• Customizer

    An update of my alternative Russian Revolution rules. This time integrated with the 2-stage “collapse” process included in the PTR.

    Trying to keep it simple…

    First of all I still prefer collapses to be triggered by a morale tracker rather than be based on loss of territory - the obvious example being Germany which collapsed politically despite not losing any home tt. Not going into details here, but morale goes down with loss of tt along with mounting casualties, having your capital bombed etc.

    Each nation would have to have its starting tt divided into Homeland or “Core” ts and colonies or “outer” tts. For most powers the distinction is identical to that given in PTR, but for some rather different. In particular Russia’s core tt is defined as Moscow, Petrograd and Tartarstan. All others are considered as outer tts, equivalent to colonies for other powers.

    The first stage - I prefer “disorder” to “economic collapse” would be less drastic, possible only requiring mutiny rolls for units ordered into combat.

    More importantly the political collapse, effectively knocking the power out of the game, but not quite.
    When this happens:

    1. The power no longer collects money or builds units.

    2. Its surviving units are divided into “Red” (Revolutionary) and “White” (Loyalist or Nationalist) forces - in essence those in core tts become Reds, any surviving elsewhere are Whites. Ships in core port tts are disbanded into infantry.
    White forces use original units and remain controlled by the original player. They remain allied to that side and can defend alongside them.
    Red forces need new Red units; I use WWII Soviet pieces and control markers. Reds of ALL nations can use the same pieces, since Reds can never operate outside their country’s original tt. They may defend with units of the alliance opposing their original owner (nominate one such player to control each Red faction.

    3. The nation still has a turn; Whites play first, then Reds. They build no units, but may recruit one infantry in each IPC value tt contiguous with the national capital (not colonies).

    4. A Red controlled capital is treated as having been captured, e.g. if Moscow is controlled by the Russian Reds it counts towards CP victory objectives.

    5. TTs of that nation can be liberated and conquered; they are never off-limits. To take the most familiar example:
    Russia has fallen into Revolution. All Russian units surviving in Petrograd, Moscow and Tartarstan are replaced with Red units and control markers. CP units in these tts need not leave, since Red Russia is considered friendly to the Central Powers. Units of any other Allied power there are now considered hostile, and must be treated as now contesting the area.

    If any Russian units remain outside these core tts, they remain in play and controlled by the original Russian player as Whites. He also retains control of any Russia tt still showing the original Russian flag.
    There may be few or none of these at the Revolution; however any original Russian tt “liberated” by Whites or other Allies becomes White Russian, and will “spawn” White units if eligible. Russia cannot fight its way back to being a fully functioning power, even by capturing all Red tt. But it can still contribute to Allied victory by attacking Red and CP units, recapturing Moscow or even fighting in South Africa if the player chooses.
    note: On my map I have a Siberian area to which the USA can send units to fight the Reds.

    Lets suppose the CPs have taken control of all “outer” Russian tt. These are considered as ceeded to them by the Reds. Incidentally, I like the rule that ALL occupied tts should require an infantry unit there in order to retain control and draw income; they are otherwise considered ion a state of anarchy.

    One thing I’d like to add to all this is the release of POWs. But I can’t come up with a formula for calculating numbers. Consider the number of German POWS released in the armistice with the Bolsheviks - this enabled Germany to launch the big offensive of 1918 in the west.

    The Revolution occurs whenever the morale tracker drops into the Red Zone. Any money left in the capital must be converted into Red units, and if the Revolution takes place during the effected player’s turn any units ordered must still be placed and converted.

    This might seem rather complicated, but remember you don’t have to keep calculating collapse “thresholds”.

  • Customizer

    Just as a note on this:

    I don’t think the USA should go to war (unless attacked) until the 1st stage Russian collapse, as WW would not consider joining an alliance including an autocratic government like that of the Czar.

    Assume, then, that 1st stage = February revolution & end of the Czar.

    Further, America can only send units to Siberia if the 2nd stage Russian collapse (Bolsheviks) has taken place.

  • '14

    I like this set of rules better than the OOB or even revised rules. Territory should not have been the driving factor in determining the RusRev. It was a mix of internal politics and horrendous military casualties.

    Would you work in something for casualties to partially trigger the Rev?

  • Customizer

    See my morale rules: 10 casualties = -1 to morale.

  • '14

    Will do. Why was 10 infantry chosen as the number (i.e. what are you assuming that represents, roughly)?

  • Customizer

    Purely an arbitrary number, would need testing.

    Too many, and it has little effect; too few and the war’s over in 1916.

    Just throw all casualties into a bowl; it’s the responsibility of the enemy players to see when the’res ten of a colour to trade in for a -1 morale.

  • '14

    @Flashman:

    Purely an arbitrary number, would need testing.

    Too many, and it has little effect; too few and the war’s over in 1916.

    Just throw all casualties into a bowl; it’s the responsibility of the enemy players to see when the’res ten of a colour to trade in for a -1 morale.

    It probably isn’t a bad number. If infantry represent, roughly, a corps, that’s about 30,000 soldiers. Of course, this would equal a Bulgarian or American division. So 10 would represent some very serious losses, assumnig you play with a turn representing a year. Personally, I feel a turn is probably closer to six months or better represented as six months.

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