Profile of Sedghammer

*UPDATE 10/19/15* -

This is a tip that I'm going to throw out there from observing many USF matches and personal experience.

Get weapon racks and an Ambulance before you tech - follow up with BARS to put pressure on your opponent. I see so many USF players hold off on getting the weapon racks and ambulance, they think that getting a light vehicle out fast will catch the opponent off-guard. This logic is flawed for several reasons.

1. If you hold off on getting your weapon racks, you don't get bars until you've got the munitions for at least 3 BARS in an even match. This is huge wasted potential, as 3 bar equipped infantry units will do reliable damage sooner and at less risk than with a light vehicle.

2. Your riflemen need to close distance to have an advantage against volks. The best way to accomplish this is having an ambulance early (after 3rd Rifle squad), so that in all future engagements you have full-health squads. Because you are not investing munitions in healing like other factions, you have more freed up for special weapons. This is a key aspect of USF design, take advantage of it early.

3. You need to invest in your infantry first before all else. You will be investing in fewer squads that have higher vet and thus higher durability. At vet 1 your rifles get AT nades, at vet 2 and 3 more durability. A couple vet 2 Rear Echelon with a BARs throwing down suppression is nothing to laugh at.

4. Finally, if you are going rifle company, don't invest in more than a couple of flamethrowers. BAR equipped riflemen are better in most tactical situations.

Here is a standard build that I use with this mindset - Rifle - Rifle -Rifle - Ambulance - RE - Weapon Rack - Tech

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I've got a couple of simple tips that have cut some of the frustrations I've had with the USF

-Bind the ambulance to a control group and set up a macro for healing. I assign the ambulance to CTL+0 then and have 0+Z tied to the numpad enter key for one button healing. This contributes significantly to cutting back on the inherent healing micro tax.

-Make use of superior USF LOS in the early-mid game. A fighting position that been upgraded to a .50 cal AND garrisoned (with RE squad) has some of the biggest LOS in the game. The increase LOS allows the RE squad to begin shooting its rifle grenades sooner if there's no spotter around. Both prerequisites need to be met for the LOS boost. Consider putting up a fighting position on one side of the map that acts as a spotter and deterrent. Combine with a scout car to help flank the inevitable AT gun.

Do you have a USF tip to add that you haven't seen mentioned elsewhere? That's all for now, cheers!

M5 looks like it might even be losing its suppression. I noticed in the most recent gameplay vids it never suppresses infantry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=banG2Ms7jo8

I agree, and I've made a thread about this before too.

@beefsurge Fair enough, I think that you can get a fairly good early advantage because of the diverse T0. It just requires that you not tech up quickly and "go wide", taking advantage of the fact that you can shut down most early enemy tech down with a kubel and rocketenwerfers. Again, it's a pretty focused playstyle, reliant on the doctrines that have MG34, and I think one that many don't like playing.

Here's an example: Volk, Kubel, Push cutoff with kubel/sturmpioneer, Volk, Volk, MG34, Rocketenwerfer, Medic Truck, Volk or Falls. Normally that sets me up for a really strong early game. I'll normally opt for a second Falls squad or Rocketenwerfer and just sit on the medic truck until my opponent forces a tech choice.

I believe this is the first time Relic has officially posted their intentions with each faction.

Yeah I think you're right, aside from the army statements we got during WFA development.