Optional vehicles... help?

[Abaddon]

If someone's still playing this game, I need help to nail down optional vehicles.

I've never really used them much, so I'd like to know the benefits of using one or the other. I've been reading the wiki as well, but the info out there is spread out and doesn't really help much.

Rather than whether they are better or worse at one or another role, I want to know which one is more profitable for each faction. I know this may change with preferences, but generally speaking there's a better mix of units for starters until a player new to the faction learns to play them.

For example, I've played some british games and can tell the Kangaroo carrier is worse than the cromwell in general, since it only lets one squad to shoot even if it carries 3, so its strenght would be dropping troops around, which isn't the easiest strategy. Besides, the Cromwell tank adds some armor before the Firefly becomes available.

[SIRIUS]

I'll give my opinion, but keep in mind that it's some time since I played Vanilla:

UK
-Staghound: occupies the same role as the M5 Stuart/M8 Greyhound. Compared to the Cromwell Command tank you don't get the strong command aura, but you get an armoured car that, IIRK, is cheaper than the Stuart.
-Kangaroo: It's extra-armour for your Infantry. It makes your Infantry immune to Anti Infantry Weapons and MGs and the Kangaroo itself can take quite a beating if Over-Repaired and in Hull-Down Position. You are missing out on your M4/PzIV-equivalent, tho

US
-T17 Armored Car: Can't place mines as the Greyhound can, but is better against infantry from the get go, more heavily armored and slower. Realy depending on preferneces.
-M18 Hellcat: Compared to the M10 you've got less penetration but the ability to camoflage and a Browning MG on top if you which so. The M10 is better in overall support of your tanks against theirs, but if you want to micro your M18s can realy hurt when shooting from camo. Also it is slightly faster and better against infantry with the MG-Upgrade.

Wehr
-Schwimmwage: is supperior the the Bike due to having a reverse-gear.
-Panzerwagen (the Marder I/StuG-Reward): has less armour than the StuG, but it is a bit more mobile and has greater range. I dunno if it gets anything fancy with Vet but otherwise I would say the StuG is better due to haveing armour and getting good against Inf and Stickys on higher Vet.

PE
-Hotchkiss: you exchanged your anti infantry powerhouse (Pz IV Stubby) against an allrounder. It is "ok" against inf and tanks from the get go and quite fast. It's Wurframmen Upgrade is a good support ability, but one does notice the lack of 2 shots compared to the Wehr Stuka zu Fuß. It realy starts to shine when you get the long 3,7cm gun. With that Upgrade the Hotchkiss gets ungodly amounts of penetration and is even capable of penetrating the Pershing head on. There is quite a funny Replay by KrebsCoH where that comes into play :D
-Schwimmwagen 2, electric boogaloo: This choice depends on which vehicles abilitys you want. The Schwimm gets different abilitys than the Kettenkrat. But due to not haveing played vanilla in ages and when not useing either the Krat or the Schwimm 2 much I can't tell you which one has generally the better abilitys.

Just my 2 cents.

[Miiiiiiiiiiiiike]

With the m10 vs Hellcat. I've read in places that the M10 fires shots which are not actually shots. So the Hellcat is more reliabile that way. I tend to choose Hellcat.

Guetzwagen has double the population space compared to a Stug, 8 vs 4. So I tend to choose Stug.

Schwimmwagen can also handle one sticky bomb, and can float which is handy for those maps with passable water on them. It is about 40 manpower more however and not as fast for running down a fleeing sniper for instance.

As for PE schimwagen. I tend to choose the Kettenkrad if I plan on going with tank hunter tactics one, as Kettenkrad can repair and Schimwaggen does something else. I prefer schimwagen over kettenkrad if I go Luftwaffe tactics, as schimwagen can mark a target while the kettenkrad goes invisible. As for scorched earth, I think one booby traps and the other can lay incendiary explosives around the place or something.

I tend to choose cromwerll command tank over staghound. Just so my fireflies can shine. But there was a thing back in the day, maybe now where the staghound was very good against infantry from the main gun and the machine gun. I don't know if they fixed that.

Otherwise it's kinda hard to answer your question. It really comes down to trialing them all, and seeing which ones you like most of the time.

[Abaddon]

Thank you guys! I've been busy lately and couldn't reply until today.

I knew it would be a matter of personal preferences since those units are... you know, optional. First and foremost, I wanted to have some insight on what those vehicles were good at without having to test everything extensively from scratch, so at least I won't go blind into the battlefield.

After all, this game isn't one I play much, nor did in the past for that purpose. In any case, I'll take your piece of advice and put those units to the test as soon as I can.

Cheers!

[Slatie]

Hay. Just returning to this game to break up my mathon FarCry 4 play (Dam U Steam Summer Sale). How do I actually get at the optional vehicles? The green tag's ther but clickingon it does nothing - I have the Kangaroo selected and never use it.

Oh wait! Found it. Bloody hell I've owned this game since first release and I still can't remember how to play it. DOH!

[Fantastic Fwoosh]

Originally posted by Miiiiiiiiiiiiike:

Schwimmwagen can also handle one sticky bomb, and can float which is handy for those maps with passable water on them. It is about 40 manpower more however and not as fast for running down a fleeing sniper for instance.

I dont own the DLC to access said vehicles but im sure that the werhr schimwagon also has suppressive fire which is a huge advantage. Not sure if its a veterancy perk though.

• saying that its not instantaneous suppressive fire, its MG fire like the halftracks machine gun though im not sure it does much damage

However the bike becomes more robust with upgrades for essential sniper killing and has a decent rate of fire for building construction harrassment as well as being fast for zipping across the map.