Profile of Blovski

Eh, it's nice to have a bigger actual 1v1 map pool for the moment. Understandable recycling a few ones from COH as a stopgap measure. Would be nice to see more new maps coming through as well.

I really don't get what's changed to make it so awful for the Soviets. Soviet tier 3 is *way* more viable against P-IVs and has a much stronger counter to Ostwinds with the T-34 and ram changes. SU-85s and KV-8s of doom have not been nerfed (SU-85 change is nice but not actually a stats change, just means you need to spot for it if you're planning of setting off around the battlefield). In this patch for the Germans: there was one bug fix for Ostheer, a cost increase for riflenades, the upgunned scout car no longer loses its AI, AT grenade damage has been increased but is not 100% reliable against T3 vehicles frontally (similarly, the Panzerfaust).

The idea that the only plausible tech path for Soviets is snipers/T1->T4 rings false. I mean, if you look at the last SNF Langreskaya tourney casts, on just about the best map for 2+ MG-42s and for sniper play, half of the Soviets go for Tier 2, half for Tier 1. AndyIsRipping was playing and winning with T2->T3 before the T-34 buff and after the maxim nerf. The Soviets won all three games in the final.

Now, unless you're at that level, I think the problem winning with T2 is probably something you can do something about.

@uno234, your list of complaints seems to be that if the Ostheer build counters you may need to not suicide your units into them. Losing snipers and scout cars to a German AC is generally either sloppy play on your part or good play from your opponent. Use the threat of AT nades or guards to stop them charging in. Stick a few mines down if you get a reasonable start and you'll often get a scout car by accident.

Certainly, better players seem to be complaining about struggling than with previous patches, which is a cause for concern, but I think as much of it is that German players are getting better against the standard T1->T4 build by using MHTs, waiting for tier 4 armour or an elephant instead of getting a ton of P-IVs, building bigger tier 1s and doing sneaky things like the halftrack LMG-squads gank rather than that the balance has swung massively against the Soviets on account of two bugfixes, one of which is a de facto buff to a minor midgame unit.

There are two things I have problems with from the Ostheer right now - MG-42 with the silly bulletin is frustratingly quick to suppress and quite hard to deal with without tier 1 on some maps and strafing run/blitztruck combo is still just cruelly overpowered as a base-pin/win all engagements tool. Other than those particular things I'm not seeing huge problems.

I'll get tiger if I can afford one but don't have time / can't bother to tech up. With the ram nerf it's more viable. I was playing 2on2 game yesterday against T34 spam. One of them rammed the tiger, T34 lost it's main gun and got immobilized while my tiger got crew shocked critical. Is there any chance ram would destroy the main gun of the tiger?

If it works like I think it works, there's about a 45% chance of gun damage if a T-34 hits a tiger frontally and about a 64% chance if it hits from the rear.

With an elephant, incidentally, I think your chance is 40% from the front but 100% from the rear.

Rifle Grenades are hilariously strong, they can instagib a 6 man squad now if you're unlucky. They also frequently fuk infantry in houses.

And yes, you're right germans had trouble recovering but with cheaper tanks and incredibly strong infantry and germans figuring out how to use them it is possible to come back from anything. It's a combination of several factors.

To win as soviet you need those early game fuks (which won't happen against a competent enemy) and a lot of luck (PzIV being destroyed by a T70 for example).

What would GREATLY help Soviet play is a less retarded vehicle AI. I can't emphazise enough how a unit doing what you tell it to do would improve Soviet gameplay.

Riflenades have had no changes to their power far as I can see since closed beta. They probably should fuck up units that aren't moved out of small houses in time since the Germans don't have many good early anti-building options. They won't kill a six man squad unless it's both injured and clumped up, which is a skill thing on the part of both players. They're dodgeable and have no area denial like Molotovs.

Edit: Flanking should be made a bit stronger. I think PQ said they're looking into small arms vs MG balance.

I just tried T-70 rush last game. I forced him off the map completely, then annihilated his first Stug. Then he build the Halftrack Mortar, had one bad engagement (thanks flame mortar) and from then on it went down hill. I build 2 Su-85, one T-34 and another batch of 2xT-70 and couldn't stop the german advance. T70 funnily enough survived till the end but were ultimately rendered useless due to Stugs and Pshrecks everywhere.

If you have trouble dealing with snipers and SU-85s, build the Halftrack Mortar.

I have no idea how you managed to lose that other than just getting frustrated and throwing things away. Do you have a replay?

The point of T4 is to have the assault guns and indirect fire. Sticking it in T3 would make T3 too good, surely.