This commander was meta shortly after I started CoH again, so correct me if I'm wrong.
But will this really be the case?
USF can go against OST without the need for an AI focussed LV. The Stuart is not great against zhe Puma but it can survive without too much trouble. Against Brits you do not need a Puma, and Brits don't have a reason to counter have problems with a Puma, because their only LV is basically a Puma by iself (concept wise, not total stats).
So the major issue is (and I think also was) against SOV. At the time Soviet T1 was meta because of poor Conscript scaling. Which also means that you are susceptible vs a 251 and 222, so you need a LV to survive the early-mid game, which was usually the T70. And that was completely shut down by the Puma.
Now with Conscript T2 builds all of this works slightly differently due to the available PaK and less need for a LV. Now obviously there can still be huge issues vs T1 builds, but saying it will be as bad as during that time is likely an overexaggeration in my eyes.
This, although the T70 is still 100% essential to survive especially now that heavies are being delayed. However as you said there are Cons with snares and Zis3s out now, which changes things.
It’s a lend lease doctrine. Make them come in with something from lend lease (yes I know M5s were USF made, but they’re T3 stock), something like a WC51 like in USF Mechanized.
Probably in the same place where your counter-arguments to my points are, which is nowhere to be found.
You said it's a no-brainer to steal a TW,I gave you a few examples where it isn't
If you don't see a value in keeping a full squad at the frontlie, the the ability to deny a teamweapon anywhere, anytime with no supporting AT weaponry, and if you want to ignore the risks of stealing a TW, then so be it.
Shit I even agreed that ability to do that is NOT a huge issue, but saying the ability has no value is wrong.
You said “Not really, stealing a weapon comes with a risk since it leaves your Sturmpio squad at 1 model” which is quite far off from “if you happen to only have an Spio close by”. Not that I agree anyway, stealing a teamweapon is way more important than keeping an Spio squad near the front for the 45 secs it takes to run back, reinforce and return.
I get that it’s not always possible to recrew, but usually you can recrew and it’s best if you do that. The cases where you wipe a TW and can either salvage or retreat are pretty niche.
Not really, stealing a weapon comes with a risk since it leaves your Sturmpio squad at 1 model
It also forces you to retreat, or at least back off to a bunker/251/battlegroup to reinforce your squad
If you salvage you can keep the squad on the frontline to push/lay mines etc.
Where is this "build Spios only and never build Volks" meta you speak of?