Red Star Lend Lease Techs

[AgentTBC]

Is there some advantage to spending spec points on the lend lease techs in the DLC that I'm missing? The limiting factor on equipment is the supply points or CP or whatever its called to deploy tanks into the scenario unlike in real life where lend lease equipment was IN ADDITION to the Russian stuff rather than INSTEAD of it. So I'm not really seeing why I should spend spec points to be able to buy Valentines or US tanks when I can just buy T34/41s or whatever instead?

Seems like lend lease equipment should take up a bunch fewer supply points or something to reflect this. Because in the game every Valentine or Matilda 2 or whatever is something I would have to take instead of an equal or better Russian tank?

[bebro]

In Red Star the benefits aren't soo huge. But you get a bit of free stuff for Arctic Convoy. And in Red Steel a few triggers related to this spec if it's been activated which result in a small CP bonus if used right (how-to gets described in Red Steel).

Also in Red Steel, US LL tanks aren't too great indeed, but once you have the LL air spec Airacobras are worth it. Trucks are slightly cheaper. Halftracks are better but cost more, since they were not delivered in huge numbers. They come in last tho.

[kondi754]

I regret this very much, because despite the Soviet propaganda after the war, Western tanks were highly valued among Red Army tankers
There were several armored corps composed of M4A2 Shermans within the 1st Belorussian Front and the 1st Ukrainian Front, so they operated on the main operational direction through Poland towards Berlin. All these corps were the avant-garde of the onslaught, the pursuit of the fleeing Germany (similarly to Patton's Shermans in the pursuit through France to Paris and the German border and later through Germany to the Czech Republic and Austria).
The Shermans had excellent engines and suspensions and could travel much greater distances without failure than the T-34s. Similarly, Valentines, therefore these British tanks were the equipment of tank brigades in the cavalry corps on the Eastern Front.
I think you should work on the right balance in parameters and price (both RPs and CPs) between Shermans and Valentines and T-34s.

[LandMarine47]

I found that maintaining T-34's and KV tanks was simply not viable in most cases, with my tanks averaging maybe 4 or 5 lost HP. It is even worse if you want to keep your experience, the LL tanks were pretty good at punishing attacking German infantry, and baiting german tanks into AT and artillery kill zones, or at the very least soften up the attacking tanks so the t-34's can finish them off. As for the LL trucks, I actually never unlocked M3 Halftracks in Red Steel, so I just keep using trucks on HW inf and arty. I tend to keep my guards infantry on foot to conserve CP.

[AgentTBC]

I got the first lend lease objective in scenario 1 of Red Steel! Definitely an interesting way of doing it and makes spending the spec points more worthwhile.

[bebro]

I think those LL Shermans are not sooo bad stat-wise. The prob seems to be mainly that they're last in LL and before you either have to live with Brit tanks or use Stuarts/Lees (that is if you want to go with LL). And during this time you already have access to T34s and KVs

I think Lee > Sherman can be usefull if nursed properly. To boost them a tad we could include all 3 US LL tanks in one series to allow cheap upgrades.

While they are not the same technically the Sherman evolved from the Lee, and since they're all LL they are delivered from the US anyway, which would justify to "cheapen" them IMO. So they could get a common "LL tank " upgrade family.

[kondi754]

I think those LL Shermans are not sooo bad stat-wise. The prob seems to be mainly that they're last in LL and before you either have to live with Brit tanks or use Stuarts/Lees (that is if you want to go with LL). And during this time you already have access to T34s and KVs

I think Lee > Sherman can be usefull if nursed properly. To boost them a tad we could include all 3 US LL tanks in one series to allow cheap upgrades.

While they are not the same technically the Sherman evolved from the Lee, and since they're all LL they are delivered from the US anyway, which would justify to "cheapen" them IMO. So they could get a common "LL tank " upgrade family.

Excellent idea, besides, the M4 medium tank (Sherman) had many common elements with the M3 medium tank (Lee/Grant); eg. some elements of the hull (early versions), suspensions and equipment inside
Maybe also 1 Sherman for free as reward for the execution of a task during first or second scenario in new Soviet's DLC

[OrangeA]

I'd say leave things as they are; In my game LL was more a novelty and I kept my core force Russian only but I did enjoy the other LL units already on the field in scenarios. It's also a nice choice to have as a selection as tanks such as the lee are great at anti-inf. ect.

[AgentTBC]

The most useful LL equipment to me is the... M3 Lee, is it? The light tank with speed 10. It's a lot better than the Soviet equivalent. Sure, light tanks get eaten up by german anti-tank and such if you aren't careful but I enjoy having one or two for quick strikes at artillery or to pocket a bunch of enemy units sometimes. Usually only on the scenarios where you can deploy tons of equipment of course.

The Airacobras are ok and a straight upgrade to the P-40, but yeah you get the superior Russian fighters pretty quickly after the P-39s show up. But they're still fun!

The trucks are not very useful. Sure they are a bit cheaper but by the time you can research that tech you've already got pretty all the trucks you are going to use. I guess if you occasionally remove trucks to squeeze in one extra CP and then add it back next battle it might save you a tiny bit but nothing like the value of the spec points. Not sure what can be done about that, though. Maybe make the American trucks even cheaper... like super cheap... so that you can fire/add trucks all the time. That would be actually something you might do but as is I don't see a lot of value in that tech.

[OrangeA]

The most useful LL equipment to me is the... M3 Lee, is it? The light tank with speed 10. It's a lot better than the Soviet equivalent. Sure, light tanks get eaten up by german anti-tank and such if you aren't careful but I enjoy having one or two for quick strikes at artillery or to pocket a bunch of enemy units sometimes. Usually only on the scenarios where you can deploy tons of equipment of course.

The Airacobras are ok and a straight upgrade to the P-40, but yeah you get the superior Russian fighters pretty quickly after the P-39s show up. But they're still fun!

The trucks are not very useful. Sure they are a bit cheaper but by the time you can research that tech you've already got pretty all the trucks you are going to use. I guess if you occasionally remove trucks to squeeze in one extra CP and then add it back next battle it might save you a tiny bit but nothing like the value of the spec points. Not sure what can be done about that, though. Maybe make the American trucks even cheaper... like super cheap... so that you can fire/add trucks all the time. That would be actually something you might do but as is I don't see a lot of value in that tech.

Yes the M3 Lee, great for encircling and blasting infantry.

[WarHomer]

I agree that the LL techs are quite underwhelming.

Generally I find the techs in Red Star a bit uninteresting and for the first time ever in a DLC I don´t enjoy shopping techs.

[GabeKnight]

Wasn't it the same with the Beutepanzer spec for the Germans? The only really useful vehicle of out that spec was the Universal Carrier unit...

So far I enjoy the B-something strat bomber. Better and cheaper than the Soviet one.