Russians (Rise of the Moderns)/Strategic Overview

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===Strengths===
*Cheap albeit weak infantry
*Good mid-game heavy infantry and cavalry
*Oil bonuses granting production bonuses for mechanised units
*Legendary defensive capability
===Weaknesses===
*Technologically backward military in the Colonial, Industrial and Mechanisation Eras.
*Wildly differing assortment of units at different ages, making an inflexible and difficult to master faction.
In keeping with the chaotic conditions of Russian society from the 16th to 18th centuries, the Russian army is dictated by extremes: heavy units are as costly as those of the British, but are nonetheless of exceptional quality, while its indigenous lighter units, such as streltsy and cossacks are cheap, but highly ineffective as a whole except in terms of psychological warfare. This means that Russia as a European nation is an oddball civ to play with (literally) dirt-cheap units and high-end units with a costly pricetag, that vacillates between the Asian style of warfare by numerical superiority and European tactics based on capitalising on the strength of your best units.
The best way to understand how Russia's army works would be to see what units are made available and when. So from the beginning in the Colonial Era, Russia has access only to the somewhat inferior Cossack Cavalry line, and its streltsy. These units are inferior in several regards: they suffer from a firing rate penalty, while melee units such as the pike and the cossacks have almost no armour (Cossacks do not receive an armour bonus until the Imperial Era). However, these units have one redeeming point: they produce quickly, and for cheap as well. As for mercenaries, Russia can only afford to recruit mercenary cavalry and little more, but it has one special unit that functions like a mercenary: the foot cossacks. As with all mercenaries, the cossack archers and their gun variant, the serdiuk, all cost immense amounts of wealth, but are created almost instantaneously.
In later eras, Russia will begin to receive access to the heavier units of the heavy cavalry and grenadier lines. These consist of the costly Imperial Guard cuirassiers and the Pavolvski Grenadiers. Units like these are highly powerful, and easily match the quality of those of the United Kingdom. But while the United Kingdom is focussed on high-precision strikes and restricted warfare, the Russian army can best be said to have two "modes" - either a weaker but substantially larger force of common soldiers, or a more powerful but harder to obtain component.
So a wise method of playing Russia would be to use your larger army and the Russian attrition damage bonuses together - you should not march out to meet the foe until the Mercantile Era, at which point, you will have access to your super grenadiers and better weapons and units such as cuirassiers. These units are powerful but costly and so should be protected by a screen of your weaker but more expendable troops. If you create grenadiers, use your light cavalry to screen them from enemy snipers. If cavalry is to be the mainstay of your force, then the serdiuks should be used to waste enemy grenadiers, backed up with traditional line muskets and possibly your opolchenies.
Teching up is an option that you should not pass over - upgrade your units early and often, because of their relative inferiority. Should your opponents reach the Industrial Era, do not despair - concentrate on your economy so that you can age up to the Military-Industrial Complex to build tanks, the ultimate land unit of the game and biplanes to strafe enemy artillery and infantry which could potentially harm them. Russia also commands an oil production bonus that grants it, among other things, enhanced production rates of these units. Your lighter units, especially the cossacks, make for good raiders. Use them offensively to stall your opponent's economy, and use their superior speed and cost to tie down enemy resources, create your army and then send them out to kill.
Category:Rise of the Moderns factions
Category:Spoiler