How exactly does the ISG have a howitzer role ingame? It has all the traits of a mortar. Unlike the Pack Howitzer which, for its light howitzer role, actually has a much higher damage profile and abilties that give it even better damage profiles.
By definition Le.ig is Howitzer. Mortars use higher angel trajectories can be used allot easier behind shot blockers and can retreat.
In addition with the current changes to USF tech and commanders USF simply has more option of indirect fire support than OKW going med track.
A no tech mortar, the pac Howitzer, the Scott and the major Arty.
Pack howizter is an OP unit comparable with Le.ig with better base stat and far better vet bonuses. The vet one and vet two abilities is one of the best abilities available to any indirect fire support weapons.
Veterancy for ISG is inferior to mortars how exactly? Except for the barrage accuracy bonus, which I mentioned, the ISG gets better veterancy than mortars now that its vet 5 is actually going to be achievable next patch.
Vet 1: +25% smoke barrage range
Vet 2: +33% smoke barrage range, -23% received accuracy
Vet 3: -40% recharge on both barrages
Vet 4: +1 shell per barrage
Vet 5: +15% pen, +15% damage, -20% scatter
Compare to:
GrW 34
Vet 1: Counter Barrage ability (useless)
Vet 2: -40% barrage recharge
Vet 3: +20% barrage accuracy
PM-41
Vet 1: -25% flare recharge time
Vet 2: -40% barrage recharge
Vet 3: +20% barrage accuracy
Its vet 0 performance is also practically identical to mortars since the indirect fire rebalance patch.
Mortar get at vet 2 what Leig get at vet 3 -40% barrage recharge.
Both vet 1 and vet 2 bonuses of the leig are quite bad. Only the received accuracy is some what decent but that it there because the unit can not retreat.
The vet 4 is quite weak and even at vet 5 it only gets half the reduced scatter mortars get at vet 3.
To sum up Le.ig gets far worse vet bonus than howizter a unit that is closer to and even get inferior bonus to mortar.
The vet 0 performance is far from being "identical" to mortars, the AOE profile and ROF are worse than that of mortars and far inferior to Pack's AOE. All in all the unit is more expensive yet inferior to mortars at almost all vet levels.
Even with the doctrinal incendiary rounds that take up a whole commander the slot the weapon is ineffective.
In the end of the day one can simply swamp the Leig with Ostheer mortar and buff the unit to the appropriate levels. The change fit faction thematically, it would solve a number of issues and would open the way to replace the incendiary grenade of VG with frag one.