Guards or Shocks in 1v1

Shocks have nice armor but perform poorly from the distance so need to attack in close range. This requires to look at them all the time and to babysit the unit regularly. Guards can be left unattended while in cover longer then cons. Also have some antivehicles potential while shocks are only anti-infantry. What are your criteria for selection either shocks or guards doctrine? Which situations favor one over another type of elite soviet infantry?

Shocks are good, they have a good smoke nade, good for flanking MGs. Great in tight maps with lots of shotblockers so you can close to the enemy infantry. But they still have the bug where they do a little dance before starting to shoot.

However, I prefer Guards. With the DP-28 upgrade, they are great anti-infantry. They can button vehicles, which is so powerful. Decent anti-tank, enough to deter some tanks.

Guards, I think, are a lot more useful and versatile. But that's just my opinion.

Simply Guards, if you are in a dire need to wipe some low health off guard OKW army that hasnt built Medic HQ you should choose Shocks then.

First of all I think this question is map dependent: Close combat favouring maps like La Gleize Breakout or Kholodny Ferma Summer/Winter prove to have the best requirements for fielding Shocks. In those maps they can truly honour their name and literally "shock" your foe's game without him being able to do much about it at the time when Shocks arrive: Cutting through hostile Grenadiers, smoking and flanking weapon teams (consquently stealing them), throwing Grenades for wipes or as preparation for wipes, and so on.
Guards in constrast do well in long range, not only versus infantry but also versus like vehicles. Maps like Crossing in the Woods or Langreskaya suit them well. Let them take cover behind sandbags constructed by Conscripts to hinder hostile assaults or to defend an important spot like a fuel point or chokepoint. Of course you can use them as offensive units as well: Just keep in mind that frontal pushes mean casualties and casualties mean expensive reinforcements.

Then I would ask myself in which combinations they excel. Considering my personal opinion I think that Guards fit to Soviet Tier I: They can defend Snipers as well as Scout Cars from hostile light vehicles rushing in (do not forget button) and can keep Grenadiers reliably at bay.
Shocks on the other hand excel in combination with Tier II: As support for your weapon teams they clear out flanks, force suppressed units to retreat ultimately and overall intensify the pressure coming along with Maxim-heavy play.

Last but not least, take a look at your opponent's faction: Did he choose Ostheer or OKW? This fact has indeed to be considered: Whereas OKW could punish your Shock play by rushing to a Luchs your Ostheer opponent will have a more difficult time to deal with them effectively. Shocks can obviously break the neck of Ostheer players by preventing them from actual weapon team usage. Guards on the other hand can prevent your Tier I based play being rushed by 222s or flame halftracks. Shocks can effortlessly scythe Volksgrenadiers but Guards can prevent the full unfolding of Mechanised Regiment Headquarter based units.

There are definitely more details to consider in this issue but I hope I could give you some basic insight by my thoughts.

In the old days of 2013/2014 it was Shocks or gtfo. Nowadays Guards are really potent against infantry at range. Two squads of Guards with maybe a DP-28 is a really versatile force. Two squads of Shocks is an AI blob killer but nothing more.

That said Shocks definitely still have the fear-factor going for them. You either insta-retreat an enemy squad or wipe it out most of the time.

Simply Guards, if you are in a dire need to wipe some low health off guard OKW army that hasnt built Medic HQ you should choose Shocks then.

Usually the reason the okw army is low health is because they went luchs so it really is a gamble.

If I had to chose which one I am more likely to use, it would be the Guards.

They are capable of dealing with enemy light vehicles, especially a Luchs,Puma, or a Flak Halftrack at long range. Plus, they can be used to 'button' enemy armor and vehicles with the DP-28s for the anti-tank guns or allow their armor to take the advantage.

Usually the reason the okw army is low health is because they went luchs so it really is a gamble.

True that.

First of all I think this question is map dependent: Close combat favouring maps like La Gleize Breakout or Kholodny Ferma Summer/Winter prove to have the best requirements for fielding Shocks. In those maps they can truly honour their name and literally "shock" your foe's game without him being able to do much about it at the time when Shocks arrive: Cutting through hostile Grenadiers, smoking and flanking weapon teams (consquently stealing them), throwing Grenades for wipes or as preparation for wipes, and so on.
Guards in constrast do well in long range, not only versus infantry but also versus like vehicles. Maps like Crossing in the Woods or Langreskaya suit them well. Let them take cover behind sandbags constructed by Conscripts to hinder hostile assaults or to defend an important spot like a fuel point or chokepoint. Of course you can use them as offensive units as well: Just keep in mind that frontal pushes mean casualties and casualties mean expensive reinforcements.

Then I would ask myself in which combinations they excel. Considering my personal opinion I think that Guards fit to Soviet Tier I: They can defend Snipers as well as Scout Cars from hostile light vehicles rushing in (do not forget button) and can keep Grenadiers reliably at bay.
Shocks on the other hand excel in combination with Tier II: As support for your weapon teams they clear out flanks, force suppressed units to retreat ultimately and overall intensify the pressure coming along with Maxim-heavy play.

Last but not least, take a look at your opponent's faction: Did he choose Ostheer or OKW? This fact has indeed to be considered: Whereas OKW could punish your Shock play by rushing to a Luchs your Ostheer opponent will have a more difficult time to deal with them effectively. Shocks can obviously break the neck of Ostheer players by preventing them from actual weapon team usage. Guards on the other hand can prevent your Tier I based play being rushed by 222s or flame halftracks. Shocks can effortlessly scythe Volksgrenadiers but Guards can prevent the full unfolding of Mechanised Regiment Headquarter based units.

There are definitely more details to consider in this issue but I hope I could give you some basic insight by my thoughts.

Cant say better than that.

My personal taste goes for the shock. I have a crush for smoke grenades ans strike teams go-for-the-throat.

Kozo.

Shocks all the way.