Riflemen Squad

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Riflemen Squads are the core infantry unit of the American Expeditionary Force. Equipped with renowned M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle and a number of powerful offensive abilities, Riflemen are well suited for offensive combat and can effectively punch above their weight against many Axis units.

## Overview

Riflemen are the primary mainline squad used by the AEF. Unlike most other mainline infantry squads, Riflemen are primarily armed with semi-automatic M1 Garands instead of bolt-action rifles that are found on the overwhelming majority of other units. This gives the squad a significant advantage at the closer ranges and allows them to often punch above their weight in many situations. Unfortunately, this advantage does come with the tradeoff of being inferior to many Axis infantry squads in long-range firefights due to the squad's inferior accuracy, the use of flanking routes and aggressive tactics to push into close range is important to get the most out of these units.

Overall though, Riflemen are a very versatile unit that are relatively straightforward in their usage from game to game. Being the only main-line squad available means that they don't really have any caveats regarding their place in build orders, and their versatile nature makes their use pretty straightforward in almost every match. Even though they may be at a disadvantage against many Axis squad in long-range trading fights, their advantages at close-mid range more or less cancel those out. Additionally, their doctrinal upgrades allow them to seamlessly fit in with the playstyle that is promoted by almost every doctrine.

## Gameplay Usage

Riflemen are largely straightforward as far as in-game implementation goes. Unlike many other mainline squads, Riflemen don't have any caveats such as prohibitive cost or abnormal performance that defines how they are best used in-game. Though there are several doctrines such as Tank Destroyer Company and Rifle Company that have cheaper units that can be deployed en-masse early on to supplement riflemen, in most cases, Riflemen can easily make up the core of ones army in almost every match.

In the early-game, they primarily work best when used as an aggressive unit. Their semi-automatic rifles and powerful SMG gives them a significant edge over most Axis units in close-quarters engagements. Careful use of flanking routes and sight-blockers to get into close range will allow Riflemen to come out on top in almost every close-range fight. Do be aware though that some units such as Sturmgrenadiers or Sturmpioneers can beat them out if their Stg-armed squad leader isn't killed off fast enough, so be careful when making aggressive moves against them. While long-range engagements aren't entirely out of the picture, it generally is ill-advised to engage in prolonged long-range trading battles with most Axis units, since their superior accuracy and bolt-action rifles will generally edge-out Riflemen unless there is a large skill level/veterancy cap between the squads. One significant weakness of this squad is their lackluster anti-vehicle effectiveness. Their rather inconsistent anti-tank capabilities leave them quite vulnerable to certain Axis units such as Sd.Kfz 250s and Kubelwagens that are properly utilized. This is made worse by the fact that anti-tank options are limited for the AEF, meaning that early-game light vehicles can pose a major threat. Regardless, the early-game potency of Riflemen allows them to be a very powerful unit that can effectively wipe out enemy squads if used properly, making it possible to control the early-game through brute force and aggressive action.

As the game progresses, Riflemen become more of a standard mainline unit. When facing upgraded Axis units, it becomes harder to effectively close in and engage at optimal ranges, meaning that Riflemen generally are forced into a more passive role. That said, they still a very powerful close-range unit when compared to many Axis squads, especially when upgraded with SMGs. Additionally, the doctrinal upgrades that the squad has access to effectively prolong their usefulness substantially. However, it is worth mentioning that their lack of anti-vehicle capabilities becomes even more pronounced by this stage. Their AT Rifle Grenade ability simply isn't effective at taking down tanks as thrown AT Grenades and Panzerfausts, meaning that the squad will generally be unable to effectively deal with vehicles. While this isn't always a downside, and having at least something is better than having nothing (or an HHL-3, same thing really), but it will almost certainly be an issue in almost any match that lasts until the late-game.

### Doctrinal Changes

The doctrinal upgrades that Riflemen have access to range greatly when compared to Axis units. These upgrades range from close-quarters such as additional Thompson SMGs and Grenade Assaults to long-range weaponry such as M1903A4 Sniper Rifles and M1919A6 Browning LMGs to anti-tank weapons such as the M9 Bazooka. Due to this, it is hard to pin down a specific "theme" for this squad.

**Tank Destroyer** - TD Company Riflemen are from the 4th Infantry Division and have access to the M9 'Bazooka' (M6A3) Rocket Launcher upgrade. The Bazooka upgrade allows Riflemen to function well as a proper AT unit as the game goes on, giving USF access to a proper AT team without having to rely on the three-man Bazooka Teams that the faction has access to. Additionally, the 29th Infantry Division Riflemen available to the doctrine often end up supplementing, if not entirely replacing, Riflemen as the primary mainline squad thanks to their comparable abilities and armament coupled with their low production cost.

**Airborne** - Airborne Company Riflemen are from the 101st Airborne Division and have access to the 2x M1A1 Thompson (20 rd.) upgrade. This upgrade greatly improves the squad's close-range damage output and is vastly more effective than the non-doctrinal M3 Grease Gun upgrade. This plays well to the squad's general role in the doctrine, since the ability to aggressively attack enemies with a comparatively cheap unit is very important due to the prohibitively high reinforcement costs of Airborne units that make risky attacks with them inadvisable.

**Ranger** - Ranger Company Riflemen are from the 10th Mountain Division and have access to the M1903A4 Springfield upgrade. This is a very powerful upgrade to get since it more or less solves the squad's lack of long-range combat power. Though it doesn't completely fix the issue and comes at the expense of losing close-quarters damage output, being able to pick off enemy infantrymen from long-range makes the squad far better in prolonged trading engagements, making the squad far more versatile as a result.

**Armored** - Armored Company Riflemen are from the 4th Armored Division and have access to the Mk.2 Frag Grenade Assault ability. This upgrade (well, ability) doesn't really have that much of an impact on the squad's performance, but it does allow the squad to decimate enemy positions and punish any enemy infantry unit that doesn't actively avoid the barrage of grenades.

**Mechanized** - Mechanized Company Riflemen are from the 2nd Mechanized Cavalry Group and have access to the 2x M1928 Thompson (50 rd.) upgrade. This is a rather strong upgrade that makes the squad a lot better at making aggressive pushes. While it doesn't give quite as big a buff as other SMG upgrades, the massive magazines allow these weapons to suppress enemy squads. This combined with the powerful offensive abilities provided by the doctrine makes Riflemen even better at overwhelming enemy units through sheer brute force.

**Rifle** - Rifle Company Riflemen are from the 1st Infantry Division and have access to the M1919A6 Light Machine Gun upgrade. Rifle Company has a rather radical indirect effect on the role of Riflemen. The 29th Infantry Division Riflemen available to the doctrine are all-around a very strong mainline unit thanks to their cost-effectiveness. Though they are inferior to Riflemen in combat, their cheap deployment and reinforcement cost makes them a good unit to use on the defensive in support of more potent units. As such, the role of Riflemen often can transform into more of a fire-support role akin to something such as Sturmgrenadiers, with their M1919A6 upgrade allowing the squad to effective suppress enemy units and out-gun squads in long-range engagements while 29th ID Riflemen merge with them to replace losses. Though this tactic isn't as flashy as daring flanking maneuvers, it is a very often a good way to win engagements simply by outlasting the enemy.

## Pros-and-Cons

### Pros

* Amazing close-range combat power
* Wide range of doctrinal weapon upgrades
* Adaptable

### Cons

* Worse long-range capabilities than most mainline squads
* Lackluster anti-vehicle options

## Upgrades

### Default Upgrades

#### M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle

* 45 Munitions

Replaces one of the squad's rifles with an M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, improving the squad's damage output at all ranges. This upgrade is more or less the 'default' upgrade for Riflemen. It is relatively cheap to get and doesn't require a specific doctrine or veterancy level to unlock, and more importantly, it doesn't really come with any tradeoffs. While most weapon upgrades for this squad improve the squad's performance in specific situations at the cost of being worse in others, this upgrade simply improves damage output in all situations. As such, this upgrade is simply a safe, if not somewhat boring, upgrade to get in most cases since it isn't going to come with any meaningful tradeoffs.

#### 2x M3A1 Grease Guns

* 25 Munitions; Requires Vet 1

Replaces two of the squad's rifles with M3A1 Sub Machine Guns, improving the squad's close-range damage output. This upgrade is somewhat good to get if playing on a map with lots of close-quarters combat and if a superior CQB option isn't available. Though it does require veterancy and reduces the squad's long-range capabilities, it makes Riflemen significantly better at their intended role as an aggressive pseudo-assault unit. However, this upgrade isn't that powerful compared to many other CQB upgrades, and getting it will put the squad at a rather significant disadvantage in the late-game when infantry combat tends to take place at longer ranges.

#### Mk.2 'Pineapple' Rifle Grenades

* 10 Munitions

Upgrades the default Mk.2 Fragmentation Grenade ability. This upgrade is very strong since it effectively doubles the effective range of the ability, allowing the squad to threaten enemies from further away. Unlike other rifle grenades, this ability deals the same damage as the normal Mk 2 Frag grenade, though it does not have an impact fuse like most do.

#### M23 Smoke Rifle Grenades

* 5 Munitions

Upgrades the default M18 Smoke Grenade ability. This upgrade is always worth getting since the M23 Smoke Rifle Grenades allow for so much more flexibility with smoke placement thanks to their extended reach and impact-fuse.

#### Composition-B Explosive Charges

* 10 Munitions

Replaces the default M9A1 Anti-tank Rifle Grenade ability. This is a rather mediocre upgrade to get due to how situational Comp-B is for AT purposes. Though the default Anti-tank ability isn't all that great, it does at least have more reach than Comp-B charges, which require the squad to practically stand next to the vehicle they are trying to attack. Due to this incredibly restricted range, this ability is very dangerous and hard to use, making it only really effective against immobilized vehicles. That said, it isn't entirely worthless, since the cheap unlock cost and rapid upgrade time makes it possible to reactively unlock this on a squad in order to knock out a vehicle that has been recently immobilized.

### Doctrinal Upgrades

#### M9 Bazooka (M6A3)

* 80 Munitions; Requires Vet 2

Replaces one of the squad's rifles with and M9 Bazooka firing the improved M6A3 HEAT warhead, greatly improving the squad's anti-vehicle capabilities.

#### 2x M1A1 Thompsons (20 rd.)

* 35 Munitions

Replaces two of the squad's rifles with M1A1 Thompson Sub-Machine Guns, vastly improving the squad's close-range damage output.

#### M1903A4 Springfield Marksman Rifle

* 40 Munitions

Replaces one of the squad's rifles with an M1903A4 Springfield Sniper Rifle, improving the long-range combat capacity of the squad. This is a very solid upgrade to get since it effectively fixes the primary weakness that Riflemen have, that being their lackluster long-range capabilities. Having a marksman rifle allows the squad to pick off enemy troops at ranges where the squad's performance drops off, effectively allowing the squad to compete on even terms with comparably-skilled Axis squads. This combined with the very cheap cost of this upgrade makes it a

#### 2x M1928A1 Thompsons (50 rd.)

* 50 Munitions

Replaces two of the squad's rifles with M1928A1 Thompson Sub-Machine Guns fed by 50 round belts, improving the squad's close-range damage output.

#### M1919A6 Browning Light Machine Gun

* 60 Munitions

Replaces one of the squad's rifles with an M1919A6 Browning LMG, improving stationary damage output at all ranges.

#### Mk2 Fragmentation Grenade Assault

* 10 Munitions

Replaces default 'Mk2 Frag Grenade' ability. This upgrade is generally not that bad to get, though it is often better to simply get the non-doctrinal Rifle Grenade upgrade for the added reach.

## Side-tech Changes

#### **Smoke and Mirrors**

* Removes the need to purchase the M23 Smoke Rifle Grenade ability on each individual squad.

**Can Opener**

* Removes the need to purchase the Composition-B ability on each individual squad.

### Penicillin

* Allows the squad to heal when out of combat in friendly territory

### M1918A2 BAR Requisition

* Automatically upgrades all existing non-upgraded and new squad's with the M1918A2 BAR for free; effectively locks out all other upgrades.

## Abilities

### Throw Mk. 2 'Pineapple' Grenade

**15 Munitions**: A squad member throws a standard Mk. 2 Fragmentation Grenade at the target location, dealing significant damage to any infantry caught in the blast.

### Throw M18 Smoke Grenade

**10 Munitions**: A squad member throws an M18 Smoke Grenade at the target location, laying down a smoke screen when it goes off.

### M9A1 Anti-Tank Rifle Grenade

**15 Munitions**: A squad member fires an M9A1 Anti-tank Rifle Grenade at the target vehicle, dealing damage and causing critical damage if it penetrates.

### 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%.

### Fire Superiority

**10 Munitions**; requires **Vet 1**: The squad fires with greater frequency for the duration of the ability, increasing their damage dealt and inflicting suppression on enemy squads.

**Upgrade/tech-locked Abilities**

### Fire Mk. 2 'Pineapple' Grenade

**25 Munitions**: A squad member fires a Mk.2 Rifle Grenade at the target location, dealing significant damage to any infantry caught in the blast.

### Fire M23 Smoke Rifle Grenade

**25 Munitions**: A squad member fires a M23 Smoke Rifle Grenade at the target location, laying down a smoke screen upon impact.

### Plant Composition-B Charge

**35 Munitions**: A squad member attempts to plant a Comp-B explosive charge on the targeted enemy vehicle, dealing massive damage if it successfully sticks.

### Mk. 2 Grenade Assault

**35 Munitions**: Each squad member throws a standard Mk.2 Fragmentation Grenade at the target location, dealing massive damage to any infantry caught in the blasts.

## 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.