The Article on WINTER WAR strategy in PANZERFAUST 61 was a good overview of the problems each player has. However, I do think it left out the best Finnish defense strategy for holding the Mannerheim Line.

In the games I have played, I have found that if the Finns put a 6-6-2 and a 1-1-3 on each of the four hexes of the Line, it will drive the Russian player out of his mind.

This is the result of the interaction of these factors:

1. The doubling of the defense factors of Finnish units in the Mannerheim line hexes.

2. The requirement that the Russians must attack all of the Finnish units they are adjacent to.

3. The availablity of only three squares from which to attack the four squares in the Mannerheim Line.

4. The disallowance of attacks at odds worse than 1-4 unless unavoidable.

5. The Russian attacking units are 20-12-2s and 6-6-2s. Only on turn six is an 8-3-2 available.

6. A maximum stacking limit of two units.

7. The limited number of 20-12-2s: only three are available for the first two turns and only one 20-12-2 on each of turns three and four.

8. A special combat results table that increases Finnish defensive effectiveness on the Mannerheim Line.

The result of these factors is that even two 20-12-2s can only achieve a 2-1 superiority (40-14), and it is not possible to get a 2-1 without two 20-12-2s. A 20-12-2 and a 6-6-2 is only a 1-1 (26-14).

And once one such 2-1 is achieved, the alternatives for the other three Finnish hexes are:

1. One 1-1 using a 20-12-2 (20-14) and
a. Two 1-3s using two 6-6-2s (6-14) or
b. one 1-2 using a 6-6-2 and a 2-1-2 (8-14) and one 1-3 using a 6-6-2 (6-14).

2. One 1-2 using a 20-12-2 on two hexes of the line (20-28) and no attack on the other hex

3. Two 1-3s using one 6-6-2 against one hex twice (two 6-14s) and one 1-2 using a 6-6-2 and a 2-1-2 against the other hex (8-14).

The undesirability for the Russian player of any of these possibilities can be seen in what the combat results table provides for these odds:

1-3: 50% Ae; 33% Ar; 17% Ne (No effect).
1-2: 33% Ae; 33% Ar; 33% Ne.
1-1: 17% Ae; 1MAr; 17% Ex; 50% Ne.
2-1: 17% Ar; 50% Ex; 33% Ne.

And even the effect of an exchange is very bad for the Russian player because the only unit he can exchange for a 6-6-2 and 1-1-3 is a 20-12-2.

The Russian situation will improve somewhat on turn six when one 8-3-2 arrives, but the Finnish player can bring in a couple of 2-2-3s to use in place of the 1-1-3s. Also, the Russians cannot put off their attack on the Mannerheim Line until the 8-3-2 arrives because of the shortness of the time available. Further, Finnish mobility and the Russians lack of it will prevent any Russian move to shift the attack north to the Ladoga Line.

Such a defense of the Mannerheim Line does cause somewhat of a problem in defending both Oulu and Petsamo as actively as desired early in the game. However, a loss of Petsamo does not cost the Finnish player his decisive victory as long as nothing else is lost. And the reinforcements the Finnish receive on turn two can adequately stop any initial Soviet gains in the Oulu area.