Opening moves of the game - which points to go for?

Good evening, folks. I'm Windows, and recently I've been getting into CoH2, specifically 1v1 as OKW. I'm trying to learn from watching youtube VODs and reading posts on this website and reddit (and also playing of course), but there's still so much that I don't know. I'm starting to learn (mostly through the hard way of losing squads and losing games) the difference cover makes, when and how to engage garrisoned units, different ranges on units, etc.

One thing I still have trouble with is really basic - the very first minute of the game, when I have a sturmpio squad and a volks on the way. I usually send the sturmpio to the closest fuel, first volks squad to the connecting point, and additional volks squads if there is more than 1 connecting point. But I've found that this is a bad idea when the fuel is 2 or 3 connecting points away from base, and also that it's not always useful to go for fuel first anyway.

So what are your strategies in the early game? Do you rush the ammo? Do you rush the fuel? Do you fan out and capture points evenly? Do you rush to the enemy cutoff and try to delay them? Do you go for one or more VPs? (I almost always avoid capturing VPs if there are any other control points nearby, because by my logic, the extra munitions and fuel will always be worth more than the small amount of early game ticket bleed. Am I right or wrong?)

I suppose it's map dependent and strategy dependent, but right now, as a new player, I was just hoping for a general rule of thumb to go by.

As you have noticed, it is indeed very map, faction and strategy dependant.

However, there are a few basic rules that should cover you.

number 1:Always rush the damn house.

especially true for stone garrison maps, he who holds the house, controls that mapsection. Basicly the entire early game is decided by the player who get's the house first on certain maps.
Bonus point if said house overlooks enemy cut-off.
Obviously not possbile if there is no house, in which case:

Number 2: your cut-off.
Speaks for itself, but still, full map control without the cut-off is worth less than holding a single point.

Number 3: your enemy cut-off
Especially usefull as okw, since you start with sturmpio's, you can get a kubel and a sturm at the enemy cut-off and deny them all resources while your volks cap your side.

other than that, I generally try to get my side as quickly as possible, but do not hesistate to stop capping a point if it means getting either of the 3 rules.

Hope it helps.

Essentially what Zarok says. Crucial points on the map are cruicial. Go figure.

On top of what he says though, don't underestimate the value of a green cover rush near your opponet. As OKW you can be very aggressive in the first minute with your starting sturmpioneer. The only faction that can possibly withstand the aggression is UKF as they start with a tommy squad. That's if you want to play aggressive, which I recommend as OKW since you can cap your portion of the map with kubel/volks. Also because volks tend to lose out to allied infantry when their upgrades come online.

You'll learn with time and from watching streamings/vods on what the crucial points of maps are.

You should note the possiblity of an early vehicles from the allies. All of them will bring down the kubel in a 1v1. Vehicles such as the Soviet M3, USF WC51 from mechanized doctrine, and the UKF bren carrier.