I don’t know why it’s designed in such a way but I feel like Airfield West is so undefendable for the Allies as the Germans can easily move around and get close to the spawn points completely current off any reinforcements while using MGs to just sit outside the objectives and effectively kill everyone inside with there being no counter.
In the latest match, I played they had a tank that played the role of gunning down everyone in the objective with most of the players I see having no way to counter the heavily armoured tanks that the German side loves to bring. Also on the last objective, a player managed to get close enough to one of the spawn points to burn everyone inside upon spawning, with the spawn for the bunker being right in the open with hardly any cover giving any German free kills, especially as the main entrance; the easiest way to enter is located towards the Germans. Forcing the US to note run across an open area that the Germans can easily take control of but they then are forced to fight into an objective they are meant to be defending from the worst possible way.
I think that in order to balance the map out there needs to be way less open ground surrounding the edges of the map where the objectives are, especially with the last one; I also believe that with the last objective German forces need to only be able to push halfway into the hanger so they can’t kill US players as they spawn. The objects inside the hanger also need to be made less destructible to German players can’t sit on the nearby mound and gun down everyone inside of the hanger, maybe also add closed hanger doors as a prevention method. With the bunker, I believe rotating it 90 degrees to the right so the main entrance is facing towards the US spawn alongside increasing the amount of solid cover in between the spawn and the bunker should fix the issues there. I sadly can’t really talk about the other objects as I mainly seemed to get killed before I could reach them to defend them by German forces being in places that seemed to far forward for what was needed to take that objective.
Airfield is just a bad map in general in my personal opinion especially as German main. Way, way too open, tanks can be spawn killed for either side, the “amazing” idea of air ballons being tied to tickets for some reason since ballons are apparently very, very important to the defending sides military. Just overall a bad map, I’ve only had a handful of good matches on it as both attacker and defender as a German main.
I understand the frustration of this unbalanced map but Germany isn’t the issue, the map balance with little to no cover is the issue that’s felt by both German and Allies mains from what I can tell so far.
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Making use of non-meta gear is the key here.
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Smoke especially. Use it to block of their lines of sight to move your troops in to position, and keep laying it down to force them to move forward while blind. If they can’t see with their tanks, they will often quit trying to use them.
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AT field guns and squads. Germans have heavy armor, but not invincible. Clear out one of the flank sides and make use of your AT options. Also, keep in mind that higher level isn’t always better. While the bazookas do have more penetration, they also shoot straighter. If you utilize the PIAT as more of a lob weapon, you can penetrate through the upper armor of heavy tanks from distance.
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Defenses. This can be tricky, as right now it usually choses between 2 locations for several of the objectives, but at least on Airfield there are some objectives that are guaranteed. Back up to them in advance and set up. It may take some time, but it can be worth it. Don’t solely focus on the objective area itself, but the routes leading up to it too.
- Set trenches for wire. 2x7/ wire structure. Set it in the open areas that infantry is likely to try to pass through. This can be detrimental to them in terms of health, movement, and usable space.
- Make use of blast doors and cars. The blast doors of bunkers cannot be destroyed. So if you close them and park a car against it, blow up the car, that door won’t be opening again unless they bring a tank up to move it. Just remember to leave at least one entrance for teammates to move in and out.
- Gunports. In the airfield bunker there are gunports for either entrance. If you block one entrance with the car trick, you can watch the other one by setting a mounted (H)MG nest in it. Needless to say this can be brutal.
- Czech Hedgehogs and AT mines. Don’t block roads entirely as this can both hurt your team, as well as miserably fail due to tankers being able to simply deconstruct Czech Hedgehogs. The key is to make a “Gate”. Use Czech Hedgehogs to force tanks and other vehicles to stay on the road, then lay AT mines on that road. This allows friendly vehicles to pass, while also killing enemies swiftly and efficiently.
- AP mines. Use them in areas that enemies will move to that would give advantage. Flanks, ladders, the area between trenched wire and the objective. If you are playing with friends, have them load up on mines and place them each time they spawn, making a large minefield (make sure to have adequate space between mines to prevent chain reactions). If you are the only one, make them count.
- Utilize AA. Clean up their aircraft when you get the chance.
- Ammo boxes and sandbags. In some areas, sandbag walls can be stacked. Use them to make gunner nests for teammates. Ammo boxes are a great way to not just resupply teammates, but also draw attention to areas for other teammates as they show up on the map (which I think (H)MG nests, AT field guns, and AA should too, but they don’t currently.)
- Last but definitely not least, set a rally point ahead of the area you are trying to fortify. This gives teammates a way past all of the defenses and makes it less likely you will get an angry meta troll that starts breaking down all your structures because they “got in his way”.
Utilize these methods and you will likely have a much better time on Airfield (and other maps as defense)
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Heres the main jerks:
Gogol street south (attack) - We all know why this one is terrible, it’s the terrible map placement and point Placement, providing NO cover for the attackers, even with supply trucks, it is almost impossible.
All maps including the Train gamemode - Though they are fun to play, Attackers supply trucks (Like the soviets, that are trying to stop the train) can just bypass the spawn areas and get behind the defender spawn, additionally they can spawnkill using this and flamethrowers.
Trenches (Berlin campaign) - It’s impossible to defend because there is barely any cover, and I’d also much rather defend the actual Reichstag building than the trenches of it.
Garden of the ministery? (Berlin) - Im not sure if this is the right map, but it just allows the Soviets (Or the germans) to walk into the first point and spawnkill.
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The first ( or last for the germans) capture point
in Airfield inside that one big hangar is the best example of how not to balance a map - one side needs to get into the hangar through 2 tiny doors, while the other side can enter the hangar from all directions, and even shoot at it from their own spawn.
So to speak one side has all the cover - while the other side has non.
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After adding a paratroopers this map (Airfield West) is a piece of cake.
You jump on the second hangar and have an view on all enemy rally points and also enemy tanks.
If only more destruction could be a option but even a simple wall hole is too ehm “unrealistic”.
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