The USSR starts the game with its army weakened by the officer purges, but it has the biggest long-term manpower and industry potential in the game. This guide focuses on surviving the weak early phase and reaching 1941 ready for whatever comes from the west.
Starting Point
The purges leave the Soviet army with serious penalties while command is being restored. During that window you don't want to look for war: the goal is to industrialize, reverse the purges through focuses, and decide which political branch to follow, since the tree offers variants beyond Stalin's historical line.
Recommended Route
- Military recovery focuses (reversing the purges) as a priority before any expansion.
- Aggressive industrial investment — the USSR starts with a wide factory base worth exploiting from the beginning.
- Take advantage of the huge manpower pool for large, cheap infantry templates, leaving expensive stuff (tanks, aviation) for once your industry has matured.
- Watch Germany's foreign policy: the game usually ends up in a conflict with the Axis powers sooner or later, so prepare well ahead of time.
Common Mistakes
The most common mistake is underestimating the impact of the purges and getting into a conflict — with Finland, Poland or Japan — before reversing them. It's also common to neglect industry thinking "I'll catch up later": with the USSR, the sooner you build factories, the more room you'll have when you actually need them.
Next Steps
This guide will expand with a breakdown of the alternate political branches and a comparison of routes against the German invasion. Also check out the combat width guide to design efficient mass-infantry templates.