Tornio '44
[1] Player 1: Initial Phase:
1a: Determine the Weather [12.0] (in each Player Turn) (not in Game Turn 1A);
1b: Check the Supply status [13.0] (not in Game Turn 1A);
1c: Remove or Reduce Broken Levels, if in supply [23.1];
1d: Place Nationality markers [8.1];
1e: German Player Turn: Attempt Demolitions [15.0].
[2] Player 1: Movement Phase:
2a: Reinforcements may arrive - see OOB Card [16.2];
2b: Move any number of units [17.0]; - Overruns are allowed [19.0].
[3] Player 1: Combat Phase:
3a: Resolve any Air Strike [20.0] (not in Game Turn 1A);
3b: Resolve Attacker Indirect Fire Support [21.0];
3c: Resolve Defender Indirect Fire Support [21.0];
3d: Resolve all Combat [22.0].
4a: Move any number of Combat Units half MF - not in combat or enemy ZOC [25.0];
- Overruns are allowed [19.0].
Player 2: Repeat all Phases [1]—[4] above (play all Phases & sub-phases) and proceed to 6.1.2 Nighttime (B) Game Turn.
NIGHTTIME (B) GAME TURN [27.0]:6.1.2
[0] Initiative Check: Determine which player has the first Player Turn (as Player 1) & reset the VP Diff. marker [29.3].
[1] Player 1: Initial Phase:
1a: Remove or Reduce Broken Levels, if in supply [23.1];
1b: Place Nationality markers [8.1];
1c: Place 1 RP on an unbroken Combat Unit on a road or railroad hex [14.0];
1d: German Player Turn: Attempt Demolitions (with at least -1 DRM) [15.0 & 27.3].
[2] Player 1: Movement Phase:
2a: German Player Turn: Reinforcements may arrive - see OOB Card [16.2];
2b: Move any number of units half MF. Restricted Road Bonus [17.0, 27.1 & 27.3].
[3] Player 1: Combat Phase:
3a: Resolve Attacker Indirect Fire Support (with at least -1 DRM) [21.0 & 27.3];
3b: Resolve Defender Indirect Fire Support (with at least -1 DRM) [21.0 & 27.3];
3c: Resolve all Combat (subtract at least 1 odds ratio) [22.0 & 27.2].
Player 2: Repeat all Phases [1]—[3] above (play all Phases & sub-phases) and proceed to 6.1.1 Daytime (A) Game Turn.
This is from the designer notes:
"The rules are fairly mainstream. The most unique feature is the combat mechanism. I wanted to create something that did not have a standard Combat Results Table, but Instead gives the owning player more freedom in how to take his losses. The game focuses almost solely on combat actions. I wanted to include a feature where units could be both physically and psychologically exhausted, but only for a short period of time. The bizarre rule about the alcohol depots is used since they played a major role in the battle."
As you may have noticed, each player does a weather check. This is because the weather can change so quickly in the area. It is possible that the Germans used the alcohol depots historically, as they are used in the game. It is more like a rule that you would find in an RPG, but it happened historically and adds a little color to the game. The Germans are trying to skedaddle it out of Finland to get to Norway. The Soviets expected the Finns to actually capture the Germans before they got away. The Finnish troops need to capture both the bridges at Kemi intact. The German Player will be trying to blow both those bridges. Victory points are awarded for both Victory Hex Points and German losses, as well as exiting from the map. The historical Summary says this:
"Who won? Both sides failed in their objectives as the Finns failed to take the bridges at Kemi in one piece and the Germans failed to push back the Finns from the Tornio area and open up the road to the north."
If you have a very good game, and the action portrayed has never been in a game before, you should have a winning combination. Now, unfortunately, for the bad news. It looks like Miku Games will be closing up shop at the end on 2020. I really wish that this was not the case and that we would see many more games from them. The designer/developer/artist Mikael "Miku" Grönroos brought four games to the wargaming community. Tornio '44 was apparently and unfortunately the last one. I would love to have been able to have gotten my hands on one or all of the other three games he did on Finland from 1939 to the end of the Second World War. I wish it was possible for him to connect with another gaming company to re-release his games, and possibly design a few more. Thank you, Miku Games, very much for not only letting me review this very good game, but also for teaching me some new things along the way.
Miku Games:
https://mikugames.com/
Robert
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