Profile of VindicareX

Right - it really just seems to be an artefact of the old OKW design more so than anything else

Slightly different content than my previous post:

As others have stated, its straight up a worse mg42 and there is no situation whatsoever in which you would prefer a 34 over a 42. Yes, on the whole its also probably the weakest hmg. With that out of the way, not having a weakness is a significant strength in its own right. Its not lacking in any relevant area, so while its mediocre in a lot of areas on its not really bad in any of them either.

IDK man, i've seen vetted infantry walk right through its fire and out of its arc like it's nothing - something you'd never see with, like, every other HMG.

Anecdotal, sure...but I think it holds some truth

It's "cheapest" by literally 10 manpower less than other HMGs..... riiiiight.

I understand that "internal balance" is a thing (coming from being deeply embded in DoW2 balance, I know a thing or two about asymmetrical, cross-faction balance - something far less present in CoH2, comparatively) and I'm not asking to buff this thing to be an MG42. What I'm saying is that not only does it have significant disadvantages compared to every other HMG, outlined in my 2nd and 3rd post. What I want is someone to address these points and point out why such disadvantageous make sense in the larger schemes of things/ "internal balance."

What I'm saying that even in the limited role you claim it is used for, it still fails pretty poorly in.

But so far, I get jokers saying "buff to 360 degree arc."

@Lago:
That's where you're wrong - two BAR'd riflemen can annihilate an MG34 before they even get suppressed - they even do this vs the superior MG42. In fact, it probably would be better to get more Volks to control the blob.
- btw - please read more closely - I didn't say it "wasn't a balance argument" - I said such an argument "was not a very good one" - two very different statements.

I bet you'd say the same thing if Rakketen, in some other reality, didn't have Camo by default and you'd say such a unit would be fine because of the faction's "internal" balance justified it. You say this, yet offer nothing to justify exactly what in the internal balance justifies the state of the MG34.

By your argument, you're implying that OKW has strengths that make them viable that other factions don't. For example; when an Allied player wants to counter a Gren blob - you can go for HMG, just as OKW player can go for MG34. However, Allied HMG can also duel other MGs AND soft-counter garrisons. This gives other factions - not OKW - a high value for the same investment. Therefore, the OKW should be getting some other value "somewhere" to compensate for their shit MG34. For example, their ability to build Sturmpioneers (but we all know buildings even 1 of these guys, other than to replace the initial one, is certainly "off-meta" and therefore probably not good). Their IR halftrack?? How about their ability to build forward HQs on the map? What exactly in their "internal balance" compensates for the MG34?

What exactly does OKW get over the other factions that pushes them to be just as viable (i.e. balance)? Flak Halftrack? USF get basically the same unit and a kick-ass .50 cal to boot. Maybe you think a Luch's rush justifies the shitty existence of the MG34?

The fact that the MG34 sucks opens a huge hole in the "backstop" department that makes losing momentum as OKW extremely punishing - moreso than other factions losing ground. And I don't see their ability to get a Luchs 3 min faster than a T70 to be particularly high-value to justify this "internal balance."

I would counter by saying that, due to the limitted value of the MG34, it funnels OKW into predictable, and stringent Meta builds (i.e. the VolkGrenadier spam). Is this balanced in the sense that OKW can compete? Maybe. Is it balanced in the sense that the player can utilize different strategies and builds to execute his vision? Nope.

Look at it this way:

The other HMGs are more than counter-able.

Where an MG42 can duel a Maxim, Vickers, or .50 cal (assuming equal cover situation), the MG34 stands no chance at dueling these MGs - a significant disadvantage in the game.


Where the MG42 can hope to quickly suppress an infantry squad trying to side-skirt the firing arc quickly; trying to run out of the arc (and it can suppress them with a quick 1/3 burst and re-set up vs. the suppressed squad), the MG34 has little to no hope at this.

Where every other MG can shoot at garrisoned buildings for some decent damage to force them out (say, it is also garrisoned across-the-way), the MG34 is very bad at this task.

See the point here? The other HMGs are already far-from perfect - even in their ideal scenarios (behind cover at distance). Now you put OKW in the same scenarios as OST (let's say, 2 volks + MG34 vs 2 Grens + MG42), you can tell the difference...


Your argument being "well ya, it sucks, but it's your only option" is not a very good argument for a balanced game. It's not like Volks and Sturms are fulfilling a radically different function than other early game infantry (like they might have used to before the aforementioned changes) which might justify a weaker MG since those Volks/Sturms can compensate. OKW now functions far more similar to the other factions than they did on release, yet their HMG lags far behind.