AndrewFord's MapGuide: Shallow Grave

 [originally posted: 8/17/2016, new layout by rusty] 

This is my first map guide, this is due to the lack of specific map guides on here so I feel I could contribute and help players who are wanting to learn new maps. This map I feel will help with many players shortcomings such as early game. After all, the best defense is a good offense. Each standard map requires different build placement. Placement is the key, and will make the difference in you going broke or not.

Preview of Shallow Grave

What This Map Will Teach You:

• Money Management
• Small Army Infantry and Tank Control
• How to Play Ore Maps (Ribbon Wid ORE, HJK Ore, Union Break, etc) to some extent
• Early Game strategy
• Selling Off Buildings later on

 Basic Build Orders:

These are the build orders you should start with, if you are inexperienced. They are reliable and fairly simple.

• In order to keep a steady production of tanks, selling CY is needed once you get used to the basic builds.
• Once your ore field runs out, selling 1 war factory and power plant in order to keep producing tanks is needed.

Soviets

Conventional Build

 

• Power Plant, Barracks, Ore Refinery, War Factory, War Factory (Sell Barracks), Small Power Plant, Sell Construction Yard. 

I recommend this build, as it is the most reliable for all skill levels and opponents. You will also learn the most fundamentals using this.

Grenadier Infantry Rush Builds:

• Power Plant, 2 Barracks, Ore Refinery, War Factory, War Factory (Sell Barracks), Small Power, Sell Construction Yard

• Power Plant, 2 Barracks, Ore Refinery, War Factory, Ore Refinery, Small Power, Sell Construction Yard

Allies

Conventional Builds:

1. Power Plant, Barracks, Ore Refinery, War Factory, War Factory (Sell Barracks), Small Power, Sell Construction Yard 
2. Power Plant, Barracks, Ore Refinery, War Factory, Ore Refinery (Sell Barracks), Small Power, Sell Construction Yard (aka Luni's build)

In Allied builds, you can either make light tanks or Medium Tanks. Light tanks allow you to quickly attack and take out the enemy's tiny base.

  

 Advanced Build Orders:

 These builds, I don't recommend unless you are having fun or you know what you are doing.

Soviets

Option: Transport + 5 Grenadiers:

• Power Plant, Barracks, Sub Pen (Transport), Ore Refinery (Sell Subpen), War Factory, War Factory (Sell Barracks), Small Power, Sell Construction Yard 

This build will win against players that don't expect it, by taking out their power plant. Even if they rebuild another power plant, the enemy will have to cancel what he was currently building and thus delaying his war factory.

Video Example:  [the orig. video is sadly removed]

Allies

Cruiser Win Condition:

• Power Plant, Barracks, Ore Refinery, War Factory, Small Power Plant, Radar Dome, Naval Yard, Tech Center (Sell Dome and Tech Center when you have a Naval Yard built) Build 1 Cruiser, and 1 Transport.

The above build in essentially an automatic win once you have a Cruiser and a Transport (for the formation exploit) since the Cruiser can hit the entire map. Some players will choose not to resign, but you can still kill everything with your Cruiser regardless. Scouting is very important, make sure the entire map is revealed for your cruiser. The reason you sell your tech center is to reserve power supply (and the GPS in not needed since the game will end too fast) and save credits.

Mine Layer Defense Build:

• Power Plant, Barracks, Ore Refinery, War Factory (Make a Truck), Service Depot (Sell Barracks), Power, Refinery....

This build is somewhat effective to players who don't expect it. Some players like to build up their army, and if you are good at placing mines quickly, you can win without ever leaving your base. Make a minelayer immediately once you can, deploy it to place 5 mines, and then move it onto your service depot to refill the mines (free of charge). Continue building tanks while doing this. Is is possible to make a cruiser too, if you defended the enemy and are far ahead in tank count.

 Scouting:

Scouting is fairly easy, you only need a few infantry to protect from the enemy scouts and scout well. Generally speaking, the Red Lines mark where you should place 2 infantry to stop infantry from getting inside your area. These are also marked by a single tree that you can see when playing the game. I also send 1 infantry to each corner of the map.

 

 

Attacking/Tips:

I suggest taking out the enemy forces over buildings, UNLESS you won't lose tanks when base killing. The reasons for this is because, if you waste your tanks killing the enemy base, you will just get counter attacks as hard, and won't have any tanks to defend it. If you have trouble defending, practice it. Remember best defense is a good offense, so if you lose your offense; you're done. Make sure to use every left over infantry units too, you never know when the extra damage will make the difference in winning and losing a tank fight. Take advance of choke points (where each tree is) because moving past one of the trees will cause your tank group to split up, so it will be easier to pick off individual tanks.