| “ | 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.
Description
"Crazy Ivan" is the umbrella term for the infantry divisions in the Soviet armies that specialize in demolitions 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.
Overview
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.
Assessment
Pros
- Highly destructive against units and buildings.
- Able to attach bombs to almost anything.
- Can destroy bridges.
- Decently fast.
- Amphibious.
- Explodes when killed as a last resort suicide unit.
- Successful detonation also creates fire around the area, damaging nearby units.
Cons
- Very poorly armored.
- Anti-infantry units and defenses counter them easily.
- Must plant the bomb at close range.
- Engineers can defuse its bombs.
- Bomb takes a long while to detonate.
- Heavily armored buildings or units can withstand the explosion, albeit heavily damaged.
Quotes
The Crazy Ivan uses the voiceset of the same unit in Red Alert 2.
