Russia vs. France and Germany

[danno527]

I was just wondering what to do vs civs that can spam cavalry like crazy and are powerful as soon as they hit colonial. France and Germany seem to be the only civs i have trouble with as Russia. Dutch and British have good cav spams but as Russia usually i can out rush them and get them on the back foot early.

France and Germany can both fend of rushes from Russia while spamming cavalry that eat my muskets, strelets and even cossacks for breakfast. I know that cavalry are supposed to be russias weakness but spamming muskets doest work because an 8 or 9 crossbow shipment will slaughter those flimsy Ruskets. Anyhow Huggy or Blackadder or anyone if you have any tips for these matchups please help.

[Sporting_Lisbon]

Try to make muskets from blockhouse and ship cossacks to get the xbows, it's tough anyway.

[Blackadderthe4th]

You have to be fast age up with 14 vils and go muskets and cossacks. Attack as soon as you have 10 musks and 5 cossacks, kill his 5 uhlan shipment which should always be played first by Germany and try and gain an early advantage. If you don't win straight away throw up a stables and go cossacks+ muskets as early as possible. Its not easy but it can be done, you really have to be aggressive and make the most of the Cossack shipments.

[hallchr]

Russia is a fun civ to play. Just divert your economic macro to be more gold than wood related. You can make mostly muskets but like say, 10-20 strelets. Make sure your raiding a ton with cossaks because that will win you the game. With russia, it's not really the overwhelming numbers that win you the game because let's face it. Russian units just suck. It's the boom so you always want to make sure that your constantly making vills and that your keeping his vills in the tc or killing them.

[Kaiser_von_Nuben]

I agree with Chris and Sporting. You need to ship 9 cossacks ASAP and build as many muskets as you can. Germans don't always send 5 uhlans first; typically I do 3 SW, build 5 uhlan THEN send 5 uhlan, giving me 12 uhlans by about 7:00. That's the army you will have to deal with. I used to send xbows, but I found that massed uhlans can crush the Russian army much more effectively with an all-out charge. If you only have 5 muskets, you will lose. You need 10. If he has 9 xbow, he won't have as many uhlans. Your cossacks have to nail those xbows (chances are he won't have an xbow econ, so once you get them, he has no more RI). That leaves your muskets to hit the uhlans (he should only have 7 at that point). If you have 10 muskets, you will beat them.

Sounds easy... but I know it isn't! It all depends on making the absolute most of your free cossacks. Without them, it's over.

[I__CHAOS__I]

Kalmuck FF? those things are beasts vs cav
or camp in base with musks and blockhuts while raiding with cossacks
some maps also offer decent anti-cav natives

[hallchr]

Who deleted my post?

[Sporting_Lisbon]

Perhaps you didn't posted it? aka the forum is not perfect

[danno527]

Thanks for the tips Chaos, Chris, Sporting and Kaiser. Especially Kaiser always good to get the "bad guys" perspective. that is basically what I have been doing only im not usually agressive. I kinda sit back and raid but that doest work. Ill try being more agressive. I have tryed the Kalmuck FF and i find it is too slow.

@hallchr have you ever played Russia vs France or Germamy, Cause you dont seem to know anything about their eco, you can build houses and the occasional strelet just from distributivism. You dont have a clue about their military, generally you cant raid him with "tons of Cossacks" cause vs germany you are dead before you have more than nine.

[huGGy]

Vs Germany age with 17 Vills place Blockhouse near your TC and build a Stable early on. Start to build muskets and cossacks. Those 13 strelets can come in handy, too. Tough matchup indeed, tho i never had that much trouble vs germans.

Vs French age with 14 Vills, dont build that stable early on and just harrass him with muskets and those 9 cossacks. You can do a no vill rush or try to age after pressuring him. Muskets aren't that bad vs Cav early on. You just have a problem when they sent those 2 upgrade cards. Just make sure you add some strelets vs xbows/pikes/muskets. Just watch out you don't sacrifice your army in his base. Always keep in mind that cdbs are human killing machines.


Edit: This 14/17 Vill age up is always map dependet of course. Don't age up with 17 vills on deccan

[danno527]

Thanks Huggy, so it is possible to turtle up with 17 vills vs germany eh. Ill give that a try. I think i have played enough games with russia to know where not to 17 vill age up

[huGGy]

[quote=""danno527""]Thanks Huggy, so it is possible to turtle up with 17 vills vs germany eh. Ill give that a try. [/quote]

I think it's the best you can do. With 14 Villagers you're faster, but if your opponent starts with Barracks, builds 5 Pikes and ships 9bows + 2Uhlans you're forward Blockhouse is history with your 5 Cossacks and 5 Muskets out. You might be able to fight him back, but you lost your strongest shipments then. And replacing a Blockhouse with only 14-17 Villagers gathering is not that easy.

Try to get your 2nd hunt next to your TC and safe this with your Blockhouse. Normally works good for me.


I can try to get you a rec the next days.

[Kaiser_von_Nuben]

Don't sit back with the Russians. Use their strengths, just like the Aztecs. You have great early shipments and the best way to win is to send in a powerful first mass. If you sit back too long, euro civs will mass cav then run right over your infantry. And Japan, well... ashis/nagis, nuff said.

[danno527]

uh oh now im getting countering opinions, ill be more confused than b4. just joking any feedback helps. ill give all the suggestins a try.

I can try to get you a rec the next days.

That would be amazing i had a game the other day but i forgot to record it.

[hallchr]

Who is Chris??? Anyway, yes I have played Russia. But only against sergeants and lower. I have also played Prussia but that's in the Napoleonic era mod.