Russia cant attack first round

Sun,
Yes, it is highly recommended to help balance the game. It also makes the game more realistic, with the USSR defending(USSR’s key role is DEFENSE, buy all inf[infantry]as a beginning or intermediate player) rather than giving the Allies the chance to cripple the Axis attack before the game gets rolling. Stack/build most units in Karelia and Yakut leaving 1 inf in SFE (SovFar East) and Caucuses to stop walk ins. Crush any small force that takes Caucuses, but retreat each turn Japan advances with a force that can take your USSR east forces on the next Japanese turn. Always try to move 1 inf unit east each turn(maybe more later, if the UK and US are reinforcing Kar(karelia)and threating in Africa and W Europe) to reinforce/strengthen against Japan.

This is a standard variation of Axis & Allies commonly known as Russia Restricted (RR is the common abbreviation.)

The “1 ftr(fighter) to USSR each turn” ploy is a good way to start reinforcing the USSR. Some Allies even send 2 ftrs on UK1(United Kingdom turn 1.) If UK builds another ftr(or some Royal Navy units) the German Luftwaffe(air force) and Kriegsmarine(navy) are stopped from moving on the UK. If you worry about a Germany hitting the UK fleet(again?) in the UK sz(sea zone), you can save your unspent IPCs(having spent 12 for a ftr, if that is what you did)and spend them with the IPCs you get at the end of UK1, on UK2. This may total about 40 IPCs … a lot with which to work.

Meant to just write a couple of lines, but it became a short story.
Others may submit an encyclopedia of their own shortly. Stay tuned.

Remember, a plan rarely survives contact
with the enemy. - Some ol’ ded Genrul :wink:

So if’n a plan don’t work, tweak it!
It’s a game an’ we gets to try agin’. :)

When I usually play Russia on my first turn I attack the ukraine with 2 tanks, and 5 infantry/2 fighters.(of course after buying 2 tanks and 4 infantry). I usually take it. Then, I withdraw erything from the Soviet Far East into the Yakut for rigid defense purposes incase Japan attacks me. I also move the 2 infantry from eventl natl orkug into Russia while flying the fighters back too russia and Karelia. I then march three infantry to the caucasus, place three infantry in Karelia and one infantry and two tanks in Russia. Continue this pattern until the Germans began to lose or until you see the initiative to attack. YOU DON’T NEED FIGHTERS TO BE SENT FROM THE U.K UNLESS YOU ARE ON THE VERGE OF DEFEAT!!! With Japan, have the british send aid via India and China or send only infantry to the eastern front. Tell me how this works out!!!

When playing russia restricted it seems that russia is on the verge of defeat all the time!

BB

When attackin with russia at first turn (no RR), germany lost valious tanks and its force attack turn too reduced. it gives time to UK and USA for coordinating and stronger attack over continent, and leave few victory options for axis.

Thats why most of users take Russian Restrictian as standard rule. It equilibrates the game. Russia have to play a deffensive role. It’s its destiny. :lol:

Even with russia restricted the axis gets crushed 95% of the time with no additional bid in my experience anyways.

With out RR Germany does lose perhaps 2 tanks, however, I think the loss of the Baltic fleet and a fighter impacts Germany far more than missing 2 tanks and a few infantry. The first round Germany MUST crush as much of the allied Atlantic/Med fleet as possible. Losing a sub, transport and fighter means Germany loses at least 1 and often 2 more air units when knocking out the allied fleet. Germany may go a bit more conservative due to the initial losses which often turns out to be fatal.

Thoughts? Flames? :-)

BB

I agree with Big 100%, Germany on T1 has to wipe out any navy or suffer invasions starting in T2 until it breaks them. Since this makes for a game that isn’t much fun you pretty much need the RR rule in place, just adds some more realism and longevity to the game. Just my 2 cents.

@BigBlocky:

Even with russia restricted the axis gets crushed 95% of the time with no additional bid in my experience anyways.

I agree, although i think that even more important than the material losses is the loss of impetus/tempo that the russians can inflict on the germans.

I stress this to my friends soo much but they’re soo gay and refuse to aknowlage this and it sux a-s-s

RUSSIA RESTICTED IS NEEDED FOR A FAIR AND BALANCED GAME !

(well, that and bids, but I’m going to fight one battle at a time with my “friends”)

oh well thanx for the thourogh reasoning, maybe I’ll print this out and show my friends :wink:

@Commissar:

I stress this to my friends soo much but they’re soo gay and refuse to aknowlage this and it sux a-s-s

RUSSIA RESTICTED IS NEEDED FOR A FAIR AND BALANCED GAME !

(well, that and bids, but I’m going to fight one battle at a time with my “friends”)

oh well thanx for the thourogh reasoning, maybe I’ll print this out and show my friends :wink:

Well, if they won’t believe you, then simply invite them to a game. Play the allies, and take either UKR or EEU with INF and ftrs. Keep your armor in Moscow, and a solid force in Karelia. Then watch them try to take out the allies navy. Guarenteed you’ll have a couple of British ships to build a navy with. You should not lose Karelia, and if you do, it means that there is one tank on there, a British navy in the sea, and a very empty EEU, UKR, NOR, GER, as well as a next to naked Africa. Next turn either the UK or Russia takes Norway (or retakes Kar and Nor as the case may be). The UK also consolidates in Africa, and the kill Germany first strat with some shuck shucking from the US borrows WEU by round 3, and retakes and holds it with some help from the UK in round 4. The Japan advance on Russia should stall as Russia will be able to divert some of its forces east now. Also by round 4, Germany should have been kicked out of Africa, and the UK can also start pressing to the east a little.
I think it might be fun to play as allies in a non-rr game against some nooBs who believe that rr is unnecessary for game balance, if only to feel like a winner (for once in my sad, miserable, pathetic life . . . ).
Good luck Commissar Adam. Once you’ve spanked your friends appropriately, they should come over to your side, so to speak.

Our local group has been playing for about 10 years. Even with Russia Restricted, Germany with Jet power and Japan with supersubs the allies win 95% of the time.

If your buddies don’t want to help the axis then just insist they play the axis until they can start winning with them…… I love to play, but I love to win even more!

BB

I bet my non-believer friends $50.00, ($25.00 each), that I could beat them three of three games with the Allies, having played Germany almost exclusively for 15 years now. I have played this game at least thirty times, winning only twice.

These guys, having enough expertise under their belts, both thought that “they could see the ‘mistakes’ I was making with Germany” and took the bait by allowing me to attack with Russia in round 1. (I must admit, that in the first game, Japan was a powerhouse, and I was lucky to have a UK ‘expert’ on my side. I had played the UK only once in all those years!)

The second game was almost a nightmare, as I actually attacked the Ukraine and Caucasus simultaneously, (in the third or fourth round), for what I thought would be a “quick six”, as I could withdraw my tank and just leave Germany without forces for the next round. Caucasus went fine, Ukraine did not. The lost forces, on top of a mathematical mistake wiped out Karelia for two rounds.

I got it back, I got lucky, I keep my fifty…whew!

The third game was almost as “by the book” as it gets. After losing Western Europe again, my buddy who ‘saw the mistakes I make with Germany’, actually said: “I guess that’s going to happen, huh?” No sh*t, Sherlock…I actually laughed out loud.

After the third game, and various strategies exhausted, I asked them if it felt like the movie “Wargames”, where the computer screams through all of the possible strategies, and finally quits…They blamed the losses on bad rolls in the first two games, but were relegated to my point of view only after forking over the ‘fiddy’.

The games varied, and navies were built and lost, factories wound up in India, S. Africa, Manchuria, Burma, China, Sinkaing, Alaska, E. Canada, and Brazil…don’t ask, freaking USA…lol. Africa was held by both Germany and the UK in different games, and Japan was always a load to deal with. The point is, there are as many ways to win with the Allies as there are ways to lose with the Axis, and RR is a must. We have not gone so far as to award super subs and jet power yet, but as I read earlier…one point at a time.

I would not lay down cash on games again, though. As I said before, I was one bad move from losing Russia. This is just how far I had to go after 15 years of being pummeled into submission in my little gray homeland.

Back to the UK sending FTRs to USSR each turn - I don’t recommend it. Why? Because UK needs to concentrate on putting together a fleet in UKsz. So the first couple of turns, it should only purchase towards this end. Any deviation from that plan with bring death.

Better to have the US buy a fighter each turn if you want, and they can supply USSR that way. But the UK simply does not have the coin to be messing around like that. No frickin’ way.

RUSSIA RESTRICTED IS NOT NEEDED FOR A FAIR AND BALANCED GAME!!!

@WILL:

RUSSIA RESTRICTED IS NOT NEEDED FOR A FAIR AND BALANCED GAME!!!

you’re on. PBEM.
i’m allies
:lol:

Will is a NOOB :wink:

cystic_crypt, be nice, but kick sas!

Commissar Adam, behave or be spanked!
But if you love it the moderators will deny you punishment!

S&M RULES! :lol: