02.2018 Red Ice

Alternative Titles/Edition History:
AKA Red Ice: Finland vs Reds, 1939-1941.  Seemingly reprint of materials found in Fire & Ice and/or Betrayed by General Winter.

Publisher/Date:
Critical Hit (2018)

Product Type:
Scenario/Map Pack

Country of Origin:
U.S.A.

Contents:
Desperation Morale has not examined this item and cannot confirm claims of its contents. It seems to include 2.5 countersheets and some number of unmounted 11" x 16" geoboards. It also contains an unknown number of scenarios.

Commentary:

Red Ice is a 2018 scenario/map pack published by Critical Hit featuring the Finns during the Winter War.  It is a recycling of materials found in Fire & Ice and/or Betrayed by General Winter. However, Critical Hit is unusually opaque about its contents–opaque even by Critical Hit standards–so it is not possible to tell from marketing materials what precisely it recycles.  Critical Hit suggests that it supercedes Fire & Ice, but Fire & Ice included materials beyond the time span 1939-1941, so at best it would be a partial recycling.  Consequently, Red Ice is given its own entry here, though this entry may be removed and the content added to one of the above two products if more information suggests it should be.

For what it may be worth, one of the scenarios involves the so-called Raate Road, and a scenario with that name in the title appeared in Betrayed by General Winter.

Red Ice appears to come with two and a half countersheets, primarily of Finnish troops, although there seem to be some Soviet counters as well, though apparently coming in Critical Hit’s variant red color scheme.  The Finns are gray.

Some number of 11″ x 16″ geoboards are included.  Some number of scenarios are included.  Are rules included?  Beats us.  This product sells for $79.95 and Critical Hit expects customers to purchase it without having a clue as to what is even inside it.  It’s amazing that some ASLers are willing to do exactly that.

At the same time this product was released, Critical Hit released–for separate purchase–a set of “Hothex” maps that take the 11″ x 16″ geoboards and blow them up to double-size or so. It seems to use 20 12″ x 18″ map panels.

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