Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3/Soviet Strategies

Soviets vs Both
Soviet build orders for different strategies tend to fall into two catagories: Crane build orders and non-Crane build orders. Crane build orders are best on large maps where you have more time before your opponent attacks you; they start off by building a Crusher Crane, then building up your base fairly normally. The downside the Crane build order is that you are extremely vulnerable due to both spending money on a crane and spending money twice as quickly as you normally would on buildings, leaving you with less credits to build units for your defense. The upside is that, in the long run, you will likely expand and tech faster than your opponent.

Non-crane build orders are less risky, and generally start off with a barracks for scouting bears and engineers, then a power plant, refinery or refineries, and a war factory, although for an air/engie rush the war factory is instead replaced with a super reactor, then an airfield to build twinblades. War factory build orders are less risky and more versatile than airfield build orders, as you can build units faster as well as rush your opponent with terror drones and sickles faster.

A common multiplayer strategy is to attempt to sneak Terror Drones behind the opponent's base an infect their ore collectors. In the case of Imperial ore collectors which are armed, two drones can be used - one to lock down the collector with its special ability while the other infects it. Players often attempt to counter this by walling in the short path between the refinery and the ore mine - either with a wall structure or by using other buildings.