Summer Fury
By Mike Bennighof, Ph.D.
February 2006

Our Winter Fury game covers the 1939-1940 battles of Tolvajärvi and Ilomantsi, fought to the northeast of Lake Ladoga. Finland lost the Winter War, or Talvisota, but returned to battle 18 months later in what Finns called the “Continuation War,” or Jatkosota.

The Finns attacked on multiple fronts, including the old Tolvajärvi battlefield. They sent the elite brigades of “Group O” sweeping forward on a drive toward Petrozavodsk, capital of the Soviet republic of Karelia. The Finns met stout opposition on the same gound over which they’d fought in the Winter War. The 71st Rifle Division faced the elite 1st Jäger Brigade and the German 163rd Infantry Division. After fierce fighting, the Germans and Finns finally pushed the Soviets back and resumed their drive. Unhappy with the performance, the Finns claimed the German division was “not up to Finnish standards,” but quietly sacked 1st Jäger Brigade’s commander and replaced him with the very aggressive Col. Rubin Lagus (always referred to in German communications as the less-Jewish-sounding “Ernst” Lagus).

This variant scenario uses the map from Winter Fury and a new set of pieces provided here.

Special Rules

1. Hexes numbered xx27 or greater are not in play.

2. The Finnish player uses two FULL, one ATTACK and one CHOICE chit from the Winter Fury counter mix. These may only be used to activate Finnish units. The Finnish player uses the provided chits to activate German units. All German units are controlled by the Finnish player. The Finnish player picks five chits each turn, at least one Finnish and one German. The Soviet player uses the four chits from the 139th Division in the Winter Fury counter mix, and may place three of them in the container each turn.

3. Counter Mix. Only the units in the download are available; do not use any from the Winter Fury set except those noted above.

4. Every hex on the map begins under Soviet control.

5. Weather. Ignore the weather. There are lots of mosquitos.

6. Terrain. Movement costs in forest are reduced to 2 for foot units, 1 for light infantry, and 4 for motorized units; movement costs for hills are reduced to 3 for foot units, 2 for light infantry and 5 for motorized units. Stream hexsides add one for foot units (including light infantry) and two for motorized units.

7. Waters Unvexed. Movement across lake hexsides is prohibited for all units.

8. Stacking. Finnish and German units may not occupy the same hex.

9. Supply. Finnish units may not trace supply to a town hex or to hex 5034. German units must trace a path of no more than eight hexes in length to their HQ or hex 5020. To be supplied, the German HQ must trace a path no longer than eight hexes to a road that leads to hex 5020 (forest hexes count double). To be supplied, the Soviet HQ must trace a path no longer than eight hexes to a road that leads to hex 1007 or 1026 (forest hexes no longer count double).

10. Game Special Rules. Ignore Panssari Panic, Ice Roads and Ski-Capable Units. Units may not build fortifications.

11. Game Length. The game lasts for 12 turns.

12. Victory. The Finnish player wins if at the end of play a line of Finnish- or German-controlled road hexes can be traced from hex 5020 or 4301 to hex 1007.

Soviet Forces

Set up all units first, in any hexes numbered 36xx or lower. Only the units in the download are available; do not use any from the Winter Fury set. Five fort markers (all available in the Winter Fury set) may be placed in forest hexes containing Soviet units. They may not be placed in adjacent hexes.

Finnish Forces

Only the units in the download are available; do not use any from the Winter Fury set.

All Finnish units enter on Turn One at hex 5020.

All German units enter on Turn One at hex 4301.

"Summer Fury" requires a set of 70 new counters. You can download the new counters here.