pray.

Well, obviously it depends on the situation... but I recently did fairly well in a gunboat as Russia. (gameID=51451 if you're interested) I didn't win, but only because England and France got together to bring me to a stop.
I managed to form an early alliance with Austria and tore Turkey apart fairly quickly. Also important, when met with significant resistance in Scandinavia I decided to simply abandon it and let England and Germany fight over it. Of course, this only worked because I was doing so well further south.
So yeah. Not sure how well any lessons from this particular game can be applied to future ones, but maybe it helps?

i think you are more or less screwed. trip compiled data from the first two rounds of the gunboat tournament... 18 wta games with (i think) good and experienced gunboaters. check out the results, russia is by far the worst: only reached a draw in 3 of the 18 games, and in the 18 games, only finished with 18 combined centres

results by country:

(placed) points/centers

england : (8) 28.4/66
france : (7) 30.4/58
germany : (12) 46.4/144
italy : (7) 23.4/42
austria : (10) 42.4/106
russia : (3) 9/18
turkey : (8) 36/104

Go for the south. Try this opening: Autumn 1901 go to Gulf of Botnia (typical opening). If Germany moved to Denmark (very common), return to St. Petersburg with the fleet. Germany will end in Sweden, and England may end in Norway, or even Denmark itself (that would be great). That way England and Germany will be fighting in that area, and you will be able to hold St. Petersburg for a while until your south crusade pays off. You may need to assign a unit to support hold St. Petersburg, but it is very rare that you will need more than that, as Germany and England will hardly coordinate that attack in a gunboat.
At the medium stage of the game, your fleet building may be the most important long term tactic. Keep that in mind.
And at the final stage of the game, Russia's ability to build fleets on both sides is a tie breaker. You will find that having a fleet around the south coast of St. Petersburg comes very unnoticed and suddenly becomes essential.

Another thing: Russia may expand too fast given the right circumstances. It may be better to hold sometimes, in order to attract less attention and make some short term friends. I like to call it the Russian Ballet, as Russia can set a very nice pulse and rhythm, while the other players are forced to dance along.
(You may notice by my posts in the forums that I like to play Russia... my opinions may not be completely imparcial)

Wow, thanks Frank (and trip, really) that was really enlightening data! I thought I was the only one! Also thanks everyone else for your advice. I'll be sure to keep it in mind the next time luck's not on my side and I draw Russia -_-

I have noticed that in gunboat it is much more common for Germany to go bother Warsaw in Spring 1901, and I was thinking that it may be worthwhile for Russia to do the same ie go to Silesia. I think England often goes north in gunboats because there is not an easy attack on France or Germany so it is kinda the default. Maybe cracking open Germany could change that.

Play the percentages and order StP to Fin in spring 01. Germany hardly ever sends its fleet to Bal in spring 01. Fin bounces Germany from Swe just as easily as GoB can.

Why Fin then?

Put your England hat on, and come up with the reason yourselves.

My post is wrong, when I first said Autumn 1901 I meant Spring 1901.

bump - no comments?

mapleleaf, could you spell it out perhaps? What advantage does fin have over gob?

Does it communicate to Germany that you want to be friends?

Oh I get it. If you bounce with Germany in Swe, and if Eng convoys an army to StP, you stop England going to Fin and still bounce Swe.

Yes to the last post.

While I'm not a gunboat player I did draw Russia in a recent gunboat.


I kinda got lucky on number of levels with this one. gameID=52579

Germany opened to Holland (England bounced Den), and Austria opened all out south.

Which left me only with England who had opened against me and Turkey who had opened against me to worry about.

First year was a pretty standard Russian opening. Except to show that I supported Austria I offered support to gal.

The next three turns are about getting your enemies off your back.

In this case I gave up Rum, and did my best to hold off England in the north.

Now really this strategy could work with most situations. Your prime goals should be to ensure either E/G knows they have your support against the other, and A/T knows they have support against the other.

Should that fail, try and make one power a threat to the other. By giving the power a center they normally wouldn't get near a center of the other power you want them to fight.

If Germany is foolish enough to open Kie-Hol, then Russia isn't so bad. Kie-Den happens much more frequently, and sets up Germany to block Swe as a gesture to England that he wants to work together.

I don't like the move to Finland either. It takes away the possibility of moving to BAL, and while it may stop England from moving his army there, it doesn't protect StP, which is a bit more valuable. If you bring Mos north and move to Fin, that may set up better, but then Russia's southern position is in jeopardy.

I think Russia's best move may be to let Ger take Swe and move GOB to BAL and War/Gal to Sil. Having Den open and forcing Ger to tie up a few units to protect makes him vulnerable to Eng and Fra, or both. After the first year or so, there's usually a player who get's swarmed, and most often it's Russia. Since Germany is generally the player who puts Russia in that position, it makes sense for Russia to try and hang the target on Germany.