Questions re: USSR

[dojoboy]

This is my first go at the SU (v1.06). I'm a couple years in to the Road to War scenario, and I've cracked. I was thinking of winging it, but figured I'd come check in w/ the veterans on a few things.

(1) What trade deals are wise for the SU? I've got 2 identical deals that are 400 coal for 100 rubber. I just like keeping the ledger in the black for all items. Any hurdles here down the road?

(2) Re: Great Officer Purge: I refused to purge the first of these events, but the +10% increase in dissent isn't attractive. I purged the poor bastards in the second two events. I was thinking that keeping these commanders arund would be a plus, but....

(3) Tech: I'm obviously focusing on land war here. Any feedback as to particular needs?

(4) Events: I'm itching to DOW Finland and the Baltic Republics, but do events bring these into the SU, or can I bully them diplomatically?

(5) Germany: When? Wait, or go before Barbarossa? My org levels ar just at 48, I'm hesistant to go before I'm at least in the 80s/90s. But, will Hitler let me get that far along?

Thanks.

 

[cdat]

1. I try different deals each time to try and 'change' the mood of the game. Sorry. Can't help you there.

2. Officer purges. You have more able generals then you'll ever use.

3. Anti air/tank are my biggies. Also anything and everything to do with defense. I also allot air techs heavy. Throwing millions of 'grunts' at the enemy gets boring and in my opinion, just plain wrong. I try and 'think' my way through it by using a plan, not just bum rush.

4. I'm not sure. I always attack them as soon as I'm able.

5. If you attack as soon as Germany withdraws its troops to attack France, it'll be a cake walk to Berlin.

 

[Thistletooth]

(1) What trade deals are wise for the SU? I've got 2 identical deals that are 400 coal for 100 rubber. I just like keeping the ledger in the black for all items. Any hurdles here down the road?

Trade for as much rubber as you can get, it's the only resource you can't produce enough of. To be on the safe side, aim for 99999. Don't worry about the others; once the war starts and you cancel all trades (you know about this, right?), you'll be swimming in them. Of course, you don't want to run out of any of them, or your industry will grind to a halt. Keep them balanced, but no higher than is necessary as long as it keeps your rubber at max.

BTW, if you start within the first couple of weeks, you can get 100 rubber for 300 coal or steel. The computer only does 3:1, but if you don't get your bid in fast enough, your bid will be lower on the queue (first-come-first-serve), and your deal will be nullified once the world supply of rubber starts to run low, and you'll be forced to offer 4:1.

(2) Re: Great Officer Purge: I refused to purge the first of these events, but the +10% increase in dissent isn't attractive. I purged the poor bastards in the second two events. I was thinking that keeping these commanders arund would be a plus, but....

As cdat says, purging them is the clear choice. Tukachevsky (poor guy) is the only one you'll really miss anyways. They really need to find a way to model the devastating effects the purges really had on the Soviet military.

(3) Tech: I'm obviously focusing on land war here. Any feedback as to particular needs?

Infantry, Artillery, and Land Doctrines are the most important. Technically, you can win an entire war on infantry if you have enough and they're teched up. Once enough IC is made available for research (check your budget every month), expand to armor and the air techs. You can research the others at your discretion, they're all optional as the Soviets (I like to at least research the sub techs, for later....)

(4) Events: I'm itching to DOW Finland and the Baltic Republics, but do events bring these into the SU, or can I bully them diplomatically?

Despite the fact that you're a dictatorship, I think early DoW are a bad thing as the Soviets. Lots of dissent, or so I remember from my first game as them....Besides, it would be pretty gamey to start a war immediately and gain all that free IC, wouldn't it?

You'll get events for these soon enough. If Poland has been defeated before the last week of November, '39, you'll get the events that spark The Winter War with Finland, and you'll get cores on the Baltic states with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in late August '39. You'd be better off simply demanding their territory rather than officially declaring war.

(5) Germany: When? Wait, or go before Barbarossa? My org levels ar just at 48, I'm hesistant to go before I'm at least in the 80s/90s. But, will Hitler let me get that far along?

Focus more on doctrines from the very start. Once you're around 60, you should be strong enough to take them on, as long as you have a large enough army. Depending on the size of your army, Hitler will probably start war in spring or summer '41. Last time, he DoW'd me in July 1941, even though my army was twice the size of his, he had less than half of his army on the Soviet border, and I was allied with Republican Spain. Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia, and Vienna all fell by December 23. Sad, really, though I could never really defeat the Luftwaffe with my crappy fighters.