Profile of GI John 412

For me at least, the issue is the strength of the 7 man upgrade and not the timing of the ppsh's. By equipping them I'm giving up lower reinforce costs, mid and long range damage, more hit points, and faster vet.
The 7 man upgrade really outshines the PPSHs atm. Especially since you can use hit the dirt with it, a lone conscript squad can tank small arms for days.

Timing wise 2cp is fine for the PPSH package IMO.

You could make 7man Cons capable of equipping PPShs and Cons upgrades with PPShs already also capable of getting the 7 man upgrade.

See my above post of how I think the rest could be done. There’s no reason Cons shouldn’t be able to get both IF the PPShs are reworked to be more like Volks StG44s.

I’d like to see the conscript Assault package PPSh upgrade be more like the Volksgrenadier StG44 upgrade, a universal buff at close to mid range while being roughly the same at long range, but not being super strong at close range either.

Change it to be:

40 munitions for 2 PPShs
Takes up all weapon slots.
Still allows for 7 man conscript upgrade, but no other weapon pick ups.

Adjust damage profile of Conscript PPSh to be similar but slightly weaker than Volks StGs at long and mid range, but slightly better at close range. This preserves the dynamic between Conscripts and other mainline Axis infantry, where Cons win at short range against un-upgraded Volks and Grens.

New Con PPSh damage profile should be equal to Con Mosin-Nagant rifles at long range just as Volks StG44s are the same as Volks K98s at long range, but also like Volk StGs they get better as closer ranges.

This would make Cons much more viable and basically emulate the effect that Volk StGs have. It’s a no brained upgrade if you have the munitions where the only downfall is that you can’t grab a dropped weapon. With only 2 PPShs it would make Cons better, but not op and as a doctrinal upgrade it would not be used to excess.

Back on topic.....

I think the OKW flack halftrack would be much more viable if it weren’t overshadowed by the Luch and Puna combo. It’s really not that the Flak HT is super bad, it’s just not AS GOOD as Luch and Puma.

A solution would be to cut its fuel cost and maybe bump up is manpower cost. This would make going for battlegroup HQ the fuel efficient way to rush Panzer HQ and a quick Panzer IV. You go for Battlegroup and get a relatively cheap Flak HT with its reduced fuel cost and then rush for a P4 while the Flak HT fights a delaying action backed by the numerous Volksgrenadiers and a Rakettenwerfer and maybe even Sturmpioneers with a Shrek.

This rush strategy would be a lot like USF going Lieutenant and getting an M20 but no Stuart. It works for USF because the M20 has a low fuel cost, so reducing the fuel cost of the Flak HT for OKW might work for them too.

It is, you see, because if you look at the stats, the raketen is the lowest damage and lowest accuracy AT gun while also having low pen. This is made worse by its lack of a gun shield which is a massive factor and the fact that the projectile hits terrain and world objects, something no other projectile in the game suffers from. I suggest we replace it with the pak38, which would use the 17 pounder model already in the game and have it recolored to differentiate it.

I think the PaK38 would be a great solution, except that the 17 pounder is much bigger than the PaK38, so substituting the model just wouldn’t look right.

However, what if we used the Soviet light AT gun, recolored gray, and called it the PaK-36? It would require some modification to its stats and cost and generally be very asymmetrical, but it could work.

Then, you make the Rakettenwerfer doctrinal and leave it as it currently is, cheesy and gimmicky, but locked to a doctrine (maybe fortifications doctrine).

The other idea would be to rework the Rakettenwerfer AND add the PaK36 BOTH nondoctrinally.

The Rak could be rebalanced as a mid range, high damage, high penetration unit that has a 6 man crew, no retreat ability, but keeps its revised stealth (the no movement but can rotate version) but given at Vet 0. This would be an anti heavy tank AT gun that has a slow rate of fire but almost always hits and penetrates a heavy tank.

Then the new PaK36 would be like the Soviet M-42 it’s cloned from, a good anti light vehicle unit that can support against infantry with HE rounds, but doesn’t scale well against heavy tanks.

This would keep the unique asymmetrical aspect of the OKW AT units, but allows them to have more power against specific targets.

My point is completely different. R.E. in game represent the non combat infatry forced to fight when the line collapsed in Ardennes

What the unit represents to you is entirely your opinion. Unless you were in the room at relic five years ago when they were designing the USF faction your opinion isn’t any more valid than anyone else’s opinion.

Anyways, the idea that they are being sent as reinforcements or are caught in the fight or are improvised units thrown together as a last ditch doesn’t really matter, it’s all just your opinion and that doesn’t make anyone else’s point invalid just because they have a different viewpoint.

It also is entirely possible that BOTH opinions are valid and not mutually exclusive.

Example: Your starting REs were caught at the front, but ones that you choose to build are sent as reinforcements. See? You can both be right.