RUSSIA
Most people will say that Russia is the most boring country to play in Axis and Allies. It starts the game with low production, has virtually no fleet, does nothing but buy infantry, and gets hammered by the Axis on all fronts. I myself used to buy into this line of thinking, until I played the game enough times. Three of the above statements are certainly true; Russia gets few IPC's, no fleet for most the game, and gets attacked relentlessly by Germany and Japan. But, this does not make Russia boring. Rather, the opposite is true. No country is involved in more fighting than Russia, and no country is more critical to its side's success than Russia for if it falls, so do the Allies. So, how does one win as the Russians?
Well, ask anyone, and they will tell you, "buy infantry, infantry, and more infantry." This is correct, to a degree, but with only infantry you will quickly find yourself fighting a merely defensive war. Whenever possible, buy a tank or two. There are two "magic numbers" when buying armor, at least where the Russians are involved: 5 and 10. These refer to IPC's. Whenever the Russians have 5 IPC's left, ALWAYS buy a tank instead of an infantry. This seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how often people overlook this. With 10 IPC's, however, the question is a little trickier. With the Russians I will almost always buy 2 tanks instead of three infantry. The reason is simple. In all the games I've played, it has been a rare fight that came down to the last Russian infantry. Generally, if Germany is able to take a province with say, 8 infantry and 2 armor, it would probably have conquered that same province if it had 11 infantry and no armor. So, I buy tanks in these situations. I've experimented with buying a third fighter, but this has not been too useful, especially if you're able to fly in UK and USA fighters to help out. What has worked well was to buy a bomber. While it does cost 15 IPC's, it gives the Russians excellent offensive power which, based in Russia, can be used against either their eastern or western fronts. This eliminates the problem posed by using tanks and planes against the Japanese; the next turn they are out of position to deal with Germany. As it is so costly--those 15 IPC's could have bought 5 infantry or 3 tanks!--I only do it when the Axis powers have not pushed too hard on their initial turns. Also, if you're using the paratrooper optional rule, then a Russian bomber is key as it lets you strike into the rear of your enemy, forcing them to keep a garrison in every territory within striking range.
Russia's first turn:
Whenever I play Russia, I follow a nearly identical set of actions which, if you check other websites, you'll see is pretty standard. with the 24 IPC's, I will almost always buy 8 infantry. During the combat move take the three infantry and two armor and lone fighter in Karelia, along with the armor in Russia, and attack Norway. Take the fighter in Russia and attack the German Baltic fleet. Finally, take the two infantry and armor in the Soviet Far East, along with the three infantry in Yakut, and attack Manchuria. In this attack, your goal is twofold. To hopefully destroy Japan's valuable fighter and to slow down the Japanese advance into Russia. The success almost always depends on the first roll. If it goes your way, continue. If you lose more than the Japanese retreat. Check the odds carefully here. They are almost even initially, but you don't want to continue fighting if they are against you. The good news is you can retreat and create a good defense in Yakut if necessary. On the other hand, a successful attack will throw off the Japanese plans. As for Norway, it is my preferred target for three reasons. First, it will eventually fall anyways, so you may as well take the IPC's now. Besides, Russia will need those two IPC's later. Second, it gives the UK and USA an easy dropping off space for troops; one move for the USA and a bridge move for the UK. Third, it is safe from German counterattack, thus preserving your victory and any remaining armor. My father has used a new move against me, attacking the German submarine in the Atlantic with the Russian sub. While there is only a 33% chance of destroying it, if you're successful it can force the German player to alter his turn, depriving him of the sub attack on the UK battleship in Gibraltar. The other options for attacking Germany are Eastern Europe and Ukraine. Both involve the same German losses, though in the Ukraine you'll destroy an extra tank. Since Eastern Europe is almost impossible to hold, resulting in you losing your armor, I wouldn't try this. Ukraine's not bad as you can put about 7 infantry making any counterattack unlikely, but it leaves open the possibility for the Germans to bolster Norway's defense. I've also attacked all three a couple times. I've never taken them all--in fact, I lost all three each time, but the Germans never had more than a couple fighters left total. It's a good way to reduce the numbers fast. Anyways, your non-combat move is based on the results of your attacks. If you took Norway, move the four infantry in Russia to Karelia and land both planes there. Add two of the Caucasis infantry as well. In the east, move the two infantry from Evenki to Yakut, regardless of your success in Manchuria. Finally, move your transport to the UK seazone to help defend the UK fleet. Place all 8 of the infantry you built in Karelia to defend against a German attack and to prepare for your attack next turn.