Improving the Sixth Airborne "Red Devils"

[I WUB PUGS]

How would we feel about giving them a card of Air Landing in phase A?

I would also really like to see some starred 6 pounders in Phase A, maybe a card of two double-stars? Can that be 'airborne'

The artillery tab feels like a mess for me. I honestly do not want to take away the off-map strikes, but there's only four slots. I'm thinking about a 2 x card of one-star pack howitzers and moving the 1x card of off-map to Phase B. Maybe even make that a 3 x card of pack howitzers.

 

[Unethical Llama]

Their artillery tab is a mess in the sense that it's the first division where I've actually had to make a decision in which artillery to bring, and there's a real possibility I might run out in a full length game.

Probably the best designed artillery tab so far. No silly decisions like "would you like 4 M7 priests or 12 M7 priests?" even though it would be questionable to bring in even 4 in the first place.

 

[IronHat]

Every division needs an atg or a tank to destroy halftracks.

the 12thss, 21st, 3AD, and the 91. luft have easy access to ATW. Their line infantry carry either faust or bazooka. On top of that, those four division have access to HT or Light armor themselves. (91. luft is admittedly is the weakest of the four in terms of ATW)

The french get the best Light armor.

2ID, scots and 17th SS lack the abundance of inf atw, but they have medium tanks in phase 1 and lots of ATG.

352 is entirely reliant on their anti-tank slot, and do have trouble against LV spam.

The gammon bomb is extremely weak and should not be relied on. the single pak 40 is an extremely high value target and prime target for any arty. the tetrach have bad accuracy with no vet.

 

[mitchverr]

Its another 1 of those times I would normally suggest having at least 1 armoured car recce in phase A to help with fighting halftracks, but oh well

(hell, staghound was also a command vehicle for british forces, could have a command version for another phase A AP gun, but this time with HE for brits)

btw speaking of, doesnt the staghound have 3 mgs on it but only 2 ingame used?

 

[Max_Damage]

the 12thss, 21st, 3AD, and the 91. luft have easy access to ATW. Their line infantry carry either faust or bazooka. On top of that, those four division have access to HT or Light armor themselves. (91. luft is admittedly is the weakest of the four in terms of ATW)

The french get the best Light armor.

2ID, scots and 17th SS lack the abundance of inf atw, but they have medium tanks in phase 1 and lots of ATG.

352 is entirely reliant on their anti-tank slot, and do have trouble against LV spam.

The gammon bomb is extremely weak and should not be relied on. the single pak 40 is an extremely high value target and prime target for any arty. the tetrach have bad accuracy with no vet.

yeah yeah and 6 ab has at guns, piats and tetrarchs in phase A to destroy the halftracks

 

[mitchverr]

yeah yeah and 6 ab has at guns, piats and tetrarchs in phase A to destroy the halftracks

at gun*

 

[Max_Damage]

at gun*

and dont forget the recon boys carrier

 

[IronHat]

yeah yeah and 6 ab has at guns, piats and tetrarchs in phase A to destroy the halftracks

6ab have atg, with no 'S'. The only atg the 6 airborne have access to is the one stolen pak 40.

the 2 men AT squad in general are trash, and not just the PIAT. You're stuck on the defense with them. Line infantry with their own atw are significantly better.

tetrach is not reliable and by itself is no where enough. Their ability to provide fire support is also trash since the 2pdr lack HE and there's only the coaxial mg. even the 222 will give the tetrach trouble.

the 6 ab is easy to stop in phase A and their b and C are also pretty weak.

 

[MarcoRossolini]

Airborne early game would be a bit more powerful if halftrack autocannons didn't aim so quickly, as it stands now Tetrarchs are having a very bad time against them in my experience and it comes down to autocannons aiming super quickly. It'd be a much more even fight if a Tetrarch had a chance to get the first shot off.

 

[Panjam404]

This division is solid, way better then any axis division atm. superb city fighters and have Op allied planes.... calling for them to be buffed is a learn to play issue, this division is really strong. best recon tab in game and amazing cost effective infantry.

 

[Yung Rommel]

This division is solid, way better then any axis division atm. superb city fighters and have Op allied planes.... calling for them to be buffed is a learn to play issue, this division is really strong. best recon tab in game and amazing cost effective infantry.

Let's 1v1! I'll be 21st Panzer, you be 6th AB. Deal?

 

[Protosszocker]

This division is solid, way better then any axis division atm. superb city fighters and have Op allied planes.... calling for them to be buffed is a learn to play issue, this division is really strong. best recon tab in game and amazing cost effective infantry.

Air isnt as strong as it was. I think you dont have a chance against he pegasus division atm and Luftlande is also hard to kill with 6th ab. You just running out of steam to fast. And the big flaks will stop your napalm bombers in phase b.

 

[TGApples]

I still think 6th AB can do ok in 3v3+ games. I don't think they need a large buff. They can take and hold an area where engagement ranges are expected to be low and while they'll be hard pushed to hold it into the latter part of C, at this point they can transition to support with air.

They can do ok in 1v1 against the right opponent on the right map. They struggle pretty badly when there are 200m+ engagment ranges and halftracks/autocannons on the other side. They're not really versitle enough to be viable as a ranked deck.

Airborne early game would be a bit more powerful if halftrack autocannons didn't aim so quickly, as it stands now Tetrarchs are having a very bad time against them in my experience and it comes down to autocannons aiming super quickly. It'd be a much more even fight if a Tetrarch had a chance to get the first shot off.

Or if Tetrachs got another point of armour. I don't know how that sits for realism though.

 

[mitchverr]

Or if Tetrachs got another point of armour. I don't know how that sits for realism though.

Armour is a "tad high" vs IRL as is to be fair

Though the tetrarch could easily be given a faster aim time, 2 pounders were very easy to aim at targets. Chieftains hatch shows a matilda off with the concept. A well maintained 1 could be done by a couple fingers.

 

[Solanis]

Not really playstyle related but the assault pioneer units have a typo in the name. At present it's spelt "pionier" which should be "pioneer".

 

[FatRefrigerator]

They need counters to light vehicles in close quarters areas. HT spam kills them.

I had this problem, as well as dealing with the god awful hellscape that is mortar spam.

 

[I WUB PUGS]

I still think 6th AB can do ok in 3v3+ games.

They can, but they need the first choice of ground to fight on.... and a competent user. Any map where they've got city or bocage as the center of their section and the edge of the map as one of their flanks they seem to do pretty well. 1v1 seems like too wide of a front.

I haven't looked at them in 2v2. 4v4 has the same rules as 3v3 and I've actually not played a 10v10 with or against them yet.

 

[Max_Damage]

Btw has anyone noticed how much better inf divisions become on the maps with numerous building?

Like i relly enjoy 6 ab on Carpiquet. But i cant say i enjoy it on Collenville there are no buildings to make use of, only the hedges which dont give nearly enough protection.

As for the balance of 6ab. Its fine i think. If people play the 91. Luftlande then they sure as hell can enjoy 6ab very easily.

 

[jack_saxon]

In my experience the IG-18 has never been a popular choice among players because its function isn't as obvious as, say, an AT gun. Because it isn't popular, the problems with their use aren't as obvious. As it stands, the IG-18 are brutally effective AT weapons when playing against the 6th airborne. They are cheap, numerous, and capable of threatening all available armor that the 6th airborne has to offer. This is the primary problem I have had playing at the 6th airborne. There is no reasonable way to contend with these units.

The only available response in phase A are Tetrarch CSs which match range with the IG-18's and are very exposed to anything with an AP weapon.

The 6th airborne is the only division I have struggled to use in AI matches since launch. I challenge anyone who disagrees to try playing with them and against them in an AI matchup against and with any other division and report the results.

 

[mitchverr]

Well, something that could help on the light armor front possibly, copy what the Polish have of using staghounds in the support tab as a phase A unit, would then give them a helping hand, not only AV 3 tanks (they already have staghound in phase b/c as recon).

Something to remember to ask for if eugen ever do a free unit pack like with the wargame series ^^. Or if anyone can find a source on them being used in support, the AEC would make a very handy unit to help (8 front armor, not bad for a car).

Or if eugen wanted a quick fix if the division was underperforming as it were.