I'm new to ETW since I'm on a Mac. Currently on my 3rd attempt to win World Domination with Russia on H/H. It looks like it will happen, it's about 1793, I'm at 32 territories and on a roll. This is what I did.
I went for World Domination since Poland/Lithuania stays a reliable ally throughout the game and the trade stability bonus gets into the thousands late in the game.
At start, I disband the 2 provincial cavalry, the idiot general, and the single line infantry unit. Indeed, I don't recruit any line infantry at all until I'm very close to getting fire by rank. I research Canister, Square formation, and Carbines before anything else. Canister means you can defend with your demicannons, Cossack infantry can form square (afaik the only militia which can) plus they don't use bayonets they use swords so you don't need bayonet tech. Carbines gets you Cossack Cavalry. Many of your provinces can build cossacks w/civilian gov't buildings so there's rarely any need to build the alternate military gov't structures.
This has been consistent across all my attempts: 1) get a trade pact w/Sweden (they will ask for some money), 2) accept Sweden's offer for some money to give them military access (which they never do much anything with), and 3) accept Sweden's offer to trade Karelia for Estonia. This will allow you to trade with Courland. At this point Karelia is richer than Estonia but Estonia is fortified so that's 4000 gold saved. Don't go to war over Denmark. Sweden will declare war on you sooner or later, the later the better.
It's crucial to take out Crimea Khanate, Georgia, and Dagestan early. The latter 2 become real PITAs unless conquered very very early. You might want to start over if you can't get rid of these. Georgia especially will send a stack of line infantry every few years or so against Don Voisko. I ended up giving Georgia to Maratha for a military alliance. I had to fight Maratha in a previous attempt and by god I'd rather fight christians or muslims all day than tangle with Hindus. Hindus on hard battle difficulty don't even consider routing till attrited down to 25% or so.
Until Sweden attacks I concentrate on defeating the Ottomans in the Balkans and building up my economy. Great Britain also attacked me and briefly occupied Archangel and Moscow. Still, GB doesn't do much. Over the course of decades they sent a total of 2 or 3 stacks on ships. I build up the economy in Moscow first, then Kiev, then Archangel (essentially build the richest regions first). Furs aren't worth much per pelt but you can make a lot of them and by late game be making 3-4000 gold per turn in the fur trade. When farm techs come I build the most profitable farms first. Since your single best farm at start is in Don Voisko you want to be able to build this up and keep it undamaged which will prove very difficult if Georgia and Dagestan still in the game.
In previous attempts I've "rented out" some of my poorer provinces. Hannover once gave me 8000 gold for Komi. Maybe buying small provinces on the map edge is like insurance for small states.
On tactics: I build demicannons throughout the game. I try to let each frontier city have one. After a while they get real cheap to build (less than 400 gold). For fortified city defense I place a demicannon in the center, set to canister, fire at will OFF. Unintentional hilarity will result if Fire at Will left on. Cossacks or line infantry go in the buildings. Any streltsy protect the demicannons. Firelock citizens go on the walls. This protects your infantry. If you have some, place hand mortar troops in the armory, though it seems best to turn their fire at will off until a wall breach, otherwise they waste their grenades firing at enemy troops on the walls where the grenades bounce off. I keep a close eye on the demicannons, being sure to pull the crews back out of harm's way if they enter into melee due to being swarmed.
Anyways, haven't seen much on Russia here, but I think it's really fun to play. Except for artillery, I don't build the 'normal' units, don't see a need for medium horse, hussars, grenadiers, etc. And the lowly streltsy foot militia will surprise you on occasion, especially in city defense battles, when they kill 2-300 line infantry coming in thru the gates.
I went for World Domination since Poland/Lithuania stays a reliable ally throughout the game and the trade stability bonus gets into the thousands late in the game.
At start, I disband the 2 provincial cavalry, the idiot general, and the single line infantry unit. Indeed, I don't recruit any line infantry at all until I'm very close to getting fire by rank. I research Canister, Square formation, and Carbines before anything else. Canister means you can defend with your demicannons, Cossack infantry can form square (afaik the only militia which can) plus they don't use bayonets they use swords so you don't need bayonet tech. Carbines gets you Cossack Cavalry. Many of your provinces can build cossacks w/civilian gov't buildings so there's rarely any need to build the alternate military gov't structures.
This has been consistent across all my attempts: 1) get a trade pact w/Sweden (they will ask for some money), 2) accept Sweden's offer for some money to give them military access (which they never do much anything with), and 3) accept Sweden's offer to trade Karelia for Estonia. This will allow you to trade with Courland. At this point Karelia is richer than Estonia but Estonia is fortified so that's 4000 gold saved. Don't go to war over Denmark. Sweden will declare war on you sooner or later, the later the better.
It's crucial to take out Crimea Khanate, Georgia, and Dagestan early. The latter 2 become real PITAs unless conquered very very early. You might want to start over if you can't get rid of these. Georgia especially will send a stack of line infantry every few years or so against Don Voisko. I ended up giving Georgia to Maratha for a military alliance. I had to fight Maratha in a previous attempt and by god I'd rather fight christians or muslims all day than tangle with Hindus. Hindus on hard battle difficulty don't even consider routing till attrited down to 25% or so.
Until Sweden attacks I concentrate on defeating the Ottomans in the Balkans and building up my economy. Great Britain also attacked me and briefly occupied Archangel and Moscow. Still, GB doesn't do much. Over the course of decades they sent a total of 2 or 3 stacks on ships. I build up the economy in Moscow first, then Kiev, then Archangel (essentially build the richest regions first). Furs aren't worth much per pelt but you can make a lot of them and by late game be making 3-4000 gold per turn in the fur trade. When farm techs come I build the most profitable farms first. Since your single best farm at start is in Don Voisko you want to be able to build this up and keep it undamaged which will prove very difficult if Georgia and Dagestan still in the game.
In previous attempts I've "rented out" some of my poorer provinces. Hannover once gave me 8000 gold for Komi. Maybe buying small provinces on the map edge is like insurance for small states.
On tactics: I build demicannons throughout the game. I try to let each frontier city have one. After a while they get real cheap to build (less than 400 gold). For fortified city defense I place a demicannon in the center, set to canister, fire at will OFF. Unintentional hilarity will result if Fire at Will left on. Cossacks or line infantry go in the buildings. Any streltsy protect the demicannons. Firelock citizens go on the walls. This protects your infantry. If you have some, place hand mortar troops in the armory, though it seems best to turn their fire at will off until a wall breach, otherwise they waste their grenades firing at enemy troops on the walls where the grenades bounce off. I keep a close eye on the demicannons, being sure to pull the crews back out of harm's way if they enter into melee due to being swarmed.
Anyways, haven't seen much on Russia here, but I think it's really fun to play. Except for artillery, I don't build the 'normal' units, don't see a need for medium horse, hussars, grenadiers, etc. And the lowly streltsy foot militia will surprise you on occasion, especially in city defense battles, when they kill 2-300 line infantry coming in thru the gates.