Under the current doctrine system in EiR, doctrines are limited to the template of infantry-mobility-armor: one doctrine type of each, per faction, doing exactly what they say on the tin. The difficulties of balancing concentrated power like that along with the fact that infantry doctrines are always going to be the most powerful doctrine in EiR makes this design philosophy outdated. The idea is further compounded by the biggest problem of them all: they're, for the most part, not very fun to play.
To that end, I've devised a totally new set of doctrines, ditching the infantry-mobility-armor template as well as the old ideals of 2009-2012-era doctrines. Take any preconceptions of what you think the doctrines should do (i.e. Scorched Earth being 100% about lighting things on fire and camping in one spot) and forget them.
Using my knowledge of the military formations present in Normandy and their equipment, tactics, and exploits as inspiration for ideas, a new set of thematic doctrines has been created. Each doctrine aims to have a little bit of everything within them (i.e. at least one tank or infantry buff) without becoming samey. Some go faster, some blow things up with artillery, and some drop gliders on Vet5 Hummels in the backfield. The doctrines aren't constructed with specific builds in mind, rather, they're created with an overall thematic direction about what the doctrine should do, with a multitude of tools and buffs to fulfill that purpose made available to you, the user. Each doctrine has been created with a unique flavor and I've done my very best to balance fun with, well, balance. OP is not being balanced with OP, period. 2009-era doctrine power is to remain a thing of the past, in an effort to retain newer players who would have a terrible time of learning about utterly OP buffs and unlocks that can erase units almost without the opportunity for counterplay. In order to maintain secrecy, suspense, and to fend off long and spiteful theorycrafting threads regarding exact bonuses, only vague descriptions of each doctrine will be provided. Work is to commence ASAP and will hopefully be completed sometime between New Year's day and ~spring of 2019.
Expect constant wipes and resets as there will be a wipe after the inclusion of each new doctrine. Doctrines will be input one at a time, starting with CW, and then moving on to PE, US, and finally WM.
Here's to an understanding community, those devs and players that came before us, Relic and THQ for an outstanding RTS, and the struggles of millions as they grappled for control of France in the summer of 1944.
Ambience:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPbSCENrY4g
US:
Regimental Combat Team (RCT; ex-Infantry): Combined arms-driven doctrine that is truly jack-of-all-trades. Combine a variety of units within your company or opt to simply overwhelm your opponents with wave upon wave of infantry. Either way, you'll have the full might of the American industrial complex behind you, providing extra ability uses, weapons, and above all else, trained fighting men in great quantities. A balanced mix of indirect, infantry, and vehicular unlocks mesh well with upper unlocks that offer many options but fail to apply successive buffs to any one unit type.
Airborne Task Force (ABT; ex-Airborne): Infantry-focused doctrine that takes the best Allied infantry and makes them even better. Upper unlocks lack direction and instead buff your Airborne infantry and available light support options in a variety of ways, from improved officers and scouting to enhanced handheld and light AT options. No matter how you build your company, air support will never be far away--all offmaps rain fire from the skies, such as the unique Fighter Sweep ability that reduces the effect of enemy aerial offmaps by way of debuffing them and shooting them down.
Armored Combat Command (ACC; ex-Armor): Tank-centric doctrine that combines heavily-buffed medium armor with enhanced crew weapons and tough new infantry--Armored Riflemen. Upper unlocks cover everything from infantry to Pershings and are (almost) unilaterally offensive buffs designed to crush Axis opposition with pure, unadulterated firepower. Offmap support appears in the form of P-47 bombing runs and defensive sectory artillery fired from LCT(R) assault craft floating off the Normandy coast, among other things. Additional repairs keep your vehicles in the fight, and improved capping options for your LVs complete the doctrine with some handy non-combat bonuses.
CW:
Infantry Brigade (BDE; ex-Royal Canadian Artillery): Fully mechanized doctrine that assaults Axis units with audacity and guile. Everything is on tracks, from mounted infantry to hard-hitting AT vehicles like the Lend-Lease 3-inch SP M10. Overwhelming flamethrower usage flushes any entrenched Axis units out of cover where they can be slain by all manner of vehicles sporting improved MG statistics, while new vehicles convey command buffs while on the go. Offmap support is lacking, with only a very light Spitfire Strafing Run offering any direct damage potential. Instead, offmaps provide utility support with speed buffs and quick smoke placement.
Commando Troop (CDO; ex-Commandos): Elite infantry and untrained civilians combine to swamp enemy units under a blanket of espionage and hidden explosives. French Partisans make their debut to infiltrate behind Axis lines, sewing confusion and destruction in their wake, while support vehicles like the 57-mm-armed T48 "ATGMC" halftrack and Centaur IV smash targets too tough to attack with your infantry. Unsurpassed scouting and recon potential blends with powerful new small arms now purchasable by your infantry units, such as the VGO machine gun. Concentrated aerial offmap support appears in the form of Lend-Lease Mitchell bombers and the Mosquito "Tsetse" fighter-bomber.
Royal Tank Regiment (RTR; ex-Royal Scots Engineers): Slow, unrelenting juggernaut of a doctrine that grinds your opposition to dust. Advancing at an agonizing pace, Churchill tanks, 17-pounders, and infantry push the front lines forward covered by heavy artillery. No fancy unlocks here--the best your infantry will get are hand grenades; all finesse is ignored in favor of overwhelming force. On and off map artillery combine to reduce the landscape to nothing more than barren moonscape over which your tanks and infantry can crawl. Latent infantry buffs offer imrovements to Tommies as well as the 2-inch SBML mortar, while the 17-pounder exists without buffs due to its inherent power.
WM:
Ost-Bataillon (OST; ex-Defensive): Largely resembling the current doctrine, albeit with several rebalances and the removal of some key, OP buffs. Slow moving infantry and support weapons hold the line against the Allied hordes, backed by scarce StuGs and elite officers. Crew weapons are the name of the game, and they'll serve you well especially when backed by large numbers of recrew infantry. Offmaps are the same as they have been for a long time, with 28 cm barrages, FTFL, and V1 rockets staying comfortably right where they are.
Tigergruppe (TGR; ex-Blitzkrieg): "Close with and destroy the enemy" taken to the extreme, this doctrine is all about overwhelming the enemy with a steady stream of infantry and vehicles. Keep up unrelenting pressure with numerous sprint buffs, call-in timer buffs, and other bonuses. Storms return, with cloak now available from the get go, their Shrecks traded for Pz.B.39 AT rifles. Tanks, infantry, Nebels, and even the sniper find a little bit of love in this doctrine, all covered from the air by the frenzied buzzing of multiple Stuka attacks from dive bombing to 3,7 cm AT attack runs.
Panzer Zug (PZZ; ex-Terror): Tanks. Tanks tanks tanks, tanks, tanks. And halftracks, lots of those too. Combine a wide array of Panzers with a multitude of variations of the sdKfz 251 halftrack. Infantry and crew weapon buffs litter the doctrine, alongside bonuses for the P4CT that improve the rec. XP count of your units. The return of Henschel Design heralds new armor types for several vehicles, helping to keep them in the fight for an extended period of time. High MP prices mean that your elite forces will be few in number, so care must be taken not to throw away units on a whim. Offmaps include covering fire from overhead Bf 109s, the return of Steelwall, and Firestorm.
PE:
Panzer Infanterie (PIN; ex-Scorched Earth): Close with the enemy and smash him with a multitude of weapons, from the M.P.717(r) SMG to the new StG 44 in two variations. There are scattered mobility buffs, allowing your to push your PGrens through or around enemy lines. If you can't flank the enemy, try shooting him in the face with a really big gun--the Grille and Hummel SPGs both provide 15 cm solutions to all of your problems. The Panzer III finds its new home here, backed by the mobile sdKfz 250/9, an IHT mounting a PE AC turret. Debuffs for enemy units abound, encouraging aggressive play and fighting at mid to close range. Offmaps provide limited strafing support.
Airlanding Division (ALD; ex-Luftwaffe): Stop the Allies cold with the most elite infantry available to the Axis: Fallschirmjagere backed by a multitude of new FSJ-derivative units, from Pioniere to crew weapons. Luftwaffe Infanterie provide a meatshield option and bring the option of the superheavy 8,8 cm Pak 43/41. Everything is on legs, vehicle support being almost non-existent. On the plus side, everything cloaks. E V E R Y T H I N G. From infantry to Panthers, there are options to conceal your units from the enemy, allowing you to lure opposing units into well-laid ambushes. Offmap support includes Butterfly Bombs, Henshel attack runs, and a new medical Ju-52 that can land to provide healing bonuses.
Kampfgruppe (KGR; ex-Tank Hunters): Delete enemy armor with contemptuous ease. A plethora of AT options from buffed AT grenades, improved Shrecks, and APCR keep Allied tanks at bay, while Group Zeal bonuses and enhanced rifle and grenade fire give pause to opposing infantry. Vehicles like the Pz II "Luchs" and Geschutzwagens offer unique gameplay options for coming to grips with enemy units and scouting. Vehicles never before seen in EiR on loan from the Ostfront combine forces with the Jagdpanther and Hetzer to halt enemy attacks before initiating assaults of their own. Support includes X-7 rockets, the mobility-killing Bogged Down offmap, and attack runs by triple Ju-88s that deliver the greatest concentration of damage possible by any one attack in the game.
