Penal Battalion

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Penal Battalions are one of the two mainline infantry squads available to the Soviet Union. While they are less versatile and cost more than Conscripts, they are far more powerful in direct combat.

Overview
Penal Battalions are the alternate mainline infantry squad available in the base Soviet unit roster. Compared to Conscript Squads, Penal Battalions cost substantially more manpower to field but have superior base-line anti-infantry performance. However, their complete lack of readily available anti-infantry upgrades combined with the superior veterancy scaling Conscript Squads have actually makes them inferior combat units once the game goes on.

With that in mind, Penal squads have a rather niche but still important utility. Though Conscript Squads will most likely be a better unit to have as the game drags on, their rather lackluster early-game performance can make them disadvantageous to use, especially in certain match-ups. This is where Penal Squads come in. If superior specialization-locked units are not available, it can be a good idea to mix Penal Squads into an early build order (2 Conscripts + 2 Penals is a good example) in order to bolster your early performance. When used in this manner, Penals can act as the main damage dealer with Conscripts acting in a supporting role with their long-range abilities and Merge. While this certainly isn't the only proper way to use Penal Squads, it is almost always a bad idea to use these squads as your only infantry unit due to their substantial upkeep cost.

Another thing worth noting is their potent anti-tank effectiveness. While there are several specialization-locked units that have access to powerful anti-tank upgrades, only a few can rival the ability to have three PTRS-41s and two M9 Bazookas on a single squad. Though these upgrades are rather expensive to unlock, they allow Penal Squads to become a devastating unit in the late-game which allows them to remain a relevant unit even once their anti-infantry performance starts to lag behind other units.

Overall, Penal Squads are a somewhat situational unit that often fulfills a rather specific roll but are still useful none-the-less. Though they do 'fall off' pretty badly in the late-game, their early-game advantages make them a very useful unit to have if stronger units aren't available via specializations.

Pros

 * Strong firepower and explosive options
 * Large squad size
 * Potent anti-tank capabilities

Cons

 * Poor late-game scaling due to having no default anti-infantry upgrades
 * More expensive than most main-line units
 * Lacks long-range grenade/AT abilities

3x PTRS-41 Anti-tank Rifles

 * 70 Munitions
 * Improves anti-light vehicle effectiveness

Replaces three of the squad's rifles with PTRS-41 Anti-tank Rifles. This upgrade improves the effectiveness of the squad against light armor and allows the squad to do chip damage to medium armor.



2x M9 Bazookas

 * 100 Munitions
 * Improves anti-tank effectiveness

Replaces two of the squad's rifles with lend-leased M9 Bazookas. This is a good upgrade to get if more effective infantry-based anti-tank options are unavailable due to the major buff this upgrade provides against medium armor (especially if paired with the PTRS upgrade/s). That said, the cost of this upgrade can be a limiting factor.



Airdropped Weapons (AK-43s)

 * 60 Munitions; Requires the Airborne Troops Tactics commander
 * Improves close-mid range DPS

Replaces three of the squad's rifles with AK-43 Assault Rifles. This is a rather niche upgrade but it is very powerful regardless. It provides a major boost to the squad's close-mid range effectiveness which further improves on the already good anti-infantry performance of these squads.

PTRS Anti-Tank Rifle (Potentially bugged)

One odd quirk about this squad is their ability to get a 4th anti-tank rifle upgrade if they are upgraded with both the M9 Bazooka and 3x PTRS-41 packages. Once these two are unlocked, a third upgrade slot is revealed, allowing the squad to spend 30 additional munitions to get a fourth anti-tank rifle (replacing one of their SVT-40s). Due to the nature of this upgrade, I suspect that this is unintentional but I have been unable to get concrete information on this.

Satchel Charge
45 Munitions (35 with Vet 3); A squad member throws a short-range satchel charge at the target location, dealing massive damage to any units or structures caught within the blast radius when it goes off.



Anti-Tank Satchel Charge
60 Munitions; A squad member throws a short-range satchel charge at the target vehicle, dealing massive damage and causing critical damage upon exploding.



Oorah!
When activated, the squad moves at maximum speed for 10 seconds.



To The Last Man
Aaaaa



Repairs
Requires Infantry Repair Package commander ability; Allows Penal Squads to repair vehicles at a rate of about 6 HP/s.

Constructions
Sandbag Fighting Position

Builds a long wall of dirt and sandbags. Provides heavy cover to units behind it and can accommodate more troops without clumping models together.

 Round Trench 

Builds a large trench that provides heavy cover for any squad inside it; can garrison one squad or team weapon.

Veterancy
 Veterancy One 

640 XP: Unlocks the 'To The Last Man!' passive ability.

 Veterancy Two 

1280 XP: +30% accuracy; -20% weapon cooldown.

 Veterancy Three 

2560 XP: +30% accuracy; -15% received accuracy; Satchel Charge cost from 45 to 35 munitions.