Why Soviet is Still the Best Fun: A Metanalysis

I've been playing all 4 factions, but the one I still like the most is good old Soviet.

There's one simple reason: map control with this faction converts into a tech advantage that can win you the game. This faction, more than the others, rewards aggression, active pushing, and also can survive one or two squad losses. Even temporary control of two fuels can result in fairly quick production of affordable and powerful units, like the T70 and M5 while waiting for even more powerful call-in tanks.

As I've been watching replays and shoutcasts, I've begun to learn how to use all the other ones better. Essentially: be extraordinarily careful. Due to the high teching costs of Wehr, US, and OKV, generally any risks you take will not soon translate into an additional tier of weaponry, as manpower drain for all these factions is the biggest reason you'll probably lose, and squad losses are extremely punishing for all including OKV (which does seem to float manpower a lot but must gain veterancy to win).

Ie., good players know the stats of the basic infantry and play accordingly:
Cost/Reinforcement

Conscript/maxim 240/20
Grenadier 240/30
Volks 240/24
Rifles 280/28

This is probably, on a fundamental level, my biggest issue with the game right now. The tech structure of all 3 factions except Soviet is such that you are better off playing conservatively, letting your opponent come to you and then counterattacking. This is partly what, in my opinion, makes US vs OKV games long and dreadful affairs, as high level players are aware of how bad it will be to let OKV units vet, and how painful a squad loss would be.

Some examples from two games I've watched:
1) Danield (Wehr) vs HappyPhace (US): HappyPhace realizes DanielDs double MG won't allow him to put any additional pressure on his cut-off, and essentially camps North Langres. Instead of opting for a Tiger, Danield goes Panzerwurfer, Ost, PzIV and a command tank to cause manpower drain without taking any himself. D wins the game because HappyPhace throws away multiple Jacksons trying to get the Panzerwurfer.
2) OMGPOP (Wehr) vs VindicareX ((Sov) - the last game of the CEVO NA finals. Here, VindicareX fails to use Soviet resilience and plays too conservatively with his infantry and scout cars, eventually allowing OMGPOP to camp his cutoff. His conservatism is bested by OMGPOP's, who camps buildings in the center of Semois and barely even attempts to cap until he reaches for Vindi's cutoff. OMGPOP doesn't even risk using one unit to cap his fuel for half the game, as the strat point income from controlling the middle allows him to tech to a Tiger anyway.

I don't really know what I'd like to see changed - but I would like to see aggression rewarded more for all the other factions through translation into quicker teching that gives you a greater advantage, the way T3 does for Sov. Perhaps strat point income could be lowered. Maybe teching costs could be juggled. I'm not sure yet.

Yep. Thats why i also like Sov the most, even with the release of WFA. I consider them to be the most agressive faction and i like that kind of play. I just tend to overextend as soon as i lick blood. But its still great fun, and i feel more rewarded than any faction when winning a very long game.

Same here, I don't know why but the soviets just feel like the peoples faction. I your face aggression and a strong emphasis on combined arms