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Every game I have against equal opponent is ruined because the russians get walked on by the Germans (happens to both of us). We have tried many things, lining up the russians on the frontier, back around moscow/riga, and in between. I have even tried allied attacks in italy, france, vichy, spain, etc. to take the heat off, to no avail.

Current game, my russians have level 2 inf. and anti tank, convoy lines open almost the whole game and ran at max, yet all the russian troops I build are just fodder for the experianced Germans. Allies doing well elsewhere, holding africa, building in England, but by winter of 43, the russians are backed up well behind Moscow, and still falling back. My allies can't help until winter clears.

Is anyone willing to share some russian tips?

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Frankly your condition is not uncommon. it's my strong belief that against an equal and experienced opponent russia is basically screwed in this version of GC.

If you are even still in the game as russia in 43 then you are doing well. 43/44 russian surrender seems a common result these days.

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Fortify strong points. Dig in.

Try a pre-emptive strike against Finland or Iran. This has to be done well, but increases your MPP.

Build a reserve to counterattack. Russians can have an armour advantage.

Build threats with Western Allies. Force him to keep operating units to deal with these.

Use weather, especially if he likes TAC air.

Get Zukhov and the Eastern armour west.

Try and keep a fighter running against his TAC.

Try and keep Japan busy so they do not join in.

Do not panic if they do - Germany is the biggest threat. If Japan starts stealing cities its a problem but a big effort for them to strike deep and they do not have armour like the Soviets. Then use US/US to threaten Japanese interests. This is SC - if someone is strong in one theatre they may be weak elsewhere.

Keep MMP coming (convoys to max) and concentration technologies that help you build more cannon fodder.

Use partisans to cut rail lines so he cannot operate troops in deep, or use this to escape where he is weak.

Know when to retreat.

Good luck!

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Fortify strong points. Dig in.

Try a pre-emptive strike against Finland or Iran. This has to be done well, but increases your MPP.

I got Iran one time, but usually by the time the game allows me to do this, I'm in up to my ears and can't.

Build a reserve to counterattack. Russians can have an armour advantage.

Armor gets chewed by TAC, but I will try this.

Build threats with Western Allies. Force him to keep operating units to deal with these.

Must do more of this, but we use a house rule that spain remains neutral because the germans always got them, so I'm limited.

Use weather, especially if he likes TAC air.

Easier said than done :)

Get Zukhov and the Eastern armour west.

I keep 2 corps in the far east, all else is in the west.

Try and keep a fighter running against his TAC.

I have 2 this game, but escorting air wipes them out.

Try and keep Japan busy so they do not join in.

Japan too busy.

Do not panic if they do - Germany is the biggest threat. If Japan starts stealing cities its a problem but a big effort for them to strike deep and they do not have armour like the Soviets. Then use US/US to threaten Japanese interests. This is SC - if someone is strong in one theatre they may be weak elsewhere.

Keep MMP coming (convoys to max) and concentration technologies that help you build more cannon fodder.

Maybe I should invest more in industry? But the problem is my many units just die, even when dug in, to highly experianced units. Common german attacks kill at a 5-1 ratio.

Use partisans to cut rail lines so he cannot operate troops in deep, or use this to escape where he is weak.

My opponent and I are pretty good at covering spawning points for Partisans.

Know when to retreat.

Yes, sometimes I do make this mistake.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice so far. Minty, if you are right, then I must wonder how 3 patches have failed to address this????

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Colin makes some good points. After getting a few games under my belt, including my second ever...against Colin, here's my take:

1) Do not defend Riga and possibly the next north/central city. Defend the center and south forward cities, w/corps only, using your HQs set well back. Keep your heavy units back. Fund infantry and anti-tank with an extra chit if need be, they are very necessary techs.

2) From the first turn on begin to move Zhukov and the tank and the special forces west. They'll get there in time if you start right away.

3) If you can, take Finland w/advanced tanks and paratrops, but imo Finland is not a key strategic necessity, but protecting your convoy route is.

4) Have a paratroop and air ready for Iran, and a paratroop and fully supplied motorized corps or two ready near Turkey in case he dow's. If Turkey is dow'ed you need to secure at least the easternmost city, and if can hold Ankara for several turns (or for good), it buys you valuable time before the Caucusses fall.

5) The key in Russia imo is the Kharkov to Stalingrad riverline. I didn't fortify this well in my game w/Colin and he overran me. Put your engineer southwest of Kharkov, then build toward Stalingrad as fast as you can, the fast fortifications, not the more time consuming ones. House w/corps and protect with Zhukov. You get the natural defense of the river, now enhanced by fortifications and your best general.

6) You don't need to defend Moscow much if at all. The city the Russian capital moves to is a fantastic defensive barrier from both directions, German and Japanese. You can surrender all that space back to the second capital and still be in okay shape.

7) In general don't intercept the Luftwaffe in the early game, they'll just chew you up as their too experienced. You need to be patient and scout where you can use your air.

8) Build a high tech armor reserve, but don't use until late 1942 or later and probably after you've been pushed well back and probably more in the Fall/Winter of 1942, so the weather protects you. By then you should be able to strike back in overwhelming numbers and possibly close on his forward land units and thus threaten his air units. For all of 1941 and well into 1942 you're trading space for time as inexpensively as you can, preferably with corps only, so any counterattacks should be selective and hit-and-run. I have to remember to be disciplined on the run part, so you don't want to press your counterattacks for too long in the early game as the Axis will chew you up.

9) As the Brits sell that intelligence chit on the first turn and buy an anti-sub and naval warfare and fund these as $ becomes available, that way your scheduled reinforcements arrive w/the tech. Then you can eventually break a sub blockade and keep the Russian convoy open when the time comes. If you have to retreat the RN if your techs are slow, as it's important to maintain a viable navy. In my very first game, w/Rambo, I tried to go toe-to-toe w/his enhanced Kriegsmarine and he easily came out the last man standing.

10) As the Brits, if the Germans showup in Egypt in force fall back toward Nairobi and keep falling back if you have to. An intact Allied battlegroup will be a threat to the Axis Middle East.

In general the Allies can't stop the Axis for the first two years +, so don't even try, all your doing is trading space for time.

Bob

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Russian help really doesn't come from within. Only so much they can do when Gerry SS comes a knockin'. True help comes from the West. If Allies pick the right time & place to invade Western Europe, Nazis are toast.

From what I've seen, Allies have the advantage, especially for the newbie. That's what makes this game great is the playability.

David and I started a game, its early 40.

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