I agree, I’d love to see cover be utilized beyond just a single % damage reduction. I think performance improvements in cover would both help players use maxims effectively while also reducing mg spam.
I used this doctrine extensively in the past and I moved on. I think the lack of tank kills it. I’d suggest:
0CP T34/85 (built at T4)
2CP Conscript tank hunter package (100 muni: 4 ptrs39s, camo, can plant light AT mines, grenade assault)
4CP TMDB heavy mines (70 muni: immobilises vehicle)
4CP Camouflage (AT guns and tanks can camouflage but must remain immobile)
9CP Mark Target
There’s been a lot of discussion surrounding the M1910 Maxim HMG as of late. Lots of people contributed numerous ideas regarding possible venues of balancing the maxim. In my opinion any improvement has to contend with the dreaded “deathloop”, so with that in mind I have come up with a few suggestions meant to counteract it.
Suggestion 1: The beat way to counteract the deathloop is putting the mg behind heavy cover to make models resilient and allow retreat to take place. However against the Ostheer, this is frequently punished by rifle grenades which leads to painful wipes. This creates a frustrating “put maxim in cover and lose it to RG, or out of cover and lose it to deathloop dynamic. I think nerfing one end of this equation with either rifle nades dealing less damage to green cover units or maxim crews getting damage reduction to explosives in green cover.
Suggestion 2: Garrisoning maxims is usually one of the strongest ways to use them, which prevents them from being deathlooped. I have seen mods utilise buildings from engineers that can be garrisoned by mgs, so what about a low health small outpost build by CEs that maxims can garrison?
1) Everyone in the squad gets scoped Kar98s for improved long range accuracy.
2) Squad leader gets an MG42. Exactly like regular mg42 upgrade, except you get +1 model.
3) Squad leader gets an mp40 or kar98, or G43, but squad gets another ability. Perhaps sprint, or maybe pgren combined arms ability near vehicles, or calling artillery, or improved vision in cover or area heal like Brits medkits.
The Puma is causing a real dilemma: We dont want the PAnic Puma meta back (because the doctrine is the only one which gives you Puma access) but Aerafield is of course also right in showing that the unit and the whole doctrine is in a really bad state.
I personally would prefer a radical solution: Replace the Puma but give the doctrine a really strong unit back. Additionally the Osttruppen reserve should be replaced.
I think the 250 from German infantry would be a great fit, and this could be the chance to give the wehrmacht its own elite inf call-in.
Doctrine could look like this then:
Passiv SdKfz250 or CP2 250 with Pgrens
Passiv CommandoPz4
0CP Counter Offensive Tactic
2CP Panzer Tactician
2CP Wehrmacht Falls
If you wanna give Falls to the Ostheer, which imo would be a good fit, it needs to be through either the Luftwaffe Support or Close Air Support doctrines.