Bolt Action Finnish Tactics

Color Code: Cyan is a great, Green is good, Yellow is average or situational and Orange is just bad

Sisu: When a Finnish Artillery or Infantry unit drops to 50% of their starting model count, they are automatically upgraded before the morale test (if taken). Inexperienced become regulars, regulars become veterans and veterans have a base morale of 11. If an opponent doesn't wipe a unit out instantly, odds are that the unit becomes much harder to remove.

Trained Huntsmen: Finnish Infantry units that have an ambush dice next to it reroll failed morale checks. Additionally, when the unit fires from ambush all models armed with rifles (including snipers) gain +1 to hit. This is excellent as it helps mitigates the problems with shooting at long range. Additionally, it makes Finnish infantry incredibly good at the defensive, allowing them deny ground or force the enemy to either trade shots at long range or take more shots while moving in.

Motti: The usual ignore -1 to order tests when coming in from the table. The Finnish make better use of this than most thanks to Kaukopartios.

HQ choices:

Officers: Your standard array of officers. Not much to say about that, however you should always buy the bodyguard as it provides an extra wound and if he dies, the officer gets a free upgrade.

Medic: Standard medic but can come with a rifle he can't use.

Forward Observer: Standard array of Forward Observers of the Artillery and Air variety. A pity that there is no rules to make Finnish Forward Artillery Observers better despite their training and doctrine for artillery.

Infantry Squads:

Winter War & Continuation War Rifle Squad: The first thing that you could notice is that the maximum amount of men is 9 despite historically having 10. This was done due to Sisu. They can take 2 SMGs, a LMG and two panzerfausts. Additionally, they can take skis and tough fighters, a upgrade package that makes Finns both more mobile in the snow and decent assault infantry. Remember Sisu applies immediately so your squad will be tougher to kill in a pinch. The Winter War Counterpart can take either a SMG or LMG but is no different otherwise.

Jaakari Light Infantry Squad: Your Veteran Infantry, has the benefit of being your only infantry squad that is in the double digits for maximum models. In addition to your usual upgrades, everyone can take a SMG and they can also ride into battle on bicycles.

Sissi Recon Squad: Jaakari but instead of bikes they have Masters of the Hunt which allows them to make a 6" move and set their dice to ambush, making them incredibly deadly with shoot and scoot tactics. They can't take panzerfausts so beware of enemy armor.

Kaukopartio Long Distance Recon Squads: The shit, incredibly expensive at 23 pts but so worth the extra cost. 5 men with SMGs that can expand to 4 more Finnish dudes with SMGs. They can be upgraded with skis (which is well worth it if playing a map with winter conditions) and rifles (they can only shoot one or the other). In exchange, they have fanatics, medic (they count themselves as medics and anyone within 6") and the all important deep strike mission. Kaukuopartio can outflank declaring the opponent's table edge, allowing you to sow utter confusion behind enemy lines as your squad of supermen gun down the enemy artillery that thought they were safe. Additionally with the FAQ, they can also outflank at any point of the side edges regardless of turn order. Even a minimum sized squad can sow fear and cause your opponent to reconsider their deployment.

Infantry Teams:

Medium Machine Gun Team Medium MG teams are bad in general if you have a decent source of LMGs in your infantry squads. Can become more mobile with the ski upgrade.

Anti-tank rifle team: Good source of pins against enemy light armor. Small unit special rule and if only one guy gets picked off, the shooter becomes upgraded.

Panzershreck team: Good source of hard AT, especially with your vehicle selection. Can be equipped on skis.

Flamethrower Team: Only source of infantry flamethrowers and you lack engineer squads. Can't be taken on skis.

Sniper Team: Gets Master of the Hunt which makes them superior to other snipers. Coupled with Trained Huntsmen means that your snipers should always be shooting on a 2+.

Light Mortar Squad I've already my opinion known on Light Mortar Teams in the German tactics page. They can come with skis.

Medium Mortar Team: Standard mortar team, good at threating enemy static positions. Now if only they got a first strike bonus.

Heavy Mortar: For the price of a Veteran Medium mortar team, you can get a Regular Heavy Mortar. Bigger is better.

Artillery, Anti-Tank and Anti-aircraft:

Light Artillery: Can take a spotter. Instantly superior to other light artillery as they can counter battery them. Same cost as a Medium Mortar.

Medium Artillery: Standard Medium Artillery piece with spotter option.

Heavy Artillery: Standard heavy artillery piece that can come with a spotter. Plethora of modeling options due to the Finns taking whatever they could get their hands on.

Light Anti Tank Gun: Standard light AT gun that can take skis as well as the M-42 upgrade which increases pen by 1, when fired at short ranges.

Medium Anti Tank Gun: Standard Medium AT gun with no frills.

75 PSTK/40 Anti tank gun: A German Pak 40, 75mm anti tank gun. Excellent for defensive scenarios and in a place with good line of sight.

20 ITK/30 and 38 Anti-aircraft gun: For the same price of a MMG team, you can get a light autocannon with a gun shield instead.

40 ITK/38 Anti-aircraft gun: A heavy autocannon for a modest points increase.

Tanks and Armored Vehicles:

Tankettes Only source of reliable light tanks. Can be upgraded with a light AT gun.

<uBT-5 and BT-7 Like the majority of captured Soviet armored fighting vehicles it suffers from unreliable without a reduction in points.

T-28 Postijuna This one compensates by being cheaper by a significant amount and having a ungodly amount of MMGs

T-34 Sotka Can't mount the flamethrower upgrade and can only be taken at Veteran.

T-34/85 Pitaputkinen Same issue as above but more expensive. The Sturmi is a much better source of heavy AT.

KV-1 Klimi Your only source of a heavy tank chassis.

StuG III Sturmi Best armored fighting vehicle in the Finnish list. Can't take side skirts so be extra careful about enemy infantry AT teams.

BT-42 The Finnish meme tank. Comes with a Medium Howitzer and nothing else. Decent fire support vehicle that's cheaper than the Sturmi and doesn't have unreliable.

BA-10 Captured Soviet armored car without unreliable and Recce.

BA-20 Unreliable hurts armored cars even more than it hurts tanks.

Transports and Tows:

Truck Standard transport that can tow almost everything in the Finnish arsenal.

T-20 Komsomolets A decent all around tow vehicle that can also act as a universal carrier for your smaller squads. Unreliable really prevents it from being really good.

Artillery Tractors/u> Get this if you want to tow heavy AT guns, as well as medium and heavy howitzers. It's cheaper even with the armor upgrade.