Let us disagree.
Not a chance that that is an SU win in any real combat situation. The maxim can't Supress 1 squad let alone 2 and the sturms alone can make short work of that crew.
I wouldnt ride the maxim meme so hard, it can suppress 1 squad frontally without problems, the new vet ability does help too.
An intelligent player would not mix the sturmpios and volks, thats granted, but an intelligent SU would also build sandbags with cons, merge and to say the least scout for the maxim.
Its hard to flank a well placed sandbag, cons under cover can be dangerous enough for a very expensive troop like sturmpios to inflict serious MP bleed.
If you scout an upcoming flank, you are always free to reposition and turn the soft defeat into a possible turnaround.
At any rate that's 240+260+160mp vs 300+250mp if you factor in the handicap (I mean aside from actually USING the maxim) of unlocking the maxim. There is no scenario that I would chose a maxim and cons over sturms and volks, especially paying an extra 100mp for the combo.
Its just unfair to 'include' T2 cost to begin with. You either build T1 or T2 to advance as SU, the difference is the units you make up with. Conveniently OKM has no T1 for volks and sturmpios, but when the discussion is between grens and cons, no one, i repeat, NO ONE, considers OST T1 into the mix.
If we remove T1 cost, we end with 260+240 =
soviets500 vs
okw550 = 300+250 wich is fair in terms of possible results
And once the flame nade hits the field the maxim is as obsolete as a Kuble when the T70 hits so you are paying to unlock a unit, then paying for said unit knowing that it has a shelf life shorter than milk sitting in the sun on a hot summer day.
we agree with the lavanade impact, but maxims in garrison are durable enough to withstand a single lavanade withouth dying, either replace it with another maxim or soft retreat it