Profile of MarcoRossolini

To my mind, the Soviets need a complete faction redesign.

Relic needs to throw out everything and start again.

The units it has are fine, but the way they are balanced and tiered and called in are just plain stupid.

Relic has the tools, but does it have the backbone?

I have used PPShs in the last couple of games and I didn't see any reasonable benefits. Defensively in green cover, I wasn't even able to slightly damage assaulting sturm pios on few occasions. Offensively at close range it seemed to me that PPSh accuracy is virtually non-existing on the move. How do you use them?

I tend to avoid using them defensively (PPSh range is terrible), however that won't mean I charge out to meet and advancing enemy of course.
I use them in groups of 2-3, generally I'll have 4,5, even 6 squads on the field. To ease micro, I'll work with 2 or 3 in a group, aggressively using cover and focus fire to advance and lay the hurt down on one enemy squad at a time, generally the strongest one as at close range PPShs will melt anything infantry shaped. You need to take good care of them. A successful engagement won't be without casualties, but feel confident that you still use a squad effectively with 5 or even 4 guys. The number of PPShs in a squad mean that losses are negligable until you get to 3. Given con durability its about then that I begin preparing to withdraw them.

(I'm considering writing a guide on Conscript PPSh tactics)

If I'm assaulting a defended position, I work as thus. I'll hope to have 4+ conscript squads plus support depending on the situation, a mortar or MG is appreciated, though if armour is expected, then an AT gun is required, if you have the munis then its barrage ability comes in handy as well.
I'll advance 2-3 conscript squads first, backing them with artillery, mortars etc. Using all available cover and from different angles and approaches, they will seek to rush the enemy positions, if one is suppressed by an MG, then the different angles enable me to rush the MG and kill it or retreat it. Molotovs are great for this. The durability of conscript squads enables me to take sustained suppression or fire and keep the assault going. If there are vehicles in the area, AT nading them for your AT assets is imperative.
The assault group should be made up of your less experienced troops, who'll gain vet faster and won't matter as much if your enemy pulls a trick on you. However, your assault group, once it has taken the objective, will likely be unable to hold it, particularly if the enemy is just reacting. They'll also be likely down to 4-3 men, though often, given skill and luck, you can achieve an assault so that you lose only 1-2 guys in all the squads combined. At this time you send in your reinforcement group, as well as advancing supporting weapons. You garrison all available cover, prepare approaches and if possible have your cons behind line of sight blockers. Mines are also preferable, but are unlikely to be put down in time, use at own discretion. When the enemy advances, your PPSh cons will ambush them, focusing fire on one or two squads, generally ones that need to die early, these will include obers and Pgrens, or any unit that represents a threat to your support.

Don't be afraid to go "screw it" and retreat everything, unit preservation (as ever) is key. If the attack fails, attack from a different angle.
If the Assault Group fails, don't hesitate to send in your reinforcement group via different approaches again to attack, the enemy may well be so badly battered that the new attack overwhelms them.
If you see a dropped weapon, particularly a panzershrek, do not hesitate to pick it up. Nothing apart from shreked shocktroops is more fearsome then shreked PPSh cons.


Three core rules for Conscript PPSh units.

1. Line of sight blockers
2. Different approaches
3. Focus fire.

Three don'ts of Conscript PPSh units.

1. Don't blob (especially during the approach)
2. Don't remain at a distance.
3. Don't overload your micro.

The Assault Group/Reinforcement group thing may seem like a bad idea, with your units being sent in piecemeal to be destroyed, (which is a good point) but I prefer it to microing 4-5-6-7 units in a mega blob. 3 units allows me to manage each unit effectively, enables me to focus fire and baby sit units into the best position and the best molotov targets. Anything more overloads me, although I am by no means a great player.
Micro overload is death to a Conscript PPSh player. Your units die easily under sustained fire. You have to baby sit them to get the most out of them.

I'll try to remember this thread so that I can put this together into a more cohesive form and publish it properly on the site.

These tactics are heavily based on genuine tactics used by Assault units in Stalingrad and the names (assault group, Reserve and reinforcement group) reflect this. It's a bit pretentious, but it works nicely, I am playing a historical game after all.

^^

Always like seeing the bits of history you put up CoH2player. Hard facts (for once in this forum).

T-34s just can't pull their weight late game, especially as Soviets are required to pick one of each particular building. A reload buff won't change that.

Soviets need a complete faction redesign to be of any use as a combined arms fighting force. Enough said.Their reliance on cheese and call-ins is the only thing that just barely keeps them in the game.

I had a guy in a 2v2 recently railing against my use of advanced warfare where I was able to smash up his infantry through PPSh cons and T-34-85s. He told me to use combined arms and skill instead of just spam. He was spamming shreked volks into obers followed by a KT. Anything else I might have done would have been wrecked, whether by the Obers, or the shreked volks, or the KT.

Non-doctrinal units such as the SU-85 and T-34/76 simply wouldn't have been able to do anything, they'd have been meet for his shreks, nothing more.

Hmm... so if anything the allies should err on the OP side to make their side more appealing. As opposed to what it is currently where we have the Axis being both OP and having the sex appeal...