Sturmgrenadiere (SS)

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Sturmgrenadiers are the default mainline infantry squad available to the Waffen SS. Highly trained and well equipped with high quality weaponry, Sturmgrenadiers are well rounded infantry unit that can effectively adapt to a wide array of battlefield situations.

## Overview

Sturmgrenadiers are the base-line mainline infantry squad available to the Waffen SS. When compared to mainline squads of other factions, they come out on top in most comparisons. Their powerful weaponry and versatile array of abilities combined with their above-average skill level makes them a very powerful unit throughout all stages of the match. A lot of this advantage ultimately comes down to them being and Experienced squad that available from the start of the match while almost every comparable allied unit requires 2 Command Points to produce. This allows them to effectively run rampant in the early stages of the match and inflict heavy losses on enemy squads simply because there are only a few squads that can effectively match them in combat.

However, in spite of all of these strengths, it is still very ill-advised to make these units the core unit of ones army. While their long list of advantageous traits would suggest that they are one of the strongest early-game squads out there, they are balanced out by one simple factor; their manpower costs. This one factor effectively makes majority-Strumgrenadier army compositions suicidal in almost every case since the manpower upkeep they have due to their high production and reinforcement costs will simply bleed you dry unless you trade incredibly favorably against enemy forces. Fortunately, every doctrine Waffen SS has access to a less potent but more affordable 240 manpower squad to provide a more affordable infantry option. Using these squads as a filler-unit to work along side more powerful Sturmgrenadiers will almost always result in better outcomes due to the reduced manpower bleed that is suffered as the game goes on.

Overall, Sturmgrenadiers are a somewhat complex unit in terms of how they should be deployed in a match, but when deployed in proper numbers and when properly utilized, they are a deadly battlefield asset to have in almost any army composition.

## Gameplay Usage

As far as in-game implementation goes, Sturmgrenadiers are somewhat more nuanced than other infantry squads that can simply be built en-masse and still end up being successful. Due to their aforementioned cost, it is best to integrate them into a mixed army composition. While it may be tempting to just form an army build purely out of these squads, doing so will almost always end up resulting in large amounts of manpower bleed that will end up causing a total breakdown past the opening stages because you simply don't have the manpower to keep an army in the field. As such, integrating cheaper squads into your army is key in order to avoid. While the "Sturmgrenadier:Cheap-squad ratio" will obviously vary from game to game, the point is that Sturmgrenadiers are best used alongside cheaper units to mitigate manpower bleed.

In the early-game, Sturmgrenadiers work pretty well as a mid-long range trading unit as long as they inflict more losses than they take. In a straight-up long-range trading fight over a point, Sturmgrenadiers will generally beat out most enemy squads. However, if enemy units are able to effective use flanking close in and use grenades, they lose much of their advantage and will become vulnerable to being wiped out. This is an especially big threat when facing the Soviet Union and certain American doctrines where it is a good trade to simply suicide-rush a cheap squad into close range to wipe out a Sturmgrenadier squad with a grenade due to the sheer manpower loss it will inflict (180 MP lost vs 300 MP lost). Sturmgrenadiers also lose much of their advantage when forced into close-range fights against many Allied units where the fact that most of their armament is made up of bolt-action rifles becomes a major disadvantage. For this reason, it is important to use less expensive squads to gain more map control and keep enemy squads at bay in order to prevent the engagement from swinging into the enemy's favor. If this is done correctly, Sturmgrenadiers can heavily swing the outcome of early-game engagements in your favor which can often translate into a massive advantage in the later stages.

As the game progresses past the early-game, Sturmgrenadiers remain a powerful thanks to their strong long-range upgrades. While many comparable Allied squads will start to have an advantage at close range thanks to their readily available Sub Machine Guns and other powerful close-range armaments, Sturmgrenadiers still reign supreme in long-range engagements. Their readily available long-range upgrades such as the MG-42 and scoped G-43 will allow them to remain a very threatening opponent in long-range engagement. While this lack of close-range effectiveness may seem like a major downside, the fact that most doctrinal SS squads have strong close-quarters combat power largely offsets this. The fact that they have access to the Panzerfaust-100 ability also helps them fend off enemy armored forces and further improves their versatility.

### Doctrinal Changes

Most doctrinal upgrades and changes that Sturmgrenadiers get access to are geared towards making them more effective at long range. However, there are a number that improve their close-mid range effectiveness and allow the squad to be used a bit more aggressively.

**Panzerjager** - Panzerjager Doctrine Sturmgrenadiers are from the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division and have access to the 2x STG-44 upgrade. The Stg-44 upgrade that Sturmgrenadiers up is very helpful since it allows the squad to assume a much more aggressive role thanks to the bonus it provides to the squad's mid-range damage output. This aggressive combat capacity combined with the Stg-44 armed [INSERT 240 SQUAD NAME HERE] that the doctrine has access to allows Panzerjager Doctrine infantry to simply just overwhelm enemy infantry through vastly superior firepower.

**Propaganda** - Propaganda Doctrine Sturmgrenadiers are from the 3rd SS Panzer Division and have access to the 2x VG 1-5 Rifle upgrade. Propaganda Doctrine Sturmgrenadiers don't receive that many changes to their core role due to the VG 1-5 upgrade being quite mediocre. That being said, the role that Sturmgrenadiers perform does change quite a bit. Volkssturm Squads add an interesting dynamic to the role that Sturmgrenadiers usually perform since their relatively weak direct combat power makes the powerful long-range damage output that Sturmgrenadiers provide even more important. Additionally, the availability of various powerful units such as [INSERT BATTLEGROUP AND THAT ELITE SQUAD] via battlegroups and call-ins makes Sturmgrenadiers somewhat less important in the late-game unit roster due to the similarly versatile nature of the aforementioned units, so cutting down on the total number built in the early-game might not be a bad idea.

**Mechanized** - Mechanized Doctrine Sturmgrenadiers are from the 9th SS Panzer Division and have access to the Leichtes MG-34 (100 rd) upgrade and can lay Mines build Barbed Wire. Mechanized Doctrine doesn't provide any real fundamental changes to the role of Sturmgrenadiers apart from giving the ability to lay landmines and build barbed wire. The MG-34 upgrade they gain access to is more of a side-grade to the MG-42 instead of a unique upgrade in its own right, and the added construction abilities don't impact the squad's combat role in any meaningful way.

**Jäger** - Jäger Doctrine Sturmgrenadiers are from Panzerbrigade 150. and have access to the 2x Stg-44 (Zf.4), have improved sight range (+15), reinforce 25% slower, and can conceal themselves in cover without upgrades. Jäger Doctrine Sturmgrenadiers have a number of changes that are both direct and indirect in nature. Firstly, the 2x Stg-44 upgrade is a very versatile upgrade that provides the squad with a straight buff to their damage output in almost any combat situation, making it a worthwhile purchase in most situations. Secondly, the passive changes (+15 sight range and -25% reinforcement speed) makes the squad better at initiating engagements but hurts the squad's ability to stay in the field due to the longer time spent reinforcing. As for indirect changes, Jager Doctrine doesn't have access to an effective cheap infantry squad since the [INSERT SQUAD NAME] that they have access to are inferior to almost every other 240 Manpower unit in the Waffen SS roster as an up-front combat. All of these factors combine to create a situation that places a large amount of pressure on Sturmgrenadiers to perform as optimally as they can in the opening stages of the game since they (and your Sturmpioneer) will have to act as your primary combat unit instead of acting more as a support unit.

**Sturm** - Sturm Doctrine Sturmgrenadiers are from the 2nd SS Panzer Division and have access to the MG-30 upgrade. While the LMG this upgrade provides does have the rather unique ability to fire while moving, its overall performance isn't that noteworthy when compared to the non-doctrinal upgrades. Additionally, Sturm Doctrine already has more than enough units that can fulfill that role far more effectively, meaning that Sturmgrenadiers are best used in their usual role as a mid-long range fire support squad.

**Panzer** - Panzer Division Sturmgrenadiers are from the 1st SS Panzer Division and have access to the 2x MP-40 upgrade. Panzer Doctrine doesn't bring that many meaningful changes to the Sturmgrenadier playstyle. The MP-40 upgrade they get access to is mostly pointless since the [INSERT PANZER DOCTRINE EXPERIENCED SQUAD] the doctrine has access to have far superior close to mid-range weapons and are as a whole better equipped for close-quarters combat.

## Pros-and-Cons

### Pros

* Powerful combat capacity
* Versatile set of abilities
* Powerful weapon upgrades

### Cons

* High production and reinforcement costs
* Limited access to effective close-quarters weaponry

### Leichtes MG-42

* 65 Munitions
* Improves stationary damage output at all ranges

Replaces one of the squad's rifles with an MG-42 Light Machine Gun fed by 50 round belts. This upgrade is all all-around good upgrade to get due to the consistent long-range damage it provides. Though the fact that weapon cannot be fired while moving does hurt the squad's aggressive potential, the boost to damage output at mid-long ranges (the range that Sturmgrenadiers are best at) more or less offsets this downside.

### Gewehr 43 (Zf. 4)

* 50 Munitions
* Improves long-range damage potential

Replaces one of the squad's rifles with a scoped Gewehr 43 Semi-automatic rifle. This upgrade allows the squad to effectively 'snipe' enemy infantry squads from long range, heavily improving their long-range combat capabilities. Though the lack of consistent damage output will work against the squad in any sort of moving and close range combat, it will give the squad a major advantage in long-range combat, especially when facing capable enemy squads that would otherwise be hard to dislodge with standard small-arms fire.

### Panzerfaust-100

* 15 Munitions
* Replaces AT Rifle Grenade ability

Replaces the default Anti-tank Rifle Grenade ability with a more powerful Panzerfaust-100 ability. This is practically a mandatory upgrade to get once the game gets past the very early stages since the default AT ability is entire ineffective against anything more armored than a light vehicle.

### Gewher-Sprenggranate 3cm Rifle Grenades

* 10 Munitions
* Replaces 'Splitterring' Grenade ability

Replaces the default Splitterring grenade ability with a longer-ranged 3cm Rifle Grenade. Though this ability does have some niche advantages over the default grenade ability, its highly inconsistent damage means that it is rarely worth giving up the extreme anti-infantry power of the Splittering to gain some situationally useful range.

### Concealment Training

* 10 Munitions; Requires Vet 1
* Adds camo-in-cover and 'Hold Fire' ability

Allows the squad to camouflage themselves when in cover and give them access to the Hold Fire ability. This upgrade is quite useful to have in many situations due to the advantages it provides. Though it is by no means a mandatory ability to have, it almost always will be useful to have in the vast majority of matches. Note that this ability and its associated T1 Global Unlock are unavailable when playing as Jäger Doctrine due to the innate stealth abilities that it provides rendering the upgrade irrelevant.

**Doctrinal Upgrades**

### 2x Stg-44

* 60 Munitions
* Improves close-mid range damage output

Replaces two of the squad's rifles with Stg-44 Assault Rifles. This is a very strong upgrade to get due to the massive close-mid range boost it provides. Though other non-doctrinal weapon upgrades don't necessarily mesh well with the aggressive playstyle that this promotes, the damage output boost along makes it worth getting in practically any situation.

### 2x Volkssturmgewehr 1-5

* 25 Munitions
* Improves close-mid range damage output

Replaces two of the squad's rifles with VG 1-5 Semi-automatic rifles. Though the VG 1-5 and the Stg-44 share some semblance, the former is far worse than the later. Rather than being an actual assault rifle, the weapon is closer to a weapon like the M1 or M2 Carbine. While it may improve the effectiveness of the squad at close ranges, it just isn't a big enough bonus to justify picking these weapons over either of the non-doctrinal upgrades.

### Leichtes MG-34 (100rd.)

* 65 Munitions
* Improves stationary damage output at all ranges

Replaces one of the squad's rifles with an MG-34 Light Machine Gun fed by 100 round belts. This weapon is quite similar to the non-doctrinal Leichtes MG-42 in many ways and both upgrades ultimately fulfill the same role. Though this weapon has less 'burst' DPS than the MG-42, it has a far larger magazine and fires longer burst, making it the superior weapon for long-range trading engagements. It should be noted that getting both LMG upgrades at the same time in generally ill advised since it means losing out on the long-range chip potential that the scoped G-43 has.

### 2x Stg-44 (Zf.4)

* 70 Munitions
* Greatly increases the squad's damage output at all ranges.

Replaces two of the squad's rifles with Stg-44 Assault Rifles fitted with Zf.4 scopes. These weapons are quite similar to the default Stg-44 apart from the fact that they ignore the damage reduction that heavy cover provides. The bonus to units in cover makes the squad more effective at trading with enemy units at range and when engaging entrenched enemies. This upgrade is especially important for SS Jäger Doctrine since they are more reliant on Sturmgrenadiers than many other SS Doctrines due to their lack of access to effective cheap squads which forces Sturmgrenadiers to trade as effectively as they possibly can.

### MG-30

* 50 Munitions
* Improves mid-long range

Replaces one of the squad's rifles with an MG-30 Light Machine Gun. The MG-30 upgrade isn't particularly effective when compared to other machine gun upgrades apart from the fact that it is able to fire on the move. While this is effective at times when additional close-combat power is needed, it isn't a terribly effective upgrade to get in the vast majority of cases.

### 2x MP-40

* 30 Munitions
* Improves close-range damage output

Replaces two of the squad's rifles with MP-40 Sub Machine Guns. This is a rather unremarkable upgrade to get for all intents and purposes. Though it does improve the close-range DPS of the squad by a decent margin, SS Panzer Doctrine has far better CQB squads to use, making this upgrade mostly pointless.

## Side-tech changes

*This section details what side-tech options affect this squad.*

**Panzerfaust-100 Requisition**

Removes the need to upgrade each individual squad with the 'Panzerfaust-100' ability.

**3cm Gewher-Sprenggranate Requisition**

Removes the need to upgrade each individual squad with the '3cm Gewher-Sprenggranate' ability.

**Volksdeutche**

Decreases the build-time of new squads by 50% once unlocked.

**Erbsenmuster**

Automatically unlocks the 'Concealment Training' ability/perk upon reaching Vet 1.

**Indoctrination**

Unlocks the 'Fur Das Vaterland!' ability for all squads once unlocked.

### Throw 'Splitterring' Grenade

**25 Munitions**: A squad member throws a Model 24 'Splitterring' fragmentation grenade at the target location, dealing heavy damage to and suppressing infantry caught inside its large blast radius.

### Throw Nebelgranate 39 Grenade

**15 Munitions**: A squad member throws a Nebelgranate 39 Smoke Grenade at the target location, laying down a large smoke cloud when it goes off.

### Fire Gewehrsprengranate 40 AT Grenade

**15 Munitions**: A squad member fires a 4cm Anti-tank Rifle Grenade at the target vehicle, dealing damage and causing criticals if it penetrates.

### Fanaticism

Upon activation, the squad fights more fiercely, increasing their rate of fire but increasing their change of being hit for 30 seconds.

### Sprint

The squad moves at maximum speed for 15 seconds; disables weapons and reduces sight range while moving but reduces the accuracy of incoming fire by 30%.

**Upgrade/tech-locked Abilities**

### Fire Gewher-Sprenggranate 3cm Rifle Grenade

**30 Munitions**: A member of the squad fires a 3cm Rifle Grenade at the target location, dealing damage if it hits. This upgrade is far less consistent than normal hand grenades but has a much longer effective range.

### Panzerfaust-100

**30 Munitions**: A squad member fires a Panzerfaust-100 at the targeted enemy vehicle, dealing heavy damage and causing critical hits if it successfully penetrates.

### Für Das Vaterland!

The squad moves at maximum speed and is immune to incoming suppression for 30 seconds. This is a very powerful ability since it effectively allows the squad to break out of suppression in order to get to safety or to push through to attack an enemy position.

## Constructions

Field Defenses

Mines

Structures and Emplacements

## Veterancy

Veterancy 1

+10% Increased accuracy, -6% reduced suppression, and 6% faster weapon reload speed.

Veterancy 2

+10% Increased accuracy, -5% received accuracy, -6% reduced suppression, and 6% faster weapon reload speed.

Veterancy 3

+20% Increased accuracy, -5% received accuracy, 12% reduced suppression, and 20% faster weapon reload speed.

Veterancy 4

+40% Increased accuracy, -12.5% received accuracy, -24% reduced suppression, 20% faster weapon reload speed, and 40% faster ability recharge time.

Veterancy 5

+40% increased accuracy , -15% received accuracy, -30% reduced suppression, 30% faster weapon reload speed, and 40% faster ability recharge time.