Suomussalmi – Russo-Finnish War

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1939, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Eastern Front, Infantry, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Sudden Death, Winter

Suomussalmi

Let me tell you about Suomussalmi, a frozen corner of Finland where, in the winter of ’39, a handful of tough, stubborn Finns showed the world how a smaller force—if it’s smart, fast, and mean enough—can tear a lumbering giant to pieces.

The Russians came in heavy, marching two full divisions down those narrow forest roads, thinking they could just roll over Finland and split the country in half. But those Finns didn’t fight the war the way the textbooks said. They didn’t stand still and get crushed. They moved. They lived on skis, slipping through the woods like ghosts, striking the Soviet columns where they were weakest—supply lines, roadblocks, isolated pockets of troops.

While the Russians froze in the open and bogged down in snowdrifts, the Finns carved them up piece by piece. They cut those long Soviet columns into little “motti” bundles—isolated groups with no food, no ammunition, no rescue. And then they finished them.

By early January, the Finns had smashed one Soviet division entirely and sent the other running back the way it came. What happened at Suomussalmi wasn’t luck; it was proof that speed, ingenuity, and the will to win can turn a frozen forest into a fortress and a small army into a battering ram.

The Finns didn’t just win a battle—they delivered a lesson every commander ought to remember:
Victory belongs to the side that fights smarter, moves faster, and never stops hitting.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Russian – 4

Finnish – 6

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Winter

Location:

Finland

Year:

1939

Theater:

Eastern Front

Campaign:

Russo – Finnish War

Summary:
The Finns switched sides during WW2, all in the name of defending themselves.

Objectives:
Six VP’s, plus if the Finns occupy three of the four hexes of Suomussalmi, they win immediately, which I have done, and is a very satisfying win.

Battlefield:
The battlefield for this scenario is marked by three frozen rivers cutting across the field of play and creating hazardous conditions for troop movements.

Troops:
Finns: 10 Infantry, 1 Artillery
Russians: 10 Infantry, 2 Armor, 1 Artillery

🔥 Winning as Russians

1. The Russians must defend the town of Suomussalmi, as it will be instant defeat if the Finns occupy 3 of the 4 town hexes. But the town is heavily defended with sandbagged troops, so your best course of action is to stay behind the sandbags and make the enemy throw themselves against your hardened defenses.

2. You have an Armor and three Infantry units in your lower right flank. They are being prevented from assisting the defense of Suomussalmi with what was historically a roadblock across the river. Quickly breakthrough the defending Infantry units by moving in for the attack and freeing up your Armor for some long-distance attacks which will blow that blockade away.

3. Use, at every opportunity, your heavily defended Artillery in the town of Suomussalmi to attack any Finish troops who would dare come near you.

4. Use your Armor in your left flank to attack any Ski Troops who are caught out in the open. Don’t waste your ammo on shooting into the woods until you have dealt with the easy targets.

Big Picture Strategy

1. This is a confusing scenario, as the Finns are not actually formally aligned with the Allies at this point (1939) in the war. They had to fight the Russians alone. Then from 1941-44, they were aligned with Germany. Finally in 1944-45, they made peace with Russia and began to attack the Germans in their country. The key power of the Finns are their Ski Troops. Use them to attack from the protection of cover. No need to leave them exposed in the open.

🔥 Winning as Finns

1. Finnish ski troops have a major movement advantage. They can move 0-3, and fire at 3 or 2. Plus they can move onto any terrain and still fire. So your infantry movement cards will allow you to quickly mass your troops for an attack.

2. You have an Artillery in your left section. Take every opportunity to move it forward to assist your Ski Troops in their attack.

3. Remember that your Ski Troops can move into terrain like woods and still attack the enemy. This is a powerful advantage you should use whenever you can.

4. Because your Ski Troops only have three figures per unit they are much easier to destroy, so save your attacks until you have massed your troops together to hit the enemy repeatedly in a single attack. If you try to attack with just one or two units at a time, you are likely to get wiped out.

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

54%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Sugar Loaf and Half Moon

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1945, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: Pacific, Memoir 44, Pacific Theater, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Pacific

Sugar Loaf and Half Moon

The Battle of Sugar Loaf and Half Moon took place during the Battle of Okinawa in May 1945, one of the final and bloodiest battles of World War II. Sugar Loaf Hill and Half Moon Hill were heavily fortified Japanese positions that U.S. Marines needed to capture to advance on the island.

Listen up. Sugar Loaf and Half Moon weren’t just two lumps of dirt on Okinawa—they were the kind of fortified hellholes the enemy turns into a butcher shop. The Japanese were dug in deep, with bunkers you couldn’t see and tunnels you couldn’t count, and they poured out artillery, machine-gun fire, and counterattacks like they had an endless supply of men and steel.

Our Marines fought inch by inch, bleeding for every blasted ridge. They stormed those heights again and again, under fire hot enough to melt the paint off a helmet. Casualties were heavy, but the boys never broke. After days of slugging it out—crawling, climbing, charging—they took both hills and tore the heart out of the enemy’s northern line.

Seizing Sugar Loaf and Half Moon opened the door to Okinawa’s southern defenses, and it proved a cold, hard truth: fighting in the Pacific demanded guts, grit, and sacrifice on a scale few can imagine. And it was a grim preview of what it might have taken if we’d ever had to storm Japan itself.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

USA – 6

Japanese – 4

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Jungle

Location:

Pacific

Year:

1945

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Battle of Okinawa

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s
(Special Rule: Note that if the Marines clear out an entire section of Japanese forces, it counts as a temporary VP.)

Battlefield:

This scenario begins with both forces arrayed across the battlefield and ready to engage in immediate warfare. It is a countryside with hills and caves spread across all three sections. The caves allow for rapid movement of Japanese troops.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry, 2 Armor, 2 Artillery

(Infantry practices the Gung-Ho! rule.)

Axis – 10 Infantry, 2 Artillery

(Japanese Infantry practices the Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine (SKD), and the Yamato Damashi Concept, and the Banzai War Cry.)

Allied Strategy:

1. The enemy is weak on your right flank. They have no artillery protection on half the flank. With your artillery, you have a slight numeric advantage. If you can work up the cards, you could launch an attack on tht side, and gain half the VP’s you need. Once you overwhelm that section, your remaining forces can combine with your center section troops to finish off the job and gain your final three VP’s.

2. Use your Artillery to hit every full force Infantry unit at least once in order to cancel out the SKD advantage they have.

3. Note that one of your artillery is mobile, so you can move in and fire. But do not move in too close prematurely, or the Japanese forces will overwhelm you with their SKD power.

4. Strategic consideration based on this special rule:
“When all the Japanese units in a section of the battlefield (right, center or left) are eliminated, the Marines gain one Victory Medal.” This means that if you can concentrate all of your attacks in one section, you will gain not only the medals for eliminating units, but also one extra Victory Medal for clearing out the section. Your most likely focus for this is the right section, since there are no enemy Artillery to eliminate.

Axis Strategy:

1. Use the Banzai War Cry combined with the Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine to quickly advance your full-power Infantry units to attack any enemy who are within striking range. With the additional dice roll that SKD provides, you can quickly weaken the enemy.

2. Remember to use the tunnel system to quickly move infantry from hill to hill to get your forces into the action.

3. Use your artillery at every opportunity on any enemy forces that approach.

4. Your Infantry are sitting mostly on Cave on a Hill hexes, which give a massive defensive advantage of minus 2 (only one dice attack), for normal attacks. This allows you to fend off many attacks. And when they get weak, you can do a quick swap out with fresh units using the cave system. So do not be quick to leave such a defensive position unless you can launch a decisive attack.

Battle Reports

(classic percentage of Allied victories):

68%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Strasbourg

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1945, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Eastern Front, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario

Strasbourg

On January 7, 1945, the German Nineteenth Army launched an attack south of Strasbourg against the First French Army in an operation code-named Sonnenwende (“Winter Solstice”). This offensive was part of a broader German effort to counter the Allies’ advance in Alsace and maintain control over key territory in eastern France.

The attack aimed to push back the French forces and threaten Strasbourg, a strategically vital city for the Allies. Despite initial German gains, the French First Army, with support from American forces, mounted a resilient defense. Allied artillery and air support helped to stall the German assault, ultimately preventing the Nineteenth Army from achieving its objectives.

The failure of Sonnenwende weakened German forces in the region and contributed to the broader collapse of German defenses in Alsace, allowing the Allies to solidify their hold on Strasbourg and continue their push toward Germany.

General Howitzer’s summary:

Sonnenwende was a damn flop for the Germans—it drained their strength, cracked their lines in Alsace, and handed us the keys to Strasbourg. From there, it was full steam ahead, straight into the heart of Germany.

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 4

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Winter

Location:

France

Year:

1945

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign

Codename:

Sonnenwende (“Winter Solstice”)

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s, and two Medal Objectives for Axis

Battlefield:

Strasbourg is a winter scenario with a frozen river cutting diagonally across the battlefield. It is passable. There is also an impassable river with three bridges crossing it. Each set of troops are squeezed against opposite corners causing an exciting asymmetrical warfare experience.

Troops:

Allies – 8 Infantry, 3 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 6 Infantry, 4 Armor

Allied Strategy:

1. You need to defend the medals in the town and bridge hexes because the Axis are going to come at you with everything they’ve got. They have you outnumbered by armor and there is a lot of open territory, so you will need to get your forces into defensive positions.

2. Your infantry in the forward right flank are in a position to attack the enemy forces backed up against the border so hit them while you can.

Axis Strategy:

1. Big picture strategy for you is to push your forces down the center section and to pursue the two medal objectives in the town and bridge hex.

2. Because your forces are pushed up against the back wall, you need to get them mobile as soon as possible. Your most immediate concern is to deal with the two Infantry units right in front of you.

Author:

Days of Wonder

URL

St. Vith, Ardennes

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Base Game, Countryside, Infantry, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic

St. Vith

The Battle of St. Vith, fought in December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge, was a critical engagement on the Western Front in World War II. Located in Belgium, St. Vith was a key road junction that the German Army sought to capture to facilitate their advance into the Ardennes.

Men — what you saw at St. Vith was grit forged in steel. Outnumbered, outgunned, and half-frozen, those boys of the 106th Infantry and 7th Armored stood toe-to-toe with the damned 5th Panzer Army and said, “You’ll move through us only over our dead bodies.”

They fought for every yard of ground, every shell hole and hedgerow, and by God, they made the Germans pay for every inch. Their stand wrecked the enemy’s timetable, blunted his spearhead, and bought the time our armies needed to gather their strength for the counterblow.

When they finally withdrew on December 23rd, it wasn’t defeat — it was a tactical victory paid in blood and courage. St. Vith was no retreat; it was a wall of American willpower that helped break Hitler’s last gamble in the west.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 5

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

Belgium

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign:

Ardennes

Context:

Historical

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s

Battlefield:

The St. Vith scenario has a large central battlefield surrounded by forests blocking access to each of the flanks, and a long ridge of impassible mountain hexes (the Prumerberg) across the back of the field. It makes for intense warfare of armor, infantry and artillery battling it out for dominance in the center.

Troops:

Allies – 7 Infantry, 6 Armor

Axis – 10 Infantry, 4 Armor, 1 Artillery

Allied Strategy

1. The Allies are on the defensive here, receiving only 4 cards vs. the Axis’ 5 cards. You have sandbags; use them, and don’t be too quick to move out from them.

2. The center section with the impassable mountains behind and the enemy artillery in front is kind of a kill-zone unless you are prepared for it. Your best assault tactics may be found on the flanks.

3. You have an Infantry and two Armor stuck on the back row, center section. It will be difficult to win as Allies without putting these forces to work. So move them, especially the Armor as soon as you can. If you have a card to move four units, reserve one of those moves to start getting them into the action.

Axis Strategy

1. Your forces are bunched together making for many no-retreat situaions. Move your Infantry into the woods as soon as possible.

2. Note that the enemy has their backs to the wall with the impassable mountains behind them. Once your infantry are deployed in the woods, use your armor and artillery to hit any forces in the center section. Most of your hits will be enhanced by another 17% because of the no-retreat situation in which the Allied forces find themselves.

3. Note that although the Allies have a 6-4 armor advantage, their two armor in the back center section will be slow to get into the action. If you can hit or eliminate one or more of the forward armor units before the others come into play, it will even out the battle for you.

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

45%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Schwammenauel Dam

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1945, Armor, Countryside, Infantry, Location: Germany, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Terrain Exp Pack, Theater: Western

Schwammenauel Dam

SchwamDam_center

SchwamDam_Dam1

SchwamDam_full

SchwamDam_left

SchwamDam_right

Historical Summary

We didn’t fight our way to the Schwammenauel Dam for scenery — we took it because it was choking our advance. The Germans thought they could hold the Roer hostage by flooding the valley and buying themselves time. That was a mistake. American infantry went in, took that dam under fire, and shut the valve on German delay tactics. Once the dam was secured, Operation Grenade could roll forward without interference, and the Roer was crossed on our terms. That action tore down the last real barrier in the Rhineland and put our armies back on the march straight into the heart of Germany — exactly where we intended to go.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s:

5

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Mountains & Countryside

Location:

Germany

Year:

1945

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign:

Allied Rhineland Campaign

Summary

This is an exciting scenario with some unique features which recreate actual events on the battlefield in 1945.

Objective:

Six Medals will win, but the principle objective for the Allies is to preserve the two dams, Schwammenauel and Urft. Should either of them get successfully sabotaged by the Germans, and the Allies will likely lose the scenario.

Battlefield:

It is rugged mountainous terrain encircled by a river, mountains, and forests, with a dam at either end of the River Roer.

Troops:

Allies: 10 Infantry, 2 Armor

Axis: 8 Infantry

Special Rules:

Sabotaging a Dam – each of the two dams require a total of 4 stars to be destroyed. At the start of every turn, no matter what cards they hold in their hand, the Axis player rolls two dice, one of each dam. However, the dice will only count and apply to a dam if an Axis unit is on the actual dam hex. For each Star rolled, if the dam is occupied by Axis forces, a star icon is placed on that dam. Once a total of four stars accrue, the dam is destroyed, and the Axis player receives 4! victory medals per dam.

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. Big Picture Strategy: Destroy the enemy or capture the dams before they are sabotaged. Your best option, historically is to capture the Urft Dam first.

2. You have two Armor units, but given the rugged terrain, they will be almost useless to you. If you waste your time trying to get them out from behind the mountain, you will be giving the Axis time to sabotage the dam.

3. Your paratroopers have landed in a dangerous spot, pressed up against the mountain wall as they are. Move them forward to attack ASAP, before they are destroyed.

4. Your right flank is your strongest at the start. Move quickly forward to overwhelm the enemy and secure the Urft Dam.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Big Picture Strategy: the goal is to delay the Allies (delaying tactics) as long as possible so that you can blow the dam(s). This will take at least four turns, but in reality, much longer. If you successfully sabotage one dam, (worth 4 medals!), you only need to take out one other Allied unit to win. Should you blow both dams, you are guaranteed a win. (Historically, the Germans were able to blow the discharge valves of the Schwammenauel Dam and flood the Roer River.

2. The Dam provides no battle protection. The only reason to stay on the hex is to attempt to sabotage the dame. But once the Allies get close, keep some forces in the woods to attack and slow down the enemy.

3. The Allied Paratroopers are easy prey, backed up against the mountain. Take them out quickly before they can attack your forces in the town of Kommerscheit.

Author:

Days of Wonder

URL

Saverne Gap, Vosges

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Base Game, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical

Saverne Gap

Listen up, soldiers. The Saverne Gap is the low door through the Vosges—and the key to Strasbourg. On 21 November, XV Corps under Haislip hit the line at Phalsbourg and started prying that door open. While our infantry pressed the pass, Leclerc did exactly what I like—speed and audacity—splitting his 2e DB into two hard-driving task forces: one swinging north via La Petite-Pierre, the other knifing south through the woods by Dabo. They struck Saverne from both flanks, and a southern column punched in from the west, climbing to the Gap and rolling the defenses from behind. The enemy fought, but without depth or reserves you can’t stop a three-pronged hammer. Result: Saverne falls, the hinge breaks, and the road to Strasbourg yawns wide.

Lesson: find the gap, hit it fast, hit it twice, and exploit without blinking. Keep moving—because momentum, not caution, wins cities and ends campaigns.

~~ General Howitzer

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 4

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Moutaneous Countryside

Location:

France

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign

Codename

Summary:

Because of the impassable mountains, Saverne Gap is almost like three separate battles taking place.

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. As Allies, there is very little opportunity to move troops from one section to another, so you need to watch your tactics carefully and be careful with your attack.

2. One possible opportunity for attack is up the center, if you have the right combination of cards, such as Infantry Assault, you goal is to quickly overwhelm the first town in your way. While they enemy controls that town they can force you back against the wall and score some extra hits with retreat flags. The wire bales in front of the town will definitely decrease your attacking power, but with two or three good center section attack cards, you will eventually be successful. From there, your forces will be able to spread out a bit for the attack against the forces defending town of Saverne.

3. Your right flank will be the most difficult one to maneuver through. With the tight quarters and the enemy protected in a town and forest hex, it will be difficult for your tanks to succeed agains them. The tanks can only fire with one dice at a time. And you only have one infantry force to attack the town and forest hexes. If you can lead with your infantry, they will be more successful by being able to throw two dice at a time for each close assault attack.

4. Watch your card play, and when you get the right combination of special Combat cards, use that as the basis for your decision of which section to pursue your victorious attack.

5. With a number of left flank cards, you can attack the infantry in the woods and town at a distance. Degrade and eliminate them, and then move in to attack the town of Saverne itself from the flank, surprising the enemy, just as they did historically.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Note that because the mountains are impassible, you will not be able to fire your artillery at the outer sections.

2. The center section will be the most important to guard as the town of Saverne represents an immediate win. If the enemy occupies two of the three hexes in the town of Saverne, they will win immediately. So you must guard it at all costs.

3. Keep your forces in the forests and town hexes and never leave them. Just stay safely hidden inside as you continuously attack them relentlessly degrading their attacking power.

4. If the Allies make a strong push up the center, you may need to move your Infantry from the left or right flanks over to the center section to occupy the town of Saverne.

5. The other option, if a strong center push is coming up the center, is to force attacks on either flank to distract the enemy and force them to look elsewhere.

6. Watch the right flank, as the enemy has many Armor, but they often get placed into no-retreat situations. That is the time to attack them harshly and gain an extra 17% attack advantage against them!

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

46%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link: