A Winter War is a new game based on the conflict resulting from the above sequence -of historical events. The game features a completely revised map, an accurate order of baffle and an evolutionary set of rules based on the Europa we know and love. This game is enjoyable for both the game player and the historian. It is fun to play on many levels for both novice and veteran. The style of play varies from the set-piece attacks upon the Mannerheim Line to the open warfare of the Arctic wastes. This game should be in everyone's library.

Map:

The game contains just one map. Map 35 is a special map for A Winter War. This map is in the standard scale of 16 miles per hex shifted in its orientation with respect to the base maps 1B, 2A, 513 and 6A from Fire in the East (FitE). This allows all Finland to fit onto one map. This is the second Europa game designed to be played on only one map. The prototype for this idea was, of course, First to Fight (FtF). This map overlays the existing maps in Fire in the East Changes in the transportation net may be necessary as the A Winter War map depicts 1939 Finland, whereas the Fire in the East maps portray 1941 Finland.

The map has the Collector Series features introduced in Balkan Front and continued in First to Fight. A.E. Goodwin and I examined every hex for accuracy and game play effects. A clean map design has not compromised the exactness of the topography, given the map scale.

Arthur Goodwin will have more to say about the maps in his Developer's Notes. I have a few comments about the maps myself, however. The only new terrain introduced in these maps is the open water hex as indicated by the "Forward Edge of Sea Ice" line. This line shows areas of ocean that remain ice free all winter long. It also shows the status of Hanko (in Finland) and Paldiski (in Estonia) as ice- free ports. The Gulf of Bothnia freezes so well that an ice dam sometimes forms from Umea (Sweden 35:2430) to Vaasa (Finland 35:2828). During the Winter War, Sweden used this "Ice Bridge" for supply truck convoys. As an experimental rule, allow Vaasa to be a restricted supply source for Finnish, Foreign Volunteer or Western Intervention Force units when frozen.

Players may wonder why no perma-frosted tundra hexes show on the map. Tony the Tiger says "Perma-frosted tundra, they're grrreat!" While perma-frosted tundra hexes will appear in the revised FitE/SE maps, that terrain type is east of the A Winter War game-map.

The rail net in Finland, rationalized to accommodate the hex grid, is accurate; however, it does not show every small rail line. Low-volume rail lines that exist in southern Finland do not show on the map. For example, a line runs from Turku to the port in hex 35:4032. A rail line also runs from Helsinki to Porvoo in hex 35:4524. A narrow gauge line connects Lahti to hex 35:4523. The isthmus south of Viipuri has low-volume lines not shown on the map. It is standard Europa treatment not to show all rail lines in an area, but just the significant ones, especially in "civilized" terrain. If you need an experimental rule to cover this situation, modify

Rule 6B Administrative Movement. Change the first sentence to read "...and in clear or woods terrain". Modify the last restriction in the third paragraph to read "In weather zone A and in hexes north of hex row 40xx and east of hex row xx11, units may use admin movement only when moving by road". Some roads on the map were upgraded to low-volume rail during the war. At the Europa level, all roads not in zone A may be converted to low-volume rail lines using the current standard Europa rail conversion rules.

Some readers may be surprised by the use of ordinary forts for the vaunted Mannerheim Line. That is all they are in Europa terms. The line, contrary to Soviet propaganda, was not some eastern Maginot Line. It was a line of reinforced log and concrete bunkers with native rock taking the role of dragon teeth. The line made good use of terrain, but did not compare to the French Ouvrages or the German WestwalL Hanko is only a minor port, but it did have some old fortifications and coast defense gun emplacements. Players may want to place a fort counter on hex 35:4530 to represent this in the basic game.

A Winter War Designer's Notes: Part One

Finland-Soviet War Chronology
Introduction and Map
Rules

Note: Map Aid for Winter War was in Europa # 26. --RL