Russia

Without knowing much of the details, I think some poor play by the CPs was involved.  That is is the first game I have seen end before the US can move.

He had to leave more than anything, German had 52 bucks to spend on G5, so it could have been dragged out, but dice rolls royally screwed the AH attack into Italy, leaving them with nothing within two spaces of Rome and a bunch of angry Italians. The Ottoman player was down to making 3 inf a turn with a large british stack with air power closing in, and Germany had failed to set off the Revolution with it’s all in on Russia and France was going to hit Munich next turn. So even if he could have fouhgt his way to freedom at a latter game, the situtaion was bad enough that he conceded.

That and seriously, the Russians just went all beast mode with the die roll.

In our latest game the Russians withdrew everything she could into the Ukraine. Bought fighters. The Germans advanced into Poland on their turn. On the next Russian turn, the entire German force in Poland was destroyed (and with less then stellar luck did minimal damage in return). The Austrians tried to side step this stack and got to Moscow first, but with not enough to knock it out in a single round.

The Russian monster stack arrived to lift the siege and destroyed the Austrian army there. While the CP did regroup to move troops back east, by then the Russians had built an impregnable position that could not be overcome, and with air superiority could crush any advancing force.

The CP never put the Russians in any danger despite AH getting to Moscow, even with sending large forces into the east.

Massing the Russians with air superiority is a clear winner, the CP cannot coordinate enough forces from a single power to defeat it unless they send massive numbers of units east, and doing so means failure in the west.

Kim

AH can stack south of Poland everything and still take Romania, If russia were to counter attack in Romania they would be severely out of position for the rest of the game in defending a German invasion. Its almost a ‘bait and hook’ move ;)

But a smart Russian player will do neither (stack in Poland or counter attack Romania) as either would play into the hands of the CP

If the Germans move into Poland in force on turn one, the Russian stack in the Ukraine can attack it and destroy it. If the Germans delay moving into Poland then the Russians can destroy the AH in Romania turn two, Germans move into Poland, Russians back to Ukraine on turn 3 and can reach Moscow before Germany.

Kim

Yes Russia can kill Germany’s Poland stack on R2, but it will not survive the double counter attack from Germany and AH.
From that point on Russia is toast

@Texas:

I believe the basic line of thought is, the sooner Russia loses units, the sooner they are eliminated from the game.  Making a stand in Poland causes Russia to begin losing units turn 1, not to mention Germany has a pretty short supply line there.  Russia will lose its units on the defensive anyway, but if you can delay it until turn 3, 4, 5… the longer they will be around.

Good post this is very true

AH stacks in Galatia AH1 and attacks Romania with whatever can get there but cannot get to Galatia. Also attack Serbia obviously and I think you have to hold off on Venice till AH2 or so
Russia is more important than Italy, especially early on