Jonah Patel
Playing as Russia in Diplomacy can be a challenging task. While Russia begins the game with four units, more than any other power, it also has the largest territory to defend. This means that Russia often has to fight on multiple fronts simultaneously and can quickly find itself in a vulnerable position if it is not careful. To succeed, Russia must rely on its diplomacy skills to negotiate deals and alliances with its neighbours. A well-coordinated attack by multiple alliances is rare early on in the game, so Russia has some time to build its power. However, if it does not maintain its momentum, it may start losing home centres. Russia's strategy will depend on its southern triangle; if it can consolidate its position in the south, it can build units elsewhere. Russia can choose to ally with or against Turkey, with the former being a strong alliance that tends to favour Russia. Overall, playing as Russia requires a careful balance of diplomacy and strategic decision-making to secure victory.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Initial position | Precarious |
| Number of units | 4 |
| Territory | Largest |
| Potential enemies | England, Germany, Turkey, Austria |
| Potential allies | Germany, Italy, Austria, Turkey |
| Southern Triangle | Crucial |
| Strongest opening | Attacking Moscow to St. Petersburg |
| Strongest alliance | Infamous Juggernaut (alliance with Turkey) |
| Most vulnerable to | Austrian and Turkish common moves |
| Most flexible move | Squid |
| Best move for StP-GoB unit | f StP-GoB |
| Best opening denying Turkey the Black Sea | f Sev-Blk |
| Best opening for a shot at Rumania in the fall | a Ukr |
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What You'll Learn
Russia's opening position
Russia's southern triangle is crucial. If she does not consolidate her position in the south, she may start losing home centres to Germany or England or both. Russia must also decide whether to ally with or against Turkey. The former, known as the infamous Juggernaut, is a very strong alliance that tends to favour Russia once it gets going. The latter has a more uncertain future but can result in good short-term gains.
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Potential alliances
Russia has the largest and most robust choice of openings of any power on the board. Russia can attack England, Germany, Austria, or Turkey, all on the first turn! This means that Russia has a lot of potential alliances to choose from.
Russia's initial position is quite precarious, as it can't be sure of a build in year one since Germany and Austria can easily deny access to the obvious neutrals of Sweden and Rumania. Russia also faces an immediate point of conflict with Turkey over control of the Black Sea. Russia must rely on its diplomacy to ensure at least one build in the first year, which will ensure it remains a viable contender.
One potential alliance for Russia is with Germany. Germany will be looking for growth in the Low Countries and Denmark, and they can provide unopposed access for the St Petersburg fleet into Sweden in return for a DMZ over Silesia. This can help Russia secure its northern front.
Another potential ally for Russia is Turkey. Forming an alliance with Turkey, known as the infamous Juggernaut, can be very strong and tend to favour Russia once it gets going. However, it is important to be careful when negotiating with Turkey as they may try to acquire the Black Sea, which borders five supply centres, one of which is Russian.
In the south, Russia can also negotiate deals with Italy, Austria, and Turkey. While they may be potential foes, they rarely work together, so there is an opportunity to form an alliance with one of them. Russia will eventually need the supply centres controlled by either Austria or Turkey to win the game.
Overall, Russia has a variety of potential alliances to choose from, and the best strategy will depend on the specific circumstances of the game.
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Conflict with Turkey
Russia is primarily an army-based power, so it is recommended to focus on building armies rather than fleets. However, a fleet in the Black Sea is important to prevent Turkey from gaining a foothold there. If Russia can negotiate a deal with Turkey over the Black Sea, then it may be possible to avoid conflict, but this requires a great deal of trust and diplomacy. Russia should be cautious of Turkey's intentions and be prepared for the possibility of betrayal.
One strategy for Russia to counter the Turkish threat is to form an alliance with Germany. Germany will likely be looking for growth in the Low Countries and Denmark and will not want to open a front with Russia. Russia can offer unopposed access for the St Petersburg fleet into Sweden, in exchange for a DMZ over Silesia. This will ensure at least one build in the first year, maintaining Russia's position as a viable contender.
Another strategy is for Russia to ally with Austria, forming an anti-Turk alliance. This can be achieved by taking Rumania with the Ukrainian army and denying Turkey the Black Sea. However, this strategy may be risky as Austria is also a natural enemy of Turkey and may not be a reliable ally in the long term.
In summary, conflict with Turkey is a significant challenge for Russia in Diplomacy. Russia should focus on building armies, securing the Black Sea, and forming strategic alliances to counter the Turkish threat. Diplomacy and caution are key to managing this conflict and advancing Russia's position in the game.
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Northern strategy
Russia has the largest and most robust choice of openings of any power on the board. However, it is vulnerable to attack from its neighbours, particularly Germany and Austria, and can be overwhelmed if they form an alliance. Russia must therefore rely on its diplomacy to prevent such an alliance from forming.
The Northern Opening is an aggressive strategy that involves moving A Moscow to St. Petersburg, challenging Norway and threatening England. This move can be used to bounce England out of Norway in Fall 1901, or to slide into Finland and establish a chokehold in Scandinavia. Either way, the aim is to capture Norway in 1902, or to transition southwards towards an anti-German attack on Denmark with English help. The extra army in the north can also be used to persuade Germany to turn on England.
In the south, Russia can ally with or against Turkey. The former, known as the Juggernaut, is a strong alliance that tends to favour Russia. The latter can result in good short-term gains but has a more uncertain future. Russia should also be careful not to leave itself open to attack from Turkey via Armenia, and should try to negotiate a deal with Germany for unopposed access for the St Petersburg fleet into Sweden.
Russia can also try to ally with Italy, although Italy may be courted by Austria and Turkey. Russia-Italy is a powerful combination in the middle game, so Italy should not be alienated unless absolutely necessary.
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Southern strategy
Russia has the largest and most robust choice of openings out of any power on the board. Russia can choose to ally with or against Turkey, with the former being a very strong alliance that tends to favour Russia once it gets going. Russia's southern strategy should focus on consolidating its position in the southern triangle, as failing to do so may result in losing home centres to Germany or England.
Russia's inherent advantage over other Southern powers is its ability to build fleets in the north. However, this advantage is balanced out by Russia's Southern port (Sevastopol) being the worst among Southern ports, making it almost impossible to bring those Southern fleets somewhere useful, even if Turkey is destroyed. Russia's southern port in Sevastopol is crucial, as it borders five supply centres, one of which is a Russian home supply centre, and two of which are Turkey's. Russia must prevent Turkey from acquiring the Black Sea in Spring 01, as it gives them leverage over Rumania, but Russia must also be careful not to provoke a full-on Turkish attack via Armenia.
Russia's diplomacy should aim to negotiate deals and alliances with Turkey, Italy, and Austria, as they rarely work together, and Russia will need their supply centres to win. Russia can offer Germany unopposed access for the St Petersburg fleet into Sweden in return for a DMZ over Silesia. Russia should also be mindful of the G/E alliance, which can be detrimental, and use disinformation to avoid it.
In terms of specific moves, the Southern Defence (Mos-Ukr; War-Gal; Sev-BLA) has gained popularity over the Austrian Attack (Mos-Ukr; War-Gal; Sev-Rum). Holding F Sev in Spring 1901 and then supporting Ukr-Rum in Fall 1901 may be a better option for attacking Austria, as a fleet in Rumania is useless in such an attack. Additionally, Russia can use the St Petersburg army to bounce England out of Norway in Fall 1901, crippling their growth, or slide into Finland in Fall 1901, establishing a chokehold in Scandinavia.
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Frequently asked questions
Named the "Squid", this opening sees Russia stretch all of its units out in all directions, threatening Austria, Turkey, England, and Germany. It provides maximum flexibility, as well as a shot at multiple builds.
Russia begins the game with four units, compared to the three allotted to every other power. However, Russia has the largest territory to defend and can find herself in a vulnerable position.
In the North, England is a possible enemy, and Germany can be attacked from Scandinavia. In the South, Russia may face Austria or Turkey.
Russia must rely on her diplomacy and hope that her neighbours do not ally against her. Russia should try to secure the central front and look to one flank for initial advances.
Russia can choose to ally with or against Turkey. The former, the infamous Juggernaut, is a very strong alliance that tends to favour Russia once it gets going.
