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Winter War

	Author: Joseph Miranda Article Type: Press Releases Publication Date: 4/4/2008 Developer: John Tiller Games Publisher: HPS Simulations Related Categories: World War II, Turn-based, Tactical, Online or Multi-Player, Europe

For 105 days, the tiny nation of Finland fought a war that typically merits only a footnote in a history book, or a passing remark in a WWII documentary. Taking on the vast manpower of the Soviet army, the Finns put up a fanatical defense of their homeland, inflicting horrific casualties on the invading Soviet army. In the end, the overwhelming number of Soviet troops and tanks sent into Finland forced the Finns to sue for peace, but they walked away from the conflict with their much bigger neighbor with their independence and national pride intact. Their struggle influenced the landscape and direction of the entire world war that followed, and perhaps the outcome as well. Winter War is a tactical level simulation of this conflict using the Squad Battles system.

On the morning of November 30th, 1939, the Soviet Union unleashed its vast military might on its defiant neighbor. Soviet medium bombers attacked the Finnish capital of Helsinki, and immense Soviet resources in men and material surged across the entire length of the border in an attempt to crush the overmatched Finnish military and bring the defiant Finns in line Instead of the rapid Blitzkrieg type victory Stalin’s high command predicted, the ill-prepared and poorly led Soviet Army marched into a frozen, desolate meat-grinder, learning the meaning of “sisu”, a Finnish term that could be roughly translated as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity. Instead of fleeing from the vast Soviet onslaught, the Finns fought bravely, using their knowledge of the land, and pulling from their fierce national pride and “sisu” to inflict massive casualties on the invaders, and earning themselves the nickname of The White Death. The Winter War had begun.

Winter War

• 58 stand alone scenarios and 3 campaigns to choose from.
• A wide sampling of actions from this conflict, but also including the “Continuation War” of 1941.
• 24 unique maps ranging in size from 1000 hexes to 38,000 hexes providing ample ground for scenario designers to create their own actions.

Engine changes include:
• Ability to use Asymmetric Scoring in scenarios.
• New timed detonation feature for certain weapons.
• Armor assault modifier for vehicles assaulting infantry in Clear hexes.
• Ability to perform Column Movement via the “Alt” key.
• New level in OOB so Squads can be added as an organization.
• Capture feature, so prisoners and civilians can be modeled in scenarios.

The game also has the standard scenario, OOB, parameter, database & sub-map editors included with the game. Play modes include A/I, Hot Seat, PBEM, LAN & Internet play.

Winter War is scheduled for release on 4 April 2008.