The point is, penals eat grens for breakfast, tommies eat grens for breakfast, riflemen eat grens for breakfast.
Behold a revelation:
Penals are supposed to eat grens, they cost much more.
Tommies are supposed to eat grens, they cost much more.
Rifles are supposed to eat grens, they cost much more.
Now, add an MG or sniper to the mix and you have a whole different situation.
Grens are SUPPOSED TO BE EATEN ALIFE IF UNSUPPORTED.
Squashy 4 men mainline infantry unit eaten alive by double upgraded riflemen, double upgraded tommies. Now even non doc soviet infantry shit on them in the form of penals.
240mp+60mun is being eaten alife by 280mp 120/140mun or 300mp 60mun is problem why again?
Grens are the most expensive mainline infantry unit to reinforce. They only have 4 men and one weapon upgrade. Them not having a fith man was linked to it screwing up the soviet-ost matchup. Guess what, penals rape grens now and a 5th man is definitely needed to keep grens viable.
In case you've missed the memo for the last 2 years:
GRENS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO WORK ALONE, THEY WILL FAIL IF YOU SPAM GRENS ALONE.
Grens are supposed to be used with support of HMGs and Snipers, BECAUSE THEY ARE INTENDED TO BE COUNTERED BY MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE UNITS.
Using grens without combined arms is about as smart and efficient as is using RETs exclusively to repair USF vehicles-it just won't work, because its not supposed to be done this way.
That still isn't any excuse to buff what doesn't need buffs.