SGS Winter War

Winter War is the story of the Soviet onslaught on tiny Finland from November 1939 to March 1940, at the beginning of WW2. Can the Finns hold beyond the reasonable and receive the long awaited Allied intervention? Or will the Russian bear crush them and force them to lose their border lands?


Winter War is the recreation of the war that opposed Finland and the Soviet Union between November 1939 and March 1940

The game lasts 16 turns, each representing one week between December 1939 and March 1940. One player represents the tiny Republic of Finland, the other has the Soviet Union land and air forces.

  • The Soviets have numerous but poorly led and badly organized forces at the start of the game, but their reinforcements are impressive.
  • The Finnish must hold desperately against the initial onslaught and vastly superior strength of their enemy, thanks to their superior quality and ideal defensive positions, hoping to gain enough time when threats of Allied Intervention discourages the Russian bear.

Be careful however of the potential weakness in number on the Finns side, as well as the uncertainty of Stalin's resolve on the other...

The game's event cards allow full replay ability thanks to the numerous various situations that they create on the diplomatic, military, political or economical fields.

Estimated Playtime: 2h30.
Favored Side: none.
Hardest to Play: Finns.