Advanced Barton Warfare Strategy

With the introduction of Relic's Advanced Warfare Tactics Commander, I have come up with a Soviet strategy that packs a punch, is versatile and is easily executed by both veterans and new players alike. Before I talk about the strategy, let's take a look at the Advanced Warfare Tactics Commander and review what it entails.

Radio intercept is the first ability which is immediately unlocked and in-effect when the commander is chosen. The ability is passive which means it is continuously active throughout the course of the game from the moment the commander is chosen. Radio Intercept will give you valuable intelligence in the form of intercepted radio messages that outline the opponent's actions on the battlefield. The intelligence provided covers: which units are built and in what order, the exact timing of a battle phase research's completion and when the opponent unlocks and gains access to their very own commander abilities. This is potentially one of the most powerful passives in the game because it fulfils such a crucial aspect of the game; reconnaissance and scouting. The provided information will be key to countering your opponent's units and technology choices effectively.

The second most valuable commander ability, at the cost of 40 munitions you can upgrade your determined and inexperienced Conscript Squads with 3 PPSh sub machine guns which are ideal for close encounters. PPSh's are very effective the closer you are to the enemy, even when on the move due to their 80% accuracy. For the cost, it is very good investment if you want to empower your Conscripts and turn them into flanking and close range troops. However, you lose DPS at long ranges as a result of the game and this should be taken into account when considering the upgrade. Conscript Squads with this upgrade can match the Ostheer's Panzer Grenadiers as well as serving as the ideal counter to upgraded Grenadier Squads in close combat.

The 3rd ability unlocks the repair capability for your Conscript Squads which will be able to repair buildings and vehicles once the ability is unlocked. This is another a passive ability which means it is active as soon as it is unlocked. At the expense of a minor manpower drain during repairs, your Conscripts will gain some of the utility of the Combat Engineers. Note that a 6 man Conscript Squad repairs at roughly the same rate as a 4 man Combat Engineer Squad.

The Soviet Army gains the ability to call in a single T34-85 Medium Tank to assault and engage enemy armour with better armour, health, damage & penetration than its T34-76 counterpart. The T34-85 utilise an enhanced 85mm gun for more ferocity and fire power. The tank costs 360 Manpower and 130 Fuel, which is slightly more expensive than a single T34-85's cost from the Guard Motor Coordination Tactics Commander's Pair Call-In. The only real disadvantage of the T34-85 is its reload time which is roughly around 6.5 seconds.

The IL-2 Sturmovik has been revamped for this commander and now only makes a single pass over the designated area, the fire power it provides are the same as the older versions whilst its cost has been halved to 90 munitions. The ideal scenario to use this ability is on wounded units.

One of the more popular starts for Soviets is a good choice to use in synergy with this commander. You have to take advantage of the numerous Conscript upgrades provided by the commander but have to be careful not to over invest into Conscript Squads. The sweet spot for Conscript Squads is usually 4, which are enough to take the fight to the enemy. Molotovs are ideal counter for support units like the MG-42. Conscript Squads are fairly weak units as a single squad, they die fast while they are in open with no cover and are best used in conjunction with one another to execute flanks and as supporting infantry for your vehicles and tanks. Conscripts cannot stand up to the combined arms of German T1 in a head-to-head battle so blobbing is heavily discouraged in order to use them effectively. The best strategy for using Conscripts is one that involves flanking and exploiting buildings to get a superior position on the opponent's army.



With your Combat Engineer Squad start building T2 (Support Weapon Kampaneya) after fielding 4 Conscripts with Molotovs as a precautionary measure, the sooner the better. With your T2 built and Radio Intercept, you should have the ability to counter your opponent's tactics effectively.

If your opponent went for a heavy tier 1 investment build order and then proceeds to advance to higher tiers (Tier 3 or Tier 4), your best bet is to get more Conscripts for a better field presence and to capitalise on the lack of a German Tier 2. You shouldn't be surprised by fast Anti-Infantry vehicles such as the 221 Scout Car. You should consider getting at least 1 more Conscript Squad and an additional Combat Engineer Squad with the ROKS-3 Flame thrower Upgrade. At this point, you should have a sufficiently powerful army to counter the enemy's Tier 1. Your Flame thrower Combat Engineers will be crucial for the future M5 Half-track.

This is the the hardest strategy for the Soviets to counter because of the brutal Panzer Grenadier assaults supported by a 251 Half-track. The SdKfz 251's Flammenwerfer upgrade will be deadly once it is acquired as soon as Tier 3 research is completed so it is a good idea to prepare yourself for it as well as eventual armour using the information provided by the Radio Intercept ability. To counter this, you should research Anti-Tank Grenades and 1 ZiS gun which should be sufficient in the early game. You should not be surprised by Panzer Grenadiers as they are a competent counter to Conscript Squads until you can supply them with PPSh sub machine guns. You cannot afford to be caught out of position and retreat through Panzer Grenadiers which are lethal at close to medium range and can chase squads on retreat. As such, it is a wise decision to add another Conscript Squad or 1 Maxim to suppress the Panzer Grenadiers.

At this stage of the game you should have accumulated 3 Command Points which unlocks the Conscript Assault Package. You should begin upgrading your Conscript Squads with PPShs as soon as you can. If you lack munitions then you should halt all other upgrades, including flame throwers and stop laying mines; PPShs are the priority right now.

You should continue by beginning construction of your Tier 3 building (Tankoviy Battalion Command) when you feel you are relatively safe and have saved up enough Manpower and Fuel. Build an additional Combat Engineer Squad if haven't already done so, they will aid in your building construction. Your first unit out of your Tier 3(Tankoviy Battalion Command) should be the M5 Half-track which is a relatively cheap mobile reinforce vehicle that can be upgraded with Quad Cannons for more Anti-Infantry Capability. Upgrade both your Combat Engineer Squads with the ROKS-3 flame throwers. With these and the PPSh upgrades, it can be difficult to field the necessary munitions for both so it is smart to think ahead and avoid laying mines in order to save the munitions. Make your Combat Engineer Squads enter the M5 Half-track and go hunting for lone, single squads that are caught out of position. The burst of the double ROKS-3 flame throwers in conjunction with the speed of the M5 Half-track will allow you to easily chase and wipe these squads on retreat. If you take a panzerfaust hit, simple exit the M5 and repair it once you know you'll be safe doing so. After repairs are complete, continue chasing squads off and punishing the enemy for not supporting them.



Your initial M5 Half-track should have paid off and you may have wiped a few squads. Continue to exploit your opponent's weaknesses and make sure of his lessened field presence by adding 2 T34-76s into your arsenal to support your M5 and ZiS gun. If your T34-76s are about to die, use the ram ability as a last resort to attempt to cripple their armour and buy yourself some time to make a getaway or push further.

Combined Arms Tactics

Using all your deployed forces and combined arms, take the fight to the enemy. Reinforce your infantry squads near the M5 Half-track, repair damaged vehicles, ZiS gun and tanks with your Combat Engineers with the M5 being nearby to act as a forward reinforce point. Ram with your T34-76s when they are close to death and you have no other choice and attempt to finish the enemy's vehicles with your ZiS guns. Your success in the late game depends on your combined arms usage with each unit having an essential role.




In the later stages of the game, you will have access to the powerful T34-85 Medium Tanks They are an upgraded version of the T34-76 counterpart with better 85mm gun that deals more damage, has a higher penetration value. They also come more with more armour and Hit Points for superior survivability. It is a good idea to ram with your heavily damaged T34-76s and attempt to finish the enemy's tanks off with the T34-85s.

Use all of the above to effectively counter any resistance you might face. Your T34s will take the charge of your assaults and defend flanks while your Conscripts will be able to provide infantry support to clear any stationary anti-tank guns and infantry squads while providing repairs to your damage tanks out of battle.





Combine your M5 assaults with the IL-2 Sturmovik to wound enemy squads or finish them off with the combined damage of the Flame thrower Combat Enginners and the IL-2.



While your conscripts with PPShs gain veterancy at a higher rate if they are continuously being used on the front lines, it is a good idea to blob them together and reinforce casualties with the M5 Half-track. Conscripts at veterancy level 3 still die quickly so it is important to always have your M5 Half-track nearby to reinforce and hold the line. With the rapid rate of reinforcements, your enemy will lose engagements and their territory.

I have used this strategy to great effect many times in a lot of my games. I have played a large number of 1v1 games with very promising results. It's an easy strategy to adopt with great results. Combined arms tactics can be extremely potent in the later stages of the game; with a careful execution, your enemies will fall before you.