The Soviet Union is a very malignant and ambitious nation, and under other circumstances (like the Red Alert computer game) may have been the replacement for Germany in the Axis. As it is, the Soviet player should play no other Allied nations, unless he/she is the only Allied player.

Game Turn One:Like the Japanese, you have little to do in this turn. You should be mainly interested in infantry, tanks and fighters for purchases. Your objectives to take are Finland, Persia, Tsinghai, and if the Japanese player did not attack it, Mongolia. Of course, if the Japanese player failed an attack on Mongolia, it will become Chinese, so you may attack it with impunity anyway.

    Now, some may debate the wisdom of invading China. If the American player is sensitive to the fate of the Chinese, he/she may take offense, though at the very least he/she can't go to war with you for it. But if you have either played W@W a lot, or have read the Japan entry in this series, you know that China will last for no more than two or three turns. Far better for an Allied power to get the three or four IPCs from China and maybe Mongolia than for the Japanese to get them. It also gives the Russians a better front for an eventual offensive in the Far East.

    Such a motive justifies invading Tsinghai first rather than Sinkiang. The Japanese will only get Sinkiang if they have first gotten either Tsinghai or South China. Since they will not obtain South China until Turn Two, you will be able to then invade Sinkiang (and likely as not eliminate the Chinese) on your second turn. This gives you at least three IPCs, four if you managed to get Mongolia, and a very good line for your inevitable offensive in the east.

    Of additional note, make sure you have enough troops during your invasions of territories to absorb any losses. You do not want any territory you attack to fall into the hands of the Axis because you couldn't keep it.

    As an interesting aside, you could mobilize both yours and the American player's war industries by making an agreement with the American player: if you invade Greenland (American occupied in W@W) in Turn One or Two and then pull out the next turn, at which point the Americans reoccupy the territory, the two powers will officially be at war with each other. You will have your full industrial capacity, and the Americans will be able to use all of theirs to build military units. You do not want to get the British in on this arrangement however, for the two Western Allies may well make liberal interpretation of this agreement and, upon defeating the Axis, turn upon you. Of course, it's bad enough that the Americans will be at war with you in any case, once the Germans and Japanese are gone.

    This agreement will work much better if you alone are the Allied player. Regardless, infantry should be placed to defend the Rodina from the Nazis and the Japanese Empire, while tanks and aircraft should be built to profit from further offensives or the eventual counter-offensive against the Axis.

Game Turn Two: Your purchases are not likely to change much at all during this turn: infantry, tanks and fighters are still the mainstay of your forces. If you've upped your production by going to war with the United States, you may consider getting a bomber. They are quite powerful when attacking, after all.

    Your attacks will likely carry you into Norway, Afghanistan, Sinkiang (to wipe out China) and perhaps Iraq, if it is not in German hands. For your future plans, you should consider an invasion of Turkey, Sweden or maybe even Rumania, though should you invade the latter, you will owe Germany a precious 25 IPCs of reparations, and most likely those 25 IPCs will be spent on tanks and/or bombers to attack you.

    Again, consider the long term when placing your units.

Game Turn Three: Now, you may wish to consider trying to obtain industrial production technology. Doing so will vastly decrease all costs, particularly those of infantry. Once you have tried with one or two dice, purchase as normal.

    Now, the attack that you prepared for last turn (Sweden or Turkey) should be carried out. In the case of Turkey, it is 3 IPCs and a useful air base for attacks in the Mediterranean. However, Sweden is a better choice because it will (a) give you an extra 4 IPCs a turn, (b) give you virtual control over the Baltic and provide a base for air assaults into the West, and (c) denies the German player the 2 IPCs from iron ore exports. Turkey, on the other hand, is less likely to raise the ire of a strong German player. Just make sure that if you invade either or both countries that you do not overextend yourself or fail to succeed. It is very humiliating to give 3, 4 or even 7 IPCs to the Germans at the cost of many of your own troops.

    By now, you will see the Japanese and German players preparing for their offensives, against you or the other Allies. You should be heavily stacking infantry and fighters in the west to defend against the German assault and infantry and tanks to attack Japan on Turn five.

Game Turn Four: The Germans will still be preparing, but the Japanese may or may not have launched their assault against the Americans and British. Regardless, this turn, your purchases should reflect your final preparations for entry into the war.

    You should carry out no attacks during this turn. It is a turn of preparation, as you shuttle your troops from the factories to the (soon-to-be) front lines. You will soon be entering into the war with a bang.

Game Turn Five: For you, this is the most critical turn. This turn may see you triumph easily in the West, or it may see you be totally broken and facing ruin. It may see you rolling back Japanese forces to the coasts or it may see your troops dashing themselves in vain against the mighty defenders of Japanese-occupied China.

    Your twenty IPCs for counter-attacking should pay for tanks. In all likelihood, unless the German player was dumb enough not to attack, you will be getting the bonus 20 IPCs. Your other IPCs should pay for Russian Guards units (all four if you can get them), infantry and more tanks.

    You should now do two things. One is counterattack the Germans on as broad a front as you can, without risking defeat. The second is attack the Japanese, again in as many places as possible without putting the Soviet Union at undue risk.

    Depending on your actions with regard to the Americans, you may well have entered a very schizophrenic Alliance. Great Britain, the US and Russia allied together against Germany and Japan, but the latter two powers are at war against each other. A strange alliance, no? The problem is that the Americans could well take you down, even without the help of the British. If need be, to keep yourself safe, you will have to carry the war to America, and even bring the British in against you. But wait at the very least until the Axis are gone. Having four powers out to get you will guarantee the fall of the Soviet Union.

    Naturally, if Germany and Japan have done well, their main goal at this point will be to encircle you and totally conquer the Soviet Union. Yield as little ground as possible and good luck!