Lex, the game simply can not stay as is. Leaving the jackhammer so unbalanced and saying "Well, NC has the phoenix" will not be beneficial. First of all, it's unfair to the other two empires. Take this example.
I did not count all the cert points, but lets say there are 50 total cert points when you add up all the certs. Now lets also assume all the empires are equaly balanced in tearms of overall empire weapon strengths. However, the Jackhammer is useless. So no NC soldier takes the jackhammer cert, leaving him with 4 points more to spend. All of them take phoenix and medium assault, but so do 90% of other empire grunts. However, 50% of other empire grunts take the heavy weapon cert. They are now balanced with the NC grunts, BUT they paid 4 more cert points. That means the NC pool is now at 46 total cert points, 8% reduction. Which is quite large in my opinion. Thats an extra reaver cert.
You could argue that in order to be balanced the NC would have to spend those 4 points elsewhere. But where? Any other choice would be from the common pool. Which means there is something about common pool that is causing NC to be even with TR and VS, but it's also available to those 2 empires, so they take it aswell, and now they are ahead etc etc. This may make little sense as I type it. But the point is simple. If the jackhammer has no use, it leaves 4 more points to spend for an already balanced NC soldier (through the power of phoenix combined with gauss).
And I am not even getting into the prowler/magrider vs the machine of death they call the vanguard.
P.S. There is also a small balance issue with NC being so strong at range while TR/VS must fight up close. It's the issue of grief points. It's much easier to get grief points while in a close quarters battle, than when you are lobbing rockets over a hill and sniping with the medium weapon which also works well in close quarters. So when taking a tower, TR have to rush in and close that gap, meanwhile wounding their friends.
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