The Russians began their existence as a nomadic tribe of hunter gatherers inhabiting the eastern half of a large island bordering the central Whale Sea. Eventually, the Russians settled down and built a small village near the coast of the Outer Sea, which surrounded their entire known world. Russian ships and explorers spread out across the world, and wandering merchants found valuable resources to sell. From the beginning, the Russians splurged on the defense of their motherland. Every city had at least one fort, and several towers. The Russian capital of Moscow, especially, was built up into a defensive bloc, eventually becoming the main part of a Megalopolis including two other cities; Pskov and Kursk. The Russians also built such great wonders as the Colosseum and Colossus, which further strengthened the motherland. Indeed, the defense of their homes was a core part of Russian culture.
At the same time the Russians were building up the defenses in their homeland to extreme levels, they were making military excursions into neighboring Korea, with which they shared their island. Eventually though, the Russians pulled out their troops and fought an attrition war against the Koreans, building forts, towers, and new cities all along the border, as well as developing new religions and researching civics in order to push the border with Korea as far as possible. Eventually, the border push was so great that a farm adjacent to the Korean city of Samcheok lay within Russia's territory, and was destroyed by attrition. The Terra Cotta Army had been built in Kursk, and was pumping out light infantry for the Russian military. At the dawn of the Gunpowder Age, and the development of firearms, the more advanced Russians finally launched a full scale invasion against Korea. Within a year, the Korean's final city had fallen, and the Russians had secured the entire island for themselves.
The Russians had forged an alliance with the Germans in the Classical Age, but by the Gunpowder Age, the Germans were a laughing stock. They were still stuck in the Classical Age, and continued to pour all their resources into trying to wrest their city of Magdeburg from the hands of the Bantu, whom they shared their island with. Eventually, the Germans had only two cities left, and the Russians broke their alliance and quickly forged a new one with the former allies of Korea; the Inca. However, the Inca were in an even worse situation than the Germans had been. Even as the allegiance was made, the Spanish army was bearing down on their final city of Tomebamba, and within days the Russians were without an ally. But all was not lost. Spain's ally, Greece, was a small nation based on an island near the Russian's, and they had their small island all to themselves. If the Russians could remove the Greeks from the picture, They had a good chance of forging an allegiance with Spain. The Russians landed on a cold, foggy morning on the shores of Greece. They immediately captured the city of Athens, and later the city of Samothrace. After capturing all but two of the Greek's cities, events took an unexpected turn. A Bantu army was conquering Greece from the other side of the island, and a brief, but destructive three-way battle erupted in southern Greece, between the Bantu, Russians, and the remnants of the Greek military. Eventually, the Greeks were eliminated and peace was made, but the two last Greek cities were still heavily disputed. In the end, an agreement was made. The Russians would get to keep the city of Elatea, and the Bantu got the city of Mytilene. Soon after, an alliance was forged with powerful Spain, and by the early Industrial Age, all seemed well.
All would not be well for long, however. The Bantu and Chinese had forged a rock-solid alliance, and had secured over half the world for themselves. A joint invasion was launched against Spain, and nuclear missiles fell from the sky like meteors after their development in the early Modern Age. Before long, the Spanish had only one city left. Ironically, the same one that the Inca had made their last stand in centuries earlier; the cursed city of Tomebamba. The Russians themselves experienced several nuclear attacks on their cities, but managed to keep peace with the Bantu-Chinese empire for the most part, hoping that they could reach the information age and research Missile Shield while the Spanish coughed out their dying breaths. Once again, Russia was in danger from all sides.
A few months later, the Chinese and Bantu declared war on Russia once again, and this time they would hear no words of peace. The day had come for Russia's last stand. As the Chinese air fleet descended on Russia's Greek lands, the massive Russian army invaded northern China. The Bantu army, in turn, took cities both in former Korea and in Greece. The Russian army met little to no success in China, making hardly a dent in the Chinese infrastructure, and losing more than half their army before doing any significant damage. The Russians knew that they could not win. But they would not go quietly. By the ruling of the Russian Committee of Science, the world could only stand two more nuclear detonations before the world met complete devastation. So the Russians built four missiles. And grimly they prepared for Armageddon. As the Russian army sputtered and died in China, and Bantu forces conquered Greece and Southern Russia, the missiles were launched. The Earth was finally consumed by deadly radiation, and became a lifeless ball of rock and dust. The Russians had engineered the destruction of the planet, and had ensured that they would never be conquered.
Incidentally, I realized through this battle that I wasn't quite ready for the "Tough" difficulty setting yet. I came pretty close though. A little more practice and I might have gotten it.
At the same time the Russians were building up the defenses in their homeland to extreme levels, they were making military excursions into neighboring Korea, with which they shared their island. Eventually though, the Russians pulled out their troops and fought an attrition war against the Koreans, building forts, towers, and new cities all along the border, as well as developing new religions and researching civics in order to push the border with Korea as far as possible. Eventually, the border push was so great that a farm adjacent to the Korean city of Samcheok lay within Russia's territory, and was destroyed by attrition. The Terra Cotta Army had been built in Kursk, and was pumping out light infantry for the Russian military. At the dawn of the Gunpowder Age, and the development of firearms, the more advanced Russians finally launched a full scale invasion against Korea. Within a year, the Korean's final city had fallen, and the Russians had secured the entire island for themselves.
The Russians had forged an alliance with the Germans in the Classical Age, but by the Gunpowder Age, the Germans were a laughing stock. They were still stuck in the Classical Age, and continued to pour all their resources into trying to wrest their city of Magdeburg from the hands of the Bantu, whom they shared their island with. Eventually, the Germans had only two cities left, and the Russians broke their alliance and quickly forged a new one with the former allies of Korea; the Inca. However, the Inca were in an even worse situation than the Germans had been. Even as the allegiance was made, the Spanish army was bearing down on their final city of Tomebamba, and within days the Russians were without an ally. But all was not lost. Spain's ally, Greece, was a small nation based on an island near the Russian's, and they had their small island all to themselves. If the Russians could remove the Greeks from the picture, They had a good chance of forging an allegiance with Spain. The Russians landed on a cold, foggy morning on the shores of Greece. They immediately captured the city of Athens, and later the city of Samothrace. After capturing all but two of the Greek's cities, events took an unexpected turn. A Bantu army was conquering Greece from the other side of the island, and a brief, but destructive three-way battle erupted in southern Greece, between the Bantu, Russians, and the remnants of the Greek military. Eventually, the Greeks were eliminated and peace was made, but the two last Greek cities were still heavily disputed. In the end, an agreement was made. The Russians would get to keep the city of Elatea, and the Bantu got the city of Mytilene. Soon after, an alliance was forged with powerful Spain, and by the early Industrial Age, all seemed well.
All would not be well for long, however. The Bantu and Chinese had forged a rock-solid alliance, and had secured over half the world for themselves. A joint invasion was launched against Spain, and nuclear missiles fell from the sky like meteors after their development in the early Modern Age. Before long, the Spanish had only one city left. Ironically, the same one that the Inca had made their last stand in centuries earlier; the cursed city of Tomebamba. The Russians themselves experienced several nuclear attacks on their cities, but managed to keep peace with the Bantu-Chinese empire for the most part, hoping that they could reach the information age and research Missile Shield while the Spanish coughed out their dying breaths. Once again, Russia was in danger from all sides.
A few months later, the Chinese and Bantu declared war on Russia once again, and this time they would hear no words of peace. The day had come for Russia's last stand. As the Chinese air fleet descended on Russia's Greek lands, the massive Russian army invaded northern China. The Bantu army, in turn, took cities both in former Korea and in Greece. The Russian army met little to no success in China, making hardly a dent in the Chinese infrastructure, and losing more than half their army before doing any significant damage. The Russians knew that they could not win. But they would not go quietly. By the ruling of the Russian Committee of Science, the world could only stand two more nuclear detonations before the world met complete devastation. So the Russians built four missiles. And grimly they prepared for Armageddon. As the Russian army sputtered and died in China, and Bantu forces conquered Greece and Southern Russia, the missiles were launched. The Earth was finally consumed by deadly radiation, and became a lifeless ball of rock and dust. The Russians had engineered the destruction of the planet, and had ensured that they would never be conquered.
Incidentally, I realized through this battle that I wasn't quite ready for the "Tough" difficulty setting yet. I came pretty close though. A little more practice and I might have gotten it.