The way I see people usually play them, you wouldn't even know Obers have a vet 1 ability :-|
I know right? It is such a great tool against close combat troops that want to close in. Fast animation, no timer, slow effect and damage. It also makes it more likely to 'snipe' models because te first model that comes out of the smoke will get targetted by the whole ober squad. It is also great for forcing units out of structures the same way molotovs do.
Then there are also boobytraps which are amazing. They have a high likelyhood of wiping 4-man squads, are only 50 ammo, work on whatever angle the enemy enters the circle and auto-detonates.
People just don't use these abilities and then they wine about Obers not being good enough.