Profile of Pip

I don't think that's why it's part of the ability. It has more to do with what shadow mentioned:

It's the same reason that Incendiary Rounds require a reload to function, surely? It's 99% intended as a balancing measure; to delay the ability's activation. The fact it makes it less likely for you to reload during the ability was just a small side-effect.

The military use of mines isn't to kill as much units with it as possible, but to deny a certain area for movement. You want to protect a flank or canalize enemy troop movement in a certain direction where your defences are very strong.
Mines often get planted in a way that you can see them from your side so that you can quickly clear them in case you need to move through the area by yourself. The sod gets raised a bit and the mine gets pushed under the sod in such a way, that a part of it can be still seen from your side.

The biggest problem with mines at our days is that millions of mines got planted randomly, hidden and without records in many situations where you had civil wars, guerilla wars with irregular troops/militias or bad trained miltary troops/officers.

I'm aware, but in the context of CoH2: Mines exist to kill (Or at least facilitate killing a vehicle). I'm just jokingly suggesting S-mine fields not have their signs (Which would make them obscenely broken)

The biggest problem with S-mines is really just the ease and expedience at which you can place them on retreat paths. With the recent suppression changes, their other most effective scenario (Squads blundering into a field when the player isnt watching) has been somewhat neutered.

I assume the ease at which mainlines can cause wipes with retreat-mines was the reason for the change?

Disagree. For actual tournaments and stuff sure, but for automatch it's not really a big deal. Not playing for money or anything. You, in fact, *can* mount an assault on a position during a blizzard. However, it takes a slightly different playstyle to do so. Blizzard assaults require infantry carriers to bring troops to the frontline where they can take cover from the cold and prevent loss of heat.

Firepits aren't necessary for staving off freezing to death, they just return heat to soldiers. Cover protects from the wind which halts loss of heat. Also, infantry carriers provide heat.

Blizzard combat is mostly mechanized besides units who upgrade to have resistance to cold or have it by default, like snipers.

The problem is that building multiple infantry carriers is not terribly viable as a strategy, and this leaves you open to your carrier running over a mine/being hit by AT fire, which can potentially result in further squad wipes. They are generally very vulnerable.

You "can" mount an assault, but you are /severely/ disadvantaged to the point where it is all but non-viable.

yes well said. blizzards just open up another path of plays, some like it for the extra branching

while the past presentation, blizzard is too mechanical with the countdown timer and all

i been saying, randomized the blizzard and shortening the time a bit, add it back to automatch

I wouldn't call them alternate plays, I'd call them acts of desperation. The fact of the matter is that coldtech makes defensive play much too strong.

ST should never be in the game in the first place.

The whole principle the unit is build around does not fit CoH spirit series.

I agree with you, for once.

I think the AVRE could very easily and convincingly be turned into a Brummbar/105 type unit, though I really don't know how you could change the Sturmtiger and have it still feel as though it's acting "correctly". Both units really should be changed though, oneshot abilities like them (and the old B4) are abhorrent design, and do not fit CoH2's gameplay loop.


On topic for OKW commanders: Scavenge clearly needs a rework, you're almost always better served by picking Overwatch, it really doesn't provide anything terribly unique or interesting (Though the Ostwind is a fantastic unit). Beutepanzer have been suggested before: Some sort of Beutepanzer Sherman (Some type of command tank?) may be an interesting avenue to explore.

GoD and Luftwaffe similarly could do with some tweaks, though they're seemingly not too unpopular. I'm not sure what you might do with GoD, but I wouldn't mind seeing Fallschirmjager tweaked to have a more defined role (Even if that results in them being made worse at some ranges) so that the commander doesn't crutch so hard on them. This might leave room for a "Luftwaffe Ground Forces" squad of some description, or the commonly requested Ostwind.

Other than that;, as Sanders has said; OKW's commander selection is fairly healthy, seemingly. I'd LIKE to see changes to Elite Armoured, but the numbers imply it is pretty well balanced.