Profile of tenid

I don't see any issue with the scopes.

For starters, the commanders with scopes are decent, but give up stuff like the tiger and, more importantly, vehicle smoke.

The added sight is also subject to terrain restrictions, which the valentine and IR halftrack aren't. I actually like that it gives the 222 a role in the late game.

The added sight also only works when stationary. From memory, it could make the Elefant a pain to use since it would try to rotate to a target, lose the sight and stop all the damned time. It was a nightmare before prioritize vehicles was introduced.

As for the ISU vs elefant - the ele is a dedicated tank destroyer, while the ISU at the time was obliterating inf and vehicles from range.

My view on the PIAT is simply that nothing should require attack ground to make it viable.

Recon planes for the Assault ability (Commando Regiment) still give no sight.

I think it's pretty safe to say that this guy is the weakest of all the British commanders. I know there have already been quite a few threads about this, but they focus mainly on the Sexton. Instead, I want to go through the commander as a whole.

So what have we got?

Early Warning
3 CP, 60 munitions, 30s duration

This ability is good. Lights up enemy frontlines for a reasonable price. Not much else to say really.

Concentration Barrage
4 CP, 100 munitions

This ought to be the core ability of the doctrine, but the restrictions on it kill it entirely. To use this ability you have to have line of sight, pay 100 munitions (sections flares are 45 per use by comparison) and each gun will only fire 3 shells as opposed to 6 fired when section flares are used. Also comes with a big red "I'm firing here" flare.

When the game launched it could be fired without line of sight - allowing the base howitzers to be used like an ordinary howitzer with the exception that other howitzers don't give a big red flare to warn the opposing player. Combined with anvil it could be used an accurate counter to ISGs and the likes, but was munitions intensive. Without explanation or even a patch note it was changed to require line of sight - which begs the question "why would I use this instead of section flares?", especially given that the section flares barrage is cheaper and better.

Even when blind firing in the past, Anvil was more or less required to make it worthwhile. The base howitzer shells have the worst possible dispersion for a howitzer, and their AoE is small to say the least. A direct hit is required to do anything and even against stationary OKW trucks you couldn't rely on shells hitting them without airburst.

I would suggest that the line of sight nerf be reverted to give the doctrine back one of its key pieces.

EDIT:
As of the February patches, Concentration barrage can now fire into the fog of war again! This is a massive improvement and almost makes the ability viable again. Problems remain due to the 25 pdrs being generally unimpressive, the high expense relative to tommy flares for half the shells fired and anvil being more or less required to get mileage out of it.

Valentine
6 CP, 300 MP, 80 Fuel, 12 Pop

Any time I've seen this used, it has essentially just been a fog of war scanner. I've never found it good against inf, and at 80 damage its main cannon is pretty weak against anything but light vehicles. Indeed it seems worse at combat than the cheaper (340/50/8pop), non-doctrinal AEC which does 120 damage.

It's also the only unit I can think of that requires another specific unit for its vet 1 to do anything at all.

Sexton
9 CP, 375 MP, 90 Fuel, 14 Pop

There has already been a ton of discussion on the Sexton and why it's just plain bad, so I'll simply link a few for now:
http://www.coh2.org/topic/44942/i-m-surprised-they-didn-t-buff-trash-sexton
http://www.coh2.org/topic/41457/the-sexton-sucks
http://www.coh2.org/topic/43619/sexton-underperforming-for-cost
http://www.coh2.org/topic/43672/ukf-sexton-stats-comparison-buff-needed
http://www.coh2.org/topic/43429/the-valentine-and-the-sexton

Perimeter Overwatch
10 CP, 225 Munitions, 2 minute duration

All this ability effectively does is turn your map sectors orange and eat munitions. Assuming even perfect sight, you have to wait for the base howitzers to turn to target and by that time the point can be decapped so nothing will happen anyway. Assuming it does get a volley or two off, it does little to deter or wound an attacker since the AoE on 25 pounder shells is so low and the accuracy bad enough that hitting anything at all is pure luck. For this to be useful at all the base howitzers need to turn a bit faster.



Really, the main problem is that the artillery the entire doctrine is based around simply isn't good. Low area of effect and splash cripples both the base howitzers and the Sexton. It simply isn't worth giving up units like commandos for artillery that's too random to have an effect. Likewise if you want to use artillery to clear entrenched positions, you're better off using the Concentrated Artillery Operation from Special Weapons Regiment.

I'd also say that the Valentine and Sexton seem to be balanced around the synergy between them - but as a result neither are useful. A higher cost, better Sexton would make the synergy harder to obtain - but it would actually be worth doing. A combat capable Valentine would mean you might actually get vet 1 to use it in the first place. Both being viable would also mean sinking your pop cap into it wouldn't be suicide.

Anyway, that ended up longer than I thought it would but I do think this commander badly needs looked at.

You are however likely to build more than one comet.

Part of the problem with the AEC is that it's a reactive play. As it stands it exists to kill light vehicles - and is pretty pointless outside of that. If you build it in anticipation of light vehicles, and the opponent doesn't build any you've just delayed your own tech significantly for very little gain. If you build it in response to light vehicles - by the time the research is done and the unit built you'll likely have suffered severe damage from the enemy because you have nothing to stop or slow their light vehicles.

I've never found it to be much use once medium armour hits the field (other than a body to stick command vehicle on). Its snare is also quite poor - 2 shots, 8s snare if one hits, 22-25 seconds if both hit and it can (and will) miss.