Since the IS-2 is broken, what could be my Core Unit?

[Wekwekboris]

Okay first my strat consists of 2 Tank Guards with their T-34/85s, 1 IS-2, 1 SU-85 and 4 Assault Gear Sturmovies. Now with out the IS-2 I don't have a tank that can soak up damage and at the same time dish out pain to the enemy panthers/tigers/pIVs. IS-3 would be good but knowing I can't lose one is annoying. ISU-152 has great health but its armor is not that good as the IS-2 and its much slower and fires at a abysmal rate. I also use the ISU-152 as my support versus AT guns and AT tanks while my IS-2 and infantry is preoccupied. Since the KV-85 has been removed, I can't find a good unit. Should I just scrap this strategy and go to my other strategy that uses 3 katyushas and being extremely defensive?

[Dann88]

You have fixed units order like that so it's hard to help.
Just exploit the long range of weapons like AT guns, su-76, su-85 and ISU-152 as much as possible then.

[Pac-Fish]

Have u guys making all these IS-2 threads ever considered the notion that its a bug

[krupp steel]

All these ISUs and ISs and SUs are really giving me a headache.  I can't remember what tank is what.

[Wekwekboris]

All these ISUs and ISs and SUs are really giving me a headache.  I can't remember what tank is what.

The ISU is the Heavy Assault Gun. The SU consists of 2 vehicles ATM. SU-85 which is the Tank Destroyer and the SU-122 which is another assault gun that is like a StuH. The IS consists of 2 vehicles. The IS-2 which ATM is broken and the IS-3 the one time call in. 

[Jäger]

Have u guys making all these IS-2 threads ever considered the notion that its a bug

It's not, it's broken, and most likely wont be fixed for another 3-4 weeks.

[Wekwekboris]

Have u guys making all these IS-2 threads ever considered the notion that its a bug

It's not, it's broken, and most likely wont be fixed for another 3-4 weeks.

Yup. Until this is fixed I can't post my strategy for criticizing. I still might play this mod even though CoH2 comes out.

[Otto Halfhand]

Utilize the KV1, mechanic -production and light tankovy to get early T34/85 production into gear. The KV1 absorbs beacoup damage and uses no fuel. I order to get the MP for this you need to back off from 4 Stormovie to 2 or three squads. Two strelky with SMGs can be used to replace the two heavy stormovie squads. Ultimately you can expect to have 3 T34/85s and the KV1 as your core tank Army. What makes this combination work is the trade-off in resources you get from the mechanics production. The numbers do not work with 1000800MP/25FL/300MT for 4 stormovie though.

If you can't make this work for you by all means go to three Katyushas. They are hard to beat.

[Wekwekboris]

Utilize the KV1, mechanic -production and light tankovy to get early T34/85 production into gear. The KV1 absorbs beacoup damage and uses no fuel. I order to get the MP for this you need to back off from 4 Stormovie to 2 or three squads. Two strelky with SMGs can be used to replace the two heavy stormovie squads. Ultimately you can expect to have 3 T34/85s and the KV1 as your core tank Army. What makes this combination work is the trade-off in resources you get from the mechanics production. The numbers do not work with 1000800MP/25FL/300MT for 4 stormovie though.

If you can't make this work for you by all means go to three Katyushas. They are hard to beat.

Actually my former strat was 5 Ingenery and strait to Stormovies. Cap munis and get assault gear. Get my CS going and make 2 AT guns and creep to enemy frontline where I build tanks as soon as possible. Once I get 2 T-34/85s I fortify my frontline and attack the enemy. I make another Ingenery squad with a flamethrower and make a firebase/outpost on the highest fuel point location. Fortify there and make an IS-2. Attack enemy lines with the Firebase supporting and the T-34/85s exploiting the enemy lines while my IS-2 breaks the front along with 6 Ingenery that repair it while fighting. Normally I win this part but if I dont I make another IS-2 make another Ingenery Squad+ Assault Gear and use call ins. (ISU-152) and make 2 mortars. I win the game once I do this already. Never failed yet using this strat. Enemy harassment is okay at start and dont bother spamming the Ingenery. I make a total of 5 Ingenery at first because they only cost 20 pop in all and once you get 1 upgraded with assault gear, it along with the others can rout the enemy. If everything has assault gear you can defeat any enemy inf except Assault Grens maybe and KCH.

My 3 Katyushas involve 3 Ingenery only. Get CS and get 2 Strelki squads. Make 2 AT-guns and take the sector with highest fuel. Entrench there and make 2 THs and 1 Sniper. Create 2 IS-2s and a firebase. Leave the rest of your pop to the Katyushas. This is quite straight forward. I don't expect my IS-2s to take too much damage because of the 3 Katyushas.I make a pair that goes tank hunting. MY Strelki and Assault Sturmovie along with the sniper will hunt down enemy weapon teams. THs stay with the IS-2s because I can use all the extra AT I can get. If the enemy gets quite a large force of troops and vehicles I use my Katyushas again. KTs cant stand a chance with 2 IS-2s alone. Now this strat also makes use of IS-2s but I can replace them with 3 T-34/85s as they are only for tank hunting. The breakthrough will be done by the Inf along with Arty support while my Tanks and THs tag along and destroy any vehicle.

[Otto Halfhand]

WekWek, Your strategies seem fairly sound to me. It sounds like you are playing annihilation with pop cap. You are using pop very well. Your expenditures of munis and fuel are huge. It is surprising you can maintain such map control with ingeneri.  I like ingeneri and conscript starts because they optimize the MP maintenance costs.

I think you will be happy with three t34/85s until the IS2 comes back online. I seldom use the IS2 myself. Too slow.

You use a lot of AT. I like to go with 13 to 18 pop worth of light Tankovy. I use ATGs on smaller maps and THs on larger maps although I have a preference for THs because they upgrade with no muni cost. I always try to recrew AT guns with THs too. I suspect they operate ATs more effectively... An impression on my part that may well be erroneous.

The only suggestion I would make is that you use your Katyushas more on the base areas and expected paths to the front/retreat. I find they are more effective at reuducing Axis effectiveness through attrition of pios. It is hard to keep a mech force in the field without repairs, as you well know.

[Wekwekboris]

I do play on pop cap. No pop cap doesnt really test my strategies cause what I will normally do is spam Strelki and T-34/85s and get to IS-2s. On map control, I entrench. I mean every munis that has 10+ value I entrench there with outpost, AT gun, MG dugout and 1 Assault Sturmovie. Earlier in game I make my conscripts but I mostly rush the enemy base to delay them to allow me to entrench my first position. Once I get my high fuel point I block the passes but I leave 1 small gap that is well mined with mines and AT mines and an MG dugout. I then make my firebase on the high fuel point and make an FOB. I move my army quite slowly but I leave my approches fortified or booby trapped    I also miss my KV-85s. It works well on this strat but not so much on the breakthrough one.