destroy atgun walls.

If you are interested in replays you could write me a pm and i'll try to save replay of me using this strategy in a fair game (keep in mind i mostly play 3s and main eastern front factions).

On a sidenote the British player is also using soviet commanders and bulletins which might be considered as bugabuse. Used the Allied Fueldrop at 12:30 not gamedeciding still not the way it is meant to be used.

From a general perspective it is usually easier to hold the fuel point and atleast the connecting side which is on your bases side of the river. The reasoning for this is on one side slightly shorter walking distances and the problematic at attacking over the river which has large parts of red (negative) cover some spots with yellow (light) cover or white (no) cover. It is always the best to fight your first engagements from green (heavy) cover if the map allows it.

Cover basics:
-Red is the worst giving +25% Received accuracy for your squads (makes them easier to hit) and increases incoming damage by 25%.
-White does nothing
-Yellow is a doubleedged sword as it lowers the Received accuracy by 30% against small arms fire which isn't bad but usually clumps your squad so it can easier take damage maybe even get wiped by high explosives like grenades, mortar shells or tank shells.
-Green is the strongest by far and gives -50% received accuracy and lowers the incoming damage by 50% and makes you immune to surpession if all models are in green cover, not flanked and the hmg is shooting above the cover.
-Building or trench cover is similar to green cover, is nondirectional but you squads might be limited by a low number of windows which means you cannot shoot back with all your suqad members.

Flamethrowers are useful versus Green cover and garrisons as they get damage boosts against green cover and the models are clumped. Garrisons that get hit by flamethrowers can easily cleared as every single unit gets the same amount of damage and 4 bursts from a engineer/pioneer flamethrower are enough to wipe every single occupant.

Cover only applies on ranges above 10 ingame units infantry units have around 35 ingame units as sight range as a comparison. There is also a testrange map in the steam workshop if you want to learn ranges and test infantry squads combat effectiveness at different ranges.

To your performance in the Replay:
-40s You start your game by defending a cutoff point with a HMG42 that isn't connected to any ressources, while you play from the side which is easier to defend.
-1:30 Your Pioneers are scouting or trying to fight against way more expensive squads on long range which isn't really their strength. They use MP40s and have extended line of sight compared to other squads they only ever have a chance of winning if they are used at close range but they cost a lot to reinforce and have bad combat veterancy so it is better not to use them often in fights unless they have flamethrowers and instead capture territories or provide line of sight to the HMG42 or building cover, wire off cover the opponent might use.
-2:30 you are fighting vs a infantry section in green cover with 2 quads out of yellow cover which is a fight you will lose and should have never happened your only chance would be closing in and to win with 8 rifles vs 4 if you do not drop to many models while closing in. Your chances to win get worse teh moment the Universal Carrier arrives.
-2:40 you cancelled a panzerfaust that already locked in on the Universal Carrier. even if you do not have a chance to take down the Universal Carrier at that point (you need 2 pfausts and some Rifle shots to connect to kill it) you best chance might have been to slow it and to attack from another angle. On a general note you migth have wasted some ammuniton by snaring Units you cannot take down but you get a good chunk of veterancy for hitting vehicles with pfausts and migth get to higher veterancy levels faster.
-3:00 Your teammate did a mistake in building the fuel cache that early on, as he lost his side by not having similar units to fight with, but he got a crucial cutoff to deny your opponents most of their ressources.
-3:30 1. You could have reacted to the retreat from your enemy which gave up a green cover position. 2.The decision to go for a mortar or Sniper against british player is quite good as they usually are somehow locked behind cover as they cannot fight efficient otherwise. Infantry Sections have bad moving accuracy and lack their cover bonus which slows the fire rate, accuracy and reload beside the classic cover bonus (Received accuracy, incoming damage for green cover).
-3:45 You use Mortar smoke to cover your capping of the point but you lack vision of your own and fail to see that the british playe abandoned your side and left only a vickers HMG whioch could have been flanked and forced to retreat to retake the right fuel. On a second note you shouldn't cap with more then one suqad unless you plan on losing one to supression or a retreat (which is only interesting in the last minutes of a match if you really need VPs)
4:40 The 2 grenadiers capping your side are slow and do not spread on teh points fast enough one isn't on the capping circle (might have been inaccurate outlines which happens from time to time) you react to it after a few seconds but its already pretty late in the game if you consider the surplus of ressources your enemy accumulated during the early game.
5:20 The Grenadier retreat was a bit late but still okay if you planned it this way your Pioneer could have taken the Universal carrier out if you would have closed in on it and attacked its rear armor (higher chance to penetrate high firerate and low accuracy weapons are better then low firerate high accuracy weapons versus ultra light vehicles[UC, WC51, M3A1 and Kubelwagen] which is the reason why the RE is better then Rifles, Pioneers better then grens and Sturms better then Volks at taking down these vehicles).
-5:55 you use a last Riflegrenade while dying with your grenadiers this Riflegrenades is used against a IS with more then 50% HP in green cover that even has the medical package so is wasted. (The enemy lost a model because he moved which was a mistake)
-6:00 the Pak40 isn't a bad choice in general at this time but you lack the means to push against infantry and to hold any territory which not only hurts your but also your teammates economy.
6:40 you take a similar engagement you did at 2:30, you could have wired the green cover the enemy is now using agaisnt you, this time you have ressources for a Riflegrenade and you have the mortar as backup to punish you enemy for camping, but you still do not fight efficient (almost 700 mp [gren, pio and mortar] vs 280 mp)
-7:00 you Pak40 could have taken the UC out with a single shot as your enemy failed to repair it with his Sappers, but you fail to react
-On a general not your HMG42 is still idle and doesn't really defend anythig you should see it as part of your army and use it to cover advances and to stop the enemy from gaining ground and not idle it when you are behind.
-Also you should always react to snipers: you can either outblob or outcap the sniper with infantry units which wasn't possible at your time as you were behind in Army size. Another Option would be to hint it down with a light vehicle easiest way would have been a 222 instead of the pak40 and a pak40 just after it to counter a possible AEC. The easiest option is to countersnipe: you get a sniper sneak it upfront using hold fire and going from cover to cover then you bait the enemy sniper by having a infantry squad just behind your sniper and when it reveals and fires on your infantry squad you fire and take out the enemy sniper.
-8:10 Panzergrenadiers are not bad on close quarter maps but on open Maps they start bleeding fast and you really need to counter the sniper. A similar but better Option could be to choose the Encirclement Doctrine and to get the Stormtroopers to sneak up on the Sniper and take him out with the tactical assault from behind to limit its way to escape your infiltration.
9:10 You took down the UC but that was a misplay from your enemy as he didn't use the supression ability.
10:00 It isn't needed to tech up for t3 as you lack any ressources to build something from it. you could have invested your manpower into another lowtier unit to increase the pressure.
10:50 Two units in the same capping circle doens't make the capping any faster and lowers the intel you have and the pressure you could apply.
11:20 Again no need to build the t3 building if you have no ressoruces to get anything from it and still are far off.
11:50 You almost got the sniper that was idle in red cover it was teh right thing to stand still for better accuracy shots but you should have escaped the moment the sniper left your Line of Sight. The cromwell could have been fausted if you had a manned AT-Gun that had penetrated it once before the Faust hit.
12:30 It isn't bad in general to use Pgrens with Schrecks but you lack any anti infantry units the game is lost for quite some time now. (half popcap way less fuel, ammo income)
13:00 the 222 doesn't stand a chance versus the cromwell a better coice might have been either an earlier 222 or a 251 to push some point on the map and keep reinforcing from it while the enemy cannot hit it (spotting scopes might be useful in that case)
13:20 Nice attack grounds from the pak40 but you should have kept a grenadier nearby to scout and faust if the cromwell would have closed in and wiped the pak40
14:20 both your HMG42 and the Pgrens are clumped in cover against high explosive cromwells which doesn't help either.

As a conclusion you gave your enemy too much ressources and didn't really fight for them by haveing idle squads and you failed to deal with the sniper.

If you have any questions feel free to hit me up.