Played solo with 3rd Ed rules save for 4th Ed spotting (e.g. leaders cannot spot for BF out of an assault).

Since I was playing solo, I decided to play the NKVD units in a way that: (i) the 1xHMG + 2xRIF blocked the road (after moving from woods) on B6 at the southern entrance to the woods; (ii) 2xRIF near the east edge of B9 (who eventually looped around the Finns to attack DD'd units; (iii) 2xRIF in the west woods of B9 (that withdrew in front of the Finn's west "hook" to call BF.

The RKKA units set up a (after two turns) dug-in road block of 6xINF about the road on the B10 edge. HMGs and other INF in Repola (town on B10). 2xINF served as a blocking force at the edge of the field->woods as a block to a western hook by the Finns.

The Finn's determined to play for a Major Victory from the start - that is, the capture of Repola on board 10. They entered in the center of B9, then split with the HMG-heavy group following the road whereas the ENGs and accompanying INF looped to the W.

Early turns were dominated by the Finn's road group engaging the NKVD road-block and the Finn's westerly group chasing and being BF'd by the fleeing 2xRIF (NKVD). The Soviet border guards were halted by a Finn BF, but were reinforced by the RKKA 2xINF. This set up a long term assault exchange which eventually costs 3xINF steps (and several turns/recovery steps) for the Finns before the Soviet units were eliminated.

The "west hook" was also delayed by the "sudden" appearance of the 2xNKVD RIF's from the woods of B9 (my way of playing them "hidden") - these units originally on the east side moved west. They attacked recovering Finn units in the rear and caused the Finns to devote several units to tie them up and eliminate them. This in turn meant that the Finn's were fighting two separate actions in the west diluting their material advantage.

The NKVD HMG claimed a Finn HMG step as did Soviet OBA, but that group was cleared. More savage fighting ensued as the Finns traversed the woods of B6 and engaged the RKKA dug-in road block. The Finns moved to envelop to take advantage of the '2' CB leaders, but Soviet OF and BF costs the Finns dearly.

By turn 20 (mid-game): Soviets had lost 28 steps; the Finns 12. The Finns owned B6 and B9 and had more-or-less reconstituted their forces. Phase two was the approach and attack on Repola.

Finn attack from west: 3xINF; 4xINF(R); 1xENG Finn attack from south: 2xHMG; 2xHMG(R); 5xINF; 2xINF(R); 1xENG; 2x81mm

Soviets defending Repola with: 3xHMG; 4xINF; 1xINF(R). One 81mm was destroyed outright; the other caught trying to recover.

As the Finns had 20 turns remaining to reduce the town, they took the deliberate approach at hexes containing Soviet HMGs using the leader combat bonuses to set up reasonable DF cols such that eventually morale failures allowed for a viable approach. The ENGs were used to infiltrate weaker town hexes and the combination of ENG + Morale allowed the Finns parity vs. the defensive Town shift in assault.

By Turn 37, the Finns held Repola and a major victory. Eighteen Finnish steps were lost eventually, so whilst the Stalinist did not manage a VC, they bled the Finns severely in exchange for the objective.