In dire need of soviet mentor

Hello All,

I am roughly level 6-7 ranked with all factions but I'm having a hell of a time getting any traction with soviets. I am mostly clueless at the start of the match. I've purchased the good commanders, ie. Guard motor, partisan, etc., but knowing how to build an early force dependent on map/opponent/commander is proving incredibly difficult. This opening diversity is what attracts me to soviets as I love the early game complexity whereas the other factions seem quite straight forward for the openings, but I digress.

Few problems/examples to explain where I struggle:
-Constant mp bleed when going penals and constantly pushed off the map, preventing any real sense of capping or map control.
-When I try 2-3 maxims with guard motor... its just never effective. Maybe I need to be more patient, but its so passive, and if I just set up my maxims, I cant earn cp's for the guards. I don't know how to set up an offense this way.
-I can never protect a fuel point early on. Im constantly pushed off by okw blobs>racketen>flak rubbish, or ostheer fast mg covering a fuel point.
-Conscripts feel incredibly useless to me, to the point where I just don't use them anymore. so I typically choose to open with a few penals, or a few maxims, which leads to the issues above.
-I have no AT, like ever, unless I go maxims... so theres this constant feeling off an army thats AI strong, or a force that "can somewhat deal with vehicles *curses 222/luchs/no early vehicle p4 rush"
-Having to build two buildings before I can make a t70... feels like its an utter eternity before I can make this thing.
-How to approach any given map
-Which commanders should I choose? There's like a million of them.


I understand general game concepts and have what I believe is a decent understanding of unit strengths and weaknesses, but I'm literally just going into matchmaking, trying various openings to see if any of them stick.

Please help. I love this game. Its my favorite RTS pretty much ever.

Hello.

From my view highly recommended to play with Radio Intercept doctrines. And pick it from the start of the game. Soon you will be well at timing and know-what-to counter builds.

1. Commanders pick - Partisan, Reserve Army. Guard Motor Coordination.
2. Start with 4 units of conscripts.
3. Don't "take it into face". Go to the enemy fuel points or to cutoffs. Flank, use green cover(always be in cover, move cover to cover), focus fire to most threats, use molotovs to push enemy from covers or to soft counter mg's(1 is good against rifles, 2 for mg's nukes).
4. Use sandbags to block holes, don't fully build them.
5. If you good - rush into T70, if don't get mortar, maxim and Zis. Fight with care, choose your firefight wisely.
6. Use mines, demos at vp and choke points, use TRIPWIRES(good trade 10 ammo for 25-40 mp).
7. Use flash from mortar BEFORE you attack the direction. Use smoke to "hat on" enemy mg.
8. Mines at your flanks - wins games.

Now about tanks.
Sometimes is better to get M5 with quad then rush into t70. Care with both of them - don't rush, cover your troops, push back enemy capture units at far points, counter capture if you feel save.
If you really good with fuel - make 3-4 T34-76. Flank, hit and run, trade them ONLY if you will get GARANTED kill of enemy tank.

Typical build - T34, Kat, SU85.

Hope it helps.

There are good guides out there which I suggest you read in order to get a good basis. Some random tips that helped me improve with soviets:

1. At the start of the game instead of building your tier building straight away send off your engis to cap a point, then come back to base and make the tier building after that. This allows you to build 2 cons squads right off the bat, however it is less efficient in terms of capping with your engis so choose carefully.

2. Whether you go penals or maxims you still need conscripts around. Maxims are often best used offensively to support conscripts, or in buildings to get a wider fire arc. They are not as well-suited to area denial the same way MG42 is. Use oorah and merge more.

3. Get medics as soon as you need them, injured squads lose battles and waste MP.

4. Demo charges are devastatingly effective, even against good players who know to look for them. If you keep them observed you can detonate them if the enemy tries to clear them with minesweeper.

5. You can and should try to restrict the enemy's fuel income but if they really want to get 222/luchs they will no matter what you do. So be prepared. If you went t1 guards or AT nade/mine can cover you until you get t3. If t2 you can also use as for t1 if you wanna get fast t3, otherwise Zis will do the job. Remember that luchs does much less damage to units in cover (the damage reduction is greater than for most other units). Also think carefully when to get AT nades - it's a waste if you get them too early but at the same time sometimes it's good to have them already before you opponent sends in their luchs, because usually they will assume you won't have them yet so you have potential for surprise there.

When transitioning t3 the t70 is useful because it slaughters both inf and other axis vehicles at that point in the game, however it is hard to keep alive. Crew repair breaks snares and allows you to survive an extra Pak hit if you pop it in time.

Alternatively if you don't get the t70 early enough it may be better to get the SU-76, which unlike the t70 is useful all game.

6. Other than that I suggest you try playing axis more, that way you will see other people playing soviet and find out what works that way.

Can help you in the afternoon / evening. Get me on steam.