Matrix Games Forums

Playing my first '42 (summer hasn't started yet) I see the ability for the Soviets to build forts is crucial. Having never played the Soviets, how do you maximize their fort construction ???

Build sapper regiments for every army hq (as many as you can afford, usually 2-3). They have a random chance to help digging one of the army's unit each turn. Once you get the corps you may attach sapper SU to them permanently, so that given corps will dig in better.

Asa soviet I like to build fortified units behind the front line. They always surrender but each time they take valuable opeating points and limit german penetration in 41/42,

I'm not fond of fortified units except in front of Moscow and a very few around LG. A fortified unit required at least 4 AP pts plus a lot of ARM pts in regards to artillery and MGs that go into building it. Unless you plan to build a level 4 or level 5 fort, its an expensive speedbump. If your lossing a lot of them to surrenders, that a lot of ARM pts that's your lossing.

I might recommend that you consider infantry divisions that can retreat and rebuild versus lossing the fortified unit. Long term, its going to be a lot cheaper than fortified units.

As far as building forts, the Russians have to stack infantry divisions in additional to getting the sapper units or construction regiments assigned. Russian unit construction values are simply low compared to the Germans so plan ahead, its simply NOT going to happen as fast as it does with the German.