This update focuses on adjustments to the multiplayer metagame following up on the release of Opal Scorpion (2.1.0) in June. It targets dominant builds for all factions to make room for more variety in play. All factions are receiving reductions in power to their most powerful and dominant units to promote alternative build orders.
This update also includes several gameplay bug fixes and map improvements for Langres, Angoville, and Gabès Gap.
Please be sure to continue reporting any bugs or gameplay issues via help.relic.com so that we can prioritize fixes and changes for update 2.2.0 coming later this year.
General
Automatch cooldown has been removed from the 1v1 game mode. Quitting the match without using Vote-to-Surrender will no longer incur a cooldown penalty. You are free to quit a 1v1 match at any point.
Multiplayer Balance
General
Constructable Defenses
Some buildable objects are having their construction time increased to slow down how quickly areas could be locked down or fortified. This makes builder units easier to catch out of position when establishing defenses in frontline sectors.
Tank Traps
Build time increased from 7 to 9 seconds
Sandbags
Build time increased from 4 to 5 seconds
Barbed Wire
Build time increased from 2 to 3 seconds
Reinforced Barbed Wire
Build time increased from 3 to 4 seconds
Signal Detection
The general detection range is being reduced, forcing players to move these units closer to the front.
Detection range reduced from 125 to 100
US Forces
The US Forces Weapons Support Center has been the go-to tech choice and has been dominant in high level 1v1s. We have reduced the power on some key enablers such as the Bazooka Team, Scouts and the M3 Halftracks.
We are acutely aware that the Barracks tech choice has been languishing despite the changes given to BARs from update 2.1.0. We have attacked this problem by going after some of the Axis counters, but we intend to make deeper changes in the future in update 2.2.0
Scout Squad
Scouts were too efficient in combat due to their veterancy which allowed them to reach Veterancy rank 1 in the early game before the first encounter. We are increasing the time it takes for them to gain veterancy by one additional capture and reducing their first combat bonus.
Veterancy requirements increased from 500/1500/3000 to 600/1800/3600
Veterancy 1 received accuracy bonus reduced from 15% to 10%
Cost increased from 150 to 160
Artillery Observer Squad
Artillery Observers are too efficient, similar to pre-nerf Pathfinders. We are standardizing their cost to match the price increases Pathfinders have received.
Furthermore, we are reducing the veterancy bonuses of both Pathfinders and Artillery Observers to make them less effective in overall combat against other infantry as they are still primarily combat support units, not standard infantry or advanced infantry replacements.
Manpower upkeep increased from 1 to 1.5 per population
Population cost increased from 5 to 6
Reinforce cost increased to match Pathfinders at 32
Pathfinder and Artillery Observer Veterancy
Veterancy 1 received accuracy bonus reduced from 15% to 10%
Veterancy 2 accuracy bonus reduced from 30% to 25%
Riflemen Squad
Riflemen currently suffer from facing a wide array of cost-efficient counters which overshadows their general efficiency in combat. Some of these are receiving changes to indirectly boost the viability of Riflemen. We are also reducing their veterancy requirements to improve their Veterancy 2 timing and their scaling.
Veterancy requirements reduced from 950/2850/5700 to 900/2700/5400
¼ ton 4x4 Truck
Veterancy requirements for this unit have been fixed. Previously they were much higher than intended and did not follow the formula of x2/x3 for levels 2 and 3.
Veterancy requirements corrected from 600/2400/4800 to 600/1800/3600
Bazooka Team
Bazooka teams have been overperforming, being both highly effective against light vehicles early game and having strong scaling with powerful veterancy bonuses. This allowed the US Forces to reliably sit on basic tech and still effectively counter higher tier units.
We are increasing their veterancy requirements, slowing down their scaling, and significantly increasing Steady Fire’s delay before it activates. Bazooka Teams will now need to position themselves more carefully to get the same effective power as before.
Veterancy requirements increased from 800/2400/4800 to 1000/3000/6000
Steady-fire set-up time increased from 3.5 to 7 seconds
M3 Armored Personnel Carrier and Medical Variant
The stock M3 could be difficult to contend with in the early game thanks to its fast timing and durability against early game infantry small arms, allowing players to move it point-blank into standard infantry squads.
To make the stock M3 less effective in the shock role, we are reducing its health and armor.
Health reduced from 320 to 300
Frontal armor reduced from 10 to 7.5
M3 Assault Carrier
Frontal armor reduced from 10 to 7.5
M3 75mm Gun Motor Carriage
The 75mm is receiving adjustments to make the unit less effective against heavier vehicles at long-range. Currently the unit allows a player – when combined with Bazooka Teams - to remain on Weapons Support Center for most of their anti-tank options thanks to the unit’s price and lack of additional tech requirements. We have also increased the upgrade cost to make it less efficient to convert multiple halftracks.
Penetration reduced from 200/160/140 to 200/150/120
75mm Anti-tank Conversion upgrade time increased from 30 to 40 seconds
75mm Anti-tank Conversion upgrade cost increased from 60 to 75 munitions
Mortar Pit
Armor reduced from 5 to 3
Paratrooper Squad
We want to improve the Paratrooper unit’s performance as it scales throughout the game. To do this, the experience requirements are lowered and we are improving their bonus veterancy, to increase their offensive potential.
Veterancy requirements reduced from 1200/3600/7200 to 1000/3000/6000
Veterancy 2 rate of fire bonus increased from 15% to 20%
Veterancy 2 rate of fire bonus now properly affects all attack speed stats
Supply Drop
The supply paradrops for US Forces are having their scatter increased to reduce how often crates stack on each other.
Increased scatter from 0 to 8 meters
War Machine
Command Point cost increased from 3 to 4
Resupply Operation
Cost reduced from 180 to 150 munitions
Increased scatter from 0 to 8 meters
M4A1 Sherman Whizbang
We are adjusting the projectile arc of the Whizbang to be lower, allowing it to get its rockets onto target faster.
Now always fires in a low arc
Rocket speed set to 60
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht is having some key dominant units and abilities reduced in power, while seeing underperforming units gain some improvements.
Headquarters
The low cost of Medical Stations made the mid-game transition for Wehrmacht far too sharp. This along with other changes intends to give Allies more breathing room.
Medical Stations upgrade cost increased from 150 to 200 manpower
Kettenkrad Reconnaissance Vehicle
The Kettenkrad is having its build time sped up, allowing players to gain more map control faster. This should create a more dynamic early game where the Kettenkrad is chosen to quickly capture the map over multiple Pioneers.
Build time reduced from 30 to 20
Grenadier Squad
Grenadiers continue to struggle to earn their veterancy due to their low lethality. Their veterancy requirements are being slightly reduced to make their scaling easier.
Experience requirements reduced from 800/2400/4800 to 750/2250/4500
221 Armored Car
The recent changes to the Panzerbuchse for the 221 made it too effective against units like the Humber, destroying it in 2 shots with high accuracy. The change increases the number of shots to kill certain vehicles by 1 while still retaining the unit’s high accuracy and mobility. The Radio Antenna is also having its cost increased to better reflect its increased accessibility.
Radio Antenna cost increased from 35 to 50 munitions
Panzerbuchse damage decreased from 120 to 110
Blinding Shot damage reduced from 120 to 80 damage
Marder III M Tank Destroyer
Experience requirements reduced from 1500/4500/9000 to 1300/3900/7800
Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind
The following change is to make the Wirbelwind more vulnerable to light cannon fire from Allied Light Vehicles.
Frontal armor decreased from 100 to 90
Stosstruppen Squad
Stosstruppen were too durable when under the effects of Shock Assault, an ability that already denies suppression and increases offensive potential.
Shock Assault received accuracy bonus reduced from 20% to 5%
Panzer IV Medium Tank
The Panzer IV has difficulties dealing with armored targets, despite being the only anti-armor option in the Panzer Kompanie and when combined with other factors such as its average speed, mobility, and accuracy, it could be unreliable at engaging medium armored vehicles, particularly at distance.
To increase reliability against enemy vehicles, the unit’s medium-to-long range penetration is being increased.
Penetration increased from 220/140/125 to 220/170/140
Fallschirmpioneer
Veterancy 2 rate of fire bonus now properly affects all attack speed stats
Fallschirmjager
Fallschirmjager were too costly for their performance. While they could be potent when attacking from ambush, their high costs made it difficult to justify the expense for a small squad. To address this issue, we are slightly adjusting their deployment and reinforcement cost, and we will now allow this unit to scale faster through veterancy.
Manpower cost reduced from 380 to 360
Reinforce cost reduced from 44 to 40
Veterancy requirements reduced from 1200/3600/7200 to 1000/3000/6000
StuG Assault Group
Manpower cost increased from 650 to 660
StuG III D – affects the Afrikakorps variant as well
The StuG D is too effective due to how quickly it could fire and its veterancy bonus reduced the impact of flanks. We are slowing down its rate of fire and making its veterancy bonus only affect its frontal armor.
Veterancy 2 armor bonus now only affects frontal armor
Reload speed reduced from 3.5/4 to 4.5/5
Breakthrough
The following change is meant to reduce the impact of Breakthrough which allows players to quickly take/retake large amounts territory at low cost.
Duration decreased from 60 to 45 seconds
Munition cost increased from 40 to 60 seconds
Mechanized Assault Group
This change makes the Mechanized Assault Group less efficient as the player must pay the full resources for both units. The cost reduction is not needed as players could already bypass tech requirements with this ability
Cost increased from 520 manpower and 20 fuel to 600 manpower and 30 fuel
British Forces
We are addressing the wide disparity in effectiveness between 1v1s and team games for Canadian Shock Battlegroup. Some additional changes are made to smooth out the early game.
Dingo Scout Car
The Dingo is having its early game vision reduced to make aggressive action riskier, preventing it from easily seeing enemy positions before it engages. It will regain the vision bonuses as it reaches veterancy.
Vision reduced from 50 to 40
Veterancy 2 now also grants + 5 vision in addition to existing bonuses
Veterancy 3 vision and detection bonus increased from 5 to 10
Vickers Machine Gun Team
Build time reduced from 30 to 25 seconds
Bishop Self-propelled Artillery
We are giving back some of the Bishop’s firepower that it lost from the previous patch as the health change has made this unit considerably more vulnerable to counter-battery fire and direct assaults. Combined with its slower rate of fire, it made the unit ineffective in its role as artillery.
Weapon reload sped up from 3.75/4.25 to 3.75
Barrage recharge sped up from 50 to 45 seconds
Canadian Shock Battlegroup
We are making changes to how the pulse effects from the Canadian Shock Battlegroup work. While potent in 1 versus 1, the Battlegroup is weak in team games, unable to provide any benefits to allies, lacks the direct firepower and powerful off-maps of other Battlegroups, and point captures are more difficult to achieve.
The following abilities now also apply to teammates:
Attacking Spirit
Offensive Resupply
Churchill Crocodile Tip of the Spear
Point Assault
Attacking Spirit
We are reducing how effective the healing is from Attacking Spirit. In smaller game modes, the ability to skip the Field Infirmary and continuing to apply pressure to the enemy could be overwhelming when combined with the effectiveness of the British infantry.
Total healing reduced from 70 to 55
Canadian Shock Section
We are lowering the ready-aim time of PIATs as they took too long to acquire targets. While these weapons will not immediately fire at targets that have entered threat range, it will make it harder to back away from a PIAT squad without taking some damage if the enemy overextends.
The range of the mortar is also being increased to allow this upgrade to help it compete against the PIAT upgrade. The scatter is still high enough to ensure that some mortar bombs will miss and does not guarantee a wipe on a team weapon squad at longer ranges.
Mortar barrage range increased from 45 to 52.5
PIAT ready aim time reduced from 1.75/2 to 1.5/1.75
Incendiary Munitions
We are increasing the opportunity cost of Incendiary Munitions due to its high power.
Command Point cost increased from 1 to 2
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics was massively overperforming due to a bug that allowed multiple stacks of the debuff to apply to the same unit for a brief period. We’re also fixing a tooltip error that oversold the intended effect. Overall, players should expect a much lower effect on enemy units when using Pyrotechnics.
Fixed the accuracy tool-tip to properly state that it reduces accuracy by 20%
Speed debuff reduced from 25% to 20%
Deutsches Afrikakorps
Mechanized Kompanie
The Mechanized Kompanie is having its fuel cost reduced to be a more attractive option against Support Elements and allows units like the 8 Rad to hit the field sooner.
Fuel cost reduced from 55 to 50
Veteran Squad Leaders
When combined with the cost of Panzergrenadier reinforcements, Veteran Squad Leaders was too expensive. We are reducing the cost of this upgrade to better reflect its value for a faction that relies more on vehicles.
Cost reduced from 250 to 200 manpower
Assault Grenadier Squad
Assault Grenadiers were far too oppressive in the early game, having both the duration to make a full charge but also retaining the bonus long enough to consistently win over superior numbers.
Assault Disembark duration reduced from 15 to 10
250 Mortar Halftrack
The mortar halftrack was too durable to enemy fire when caught out of position. We are significantly reducing its base health to make the unit vulnerable to enemy fire even with upgrades.
Health reduced from 280 to 120
Marder III Tank Destroyer
The Marder is having its fuel cost increased due to the cost reduction of the Mechanized Kompanie and its anti-tank efficiency when upgraded.
Fuel cost increased from 35 to 40
Experience requirements reduced from 1500/4500/9000 to 1300/3900/7800
StuG III D – affects the Wehrmacht variant as well
The StuG D is too effective due to how quickly it could fire and its veterancy bonus reduced how impactful being flanked was for a unit that wants to keep its strong frontal armor facing the enemy. To reduce some of the unit’s power, we are slowing down its rate of fire and making its veterancy bonus only affect its frontal armor.
Veterancy 2 armor bonus now only affects frontal armor
Reload speed reduced from 3.5/4 to 4.5/5
Tiger Heavy Tank
The Afrikakorps Tiger is too efficient and is seeing widespread play at all levels and modes.
To address this, we are increasing the fuel cost of the Tiger to give the opponent more time to prepare and exploit the lack of opposing armor.
Fuel cost increased from 220 to 245
Goliath Demolition Vehicle
Now remains hidden for 4 seconds when leaving cover; matches other camouflage units
Transfer Depot
Manpower cost reduced from 200 to 150
Bersaglieri
The Bersaglieri’s speed allows the Afrikakorps to gain rapid map control and set the early pace of the game, allowing Bersaglieri to double up against a single squad before the opponent’s second non-HQ unit can reinforce. To give the opponent more time to prepare, we are targeting the unit’s initial speed, giving the opponent more time to bring up reinforcements and slow down how quickly the Afrikakorps can seize the map.
Passive sprint speed bonus reduced from 40% to 30%; veterancy 3 total speed unchanged
Bug Fixes
Gameplay
As previously noted, Canadian Shock Pyrotechnics no longer stacks its debuff numerous times on flamethrower application
Changed behavior of Artillery Radio Beacon to retain cooldown progress when monitored and not monitored by Artillery Observer Squad. Cooldown time remaining will now be based on percentage of cooldown which has progressed and whether the beacon is monitored (maximum 15 seconds) or unmonitored (maximum 45 seconds)
Fixed engineer units having extra 15 weapon range when minesweeper is active
Fixed Battlegroup paradrop ability audio playing at the start of map even if abilities aren't unlocked
Localization
Fixed issue where players were unable to join or start a custom match with the "Lorraine" map when the game was launched in Russian
Fixed a number of blank strings for Ukrainian and Russian
Maps
Langres/Angoville
Updated oak hedges to ensure units pressed close against them cannot be seen through them. This was occurring on Langres and Angoville
Removed line of sight from two additional capture points (the small strategic point featured in Angoville/Langres, and the Territory Victory Point on Langres). These two types were not included in 2.1's pass to remove all sight from capture points in Multiplayer
Updated small Strategic Points and Victory Points to no longer provide sight, aligning them with other capture points
Two Northern buildings have been adjusted/replaced to better rebalance the number of windows. Territory connecting the West Fuel to the Northern HQ has also been adjusted so that only a single strategic point is required, identically to the South layout.
Gabès Gap
Removed specific walkable rocks from impassible rock formations on Gabès Gap, preventing paradrops from landing within them
Improved the walkable rock formations on Gabès Gap, reducing the risk of vehicles being left floating or teetering when they park on them