Empire Total War Russia Faction Guide

Economy & Technology

So this is what your vast country is giving to you:

• 5 farms (peasant farms)
• 7 farms (no building)
• 2 minefields
• 2 minefields (no building)
• 2 smiths
• 2 weavers
• 1 inn
• 1 school
• 4 logging camps
• 5 fur traders

So again – our country is underdeveloped. Therefore start with building out the farms in every region but Don Voisko. The reason why we will see at diplomacy. Then upgrade your roads in Muscovy and Ukraine because you will send your troops hundreds of times through that two provinces. Research is also crucial – especially because it is the only way in the beginning to boost your economy. Therefore I advise you to build a second school in Briansk (Ukraine). Start out researching Common Land Enclosures in your first school.
It is also a good advice to keep some money for training units already in Turn 1 – because war is already laid on you and the Ottomans won’t stay the only foes.

Religion

You are the “head” of the orthodox world. Most of your areas are already converted. But nearly all your possibly “gainings” won’t be of your religion. Therefore some churches will be very wise to lower the need of garison units.

Goverment
Our starting set up of ministers very poor – especially in treasury and navy. These two have also bad attitudes in addition to their already very weak management skills. So get rid of them.
You will be also in the constant problem of appeasing your lower classes because of your absolute monarchy. So have always an eye on that – especially when you start researching philosophical technologies.
Even though I don’t advise you to change the government in the beginning because you will need every single gold coin and you don’t really have time for a revolution. In addition it would be historically seen totally incorrect.

Diplomacy

Yes, we don’t have a boarder in the East but in the South, South West, and North West we have direct boarders to hostile fractions or fractions with who we are already at war. You are allied with Poland and Denmark-Norway and at war with the Ottomans and the Crimean Khanate. The problem after finishing your turn 1 your allies (in that case Denmark-Norway) will drag you into an additional war with Sweden (as it is historically correct).
But we will get in additional troubles from the South: Georgia and Dagestan seem to know your problems with moving your armies throughout your vast country and will attack you most likely within 3-7 Turns. If you can seize their two provinces you will have to keep an eye on Persia – even if you have good relations to them. They are also declaring war quite easily. Other factions won’t bother you in the first ~40 turns because you will be busy anyway and other major factions are most likely involved in their private wars.

Opening moves on the big chessboard

At the beginning you should decide if you want to play “close to history” or not. It is a dynamic game so the situation will change from real history anyway but you don’t have necessarily to force that.

Your possibilities for expansion are compared to factions like Austria quite limited because you simply can’t afford a war with Poland. So you just can go either:

• North/North West: Taking out the Swedish. Most likely they will have bigger and more modern armies than you. So joining the war right in Turn 1 may be an unwise decision for “average” players. So you will lose your Danish ally but it may be worth it to concentrate first on the South.
• South/South West: Attacking the Crimean Khanate and destroying it can be a wise decision because otherwise they can get a quite strong minor faction. It will provide you also with a trading port – in other words pure cash. The problem is that you can’t really use it as long as you are at war with the Ottomans because they will block your port or at least pillage the trading route. The advantage is that after seizing the Crimea, the Ottomans will sign a peace treaty and even trade rights without any further demands. But if you want, you may also try to hunt for Istanbul – but most likely your economy won’t be able to provide two wars because within ~15 turns the Swedish will declare war if you didn’t in Turn 1.
• South/South East: Dagestan and Georgia. Especially Georgia may be worth to conquer because you will find an additional school there and later on another port. You will get in trouble with the two minor factions anyway. As long as they exist, they will constantly be raiding the province Don Voisko. In the long run they even start attacking the province capital and you will lose it because they can provide quite large armies.

So my recommended expansion way is to build up an army of at least a 3/4 stack and attack the Crimean Khanate first. You may declare war on Sweden in Turn 1 – but you won’t be able to expand there until you are finished in the South. You simply can’t afford such a big army. So just try to hold them away from Moscow. If you lose Moscow your game is most likely over…
After seizing Crimea get a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire and try to get as much trade routes as possible. Especially one with the Maratha Confederacy if possible. Next step is to go for Georgia and Dagestan– you will be already at war with them and they will be already raiding in Don Voisko.
At that step you will have enough income and peace in the south (but be aware of the Persians – try to establish an alliance – the only way to be safe of an assault). Now you should go for Sweden and take their Baltic provinces – sometimes the Polish will annex the province of Estonia & Livonia. At least Ingria should be yours. Try again to establish trade routes. A this point your war against Sweden is nearly a sure victory. Until ~1725 you should be able to destroy them completely.

Now you are free to go where ever you want. I prefer going for Istanbul know and later on for Persia – even though sometimes they are already destroyed by the Maratha Confederacy.

Colonization:
“Going for colonies” isn’t very useful if you really want to improve your trade abilities forget about ships and go directly via Georgia – Persia into India. America is close to impossible because you would need at least ~2 full stacks to can compete with the Natives. So it isn’t really worth the price. Stay a continental power and you will be dominating that way.