R E D W I N T E RThe Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland, December 8-12, 1939

All game components © Mark Mokszycki. All artwork © Michael Evans. Last update: 10-17-10 Newest changes in GREEN.

R U L E B O O K

Table of Contents 1. Introduction2. Components and Terms3. Sequence of Play4. Movement5. Terrain6. Stacking7. Zones of Control8. Combat9. Assaults

10. Ranged Attacks11. Anti-Tank Fire12. Special Units13. Reinforcements,

Replacements& Recovery14. Digging In15. Supply16. Night Turns17. Scenarios

1.0 IntroductionRed Winter is a moderately complex game that loosely simulates the fighting between Finnish ski troops and Soviet invaders around Tolvajärvi, Finland, during a crucial five day period of the Winter War of 1939. The players assume the roles of the commanders of the Soviet and Finnish forces and attempt to win the game according to specific victory objectives. The games was designed for two players, but can be played solitaire in order to learn the rules or explore various "what if" situations.

The battle for Tolvajärvi presents an interesting gaming situation, giving both players an opportunity to attack and defend. The front line is fluid, with maneuver being at least as important as brute strength. The game will rarely devolve into a stalemate; the Soviet player can up the stakes by committing armored units (effectively forgoing the chance to win based on Victory Points in an effort to capture victory via his Automatic Victory conditions), while the Finnish player will receive a favorable morale boost if he can hang on until the final two days of the battle.

1.1 ScaleEach game turn represents about 90 minutes. Each hexagon represents an area roughly 425 yards across. Units represent mostly companies (Finnish and Soviet infantry, Soviet tanks, Soviet heavy machine guns), with some battalions (Soviet armored cars and artillery), platoons (Finnish engineers, mortars and anti-tank guns), sections (Soviet anti-tank guns) and groupings of two or more sections (Finnish HMGs, Soviet mortars). Each artillery counter represents a battery of four guns (Finns), a battery of six guns (Soviet infantry guns) or a battalion of 16 guns (all other Soviet artillery).

1.2 Setting UpOne player takes all Finnish units and markers, and the other takes the Soviets. If the players cannot reach an agreement as to who will play which side, they can use the victory point bid method (17.2). Place all common markers beside the board within easy reach of both players. Then choose a scenario from the game rules. If you are new to the game, it is recommended that you start with one of the shorter learning scenarios; these scenarios are indicated in the game rules.

Units are placed on the map and turn track according to the instructions for the chosen scenario. Setup information for the campaign game is listed in the upper right-hand corner for each individual unit. For shorter scenarios, see the individual listings in the scenario book for the correct setup information.

Units with a numeric setup code are placed on the turn track on the indicated game turn; they will enter the game as reinforcements (13.1) on that turn. Setup codes beginning with a letter refer to hex coordinates on the map. For example, Q25 refers to the 25th hex in column Q. If a setup code does not appear on the front of the counter, try flipping it over; some units begin the game on their reduced strength side.

2.0 Components and TermsRed Winter includes one map, these game rules, a play book, one sheet of counters, a Turn Track, and a pair of identical Player Aid Cards.

2.1 DiceA pair of standard 6 sided dice and a 10 sided die is required for game play.

For Combats (8.), Assaults (9.0), and Ranged Attacks (10.0), two 6 sided dice are rolled and their results are added together to generate a number from 2 to 12.

A single 6-sided die is rolled when resolving the following game events: Recovery (13.3), Sub-Zero Loss determination (16.3), Anti-Tank Fire (11.0).

The 10-sided die is used only when resolving Friction Fire (20.1).

Many game situations call for a positive or negative Die Roll Modifier (DRM). This is merely a number which is added to or subtracted from the number rolled to generate a new result. All DRMs are cumulative. Example: The Finnish player rolls for recovery and receives a +1 DRM for being four or more hexes from all enemies. His die roll is a 5, which is increased to a 6 due to the DRM.

2.2 CountersMost of the counters represent the various military formations that took part in the fighting. These counters are referred to as "units". The remaining counters, called "markers", are used for tracking information such as the current game turn or the availability of artillery ammunition.

Units on brown or red backgrounds are Soviet. Those on brown backgrounds are army units, and those on red backgrounds are divisional or independent units.

Units on white, blue, or gray backgrounds are Finnish. Those on white backgrounds are Finnish army units. Those on light blue backgrounds are bicycle companies. Those on darker blue backgrounds are Finnish independent companies, as is the lone Finnish company on a gray background.

Most units are further color coded to denote their formational affiliation. Units of the same regiment share the same color ID box, while units of the same battalion share the same color NATO box

Combat units are printed with relative attributes which represent battlefield performance, as defined below:

Upper right: Setup code (see 1.2). This is either the unit's starting hex location on the map, or its game turn of entry, if it enters as a Reinforcement (13.0).

Upper left: Historical Unit Identification (also called “ID”). This is for historical purposes, but can also be helpful during setup. Example: 2/1/JR16 refers to the second company of the 1st

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battalion of the 16th Rifle Regiment of the Finnish Army.

Lower right: Movement Allowance (4.1) Lower left: Combat Strength (8.2) Lower center, in parentheses: Ranged Attack

Strength (10.0) Lower center, in superscript: Range (10.1)

Note: This graphic is a placeholder and does not reflect the latest counters and unit values. It will be replaced with Mike's image.

A unit's Range represents the maximum distance (in hexes) over which the unit can project its Ranged Attack Strength. Design note: In Red Winter, all units are capable of performing ranged attacks, to some degree. The only exception is certain Finnish breakdown units (optional rule 20.2), representing those platoons that suffer the most from the Finnish LMG shortage.

Units with Combat Strength shown in a black box have their

value doubled on the defense. This applies mainly to machine guns.

If a unit's Combat Strength is shown in parentheses, it cannot attack. This applies mainly to mortars (12.6). The unit contributes its strength to a stack normally when defending.

Units with Ranged Attack Strength displayed in a yellow box utilize indirect Ranged Attacks (10.0b). If there is no yellow box, the unit utilizes direct Ranged Attacks (10.0a).

Units with a “V” in the upper right-hand corner are special variant units for use with the optional game rules presented in the Play Book. They are not recommended for use in your first game.

Units with an asterisk in their upper right-hand corner are special Variable Reinforcements. These include Soviet armored units, which enter the game via expenditure of Victory Points (see 12.1.4), and the Finnish Provisional Company, which has its own special entry restrictions (see 12.8).

Soviet reinforcement units with game turn of entry displayed in a black box enter the map via hex W1, rather than the normal Soviet supply source hex.

Units with a reduced strength side have a stripe through the center of their reduced side. A small “NR” (for “No Recovery”) indicates which units are not eligible to make Recovery rolls (13.3).

2.3 MapThe map represents a bird’s-eye view of the area around Tolvajärvi, Finland. Note that the village and the lake share the same name. The map has been overlaid with a pattern of hexagons ("hexes" for short) that are used to regulate movement and troop location, much like the grid on a chessboard. The hexes are labelled with a letter/number coordinate system for ease of reference. A compass printed on the map points to relative north.

3.0 Sequence of PlayAfter the players set up the counters on the map as per the scenario instructions, the game is played in a series of turns. The Soviet player goes first in the Turn Sequence, unless otherwise indicated in the scenario instructions. If playing the Campaign scenario (17.1), see also the special rules covered in that section regarding Change of Finnish Operational Stance.

Each game turn is divided into the following sequence of phases:

I. First Player Reset PhasePlayer One flips all his "Fired" artillery and mortars to their front side and adjusts his ammo according to the information on the Turn Track.

II. First Player Action PhaseEach unit may perform only one of the following actions:

• Move and/or Assault (4.0, 9.0).• Attempt Recovery (13.3).• Take a Replacement step (13.2) if

indicated on the Turn Track. • Dig In (14.0).

The first player may also bring Reinforcements (13.1) on to the map at any time during his Action Phase, if indicated on the Turn Track.

III. First Player Combat PhasePlayer One rolls for Ranged Attacks (10.0) and conducts Combats (8.0), in any order. Player Two player may roll for defensive support (10.3). At the end of the phase, all Suppressed markers are removed from all hexes.

IV. Second Player TurnAs above, except that Player Two now conducts the operations in steps I-III, in order.

V. Sub-Zero Loss Phase (16.3)(Night turns only) At the conclusion of each night turn, both players, Soviet player first, roll on the Sub-Zero Loss Table (SZLT) to determine step reductions. The Soviet player rolls for all stacks which are not under bonfires (16.2). The Finnish player rolls for all units under skull markers (16.3.1). Then remove all skulls and bonfires.

VI. Victory Check PhasePlayers check to see if either has won according to the victory conditions for the scenario they are playing. If not, advance the game turn marker and restart the turn sequence.

4.0 MovementDuring the Action Phase, the active player may move all, some, or none of his units on the map.

4.1 Movement BasicsEach unit can move no further in one turn than its Movement Allowance (MA). Units move from hex to adjacent hex, paying the cost in Movement Points (MPs) for each hex entered as per the terrain type of that hex. See the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC) for terrain MP costs. Units move individually, with each unit completing its movement (and any Assaults) before moving the next unit (Exception: see 6.1). A unit may not enter an enemy occupied hex unless conducting an Assault (see 9.0).

4.1.1 Minimum Movement RuleUnits may always move one hex, regardless of terrain cost. This does not allow a unit to enter prohibited terrain. It does allow a unit or stack to conduct an Assault, regardless of MP requirements, so long as they begin their Action Phase adjacent to the target hex.

4.2 Map Edge BoundariesUnits which move off the map edge, either voluntarily or by Retreat, are removed from the game. These units do not count as eliminated for victory determination, but they cannot re-enter the map or be reconstituted.

4.3 Extended Movement

A unit which begins its Action Phase on a road, remains on connected road hexes all times throughout its move, and is four or more hexes from all enemy units at all times during its move (including start and destination hexes), receives 2 additional MPs. Example: A Soviet machine gun unit with 4 MPs can move 12 hexes along a road, paying 0.5 per road hex, when using Extended Movement (4 + 2 = 6 MPs).

Units may use Extended Movement on night turns (see also 16.1).

4.4 Finnish Ski BonusAll Finnish infantry, machine gun, mortar, and engineer units, as well as the Pajari leader, are equipped with skis and pay only 1 MP per frozen lake hex. Finnish anti-tank units do not qualify for this ski bonus. Historical note: These units were typically towed by trucks, or drawn by animals such as horses, mules or reindeer.

Roughly a foot of snow had fallen on the battlefield at Tolvajärvi prior to December 8th. There was no further significant accumulation during the battle. This snowfall impeded the movement of the troops- moreso for the Soviets, who were not equipped with skis. While the trees buffered the effect of the snowfall in the forests and suo, it was not so for the lakes.

In game terms, Finnish units pay 1 MP per frozen lake hex, vs. 1.5 MPs for the Soviets. The flexibility offered by the Finns’ ski bonus becomes even more apparent when we consider the base movement allowances of Finnish and Soviet infantry: 6 vs. 5. These two factors in combination mean the Finnish infantry can cross 6 lake hexes per turn, vs. only 3 for their Soviet counterparts.

5.0 TerrainEach hex contains a particular type of terrain, as shown on the Terrain Key on the map. A hex is considered to consist entirely of the terrain type which occupies its center portion.

Design note: An abundance of small streams which do not appear on the map existed in this area, but they were frozen solid and would have had little or no effect on game play. I chose to omit them so as to not clutter the map.

5.1 Prohibited TerrainThe only units with terrain entry limitations in Red Winter are Soviet armored units (see 12.1.3). All other unit types can enter any type of terrain if they have sufficient MPs.

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5.2 Terrain TypesThe individual terrain types are described as follows:

5.2.1 ForestThe area around Tolvajärvi is dominated by spruce and pine forest, with a mix of deciduous trees. Please note that the CRT is calibrated so that attacking into forest is the norm.

5.2.2 SuoSuo is a Finnish word which means “wetland.” The type represented in these games is most similar to a fen or mire. It is partially wooded. This time of year it is frozen, so the going is only moderately more difficult than crossing forest, due mainly to an abundance of logs and tall dormant grasses.

5.2.3 VillageThese hexes represent areas which have been cleared, cultivated and settled, with small, mostly single story buildings of stone and wood. Many such “village” hexes contain but a single building. All village hexes are treated the same regardless of whether the map graphic depicts a single building or multiple buildings.

In game terms, village offers roughly the same amount of protection as forest or suo, thus it does not grant the defenders a beneficial column shift on the CRT.

5.2.4 Frozen LakeUnits in frozen lake hexes are particularly vulnerable. When attacking from a frozen lake hex, units have their attack strengths halved (totalled for all such units, then rounded up). Units attacking into a frozen lake receive a positive column shift (see CRT and 8.3).

Note that some frozen lake hexes depict coastline, snowdrifts, or small gray islands. This is for graphical "flair" only and has no effect on play. Unless such a hex also contains trees or buildings, it is considered frozen lake.

5.2.5 The HotelThe hotel (hex M16) is considered to be a normal forest hex for all game purposes except as follows: When occupied by one or more defending infantry or MG units, the defenders ignore the first loss suffered in all combats for as long as they occupy the hex. Thus a 1/2 combat result becomes a

1/1. Both Finns and Soviets qualify for this benefit. Units in the hotel still qualify for digging in (14.0).

Historical note: The chalet-style tourist hotel was the pride of the local Finns. After its capture, the Soviets converted it into a miniature fortress bristling with MGs and LMGs. When the Finns attempted to retake it on Dec.12th, they were wont to burn it down. Instead, they stormed inside and up the stairs, meeting each defender in close combat.

5.2.6 The Gravel PitsThis hex (L16) is treated as a normal forest hex for all game purposes. It is included on the map for historical interest only.

Strategic note: Situated on a spit surrounded by frozen lake, the gravel pits are easily defended. The Soviet player may find it difficult to amass enough units for an effective attack without several turns of careful planning.

5.3 RoadsUnits moving from one hex to another via connecting roads pay only ½ MP regardless of the other terrain in the hex. This "road movement" may not be used to enter eZOC (see 7.1). Restated: A unit always pays the terrain cost to move adjacent to the enemy.

Note that several visually distinct types of roads appear on the map. These are:

• Major roads (dark gray). Also called highway. This type of road is still fairly crude by modern standards, but it is the only road in the region capable of supporting the Soviets’ extensive motorized supply network.

• Secondary roads (brown). These include narrow dirt roads and horse paths. They are not ideal for vehicular traffic in winter conditions.

• Trails (light gray on white). These include goat trails, hiking trails, and fishermen’s trails. They save time for leg units only.

Armored units may use major roads with no penalty, but they pay additional movement costs for using secondary roads and trails (see 12.1.3). All other units may use all of these road types interchangeably.

5.4 BridgesBridges are hexside features that join two land hexes. Otherwise, bridges are treated as roads. Units do not pay any additional MPs to cross them, but units attacking across a bridge hexside have their Combat Strength halved as if they were attacking from frozen lake. Design note: Many of these bridges are not free standing bridges per se, but more like raised causeways built upon rock.

6.0 StackingUp to five units of the same side, a maximum of three of which may be infantry companies, may stack together in a hex, regardless of whether they are at full strength or reduced. Leaders and markers never count toward stacking limits. Units of opposing sides may never stack together in the same hex. Players are always free to examine their opponent’s stacks.

Stacking limits are enforced only at the end of each unit or stack’s movement (including Retreat and Advance After Combat) and the instant of an Assault. Thus, a unit may be temporarily in excess of stacking limits as it moves, advances, or retreats through hexes containing other friendly units, so long as the stacking limits are observed at the conclusion of its movement. Units forced to overstack at the end of their movement are eliminated. Units cannot conduct an Assault (9.0) if overstacked.

6.1 Stacks and MovementUnits that began the Action Phase stacked (see Stacking 6.0) may move and/or Assault together as a stack. In order to do this, all units must be eligible to enter the terrain type of each hex entered. The MA of the stack is equal to the MA of the slowest unit in the stack. As the stack moves, it pays the MP cost for each hex entered based on the highest MP cost for any unit in the stack for each given terrain type.

A stack may not form or disperse during movement (units cannot be "picked up" or "dropped off" along the way), but not all units stacked together at the start of the Action Phase need move as part of the stack. Thus, if three units began stacked, two of them could opt to move together as a stack, and even Assault together, while the third unit moves individually.

7.0 Zone of ControlEvery combat unit exerts a zone of control (ZOC) into the 6 adjacent hexes, regardless of the type of terrain. These rules frequently use the term "eZOC" which means "enemy zone of control". Any time your unit is adjacent to one or more enemy combat units, your unit is in eZOC.

7.1 ZOC and MovementUnits must stop movement upon entering an eZOC. Units that begin their Action Phase in an eZOC may move directly from one eZOC hex to another, but then must immediately cease movement. Units that begin their Action Phase in an eZOC may pay +1 MP to leave the eZOC, in addition to the terrain type entered. Units may not use road movement to enter eZOC; they may use it to exit eZOC, but they still pay

the +1 MP.

7.2 ZOC: Other LimitationsEnemy ZOC affects several other aspects of game play. While also addressed in their relevant rules sections, they have been gathered here for ease of reference.

Units in eZOC:

• May not perform Ranged Attacks (10.0), unless they qualify for Adjacent Support (10.3.6).

• May not attempt Recovery (13.3).• May not Dig In (14.0).• May receive Replacements (13.2), so long as they

are in supply (15.0).

Additionally:

• Moving units must end their movement upon entering eZOC (7.1) but can still conduct an Assault (9.0) if they have enough MPs remaining.

• Units which retreat into eZOC take a step reduction to their stack for each eZOC hex entered (8.5.2.2).

• Units performing a multi-hex Advance After Combat must end their advance upon entering eZOC (8.7.1).

• Units reconstituted from the dead pile may not be placed in eZOC (13.2.1).

• Units which begin a night turn in eZOC are not eligible to use double movement (16.1).

• Soviet units which begin a night turn in eZOC cannot build bonfires (16.2).

7.3 Hex Control Some scenarios call for control of a particular location for purposes of victory determination. Unless specified otherwise in the scenario instructions, a hex is considered controlled by a player if that player was the last to occupy the hex with a combat unit, or exert a ZOC into the hex. Control of a hex can change any number of times during a game. Players may wish to use the control markers provided in the counter mix to indicate hex control.

The Finns begin the first day of the battle (Dec. 8) with control of all hexes on the map, except for the Soviet supply source hex and those hexes occupied by or adjacent to Soviet units.8.0 Combat

Units may attack adjacent enemy units during a friendly Combat Phase. Combat is never mandatory between adjacent units. The following rules must be observed:

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a) All units within a defending hex must be attacked as a group, but any number of adjacent attacking hexes may attack the same defending hex.

b) Only one defending hex may be attacked per attack roll.

c) Each unit may conduct only one attack during its Combat Phase.

d) Attackers stacked in the same hex may attack different adjacent defending hexes, so long as each attacking unit participates in only one attack.

e) Each defending hex may be attacked only once per Combat Phase.

f) Units may attack into terrain types which they are prohibited from entering, but may not Assault into such terrain. Note: This really only affects Soviet armored units in Red Winter.

Note that the term “attack” here means to perform a Combat between adjacent units, and is not to be confused with Ranged Attacks (10.0).

Design note: It helps to think of Combats in this game as two way firefights between (mainly) rifles and LMGs. Same-hex combats involving weapons such as grenades, Molotov cocktails, and SMGs are handled as Assaults (9.0), and long-ranged attacks from MGs, LMGs, tanks, mortars and artillery are handled as Ranged Attacks (10.0).

8.1 Conducting CombatCombat is performed via the following procedure:

1) Attacker declares which hex he is attacking, and which unit or units are attacking it.

2) Attacker declares any offensive support he wishes to commit to the Combat (not applicable during an Assault).

3) Defender declares any defensive support he wishes to commit to the Combat (not applicable during an Assault).

4) If players declared support, support is resolved, in any order (all results are considered to occur simultaneously) by rolling on the Ranged Attack Table (RAT) printed on the map. Defender assigns his step reductions from support first.

5) If armored units are opposing armored or anti-tank units in the same Combat, Anti-Tank Fire (11.2) is resolved by both sides, with results applied simultaneously.

6) Determine the Combat Ratio (8.2).7) Determine if any column shifts apply, and adjust the

odds column accordingly.8) Roll two 6-sided dice and consult the Combat

Results Table (CRT) printed on the map.9) Apply any losses called for by the CRT, defender

first, either as Retreats or step losses. Note: In an Assault, attacker must take all losses as step reductions.

10) Attacker may Advance After Combat (8.7) if the target hex has been cleared of defending units. The attacker must advance into the vacated hex, then

stop, after a successful Assault.11) All Ranged Attacks and Combats against a

particular hex must be resolved, and all results applied, before the active player attacks another hex.

8.2 Combat RatioCalculate odds by comparing the total Combat Strength (CS) of all attacking units involved in the Combat to the total strength of defenders in the defending hex. Express these numbers as a simple ratio, which is rounded down to the nearest whole number. This is called the "Combat Ratio" and it corresponds to one of the columns on the Combat Results Table (CRT). This is the default column used to resolve the Combat.

Examples: A total CS of 10 attacking a CS of 5 yields a combat ratio of 10 to 5, expressed more simply as 2:1. A total CS of 9 attacking 5 rounds down to a 1:1 attack. A total CS of 3 attacking 7 is not quite a 1:2 ratio, so the attacker uses the 1:3 column to resolve the attack.

Ratios greater than 6:1 are resolved using the 6:1 column. Ratios less than 1:4 are resolved using the 1:4 column.

8.3 Combat ModifiersDetermine if any of the following modifiers apply to the Combat. If so, adjust the CRT column or attacker’s Combat Strength accordingly. Some Combats will qualify for more than one modifier.

Most modifiers are expressed as column shifts on the CRT, with an “L” indicating a shift to the left, and an “R” indicating a shift to the right. Thus a modifier of “2R” means that the combat ratio is adjusted two columns to the right (for example, from 2:1 to 4:1). All column shifts are cumulative (see 8.31).

Some modifiers call for an adjustment to the CS of the attacking units. Example: Units attacking from a frozen lake hex have their CS halved, rounded up.

All modifiers apply to Combats (8.0) as well as Assaults (9.0) unless specified otherwise.

1. Frozen Lake Bonus. Soviet units attacking into a frozen lake hex receive a CRT shift of 3 columns to the right (abbreviated 3R). Finns attacking Soviets in a frozen lake hex receive a shift of 4R. Design Note: The Soviets wore brown and stuck out like sore thumbs on the unbroken white backdrop of the snow covered lakes.

2. Frozen Lake / Bridge Penalty. If any attackers are in frozen lake hexes or across a bridge hexside, all such attackers have their CS halved (total the CS of all attacking units and halve the total, rounding up any fraction). Example: A Soviet unit in forest is adjacent to a Soviet unit in frozen lake, and both wish to combat the same adjacent Finnish unit in woods. All units of both sides have CS of 5. The Soviet unit in frozen lake has its CS halved (2.5, rounded up to 3). So we have a total CS of 8 (5+3)

attacking vs. 5 defending, which rounds in favor of the defender to a 1:1 combat.

3. Suppression from Ranged Fire. Each Suppression result (10.4.1) shifts the combat ratio by one column in favor of the firing player, to a maximum of 3L/3R. Example: The attacker and defender each commit two artillery units to support a Combat. Both of the attacker’s rolls succeed, and one of the defender’s rolls succeeds. The net result is 1R (one column to the right, in the attacker’s favor) on the CRT.

4. Submachine gun (SMG) Bonus. Finns gain a column shift in their favor in all Assaults involving one or more Finnish infantry units when the defending hex is forest, suo or town. The shift applies regardless of whether they are attacking or defending. This bonus does not apply in regular Combat- only in Assaults. Historical Note: The Finns were armed with SMGs and hunting knives- weapons that were very useful in close combat.

5. Pajari Leader Bonus. Finnish units stacked with Pajari gain a one column shift in their favor on the CRT whether attacking or defending in combats and assaults. Pajari lends this bonus even if he has retreated and is attacked subsequently in the same phase.

6. Concentric Attack Bonus. If attackers occupy any two hexes directly opposite each other with respect to the defender, and/or three hexes evenly spaced with one hex between each attacking hex (see illustration), then the attacker qualifies for a 1R column shift. Play Note: When combined with the "Retreats and eZOC" rules (8.5.2.2) this has a greater effect than the 1R column shift might suggest. The defender never benefits from this bonus. The bonus does not apply to Assaults since an Assault originates from a single hex. Example of Concentric Attack: In the illustration, the three Finnish infantry companies gain a concentric attack bonus (1R) if they perform a Combat against the Soviet MG unit, as would the two Soviet

infantry companies vs. the Finnish MG.

7. Defender "Dug-In" Bonus. If the defending hex contains a Dug-In marker (14.0), the attacker suffers a 1L column shift.

8. Morale Bonus. The side with the morale bonus (as printed on the Turn Track) gains a one column shift in their favor in Combat, whether attacking or defending. This shift is doubled to two columns during an Assault. Design note: Morale plays a larger part in assault-style combat than it does in fire fights. Note that “in their favor” means to the right for the attacker, and to the left for the defender.

The Soviets benefit from the morale bonus during the first day of the battle (all Dec. 8 game turns), and the Finns benefit during the final two days of the battle (all Dec. 11-12 game turns).

Design note: Morale in the context of Red Winter refers mainly to events outside the scope of the game. These include the outcome of the Soviet advances on Ilomantsi, to the north, and Kollaa River, to the south. Also key is the Soviets’ dawning realization that the Finns are neither eager to surrender nor inclined to hail the Soviets as liberators. The war will not be over in less than a week, as the Soviets have anticipated.

9. Soviet Armor Bonus. Soviets gain a one column shift in their favor whenever one or more Soviet armored units are involved in a Combat or Assault, regardless of whether the Soviets are attacking or defending. Armored units which use a ranged attack to support the combat do not qualify the Soviets for this bonus.

10. Change of Finnish Operational Stance. The Finns receive a one column shift in their favor, whether attacking or defending, during the turn in

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which Finnish player declares the change of stance (see Campaign scenario rules regarding change of stance).

8.3.1 Netting Out Combat ModifiersWhen determining which CRT column to use, add and subtract all right and left shifts to find a final "net" column shift from the original odds. For ratios greater than 6:1 or less than 1:4, apply all column shifts in order to determine the true ratio before determining which CRT column to use. Example: A 19:2 attack rounds to 9:1 odds, and if combat modifiers yield a net 2L column shift, the final odds becomes 7:1, so the 6:1 column of the CRT is used.

8.4 Resolving CombatTo determine the results of a Combat, roll two 6-sided dice (adding the results) and cross-reference this number with the column corresponding to the final combat ratio. There are no DRMs. The number to the left of the slash corresponds to attacker losses; the number to the right, defender losses.

8.5 LossesLosses can be taken as either step reductions (8.5.1) or Retreats (8.5.2). The defender always assigns his losses first, followed by the attacker. The owning player decides how to assign losses to his units, in any combination of Retreats and step reductions as he sees fit, with the following restrictions:

a) The attacking force must always take the first loss as a step reduction.

b) A defending force suffering a combat result of 3 or more losses must take the first loss as a step reduction.

c) In an Assault, the attacker must take all losses as step reductions.

If a player chooses to take losses as a combination of step reductions and Retreats, the step reductions must be distributed first.

Example of allocating losses: A defending stack containing two Soviet infantry units (MA 5) and an AT gun unit (MA 3) suffer 3 losses as the result of a combat. They must take the first as a step reduction, per case ‘b’. They reduce an infantry unit. They cannot retreat all units 2 hexes in order to satisfy the remaining 2 losses because the AT gun unit has a retreat limit of one hex (see 8.5.2.1). However, if the defenders take another loss as a step reduction, the final loss can be satisfied by retreating all units 1 hex.

8.5.1 Step ReductionsA loss taken as a step reduction requires flipping one full strength unit to its reduced side, or eliminating from play one reduced strength unit. The owning player decides which unit or units to reduce.

8.5.2 RetreatsA loss taken as a Retreat requires all involved units of the affected side to retreat one hex. Retreats do not require the expenditure of MPs, and are expressed in hexes rather than MPs. It is not necessary for all retreating units to retreat to

the same hex. Units cannot retreat into prohibited terrain, nor can they end a retreat overstacked. If these conditions cannot be met, any remaining unfulfilled losses must be taken as step reductions.

Each hex of a retreat must place the retreating unit farther away from all opposing units which were involved in the combat, if possible. If two or more hexes would place the retreating units equidistant from attackers, the retreating player chooses which hex to enter. Design note: Due to the scale of the game, retreats need not be towards a friendly supply source. In cases where both attacking and defending units retreat, the attackers' retreat must place them farther away from the hex where the defenders were located at the start of the combat, if possible.

8.5.2.1 Retreat/Advance LimitsThe maximum number of hexes a unit may Retreat (8.5) or Advance After Combat (8.7) is equal to its MA, minus two. Units with MA less than 3 cannot retreat. Examples: An MG unit with an MA of 4 can retreat a maximum of 2 hexes, Soviet infantry (MA 5) up to 3 hexes, and Finnish infantry (MA 6) up to 4 hexes. Soviet mortars (MA 2) cannot retreat.

8.5.2.2 Retreats and eZOCUnits may retreat into an eZOC hex only when no other option exists. Doing so incurs one step reduction to the retreating stack (not to each individual unit) upon arriving in the eZOC hex. Note that this means that surrounded units eliminated in this manner may be back in supply (see 15.0) at the moment of their elimination. This step reduction is in addition to any other step reductions already incurred; it does not satisfy a loss. The owning player chooses which unit in the stack suffers the step reduction. A retreating unit is not required to stop moving upon entering eZOC; it may continue to retreat to fulfil additional losses. If two attacking units start adjacent to each other (i.e. not stacked) and both retreat into the same hex in an enemy eZOC, they are considered a stack the instant they enter the shared hex and thus take only a single step reduction.

8.5.2.3 Retreats and StackingStacking limits are observed at the conclusion of (but not during) a Retreat. If a unit cannot complete its Retreat because the final hex of the Retreat would cause it to become overstacked, any remaining unfulfilled losses must be taken as step reductions.

8.5.2.4 Attacking Retreated UnitsWhen retreated units end their Retreat in a hex which comes under Combat or Assault during the same phase, they contribute nothing to the defense of the hex (their CS is considered to be zero), unless they are alone in the hex, in which case they have their total CS halved (rounded up). However, they are affected normally by any losses applied to this hex by subsequent Combats or Assaults. Retreated units can be targeted by Ranged Attacks, but they cannot make Ranged Attacks themselves (for the purpose of defensive support) during the phase in which they retreated. Players may wish to rotate units 90 degrees as a reminder that they retreated.

8.6 Eliminated UnitsWhen a unit which was already reduced takes another step reduction, it is eliminated. Units which were in supply (15.0) at the instant of their elimination are placed in the "dead pool" box on the Turn Track card. This is basically a holding area. These units may be eligible to be rebuilt later via Reconstitution (13.2.1). If the eliminated unit was out of supply (OOS) at the instant of elimination, it cannot be rebuilt and is permanently removed from the game; place it in the Eliminated OOS box.

8.7 Advance After Combat If the defending hex is left vacated as a result of combat, any or all attackers may Advance After Combat (also called an “Advance”) into the vacated hex, unless they retreated to fulfil a loss. Stacking limits still apply. The Advance is not considered movement, and the advancing units ignore MP costs for terrain. Advancing is optional (Exception: Assaults, 9.0), but if the attacker wishes to Advance he must do so immediately after the hex becomes vacated. Units may not Advance into terrain that is normally prohibited to them. Units may not conduct an Assault as part of an advance. Mortars and anti-tank units never Advance After Combat since they cannot participate in Combat on the attacking side. After a successful Assault, the attacker must advance into the vacated hex and advance no further (Exception: Armored units may conduct Overruns- see 12.1.2). Under certain circumstances, units may advance as the result of a Ranged Attack (see 10.4.3). Units cannot perform a second Combat, or participate in a Combat with other friendly units, following an advance.

8.7.1 Multi-hex AdvancesIf the defender retreated more than one hex, the attacking units may advance an equal number of hexes. The first hex of a multi-hex advance must be the original vacated hex, after which the attackers may alter their course. All units need not advance via the same path, so long as they all start the advance in the originally vacated hex. All units have advance limits (see 8.5.2.1).

eZOC restrictions apply during a multi-hex advance; if an advancing unit enters an eZOC hex, it must end the advance. However, a unit may always advance into the original vacated hex.

When performing a multi-hex advance, units may only advance as many hexes as the defenders actually retreated. If all defenders were eliminated, a multi-hex advance is not possible. Design Note: The victorious unit is busy mopping up scattered resistance and rounding up prisoners.

9.0 AssaultsAssault is a special type of combat which takes place during the movement of a unit or stack, during the Action Phase.

9.1 Criteria for AssaultsA unit or stack may Assault all defenders in a hex by paying the cost of the terrain in the enemy occupied hex, plus two additional MPs. Note that attacking units do not actually enter the defending hex just yet, and any penalties for attacker's terrain (i.e. frozen lake) apply to the hex from

which the attackers "launch" the Assault.

If a unit or stack does not have enough MPs to meet the criteria for an Assault, it may not Assault. However, if it began the phase adjacent to the defending hex it may use the “one hex minimum movement rule” (4.1.1) to do so. Units cannot Assault into terrain which is prohibited to them.

Road movement cannot be used to conduct an Assault (Exception: Armored units). Even if the attacking and defending hexes are connected via road, the attackers always pay the normal terrain cost plus two MPs to Assault the hex (Exception: Armored units).

Multiple units may only Assault a hex together if they began the Action Phase stacked. Multiple stacks can never Assault the same hex at the same time, as per 4.1, although the same defending units might be assaulted multiple times sequentially during the same Action Phase by different assaulting stacks.

Only infantry, armored units, engineers and MG units may Assault. AT units and mortars never Assault, though they still lend their CS to their hex when defending against an Assault.

Design Notes: The Finns' greater mobility means they will have more opportunities to conduct Assaults, and indeed the Finnish SMG bonus will further encourage this kind of behavior. With a MA of 5, the Soviet infantry will rarely be able to move adjacent to an enemy hex and Assault during the same turn. Also note that during the first day of the battle, when the Soviets receive the morale bonus, their assaults will typically be at net 1R (2R for morale, 1L for Finnish SMG bonus). During the final two days of the battle, when the Finns receive the morale bonus, their assaults will be at a whopping net 3R (for morale + SMG bonus)!

9.2 Resolving AssaultsNeither attacker nor defender may commit ranged fire support during an Assault. Assaults are resolved during the Action Phase using the CRT, with losses allocated normally except that the attacker must take all losses as step reductions. If the hex is vacated as a result of the Assault, the attacking units must advance into that hex and end their movement for the turn (Exception: Armored units conducting Overruns- 12.1.2). If the attackers fail to clear the assaulted hex, they remain in their current hex and must end their movement for the turn, even if they had MPs remaining. Regardless of whether the Assault cleared the target hex, the attackers are still eligible to attack adjacent enemy units during the Combat Phase.

10.0 Ranged AttacksUnits with a Ranged Attack Strength (RAS) printed on their counter may fire into non-adjacent hexes during the Combat Phase if the criteria are met (see 10.2). This fire is called a Ranged Attack, and it is resolved using the Ranged Attack Table (RAT) printed on the map. A unit’s RAS is the number by which that unit modifies its dice roll when conducting a Ranged Attack (see RAT).

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Design Note: Most infantry rifle companies can perform Ranged Attacks at a range of 2 hexes because of their inherent light machine gun (LMG) squads.

Ranged Attacks cannot be combined (Exception: Friction Fire- see optional rule 20.1). Each unit resolves its Ranged Attack individually using the RAT.

Ranged Attacks always target a particular enemy-occupied hex, not an individual unit. Units may make ranged attacks into prohibited terrain (5.1).

Units in a hex marked with a Suppressed marker may not make Ranged Attacks.

An enemy hex can be attacked by as many Ranged Attacks as the firing player likes, subject to range (10.1) and ammo restrictions (12.4.1). However, each unit can make only one Ranged Attack per Combat Phase. Units which perform a Combat cannot perform Ranged Attacks later in the same phase. Effects of multiple Ranged Attacks vs. the same hex are cumulative.

There are two general types of Ranged Attacks:

a) DirectThis type originates from units which must always have a Line of Sight (LOS) to the target hex, and includes machine guns, infantry light machine guns, armored units, and anti-tank guns.

b) Indirect (also called "Barrages")This type originates from artillery, mortars or infantry guns, which need not have LOS but require a spotter (10.6). Units which perform indirect Ranged Attacks have their RAS displayed in a yellow box.

Ranged Attacks are used in two ways:

• Supporting Fire (10.3) targets an enemy hex which will also be the target of an impending Combat during the same Combat Phase. Supporting fire can take place during a player’s own Combat Phase (as offensive support) or during his opponent’s Combat Phase (as defensive support).

• Non-Supporting Fire targets an enemy hex which will not be involved in a Combat during the same phase.

Ranged Attacks and Combats can be performed in any order desired during a player's Combat Phase, so long as all against a given hex are resolved before moving on to any other hex.

Play Note: If the defending hex in question will also be the target of a Combat, it is usually to the attacker's advantage to resolve any supporting fire against that hex before rolling on the CRT, since the RAT might yield beneficial column shifts. However, picking off a retreated unit with ranged fire at times makes good sense.

10.1 RangeRange is defined as the number of hexes, via shortest route, between the firing unit and the target hex. When measuring range, count the target's hex but not the firing unit's hex. Range is not relevant for artillery, which consist of 76mm and larger guns. At this scale, their range is sufficient to hit any hex on the map (thus the “infinity” symbol in place of their range value).

10.2 Ranged Attack CriteriaNormally, a unit may not conduct a Ranged Attack if it is in an eZOC. Restated for emphasis: You cannot perform a Ranged Attack vs. an adjacent enemy unit! For three important exceptions to this rule, see 10.3.6. Note that many unit types are capable of both Ranged Attacks and normal Combat. These units may never do both during their Combat Phase.

Ranged Attacks require line of sight (10.7) from the firing unit, in the case of direct fire, or a spotter (10.6), in the case of indirect fire.

10.3 SupportRanged Attacks performed in conjunction with Combat (8.0) are termed "support" because they can potentially shift the combat odds in the firing player's favor. This support is further classified as being either offensive or defensive support, depending on whether the firing unit belongs to the attacker or defender. In many cases, both players will allocate support to the same combat.

10.3.1 Support CriteriaEither type of Ranged Attack (direct or indirect) can be used as support (offensive or defensive). The target hex must always contain one or more enemy units which are directly participating in the impending Combat. Neither attacker nor defender may allocate support during an Assault (9.0).

Design note: Counter-battery fire and support vs. support fire is not allowed within the confines of these rules, or rather, it is not part of the simultaneous support resolution system.

10.3.2 Declaring SupportThe attacker always allocates any support first, announcing which units are providing the support, followed by the defender who does the same and announces the target of the support (if there is more than one hex of attackers). No support is resolved (no dice are actually rolled) until both players have declared all support.

Note that the attacker must declare whether he will Combat a hex before seeing the results of any support rolls against that hex. In other words, the Combat cannot be cancelled if your Ranged Attacks fail to yield the desired results!

10.3.3 Support RangeRange of supporting fire is measured from the firing unit to the target hex (if offensive support), or from the firing unit to any one attacker hex (if defensive support).

10.3.4 Defensive Support vs. Multiple Attacking HexesWhen the defender is allocating support and the attackers

occupy more than one hex, the defender may choose which hex of attackers will be his target hex for purposes of DRMs and step reductions inflicted.

10.3.5 Direct Fire SupportSupport from MGs, LMGs, and tanks must be within range and have LOS to at least 1 enemy unit which will be participating in the impending Combat. Each such unit can perform support only once per Combat Phase. The firing player must choose which hex of attackers will be his "target hex" for purposes of die roll modifiers. All step reductions must come from that hex.

Design note: Since direct fire weapons do not get flipped to a "Fired" side after firing, these types of units can, if placed in a good position, potentially perform a Ranged Attack twice per turn- once during their own Combat Phase, and once (as defensive support) during their opponent's.

10.3.6 Adjacent SupportUnits may use ranged fire to support a Combat in an adjacent hex only in one of the following situations:

1. The unit is used for defensive support, is not located in a hex which is involved in a Combat, and it is not adjacent to any other enemy units (apart from the hex or hexes involved in the Combat).

2. The supporting unit is a mortar which is stacked with one or more infantry, MG or engineer units. In this case, the mortar still contributes its CS to a defending hex normally.

3. The supporting unit is an armored unit (12.1)

In the example, the Finns in hex O20 are attacking the Soviet MG and mortar units in O19. The Soviet infantry in N20 may perform adjacent defensive support because they are neither involved in the Combat nor adjacent to any other Finnish units. The mortars can perform adjacent support because they are stacked with a MG unit. The Soviet MG unit in P20 cannot perform adjacent support because it is adjacent to the Finnish infantry in Q20.

10.4 Resolving Ranged AttacksAll Ranged Attacks are resolved in the same manner. The firing player rolls two dice and adds the firing unit's RAS to the result, along with any positive or negative DRMs as outlined under the RAT.

There are three possible outcomes on the RAT: “No effect”, “Suppressed”, and “Suppressed plus step reduction”.

10.4.1 Suppression. An outcome of 14 or higher on the RAT is a “Suppressed” result which yields a favorable column shift on the CRT in the impending Combat. For offensive support, this is a column shift to the right (1R), and for defensive support, it is a column shift to the left (1L).

A “Suppressed” result against an enemy hex which is not supporting a Combat has no effect, other than preventing units in that hex from supporting future Combats during the same phase (since units under a Suppressed marker cannot make Ranged Attacks).

Players may wish to use the provided "Suppressed” markers as a reminder of their net results prior to resolving the CRT Combat. Flip the marker to indicate which player benefits from the marker.

Column shifts for suppression are cumulative to a maximum of three columns in either direction. Note that this does not limit the number of Ranged Attacks a player may roll against the same target hex. All suppression markers are removed at the conclusion of the Combat Phase.

Design Note: The cumulative “Suppressed” results simulate varying degrees of disorganization and pinning down of enemy units from incoming fire. These are conditions from which they will quickly recover unless the situation is quickly exploited via good old fashioned combat.

Example of RAT results: The attacking player allocates a total of five units to offensive support. For each firing unit, he rolls two dice and consults the RAT. Four of the rolls yield a "Suppressed" result, and the other yields "no effect." The impending Combat will be shifted the maximum of three columns in his favor. If the defender rolled for defensive support and achieved a "Suppressed" result of his own, the net result would still be 3R (4R and 1L net to 3R).

10.4.2 RAT “Step Reduction” ResultAn outcome of 17 or higher on the RAT also inflicts a step reduction on the target hex. The step reductions are applied as per the normal step reduction rules (8.5.1). The owning player decides which of his units suffer step reductions from Ranged Attacks. Units in the target hex may never retreat in order to fulfil a loss from a Ranged Attack.

If both attacker and defender incur step reductions supporting the same Combat, the defender assigns losses first. Play note: This is rarely relevant, but play testing revealed situations where it was beneficial for a player to witness which units his opponent reduced before choosing which of his own to reduce.

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10.4.3 Advance After Ranged AttackIf the defending hex is left vacated as a result of Ranged Attacks, units which had previously declared to Combat that hex may advance into it, but not any further. They may not Combat a new hex.

10.5 BarragesIndirect Ranged Attacks (from artillery and mortars) are also called "barrages". These are handled like other Ranged Attacks, except that they require the use of spotters (10.6).

10.6 SpottersIn order for indirect firing units to perform a Ranged Attack, a friendly unit must be designated as the "spotter".

Firing units utilizing a spotter which is non-adjacent to the target hex incur a -1 penalty when rolling on the RAT.

Mortar units may spot for themselves and gain a +1 DRM when they do so. Self-spotting mortar units do not receive the -1 DRM mentioned above. Design note: When utilizing self-spotting, the mortar is considered to be performing direct fire.

Units utilizing direct fire (10.0) do not use spotters; they require LOS from themselves to their target hex.

10.6.1 Qualifications for SpottingA friendly unit or leader may be instantaneously designated a spotter if it is either adjacent to the target hex, or non-adjacent with a line of sight (10.7) to the target hex. Spotting is not considered an action. Acting as a spotter does not affect a unit’s ability to perform other functions such as Movement, Combat, or Recovery. A unit currently involved in a Combat may act as a spotter. The same unit may spot for multiple firing units. Mortars and infantry guns may self-spot.

10.7 Line of SightLine of sight (LOS) is a measurement, in hexes, of how far away a unit can physically see another unit for the purpose of acting as a spotter and/or making a Ranged Attack.

10.7.1 LOS and Blocking TerrainLine of sight is blocked by any terrain type other than clear or frozen lake. Thus, a unit always has LOS to another unit within LOS range, so long as all intervening hexes are either clear or frozen lake. The units themselves can be in any type of terrain and still maintain LOS. Adjacent hexes are always spotted.

LOS is traced from hex center to hex center. On rare occasions, the players may wish to use a straight edge or a piece of string to better visualize the line between hex centers.

Roads have no bearing on LOS; the other terrain in the hex is used for LOS determination.

Friendly units are considered blocking terrain only for direct fire Ranged Attacks. Design note: They aren't really blocking LOS so much as getting in the way, thus these kinds of Ranged Attacks aren't allowed. Friendly units never block LOS for spotters or indirect fire.

If blocking terrain lies along a hex spine between spotter and target hex, LOS is considered blocked only if blocking terrain exists in a hex on both sides of the hex spine. Note that in cases where LOS is being measured to a hex 3 or more hexes distant, situations may exist where hexes on either side of the hex spine contain blocking terrain, even though the blocking hexes are at different points along the path (see illustrated example below).

Hexes containing blocking terrain are considered to be entirely filled with that type of terrain, regardless of the appearance of the map graphic. Also recall from 5.0: “A hex is considered to consist entirely of the terrain type which occupies its center portion.”

Note that LOS works in both directions; if unit A can see unit B, then B can also see A.

10.7.2 LOS and Time of DayLOS is limited to 3 or 4 hexes during morning turns, 5 hexes during daylight turns, 2 hexes during dawn and dusk turns, 1 hex during night turns. Note that this means units cannot perform direct fire Ranged Attacks during night turns (see 10.2). These maximum LOS ranges are conveniently printed on the Turn Track. Design note: The dawn and morning turns have thick fog which gradually burns off.

10.7.3 Extended Example of LOSIn this example, we will assume it is a daylight turn, LOS range is 5 hexes, and all terrain types other than frozen lake are considered blocking terrain. The Soviet MG can see the Finnish MG, but it cannot fire on it because of the intervening friendly unit. It can also see the Finnish infantry on the frozen lake- the intervening woods in hex K22 lies along a hex spine and thus does not block LOS. The mortar unit cannot see any enemies, but it could utilize another Soviet unit as a spotter. All Finnish units except the infantry in F22 and bicycle company in G20 are spotted. The Finnish bicycle company cannot see the Soviet infantry on the frozen lake due to intervening town hexes H20 and H21. The Soviet infantry on the road cannot see the Finnish infantry

because of the intervening suo hex, but it can see the adjacent engineers. The AT unit cannot see the Finns on the frozen lake because blocking terrain lies along both sides of the hex spine (hex K25 is to the left of the spine, and K23 to the right).

10.8 Extended Example of Combat with SupportIn this example, it is the Soviet Action Phase of a daylight turn (LOS is 5 hexes). Three companies of Soviet infantry are attacking across Hevossalmi Bridge. The far side of the bridge is defended by a Finnish MG unit. The Soviet player declares the Combat, and he commits his MG and mortar unit to offensive support. Note that the mortar has no LOS to the target hex, but the three Soviet infantry companies can be utilized as an adjacent spotter. The Soviet MG has LOS to the target.

The Finnish player commits his MG on the north shore of Myllyjärvi to defensive support. Note that the MG unit being attacked cannot contribute support because he is in eZOC.

As all support is considered simultaneous, it doesn’t matter who resolves their support first. However, the attacker must always declare support first. The players agree to let the Finns resolve support first. Note that the Finnish MG is within range, and has LOS to the target hex. The MG has a Ranged Attack Strength of 1, and gains a +3 DRM for three infantry companies in the target hex, for a net +4 DRM. The Finnish player rolls two dice and gets a 10. As 10 + 4 = 14, this yields a “Suppressed + step reduction” result on the RAT. The Soviets must immediately flip one of their infantry to its reduced (3 strength) side. The “Suppressed” portion of the result will shift the impending Combat 1L, in the Finns’ favor.

Now the Soviet player resolves his support. The MG has a RAS of 2, and thus gains a net +2 DRM. He rolls a 7. As 7 + 2 = 9, the attack has no effect. The mortar fires with a net +2 DRM (because he is a Soviet mortar within 6 hexes of

the target) and rolls a 9. This becomes an 11, which is a “Suppressed” result that will shift the Combat 1R, in the Soviets’ favor. The mortar counter is flipped to its “Fired” side.

Now we will resolve the Combat. We have 13 total points attacking, but they are halved to 7 for attacking across a bridge hexside. The defending unit has a CS of 3, but this is doubled to a 6 because MGs have their CS doubled on the defense (as denoted by CS in black box). Odds of 7:6 round down to a 1:1 Combat. In this case, there is no net column shift for support because the Finns’ 1L for defensive support effectively cancels the Soviets’ 1R for offensive support. The Soviet player rolls an 8 and consults the CRT. This is a 1/1 result. Each side must take a loss.

As the attacker, the Soviet player must take his first loss as a step reduction. He flips another infantry to its reduced side. As the defender, the Finnish player may choose whether he wishes to take a step reduction, or retreat a hex to fulfil the loss. He opts to flip his MG to its reduced side rather than allow the Soviets to Advance After Combat across the bridge.

11.0 Anti-Tank Fire

Anti-tank (AT) Fire is a special type of ranged fire that is resolved using a special procedure, rather than the RAT. It may be resolved at any time during the Combat Phase, so long as each unit performs AT Fire only once.

Design note: Only the Finnish AT units are capable of AT Fire in Red Winter; their AT Fire Range is printed on their counter as a red superscript following their normal Range. The Soviet armored units and AT guns do not have AT Range values on their counters because the Finns do not have any armor at Tolvajärvi. In order to avoid needlessly cluttering the counters, I left these values off.

AT Fire is a type of direct fire, and thus requires unblocked LOS to the target. Only armored units may be targeted by AT Fire. Unlike other ranged attacks, AT Fire attacks may be made at any range up to the maximum range of 2 hexes,

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including adjacent hexes (regardless of whether or not a Combat will be performed) and during Assaults. A unit that makes an AT Fire attack cannot also be used for a Ranged Attack or Combat, though it contributes its CS normally when defending.

11.1 Resolving AT FireThe firing player rolls a 6-sided die for each strength step of the firing unit involved in the AT Fire. Example: The JR16 AT unit has 2 steps at full strength, so it rolls 2 dice. If reduced, it rolls only 1 die. Each die roll of 5 or 6 results in a step reduction to an opposing armored unit. The firing player specifies which armored unit is being fired upon on a roll by roll basis. A two-step unit may use its two AT Fire rolls against the same or different targets.

11.2 AT Fire in Combats and AssaultsWhenever Soviet armored units are opposing Finnish AT units in a Combat or Assault, resolution of all Finnish AT Fire precedes the Combat roll. The Combat or Assault is then resolved normally. In cases where the armored units are firing in support of the Combat rather than taking part in it directly, the AT Fire may still be resolved (assuming the armor is in range and LOS of the AT units), and it is resolved prior to all support rolls.

11.3 AT Fire ModifiersAT Fire receives a +1 DRM against adjacent targets, and a +2 DRM in Assaults. Note: AT shells can penetrate the most armor at close ranges. Other DRMs may apply depending on the unit types involved:

Target is Armored Recon (BA-10 armored cars) +1Target is T-37 Tanks +2Obuhov unit is firing -4

Historical note: The Obuhov infantry guns were only capable of penetrating about 10mm armor under ideal conditions. Accordingly, they won’t be much use against armored targets, except possibly the thin-skinned T-37 tanks.

12.0 Special Units

12.1 Armor Armored units (also simply called “armor”) include tanks and armored cars. Only the Soviets have armor in Red Winter., and they are not used in all scenarios. Armored units:

• may conduct Overruns (12.1.2) .• suffer movement penalties in some terrain types

other than major road (see 12.1.3).• always qualify for Adjacent Support (10.3.6).• ignore all Combat losses (see 12.1.1).• are vulnerable only to Assaults (9.0) and Anti-Tank

Fire (11.0). • provide a beneficial column shift of 1L/1R (Soviet

player’s favor) when involved in any Combat or Assault. Historical note: The Finns were not trained to fight armored units, and the mere sight of them often induced panic.

• ignore eZOC of all units except for Finnish Anti-

Tank units.

Gameplay note: While the final rule is fairly simple, it does have a few ramifications that may not be immediately apparent: Armored units can usually move out of a hex adjacent to the enemy without paying the normal +1 MP, they can usually use road movement to move adjacent to the enemy, and they can usually perform a multi-hex Advance After Combat even when their initial advance brings them adjacent to the enemy.

12.1.1 Armor and LossesArmored units only suffer step reductions in Assaults (9.0), or from Anti-Tank Fire (11.0). When involved in a Combat (8.0), armored units may ignore all losses (Retreats and step reductions); although they may voluntarily retreat in response to losses, they are not required to do so.

Losses taken in Assaults are distributed between armored and non-armored units as the owning player sees fit, but if a loss is taken as a retreat by the defender, any armored units must retreat as well. When a mixed stack of armored and non-armored unit suffers losses, the losses cannot be assigned to the armored units and simply ignored; they can, however, be assigned to the armored units and taken as step reductions to those units.

Armored units never suffer step reductions from Ranged Attacks other than Anti-Tank Fire. Column shifts for successful support apply normally.

Play note: The Finnish player will note that his infantry, MG and engineer units do not have Anti-Tank ratings. These units will need to assault Soviet armor to destroy it. Historically, the Finnish infantry achieved this by jamming logs into their treads to disable them, or by using glass bottles filled with petrol- the infamous “Molotov cocktails.” At this stage of the war, the Molotovs were mostly homemade (as opposed to factory made) and still quite

scarce. And the Finns had not yet completely overcome their panic at the sight of the Soviet ‘panssari’.

12.1.2 OverrunsArmored units may use the road movement cost when assaulting a target hex which lies along a road (as an exception to 9.1), and those which conduct a successful Assault are not required to end their movement upon advancing into the vacated hex. They may continue to move and/or Assault with any MPs remaining to them.

12.1.3 Armor and The Road NetworkArmored units may utilize road movement and/or Extended Movement like any other unit, but they may pay additional MPs for using roads other than primary roads (see below).

To reflect Soviet military doctrine and the difficult terrain, no armored unit may leave the road network (the series of all connected road hexes on the map), except to enter a village hex. Additionally:

Tanks:● Pay 1 MP per hex to use secondary roads.● Pay 2 MP per hex to use trails.

Armored Cars:● Pay 2 MPs per hex to use secondary roads.● Cannot use trails.

Design note: The movement allowances assigned to the armored units in Red Winter are not based purely on their relative speeds; they also reflect their difficulty moving in winter conditions (and this affects the armored cars more than tanks).

Historical notes: There was about a foot of snow on the ground at Tolvajärvi during the period when the battle was fought. The ice on the lakes was still relatively thin in places, and the Soviets did not risk moving their vehicles on to the lakes. Even riskier than the ice were the shorelines; a vehicle on the lake might become stranded there, unable to navigate the far bank. Most of the crude roads in the region were far from ideal for vehicular use. Furthermore, Soviet doctrine did not allow for off-road movement of armored vehicles at this early stage of the war. Later, the Soviet tanks would be deployed off-road, and with favorable results.

12.1.4 Armor Commitment Unless specified otherwise in the scenario specific instructions, the following rules apply in all scenarios which include any or all of the final four days (Dec.9-12) of the battle:

The three Soviet tank companies and the Soviet armored car battalion are Variable Reinforcements. At the start of his turn 16 Action Phase, and every Action Phase thereafter, the Soviet player must decide whether he wishes to enter some, none, or all of his armored units. He yields a certain number of VPs to the Finnish player for each armored unit which enters as a reinforcement. The cost per unit depends on the turn of entry. In general, the earlier in the game a unit is committed, the higher the cost. The cost in VPs for entering one armored unit on a given game turn is printed on the Turn Track for each turn. Note that the cost is reduced in

increments of 1 or 0.5 VPs such that it is free (0 VPs) to enter armor units on the final game turn. Note also that the Soviet player does not actually lose any VPs for this commitment; the Finnish player merely adds the appropriate number of VPs to his VP total at the end of the game.

Any number of armor units, up to the maximum of all four units, may be committed on a given game turn. VP costs are cumulative. For example, if the Russian player waited until game turn 36 and then committed all four armored units, the Finnish player would be awarded 8 VPs (2 VPs per unit).

Historical Note: Players wishing to emulate the historical tank commitment should enter one platoon of T-26m31 tanks on game turn 29.

12.2 Anti-Tank (AT) UnitsThese units represent large, awkward anti-tank guns and their supporting crews. They are horse-drawn (Finns) or tractor towed (Soviets). AT units are capable of Combat and direct Ranged Attacks as well as AT Fire. The Soviet AT units have their CS doubled on the defense, as indicated by a CS value in a black box; these guns are capable of firing high explosive or canister rounds.

Play note: As the Finns have no tanks in Red Winter, the Soviet AT units will mostly be used as weak “place holders” (they still exert a ZOC, after all). This is consistent with their historical use. These guns were capable of both high explosive (HE) and canister fire, thus their CS is doubled on defense. Whether or not the Soviets used canister fire at Tolvajärvi is open to debate, but I have opted to assume so here for the sake of interest.

Historical Notes: The Finnish JR16 AT platoon is composed of 37mm Bofors guns. This unit has an AT range that is less than the unit’s normal range; the range at which the guns can penetrate armor is less than that at which they can lob high explosive shells.

The Finnish “Obuhov” AT unit is actually composed of WWI era Russian infantry guns, pressed into service against the enemy tanks because the Finns had so few options.

12.3 PajariThe Finnish leader Lt Col Pajari is treated as a normal infantry unit in most regards. He has a MA of 7 and qualifies for the Ski Bonus on frozen lake terrain. He may use Extended Movement and/or night movement if he meets

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the criteria for doing so. He is not considered a combat unit and does not count towards stacking limits, nor does he exert a ZOC when alone in a hex. Pajari cannot Dig In, although he may occupy a Dug In hex normally.

Pajari has an assumed CS of zero, but units stacked with him gain a favorable one column shift on the CRT in Combats and Assaults. Pajari lends this bonus even if he has retreated and is attacked subsequently in the same phase. Pajari cannot perform Ranged Attacks, although he may act as a spotter.

Pajari Retreats and Advances After Combat just like any normal unit, when stacked with units which do so. He may perform a multi-hex advance when stacked with units which do so.

Pajari grants a +2 DRM when participating in night raids (16.4).

Friendly units attempting Recovery gain a +1 DRM to their die roll when stacked with Pajari at the end of Pajari's movement. Pajari can move into a hex and still provide this bonus, but he cannot move (or perform a night raid) after he is used to provide this bonus.

12.3.1 Pajari and LossesPajari has one step and cannot be rebuilt if killed. He may not be voluntarily eliminated to satisfy a loss or mandatory step reduction, nor does he suffer a step reduction for retreating into eZOC (though see below). If at any time an enemy unit enters Pajari's hex while he is alone in the hex, the Finnish player may pick up the leader and place him with the nearest friendly combat unit (if more than one unit is equidistant, the owning player may choose).

When alone in a hex, Pajari cannot be attacked via Combat, Assault, or Ranged Attack. He can be eliminated only by being forced to retreat into eZOC, or when all units in his hex are eliminated while Out of Supply. When either event occurs, the Finnish player rolls a die. On a roll of 1, Pajari is captured (or killed) and removed from the game. On any other result, he is placed with the nearest friendly combat unit, as above.

Step reductions mandated by the SZLT (16.3) affect Pajari only if using optional rule ‘Pajari’s Heart Condition’ (20.6).

12.4 ArtilleryIn Red Winter, each Finnish artillery unit represents a battery of 4 guns, while each Soviet artillery unit represents a

battalion of 16 guns. Note: The Soviet Infantry Gun (IG) units are not treated as artillery under these rules- see 12.6. Artillery are special units that are held off-board. Their counters are placed in front of the owning player as they become available as reinforcements on the Turn Track. Their only function is to perform Ranged Attacks called "barrages", which can strike opponents anywhere on the map, provided they have a spotter with LOS to the target hex.

Each artillery unit is flipped to its "Fired" side after making a Ranged Attack (whether during the player's own Combat Phase, or as defensive support during his opponent's Combat Phase) and cannot fire again until after the owning player's Reset Phase.

Design Note: This game system takes a rather abstract approach to artillery. I did this in order to keep things moving quickly. I also wanted to keep the players focused on the strategic and decision making aspects of the game rather than on micro-managing the intricacies and unpredictability of indirect fire. For example, the game does not allow for scatter or friendly fire casualties (though an optional rule for this exists). I decided it was a sacrifice I could live with.

12.4.1 AmmoAmmo refers specifically to 76mm artillery ammo, which is tracked by both players. When a player is out of ammo, his 76mm artillery cannot fire. Each artillery barrage from a 76mm artillery unit expends one point of ammo, regardless of the outcome of the RAT roll. Mortars do not track ammo. The larger caliber artillery of the Soviet 354th Regiment do not track ammo, but instead are subject to their own firing restrictions (see 12.4.2).

Each player tracks his own ammo using the ammo markers provided. Simply flip the markers face up such that they denote your remaining number of ammo points, and adjust downwards by 1 accordingly after each shot. Unused ammo markers should be placed aside until needed.

Ammo allocations are specified in each scenario. Generally, the players will look to the Turn Track to see when more ammo becomes available. Ammo becomes available for use at the start of its scheduled turn, during the Reset Phase.

12.4.2 Soviet 354th Artillery Regiment The Soviet heavy artillery becomes available on game turn 9. Therefore it is not available in all scenarios. These three

artillery units make indirect ranged attacks just like 76mm artillery units, except that they do not track ammo.

After making a ranged attack, flip the artillery unit over and roll one die. Place the unit on the Turn Track this number of turns in the future. It will become available to fire again on the indicated turn. Example: A 122mm artillery unit fires on game turn 9. The Soviet player rolls a 4 and places it on the Turn Track on turn 13, when it will become available to fire again.

If the die roll indicates that an artillery unit would be placed on the Turn Track after the final turn of the game, that unit cannot fire again and it is removed from the game. It is not considered destroyed for victory point purposes.

Design Note: The Soviet command expected the campaign to be over quickly. Accordingly, the big guns have limited ammunition available, and the Soviet command is willing to commit them only to a handful of actions deemed to be of vital importance.

12.4.3 Soviet Artillery Park The Soviet artillery is parked off the map east of hex X28. Apart from being a Soviet supply source and entry hex, X28 also triggers a special "artillery park disruption" event when entered by any Finnish combat unit. The instant a Finnish full strength infantry unit enters the hex, the Finnish unit is permanently removed from the game, and two events are triggered:

a) All Soviet 354th Artillery Regiment units are removed from the game. If this event occurs prior to their entry on turn 9, they never enter the game.

b) The Soviet player loses half his 76mm ammo (rounded down) and one artillery battalion (one unit counter). Remove them from the game. The remaining 76mm artillery battalions are unavailable for the next 4 turns. Place them on the Turn Track 5 turns ahead of the current game turn. Design note: The remaining battalions have been pressed into a hasty retreat.

While event "a" can be triggered only once, "b" can occur any number of times if additional Finnish infantry units enter hex X28.

Many scenarios also award points to the Finnish player for triggering the Soviet Artillery Park event.

12.4.4 Finnish Artillery Park The instant a Soviet infantry unit enters the Finnish supply source hex, all Finnish artillery batteries are removed from the game, never to return.

12.5 Finnish Engineers

This platoon sized unit is treated as normal infantry units in all respects except that they may Dig In (14.0) in a single turn, and may do so even in eZOC so long as they are stacked with one or more friendly units (see 14.2.1). Design Note: These are not combat engineers, thus they do not provide bonuses to Assaults, nor do they negate concentric attacks or Dug In bonuses.

12.6 Mortars and Infantry GunsMortars and infantry guns are single-step units that may perform indirect Ranged Attacks. Only the Soviets have infantry guns. Unlike other artillery (12.4), these units have a limited range and their unit counters are placed on the map. They require a spotter (10.6). The spotter need not be within any given range of the firing unit, nor does it require LOS to the firing unit. Design Note: We are assuming that radio communication is utilized between spotter and firing unit. Mortars and infantry guns may spot for themselves if normal spotting criteria are met; when doing so they gain a +1 DRM, and do not receive the -1 DRM for non-adjacent spotter.

Unlike other artillery, mortars and infantry guns do not track their ammunition. They are considered to have unlimited ammo for the purposes of this game. Design note: The Soviet infantry guns are the short-barrelled 76 RK/27 type regimental guns. Their ammo used a weaker propellant charge than the long-barrelled 76mm artillery, thus these half-charge cartridges were not compatible with the guns of the KTR battalions. For this reason, the infantry guns' 76mm ammo is not tracked in the game.

Each mortar or infantry gun unit is flipped to its "Fired" side after making a Ranged Attack, and cannot fire again until after the owning player's Reset Phase.

Each Finnish mortar unit represents a platoon of four 81 mm mortars, and has a maximum range of 6 hexes. Each Soviet mortar unit represents a section of two 82 mm mortars plus a section of two 120 mm mortars. Soviet mortars have a maximum range of 12 hexes, though they enjoy a +2 DRM at ranges of 6 hexes or less due to the inclusion of the 82 mm component. Each Soviet infantry gun unit represents a battery of six 76mm infantry guns, and these guns have a maximum range of 20 hexes.

12.6.1 Mortars and Infantry Guns in Close CombatMortar and infantry gun units never perform Combat or add to the CS of an attacking stack. They contribute their meager CS normally when defending (only). Their CS is shown in parentheses as a reminder. These units never advance after combat (even if stacked with attacking units) but they may retreat normally when their stack suffers a loss. As an exception to normal ranged attack rules, mortars (but not infantry guns) may be utilized as support- either offensive or defensive- when adjacent to the enemy, so long as they are stacked with one or more infantry, MG or engineer units.

Red Winter

12.7 Finnish Bicycle BattalionThese three infantry units (denoted by bicycle symbol on counter) are special in name only. They are treated as regular infantry for all purposes.

Historical note: There is evidence to suggest that these men rode their bikes to the front, but then quickly ditched them in favor of skis when a foot of snow fell on the battlefield.

12.8 Finnish Provisional Company The Finnish infantry unit ProvTF-P does not enter play as per the normal reinforcement rules. Instead, it is placed beside the Turn Track and can enter play at the Finnish player's discretion at any time during the Campaign Game after the following conditions have been met:

• It is day two (Dec. 9) or later.• One or more Soviet units have moved into or west

of hex column letter 'I' at any point in the game.• Pajari is within 4 hexes of Lutikkamökki (hex E13).

To create the Provisional unit, the Finnish player simply places it with or adjacent to Pajari during the Finnish Action Phase. Both Pajari and the Provisional unit must be in supply and not in eZOC at the instant of the unit's creation. Both have their full allotment of MPs available on the turn of creation. The unit is created at its full strength. Once in play, it is subject to all normal rules which govern infantry units, including replacements, recovery, and reconstitution.

Design note: Pajari assembled this ad hoc unit from cooks, aids, and new arrivals. He hastily armed them with whatever was available, including some captured Soviet weapons.

The Provisional unit does not appear in scenarios beginning on Dec. 8th or 9th. It is automatically available in scenarios starting on Dec. 10th or later, and may start stacked with any other Finnish unit during setup.

13.0 Reinforcements, Replacements and RecoveryThroughout the game, the players will have various chances to strengthen and improve their forces via three methods: reinforcements, replacements, and recovery. These take place during the Action Phase.

13.1 ReinforcementsReinforcements enter the map via a friendly supply source hex at any time during the Action Phase of that player’s turn, paying the movement cost for the entry hex and benefiting from road movement, if applicable. Reinforcements may enter the map in eZOC, but then must stop movement as per normal rules. Reinforcements have their full MA available on the turn of entry. They may use Extended Movement or Assault on their turn of entry if they meet the normal criteria.

All reinforcements enter from their respective supply source hexes, with one important exception: Soviet units of the 718th Rifle Regiment enter the game via hex W1, as denoted on their counters. These are the only units which may enter via this hex. Also note that W1 is not a supply source hex, so these units may or may not be in supply upon entering.

13.1.1 Voluntary Delay of Reinforcements. Reinforcements may be voluntarily delayed to enter on a later turn, as the owning player desires.

13.1.2 Involuntary Delay of Reinforcements.If a reinforcement’s specified entry hex is occupied by an enemy unit, the unit instead enters at any hex along the same map edge that is within 3 hexes of the specified entry hex, and its entry is delayed by 1 turn.

13.1.3 Reinforcement Entry on Night TurnsUnits which are scheduled to enter the game on night turns are allowed to use road movement (5.3), Extended Movement (4.3), and double movement (16.1) if otherwise eligible.

Soviet reinforcements which enter on night turns are not subject to the SZLT (15.3) so long as they remain on roads for their entire movement and do not perform a Combat or Assault; if they leave the road network during their Action Phase, they are subject to the SZLT as normal.

13.2 ReplacementsThe replacement points are indicated on the Turn Track. These points must be spent on the turn they become available or they are lost. An infantry unit may take a replacement point during its own Action Phase, but it may not perform other actions during the same Action Phase. For each replacement point expended, a player may flip one

reduced infantry unit back to its full strength side (but see also Reconstitution, 12.21). Units must be in supply to take replacement steps (14.0). eZOC has no effect on a unit's ability to take a replacement point, other than the "in supply" requirement already noted. Replacement points can only be used to replenish lost infantry steps.

Reduced units other than standard infantry may utilize replacement points only if indicated in the game specific rules.

13.2.1 ReconstitutionTwo replacement points may be used to bring back a previously destroyed infantry unit at its reduced strength status (or at full strength for 3 replacement points). This is called reconstitution. Units which were permanently eliminated from play (OOS at the moment of elimination) may never be reconstituted via replacement steps. A reconstituted unit cannot perform any other action during the Action Phase in which it re-enters the map. Only standard infantry units may be reconstituted, unless otherwise indicated in the game specific rules.

Reconstituted units are placed in any hex which is within 10 hexes of a friendly supply source hex, 4 or more hexes from all enemy units, and which would place them in supply. Units placed directly on a friendly supply source hex need not be 4 or more hexes distant from all enemies. Alternatively, reconstituted units may be placed on any future game turn on the Turn Track, at which time they will enter the game as a normal reinforcement.

13.3 RecoveryDesign note: Recovery simulates rallying and a return to a coherent structure and, to a lesser extent, an incoming "trickle" of new troops to replace losses.

Reduced infantry units may attempt to recover to their full strength during their Action Phase. Each such unit rolls a die and consults the Recovery Table, with a successful check allowing the unit to immediately flip back to its full strength side. See the game specific Recovery Table for a complete list of DRMs.

A unit which attempts recovery:

• cannot be in eZOC.• cannot perform any other action during that Action

Phase.• need not be in supply, although OOS units receive a

-1 DRM on the Recovery Table.• must be a reduced infantry unit; other unit types

cannot perform recovery (unless otherwise indicated in the game specific rules).

• can be a Soviet unit under a Bonfire marker (and indeed this is the only action that can be performed by such units).

Design note: Recovery and replacements achieve the same results, but recovery requires a die roll for success and cannot be performed in eZOC.

The reduced strength indicator stripe is coded “NR” (for “no recovery”) as a reminder than non-infantry units may not

attempt Recovery.

14.0 Digging InUnits may improve upon the natural defensive potential of a hex via a two turn process called "digging in". Design note: Due to the short time scale and the frozen ground, the improvements represented, and their effects, are fairly minor.

14.1 Requirements for Digging InAn infantry, engineer or machine gun unit may dig in during its Action Phase instead of performing another action. Exception: Units that take Replacements may still dig in. A unit may not dig in if it is in eZOC (Exception: Engineer units may do so). Units may dig in in all terrain types except frozen lake. A unit which is digging in may perform ranged fire (since this does not take place during its own Action Phase).

The number of units which each player may dig in is limited by the number of Dug In markers in counter mix. Either player may voluntarily remove a Dug In marker from his units at any time. Design note: Note also that the Finns get ten Dug In markers, while the Soviets only get four. This reflects the overall stance of the Soviets and Finns, per their orders and objectives. The fact that the Soviets do not gain additional Dug In markers after they have gone over to the defensive reflects their lack of preparation to cope with such an eventuality.

14.2 Procedure for Digging InA unit which meets all requirements of 14.1 may place a "Digging In" marker atop its hex instead of taking any other action. The following turn, the marker is flipped to its "Dug In" side (again in place of taking any other action) if the qualifications are still met. If the hex is attacked while the units are still digging in, the Digging In marker is removed; the units must start over. This is the case regardless of the results of the Combat, and it applies to both Assaults and normal Combats. Ranged Attacks only cancel digging in if they achieve one or more “Step Reduction” results against the hex. Note that a unit need not remove a Digging In marker just because an enemy moves adjacent, even though it cannot continue digging in while the enemy remains adjacent.

14.2.1 Engineers and Digging InEngineers allow a hex to obtain Dug In status in a single game turn. If an engineer begins its Action Phase in the hex and does not take any other action during the phase, skip the "Digging In" step and place a "Dug In" marker instead. Engineers can dig in even in eZOC so long as they are stacked with another friendly unit.

Red Winter

14.3 Effects of Being Dug InWhen attacking a hex marked with a Dug In marker, the attacker suffers a 1L column shift. This penalty is applicable in both normal Combats and Assaults. Ranged Attacks against Dug-In units are at a -1 DRM (if indirect fire) or -2 DRM (if direct fire). Note that once a Dug In marker is placed, any and all unit types gain the benefit for being in the hex, even if the they are not types which are eligible to dig in themselves. There are no effects for being in a hex with a "Digging In" marker.

14.4 Stacks and Digging InIf any units in a stack successfully dig in, then all units in that stack gain the benefit for the hex for as long as the Dug In marker remains in the hex. Units which move into the hex are placed under the Dug In marker and also receive the benefits.

Example: An infantry unit spends two turns to place a Dug In marker in a hex. During that time, a friendly AT unit enters the hex. On the turn following the placement of the Dug In marker, the infantry unit leaves the hex. The AT unit remains in the hex, as does the Dug In marker.

14.5 Removal of Dug In MarkersIf all units move out of the marked hex, whether voluntarily or by a Retreat, the Dug In or Digging In marker is instantly removed from the hex. This means that an attacking unit that advances into a previously Dug In hex does not gain the benefits.

14.6 Digging In on Night TurnsUnits may become Dug In in a single night turn (without placing "Digging In" markers first), and they may do this even in eZOC.

15.0 SupplyAll combat units on the map are always considered to be in one of two possible supply states: in supply, or out of supply (OOS). Within the scope of this game, supply status never affects combat operations or movement. Units never suffer step reductions or combat penalties for being OOS.

15.1 Checking Supply StatusSupply is checked at 4 instances during the game:

1) Receiving replacements. A unit must be in supply at the instant it receives a replacement step.

2) Attempting recovery. A unit receives a -1 DRM if OOS at the instant it attempts recovery.

3) Eliminating a unit as a result of a Combat, Ranged Attack, or Sub-Zero Loss Table. A unit which is OOS at the instant of its elimination is permanently eliminated, and not eligible for reconstitution. Design note: The surrounded units have been captured.

4) Determining victory. In some scenarios, a unit must occupy particular hex while also being in supply at that instant to qualify for victory (see Scenario specific rules).

15.2 Soviet Supply PathsA Soviet unit is in supply if it can trace no more than four hexes to a road hex, then along a path of contiguous road hexes back to a friendly supply source (15.4). At no point may the path enter a hex occupied by an enemy unit or eZOC, though friendly units negate eZOC in a hex for purposes of tracing supply. The supply path can be of any length so long as the other requirements are met.

Design note: For purposes of recovery, replacements, and elimination, you can think of the Soviet supply status check as indicating “in command” or “in communication” more so than “in supply.” I didn’t want to overcomplicate the game with a separate set of command rules, so the two are wrapped into one. The Soviets suffered from a severe shortage of radios during the Winter War. Many of their officers probably communicated and coordinated in the good old fashioned one on one manner.

15.3 Finnish Supply PathsA Finnish unit is in supply if it can trace a path of contiguous hexes, free of enemy units and eZOC, back to a friendly supply source. The hexes need not be road hexes. The path can be of any length. Friendly units negate eZOC in a hex for purposes of tracing supply.

15.4 Supply SourcesThe supply source symbols for each side are printed on the map, as explained on the Terrain Key.

16.0 Night Turns“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night,and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

–Sun Tzu

Each night turn covers a much larger time span than the other turns. This varies by the game. In the Winter War games of the series, a night turn represents a period of 12 hours, as opposed to 90 minutes. Units may perform Movement, Assaults, and Combats on night turns, though doing so may incur additional step reductions on the Sub-Zero Loss Table (see 16.4). The following special rules apply during night turns:

• Recovery attempts receive a favorable DRM.• Ranged Attacks incur an unfavourable DRM.• LOS range is reduced to one hex.• Units may become Dug In in a single turn, and they

my do this even in eZOC (14.6).

• Units may qualify for Double Movement (16.1).• Soviet units/stacks may build Bonfires (16.2).• Finnish infantry may be eligible to conduct night

raids (16.4).

Design Note: During the Winter War, considerable action took place during the dark hours. Thus I felt it was necessary to craft a special set of rules to cover night turns.

16.1 Double Movement on Night TurnsA unit which does not begin its Action Phase in eZOC has its MA doubled for the night turn, and this bonus may be used in combination with road movement and Extended Movement (4.5), or to perform an Assault (9.0).

Design note: This is not to infer that units can move further at night- quite the opposite is true. Remember that a normal turn represents only 90 minutes, while a night turn represents 12 hours. The double movement during a single turn makes it easier to maneuver through gaps in the enemy’s line or outflank his positions. Thus players will want to position their units very carefully prior to night turns.

Units utilizing Extended Movement (4.5) plus double movement have their MA doubled and then receive the 2 additional MPs. Thus, a unit with a MA of 5 could utilize Extended Movement plus double movement for a total of 12 MPs (24 road hexes). Retreat and advance limits are never doubled on night turns.

16.2 BonfiresOnly Soviet units may build bonfires. They may do this only during their night turn Action Phase, and only if they are 4 or more hexes from all enemy units, and not in a frozen lake hex. Units that build bonfires may take no other action during the Action or Combat Phases, except that they may still perform Recovery (13.3).

Soviet units that build bonfires place a bonfire marker atop their hex. Bonfire markers are removed during the following Soviet Reset Phase, or at the instant that all Soviet units under the bonfire retreat out of the hex.

Bonfires may never move. Any number may be built; the Soviet player is not limited by the number provided in the counter mix. A hex may contain both units atop and under a Bonfire marker.

Design note: Bonfire markers represent Soviets which have set up camp and are trying to stay warm; they have not necessarily built a bonfire in the hex, though in many cases they probably have done so- especially early in the game, prior to the first Finnish night raid.

Strategic notes: Soviets who build bonfires are safe from sub-zero attrition (16.3), but they are more vulnerable to

Finnish Night Raids (16.4) and they can perform no other action save Recovery (13.3). The Soviet player will need to carefully consider his tactical situation before deciding whether to stack or spread out on the dusk turn, and whether or not to build bonfires at the start of his night turn. The Finnish player may do well under certain circumstances to press attacks on Soviet stacks on his dusk turn, thus causing the Soviet units to become spread out and separated during the night. The nature of the bonfire and SZLT rules encourage the Soviet player to "huddle" his units together in stacks during each dusk game turn. This way, each individual unit need not roll for step reductions. This is intended to simulate the effects of posting watch, huddling together for warmth, sharing supplies, and an increased sense of safety.

16.2.1 Effects of BonfiresSoviet units under a bonfire marker are not required to roll for step reductions on the Sub-Zero Loss Table (SZLT) (16.3) at the start of the following 5:30 a.m. morning turn. Unlike a "Dug In" marker, a bonfire marker does not confer its effects to a moving unit which enters the bonfire hex. Units which enter a pre-existing bonfire hex, whether by movement or Retreat, are placed atop the bonfire marker and do not benefit from its effects.

16.3 Sub-Zero Loss Table (SZLT)Design note: The SZLT simulates the effects of the extreme cold, which led to desertion, poor morale, frostbite, hypothermia and even death.

Historical note: This was the coldest winter on record for the century. And it was the second coldest winter in over a hundred years.

At the conclusion of each night turn, units that underwent certain activities during the night turn must roll on the Sub-Zero Loss Table (SZLT), located on the map, to see if they suffer step reductions due to attrition.

All Soviet stacks which are not beneath a bonfire marker (Exception: see Reinforcement Entry on Night Turns, 13.1.3), as well as all Finnish stacks marked with skull markers must roll on the SZLT. Important: This is done for each stack, not each individual unit. Note that the definition of "stack" here can include a single unit alone in a hex. In other words, every hex of Soviet units that does not bear a bonfire marker must roll, regardless of the number of units stacked in that hex.

Units on frozen lake receive a -1 DRM on the SZLT. Finnish units always receive a +1 DRM when rolling on the SZLT. Design Note: The Finns carried portable camp stoves, thus they have a bit more flexibility.

When applying step reductions due to the SZLT, the owning player may apply the reductions to any units in the afflicted stack as he sees fit.

The SZLT does not apply to off-map artillery, which may fire freely on night turns.

Red Winter

16.3.1 Skull MarkersDuring their night turns, Finnish units or stacks are marked with "skull" markers for conducting a Combat or Assault.At the conclusion of the night turn, each stack (and the definition of stack here can include a single unit) must roll on the SZLT for possible step reductions. If two or more stacks or units under skull markers come to occupy the same hex at end of their turn, the newly created stack receives a single skull marker and rolls only once. Finnish units never receive skull markers for being attacked during the Soviet player's night turn Combat Phase; they only receive them for actions voluntarily performed during their own night turn.

16.4 Finnish Night RaidsOn night turns, full strength Finnish infantry units that take no other action may be eligible to conduct a special action called a Night Raid during their Action Phase. This basically allows them to utilize triple their normal movement allowance, perform an assault (possibly at a beneficial column shift), and return to their starting position, all as a single action. This gives the Finns considerably more flexibility on night turns than the Soviets. However, there is a chance a raiding party will become lost en route to its target hex, and the raid will not take place.

To conduct a Night Raid, the Finnish player follows these steps:

1. Designate the raiding units.2. Designate the target hex.3. Roll on the Finnish Night Raid Table (FNRT). This

roll will determine if a combat occurs, and if so, which column of the CRT to use.

4. If a combat was indicated in step #3, roll on the CRT to resolve the raid. The raid is treated as an assault (9.0), except that no column shift modifiers apply, other than the column shift obtained in step 3, above. Results are applied immediately, and all losses on both sides must be taken as step reductions.

5. Regardless of the results obtained in steps 3 & 4, the raiding units remain in their original hexes (their counters were never actually moved) and each unit is marked with a skull marker (16.3.1).

16.4.1 Criteria for Night RaidsThe Finnish player may only conduct one Night Raid per night game turn. Soviet units may never conduct Night Raids.

Up to three full strength Finnish infantry units may together conduct a Night Raid if they begin their Action Phase stacked or adjacent to each other, and if none are in eZOC. The target hex must be at least 4 hexes from all Finnish units.

Design note: These limitations are to simulate the nature of the raids. They were essentially guerilla attacks aimed at the Soviet’s rear supply areas. Often intended for recon purposes, the raids also allowed the Finns to ambush targets of opportunity. Frontline Soviet units would be expecting attacks, and so the Finns must use traditional combat or assaults to dislodge such opponents.

The Finnish leader Pajari is the only non-infantry unit that may participate in night raids.

Finnish reinforcements scheduled to enter the game during a night turn may conduct movement, including Extended Movement, in addition to performing a Night Raid on their turn of entry. The Finnish player first completes the movement of the reinforcement unit or stack (which must not end its move in eZOC), and then immediately resolves the raid before taking actions with any other unit. MPs expended during movement do not figure in when counting distance to target for the Night Raid.

Finnish units that perform a Night Raid can perform no other action during their Action Phase, regardless of whether the raid succeeds or fails (Exception: Finnish reinforcements can move prior to a raid, as above). Dug In Finns which conduct a Night Raid do not lose their Dug In status.

The raiding units must be able to trace a path free of enemy units and eZOC to the target hex (but without actually moving the raiding units). The target hex cannot be more than 18 MPs from any of the raiding units. When calculating this, do not include the cost to enter the target’s hex, and do not pay the usual +2 MPs for conducting an assault. Simply total the terrain cost of all intervening hexes between the raiding units and their target. Raiding units are eligible to use road movement (5.3).

Note that no movement of units takes place during a Night Raid. Note also that the distance between raiding party and target is measured in MPs, not hexes.

16.4.3 Resolving Night RaidsRoll on the Finnish Night Raid Table (FNRT), applying any applicable DRMs as indicated beneath the table. The result shows whether the raiding party successfully located its target, or became lost en route. If the former, then the FNRT also shows which column of the CRT is used to resolve the raid. If the latter, no assault takes place.

A successful Night Raid will necessitate two die rolls- one to locate the target and determine the assault modifier, and a second roll to resolve the assault. The second (final) dice roll is handled exactly as an assault using the CRT, except that no modifiers (e.g. morale bonus) apply. The combat odds are simply calculated as normal, then any column shift applied as per the result of the first die roll, above.

16.4.4 Night Raid Modifiers.The following DRMs apply to the FNRT:

1. The first Finnish night raid of the game receives a +2 DRM, simulating Soviet surprise and lack of preparedness. Design note: This DRM also

accounts for the fact that the Soviets originally built enormous bonfires consisting of entire trees that had been uprooted. Such bonfires were easy to spot and provided excellent illumination for the Finns. Pajari likened the situation to “target practice.” After the Finns’ first night raid on December 8th, the Soviets were much more conservative in their nocturnal festivities.

2. Pajari yields a +2 DRM when participating in night raids.

3. Target hexes containing a Bonfire marker yield a +2 DRM. Design note: The bonfires offer the Soviets protection from the elements, but they are glowing beacons for the Finns. They illuminate the Soviet troops while making it more difficult for them to see into the surrounding darkness.

4. If the route to the target hex requires the expenditure of 7 or fewer MPs by all raiding units, the Finnish player receives a +1 DRM. Design note: Closer enemies are easier to locate.

5. If the entire route to the target hex (but not including the target hex itself) can be traced via roads, frozen lake, or town/village hexes, or hexes which are adjacent to these terrain types, the Finnish player receives a +1 DRM. Design note: This simulates the benefit of landmarks (lakes, roads, buildings) when maneuvering through the wilderness in darkness.

16.4.5 Applying Losses due to Night RaidsAll losses suffered by both attacker and defender as the result of a Night Raid must be taken as step reductions.

16.4.6 Concluding Night Raids.Raiding Finns never advance after combat after a successful Night Raid. They remain in their original start hexes (their counters were never actually moved) and each individual Finnish unit that participated in a Night Raid is marked with a skull marker. Alternately, the Finnish player may use the special “Check each unit in stack for loss on SZLT” marker (16.3.1) as a reminder.

Questions about the rules? Please feel free to contact me via Consimworld, Boardgamegeek, or my personal email at duckweedseattle@yahoo.com -Mark

Credits Game Design: Mark Mokszycki

Development: Mark Mokszycki, Neil Randall

Research: Vesa Teräs, Mark Mokszycki, Ethan McKinney, Matti Nummila

Lead Playtester: Keith Mageau

Playtesters: Igor Kwiatkowski, Eric Edwards, Vesa Teräs, Juuso Marttila, Mark and Rachael Mokszycki

Proofing: Keith Mageau, Todd Pytel, Andrew Carlstrom, Rachael Mokszycki, Ian Thompson, Ethan McKinney, Hans Korting, Vincent Lefavrais

Map Art: Mark Mahaffey

Counters & Rule Book Art: Michael Evans

Special thanks: work in progress