Russia vs. Iro

[36drew]

I seem to be struggling with this match and I don't know how to play it. I'd like some thoughts/input, especially from sporting the main man of Iro.

[Sporting_Lisbon]

As Russia? I have no mercy against russian players :S What russia has to do is to turtle up as well as possible, walls, 2 blocks, anything goes as staying alive is the most important thing. Musketeers won't help you early on, just strelets is ok after you got the 4 kanyas, if the game drags for more then 7-8 mins it's eminent that the iro will start getting kanyas and then if he gets kanya/aenna and ships warchief cards it's most likely that he'll clean the floor with you. Going water may help after the first push.

[Sporting_Lisbon]

Do what you'd do as brits.

[I__CHAOS__I]

tbh, I'm more and more convinced that Iro is the nr 3 civ atm (after jpn & india ofc)
as russia, lame CM and turtle up like Mr_Iro_Lisbon said

[ruminator]

I might even consider an 11 settler age up here - you can't afford to have kanya in your base before you even hit colonial - but then again your better than me and proably age up about 20 seconds earlier than me!

Early cossacks seem to be able to keep kanya away from your strelets - the big footprint seems to help more than a bunch of musketeers. With mass strelets you are then also tomahawk proof - just fend them off rather than attacking while you boom behind blockhouses.

As iroquois the only time I've been troubled by Russia is when they go heavy on cavalry in age 3/4 - assuming they survive the first 5/6 minutes intact. Opri's knocking out your base from behind while strelet/cossacks slowly claims map control with blockhouse/fort spam can be a real pain.

[Sporting_Lisbon]

It shouldn't be too hard to shoot down the kanyas one by one with block, tc, explorer and strelets tho.

tbh, I'm more and more convinced that Iro is the nr 3 civ atm (after jpn & india ofc)

Yes yes, let us all forget über uhlans and that cool war danced mace/coyo combo. Both Germans and Aztecs are better than Iro :p

[cleeduz]

[quote=""Sporting_Lisbon""]It shouldn't be too hard to shoot down the kanyas one by one with block, tc, explorer and strelets tho.

tbh, I'm more and more convinced that Iro is the nr 3 civ atm (after jpn & india ofc)

Yes yes, let us all forget über uhlans and that cool war danced mace/coyo combo. Both Germans and Aztecs are better than Iro :p[/quote]

I haven't been playing long but I agree Aztecs are tougher for most civs to face than Iro. Iro's are also weak late game, imho of course.

My biggest issues when facing Russia as Iro's is exactly as Rum stated, Cossacks/Opri's raiding in back and mass Strets/BH's up front...

[Sporting_Lisbon]

Iro's are also weak late game, imho of course.

Iro's lategame is the worst in the game as well as Sioux's.

[I__CHAOS__I]

but Iro doesn't need a lategame

Iro are just so easy to play with and reward those with good micro imho
seriously, all those unit shipments make em like the colonial spain FF

[Sporting_Lisbon]

Easy to play for you, many people can't play it. Russia, Japan, Brits all reward those with good macro and booming skills too :\ Russia is the ultimate easy (not strong altho theyre good) civ, not ottos cause they got nerfed.

[cleeduz]

I could use some advice for playing Iro's against Russia, for some reason they are my toughest matchup.

I lost another game against them last night, and before the match I was thinking of going with a "do or die" Toma Rush, then thought against it and decided to go with a semi-turtle and heavy on cav. This didn't work... I was expecting a Stret spam and got a Musket semi-rush! My bad, for not scouting better.

I got some decent raiding in, and then had to bring cav back to help defend. I did OK, until he went fortress...

When facing Russia is a hard rush, the way to go against Russia? Any help would be appreciated.

Sporting--- I know you posted a rec recently against them, I will watch/study it tonight.