Future proofing the faction: Armored Assaulter premium squad for Japan

[Optical_Ilyushin]

Seeing the new changes, where the game is moving away from historical campaign setups and is now beginning to enter the realm of more traditional tech tree style content, I propose a premium squad for the very far-flung future of the Japanese faction. I do not expect this to be a necessary piece of content just yet, as the researchable best weapons and squads for the Japanese faction would need to accommodate for similar or peer assets in the first place. Still, seeing as Japan will have to fight against the weapons found in other campaigns, of which many are substantially more potent than what is currently in the Pacific campaign, I do believe this to be an idea worth exploring and considering for addition in some form or another.

The idea is somewhat in the space of the AS-44 assaulter pack from the Berlin campaign as well as the Fedorov squad in the Moscow campaign; using Japanese body armor, which saw use in the 30s in China, as well as the Experimental Ultra-Light Machine Gun, effectively a Japanese experimental assault rifle, I propose a premium assaulter squadron sporting body armor. To distinguish it from just being an AS-44 clone squadron, which has a substantial emphasis on weapon handling on account of +14 weapon handling, this squadron would instead demonstrate increased durability.

The statistics, composition, and equipment of the squadron will be proposed as follows:
4 assaulters, 1 engineer (all carrying the ULMG, body armor) (EDIT: alternatively, to match Fedorov squad composition, 3 machine gunners, 2 engineers, perk alignments would be closer what already exist there, however, this also changes the squad from assaulters to machine gunners. That said, the Fedorov MG squad does also use assaulter III base perk so this would really only change the composition).
Assaulter III baseline perk and upgrade cost (+100% healing from medpacks)
+8 vitality
-8 weapon handling

Preloaded perks:
+35% vitality
+20% weapon aim speed
+15% speed of decreasing of the shot spread after quick turning, -25% shot spread after quick turning
+100% stamina regeneration speed

Large backpack
3 medkits
Explosion pack
Knife

I do not think it would be a good idea to introduce just yet, for one, we have yet to see how the matchmaker system would scale, and for two, as stated before, we would first require Japan to reach a comparable level of potency in the main progression tree for assaulter weapons. That said, I think this would ensure there is some level of higher level counterplay against future scenarios, as Japan could very well end up facing quite potent US, UK, and USSR forces in the future.

Ideas for candidate regiments, thoughts, ideas, criticisms, and concerns are all welcomed, as per usual.

[CCCP_PaPaSha]

Huh. Interesting. I never knew Japan also had armored troops.
It would be all kinds of fun if the armor functioned as it should have historically (I think the Soviet assault engineers’ armor could repel 9mm Parabellum). But sadly, it’s only cosmetic in nature.

As for your idea, sure!

[Optical_Ilyushin]

I believe there are some pieces of kit which provide a very mild damage reduction, but overall yeah it would be cool to see them look into body armor more extensively. If they really wanted to go full “armor” gimmick for this squad, the ULMG also had the option of a mountable gun shield, which could be made to deploy when you mount the weapon on a surface.

[CCCP_PaPaSha]

I would implement this in a way that you cant walk or move and fire with it, make it a deployable object only that you could pick up after you were done. I imagine that gun shield is very heavy.

[Optical_Ilyushin]

Indeed that would be a fair compromise. The gunshield was indeed quite heavy, from what was posted to that fantastic Japanese weapons thread, the shield basically increased the gun’s weight from 5.6kg (comparable to the Fedorov Avtomat, funny enough firing the same cartridge) up to somewhere as heavy as the Type 99 LMG.

[CCCP_PaPaSha]

Plus, it would make the weapon very front heavy. So I could imagine it would be difficult (Unless your character pumped iron since birth) to shoulder and fire that with any accuracy. Also, it would balance the weapon’s gameplay. You trade more protection for prone firing for mobility. Let’s hope they see this and consider it

[Optical_Ilyushin]

yeah, I would love to see it once the Japanese faction expands a bit more, low-key hoping for a tech tree ULMG for assaulters to arrive at some point now that the campaign system has kinda been dropped.

[MarshallsIora]

@Optical_Ilyushin

moving away from historic

Haha at this point why not add a premium Sukhoi Su57, Warthog, M1 Abrams, and P90 squad

[Optical_Ilyushin]

I mean we already see the AS-44 premium squad, with the AS-44 being a literal competitor to the AK-47 and having never seen combat, I don’t really see how this squad proposal jumps the shark any more than campaigns such as Berlin have.

[Kaisershlacht]

true if soviets can have this then japanese as well , dont know what would allies got, maybe m2a1 carbine squad or i dont care they have johnson LMG anyway

[Kaisershlacht]

AR-10 premium rifleman squad XD

[CaptainSebekel]

Half of Japanese stuff is proto or home island stuff anyway…

[Kaisershlacht]

[gastanofrizzi]

I cant find something more modern

[Kaisershlacht]

new era of meme is ahead of us

[Optical_Ilyushin]

There is a potentially very funny combination a friend of mine brought to my attention, if for whatever reason people would accept it;

「"The Brewster Body Shield was effective, damn effective. In fact, after US Army testing it was found that the Brewster armor could deflect bullets from a Lewis light machine gun. Dr. Brewster himself demonstrated the armor to the Army by personally wearing a suit while a squad of soldiers riddled him with bullets. At the end of the demonstration, Dr. Brewster declared the each bullet only hit with, “one tenth the shock which he experienced when struck by a sledge-hammer.”

While Dr. Brewster’s armor was effectively bullet proof, it was also impractical. At 40 lbs the armor was heavy, but that was the least of its problems. The armor was inflexible, the soldier wearing it could not bend down or twist at the hips and torso. The soldier also could not turn his head, and was limited to a narrow view at the forward. Running with the armor was difficult, diving and other evasive maneuvers were impossible. It was also very difficult to fire a rifle because of the armor’s slopped design. Fortunately, Dr. Brewster’s armor was never adopted by the US Army, and never saw combat. 」

Maybe combined with the Stinger LMG, which was a very funny field modification of the AN/M machine gun firing at something on the order of 1300rpm.

Given the raw mass of the armor, as well as the cumbersome shape, this could potentially be a squad of extremes: improved durability, maybe taking half damage or even flat out having tank-style armor penetration mechanics, however, this squad cannot aim down sights, and cannot sprint.

I might make a suggestion for this as well because it sounds very funny, but I suspect players would be more interested in keeping the Stinger as a potential end-of-line LMG.

[SexyTent]

I cannot wait for that Japanese version of the juggernaut to come out.

[Optical_Ilyushin]

Real Jin Roh hours

[SexyTent]

Jin-roh is one of my favorite anime.
BUT,What they are wearing is German equipment, so if you want to add that, Germany needs the original steel jaeger unit as well.

[Optical_Ilyushin]

I’m honestly surprised we don’t have an armored German machine gunner/assaulter squad yet, all things considered.