US Marine Corps Faction Design

I wasn't intending to create a faction design for the USMC but inspiration hit me and here we are. I found creating the USMC more difficult than creating a Japanese faction as the equipment used by the US in the Pacific was not so varied or already used by the other US faction. There may be slight 'cheats' here that I'm unaware of but as far as I know all this was used in the pacific.

With T0 we have the standard engineer unit but also the Dodge, which acts like in Coh2 but with additional upgrades for added utility. With the M3 37mm Gun it should be a mobile counter to 221s, Panzer Is, AA Hafttracks etc, altough given the low armour, a lot of the match ups would depend on micro. The Dodge would also be your primary tow platform.

The USMC have a more tree like teching structure, so you initially tech T1 and can branch to T1A or T1B. In the base T1 tech, we have Marines, which are you mainline infantry and medics. Marines should be distinct from US Riflemen through their upgrades, so rather than having a decent at all ranges BAR upgrade, they can specialise either long or short range. In T1A we have the M1917 HMG, which is your standard suppression platform and the M18 recoilless rifle Team, which is your handheld AT team. In T1B, we have the M3 37mm Gun, which is the ATG of the USMC and the DUKW.

One of the features I have had in mind for this faction while creating the Japanese but also work on my Soviet faction and Ostheer designs, is the idea of water traversal. In Coh1 and Coh2, the game had a lot more interaction with water and this should return. Therefore, many units in this faction would be able to traverse water, not only suffering no movement penalties in shallow water but also being able to ford lakes and the sea. So the DUKW here would be able to swim across lakes etc for flanking moves, but also be able to transport an infantry squad as well. Depending on the map design then, this would lead to some interesting gameplay where, to take an obvious example, you have an MG with its back to a lake, which would normally be unflankable, but then a DUKW shows up with an engineer flamethrower from across the lake/from the beach. This is the thinking behind this unit and several others in this design.

Speaking of which, once you have either T1BA or T1B, you then can tech up to T2, which has the LVT-4. This again, can ford water, suffers no movement penalties in shallow water, but also can reinforce and transport ATGs within it. It would have 3 upgrades; double .50 cals, ambulance upgrade and also a flamethrower upgrade. Staying with the theme of fording, we have T2A, which has the LVT(A)-1. The LVT(A)-1 is basically an LVT with a 37mm turret on the top. So think roughly the same performance as a Stuart, but can also ford water! Also in T2A, we have a more traditional tier with the M2 4.2-inch Mortar, which acts as your primary indirect unit. Its performance should be closer to a heavy mortar.

In T2B, we have the the LVT(A)-4 has the gun of an M8 Scott, so something along the lines of a Stummel which can ford water would be appropriate. It would be important to give this unit less auto attack range than an M8 Scott, given that it can sit in territory that most units can't access. Then there's M1 37mm AA Gun, which is a towed weapon effective against infantry and light vehicles, essentially acting as an area denial tool, as well as AA services.

Once you have either T2A or T2B, you can tech to T3, which unlocks the M10 tank destroyer. In T3B, you have the your basic Sherman but also the M2 90mm AA Gun, which is your towedheavy AT/AA unit and anchors the faction in the lategame. It also compensates for your weak default AT gun. Finally, you have the M101 howitzer, which is your heavy indirect fire piece, and is also towed, and the Sherman Zippo flamethrower tank, in T3A.

In terms of battlegroups, some sample:

With the M55 Quad Mount, the intention here would be that it can be wheeled, or at the very least, towed around.

My thinking is that the M20 Recoilless Rifle would be more like the Wehr LG40.

Sum Up

This faction is meant to compliment my Japanese faction design, which is does well. It features extensively the use of water traversing units which should make for some interesting map design and gameplay.

One of the issues of the USMC faction generally is that the US don't have a huge stockpile of different weapons to choose from in the pacific, so battlegroups may be a challenge.

My Other Designs:

- Free French Proposal.

- Italian Proposal.

- Commonwealth Burma Proposal.

- Hungarian Proposal.