All the Russian AARs

[Graymane]

Seems like everyone is in a mood to be Russian Has anyone besides me been playing Russia with the 1.08 EU patch and the ICG 2.0f patches? I'm 150 years into one of those games on very hard/aggressive with all default options on ICG. It is quite a challenge early on for Russia but gets easier after about 50 years. Starting out at land tech 0(!) makes it extremely tough to do much of anything for the first 50 years or so. My strategy given the weak state of Russia early was to ally Denmark (kept them for 150 years so far) and eventually Hungary while going for Siberia. 100 years in or so and I was #1 in VPs (Spain and Turkey are the other top 2 of the top 3). I'm keeping Poland around because they keep the western allies and Turkey VERY busy and I've managed to get Wallachia, Bohemia and Pommeria as vassals. I was thinking of putting up my AAR, but with all the Russian AARs up atm, it seems a waste

 

[unmerged(599)]

It's never a waste. Particularly if you're pursuing a different strategy than the others. I love reading the AARs, particularly when strategic errors are reported...helps me avoid the same ones, and look for alternatives.

Regards,
Maturin

 

[Doomdark]

Well, *I* don't particularly like playing Russia. Of course, I don't like playing France, Spain, England, Turkey or Poland either. They are all much too easy for a human unless you are facing other humans in a multiplayer game.

Forget about those overgrown major powers and accept a real challenge instead... Doomdark recommends (in reverse order of difficulty):

1) Austria - Challenging position, good leaders, strong economy. Pretty easy actually.

2) Sweden - Economically weak but has great potential and a host of good leaders. Still, it might be too easy for the true hardcore player.

3) Denmark - Slightly harder than Sweden but fun for the same reasons. Good chances for a colonial empire.

4) Venice - Good random leaders, good admirals, strong economy. Very fun and very challenging.

5) Brandenburg/Prussia - I recommend using the United Prussia option in the IGC for the best experience. Very good leaders in the late game, tough start. Very hard, very gratifying. For some reason I always have enormous trouble playing Brandenburg.

6) The Papal State - Unite Italy under the Theocracy! Lousy leaders make for a very challenging campaign. Don't try to expand too quickly!

7) The Golden Horde - Revitalize the Mongol spirit and let the Hordes ride again! Tough nut, but not impossible. Historical leaders are scarce and tech development is slow, but with shrewd alliances your domain can soon grow to huge proportions.

Personal favorite? Sweden, of course.

 

[Graymane]

Well, I've only gotten the game recently, so I am still learning. I've played the following countries so far:

France (x2), Spain, Portugal, Austria, Scotland, Genoa (x2), Venice (x2), Russia. Quite frankly, I've had difficulty playing the minors because of the settings that I am choosing (Chaos hurts as I noted in a previous post that you answered). Nothing ever happens. I'd just like to note that Venice with a wharf, the best early CoT in the game and all those territories has got to be the easiest minor to play. Not to mention giving Venice general Cesare Borgia in 1492

(a-historical, he turned to matters military only in 1499 when he renounced his cardinalship and married Charlotte d'Albret, the sister of the King of Navarre, and then as a general of the Papal States and his father, Pope Alexander VI. He was eventually made Captain-General of the papal state forces although for the most part, he was more of a pirate than anything else).

Simply ally with Hungary and Moldova and wait for Turkey to attack somewhere. Then attack Turkey. Once you a territory adjacent to Thrace, they are meat for the rest of the game.

I'd have to say that playing Scotland or Genoa has been more challenging, but then, I just want to try a lot of different countries first. Playing minors is definately more challenging though

 

[nalivayko]

As I said before there is nothing to complain about when playing Russians. You say it's tough first 50 years? I found those years the most easy years: in fact my most glorious conquests have been done during first 20 years. Check out my aar, you'll see.

 

[Graymane]

The new ICG

Well, I am reading your AAR, that is one of the reasons I'm trying Russia at the moment, so thanks The reason I was asking is that the 2.0+ IGCs seem to start Russia at land tech 0. In fact, most techs all start at 0. So doing early assaults are out of the question and if not timed right, everyone starts building fortifications before you can get to assault, let alone artillery. The Russian advantages are very numerous though, so I like playing them. A good starting CoT, Siberia with its 1000+ CoT, cheap infantry and the greatest advantage of all...Russian Winter Nothing like watching a 60k swedish army melt to about 10k in 3 months.

 

[nalivayko]

Well, I guess what I was trying to say - with all those generals in IGC Russia is better off than before. The assaults are still possible, especially since those early tech levels don't cost that much. Fighting Kazan' is usually piece of cake, just don't call your allies, and after that you have a year or two to advance further before the next conquest.

 

[unmerged(3194)]

1.8

In the 1.8 campaign with russia I found taking a Minor a year was fun. In 1.9 you can take both Kanzan and Golden horde year 1 (but you cannot annex them do to lack of diplomats so you can kill them and sit and work on astrakhan in 1493.)

I think the power of minimal assualts and time is underated with cheap men the russians can afford to maintain sieges... even in the winter if they are picky. I have a habbit when attacking with russia of putting a siege on every province of my target in march and then by November I only have to maintain one or two seiges during winter to finish them off.

Now my three favorites so far have been in reverse order

3) Granada, It is amusing to Kick the Christians Back end. Oddly not that hard to win on the hardest setting. In 30 years you can own the Iberian Peninsula, And with good play that is enough to parlay into dominance.

2)Ethiopia, .. the only country beside the Iriquois (don't even try) so far I did not win with. I had a satisfying game coming in third behind Spain and England. I played this one on the Normal settings realizing it would be very challenging.

1) Saxony, great fun being in the center of europe, a very challenging game with no real leaders. Although it is not too hard to win on the most difficult settings for excellent play the first 150 years are brutal. I think any one or two province German state would be good fun, I just picked Saxony at random.

I am trying Prussia now, and to be frank It is very Challenging so far, on the Hardest difficulty my Infantry costs 10. To make it more fun I have put in my own house rule... No Bankruptcy. It is too easy as a Human to use 800 ducats worth of troops to devistating effect, and use 200 to cover their maintenance for a year before you declare Bankruptcy. Prussia so far is great fun I will post the AAR as I go along I think.

 

[das]

I more like...

...to play as:
1)Russia: chalenging situation in west, while easy in east and in south until Crimea and Caucasus. Main objectives: libirate Russia from Polish dictature, make end of Tatars, colonize siberia, beat all neighors.
2)Algiers: hard situation, but i like it! Little amount of good leaders, but situation calls to unite Northern Afrika under Algierian domination.
3)Savoy: Small ally of France, but had good situation for uniting Italy. I don't tried yet, but I guess that under good player, Savoy can become a super power. You can simple concentrate on one direction. Look: France on west (ally and strong country) early expansion unable, north Helvetia (good target, even if they will got strong allies, they will be defeated anyway by France), east and south: small and rivaling states. Just unite them into big Italy and that's all!

 

[Doomdark]

tim554,

It is virtually impossible to play fair and win as Granada. Why? Because if you had not been a playable nation you would have been annexed. In order to play fair, you would have to quit the game every time all of your provinces were occupied... I always do that, but it is exceedingly hard to avoid that fate as Granada.