Rumble in Russia - LIVE!

The Rumble In Russia challenge is live tonight, with four Russian Bosses to fight at 3 levels each, and four Rewards - plus a Grand Prize - to win as you go.

This screen shows the Reward associated with each Boss, and its stats at Gold level:

You get a Reward (and the Ursa Major) at each level, but with lower stats. You have a week to finish all 12 Boss fights. You can do it in a couple hours with some dedication.

Some other rules are posted. Note that you are directed to New York and Las Vegas for "Boss Fight Items" (Stun Guns and the like). Elsewhere, the rules indicate that you can get these items in Italy.

You know what would have been a clever city for Mafia Wars to feature for jobs that drop Boss Fight items during the Rumble in Russia? Ummm... how about... MOSCOW? Just a thought...

During down time between Health recharges, I got a Stun Gun doing the 2-Energy job in New York, and none from doing about 30 jobs in Las Vegas/Hoover Dam for 136 Energy apiece. Go figure.

Rather than trolling for these items, note that all four Boss Fight consumables (Stun Guns, Shivs, Grenades, and Health Kits) are available as Free Gifts now.

Of course, Mafia Wars helpfully offers the Boss Fight consumables for 1 Reward Point each, right on the fight screen - with a tally of your total RPs.

Don't fall for it! There is no need to buy consumables - if you are patient, send consumable to your Mafia, and get help in fights from your Mafia, you will breeze through these fights.

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The sequence of the 12 Boss Fights is best told in pictures, showing the Health that each Boss starts with at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels - plus the stats of the reward for defeating each Boss at each level.

*BRONZE Level*

The Attack x5 feature is very handy, especially in later fights. At Bronze level, each attack costs 1 Stamina point. Throughout all Boss Fights, you get 1 XP for each Stamina point used. This is NOT a leveling-up ratio to strive for!

You will breeze through Dmitri - and probably all four Bronze level Bosses. Don't be fooled. The fun will come during Gold level.

You get both the Civ-4 Carbine and the Ursa Major when you defeat Sonya Bassinov, at which point the next level opens, and you are back to Dmitri Lenonov.

*SILVER Level*

On Silver level, each attack costs 2 Stamina Points. I also noticed Victory Coins dropping here during the fights.

Sonya Bassinov at Silver level, with her 42,000 Health, was the first Boss that I could not defeat in one sitting. You can either use your Health Kits - especially good in this challenge since they restore 100% of your Health - or just go back to any City and recharge your Health with currency.

*GOLD Level*

Now each attack costs 4 Stamina Points. Completing the 12 fights may require you to recharge your Stamina (I used over 2,500 Stamina during the 12 fights), so make sure you have an Energy Pack, or Treasure Isle promo gig, or something so you're not in the midst of a fight with the timer running when you hit 0 Stamina.

About now, you'll want to call on your Mafia for help, if only to speed up the fight.

On this fight, I had some help from my Mafia.

And at last, Boss Fight #12: Sonya Bassinov with 168,000 Health.

GET. SOME. HELP. You have 4 hours to defeat her, and can ask for help from your Mafia every 30 minutes.

After defeating Sonya in the final fight, the challenge appeared done.

But when I pressed "Get Started" just out of curiousity, all four Bosses had the red Attack light available.

With visions of stocking up on Gold-level Rewards for the next 7 days, I went after Dmitri for round 2 at Gold level (special thanks to JS for the help, as I was running out of Stamina).

And here was my Reward...

Awesome! NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS! I can finally buy that Delivery Truck I've been pining for in the New York Inventory. And TWENTY XP?!?! I leveled up like 40x with that one.

Helping your friends in the Rumble in Russia reminds me of the spiritual phrase that "the reward for a good deed is the good deed that follows it."

Getting to "share in the Boss Fight Rewards" for helping in a Boss fight - as mentioned in the rules at the top of the post - does *not* mean getting extra Crushed Ices or Civ-4 Carbines. Helping out earns some RP and cash... and the comfort of knowing I helped my Mafia... just as my Mafia helped me.

And that, my friends, was the Rumble in Russia.