USSR Strategies

[Octopus]

Flush,

A complex yet simple answer to your questions is, “I buy what is necessary to do the job required.”  I know that sounds stupid but we can break down the role of Russia versus what you would like Russia to be.

The first move for Russia should be to put Germany on the defensive by removing key pieces from play (West Russia and/or perhaps a second territory of choice).  Germany then has to choose how to deal with Russia.  If the German player decides to do a Naval build, then I might continue to press the attack on Germany with Russia due to lack of funds on ground units.  If Germany spends it money soley upon land units, then a more defensive posture in necessary.

Keep in mind that units are purchased to serve a purpose.  These units may or may not give you the initiative to control the tempo and pace of the game.  An unwise build may cost your team the initiative in the game (for example, if I see too much armor being built, I can turn the direction of the game).  How much armor constructed will cost the game?  Good question, that is where the wisdom and experience come into play.

I deal with Japan in a number of ways with Russia, but it is also in conjunction with the Western Allies.  Germany can do a few things to disrupt the Allied naval movements, but you must exploit that with Russia to even the odds.  Find out how and where the enemy is weak and exploit it.

As for artillery, I don’t see Russia needing too much of it.  Russia needs a bit of flexibility to deal with Germany and Japan for the spearhead could come in multiple places (sometimes even at once).  Also, Russia does not stand alone.  Use your helpful Allies to deal with the unfriendly invaders on approach to Russia.

Russia should keep pressure upon Germany to not allow Germany to do a build up without losing all of its Eastern European territories.

Hint: you don’t do this with Armor.

[Flush]

that’s more like it Octo. I expect nothing less from you. do you commonly use “space for rent” strategy on that front?

[savedbythrbell]

don’t mean to intervene, but why wouldn’t you use tanks, they are perfect for counter assult, i played russia in a five person game once, and, i persnonally took on germany, and japan, while the rest of the allies casaually built up a navy, by the time they came, i had asia, and berlin, along with most of German terriory, so agian why can’t you build tanks?

[Guest]

Saved…

In all honesty, if Russia achieved that much, your German and Japan opponents were not up to par.

[Octopus]

@Flush:

do you commonly use “space for rent” strategy on that front?

The “space for rent” is used for special circumstances that typically doesn’t involve the Russians.

[triforce]

what is space for rent?

[General_D.Fox]

I think with Octo and his “space for rent,” he likes to leave open a territory for you to take.  Next round, he comes down on you with a massive/large force and crushes that spot.  I think that’s how his “SFR” goes. :|

[JamesG]

I think that’s it.  With Octo he often leaves Western Europe as a 'space for rent" when he plays as Germany.

[triforce]

So you trick your oponenet into taking a “free” territory, and then you hammer them, costing them lost of IPC’s in lost units?

[Botider]

Octo is right on …

Keeping the Germans at bay is a tricky task, but with sufficient assistance from UK/US, the Russians can be a bear! If the German player goes full-force for Moscow, usually the British and Americans are landing in Western Europe within 3 or 4 turns and her warmacht goes scrambling westward. Forcing the Germans to stretch themselves to the East leaves them vulnerable. They are infantry-starved, and it’s a long ways from Germany to W Russian and Ukraine one step at a time.

My success as Russia has been to follow Octo’s general advice … build mostly infantry and counter-punch when it is economically to my advantage, e.g., when Russia can kill more units than it loses. On many occasions a short-sighted German or Japanese player has stepped within a space of Russia only to have 45 infantry and half dozen artillery step out and swat them like a fly. My favorite tactic is to “strafe” these wayward souls … bring enough firepower to kill all but one or two units, and then retreat back to Moscow. Most of our games are low-luck, and this makes it particularly easy to kill ALMOST all the enemy units and still be able to retreat. In a dice-rolling game, this can backfire if you “accidentially” kill all the enemy units and get stuck in Novosobirsk or West Russia and the enemy can slipped past you.

Good board … keep the strategies coming. Always enjoy reading other gamers’ experiences and advice.

Bo

[Octopus]

Strafing is an art, indeed.

I find it more of a problem that Germany encounters than Russia.

I have a different solution for the Russians, but they cannot keep it up for long without help from the allies.

[88 Millimeter]

Switch and Octo touched on two points which I’d like to expand on, and they go hand in hand.

Switch spoke of the W Russia stack. W Russia commands 3 territories, all vital to Russian (and therefore German) interests in varying degrees- Karelia, Belorussia, and the Ukraine. A strong Russian force in W Russia forces Germany to choose a path and go in strength, or to sit back and trade units and territories. The W Russian stack also teams nicely with troops freshly placed in the Caucasus to enable a reasonable deterrent to Germany moving in force into the Ukraine. If the other Allies are properly doing their job, Karelia should be in the hands of a multinational force by the end of turn 4, preserving the 2 valuable IPCs for Russia without Russia having to do the work. That leaves the W Russia stack/ Caucasus combination to deal with Belorussia and the Ukraine.

Octo spoke of initiative. If you were to go back through all of my posts, you’d see that I’ve spoken on this topic many times. It’s IMO the single most important mindset to have in A&A. You must dictate the pace of the game, or at the very least attempt to appear as though you are. Take a look at the Russian/ German front. If Germany can get lodged into Karelia, they have access to Archangel, W Russia, Norway, and have pinned down 2 Russian IPCs. They can now in one move directly threaten the Russian capital. They can keep out the other Allies for a time. In short, they have gained the initiative in the north. The Germans are dictating the terms on the front. However, If Russia gets lodged into W Russia before Germany can get into Karelia in force, then Russia now has access, as noted above, to Karelia, Belo, and the Ukraine. Now Russia has the initiative, and Germany is forced to react to Russia, not the other way around.

It’s my humble opinion that forcing the other player to react to your moves (in this case the very definition of initiative) is one of the keys to consistently good play.

[Botider]

That’s an interesting observation, 88… dictating the pace is obviously something Russia would WANT to do, but it is also something that is largely out of the hands of Joe Stalin. Since Germany has considerably more production capability at the beginning of the game, Russia can only control W Russia for so long … and only if the German player lets him. But your caveat is the key: if the other allies are doing what they’re supposed to be doing (i.e., arriving in waves from the west within 2 or 3 game turns), then Russia can give Germany all it wants, and then some.

Happy hunting!

[88 Millimeter]

Botider- another thing Russia can do to dictate the pace is to kill the Ukraine on R1. Germany has to take it back, meaning that a strong Karelia is not an option on G1. It doesn’t allow Germany to pile up reserves in E Europe. And only 5 German Fighters makes for some interesting choices for the German player. Finally, if this combat is coupled with an R1 purchase of 3 Inf/ 3 Arm, Germany can be hit hard in either Karelia, Belo, or the Ukraine using W Russia as a staging point and rolling the Armor through from Russia/ Caucasus.

You’re right, eventually the pendulum would swing for Germany, but by the time it does the UK and US should have a pretty significant presence in Europe.

[Sankt Hallvard]

Regarding what you say about ‘dictating the pace’, you can have it examplified in my match in the revised tourney right now vs. Mojo. I opened with an aggressive R1, buying 2 inf, 2 art, 2 arm and going all in into ukraine and w.russia. Sure, with good dice you have a very strong position. But in my case I lost 6 inf in w.russia which in turn led to Germany piling up in Karelia after all. Suddenly Germany is dictating the pace instead.

Germany bought mainly a big stack of inf and is posing a big threat to the weakened Russia. On the other hand Germany is down to 3 figs and 1 bomber luftwaffe and practically no baltic fleet. That opens up a possibility for UK to set the pace in europe. We’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out.

[Flush]

The advantage of attacking, is choosing the time and the place of the engagment.

[triforce]

the advantage of defending is stronger units.

[Guest]

Sankt…

Your game is a bad example…  Your opponent over-extended by trying West Russia on G1.  Most players would have left that combat out, and had superior force positions for subsequent rounds.

Also… I tend to disagree (at times) with a Ukraine strike on R1.  Against SOME players this is a good move, against others, a Belorussia strike (and West Russia of course) is the superior move.

A Belo strike allows the Allies to take control in the North far more quickly (Turn 3).  The trade off is that Russia must be set to defend Caucuses against a stronger force (which is possible, especially if Germany over-extends on G1, and if UK abandones India to re-take Africa on UK1)

[Flush]

Attacking = Suprise The defender is reactionary

[triforce]

I am almost never suprised by the attacks my oponets make.