Winter War: The Russo-Finnish Conflict

About the game

What is Winter War: The Russo-Finnish Conflict?

Covers the 1939-1940 war between Finland and the Soviet Union. Four-page rules folder, map, and 120 die-cut counters. The Soviets have a massive strength advantage but their heaviest units can't be used north of the arctic circle and all Soviet units must be able to trace a supply line back to Leningrad at all times. Finnish units don't need supply in Finland, they have the advantage of prepared defenses south of the arctic circle, and Finnish units have higher mobility than Soviet units. The Russians have to successfully invade Finland and take objective cities to win. The Finns simply have to hold out for ten turns. Playable as a game rather than just as a simulation, unlike many later SPI offerings. Two games in one. The base game favors an experienced Soviet player, who will often break through the Mannerheim line in a fairly historical manner around turns 7-9. The optional special events, depending on which are rolled, tend to favor the Finns, sometimes reducing the number of turns to just 5, placing tremendous time pressure on the Soviets. Play the base game several times before adding the optional "What-if" events.

How it plays

Mechanics

On the shelf

Categories

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

• How do setup and the first turn work in Winter War: The Russo-Finnish Conflict?
• When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
• How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?