Helsinki 1918: German Intervention in the Finnish Civil War

About this board game

Helsinki 1918: German Intervention in the Finnish Civil War is a tactical-level hex wargame for 2–3 players, with games lasting approximately 240 minutes. It recreates the Battle of Helsinki, fought from 11 to 13 April 1918, across a map covering the city’s outskirts and centre.

Each hex represents an area approximately 300 metres wide, while each unit represents a company-sized force. The game follows the German Baltic Sea Division’s advance after landing in southern Finland on 3 April 1918, as German commander Rüdiger von der Goltz launched an attack to conquer Helsinki.

The German player must plan a careful advance to defeat the Red Guards while avoiding heavy casualties, particularly during street fighting in the city centre. The Red player must maintain a high fighting spirit and recruit new groups to reinforce Helsinki’s defence. Meanwhile, the White player waits for the right moment to deploy hidden troops and seize control of the centre.

Set during the Finnish Civil War, the game reflects the city’s complicated situation in 1918. The Red Guards had taken control of Helsinki, the Senate had fled and recognised the White Guards as official troops, and Russian forces left the city in accordance with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk rather than participating in the battle.

Helsinki 1918 includes:

• One 1050 × 850 mm map
• 41 event cards
• 76 unit and headquarters markers
• Six six-sided dice
• A rulebook
• Scenarios for two and three players

With its historical setting, company-scale units, event cards, and hidden White troops, Helsinki 1918 presents a focused tabletop study of the German intervention and the struggle for Finland’s capital.