Russia's Eastern troops

Agreed. Fall back, then surge in as Japan heads south.

@Pherman1215:

I learned two lessons:  G3 Barbarossa is safer than G2; And pushing Straight for Moscow is rather risky.  I felt if i pushed the Ukraine and Stalingrad complexes i would have fared better than pushing directly towards Moscow.

A G2 Barbarrossa may look something like this:

Round 1:  Attack France for the money, Attack the British fleet (because now’s the best time you’ll ever get for the rest of the game to do so), strafe Yugoslavia (basically to get units in Romania exploiting the “all units retreat to the same territory” rule to get your S. Germans to Romania in one round.
Round 2:  Buy 10 Infantry, 10 Artillery and attack Russia
Round 3:  Push harder, deeper, faster
Round 4-6:  Buy Mechanized Infantry/Armor, push on Russia
Round 7 (and 8 if necessary, but you really want to be done buying stuff on Round 7 latest!): Buy all aircraft, preferably Strategic Bombers so they can hit Moscow immediately on Round 8

The longest I’ve ever seen it take to get Russians from Amur back to Moscow is 8 rounds, hence the deadline.

First thing is to never pull all Russian units to Sakha R1 (or even partial), Japs can move everything they have to Amur J1 (you won’t be able to attack them w/1’s), and trap you there. You can’t retreat, the Japs can hit all your options from Amur. Your dead, leaving them a clear path across the north, with only the Mongolian Russians to protect you. This does make it a little tough for Jap though because they will be expending resources they need in the south & China, but it can be devastating for the allies.

I normally retreat all Russians back (6 inf to Yak, and 12 inf +AA to Bury). Next turn continue to retreat 6 inf from Yak towards Moscow, or they can move into China later if not needed at home (Sea Lion). I keep the 12 inf + AA in Bury for now.

The game we’re playing now the Japs have moved everything south (very little left near Japan). They built a naval base in Kwangsi (pretty typical) to threaten India (we blocked them w/dd), or to grab the DEI, Phil and threaten Anz (Japs have 5-6 loaded tpts). Seeing that Jap moved just about every thing south, as US I started moving fleet to the north. I have things spread out from Hawaii (small fleet), Wake (2 loaded carriers w/1ftr on Wake), and sz 16 (1bb, 2 cruisers, 2dd’s & 2 loaded tpts) all out of Jap range (for now). We are just starting turn #3, and the Russians (12 inf+AA) will be returning to Amur (out of Jap range as well). If Jap attacks J3 (think they will, or at least that looks like what the plan was), I can get the US troops safely to Amur (sz5), along with 5 aircraft (on/next to Wake). I could also move everything to sz6, depending on what Japan does. I’m sure he’ll protect the Jap home island somehow, but it should put a damper on his plans to the south. W/US troops and air in Amur protected w/12 Russian inf+AA guns it will be interesting to see what the Japs do. If they don’t protect Manchuria, I can take it w/US, then move the Russians in for defense (Turn order) keeping the Mongolian rule intact, BTW we have also saved a couple IPC’s w/China to add more troops to Manchu once liberated. Korea is also an option for US/Russia to stage there. I could also send the US air force towards Moscow (from Amur) to def against the German heavy Barbarossa leaving the 20+ ground units, 2AA guns and Chinese ftr in Manchu (if we get it) for Japan to deal with (if nothing else it should chew up some very limited Jap ground troops). If the Japs move back towards the home land, the Anz & UK are set-up to snipe Jap tpts etc…

Anyways I like to keep the bulk of the Russians in the east just to F*** w/Japan. I’ll leave it to my allies to help def Moscow (air power, or troops from India etc…), or start up a 2nd front to stall the Germans in a Barbarossa game. Those Russians can be used in China or in this case may end up saving India, or stalling the Japs  by combo w/US & China.

I sort of like keeping them in Buryatia for a round, two max.  If Japan’s going hard India, then moving them into Amur > Korea > Manchuria (that path does not negate Mongolia) becomes an option, if they move heavy China or Russia you can retreat them back to Moscow before Germany can attack, usually.

@Cmdr:

I sort of like keeping them in Buryatia for a round, two max.  If Japan’s going hard India, then moving them into Amur > Korea > Manchuria (that path does not negate Mongolia) becomes an option, if they move heavy China or Russia you can retreat them back to Moscow before Germany can attack, usually.

No any time the Russians attack Jap owed Manchu (or any other Jap owned tt that boarders Mongolia) it would negate the Mongo rule. If Manchu is liberated then the Russians can NCM in. But yea I like keeping a stack in Bury for when the Japs let their guard down.

Has anyone ever sent a fighter or a tank over to support the eastern troops? I sent a tank and a tac over to Buryatia in a game against my brother. He freaked out and sent a huge army to kill my stack.

I’m thinking i could use this as a scare tactic to have japan declare war against me. Have them waste resources up north where its not as important, get my mongolian troops and take some slack off india and china.

Also if japan doesnt attack. you now have an army that can actually do something.

I don’t know if id waste a tank and a tac in the east unless germany is going sea lion though.

anyone ever tried an eastern factory and pump out a couple rounds of Russian art in the east?

I’d like to try this in a sea lion game once, maybe in parallel with a US-Europe first strategy.

Can’t Jeff. Territory must be worth 2 at least to build a factory.

Pull them all back and see what happens.  If Germany buys transports for a sea lion attack on London, then go back to Amur and then down into China and help them take and hold Kiangsu and maybe even Hongkong.  You might prevent a Pacific VC win if you are lucky.  Don’t forget you can mobilize new Chinese infantry on top of your Russians.

If Germany does not buy transports and masses troops along the Russian border for a G3 attack, then you better start marching them all West.

However, if Germany launches Barbarossa on G2 they may be too little too late anyway.  A German attack could start out as a mass of tactical bombers, armor, artillery and infantry in Hungary that moves East 1 territory per turn.  Meanwhile 10 mechanized infantry are built each turn in Germany to replace infantry losses.  The mechs also protect the tactical bombers in East Poland.  The schedule is East Poland G2, Belarus G3, Bryansk G4, then Moscow G5 onward.  Ukraine probably  evacuates.

So Germany is attacking Moscow G5, but there are 6 Far East troops in Samara and another 14 units in Novosibersk.  Those replacements make it possible for Russia to hold on as Germany batters Moscow G6, G7, G8, and just maybe the Germans will finally run out of infantry and die.