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I lost a bomb... do you have it?
—A Crazy Ivan "misplacing" one of his bombs

The Crazy Ivan are Soviet explosive specialists capable of causing mayhem and destruction within enemy bases and ranks.

Official description[]

Crazy Ivan is the umbrella term for the infantry divisions in the Soviet armies that specialize in demolition and wholesale destruction. The explosives Crazy Ivans use are entirely self-made, time-triggered incendiary explosives. Having the Ivans create their own bombs with barely any safety procedures provides an unintended and rather unorthodox method of rooting out incompetence.

Unfortunately, the possibility of having your own weapons spontaneously explode at any time has taken its psychological toll on the Ivans, making them perhaps a bit too anxious to rid themselves of their bombs. Crazy Ivans are trained to swim, carrying their explosives in protective plastic bags.[1]

Overview[]

For a detailed list of changes from the original game, click here.

The Crazy Ivan is substantially buffed in Mental Omega, due to having $100 less cost, twice the speed, amphibious capability and creation of fire after his bombs have detonated. This allows the Crazy Ivan to plant bombs then retreat quickly; a tactic that is difficult to perform with conventional Soviet forces. Additionally, Ivans are able to perform sneak attacks to a poorly guarded base (combined with the fire from the explosions, it prevents reconstruction in the wildfire for a while and scorches infantry and vehicle alike). He could also perform anti-naval duty his Navy SEAL counterpart could do naturally, making the Crazy Ivan a threat to any enemy navy since Engineers, who can defuse the Ivan's bombs, can't swim. Lastly he is also capable of destroying bridges by planting a bomb in the bridge repair hut, denying paths to the enemy.

On the other hand, he still retains his fragile weakness, so it is wise for a Soviet commander to separate Crazy Ivans from his strike force to prevent unnecessary friendly fire from his explosion on death. Ivan bombs can also be detected and defused by Engineers, so it is necessary to eliminate such infantry to ensure explosive success. Units with the appropriate anti-infantry weapons will also gun them down quickly enough (and watch them detonate in a spectacular manner) before they can close the distance to deliver their explosives.

AI behavior[]

Crazy Ivans controlled by the AI have the following attack patterns:

All difficulties[]

  • 1x targeting Naval Shipyards and tech buildings
  • 2x targeting base defenses or power plants
  • 4x targeting production structures

Medium/Hard[]

  • 1x targeting anything, accompanied by 2 Attack Dogs, 2 Tesla/Shock Troopers and 3 Pyros
  • 2x targeting anything, accompanied by 4 Tesla/Shock Troopers and 4 Pyros
  • 2x targeting structures, accompanied by 6 Pyros
    • If available, Rage, Kinetic Barrier and Regen/Wonder Drugs may be applied
  • 3x targeting anything

Hard[]

  • 1x targeting War Factories; loaded inside a Borillo or Armadillo
    • This task force may be accompanied by 1 Saboteur that will target power plants

Appearances[]

Use the Crazy Ivans to sneak up and place bombs on enemy units and structures alike.
—Soviet intel during Operation: Happy Birthday

In the campaign, some scripted sequences involve a Crazy Ivan planting a bomb on a Bridge Repair Hut to destroy its corresponding bridge. In some cases, they cannot be killed before planting the bomb, especially on escort missions.

Act One[]

Act Two[]

  • In Awake and Alive, when the Soviet forces reach the bridgehead, an elite Crazy Ivan will help them to destroy the barrels on the other side of the bridge by swimming across the river and breaking up the defense there. He must survive until the enemy defenses are destroyed.

Special Ops[]

  • In Taciturn, after the Chinese Agent hides in a Russian base that has a Nuclear Reactor, the second squad including a Crazy Ivan will be sent. He has the ability of throwing his bomb at Nuclear Reactor from afar, and must survive until the said reactor is destroyed. Send him to Field Bureau also made mission failure too.
  • In Time Capsule, player's Crazy Ivan can throw his bomb from afar too, and the player is able to detonate the bomb manually by clicking the bomb-attached object.

Assessment[]

Pros Cons
  • Highly destructive against units and buildings.
  • Able to attach bombs to almost anything.
  • Can destroy bridges by planting explosives inside an adjacent Bridge Repair Hut.
  • Decently fast.
  • Amphibious.
  • Explodes when killed as a last resort suicide unit.
  • Successful detonation also creates fire around the area, damaging nearby units.
  • Very poorly armored.
  • Anti-infantry units and defenses counter them easily.
  • Must plant the bomb at close range.
  • Engineers can defuse his bombs.
  • Bomb takes a long while to detonate.
  • Heavily armored buildings or units can withstand the explosion, albeit heavily damaged.
  • Death explosion can potentially harm other units, including other nearby Crazy Ivans. This can cause potentially unwanted chain reactions if they attack in groups.

External links[]

References[]

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