various buffs and changes, for allied divisions.

i originally started writing this post as UK artillery vs US artillery balancing ,but now i decided to add in balancing feedback on other factions. i’m trying not to aim for giant reworks- i think most of the ingame docs are good, but could use some slight value changes.

it also got WAYYY longer than expected. sorry about that.

US artillery:

basically, i made a post as a response to someone else asking for comparisons of US artillery vs UK artillery, and i basically came to the conclusion that US artillery doesn’t really stand up to UK artillery, imo.

there’s a couple things i would change to make them more relevant

1: switch the ammo dump/200 fuel->200munition drop between the docs. i think the ammo dump would help make US artillery a bit more well rounded, where as the conversion for UK artillery will make them a little bit less well rounded (which they might need imo)

2: replace the wolverine barrages with a “improvised field artillery coordinated barrage” from the wc-51 dodge forward observer vehicle. basically, for 120-115 munitions, all wolverines, jacksons, and pak43s fire in artillery function at a point. i think it would be balanced because most of these guns are 90mm caliber or less, so not exactly high damage, and would need lots of manpower put into all the individual artillery units, not to mention the wolverines would have to get to vet 1 before they could be upgraded into jacksons, further limiting how quickly one can mass all the artillery units tied too this barrage.

3. change the 57mm emplacement. basically, i don’t  see a reason to emplace such a low caliber gun. iirc it doesn’t get much extended range over the non-doctrinal 57mm AT gun, or fire rate, and still needs munitions to load AP rounds for a short time. maybe giving it AP rounds by default, supported by longer range and faster fire rate over the default AT gun, would make it more worth while. or increasing the number of AT guns in the emplacement from 1, too 2, as it was in beta testing if i recall correctly. or maybe just make it a captured pak 40 :P.

Guards armored:

1. a buff for tulips.

they are decent, but for their price, and the vulnerability of the units they are placed on, i feel like, honestly, they could use a buff. maybe having the sherman call in come with tulip rockets (and some other changes i detail later on in the post) by default would be a good idea, and tulip rockets being a free upgrade for fireflies, due too their high base cost, would make these rockets more convenient and usable vs german superheavies. finally, a little bit extra DMG wouldn’t hurt either, and maybe a small chance to stun as well.

2. a lack of indirect fire.

this problem plagues this doc. you only have the 250 munitions rocket strafe and fire bomb strafe, which is good… if you have 250 munitions. personally, i think 100 munitions or less for a gun only strafe/patrol would also be a good investment to help support the mobile offense focused tactics this doctrine is about.  i also think this 100 munitions ability should be available by default, not tied to an ability tree unlock.

3. the cromwells and shermans.

specifically, the fact that you don’t have any cost-efficient call ins as other british docs (1050 manpower for 2x comet, or 1350 manpower for 2x firefly and a squad,). your options are 900 or 800 manpower for the 2x damaged shermans, 800 manpower and 100+ fuel for a firefly, or cromwell spam. there’s a couple things id change here, such as reducing the price of the air support cromwell, due too it lacking  main gun or good field of view when in radio mode,and reducing the price of the centaur ARV to recover vehicles, due to the lower cost of guards armored vehicles compared to US armor vehicles. also, buffing the sherman dispatch so they both have vet 1, tank commander, and tulips by default, to make the call in more potent late game, as the sherman already only has 1 of the standard 2-3 MGs shermans usually have, and no HE to make up for this deficiency. maybe the shermans should also have access to the same AP rounds as cromwells have.

4. the fireflies.

they are in a decent spot, but compared to other british AT vehicles, from other docs, they dont seem to compete well. maybe have the (much more expensive than usual) firefly have free APDS rounds,not by default, but tied into with the AP ammo unlock, and more increased range for the 6x magnification scope, but with a lowered rate of fire, due to needing more time to aim, to justify its fairly expensive price and too differentiate it from the basic polish armor group firefly. of all the british doctrines, it feels weird how this doc has (in my opinion) the worst type of AT vehicle, being the most expensive while not bringing anything too special. the 6x magnification is strong, but it at best lets you get one more shot off, if the enemy knows to close within range to deal with the firefly, they can nullify its advantage.

5. the 17pdr.

this 17pdr is pretty good as is, and its mobile form factor fits the mobile doctrine very well. i just wish that, instead of accessing the unlock for 17pdr from cromwell AP rounds, it should come from the centaur ARV, apart of the engineering part of the tree, as i think it would allow that section of the ability tree easier access to late game AT methods, besides going straight for firefly, and increase the cost of the AT gun from 400 to 500-550 manpower, and giving it the same APDS rounds as the firefly.edit: i also think its APDS rounds should be free when the AP round unlock, on the ability tree, is unlocked.

to sum up, guards armored, imo, is far from the best of the british docs, meta-wise. i think they just need a couple of changes to support more gameplay options besides just cromwell spam.

Lowland Infantry

generally, i think this doc is pretty alright. good tanks , decent artillery, and good inf. a couple things could still use some tweaks though

1: The green howards/duel oerlikon

honestly, its pretty good. i just think it falls flat in comparison with the bofors which (iirc) is available by default to all other british docs. it cant garrison troops in it , and it requires 4CP total to unlock compared to the 0CP other docs have to pay for it, iirc. even US artillery has a bofors with only 3CP spent total to unlock it. personally, id have the green howards unlocked by default, maybe reduce their price a bit too make up for it being garissonable by infantry. too re-organize this small branch of the ability tree, id have the mortar pit unlock (which i will detail more about later on) be available first,  and have it lead into the 17PDR unlock which comes after it. also, maybe later on in development the model of it, instead of using the m15a1 37mm model could be replaced with the 2cm flak halftrack model, as it might fit better and will allow the emplacement to rotate 360 degrees.

2. the mortar pit

overall quite a good emplacement, and a thing that is often overlooked but quite powerful for this doctrine. as i mentioned earlier, i think it should have a unlock on the tree, taking up the unlock for the now default dual oerlikon emplacement. other than that, i think their alright. maybe a victor-target barrage for the m4a3 observation sherman, for cheaper than the standard mortar offmap, as an addition to the mortar pits standard barrage to give them some long-range bite when coordinated by the sherman, might be a nice idea, but them as short range high defensive and limited offense structures also works well.

3. the infantry

overall, pretty decent. the only thing i would change is maybe give the glider the ability to produce more airlanding brigades when in friendly territory. (keeping the unitcap of 1x assault and 1x perimeter defense) to replace lost ones, as it is a infantry doctrine overall, and highlander infantry sections could use a buff. maybe let them have access to either the LMG kit, available by default and lets them upgrade with 1-2 brens, or once they have access to vet 4 the sniper kit, which lets them upgrade with 1x sniper, similar to what they already have. this ,and raising their cost to 300 manpower to balance out the 2x lmgs, should make them a bit more viable at the long-range fighting they are supposed to do, as they can get standard infantry upgrades, while the recon kit is still available. in addition to this, i think the victoria cross promotion should instantly raise any unit its applied too to max vet, to make that vet 4 highlanders a bit more achievable and the 100 munitions more well-spent, and the officers “hold the line” should give nearby units suppression immunity and reduced hit chance, to make it a bit more special ,and because historically british officers wouldn’t duck when under fire, as shown in multiple anecdotes, and this suppression immunity would represent that historical aspect ingame.

4. the artillery

although not an artillery doctrine, the artillery of this division seems very harsh to pay for. 400 manpower for a sherman without a main gun and no recon, unlike the beobachtung panzer 4 of the axis, coupled with 600 manpower for a sexton, and this isnt including fuel costs or munition costs.  personally, i would reduce the price of the sherman for the same reasons as the air support cromwell in guards armored,something like 200 manpower and 50 fuel, and even the sexton from 600~ manpower to 500-450 manpower, as it is only a 25pdr 88mm artillery gun compared to a priest. also, maybe consider having the land mattress, instead of firing on its own, have a coordinated barrage by the sherman OP, for both land mattresses, if you have both of em. might be a bit excessive, but i think with a high enough cost of 250-300 munitions too fire, combined with the high cost of a land mattress itself, will justify it. maybe a similar coordinated land mattress WP barrage as well.

other than this, i think all is well with this doc. its a infantry doc, with infantry tanks, and infantry, and generally, its overall balanced.the land mattress changes will help the doc counter superheavies, and other than what was said, maybe giving the comet call ins the same hull down ability the other tanks have would help a bit, but mainly just to standardize the tanks of this doc.

US infantry

1: the infantry

good across the board. the BAR with the second lieutenant promotion help makes that part of the tree more viable, but i still think the doctrine misses a doctrinal long-ranged squad. i think the addition of a 2x M1919 ranger squad, maybe 4-man to balance out the LMGs, would help make the 4cp unlock easier to stomach early on, and to make all 4CP more worthwhile. this, and maybe giving the ranger AT squad some captured faust’s and panzerschreck, to help counter late game axis super heavies,  would help round out this doc. maybe also give the ranger 550 manpower assault team a captured LMG-34 by default, similar to the scotts default captured STG-44 from lowland inf, to make the squad a bit more potent at all ranges.

2. the tanks

with the addition of the sherman jumbo 76, and the 105mm sherman having extremely potent 105mm HEAT rounds, along with a barrage and HE rounds, i think this doc has pretty good armor; maybe replacing the standard m4a3 sherman with the m4a3 jumbo 75, similar to how lowland doesn’t have cromwells but only has churchills, would help standardize the doc and give them just a bit more late-game potency, which they need in my opinion. also, the 1250 manpower rag tag circus seems to be too much of a gamble to be worth; compared to the kv-2 or beutesherman call ins the axis have, running the risk of getting either a stug or a panther seems too much too those random call ins. id suggest merging the stug and panzer 4 battlegroups into one; you either get a panther, or a panzer 4 and a stug 3. beyond this, maybe give the rag tag infantry squad that comes with the battle group some extra weaponry or free veterancy, to make them further unique too standard riflemen, would make the rag tag circus battlegroup less of a gamble too use. maybe reducing the price to 1200 manpower aswell might be needed.

3. the artillery

a bit lacking for a infantry division, but personally, i think it is allowable considering all the strong tanks and infantry the division has. the 105mm sherman barrage, 107mm mortars, and xylophone batteries make for a good enough assortment of artillery. the only things i would add is a 75mm WP barrage to the m8 scott, to give the division a bit more potent mobile artillery.

4. the maxson AA emplacement.

an alright defensive placement, but a bit unreliable. it feels as if when i place it, it doesn’t face the way i intend it to face, and its suppression feels less than it should be for a stationary M16. i feel like, for its 70 munitions cost, it could be a bit more accurate and have a bit higher suppression, to make it the proper anti-infantry emplacement it should be.

i think this just about finishes my post. it is quite long, and probably not very succinct, but i hope that what i typed is consistent with my experiences of playing wikinger and isn’t biased or skewed towards any faction. i plan on making a similar post for axis doctrines, but at a later date. id love some feedback on my ideas, so feel free to comment, and thanks for reading all i had to write.

• This topic was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by 123nick. Reason: fixed some html code errors
• This topic was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by 123nick.