After the war, the general Soviet mood (and budget) was extremely low. While the traitor Yuri had been dealt with, Premier Romanov had failed to crush the Allies despite some successes - most notably the crushing of Pearl Harbor military base, the demolition of Paris and the occupation of San Francisco. However, all of these victories would be undone with Yuri's meddling and the future time travelers.
Romanov however was a sensible leader. While his predecessor would have continued the War, Romanov set about rebuilding the Soviet Union with whatever resources he had at his hand and a galvanizing Propaganda campaign. Among the things set into play at this time was the reformation of the Black Guard, an end to the Conscription program and certain incentives placed to encourage more among the working class, usually additional food or pay rises.
However, not all of Romanov's plans came to be. He was assassinated at his work desk in 1980. While his assailant remained uncaught, Romanov was buried alongside Lenin's Tomb with full state honors in recognition of his deeds. While many nations would have fallen into anarchy, Romanov's successor - elected by the people no less - proved to be just as ambitious, if not moreso.
Premier Kazimir Markov was as shrewd a politician as he was a general, leading some of the more important successes of the war. However, at first the new Premier had to deal with the current situation - with the western markets crashing, so was the value of the Ruble. Desperate and with dwindling money reserves, Kazimir looked to the east, to a rising economic power.
While China had remained neutral during the war, Viceroy An Xun headed the country's communist party. Backed with Russian funding and hardware, he seized control of China in the Tienanmen Incident, where the Democratic Party was brutally ousted. In return, An Xun merged his country's resources with the Soviets, becoming the second client state of the newly formed Red Star Protectorate - a name Kazimir decided upon to recognize the efforts of other socialist states.
The Red Star Protectorate has come to encompass old Soviet Territories, as well as new ones like Egypt, Tibet and Taiwan. Kazimir himself has set up a rather aggressive strategy, going after countries with collapsing economies and social situations and giving them a simple choice - join by choice, or be forcefully assimilated.
This attitude as a result has developed common rivalries within the Red Star Protectorate. Only Kazimir's brutal personality has kept the other Client States in check from completely destroying the Protectorate.
True to form, Kazimir has handed off the majority of economic work to Viceroy An Xun. The result has made China a rich nation, and an excellent supplier of equipment, soon surpassing Russian standards. What the Viceroy keeps hidden however, is that Chinese equipment tends to be manufactured for quantity to meet the demands of the State. While Kazimir keeps a steady eye on the Viceroy, China continues to grow to be more and more self-important.
Protectorate society has changed very little during the Economic Collapse, though the exact state varies. The average Russian and Chinese citizen for example have access to enough money to afford a decent meal and a house, something that inspires Jealousy in the Allied government. Other nations however are in various states of collapse, though Kazimir does what he can to repair assimilated nations in both work and economic relief.
Red Star society revolves simply around keeping the factories working - an average citizen's life is spent waking up, working long shifts in the factories, and then coming back to his family and resting. This humdrum has allowed the Red Star to completely avoid Economic Collapse, and out produce the Allies on most common commodities, including clothing, electrical goods and even vehicles. However, accidents in the factories - despite frequent safety checks from the state - are quite common.
It is just as well then that Red Star society has come to accept all kinds of workers. However, mistrust still seeps in many places, especially between Chinese and Russian factories, who constantly work to out produce the other.
What started with Romanov was carried on by Kazimir. While initially only of Russian Blood, the Red Curtain organization set in place by his predecessor is still in operation, but has come to accommodate all races under the banner of the Protectorate.
The Red Curtain's members (referred to as "Legionary's") are strongly disciplined and well trained, as opposed to the Conscripts of previous eras. While the equipment varies, the modern Red Legionnaire wears thick armour and wields a powerful Assault Rifle. This means the average Red Legionnaire is designed to support the devastating shock assaults the former Soviet Army was famous for.
The Red Curtain's biggest feature however are its tanks. Manufactured from all over the Protectorate, the Red Curtain have a tank for every situation - from hunting down fast moving or elusive targets, to breaking an enemy's frontline to dealing with other, weedier tanks! The Red Curtain take pride in their tanks, which are typically tough enough to simply roll over the opposition.
The Red Curtain recently bolstered their numbers with an air force. While the fearsome Soviet Kirov is still very much a part of the Soviet Air Fleet, they are now accompanied by various helicopter gunships and air superiority fighters - the latter typically being assigned to pilots of Cossack blood.
Finally, the Russians keep the Black Guard. Only the best Russian members of the Black Guard get to join this prestigious organization, gaining access to the best weapons and armour, including the infamous Indrik and Romanov class Tanks, as well as the new Karchev class Tesla Battlesuit. Overseen by famed war hero General Boris Sokoloff, the aging hero has once again made them a force to be feared with his vast experience and ruthless knowledge of the Western Allies.
The forces of the Red Star are slow, but crush anything standing infront of them in a head on fight. Red Star forces are incredibly Tank heavy, with a tank for every situation and infantry and Air Support relegated to being the B Squad. The Red Star exist soley to roll over their opponents - if they can't Red Star formations are easily crushed themselves.
The backbone of the Red Star forces are the ever dispensable Red Legionnaires and RPG Legionaries. The Red Legionnaires carry powerful assualt rifles far exceeding anyone else's basic infantry ranged capabilities. The rifle shots are so strong they can pierce light vehicle armour. Combined with their thick armour, Red Legionnaires are to be feared, especially with their RPG wielding cousins supporting them - for when the Red Legionnaires can't handle a problem, the RPG Legionaries most surely can.
Models Used: A modified version of partyzanPaulZy & Medusa's Heavy Spetznaz and Rommel's Tank Killer.
Enforcers of the Red Star creed, Commissars are veterans of the elite Russian Black Guard, trained to keep morale up by any means. Commissars carry Anti Infantry Shotguns and powerful healing devices that can heal all Red Star infantry in a small radius around them. However, due to the limited avaliblity of these esteemed officals, a Red Star force can only deploy a maximum of Five Commissars at any one time.
Model Used: A modified version of Arg's "Shotgun Trooper". Special Trivia note - their File Name in Rules.ini and the CSF sheet is "Fucklaw". You can see that however you wish.
Russia required a cheap, low maintenance tank that could be built in numbers. With the vast amounts of Rhino's destroyed in the Second Patriotic War and the ready availability of the Ural Pocket Tank (known as the T-80 in the West), the Red Star had a ready made solution. Despite it's age, the Ural Pocket Tank is surprisingly fast for a Red Star vehicle, able to chase down Miners and other important targets. It's gun fires two shells quickly, but does little damage. It also sports the least Armour of the three mainline Red Star vehicles. It is however the cheapest.
Model Used: Crimsonum's "Heavy Tank T-80"
With China annexed and Viceroy An Xun wanting some contribution to the war effort, the Red Star was served with fleets of the latest Chinese battle tank - the Warmaster. The Warmaster packs armour on par with the Rhino, combined with a longer ranged Anti Tank gun that hits almost as hard. An ideal second line tank choice, the Warmaster works best with the Ural Pocket Tank - with the lighter tanks drawing fire and the Warmasters delivering the hammer blow.
Model Used: RLY_BiG_Tank's "Soviet Heavy Tank" (Oscillating Turret variant).
When the time comes to crack open a base, send in the Indrik Assault Tank. Much like the beast it takes it's name from, a squadron of Indrik's is a base's worst nightmare. The implaceable and immovable Indrik smashes asides other weedier tanks and can even deal with Infantry and Aircraft thanks to it's Twin Missile Launchers, but suffers from cripplingly slow speed and short range. It is also the second most expensive vehicle the Red Star have.
Model Used: raminator's "Super Apocalypse Tank" (AKA - "My damn ugly Apoc from 2005")
Return of the Dragon! The Dragon Tank is a support vehicle that can toast entire squads of infantry alive with it's twin flamethrowers. It's even moderately effective against buildings, but is completely ineffectual against Tanks.
Model Used: Azri Apoc's Dragon Tank.
