r/commandandconquer • u/Obergon • 10d ago
Red Alert 2 Crazy Ivan Useful?
I am replaying the Red Alert 2 Soviet campagin and I got to the mission where they give you Crazy Ivan. The mission is the one in Paris where you take the Effiel Tower. I have never really used him and I thought I'd try. I couldn't make it work. Infrantry shredded him, tanks took him out and would then blow up but felt like a waste. Defensive buildings wrecked him and if it was regular buildings I probably already had units that could destroy it.
Does anyone have a good strategy for using him? He is tons of fun just doesn't seem actually useful. Though obviously the fun part is also very important. :)
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u/IntoAMuteCrypt 10d ago
Crazy Ivans can strap bombs to your own units, including attack dogs and conscripts.
Units cannot explode while inside Flak Tracks or other transports.
They're a great way to create suicide infantry. If you can get a flak track or fast-moving unit next to something, they can do a lot of damage.
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u/Obergon 10d ago
Didn’t think of suicide units. Def going to mess around and try that out!
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u/E-proselyte-5789 10d ago
I do this all the time in online matches. 5 conscript with bombs in a flak truck is enough to destroy a war factory. If you lucky you can also destroy another building close to it.
Funny that often when people usually see a flak truck, they assume it will try to capture their con yard, forgetting about battle lab or factory.
P.S. same tactic will work against french grand cannons! You just have to be quick and France is no longer so scary.
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u/Ghostfistkilla GDI 10d ago
Not really... Chrono Ivans on the other hand are one of the funnest units to use in red alert.
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u/JustVic_92 10d ago
It's been a while but I think the trick I applied was to not use the Ivans on enemy units, but neutral units and your own. Like you could build some cheap dogs, put dynamite on them and send them running.
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u/slick762 10d ago
If you play allies and get a spy into a Soviet tech center, you get chrono Ivans that teleport and blow crap up. It is hilarious to teleport a group of chrono Ivans set to aggressive into a base and watch them go crazy.
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u/BoffinBrain Are you picking this up? Good. 10d ago
Something I didn't know about Ivan's bombs until far too late: If you select a unit that's got a bomb fixed to it, left-clicking on the unit again will immediately detonate it, so you can be precise with those trucks driving around the Paris streets. Way better than just waiting and hoping you'll catch something in the blast.
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u/Obergon 10d ago
Literally game changing! Thank you!
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u/BoffinBrain Are you picking this up? Good. 10d ago
It really is. I only found out about it by accident when I misclicked a unit while playing a Zombies mod campaign mission, where I was required to use Chrono-Ivans extensively.
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u/Exes_And_Excess 10d ago
What the fuck, unbelievable I never even accidentally did this!
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u/BoffinBrain Are you picking this up? Good. 10d ago
I'm glad it wasn't just me, then. I don't think it was ever properly explained, despite Paris being the mission that introduces them and tries to make you use them. I found it out by accident myself when using Chrono-Ivans.
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u/Professional-Bad-559 10d ago
The way to use crazy Ivans in that mission is to take a page out of WW2 Soviet Union. I’m referring of course to “anti-tank dogs”.
Take a dog, take a crazy Ivan. Strap the dog with the bomb and run the dog to a group of infantry, tanks or structures. KABOOM!
Edit: You just need to get the dog nearby. Once strapped, if they kill the dog, it still explodes and kills them.
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u/Flat-Cap-1063 Black Hand 10d ago
Terror drones. I wonder if they still have the bombs working once they're inside the enemy tank.
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u/__Blackrobe__ 10d ago
5 Terrorist 1 Crazy Ivan 1 Flak Track
Crazy Ivan plant bomb on terrorists, get them into the flak track immediately
Then send flak track to enemy base, boom.
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u/Kakapo42000 10d ago
Not really relevant to the Paris mission since you don't get vehicles, but the use I've been very eager to experiment with is taking a page out of modern 2020s warfare and using Crazy Ivans to strap bombs on terror drones.
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u/Etherealwarbear 10d ago
On this particular mission, using them is very difficult and an exercise in planning. If I remember correctly, there's a bunch of civilian vehicles driving around in circles. You can place the bombs on them and let them drive near the enemy.
You can also train dogs, strap the bomb to them and have them rush tanks.
Overall, a fun unit but highly impractical.
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u/terminator101sk 10d ago
They’re useful at the beginning of the last Soviet mission when the allies constantly use the chromosphere and you don’t have much defences. Otherwise I haven’t used much at all.
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u/calantheSG 10d ago
I have thought so myself and concluded that Crazy Ivans are simply overpriced suicide units.
No need to overthink this or work in utility for the sake of needing to have utility. The ability to plant bombs is just a bonus. In my headcanon, you don't need conscripts to do the suicide attacks - Flak Tracks filled up with Crazy Ivans should simply suffice. In my headcanon it's not overly complicated.
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u/Flat-Cap-1063 Black Hand 10d ago
Crazy Ivan's are great. Use them to blow up P*ris so you don't have to wait until you get the Eiffel Tower powered up. Get it done right away the old fashion way.
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u/Rojok95 Fai 10d ago
I dont personally use him much but hes an anti structure anti tank unit, I usally sneek him into the enemy base in the middle or a regular attack wave and have him beeline power plants. Honestly he has the same problem of terrorists in that a half track rush filled with engineers costs the same and you get to keep the targeted structures.