Balance of Power: Hardcore Russian Roulette

Now that I have better data, the true Soviet nightmare begins!

1986

Nicaragua's newspapers announce the assassination of the old minister of defense, but the left-wing Sandinista still fights against this new junta, and for some reason has the army and CIA's support, who are respectively contributing $100 million worth of military aid and inciting a reverse-coup. From experience I know that I can't do anything about this.

Indonesia is on the brink of civil war, and the US is contributing $600 million to the New Order government. I also know from experience that I can't do anything to interfere myself, but also that US aid probably won't be enough.

Iran's insurgency is receiving aid from the US, and this probably won't accomplish anything, but the US will happily tolerate my meddling here, so I commit maximum economic and diplomatic mayhem, which is free.

Cuba has 100,000 soldiers deployed to overthrow Castro. This is another thing I know that I can't do anything to stop even though this is solidly Soviet territory.

Burma has underwent a right-wing revolution on its own, and Zaire a left-wing one. Mozambique has a coup that is friendly to both superpowers, but communist revolution is imminent.

Other interesting actions on the part of the US include:

• Diplomatic relations with Zaire's new left-wing government, while simultaneously aiding the right-wing counter-revolutionaries.
• Diplomatic relations with Burma's new right-wing government.
  
• Aid to Libya's communist opposition.
• Riots in Angola.
• $2 billion in military and economic aid to Mali.
• $100 million in military aid to Sudan.
• $20 million in military aid to Zimbabwe and Tunisia.

Not listed are numerous acts of aid to their own allies and other countries too US-aligned to be concerned with.

Libya and Angola are my territory, period. The US withdraws immediately when I challenge their interference.

Next on the list should be Nicaragua, but this seems to be a special case where the US will always flip it on the first turn, like Cuba (and Indonesia when playing on the other side). They also yield in Zaire, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, and Mali, after which I feel I've pressed my luck far enough.

I review my own allies to look for ways to improve relations. Mozambique looks like a good opportunity - I can establish trade relations, and they will accept contributions for the ongoing civil war, but we have a problem.

Yeah... compared to the US who have virtually limitless military hardware to throw around, the Soviets need to be a bit more frugal. I allocate funds from Vietnam, who are no longer at war and haven't been for some time.

This is about all I feel comfortable doing right now. The US complains about my foot in Mozambique's door, but I hold firm and they relent.

1987

Oh dear. Revolutions and Finlandizing everywhere! I blame Cuba for this; I let the US overthrow Castro despite having a nuclear treaty. But I had no choice! This cost me. Numerous US allies like them more, nearly as many USSR allies like me less.

Iraq Finlandizes particularly strongly, now giving the US a +46 diplomatic advantage, though I estimate my bases slightly outweigh this.

India had an outright revolution which really caught me off-guard. Last year the opposition had barely entered the terrorism phase. This doesn't affect diplomatic affinity much, but it does suspend all diplomatic relations, bringing it close to neutral territory.

Indonesia's civil war continues, and the US pumps more money and materiel into it.

Revolutions all over Africa. Mali and Tanzania go right, Sudan and Kenya go left, but none of them like me very much.

US actions:

• The US continues to attack Iran, and I continue to covertly undermine it.
• They also continue to aid the Nicaraguan contra, now with the triple threat of military, money, and covert ops.
• Aid to India's Sikh insurgents.
• Diplomatic relations with the new government of Kenya, with $1 billion attached.
  
• $2 billion to the new government of Tanzania.
• Insurgency aid and a coup in Mali.
• Insurgency aid to Zaire.
  
• $1 billion in military aid to Burma.
• Secret operations in Libya and Angola.
• $100 million in military aid to Tunisia.
• $20 million to Zimbabwe and Sudan.
  

 

Once again, they immediately fold when I challenge Libya and Angola. They also back down on Nicaragua very quickly - I guess their immunity here is a turn 1 special case.

Going up the list, I can talk them out of their actions in Zimbabwe, Zaire, Tunisia, Sudan, Tanzania, Mali, India, Kenya, and Burma - those last two were verging slightly on US turf so I stop there, having clawed back about 160 points from my -359 point deficit.

As for me, Ethiopia, deep in my pocket, is on the verge of civil war. If you can't beat'em, join 'em. I move my funds from funding the government to funding the opposition. This is my only action, because all other countries either seem too stable to topple, or too US-aligned to risk messing with.

 

1988

 

Mexico, already in the US sphere, Finlandizes and becomes a client state.

The middle east also has some heavy-duty Finlandizing. Syria remains a USSR client state, but Iraq is now practically neutral. Iran, though, is slightly warming up to the USSR. Slightly.

India's Sikh revolution takes over and is grateful to the US for help. Burma completes its revolution without US help and consequently doesn't really change its alignment.

My plot in Ethiopia worked, and the new government, despite right-wing philosophy, is quite friendly, with a +40 diplomatic affinity to us, making them allies. Zaire's new order is apathetic, Mozambique's new communists don't like us, and Kenya stopped caring.

 

US actions:

• Military aid to Iraq, Sudan, Tunisia, and Mozambique
• Continued aid to Indonesia
  
• $400 million economic aid to Syria
• $400 million economic aid to South Africa and Tanzania
• $400 million economic aid to Chile
• $200 million to Columbia
• $100 million to Kenya
  
• Assassinations and insurgency in Mali
• Riots in Nicaragua
• Aid to the Burmese insurgency
  

 

Syria is the only outrageous action, and I should be able to stop it easily.

Ah, but these aren't idle threats!

 

Oopsie.

I could reload and try again, but I don't really want to. I'm inclined to consider Expert mode the definitive difficulty, and Nightmare a gimmick mode that probably wasn't intended to give you a chance or even playtested. Every action, not just the ones that are logically risky, is a game of Russian Roulette, and if you play often enough, you eventually lose. I can't say I wasn't warned.

PowerMAD screenshot by Mobygames