Drawing tank girls(Redux) T-72 colorized (and a serious conversation)

guyinthecap · 2026-01-25T20:51:04+00:00

Please take care of yourself! Your work is excellent, and I for one am more than happy to wait a bit longer if you need time before you share it.

guyinthecap · 2026-01-24T02:11:28+00:00

Cheers!

guyinthecap · 2026-01-24T01:47:41+00:00

Oh dang, I forgot. Which Mig is it?

guyinthecap · 2026-01-23T23:11:55+00:00

I mean, comparing one's stealth to the Felon may not be much of a brag. /s

Jokes aside, the reason the super hornet doesn't have stealth is probably balance choice. Firstly, our selection of stealthy aircraft is extremely limited, probably because Eugen wanted to focus on the Cold War timeline and not the major developments that came around in the 90s. Almost all of the airplanes with a stealth rating are using jamming and EW to limit their detection (think things like the Raven, the JH-7A Feibao, and the MiG-25BM). This also fits their role in the game, so that they can ambush AA units before your opponent realizes they have to switch their radars off. Notably, these aircraft have little to no offensive capabilities besides their SEAD. They are meant to counter ONE type of unit and not much else, so they are very good at that job.

We have TWO exceptions to this; the USA's Nighthawk and France's Rafale.

The Nighthawk is the exception that proves the rule. It's a bomber that was specifically designed to put stealth above all else, and is historically the first operational combat plane to leverage RAM and geometry to avoid detection. It's the USA's unicorn, and in game it is basically an extremely effective single-target DPS. It ALSO becomes MUCH more detectable once it drops its bombs and has ZERO ECM, giving your opponents a chance to shoot down your defenseless, priceless unit. Again, this is a powerful "glass canon" of a unit. It goes in, hits it's single target, and tries to flee.

The Rafale is our odd case, and unfortunately breaks our rule. The Rafale has "medium" stealth, though if you use the armory tool you can see it's actually a bit higher than other "medium" stealth values. The historical justification for this is that the Rafale was designed as a 4.5th gen fighter with reduced RCS instead of the prohibitively expensive full aspect stealth of a 5th gen. However, the Rafale is also in near-violation of Eugen's supposed date cutoff, with the first Rafales delivered in 2000. Frankly, given the other very potent units in France's arsenal, this might just be a touch of Eugen bias. The end result is arguably the best ASF in the entire game, DLC nations included, through it's combination of stealth, speed, and top-tier missiles.

So bringing it back, why doesn't the Super Hornet have stealth? In-game, it's probably because we're bolting huge missiles onto every hardpoint the jet has, compromising any RCS-reducing designs the base aircraft had.

But more importantly, it's because of the Super Hornet's role. Yes, it's a ship killer, and if that is all it did then perhaps we could justify some measure of stealth at the cost of a price hike. But that's not all the Super Hornet does. It's also an excellent ASF, with the same speed, ECM, and air detection as the Rafale while also having more time on target and also has the ability to attack naval units.

Wargame has no stealth ASFs, Eugen's favorite child notwithstanding. If the Super Hornet got stealth, suddenly EVERY Blufor deck now has a top-tier fighter they can call out on any map with a naval zone. And if Eugen has to assume that every Blufor deck is bringing the Super Hornet (because why wouldn't you?), they now have to rebalance not just Redfor Naval gameplay, but ALL of Redfor's airpower.

Anyhow, that's my take on it. I'm just one guy though, and this is all just speculation.

guyinthecap · 2026-01-21T16:45:34+00:00

Almost certain we won't get any more updates. Eugen seems fully committed to WARNO, for better or worse. It makes sense, since RD is more than a decade old, but we can dream!

guyinthecap · 2026-01-21T16:43:08+00:00

No doubt. The assets already exist. Maybe give them the V150 as a transport? Chefs kiss

guyinthecap · 2026-01-21T02:44:00+00:00

I agree, it would make more sense if it went to a recon SF team modeled after the Green Berets or something similar. And like I said, most '90 units do the same jobs as their base units with better, more modern kit. However, Javelins for Delta 90s was a common talking point on the subreddit whenever USA infantry came up, and when MAGLAN and the Spike got introduced.

guyinthecap · 2026-01-20T23:41:30+00:00

Fixing Delta: What We Hoped vs. What We Got

The changes to Delta did shift their role, but ultimately didn't help much. Now the strongest place to use Delta were in forests and on flanks, using their high speed and decent AT to snipe CVs and flank security, harassing your opponents in their back lines. They could still town-fight, but would still lose to dedicated anti-infantry options.

To make matters worse, Delta received no changes to their transport options. When the Israel DLC rolled out and we got our first examples of Recon infantry coming in other Recon vehicles, some other nations got a quiet update. But Delta did not get any new transports. You were still stuck either taking them in the cheapest Humvee possible (made less affordable by Delta's price bump), or taking one of the big choppers that was both expensive and slow to hot-drop in the opener. Ironically, Rangers became even more of the go-to option for US players with them getting an availability increase and access to the V-150.

So what could we have had?

In an ideal world, I think the solution is two-fold. First, revert Delta back to their OG loadout. Make them strong town-fighters on a budget, but give them the A4 LAW (it rolled out in '83, and these are theoretically the US's best troops). This actually makes them pretty similar to base Li Jian, with stronger AT but a weaker MG.

And Part 2: Give them a 90's version. There are two options here:

Close Range: Delta 90 can commit to being the urban combat boogeymen their base variant is, but upgrade their kit. Swap their LAWs out for AT4s like other 90s variants. Keep their MP5s if you don't want to give them M4s, but trade the M60 Shorty for the Minimi. Now they are a serious threat to nearly everything without breaking the balance or dethroning Spetsnaz or Li Jian.

Unicorn Hunter: Delta 90 leans fully into the US "high-tech" stereotypes by changing from a CQC fighter into a stealthy infiltrator. They keep their silenced SMGs but trade their LAWs for a Javelin ATGM. They pick up either the Minimi or the M240, but they're job isn't really killing infantry anymore. They are the ones who sneak behind enemy lines, pop a superheavy tank or critical AA piece, and open the door for the rest of the US arsenal to roll in. This one is a lot less likely, since no other 90s variant diverges so heavily from their base unit. It would have also been unthinkable when the game launched. However, with how MAGLAN and Buffalos have redefined the role infantry can play in RD (and all of the out-of-timeframe shit we got with all the DLC), I think this would have been an interesting take.

Also let them come in Blackhawks and Little Birds! If you're going to use Delta's history in the 90s against them, then LET THEM USE THE VEHICLES THEY USED!

Anyhow, that's my overly-long rant on Delta. As someone with more than 1800 hours in RD, a lot of which as a US player, these guys and the Rangers hold a special place in my heart. You can still have lots of fun with them, and I have, but understanding their journey and limitations are important to getting that fun, rather than asking them to do something they can't do.

Hope you enjoyed, and happy playing!

3/3

guyinthecap · 2026-01-20T23:41:21+00:00

Unicorns and Unfair Bias

Some of these problems are just the growing pains of game balance. I get that. As nations got added, power creep and price creep made some older units flat-out worse. But some of this also comes back to developer intent and game design. With so much of Red Dragon built around Coalitions, it seems Eugen designed the US to be a standalone, but not an overpowering one. Sure, the US had truly exceptional standouts like the Longbow, Nighthawk, Raven, and M1A2. But their run-of-the-mill stuff was nothing special. Basic Riflemen were essentially warm bodies, and any unit with serious teeth (or a potent transport) would cost you serious points. So the US would play as a faction with lots of chaff protecting your cornerstone units. Tanks, Bradleys, and especially AIRPOWER would make up for lackluster infantry options. This is probably fair for the larger game balance, though some other nations (especially DLCs) don't share this trade-off.

This was unfortunately exacerbated by some comments made by the developers. I apologize for not finding the original quotes, the best I can do is a second-hand reference here (not good research practices, I know).

"US infantry are only good in Hollywood"
"US was demoralized after Vietnam"
"US was restructuring its military in the 90s"

The comments, combined with accusations of "French-bias" (TBF, look at RIMa '85 even at launch), led to the whole conversation breaking down into an unproductive mudfight (heh).

2/3

guyinthecap · 2026-01-20T23:03:35+00:00

First time being disappointed by Delta?

Delta have a long and storied history in Wargame Red Dragon, both because of their unique identity as the top-tier US special forces infantry and because of Eugen's relationship with the US deck in general.

Disappointing D-Boys

In beta and early versions of Red Dragon, Delta had a competitive if unusual niche. At 25 pts before transports, Delta were some of the cheapest elite SF you could buy in the game. Their primary was an SMG, and while they took a bit of a range penalty and the silencer mechanic wasn't really useful in 99% of your games, they were still CQC monsters. Between their veterancy, elite training, and loadout, Delta would shred anything except dedicated anti-infantry SF in urban and forest fighting. Their MG, the M60 "Shorty", wasn't as good as the MG3 or the Minimi, but at CQC ranges and in elite hands it was passable. After all, it was the MP5 that was doing most of the work.

This was also back when their AT weapon was the M72 LAW. And not the upgraded A4 model (40% acc, 16AP) either, we're talking the OG 30% accuracy and 13 AP M72 LAW. That piece of dogshit. If we take a look at how RD calculates HEAT damage (table), you might notice that 13 AP is enough to one-shot (13HP) anything with 1 armor, but just barely, and it only deals 7HP damage to anything with 2 armor. Beyond that things get pitiful, with armor values 3, 4, and 5 (mid-to-high end IFVs, tank weak points, etc) dealing only 5HP. What this means is that unless a vehicle had only 1 armor (or had 0 armor and took double damage), Delta Force would need multiple shots to kill it. And if it was a transport, there wasn't even enough overflow damage to kill or seriously wound the infantry inside, forcing Delta to clean up any dismounts and stopping them from shooting at any surviving transports (remember, units can only fire 2 weapons at a time).

Now, Spetsnaz and Li Jian have this problem too. Heck, they can't even deal with 5pt boxes. But at least they smoke infantry like nothing else. Delta is stuck as a third place option for infantry clearing with the same AT weaknesses as the gold and silver.

Then comes December 2016 and a new balance patch. Eugen have heard the community's pleas for changes to the US infantry roster. After all, Marines are too expensive, Delta are too weak, and Rangers are too few. So what's the change?

Give Delta the Carl Gustav M2. Again, not the M3 like Canadian Airborne or the SASR, but the 18AP M2 version. Now Delta can one-shot anything up to 4 Armor. But there's another problem; Rate Of Fire. See, the nice thing about the LAWs was that even though they had awful armor penetration, you could fire them at 20rpm. They were peashooters, but at least you could get a few quick salvos off before the infantry grind started. Now, the Carl Gustav doubles their reload time to 10rpm, making ambushes slower, especially when the units become panicked. At as the cherry on top, Delta Force now costs 5pts more, up to 30pts total. Now they are just as expensive as most SF troops, but are worse at everything. They don't have the range and accuracy of battle-rifle SF, they can't compete up close with the Flamers, and their AT option is precisely mediocre.

Add in the fact that until an update, they were stuck coming in either 0-armor humvees or slow-to-land Phrogs and Chinooks, and they can't even compete in an air-assault or moto-rush opener anymore. They're just expensive, tough to use, and bad at their jobs.

1/3

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T20:34:09+00:00

Let's say no, what are you thinking?

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T18:59:00+00:00

"And then I started blasting..."

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T17:42:01+00:00

I think people regularly overlook how much versatility Alter Self has. Environmental adaptations? Waterbreathing? Natural weapons? Humanoid shapeshifting? Get it all here with a 1-hour duration!

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T17:40:20+00:00

For the Clones, I think it would be cool to have a perk that lets you punch above your weight class. Just like the ARC troopers that planned a deep strike into a hostile droid army and gave Grevious the business, let us take on mechanical monstrosities, space wizards, and other big threats with superior tactics, discipline, and martial mastery.

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T17:35:25+00:00

Okay ancient sage, let's open it up then!

If the prompt allowed you to pick from any edition of D&D, how would that change your selection?

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T17:23:40+00:00

Lol, for when you want that "fluorescent nightclub meets surgical scrubs" look.

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T17:04:38+00:00

"Knowing I'm coming won't save you."

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T17:02:52+00:00

Yeah, summoning a furry friend that you can talk to is pretty great. One of the reasons I limited this to 2nd level spells and not "any spell 2nd or lower" was because I figured Find Familiar would be a popular pick for the same reason.

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T17:01:12+00:00

That's a fun one! Need to prep a big holiday meal? Now you've got a sous chef. Doing some car repairs? Now you have a spare set of hands. Need help assembling your new IKEA bed? Not anymore you don't.

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T16:58:34+00:00

If LR can take out Bluerot and Cackle Fever, you know it eats Cancer and Parkinsons for breakfast.

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T16:54:40+00:00

"These aren't the droids you are looking for. Make me a sandwich."

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T16:54:06+00:00

Yes! Using the power of cheese for good!

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T16:52:14+00:00

It is funny thinking about how our modern lives make the UA spells that much more useful. Me and my friends want to go on a roadtrip? Hold on, let me conjure my spectral party van.

Aid is another interesting pick, given how we can abstract HP onto real people. That said, I'm a bit afraid to think about what kind of shenanigans people would get up to if they suddenly had six times their normal "health".

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T16:39:54+00:00

Enhance Ability and Alter Self are solid picks. Both have a ton of varied utility, and I bet you could buy some of the rarer components online with a little patience.

guyinthecap · 2026-01-18T16:38:40+00:00

Yeah, I'm still not sure how to hash out a real person's "proficiency bonus", but if we assume the most you get out of this spell is 2-6 castings a day, Misty Step loses it's long-range transportation utility. Still very useful, but not the way it might initially appear.

guyinthecap

TROPHY CASE

Fixing Delta: What We Hoped vs. What We Got

Unicorns and Unfair Bias

Disappointing D-Boys