There are several strategies that work for Ostruppen. There are also some things you should always do and some things you should never do, lol.
The best thing would be for you to find some replays online where Ostruppen were used. See how other people have used them, then you can see what works or doesn't work for you.
Osttruppen are also useful to destroy tanks as well if you have enough ammo. Instead one grenadier group you can build two of them for the same price and population. So at the same time you can use two panzerfausts which could be dangerous for light vehicles and (having more osttruppen) even for tanks, especaily the SU-76 during its artillery-ability. Though they suck at fighting against infantry on the open field, they can be useful in the near of a command-bunker or halftrack: Osttruppen are cheap (10 manpower a man) and fast to reinforce, so they can fight the enemy until your better troops are coming for support.
I can see it really has some potential and really take the opponent by surprise. But that said, I saw a recent replay (Propagandacast episode 185, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlfwyINeuVY ) where he got neutralized pretty effectively using this tactic by a really good Soviet player.
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The best thing would be for you to find some replays online where Ostruppen were used. See how other people have used them, then you can see what works or doesn't work for you.
I enjoy the Propagandacast by Imperial Dane. http://www.youtube.com/user/Propagandacast?feature=watch
This may help as well: http://www.gamereplays.org/companyofheroes2/replays.php?game=83&show=details&id=289058&st=0
I can see it really has some potential and really take the opponent by surprise. But that said, I saw a recent replay (Propagandacast episode 185, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlfwyINeuVY ) where he got neutralized pretty effectively using this tactic by a really good Soviet player.