First I think they should remove the unique buildables by specific Squad types and instead all Engineers can build any and everything. By giving specific Squad types unique Engineer buildables, it has basically made the core Engineer squads redundant and diminishes their role a bit. Why would I bother bringing an Engineer squad in my lineup if I can bring an MG Squad or whatever that has literally every single thing AND something unique. Engineers should remain the key support unit and have access to all the tools in the toy box. It really helps fulfill their extremely unique and strategic role.
If I’m playing as a Machine Gunner, it’s because I want to be on the frontline with the MG42 or BAR; not sit at the back of the map strategizing. When I play as an Engineer, I’m in a more strategic mind set where I have to think how I’m going to support the team
Having a wide variety of constructs also adds strategy and makes Engineers really have to think how they want to support their team because they have a limited amount of resources. Am I going to defend the point with sandbags and barbed wire, am I going to sit in the back and be AA, am I going to be an AT gunner, am I going to suppress the enemy with MGs, am I going to build rallies….
Another point some would say, why would I use X construct if Y is better. Well there’s a few reasons. First, every construct (even ones that are basically upgrades) have their intended roles, like HMGs and MG Nests. Different constructs also get different attention from the enemy. For example, I was a tank driving towards the objective and the moment I saw a DShK I immediately focused all my attention and basically over killed it with so much fire. A MG Nest one is likely to ignore or not bother. Another reason, resource allotment. Engineers have limited resources so they have to choose what they’re going to build to support the team. Do I build rallies, do I build 2 AT guns, do I build one AT gun and sandbags and a rally point, do I use most of my points and build one single Heavy AT gun… It’s basically a combination of strategy and balance
Also having Engineers have all constructs wouldn’t make the regular Squads redundant because they have different roles and strategies. For example, an AT soldier has a lot of flexibility and can easily adapt in the middle of battle to attack a vehicle, versus an Engineer AT gun that is stationary and far away from the battle but is basically hidden in plain site because everyone primarily looks for movement when fighting the enemy but an easy target once found. A Squad type and an Engineer can have a similar role but have different strategies and gameplay
A small tweak, you can build 2 standard Machine Gun Nests. It falls in line with the game’s general motif that the more powerful constructs cost more resources than their “little brothers” but have different roles. For example, the HMG is heavy duty and typically stays behind the “front line” to support from afar while the MGN are more directly infantry support
Infantry Support Guns- the polar opposite of the AT gun, fires HE, perfect for taking out large concentrations of infantry, constructs, etc; it gives the AT guns a better excuse to focus solely on tanks instead of balancing between them and infantry
United States: M1 75 mm Pack Howitzer
United Kindom: Ordnance QF 3.7-inch Howitzer
Soviet Union: M1943 Regimental Gun
Germany: 7.5 cm Leichtes Infanteriegeschutz 18
Italy: Cannone da 65/17 Modello 13
Japan: Type 94 75 mm Mountain Gun
Heavy Mortars- a more powerful mortar than the light and medium class ones in game, can only build one
United States: M2 4.2-inch Mortar
United Kingdom: ML 4.2-inch Mortar
Soviet Union: 120-PM-38 Mortar
Germany: Granatwerfer 42
Japan: Type 2 12 cm Mortar
Heavy Anti Tank Guns- more powerful AT gun with a high resource cost and can only build one, the regular AT gun would have a lower supply cost and you can build 2 just like the current AA guns and my MG Nest suggestion
United States: M5 3-inch Gun
United Kingdom: Ordnance QF 17-pounder
Soviet Union: ZiS-3
Germany: Pak 40
Italy: Cannone da 75/32 Modello 37
Japan: Type 90 75mm Field Gun
Heavy Anti Air Guns- more powerful AA gun with a high resource cost and can only build one, longer effective range, better suited for fighting bombing runs, they can also double as anti tank guns as many heavy AA guns found themselves in that role during the war
United States: 90 mm gun M1
United Kingdom: QF 3.7-inch Gun
Soviet Union: 85 mm Air Defense Gun M1939 52-K
Germany: 8.8 cm Flak
Italy: Cannone da 90/53
Japan: Type 88 75mm AA Gun
Heavy AT and AA guns would also be great for dealing with “grey zone” tanks, thus allowing the enemy to keep their active play zone, and for you to have another way to deal with them
Rocket Artillery- a rocket artillery platform, good for barraging an area, balanced because it would be very easy to figure out where the rockets are coming from because of their volley and smoke arcs (ironically just like how they were countered in real life), some would say it would be pointless in a game at this scale but the same could be said about a lot of things in this game, plus it wouldn’t be redundant to have both rocket vehicles and rocket artillery constructs (and even rocket artillery radio call in like I suggested once) because both have different roles, applications, and strategies
Rocket vehicles are mobile and armored, but are vulnerable to attack. Rocket Artillery Strikes cover a large area and ward off enemies but are very inaccurate. Rocket Artillery constructs can directly support the team but are stationary and vulnerable to attack.
United States/ United Kingdom Allies: Land Mattress, alternatively could only be available for the UK
United States: if you want to separate them from the UK and give them their own unique launcher, two candidates
T27E1
T66, used near the end of the war
Soviet Union: Mountain Katyusha, a variant of the famous truck mounted rocket launchers that was adapted for ground use in mountainous terrain
Germany: Nebelwerfer
Japan: Type 4 20cm Rocket Launcher, a rocket mortar, basically a heavier heavy mortar
15cm Rocket Launcher, experimental rocket launcher developed near the end of the war based on the Nebelwerfer, this game doesn’t shy from experimentals and prototypes so if they wanted to add a multiple-rocket launcher to match the Allies
Munitions Crate- an ammo crate that resupplies grenades, mines, AT weapons, flamethrowers, rifle grenades, etc. has a higher resource cost than the regular ammo crate and can build fewer, It would not make the regular ammo crate redundant because lots of players end up expending their ammo and need to resupply, I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve been on a streak only to end up needing to retreat to resupply. Well this would fulfill the same role but for the heavier weaponry, it basically rewards players who can survive, are on streaks, or if you miss a lot of shots
Flame Fougasse- a buried flamethrower mine, high resource cost and can only build one, can only be placed on ground like when using a shovel
Soviet Union: FOG-2
Germany: Abwehrflammenwerfer 42
Bangalore- explosive charges placed in tubes, can build multiple and they can snap together, basically functions as super TNT. The way it works is an Engineer builds a bangalore and they can then be picked up by a soldier (like the Lunge Mines in the Pacific) where they can be ignited and thrown. The more Bangalores snapped together, the greater the explosion but the slower you are when handling it like with heavy weapons. Would be great for clearing out enemy constructs or throwing them at tanks or in the objective
United States: M1A1 Bangalore Torpedo
Germany: Gestreckte Ladung
Japan: Type 99 Bangalore Torpedo
Support Weapon- I admit that it is fun using the Ampulomet as the Germans, the devs chose to add it as Finland, Germany’s ally, captured some from the Soviets. However I’ve felt it was always a little lazy to just give the Germans a copy pasted Soviet weapon. So I suggest instead each faction gets a unique Construct. The Ampulomet is the Soviet unique, and it’s removed from the Germans
United States: M18 Recoilless Rifle- used in the final months of the war in Europe and the Pacifc, it was especially valued in the Pacific as “pocket artillery” for dealing with well dug in Japanese, it was known for having better HE performance than AT
United Kingdom: Blackard Bombard, a heavy mortar, could either be it’s own emplacement or, more ideally like the Ampulomet, would be fixed to a sandbag wall or a concrete base as they were occasionally mounted on surfaces, would fulfill the same role as an anti tank and infantry lobber
Germany: 7.5 cm Leichtgeschutz 40, a recoilless gun used primarily by Fallschirmjager to give them a light support weapon on their missions
10.5 cm Leichtgeschutz 40, a larger variant, if they wanted to give Germany a stronger support weapon instead of the smaller one
10.5 cm Leichtgeschutz 42, similar to the 10.5 LG 40, was a manufacturing rival to the other model
Japan: Type 92 Battalion Gun
Now some changes
During the war huge amounts of equipment were shared among various allied countries and in game Britain and Italy use some constructs from America and Germany respectively. However I think it would cool if all factions had their own unique consturcts, when applicable, to let them stand out on their own.
They should rename the British AT gun the Ordnance QF 6-pounder. America and Britain both used the same AT gun but the Americans labeled theirs as the M1 as in game. I think it would be neat that British engineers have their’s properly labeled. So in your Squads, British Engineers have the QF while American Engineers have the M1
Next, give Italians their own specific Engineer constructs. While they did use equipment from their ally Germany, it would be neat to have their own equipment
AA gun- Breda 20/65 mod.35
Machine Gun Nest- Breda M37
Heavy Machine Gun- Breda Model 1931
