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Memoir '44
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Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland – 8-12 December 1939
2012
Rules assistance for Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland – 8-12 December 1939
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 20–720 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland – 8-12 December 1939
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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland – 8-12 December 1939 is a board game released in 2012 for 2 players, 20–720 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Mark Mokszycki and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
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About the game
Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland, December 8-12, 1939 It is the winter of 1939 and the Soviet Union has just declared war on Finland. Bombers unleash a downpour of destruction on the Finnish capital of Helsinki. In the David and Goliath struggle that follows, the Russians swarm across the border and push back the Finns in victory after victory. The future appears grim for Finnish independence. Nowhere is the danger greater than in the central sector, where a Russian breakthrough would threaten the strongpoints of the Mannerheim Line. Newly assigned to the sector, the Finnish Colonel Paavo Talvela surveys the terrain and chooses the place to make a stand: a lake called Tolvajärvi. The weary and demoralized Finnish ski troops have mere hours to recover a semblance of order before the Russian juggernaut smashes into them yet again. Over the next five days, the world watches in awe as the Finns manage to halt the Russian advance through sheer heroic determination. Then, miraculously, the Finns launch a successful counterattack... Red Winter is a two player historical game which simulates the unusual battle at Tolvajärvi at a rarely gamed scale: company sized combat units and 90 minute game turns. Players assume the roles of the Russian and Finnish commanders, controlling the actions of Finnish ski infantry, Russian heavy machine gun companies, mortars, tanks, anti-tank guns, and other combat units. A desperate battle for territory and survival is about to be waged across a bleak and snowy landscape of forests, swamps, and frozen lakes. The game utilizes many tried-and-true "classic" wargame mechanics in combination with novel and well-integrated systems for ranged attacks, unit recovery, Finnish night raids, attrition losses from sub-zero weather conditions, and more. The design focuses foremost on playability, with low counter density, concise rules, and sleek, simple mechanics that combine to allow each player the luxury of completing his turn in about five minutes. This means the full 40 turn campaign game is playable in a single afternoon. The large 5/8 inch counters and oversized hexes further increase playability. And the illustrated examples make it easy to jump right into the action. TIME SCALE: 90 Minute Game Turns MAP SCALE: 425 yards per hex UNIT SCALE: mostly companies; some sections and platoons PLAYERS: 1-2 COMPLEXITY: Moderate Playing Time: 20 minutes to 12 hours, depending on scenario
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- GMT Games
- Kokusai-Tsushin Co., Ltd. (国際通信社)
Questions and answers
Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland – 8-12 December 1939 supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland – 8-12 December 1939 is 20–720 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland – 8-12 December 1939 for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland – 8-12 December 1939 has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland – 8-12 December 1939 belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland – 8-12 December 1939 are: Mark Mokszycki. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland – 8-12 December 1939 as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.