Profile of Ginnungagap

Interesting read.

I'm genuinely looking for quality feedback on both my play and the state of the coh2 meta.

As i see it, CoH2 is more and more a game of hard counters. Recognizing what your enemy goes for and getting the counter is most important.
Basically as Ostheer i try to prepare for 3 common and strong tactics in 1v1 nowadays:

1. VonIvans Stalingrad Blitz Tactics, the most dangerous (i call it "the early kill"). Effective on urban maps like Semois (with molotows).
T70 Rush with PPSH. A P4 or even Stug almost always comes to late, PAKs mean total loss of map control, Tellermines rely entirely on the enemy to drive on one specific spot and Panzerschrecks are avoidable.
I will be honest, i played VonIvan multiple times and have not beaten him once, it is super effective.

But there is one unit that i would consider a hard counter to multiple T70 rush, at 1CP the Sd.Kfz 250 with Panzerschreck equpipped Pgrens in it. Is is expensive, but it works against T70s. After that you only have to worry about T34s, so you either tech up and go directly to P4s/Stugs or stall out for the Tiger. Since there are no Zis guns on the field, your armor will beat T3. It is only a matter of IF you can get Tanks out for yourself.


2. The aforementioned HTD scripts/at nades + guards + snipers + su85 + mines, or "late kill"

Explain to me how to beat the synergy of soviet HTD scripts/at nades + guards + snipers + su85 + 30mun mines + munition float for whatever you want (cough strafe cough) in a 1v1.

On of the oldest strategies with the best synergies. Perfect against the standart (P-)Grenspam into P4. Fairly weak in the middle game in terms of offensive, but will bleed you dry in the end. Effective on open maps like Langres.
Since a single Elefenant will kill an infinte amount of su85s, your whole goal should be to save up 5CP and 260Fuel. The rest of the resouces goes all to Infantry.
Once the Elefant is out, one Ostwind or P4 command tank can reign supreme over everything that is not a tank.

If the sniper part gives you more trouble than the su85, G43s are a hard counter to that. They can kill snipers at 40 range very quickly. Besides that, mortar halftracks are good against snipers and 120mm too.

There is also a variant of this strategy with KV8s (CcArtSO3 used it frequently if i remember correctly.), but since the nerf to the flame damage it is not as prevalent.


3. T2-T3, META flavour of the month, the most "balanced"
Since there is no rush for a single unit or crazy stong combo no specific counter or commander is needed. The usual P4 spam with support will do fine.

You're tearing me apart Li- Undostrescuatro!

You prefer not only the performance of the "old" t34, but the way ram was designed? You call it a "creative situation" to disable every tank undodgeable without the need of positioning or a little foresight?

With a little bit of skill, the ram still disables a P4 or Stug from the front 100% of the time, which "might do something".

Sincerely, a winygerman Player.

Ekko Tek is absolutely right. You can't balance 4v4 and expect it to carry over to 1v1 and vice versa.

Panthers cost nearly as much Panzer IVs

An 87,5% increase in manpower is not nearly as much, it is more like double the cost - without factoring the teching cost to T4.

"But it's AI is horrible [...]"

The AI, even with the mg upgrade, is one of the worst in the game, next to the Su85 and Elefant. There is no point arguing otherwise, one quick look at CoH2Stats is enough.

AT grenades? Only if lucky and not vet 1.

AT nade critical succes rate from the front is 37%, from the back it is 89% (due to the parabolic trajectory of the nade also possible from the front).

[..]Panther spam[...]

You must be referring to 4v4s, right?


Blitzkrieg should not work with a damaged engine, otherwise the Panther does not need a (speed-)nerf. And please, for God's sake stop with the subjectivity.

Command Input Lag

It's a shame and quite a backstep from vCoH. Sadly i doubt it can or will be optimized beyond the "1 frame delay".


Pathing

Yes it's bad and can be game deciding. My favourite experience is with the gap in the hedge southern of the middle VP on Langreskaya: As you said, vehicles drive next to the gap, turn 90 degrees in one direction, drive for half a meter, turn 90 degrees in the other direction, and finally go through the gap.

Also: It might be realistic, but some vehicles (e.g. the halftrack) really like to go a bit forward right after you're issuing a reverse command which is not 100% straight backwards. Hello Mr. AT nade.


Survivability

Vet and retreat bonuses only helps against small arms. One way to reduce full squad wipes as you descriped would be to give them more health instead of armour with vet.

Most of my vet 3 troops die instantly only to explosive weapons, so i would welcome a change too. The less RNG the better.


Buildings

I'm not so much on the fence with the cover provided by buildings, even against snipers - just make the counters against it reliable and consistent. No stupid RNG critical on your approaching flamethrower equipped pioneer, no one-shotting rifle nades, no zero damage grenades.


Maps

Untick the larger maps; cholodny, langreskaya and semoiska for example aren't bad maps. New good maps will come over time, though the map builder surely would reduce the time significantly.