Hi, I purchased RUS at its release date a couple of years ago but was discouraged by the game because I couldn't find clear goals and a strategy. I recently purchased the GOLD version (for 5 euros ...) and decided to give it a new try.
Is there a strategy guide somewhere explaining in details the goals for each faction (in the GC) and various ways to reach them ? What about a good reading about the military aspects of this Russian revolution ?
Thanks.
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Stauffenberg
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I have been into the game for a few months now and made the gameplay transition easily enough from years of experience with AACW & AACW2. That said, the events and strategic options in RUS are far more complex, especially for someone who had a sketchy idea of this war to begin with.
I found Bornego's AARs to be an excellent way into it (even with him using an earlier version, and numerous changes to RUS made since), in particular his Once Upon a Time ... the Revolution - A Red Grand Campaign PBEM:
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/once-upon-a-time-the-revolution-a-red-grand-campaign-pbem.582403/
Along with this I picked up an excellent history of the war: Red Victory: A History Of The Russian Civil War, 1918-1921 by W. Bruce Lincoln (paperback, 1999). While not giving as much battle details as I would have liked he very much covers the whole political backdrop to what is going on at any particular point in the war. As I noted above, the international and domestic options in this are far more detailed and nuanced than AACW and it was only in my second attempt at the Campaign game (1st time western Whites of course, second time Reds) that I began to really pay close attention to every option available. Items like obtaining a peace with the Baltic States, then Poland, then eliminating the valiant Makhno, seemed to me a viable strategy, moving counter-clockwise from Petrograd to the Crimea as it were, but other options may be better. A read-through of Bornego's Red Campaign pbem, even though it is played on an earlier RUS iteration, is a must.
A game that not only supplies you with an immense amount of historical detail (I'm not just tossing out superlatives here, the historical research involved in the making of this is first class), but also requires that you understand it and incorporate it in your gameplay, get's full marks from myself.
I found Bornego's AARs to be an excellent way into it (even with him using an earlier version, and numerous changes to RUS made since), in particular his Once Upon a Time ... the Revolution - A Red Grand Campaign PBEM:
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/once-upon-a-time-the-revolution-a-red-grand-campaign-pbem.582403/
Along with this I picked up an excellent history of the war: Red Victory: A History Of The Russian Civil War, 1918-1921 by W. Bruce Lincoln (paperback, 1999). While not giving as much battle details as I would have liked he very much covers the whole political backdrop to what is going on at any particular point in the war. As I noted above, the international and domestic options in this are far more detailed and nuanced than AACW and it was only in my second attempt at the Campaign game (1st time western Whites of course, second time Reds) that I began to really pay close attention to every option available. Items like obtaining a peace with the Baltic States, then Poland, then eliminating the valiant Makhno, seemed to me a viable strategy, moving counter-clockwise from Petrograd to the Crimea as it were, but other options may be better. A read-through of Bornego's Red Campaign pbem, even though it is played on an earlier RUS iteration, is a must.
A game that not only supplies you with an immense amount of historical detail (I'm not just tossing out superlatives here, the historical research involved in the making of this is first class), but also requires that you understand it and incorporate it in your gameplay, get's full marks from myself.
I found Bornego's AARs to be an excellent way into it, in particular his Once Upon a Time ... the Revolution - A Red Grand Campaign PBEM:
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/once-upon-a-time-the-revolution-a-red-grand-campaign-pbem.582403/
I loved it also. But keep in mind that this AAR was done with the Vanilla version, and that many features and options where still not implement with later patches and the Gold version. But this AAR is a good introduction anyway.
REVOLUTION UNDER SIEGE GOLD
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Stauffenberg
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- Location: Montreal
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andatiep wrote:I loved it also. But keep in mind that this AAR was done with the Vanilla version, and that many features and options where still not implement with later patches and the Gold version. But this AAR is a good introduction anyway.
Yes I noted that, and as I missed the evolution of RUS to the present Gold version it was interesting to see the changes made.
This is not really a strategy guide but kind of an overview of the conflict, which hopefully will help explain the factions you find in the game.
Brief history of the factions in the Russian Revolution.
The Siberian White Factions – Admiral Kolchak collection of unhappy Czechs and the Cadets (if you know of them from Russian history)
The Kerensky faction. These are Socialist, Mensheviks, SRs. In the game the Siberians control this faction. It is a small collection of units grouped roughly in the Nizhniy Novgorod just to the east of Moscow. They were a minor faction, but do appear in the game. These are the remnant of troops loyal to the Prime Minister of the Provisional Government, Kerensky.
The Czechoslovak faction – Many troops of the former Austria-Hungarian Empire who had been capture by Russia during WWI were being transported to the Far East for eventually repatriation to the new nation of Czechoslovakia. The civil war broke out with these troops strung out along the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Not really loyal to anyone, they became defacto-Whites as they tried to preserve the rail lines east. They were a major force of well trained soldiers.
Admiral Kolchak consolidated all of the anti-Red factions (except for some persistent Greens). Kolchak was much hated by almost everyone, but he held the White forces together until Trotsky had finally managed to train an elite force of Red Shock troops.
The Southern Whites - Really the Don Cossacks plus a bunch of disgruntled Imperial Officers and some foreign busybodies.
The Don Cossacks wanted nothing to do with the Reds. They already had a strong organization. As most units pre-World War I were raised a local regiments, many of these men had already been formed into Czarist units. They responded strongly to Kaledin (pre-game leader) and Krasnov. The Don Cossacks actually worked well with the Southern Whites as they both needed each other. They did maintain separate units, which is well reflected in the game.
The Southern Forces coalesced around two strong former army officers. Kornilov, who died early and may not even be in the game and Denikhin. Denikhin ran the Southern Whites. Initially, the Southern White forces were all former officers. One famous regiment was composed of all officers in the early months. Later, like the Reds, the Whites drafted heavily into the ranks.
Wrangel succeeded Denikhin and is best know for the final defense of the Crimea. He, like Denikhin was a superior commander. Possible only Trotsky was their equal.
The International forces are in both the Siberian and Southern factions in the game. This is appropriate as they mostly intervened locally. Their intent was to keep the war in the east alive and to protect “democracy.” In the Far East both the US and Japan had forces. These pretty much stayed in the very far east.
The French and Greeks as well as Britain sent forces in the South. The Southern Whites get the French and Greeks in the Ukraine while Britain in in the Trans-Caucasus area with the Siberian Whites. The game provides for strikes by the French and Greek forces (locked in game terms). They are only in while the wider war continues.
Britain also intervened in the far north. In the two traditional ports it had used to supply the Czar's troops, Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. In all the area of International involvement, local forces were raised.
Yudenich raised a force in Estonia and threatened Petrograd. This is the Southern White Northeastern army.
The Reds did have a strong executive in Lenin and Trotsky, as well as others. This central control did not exclude working with other factions, most notably the Ukrainian anarchists. This black faction is a regional force, like the greens, but it is strongly anti-White.
The use of commissars and 'political' generals in the game represents the method used by the central soviet to control former Czarist Officers and reluctant recruits.
The Red political factions are not really in the game, which is fine, the Reds have plenty of other challenges which only time and resources can reverse.
Brief history of the factions in the Russian Revolution.
The Siberian White Factions – Admiral Kolchak collection of unhappy Czechs and the Cadets (if you know of them from Russian history)
The Kerensky faction. These are Socialist, Mensheviks, SRs. In the game the Siberians control this faction. It is a small collection of units grouped roughly in the Nizhniy Novgorod just to the east of Moscow. They were a minor faction, but do appear in the game. These are the remnant of troops loyal to the Prime Minister of the Provisional Government, Kerensky.
The Czechoslovak faction – Many troops of the former Austria-Hungarian Empire who had been capture by Russia during WWI were being transported to the Far East for eventually repatriation to the new nation of Czechoslovakia. The civil war broke out with these troops strung out along the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Not really loyal to anyone, they became defacto-Whites as they tried to preserve the rail lines east. They were a major force of well trained soldiers.
Admiral Kolchak consolidated all of the anti-Red factions (except for some persistent Greens). Kolchak was much hated by almost everyone, but he held the White forces together until Trotsky had finally managed to train an elite force of Red Shock troops.
The Southern Whites - Really the Don Cossacks plus a bunch of disgruntled Imperial Officers and some foreign busybodies.
The Don Cossacks wanted nothing to do with the Reds. They already had a strong organization. As most units pre-World War I were raised a local regiments, many of these men had already been formed into Czarist units. They responded strongly to Kaledin (pre-game leader) and Krasnov. The Don Cossacks actually worked well with the Southern Whites as they both needed each other. They did maintain separate units, which is well reflected in the game.
The Southern Forces coalesced around two strong former army officers. Kornilov, who died early and may not even be in the game and Denikhin. Denikhin ran the Southern Whites. Initially, the Southern White forces were all former officers. One famous regiment was composed of all officers in the early months. Later, like the Reds, the Whites drafted heavily into the ranks.
Wrangel succeeded Denikhin and is best know for the final defense of the Crimea. He, like Denikhin was a superior commander. Possible only Trotsky was their equal.
The International forces are in both the Siberian and Southern factions in the game. This is appropriate as they mostly intervened locally. Their intent was to keep the war in the east alive and to protect “democracy.” In the Far East both the US and Japan had forces. These pretty much stayed in the very far east.
The French and Greeks as well as Britain sent forces in the South. The Southern Whites get the French and Greeks in the Ukraine while Britain in in the Trans-Caucasus area with the Siberian Whites. The game provides for strikes by the French and Greek forces (locked in game terms). They are only in while the wider war continues.
Britain also intervened in the far north. In the two traditional ports it had used to supply the Czar's troops, Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. In all the area of International involvement, local forces were raised.
Yudenich raised a force in Estonia and threatened Petrograd. This is the Southern White Northeastern army.
The Reds did have a strong executive in Lenin and Trotsky, as well as others. This central control did not exclude working with other factions, most notably the Ukrainian anarchists. This black faction is a regional force, like the greens, but it is strongly anti-White.
The use of commissars and 'political' generals in the game represents the method used by the central soviet to control former Czarist Officers and reluctant recruits.
The Red political factions are not really in the game, which is fine, the Reds have plenty of other challenges which only time and resources can reverse.
Durk wrote:Wrangel like Denikhin was a superior commander. Possible only Trotsky was their equal.
Yes, Makhno (Ukr ana) was even more equally superior than them all
Unbelievable,
. Whites believed he had a german high staff officers and, even with these serious aiding ghosts, always underestimated his capacity,
. and Reds didn't understand how he could be so swift (his strategy and tactics as soon as 1920 were studied in Red military school, Red army tried to immediatly apply his movement style in Poland but it was badly timed, and even worst with a failing cavalry..).
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