I play 1v1, have yet to dabble in 2v2 which is my fav, I want to get really good first. But if u made a t70, u wont be making a su85 anytime soon thats one of my points. If u buiild t3, you basically fuicked yourself. T3 nobody really builds because its so easily countered by p4s and then makes the soviet player fucked in the long run struggling to be able to afford the t4 building and then the units
I disagree...I think T3 is vital as a Soviet.
My typical build order 3 Conscripts, Maxim, Maxim/Mortar, Guards/Shocks, T70, ZiS, SU-85. I typically skip T1, but will build it and go clown car if I notice heavy MG play. If I'm successful with it, I can usually skip T2 and back-tech if needed.
When my T70 hits the field, there probably aren't any hard counters on the field (maybe schreks but they can be avoided), so I should take a resource advantage at this point. I think this part of the game is key for Soviets to capitalize on. This is when you push the German infantry back, take their fuel, and get aggressive with your MGs. If you go straight to T4, you're forfeiting this opportunity and just asking to be beaten by the superior German armor.
While I'm waiting for the fuel to build T4 and get the SU-85, I dip back into my T2 building and use the surplus manpower to get ZiS as an insurance policy. At a minimum, I should be able to slow down the PIV with AT Nades. Best case, I can finish it off with the ZiS before my SU-85 even hits the field.
As for the SU-85 itself, yeah...it's range might be a little OP. Considering where it and the Pak are meant to engage from, I don't think the Pak is supposed to counter it. Fausts, flanking schrek'd PGrens, and flanking PIVs are the way to go. Don't just drive your PIV straight down the center of the map and get pissed when the SU-85 wrecks it...scout then flank.