Allies taking advantage of you...
I started a game as Russia a few days ago, a lot of fun it is too, quite a challenge in battle considering everybody to the west of you has better line infantry and everyone east of you... Well, there is no east of you. I decided i would pursue peace and build up an economy for the first half of the game, not to be rich, just strong enough to support an enormous military made of as many conscripts as professional soldiers, and also be very backward in terms of enlightenment and industrial technology, but still matching the standards of more western armies, and not trading with absolutely everybody on the map i possibly can, just the most trusted allies. I found this way of playing makes Russia feel very realistic in the game, it almost represents how it actually was in this period.
My ally and only trading partner, Poland, went to war with Sweden very early on and i had to choose a side, so i chose Poland. I went into Sweden's closest province to me and took it without much of a fuss. This gave me access to a trading port with the west and also a naval base, both of which i may decide i want to use later, so i kept this province. I marched west a little more and took the next Swedish province along the coast, but only to trade back with them for peace, which i did, and everyone was happy.
I then found myself at war with Prussia. I let it sit for a few years and began asking for peace, no joy. I offered money for peace, not happening, so i decided i would try the same tactic as with Sweden, take a province and give it back for peace, and i had to force peace somehow because Prussia are blockading a sea lane i am using to trade with Portugal.
I sent an army into east Prussia, a full stack made up of an equal number of Cossacks and line infantry, 2 units of cavalry and 2 units of demi-cannons. I was met by a full stack composed almost identically to my own. The battle that ensued was amazing. After some intense skirmishing on both flanks from the Prussians i drew my army opposite theirs. Two volleys were exchanged and my line infantry charged. The melee lasted around 5 minutes and my cavalry was whittled down to almost nothing during flanking attempts, before my men broke and retreated.
I ordered the second of 3 lines forward, the Cossacks, and they let loose with an amazing volley all along the line into the disorganized and beaten up Prussian soldiers. Some ran, a few charged the Cossacks and were clubbed to death, in the end, all were routing from the field.
The second battle was outside a small town. I set up my army to funnel the Prussians into a killing corridor, where my cannons ripped them apart with canister shot. They made a little success on the left of my line where my cannon was routed by a volley from them, but nothing major, it was a decisive victory for me.
And there it was... East Prussia, naked of its garrison, and me with an army of 700 soldiers (out of the original 2025), now rather experienced from the battles that very year, all i had to do was walk in. It was there for the taking, but i had no movement points, so i ended turn.
AND POLAND STOLE THE BLOODY PROVINCE!
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The sneaky prussians who had done nothing to aid me the whole game had snuck in and taking the virtually unguarded city 
Originally Posted by pevergreen
- Horseman of the 
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