Profile of braciszek

Personally, I think the Penal is in an extremely awkward position as far as teching goes: The squad aims to be an anti-infantry squad although it's in the same tech as the Sniper. It's not quite short-range (Which is where shocktroopers excel) and it's not quite long range (Where all axis squads and Guards excel).

I think the Penal would benefit from being brought down from 270 MP to 240. It would give players a rather interesting choice of either going for conscripts, which offer flexibility in the late game (With AT nades) or Penals, which are much better anti-infantry (as well as scaleable anti-infantry because of the upgradeable flamethrowers) for the same price but much worse late game prospectives.

Also, although I know this would be a little far-fetched, it'de be interesting to move the AT nade upgrade to T2 as well so that you can't get AT conscripts AND penals. This would also mean that it's harder to support snipers with conscripts.

Of course this is speculation and even finishing this sentence, I'm realising giant balance holes in this change. Still, could be interesting.

Did you just suggest making the already crappy tactic even more hellbent on lacking flexibility?

And making penals more like conscripts, even though the topic is to diversify them from conscripts?

I thought the complaint was that when AI takes over, it screws up and loses all its units and predictably fails.

AI doesnt blob (as much as people do)

AI doesnt really attack tactically

AI doesnt care about unit preservation and veterancy.

In this game, molotovs arent the weapon that damages tanks...

Yeah, you can duplicate obersoldaten this way.

The new squad wont have an lmg34, though....

Volks have vet 5, a vet that allows them to passively self heal, and a panzerschreck upgrade. A squad with a panzerschreck is worth keeping around, and they vet crazy fast when the panzerschreck hits a vehicle. There is also a big difference between a vet 0 and a vet 5 volks' squad in terms of accuracy and durability. For a Soviet player, and as the enemy, there seems to be no difference between a vet 0 and a vet 3 conscript squad other than the latter giving me XP when killing it.

It is not only the actual squad, but its role within the faction. So, both are the cannon fodder of their faction. A volks with a panzerschreck is worth keeping around, especially one at vet 5. What is the incentive to keep using conscripts, other than capping infantry? If you arent satisfied with the AI of volks, then you have an alternative. Sturmpioneers (best unit on earth, IMO), and later, Obersoldaten. Depending on the commander, you may have either Panzerfusiliers, Fallshirmjagers, and Jager Light Infantry. So when conscripts are failing (which they will always do, if you actually bothered fielding them), you have T1 Penals (IF you went T1, and if you went with Penals, you probably skipped making conscripts altogether other than keeping one for the AT nade, since Penals are only slightly better Cons, which is also a terrible design). Then you have several commander with either Shocks or Guards. Shocks, being only effective at very close range. Guards, being weighed down by the only faction infantry held AT - the super crappy PTRS, with DP's being the only weapon making it somewhat able to go against other infantry that do no require munitions for AI prowess.

So volks have alternatives, and Soviets are stuck with cons (or duplicate Penals, who have a very good suggestion for change made by Cannonade). That is why I hate Soviet faction design, simply because it is designed around cheese strats and every other unit being either crappy in design, or terribly organized in the tiering system. Cheese strats are not fun to play as, or against. Compared to new OKW factions, i would think the Soviet faction design is very half-assed and deserves many big changes. Ostheer isnt too much better, but at least grens are viable, and stock (but still get stomped by Americans).

I would say anyone asking more of Volksgrenadiers is rather spoiled with other Axis units. Soviets have only two types of units. Cheese units, and trash units that are never made and are not worth the trouble managing. The Soviet units that are complained about are the only ones fielded.

Also, many vanilla faction vet bonuses absolutely suck, and many vanilla faction vet abilities suck (well, the same useless ones on many units).