Which Soviet Commander is the Best and pls some tips :D

[DragonZaxd]

i have been playing soviets for a bit of time, on early and mid game its good but on late game it feels not competetive and all the information i can find is outdated (im new to game and playing 3v3 and 4v4s),(i would also like to know some build orders)

(shock troops turned out fantastic thanks for that advice)

[Le Negev]

Combined Arms (the IL-2 bombing strike one), ISU commanders, counterattack, shock frontline, VDV, urban defense for urban maps, soviet shock I suppose.
Oh, tips? 1v1 eilitist here, if you really want to git gud, don't play teamgames and go for 2v2s/1v1s instead.

[Harris]

Don't listen to 1v1 elitist above, 4v4 team games are where all the fun and memes at.

Soviets really don't scale that well into late game. Late game you'll always struggle dealing with Panthers and german heavies. That's because your T34-76 is a joke and only good against inf (which is absolutely non-issue as Soviets to begin with). T34-85 is doctrine locked and even then loses to a Panther 1v1 unless you have numbers on your side and penals support. SU85 struggles at penetration from the front and lacks the mobility to outflank anything - so is only good at ambushes. Your AT guns are worse than german Pak40s either because Soviets was never designed as a defense faction. So you really need to rely on combined arms a lot to survive through late game. Coordinate with your teammates, place mines, whatever.

For commanders, ever since the game launched and indeed for a good while after that I'd swear by Shock Rifle:

1) Soviets don't have any good non-doctrinal inf, conscripts are only good as meatshield, penals are only viable until grens get their mg42s or obers appear, afterwards they're only good as an AT squad. Hence you need an elite doctrinal inf, and shock troops are the best there. They are unmatched in point blank combat, they're great at flanking, they're armored, they'll carry you if you know how to use them.

2) KV-8 is a very effective AI option for when you struggle to beat them with infantry of your own. Also, buildings, emplacements and what not. And pretty durable vehicle on top of that. Can also switch to 45mm gun to punish a lot of targets, including PzIVs!

3) Fire bombing is very good at area denial which is generally useful throughout the game and may be vital late game, when every second of point control matters.

4) IS-2 is a weird unit. I was trying to love it for a long time, but it's too hard to get any value out of it. It has tons of health, but not a lot of armor, meaning everything will penetrate it and you'll need to repair it often. As a heavy tank, it is always a primary target for focused fire from everywhere and doesn't stay alive long. The fact it comes very late in the game and costs a ton of fuel doesn't help either. To make matters even worse, its performance is not actually that great. While it's fine as AI tank, it struggles in AT role - its main gun fires too slowly, the damage is not that great, it doesn't always penetrate heavies etc.

Lately I started using Urban Defenses and it became my go-to.

1) Forward Headquarters is extremely useful on urban maps, letting you stay on the frontlines. It will give you much more value than you'd get for that 40 fuel otherwise. And even if the map has no buiildings, you can build a field camp that functions similarly, even though it's a bit less durable. This is overall a great ability and also good for teamplay - ex. you spawned on the right flank on Lienne, and you go build a forward headquarters for your teammate fighting for the town on the left flank etc.

2) Shocks. Shocks are great.

3) 45mm gun is trash and only makes sense in numbers. Though spamming them is a huge manpower drain for little value, so best skip entirely on that one. Or get one as you'd best open with T1 anyway, so 45mm would serve as a backup option, or something to cover your sniper from a scout car with.

4) Wiring points with explosives for 40 muni. This is a great ability that lets you stay in control of your stuff and counters flanks. It can blow a lot of models from a german blob and force a retreat on them. Even if you don't need or can't use it on your points, go plant this bombs on the points your teammates hold, it'll make the life easier for them.

5) KV-2. I am actually using this tank a lot recently, and I fell in love with it. This is essentially a heavy tank and mobile heavy artillery combined in one. It is good against everything - it smashes infantry, it smashes emplacements, it smashes mgs and AT guns, it smashes tanks like Stug, Ostwing and Pz4 no problem (everything less-armored it just wrecks). It's able to even somewhat damage heavier tanks, while enduring the retaliation and staying alive. You can use it as you would a Brummbar/AVRE/Sturmtiger, or you can setup it as an artillery piece. The best thing about it is a rotating turret, which makes it way better than ISU-152 for me. It's indeed pretty mobile for a heavy tank.

[Almost Perfect]

Late game Soviets are usually pretty good but it can be Commander dependent i.e. for a heavy tank (IS 2, KV2 or ISU-152) or the upgrade on the T34-76 (KV-1 and T34-85). It's more than possible to skip all those options and go for B-4s/ML20s too, both which work in team games. The stock T4 units are all good but they need to played correctly as, either infantry support tank/ suicide dive vs wefers or stukas/ram and bombstrike on a heavy or spam and support with Anti-Tank overwatch in the case of the T34. Back line sniper in terms of SU-85, and blob/pak 40 destroyer in the Katyusha. The two opposing forces don't correspond so if you play Axis don't expect your tanks to work like Soviets do.

Conscripts, 7 men upgrades are great in the late game. Cheap to reinforce, pretty good in combat and also fairly quick to vet up replacements too. Your elite guys hold up well againstthe Axis too. Penals might get you to the late game but they will start dropping quickl but if you went a commander with shocks or guards you can transform them into some OK anti tank infantry. I haven't tried it post patch but I've had some success with PTRS Penals dying 'For Mother Russia' and taking some tanks with them,

[Cptn.Roo]

armored assault, the t-34/85 and IS 2 are a must

[eclodgo]

As a proud soviet meme lord, I avoid most commanders without Shock troopers, and I stopped going for Commanders with T-34/85, not because that tanks bad, but more because its no longer a call in, and by the time you get to the place to build it. You already have T-34s and SU-85s (or something) which are both fairly solid.

IS-2 and ISU-105s or whatever they are ok, I haven't used them in a long time. However, I bet they are now tied to the mechanized armor building. Which has happened basically all the call in tanks that remain. Which kinda ruins their appeal in my opinion, as being able to save up gas for them without needing to get the mechanized armor was kinda the whole point for me taking them. But thats just me, and I tend to use SU-76s and Su-85s paired with shock troopers for most of my dirty work, so It kinda fits my style.

if your planning on playing team games, I would pick commanders with Arty, but preferably ones with shocks and arty, cause both together are chad in teamgames. Guardsmen are ok, they are definitely still solid but not as chad as shock troopers.

Im one of those soviets who don't tend to get penal squads (ik shocking), but instead spam out conscripts or recently combat engineers. Which you can spam out about 5 within the first few minutes of the game. Pair that with engi rifle cooldown and they are surprising decent. Not the best ever but if you use them wisely, its quite fun.

Snipers always good, but you gotta becareful clown cars are good once you get used to them. Maxiums are good but your gonna need to be more proactive than your German counterparts (worse cone of fire). Mortars are alright, the AT is unique.

Overall, just use the overwelming power of the soviets to smash the Germans! Just play around with the commanders and find the commanders you like, and get more used to them. Probs the best advice you could get, cause your not getting get gud by strictly playing 1v1 like a sweaty tryhard, but you can have fun and improve yourself in teamgames.

[RTS_Collector]

no more self repair KV-8, new version nerf the lady commander of soviet, sigh...

[EmperorVolo]

Originally posted by Harris:

Don't listen to 1v1 elitist above, 4v4 team games are where all the fun and memes at.

Soviets really don't scale that well into late game. Late game you'll always struggle dealing with Panthers and german heavies. That's because your T34-76 is a joke and only good against inf (which is absolutely non-issue as Soviets to begin with). T34-85 is doctrine locked and even then loses to a Panther 1v1 unless you have numbers on your side and penals support. SU85 struggles at penetration from the front and lacks the mobility to outflank anything - so is only good at ambushes. Your AT guns are worse than german Pak40s either because Soviets was never designed as a defense faction. So you really need to rely on combined arms a lot to survive through late game. Coordinate with your teammates, place mines, whatever.

For commanders, ever since the game launched and indeed for a good while after that I'd swear by Shock Rifle:

1) Soviets don't have any good non-doctrinal inf, conscripts are only good as meatshield, penals are only viable until grens get their mg42s or obers appear, afterwards they're only good as an AT squad. Hence you need an elite doctrinal inf, and shock troops are the best there. They are unmatched in point blank combat, they're great at flanking, they're armored, they'll carry you if you know how to use them.

2) KV-8 is a very effective AI option for when you struggle to beat them with infantry of your own. Also, buildings, emplacements and what not. And pretty durable vehicle on top of that. Can also switch to 45mm gun to punish a lot of targets, including PzIVs!

3) Fire bombing is very good at area denial which is generally useful throughout the game and may be vital late game, when every second of point control matters.

4) IS-2 is a weird unit. I was trying to love it for a long time, but it's too hard to get any value out of it. It has tons of health, but not a lot of armor, meaning everything will penetrate it and you'll need to repair it often. As a heavy tank, it is always a primary target for focused fire from everywhere and doesn't stay alive long. The fact it comes very late in the game and costs a ton of fuel doesn't help either. To make matters even worse, its performance is not actually that great. While it's fine as AI tank, it struggles in AT role - its main gun fires too slowly, the damage is not that great, it doesn't always penetrate heavies etc.

Lately I started using Urban Defenses and it became my go-to.

1) Forward Headquarters is extremely useful on urban maps, letting you stay on the frontlines. It will give you much more value than you'd get for that 40 fuel otherwise. And even if the map has no buiildings, you can build a field camp that functions similarly, even though it's a bit less durable. This is overall a great ability and also good for teamplay - ex. you spawned on the right flank on Lienne, and you go build a forward headquarters for your teammate fighting for the town on the left flank etc.

2) Shocks. Shocks are great.

3) 45mm gun is trash and only makes sense in numbers. Though spamming them is a huge manpower drain for little value, so best skip entirely on that one. Or get one as you'd best open with T1 anyway, so 45mm would serve as a backup option, or something to cover your sniper from a scout car with.

4) Wiring points with explosives for 40 muni. This is a great ability that lets you stay in control of your stuff and counters flanks. It can blow a lot of models from a german blob and force a retreat on them. Even if you don't need or can't use it on your points, go plant this bombs on the points your teammates hold, it'll make the life easier for them.

5) KV-2. I am actually using this tank a lot recently, and I fell in love with it. This is essentially a heavy tank and mobile heavy artillery combined in one. It is good against everything - it smashes infantry, it smashes emplacements, it smashes mgs and AT guns, it smashes tanks like Stug, Ostwing and Pz4 no problem (everything less-armored it just wrecks). It's able to even somewhat damage heavier tanks, while enduring the retaliation and staying alive. You can use it as you would a Brummbar/AVRE/Sturmtiger, or you can setup it as an artillery piece. The best thing about it is a rotating turret, which makes it way better than ISU-152 for me. It's indeed pretty mobile for a heavy tank.

Stopped after the first sentence Russians have some of the best tanks in the game. With one of the longest ranges in the game. 1 Russian tank can beat a Tiger. I know cause I do it often.

So I'm not sure the rest of what you wrote would be good information. (Didn't read it though).

[Harris]

Originally posted by GodEmperor:

Stopped after the first sentence Russians have some of the best tanks in the game. With one of the longest ranges in the game. 1 Russian tank can beat a Tiger. I know cause I do it often.

I know T-70 can 1v1 a Tiger, but shhhh, it's a secret ^_^

[ShodaN]

Originally posted by DragonZaxd:

i have been playing soviets for a bit of time, on early and mid game its good but on late game it feels not competetive and all the information i can find is outdated (im new to game and playing 3v3 and 4v4s),(i would also like to know some build orders)

(shock troops turned out fantastic thanks for that advice)

You want some fun in teamgames then go with Terror Tactics. I pretty much play that commander all the time in 3vs3 and the most recent patch didn't break it or anything. Not just a meme pick either. I don't have trouble making good use of it even in top 100 matches.

You have two excellent munition sink abilities. Propaganda as the cheap spammable one that can allow you to influence any infantry engaement all over the map with a decently long duration.

The IL-2 bombing means no stationary artillery or slow and sluggish will survive, while you can build your own ML-20 howitzer.

The KV-8 is ok when paired with AT guns or SU-85s to keep them protected from infantry.

Only bummer is that they replaced Shocks with Airborne guards. But those do have a tripple DP-20 LMG upgrade for better long range, which isn't such a bad thing to have on a lot of those laney maps in teamgames.

[Le Negev]

Originally posted by ShodaN:

Only bummer is that they replaced Shocks with Airborne guards. But those do have a tripple DP-20 LMG upgrade for better long range, which isn't such a bad thing to have on a lot of those laney maps in teamgames.

Pair VDV guards with veteran KV-8, since the tank can activate a mini-FMR. While short lived, the sprint that KV-8/KV-2 gives doesn't dissapear when in combat AND can affect allied infantry.

[ShodaN]

Originally posted by Le Negev:

Pair VDV guards with veteran KV-8, since the tank can activate a mini-FMR. While short lived, the sprint that KV-8/KV-2 gives doesn't dissapear when in combat AND can affect allied infantry.

Well the same thing would have worked even better with Shocks.

[Le Negev]

Originally posted by ShodaN:

Well the same thing would have worked even better with Shocks.

I suppose. Still, novelty of 3 guys sprinting with DP28s.

[ShodaN]

Originally posted by Le Negev:

Originally posted by ShodaN:

Well the same thing would have worked even better with Shocks.

I suppose. Still, novelty of 3 guys sprinting with DP28s.

But why would I want that? DP-28s are one of those weapons with an inverse dps curve. Goes down quite a lot the closer you are. If I want to chase, the KV-8 is right there.

However since Inspire Infantry also has a cooldown bonus, that's honestly not such a bad idea. With DP-28s the Guards can keep their distance from the flames and still benefit from firing faster.

[Le Negev]

Originally posted by ShodaN:

Originally posted by Le Negev:

I suppose. Still, novelty of 3 guys sprinting with DP28s.

But why would I want that? DP-28s are one of those weapons with an inverse dps curve. Goes down quite a lot the closer you are. If I want to chase, the KV-8 is right there.

However since Inspire Infantry also has a cooldown bonus, that's honestly not such a bad idea. With DP-28s the Guards can keep their distance from the flames and still benefit from firing faster.

Yes, I'm aware that DPs have (just like any other LMG) reverse LMG, and my point is pretty simple, novelty. I know it's not the best nor the most cost efficient way to use them, but I always liked that Inspire Infantry gives you that small insentive to keep your units close to the tank for bonuses.

[ShodaN]

Originally posted by PotatoScav:

Problem about KV8 as its an armor , will break down , big target , and expensive .

So? In teamgames it's a good complementary unit to Zis guns and SUs. Also great at flushing out enemy team weapons. 960HP and 260 armor allows for quite a bit of exposure before you need to pull back.

In a 1vs1 multiple T34/76s would surely be preferable for mobility reasons alone, but in teamgames it's good stuff.