or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Not Fixate on Norway

It is common knowledge to anyone who has played a few games of gunboat that, if you draw Russia, you are destined to an uphill battle. You need to defend Galicia, Black Sea, the North, and try to stretch your units out and grow. Players with some extra experience will know that the North is a long term loser; you can’t even hold on to St. Petersburg against a sustained attack. So it makes sense that previous attempts to fix the Russian gunboat metagame have focused on Galicia, Austria, Turkey. However, the real blame in the whole situation actually lies on the greedy and misguided English. 

Before exploring why it is England’s fault, let’s review why Russia cannot fix this problem by focusing on the South. Some have suggested that if only Russia and Austria trusted each other and didn’t fight over Galicia, then those two powers could do better. A fight between Russia and Austria often leads to Turkey having few troubles and steamrolling the region. The problem with the proposed détente is that both Austria and Russia are strongly incentivized to just stab. If Russia gains Galicia, then they can fight well. If Austria gains Galicia, they can power up enough to take on Turkey by themselves.

How can Russia gain enough power to hold off geedy Austria, and dangerous Turkey? Russia needs extra units, and it needs them fast. The only place to quickly gain more captures is Scandinavia. To accomplish this, Russia should open Moscow→St. Petersburg to rush Norway. After stalling the South for a year (even at the cost of Rumania), Russia can throw the extra 2 units from capturing the Scandinavian centers to push South. 

England Should Loan Norway to Russia

Now we get to why it is England’s fault: What English player will let Russia have Norway without a fight?

This England!

Check out the board states on the Autumn/Winter turns for the first four years:

Notice the following: 

1. England rapidly eliminates France instead of attacking Scandinavia, which provides cover for the English southern flank. 
2. Russia has an army in Norway (not a fleet!), and should reasonably send the new builds south. Thus, England is safe from any Russian invasion. 
3. Remember, Russia cannot stalemate Scandinavia from a concentrated English attack late in the game; this is a loan.
4. Austria and Turkey are stymied by a bigger Russia, so both of those Southern powers have a reduced ability to outpace English expansion.

This brings us to the biggest winner of this English/Russian gambit: Italy! A strong Russia (and a dying France) keeps Austria and Turkey from harassing Italy. The situation also provides easy pickings in Iberia. This is a long-term danger to England…but hey, nothing is perfect!

Russia and England form an exceptionally powerful alliance in both press games and gunboat. When they are done quickly in the North, they can push south with very few units guarding their backs and crush Germany. In gunboat, England gets needed time without Turkey growing, Austria cruising, or Germany feeling safe. Russia gets a needed loan of units to hold off Austria and Turkey. Consider this the next time you draw Russia or England—they really should be signing the lease agreement in 1901!

Further Reading

I first considered this concept after being exposed to the England/Russia alliance in Toby Harris’s must read “Country for Experts” series. He describes it as “The most powerful alliance ever?” and the “most amazing alliance Diplomacy has to offer”. 

The second reason I gave this concept a serious look is my studies with Bored Brother (a.k.a. swordsman3003). In both the webDiplomacy forums and in this blog, he has advocated that England attack France early and often in gunboat games.  By focusing early on Scandinavia, England not only pays the opportunity cost of a successful attack on France, but also faces extreme risk of an early (and fatal) French attack due to being over-extended into the northeast.