Shock troop spam

I'm seeing alot of shock troop spam. Their nades are filthy and they're great against PzGs. Players like to spam them for map control, keep a few conscripts around for AT nades, then call in some fat non-tier tank like the IS2 or ISU-152 for the complete package.

3 Questions:

What do you guys think of this strat (strengths/weaknesses)?

What is the best Russian 1v1 build order to spam teh schoktroopers?

What are the best German counters?

- Scoutcars -> keep them at distance
- Flame HT
- Ostwind

If the Russian doesn't have Guards you should always spam some T2 vehicles after your T1 units (which I suggest being strong, get 4 Grenadiers or a mixed force of various Grens to be ready to insta-gib possible M3A1s). I would personally get two Scout Cars, a PG squad with upgrade (to counter the T34 that will surely come) and then T3. Scout cars seem to perform pretty well vs Shock Troops because you can keep them at distance and you will receive basically no damage.

Ostwind are a good option if you plan to go T3 right after T2, they can deal with both infantry and T34s. Since it's hard to understand (if not impossible) which of the two commanders that give Shock Troops your opponent went, I would always play the safe card of T3 and get a StuG because without it you could have an hard time dealing with a possible KV-8.

Snipers are a possible option but assuming he went for a 3-4 conscripts into Shock Troops strategy your sniper/snipers will always be in danger and you would have to constantly retreat. The MP war in this build is simply something not as effective as it is on COH, since the more population he loses the more MP he gains, despite the territories he holds.

I suggest getting the doctrine that gives you the command PIV or the one that gives G43s to Grens (they snipe infantry pretty fast).

The one that provides command PIV gives you the mortar HT, very very good to counter Russian T2. If you go that doctrine you can stay T3 and you'll be fine

To answer your other questions, I think that this strategy makes your conscripts scaling worse in the lategame (no hit the dirt and no PPSh41) so your grens/PGrens will have better time fighting them, and it will give you an interesting window of opportunity to use T2 vehicles that, if in combination with a mortar/mortar halftrack, could represent a real problem for the Russian player lacking of the early AT mobility represented by Guards into M3A1.

On the other side you get Shock Troops and a late game heavy tank, so your late/end game will be overall stronger since vetted Shock Troops are stronger than vetted conscripts vs infantry and IS-2 / ISU-152 are the strongest Russian tanks.

Looking at players who use this doctrines like Inverse and Sepha, I see they do things a bit differently from each other:

- Sepha goes for a 3 conscripts -> T1 -> 2 M3A1 with flamers -> Shock Troops -> T-34s -> IS-2
- Inverse used to go (if I remember correcly) for a 4 conscripts -> T2 -> ATs -> Shock Troops -> T-34s -> IS-2

Both them get early game molotovs with their first fuel and later on all the upgrades.
Both them will lack the early game AT option I mentioned and will have to rely entirely on AT nades of Conscripts (especially Sepha who I saw spamming various M3A1s even delaying T3 if needed), so well microed Scout Cars, a flame halftrack (prioritizing Schrecks ofc in any situation) and Ostwinds are the way to go, using a mortar to get rid of the ATs.

Ultimately you could try for a super-heavy T2 after T1, spamming PGs after Scout Cars and trying to close the game in the mid game.

Ofc this is my opinion which is the result of my own COH2 experience, others may have found different (and possibly better) approaches or may have different (and possibly better and more detailed) opinions on this matter.

Having said all this wall of text, considering how much the game will change in the next weeks, with major balance changes on the way, I am 100% sure all the stuff I wrote will be useless in a month from now.

In 1v1 I never see shock troop spam until late game. Shock troops do little to counter the flamer halftrack or tanks so shock troop spam can lose easily early game. Once ruskies get their tanks rolling shock troops become much more powerful as they can counter all the infantry.

Played a guy that made like 6-7 shocks today.

Initially I used Gren blob w/ G43 upgrade supported by Ostwind. Later I got out 2 PGrens- they can't fight a mass of them head on, but sending the team in after a isolated Shock is a easy win. After I had the MP to back the Gren blob up with 2 snipers it was smooth sailing from there.

I've had some trouble dealing with Shocktroops too. Excellent response Marcus2389. Very helpful