If your opponent opens with 4-5 grens .....

What's the best way to counter a heavy gren open without going schock troops? I've been having reasonable success matching them conscript for gren , but inevitably the grens scale better into the mid game. I start losing conscript squads as the action intensifies. Should I go t1 or t2?

Most likely 3 cons + some strafnies I guess. Or snipers. I used to play 3 cons + molos -> shocks/Strafnies quite successfully against t1 Wehr openings.

It is true, go T1. And since he went so heavy into granadiers its unlikely he will get Pgrens as that will starve him of MP and while your T1 unit will continue to counter his grens into late game.

My build order 3 cons => molitov => T1 => sniper => penals and M5 as needed

5 cons with molotovs and Ppsh on them

5 cons with molotovs and Ppsh on them

So its the same "unbeatable" strat over and over again... boring.

I would recommend not going T1 because:

1. M5 Scout car is pretty much useless and you are throwing away your fuel.

2. When you build 3 cons and then wait for a sniper or penal to build, he probably has 5 grens already and is ready to tech to t2. He probably has capped more map than you with those grens and is harrasing your cut off or fuel.

3. If he then goes flamer halftrack, thats a soft counter to penals and snipers. With halftrack on the field the power of sniper is diminished as he can reinforce on the go. It will all come down to you being locked in your base, at least in my experience.

I would recommend going 3 cons + flamer engie + 2 maxims. With this opening you dont have to be agressive, just lock down your important strategic points, and wait for him to get supressed. Some would say that flamer engie is risky, but its there to make supressed units retreat faster and clear units from buildings (better than mollys)

With T2 you have access to counter everything from German T2 - you can build a Zis for the halftrack, get AT nades, Maxims are good against Pgrens, you also have a mortar if he decides to make an mg.

So in my opinion, T2 would be the better (safer and more fun) choice, because you can hold more ground and not get pushed off the field and outteched. It also gets useful late in the game.

The important part of course is dont leave your maxims unsupported and always have a conscript in front of them, scouting.

Thanks for the replies guys. I've tried T1 into penals a few times, but it always feels like the penals come out a hair too late. Will work on keeping my army together a lil' more.

T2 seems like something that I'll use all game and I often build it.

5 cons with molotovs and Ppsh on them

Yeah this sounds delicious thanks Barton