Trouble with Russian Strategy

[dkplayaclub]

Me and a few friends have stumbled through enough games now where we have a good grasp of the mechanics. Now we move on to strategy. I have to this point only played the allied factions. I do VERY well consistently with the UK, The US seems pretty easy to make a huge impact with some planning, but its those Russians I always struggle with.

My thinking is to hold the line just long enough for some backup from my allies to arrive, but after 5 or 6 rounds the backup just hasn’t got there yet and I can no longer hold the line. I usually fall back to protect Moscow at all costs after that if it gets bad.

Anyway, I seem to eventually get overwhelmed so I begin to wonder if I should make small strikes the whole while, not to conquer but to keep THEIR line from getting too strong. It just seems at some point I always end up facing a massive land assault that only luck will save me from.

Any thoughts appreciated. I love this game and cant wait to get this one down so I can move on to a more advanced version.

[kean99ac]

With Russia you can buy 2 infantry, 2 artillery and 2 tanks.

Now attack:
West Russia with 9 infantry, 1 artillery and 2 tanks (looke 3 infantry)
Ukraine with 2 figthers, 3 infantry, 1 artillery and 2 tanks (loose 3 infantry and one artillery)

The result should be, that you win both terratories and germany omly weakly can strike back in Ukraine (you take Ukraine back in round two).

Now move the 6 infantry that can into Buryatia and the rest west and place 2 infantry, 2 artillery in Caucasus and 3 tanks in Russia.

With this start Germany is on the defencive. You buy 2 infantry, 2 artillery and 3 tanks in round 2. Now you can hold Germany up to 7 rounds since Japan cannot reach Russia in force until round seven.

Try this and see how Germany is in the defencive from round 1.

I have attached a abattlemap file so you can see the position after Russias turn.

Strategi All Europa og Japan land R1 TY.AAM

[dkplayaclub]

So there is something to striking early? The German production and ability for early expansion will eventually outnumber the Russians at the line it seems.

I can see how if this opening is effective it will buy you a few rounds at the least, but if it fails, doesn’t it leave you fairly weak to a back-door attack through the Caucases? Also, in either event, would it be wise to keep the Russians grounded or is it wise to build a navy. If so, when?

Thanks for the reply.

[kean99ac]

It will weaken Germany long enough for help to come from UK/US.

The door is open to Japan, but Japan has to move al long distance and have almost zero troops after the first round. So Japan will either build transporters or two IC´s. But the distance from Japan to Russia is still long and when Japan is strong enough to strike Russia in round 6-7, help should have come from UK and US. In the least a bunch of figthers and an invasion of Norway or West Germany.

In my oppinion Russia needs only buy a total of 5 tanks during the first tree rounds and infantry with some artillery (just enough artillery to follow the attacks into Ukraine).

Russia will have to fall back from the west front in round 5-6, but that is ok, Germany will have to focus on defence at this time and Japan is not quite strong enough yet.

From here Russia just have to hang in, until UK/US can batter Germany and let the pressure on Russia from the west stop.

What happens next is not up to Russia, since Russia at this point just will try to hold back Japan until Germany falls under the combined pressure og UK/US.

[Hobbes]

Playing Russia is like boxing with 2 opponents on opposite sides. Anytime one of them comes near you punch him hard or stack pieces to prevent his advance (the problem comes when both opponents advance unopposed at the same time).

Russia should aim to be able to control/trade Karelia/Bielorussia/Ukraine on the German front and Novosibirsk/Kazakh/Evenki/Persia on the Asian front. Any Japanese stacks on those Asian territories should be crushed since the geography is a hinderance to J to mass forces on a single of those territories.

I usually end up with some 10-15 tanks for Russia because of their ability to switch between fronts. In one turn they can be massed in W Russia or Caucasus to prevent G from advancing forward and as soon as that threat is clear they can switch to crush with any J units on Kaz/Nov.

Eventually Russia will fall to a Japanese push but you can make J pay for any advances on those territories by killing any infantry/tanks and leaving a stack that J can’t attack afterwards. It won’t stop J but it will slow down his push until G falls to the Allies.

[dkplayaclub]

Thanks for all the insight. I’m starting to think my strategy with the US is a bit flawed as well now.

In early rounds should I focus almost solely on the Atlantic front and funneling troops into Western Europe or possibly Norway? I have been amassing huge navies on both coasts and then sending them on massive destruction missions around round 4 or so (on both fronts).

As effective as this has been against the Japs and in the seas all over the world it just doesn’t get the help to the Russians they seem to need by rounds 6-7.

How do you guys like to play the US, Particularly in the first few rounds?

[kean99ac]

As for US and UK I focus soley on the atlantic. Building 1 carrier (landing two figthers on it) and 2 destroyers for UK in round i.

UK will take out the JP tansport i SZ59 with the crusier from SZ35, landing the figther from SZ35 in india. Move the man from Persia into India. Now India is secure for 1 round.

you take out the german crusier and transoport with the bomber and figthers.

In the atlantic you have lost the Battleship and the transport in SZ2. So you build new navy in SZ 2 or SZ8. If you use SZ8 you can move the destroyer from SZ13 into SZ8 (if it is still alive).

Now Germany will loose 2 figthers and all their subs) if they attack your navy (in that case you just build a new one).

With US you build navy (one BS or one carrier) if Germany has build navy. Othervise build 2 transports, 2 infantry, 2 tanks and 1 bomber.

The UK/US force then focus on the almost undefended Norway (taking it with UK in round 2 or 3). UK can pump their entire production into Norway every round by transports (you need a total of 4 transports for UK). US will send the heavy backup of men, tanks and bombers/figthers by way of Canada (you need a total of 6 US transports divided into two groups for an efficient pump from Canada to Norway.

This strategy leaves Asia open to Japan, but Japan can only reach Russia in round 6-7, by that time the UK/US force in Karelia is so strong, that Germany have to focus on countering it, and US can send vast amounts of figthers to Russia to help defend.

Try it out and tell me what you think.

[Andrew]

I’m interested in trying the Axis out against this strategy, though I have never done a forum or email game before… so would need some help getting started.  I played AA Classic about 3 times 15 years ago, and have played aa42 twice now.  I loaned my hard copy of the game to a friend, but I have Battle Map installed. PM if interested -

-Andrew

[Variable]

My wife pulled the Russia R1 offensive on me as Germany and it works! If you get OK dice rolls and commit all your forces, Germany ends up defensive for about 3 turns which is huge.