Profile of ZombiFrancis

So what you're saying is what anyone from CoH1 already knew: Ostheer is vCoH wehrmacht without Puma 234/1, or equivalent, which was a critical utility unit.

That gap is what has hamstrung Ostheer since the beginning. This was orginally side stepped in the early days as that whole stage of gameplay didn't really exist due to P4s and t34/76s coming out so friggin early.

StuGs are cost effective against everything but the heaviest of fuel investments. While they aren't the most suited for handling AT guns or infantry with AT, quite frankly no vehicle excels against those, at least not compared to AI infantry. As such, against USF especially, they sit quite pretty.

In team games with OKW it is kind of the only vehicle that the Ostheer has that isn't matched or outclassed in terms of cost effectiveness. (The cost AND timing of the JP4 really kills off much of its utility.) OKWs P4 and Panther are superior, and the KT and Tiger fill mostly the same function, with the KT being absolutely ridiculous against infantry. Ostheer has to pick a doctrine to get a Puma, and they have no Luchs. While OKW has to pick a doctrine for Ostwinds, the Luchs has much better timing. Plus there's Schwerer for AA.

Also,

Brummbarr

I think it has a bit to do with T34/85s being buildable through the T4 instead of being a callin unit. (Or at least I think both those changes occurred at the same time.) They kept the T34s together.

But the main thing is that The T3 and T4 is problematic with the timing of tanks for both Soviets and Ostheer. Ostheer with the StuG/P4/Panther placement. One always overshadows the other when in the same tier.

For Soviets, the T34/76 and the T34/85 are hard to incorporate into the tiers with the SU-76 and T70 to consider along with the SU-85. The T34/76 in T3 supercedes the T70 and SU-76, and the T34/85 being doctrinal complicates its availability in either T3 or T4.

Both the original factions would benefit greatly from at least one ".5" tier inbetween the final tiers. For Soviets, a T3 upgrade to unlock T34/76s (as a cheaper alternative to going T4) would probably work out well. For the Ostheer it could be the same, or as simple as having (for example) the P4 in T3, but only available after teching the final battle phase.

You've got light tanks and vehicles, mediums, then heavies, all trying to cram into the timing of two tech tiers.

I've always thought that the midgame should've been designed around being a battle of StuGs versus T70s and SU-76s. The trick was just to put true tanks, P4s and T/34s, off towards the late game. The mobility of light vehicles and lack of mobility of tank destroyers play off each other rather well. The heavy tanks still act like endgame units anyway.

But then WFA happened.

But anyway, while Soviets now have a proper tier with T70s and SU76s, Ostheer has the dilemma of having StuGs, Panzer 4s, AND Panthers spread over only two tiers. One of the three will be outclassed in its own tier, no matter the combination. But it's almost always a better idea to improve units by delaying their counters rather than having them available sooner, especially considering that the late game is so incredibly dependent upon the earlier stages of the game.

So what I'm really trying to say, if you're trying to suggest a way to promote StuG play, then it's the Panzer 4 that should be pushed out into a sort of T3.5. It'd improve the vehicle and light tank's window of effectiveness, which is currently pretty narrow, without directly delaying T4.

USF Tech should be:

LT: 50 Cal, Mortar, M20, AA HT
Capt: 57mm, Stuart, Howie, Sniper.