Your role as a Red Army soldier

The Red Army can be even more powerful than the German Army if played right as they have a different playstyle compared to the Germans as the Red Army is more specialized on close combat due to their weapons specifically the PPSh-41. So heres a guide how to be a good Red Army soldier.

Soviet Rifleman and elite rifleman

Every Soviet soldier should know how to use the Mosin Nagant. Since majority of Soviet soldiers in the game are riflemen they are the ones to provide cover for assault teams but still riflemen should attack as well in order to negate the German defense superiority and they should kill every German machine gunner before he takes a position and mows down your comrades but don't try to be snipers due to theres a specific class for that role. You may capture enemy Mkb 42s since Fritzes nowadays love to use them causing chaos against us. As a defender you should get in the cap and follow Stalin's order "Ни шагу назад" meaning not a step back instead of camping behind cap like idiots do in maps like Mamayev Kurgan. Even TL and SL commands say that defending should be in the cap thats why they say "Не отступают" meaning don't back down as trying to hold the cap. In open maps you should shoot Fritzes with your mosin nagant however elite rifleman has SVT-40 since Fritzes also love using semi auto rifles. For both roles try to learn how to melee your enemies with rifle butts or bayonets especially in close quarters.

Note: Manual bolting is much faster and more flexible as can do a bayonet charge after a shot.

Soviet Assault

Soviet assaults use PPSh-41 or PPS-42(Some of you use it even real Soviet soldiers use it on the later parts of the war) but I recommend PPSh-41 with the drum magazine and its kinda pain to use when using the 35 round stick mags so level up this gun immediately up to atleast level 25 for the drum magazine. I do not recommend to use AVT-40 due to its just another SVT-40 while if you are Hero elite assault you can use either PPSh-41 or Mkb 42 due to being the best weapons for the role. The role of the Elite Assault is to storm enemy positions and use PPSh-41 to flush the Fritzes out of rooms,trenches and others as Soviets are better at close range and become dangerous when skilled. Even Mkb 42 wielding Fritzes will struggle against Soviet soldiers skilled with the PPSh-41 as you will mow them down and make them pay for owning the Red Army using their MGs,MP40s and Mkb 42s. As defenders you should ambush Fritzes as you mow them down with the PPSh-41 which it can give a huge amount of suppression like an MG. For heavily defended enemy strong points try to use flanking skills in order to flush the Fritzes out.

Pulemyotchik(Machine gunner)

The DP-28 machine gun which is more of a squad automatic weapon which the modern version of this kind of weapon is the RPK so you have a magazine that has a capacity low for machine gun standards as you see comrades that the MG34 is superior to our MG especially at defense which we have the Maxim on some maps. The LMG/SAW role for the DP-28 when done right can be a dangerous weapon against the Fritzes and the better way is if you are Hero machine gunner then use the MG34 to unleash hell on their Fritzes as thats their own medicine. Hip firing the DP can be tricky as it wasn't as fast as the MG34(Those acting to be Rambo) so it does require some practice but don't forget your role for that.

Update: 20.10.2014 with the appearance of the MG42 the MG34 was never obsolete so Soviet Heroes despite cannot use the MG42 as now can still use the MG34 as the difference of the 2 MGs are obvious with the MG42 have a high rate of fire but its a bullet hose and no single fire like the MG34 does have so use the MG34 to beat MG42 armed Fritzes.

Marksman

The scoped Mosin Nagant or the SVT-40 can be a good sniping weapon if used right and good positions but make sure you know your priority targets before shooting everyone else with top 2 of your most important targets are MGs and Snipers because they are the ones that can stall the whole Soviet assault. In some maps you can shoot TL and SLs as well to give them a hard time marking and calling arty. Shooting Fritzes with Mkb 42s is also necessary. Seize the opportunity if you spot those targets and shoot them to have your comrades buy some time.

Update: The scoped mosin nagant and SVT-40 have different playstyles where the Mosin is good for sneaking and surprise shooting while the SVT-40 is good against huge numbers of enemies so it depends to the marksman where he is more skilled at whether he prefer to be like Vasily Zaytsev with the Mosin nagant or like Lyudmila Pavlichenko with the SVT-40 but in my opinion with maps where the Soviets defend then its SVT while the Soviets attack its Mosin for surprise attacks.

Sapyor(Engineer) and anti tank soldier

Sapyor(Engineer) and anti tank soldier
Engineers use either PPSh-41,PPS or SVT-40 and your main role is to blow up destroyable objectives such as tank traps,doors,walls,etc using satchels. Use your running speed to toss anti tank grenades against enemy tanks. Also known as sappers for some reason due to this role. For the anti tank soldiers the PTRS-41 is hard to use since you have to know the weak spots of a Panzer IV so if the tank is close to you just toss an anti tank grenade to make the panzer go boom and a veteran anti tank soldier can have satchels like engineers which you can run and toss a satchel at an enemy tank. In case of no panzers you can use the PTRS-41 to shoot out enemy machine guns as the gun can cut a Fritz head off.

Update: Since I see people who are having trouble on destroying the Panzer IV on some maps specifically Myshkova River and all you have to do whether you are AT soldier or Engineer is to RUN and throw AT nades on the enemy tank instead of trying to shoot the front armor of the tank or AT soldiers should flank and hit the weak spots of the tank. One important thing get rid of the tank's tracks and it will be stucked for good easier to destroy.

Tankist

A good Soviet tanker should have infantry support at the same time a tanker should support infantry. Know the differences of AP(Armour piercing) and HE(High Explosive) as they have completely different functions where AP is for tanks and transports while HE is for infantry. Do not fight alone as you can be easily flanked by enemy engineers and at soldiers. When using the T-34 remember you have the mobility and you need infantry to support you as you have to support them too. Incase of a comrade joins in your tank then you should use voice chat for quicker communication so I suggest you bring a friend with you if you want to play the tank role very well. This role unfortunately was often taken by noobs so if you want to play tank and you can play good then you better get the role first before someone else get it or else it will mean trouble on some maps where the NKVD should shoot bad tankists.

Squad Leader

I recommend to use PPSh-41 with drum magazine even if you can use SVT-40 on some maps like the first part of Bridges of Druzhina and Myshkova River. To be a true Soviet Squad Leader is more like a mixture of Elite Assault and SL where you have to throw smoke for your comrades to move safely and blind enemy MGs. Do not allow your comrades to depend on you being a mobile spawn as not all spawn points are good as that method would be a waste of reinforcements. Storming an enemy position as a Squad Leader at the same time allowing your comrades to spawn near you is an effective tactic even though hard to materialize at times as it requires skill,situational awareness,teamwork(Comrades to cover you),instincts and tactics. Being a broodmother is more for German Squad Leaders even though this can be good for defending a position but never ever waste the potential of your weapon especially the PPSh or you will end up being a burden for the team. Don't forget to mark coordinates for arty which TL can use one of those marks depending on the situation and you have to update them incase of capping or losing a cap. Remember Ni shagu nazad when defending as SL and being an aggressive Squad Leader in Soviet fashion deserve to be Hero of the Soviet Union when done well.

Team Leader

Same set of weapons of SL but this is a very critical role especially in maps where arty is available so DO NOT let noobs take this role so you will have two options either try to teach them the right way to play TL or have the NKVD purge(Vote kick) that svoloch out of the role as comrades are gonna scold the crap out of the noob and at times some of you may have shot the noob TL for not doing his job well. In case noobs are reading this then here is your role. This role has the most duties of all due to you command your team so you have to know the radio locations on maps as you call recon or artillery where you or your squad leaders mark coordinates. This duty requires alot of multitasking as at times you have to assault the enemy positions with your PPSh while waiting for arty as not all the time you need recon since your SLs can see the enemy at the frontline so they provide the marks for you. Call artillery is the best one to use as Katyushas(Either by surprise or last resort) have higher cooldown time and mortars have lower area of effect(you can use mortars if this is the only available one with maps like Station and Barracks). In my playstyle im also aggressive TL unless reinforcements are low where I stay at the radio calling the last arty.

Some videos

Inspiration of some tactics mentioned in the guide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXBR-6ndt-U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWmcRuSS4LA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDvYLJBffNk

For defense tactics see the movie The Brest Fortress(Бресткая крепость) and stuff about Pavlov's House.

You can send your feedback in the comments and ill add more stuff soon so good luck and become a Hero of the Soviet Union!

Soviet Hero

In winter maps if you see a Soviet soldier wearing the telogreika or the vatnik, don't shoot him since he is one of ours and I also wear this uniform at times. On my personal experience I was getting TK'ed by our own comrades mostly rifles when I wear the telogreika as I play as Hero so here are some photos to see what a telogreika looks like in real life as you will see Soviet soldiers in game wearing it.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o7KDC8hrubg/T-plAKjGLFI/AAAAAAAACh4/9Mxac7K9pzs/s1600/Telogreika1943.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Kovpak_partisanki.jpg

Notes

Ni shagu nazad = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_No._227

Important! Read this order: http://www.mishalov.com/Stalin_28July42.html

[fluffyspider54]

HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA WHAT A JOKE -hans before the battle of stalingrad/btw germans better

[Jorgnesau]

all you have thats better than german is just ppsh

[Halogen]

Those videos were kinda stupid though

[[PKKA]Tovarish ToNy]

Had to add more updates for the guide as my experience on battle grow.

[Setamiesrautanen]

No matter how you read this, the axis steamrol is Unstoppable .

[Borderliner]

They are called sappers after an old persian word which I unfortunately cant remember. They would dig under the enemy entrenched and fortified positions to try to let them collapse, literally sapping them from their strength.

[GodlySn4ke]

great!

[Hawkan]

Umm why is the mosin good for sneaking & ambush? I love the SVT more than any sniper rifle there is!

[Kyle Rizzenhouse]

Soviet Propoganda is always hilarious

[[PKKA]Tovarish ToNy]

http://steamcommunity.com/app/35450/discussions/0/522730535689512875/#p1 Tips against German bias thread.