Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty
Dev Q&A #3 – submit your questions
We will soon hold end of the year Q&A, so if you have questions about any of our projects (Strategic Mind series, Headuarters: World War II, or Ukraine War Stories) or about our team – please send them to us through the form below:
https://forms.gle/sSXz2uxpzazifJZa9
We will also have more news and end of the year news updates for you in the coming days.
With Best Regards from Kyiv
Starni Games team
Headquarters: World War II at Slitherine Next event
On December 13th our project Headquarters: World War II was presented at the Slitherine Next event along with a video about Starni Games team. So, if you would like to know more about Headquarters: World War II or the Starni team - we invite you to watch the broadcast recording here:
https://youtu.be/JksoUf2eh1I?t=7373
The Headquarters section of the event had the following structure:
- Intro video
- Strani team presentation
- Single-player operation gameplay video with dev commentary
- 4-players multiplayer match highlights with dev commentary
So, there is really a lot of juicy content there and a quite in-depth discussion of the game. I think that is the first time our team prepared a footage of a multiplayer match by 4 Devs recorded by each person to create the shortened “highlights” version and present the multiplayer to the audience.
Please, let us know what you think about the project and its presentation. Your feedback is really important for our team.
Also, feel free to send your questions for the upcoming Dev Q&A #3 where we will be answering any and all of your questions on all of our projects before the New Year.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfb9kxr6wnSVgDakaybefNIQqVLyxP_v9LlGAKPBs4EMpwGTw/viewform
With Best Regards from Kyiv
Starni Games team
Scenario overview #2: The Battle of Tolvajarvi
Through numerous war games conducted in advance Mannerheim had identified several potential weak points in the Finnish defense, if the Soviets had attacked. One of them, near the village of Tolvajarvi, could potentially allow the Soviets to bypass the main Finnish defenses entirely, and strike the Mannerheim Line into the rear.
Complicating matters, when the Winter War did break out, the defenses at Tolvajarvi were being attacked by an entire army. Against 6 rifle divisions with artillery support and a massive armored brigade, an asymmetrical response was the Finns' only hope.
The task was given to the already-legendary Colonel Paavo Talvela, who employed the help of his old friend Lieutenant Colonel Aaro Pajari, also a storied veteran. And legends like them were needed badly – the battle of Tolvajarvi was off to a very shaky start.
Upon arrival Pajari's men came under friendly fire from an allied unit, who confused them for the Soviets. Luckily, the incident produced no casualties, but did a blow to the troops' morale, which later turned into a humiliating route when the Soviet forces indeed attacked. Here Pajari decided to seize the initiative – he took volunteers from his battalion and led them in a devastating raid behind the enemy lines, slowing down the Soviet advance. This time, a deadly friendly fire broke out among the confused and frightened Bolsheviks, who did not expect to see Finns so deep in their midst.
The following day produced another bizarre incident. A Soviet detachment managed to capture a Finnish position, but couldn't capitalize on their success – starved and exhausted, they got too busy devouring the sausage soup from the Finnish field kitchen. This allowed the Finns to launch a deadly counter-attack. Thus, a minor episode of the Battle of Tolvajarvi came to be remembered as the Sausage War.
On the next morning, the assault on the Soviet HQ, the well-fortified "Hotel Tourist", met further complications. Not all of the forces had arrived in position on time, and some had to take a dangerous shortcut to quickly rejoin the rest. This took them over open ice, which made them easy targets for the Soviet artillery. Pajari, however, was able to turn the situation around with clever maneuvering and timely artillery support.
The true test of wills came when the Soviet and the Finnish forces clashed in close combat, sometimes as close as a knife's stabbing distance – and now it was the Soviets' turn to be broken and routed. The Finns quickly encircled the Hotel Tourist – any tanks the Soviets dispatched to assist the defenders were ambushed in the thick surrounding forests.
The fighting inside the hotel took 2 hours, but the results spoke for themselves – the Soviet HQ was wiped out, an entire rifle division ceased to exist, and the Soviet attack at Tolvajarvi had to be abandoned for good. The Finns captured 20 tanks of various kinds and numerous anti-tank weapons and machine guns. Last but not least, this was the first successful Finnish offensive of the war – where Taipale had shown the nation that the Soviets could be stopped, Tolvajarvi proved that they could be beaten back.
The news spread across Finland, then across the globe, and the entire world had something new to look forward to: not the swift Soviet victory (which was definitely off the table by then), but an even worse beating, until Stalin would be forced to abandon his conquest for good.
In the game
This is the third scenario of the historical campaign - you have to take charge and start a Finnish counterattack, and potentially capture a Soviet HQ.
The fighting is happening over the frozen lakes and rivers and it is critical to use terrain to your advantage. You can even try to use ice to sneak into the enemy rear, but if you do that risky move in the wrong place and get spotted - the enemy artillery will wreck your troops. This best be avoided as, unlike the Soviets, you have no extra troops to spare.
Will you be able to win this tough battle and make the Soviets question their overly ambitious conquest plans?
👉 Support us — add the upcoming Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty to your wishlist:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1474770/Strategic_Mind_Spirit_of_Liberty/
With Best Regards from Kyiv
Starni Games team
War in Ukraine - despatch 12 | Power cuts will not stop us
This post was supposed to happen much earlier, but it is really hard to keep up in terms of workload and communication due to the following events:
Starting in October Russia started targeting the power supply infrastructure across the entire Ukraine, conducting hundreds of missile strikes (as much as 70-100 missiles a day on some days). This led to the deterioration of the power supply in Ukraine, which did not have been the case in Kyiv during the first 7 months of the war. Even when the Russian army was 3 km from the city, and their artillery could target the outskirts, I had both a power and internet connection in my apartment. Now, I often do not.
First, the power supply was offered at one schedule, and we adjusted our office hours to fit that. Then the schedule became even worse, and we had to switch to working from home to try and catch the hours with a power supply whenever we can. So, throughout November we were struggling to catch our rhythm and keep our work and communication efficient despite all the problems with power and the internet. We keep working on all our projects, but our team was obviously affected. I would say that November was the most difficult month after March when the war just started, no one knew what to expect and enemy troops were near Kyiv.
There is still hope though. We are working to install the power generator and all the necessary equipment to make our office self-sufficient. We expect that we will be able to return to office work soon. We do hope that it would help us bring the work back up to speed. So we are really looking forward to that, while still doing everything we could under the difficult circumstances.
Now let us move on to other news.
Join Headquarters: World War II Discord server
We invite you to join the dedicated Headquarters: World War II Discord server where you can talk with other players and ask the devs whatever you like. We hope that you will also be able to find players for multiplayer matches there once the game is available.
Click to join
Watch Slitherine NEXT on 13th December
A good opportunity to learn more about Headquarters: World War II. More information is here.
Ukraine War Stories wins Uncut Gems award
We are happy to share with you yet another token of recognition for Ukraine War Stories at the GevGAMM Awards - the Uncut Gems award.
News updates recap:
Units In Spirit of Liberty #2 | Landsverk L-182 Armored Car
Scenario overview #1: The Battle of Taipale
Units In Spirit of Liberty #3 | Jaeger
Screenshot Saturday #19
The day the Winter War began 83 years ago
Units In Spirit of Liberty #4 | Karjalan pelastaja (“The Saviour of Karelia”)
Starni Winter sale ends soon
Do not forget to grab the missing Strategic Mind titles for your collection - the discount will end soon.
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/16499/Strategic_Mind_Complete_Collection/
More news coming up.
The whole team is really thankful for your support - that helps us keep our spirits high and continue working hard on the upcoming games.
With Best Regards from Kyiv
Starni Games team
Units In Spirit of Liberty #4 | Karjalan pelastaja (“The Saviour of Karelia”)
There is a famous adage that Russia's biggest problems are her fools and her roads. The former problem remains very much exclusive, but the latter was omnipresent across the Russian Empire and its holdings, and only somewhat contained by its railway network. When the Empire collapsed in 1917, railroads were the backbone of logistics both in Russia proper and the surrounding states, and Finland was no exception.
In these circumstances, the armored train was an ingenious and efficient way of moving vast firepower across vast distances, and fast. During the Finnish Civil War, the Reds entered the war with Soviet-donated armored trains, and so controlled the railroad. The White Finns didn't have them, and so they needed to either sabotage the railroad (which could backfire dramatically) or quickly get some armored trains of their own. They chose the latter, and gave it their best shot – the Savior of Karelia was the result. Armed with only one 76 mm mountain gun, it had an ironclad locomotive, but the artillery carriage's armor was quite literally a brick wall, reinforced with boards on both sides.
It was surprisingly effective. Used for infantry support, the Savior of Karelia led to numerous victories, to the point where its mere appearance boosted the troops' morale. Often, its incredibly skilled crew and highly precise artillery managed to deter Red formations on their own, routing the enemy even when the train operated on its own.
And in April 1918, the Savior's cannon was finally heard on the Karelian Isthmus, as the last of the Reds were being dealt with. A month later, the Whites won the war, and the Savior of Karelia had completely lived up to its name.
And in Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty, the legendary armored train makes a repeat appearance in the Finns' most desperate hour of need.
In the game
Unlike many other Armoured trains, The Saviour of Karelia holds more symbolic power than actual firepower and thus boosts the capabilities of nearby units. It appears at a very critical moment - as Finns utilize whatever they can to stop the Soviet advance, including an old armored train, that served them well back in the Civil War. Of course, its high mobility and artillery support would also come in handy.
Also, see our previous unit posts:
Landsverk L-182
Vickers 6-ton tank
Jaeger
👉 Support us — add the upcoming Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty to your wishlist:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1474770/Strategic_Mind_Spirit_of_Liberty/
With Best Regards from Kyiv
Starni Games team
Starni Winter Sale begins!
We happy to start our Starni Winter Sale (05-12 Dec) with all of the Strategic Mind titles. If you do not want to wait for Chistmas, and rather start it a little bit early - it is good time to finish your Strategic Mind collection. Have a great time this weekend! :)
Strategic Mind: The Pacific - 40%
https://store.steampowered.com/app/991810/Strategic_Mind_The_Pacific/
Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg - 40%
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1200330/Strategic_Mind_Blitzkrieg/
Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism - 35%
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1341170/Strategic_Mind_Spectre_of_Communism/
Strategic Mind: Fight for Freedom - 30%
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1381850/Strategic_Mind_Fight_for_Freedom/
Save up an additional 20% on top of the discounts above if you get Strategic Mind Complete Collection bundle:
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/16499/Strategic_Mind_Complete_Collection/
Support us by adding Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty to your wishlist
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1474770/Strategic_Mind_Spirit_of_Liberty/
Stay tuned for more news about the Strategic Mind series.
With Best Regards from Kyiv
Oleksandr
The day the Winter War began 83 years ago
It is the last day of November 1939. After months of trying to strongarm Finland into giving up strategically important territories, the Soviet Union finally decides to use force. A casus belli is hastily cooked up, and before any official declarations, the Red Army is already marching on Finland.
The Finnish lines of defense are woefully insufficient, and the nation's army is spread thin.
Soviet strategic bombers are swarming in the skies above Helsinki and other cities and towns.
The Soviet advance is spearheaded by at least 2000 tanks, soon to be reinforced with 4000 more. Finland has 32 at best.
In the West, the expected outcome is the redrawing of the Finnish borders, and that's if Stalin generously allows Finland its continued existence. In the Kremlin, the Red Army is expected to parade through Helsinki in no more than 12 days.
On the night of November 30, the Soviet forces finally cross the border, and for many Finnish soldiers, the shots they are about to take will become the first combat experience of their lives. Some are paralyzed by the colossal military machine they are facing. Some are almost overwhelmed by the stress of firing at another human being.
And a mere few hours later, the Red Army will be bleeding all over the Finnish soil.
Unescorted by infantry, their tanks go up in flames with their crews still inside. Their logistics columns are cut off and decimated by Finnish ambushes. Their soldiers scatter in a panic, getting cut down by small arms fire, or losing their way in the Finnish wilderness, swiftly freezing to death in their autumn equipment.
The Winter War began on this very day 83 years ago. And the young nation of Finland, thought by some to be a fluke of history, was about to forever earn its place among the European equals.
The story of the Winter War, or rather the myth of it, has firmly entered pop culture. The devious Finnish cold, proving that "General Winter" wasn't always on Russia's side, the cunning motti tactics, resulting in endless fields of burned Soviet vehicles. Finally, the greatest sniper in history, the Finnish farmer called Simo Hayha, earned his fame in this very conflict. One can hardly imagine a better example of the David vs Goliath story – as Field Marshal Mannerheim himself said, "I did not think that my men were so good, or that the Russians could be so bad".
There are many more sides to this war, which never quite became mainstream but are fascinating nonetheless. The Finnish ace pilots were some of the best in the world, second only to Germans, and ahead of the Allies. Finnish artillery too was some of the most well-trained and organized in the world at the time, making use of many ingenious tactics and inventions that allowed it to lay down precise and deadly fire. The biggest women's volunteer organization in history, Lotta Svard, earned its fame during this war, aiding in observation, communication, and logistics.
The Finnish defiance during the Winter War took the world by surprise and earned the admiration of the Western states. In Britain, it became a mainstay of 1939-1940 war propaganda: an example that sometimes, the traditional wargame logic of superior numbers was shattered by skill, motivation, and sheer courage.
A few months later, the Soviet Union began to make progress, but by then, the mounting losses had tempered Stalin's appetites. Finland inflicted staggering 168,000 dead and more than 208,000 wounded on the "victorious" Red Army, while losing almost 25,900 dead and 44,000 wounded — one of history's most famous examples of a pyrrhic victory.
While the Finnish delegation in Moscow was forced to cede some territories after all, Finland was able to keep its independence — an outcome that seemed impossible in November 1939. And even that peace treaty only lasted a little over a year, eventually leading to the Continuation War of 1941-1944.
Today, Karelia and some other pre-war Finnish territories remain under Russian control.
In the game
In Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty the first 6 operations of the historical campaign cover the events of the Winter War:
1) Border clashes
2) Battle of Taipale (See our review of that scenario)
3) Battle of Tolvajärvi
4) Battle of Suomussalmi
5) The Second Battle of Summa
6) Battle of Viipuri Bay (1940)
The full historical 15-operation-long campaign covers Winter War, Continuation War, and Lapland War.
Gameplay-wise Winter War part is really tough, since you do not have experienced troops yet, and have yet to get the heroes, better equipment, skills, and some Soviet trophies. AT teh same time the Soviets are also not in their best condition. So, it is critical to make the most out of the situation and strengthen your army to repel the Soviets and be ready for future battles.
👉 Support us — add the upcoming Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty to your wishlist:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1474770/Strategic_Mind_Spirit_of_Liberty/
With Best Regards from Kyiv
Starni Games team
Secreenshot Saturday #19 & Sale ends soon
We are back with the Screenshot Saturday - it is a long while without it, but now we are back with the community-made screenshots you uploaded to the community hub. Check them out and consider sharing your own playthrough with the community. To share great moments from your own playthrough - add them to our community hubs or send them to our Twitter or Discord server. We will post regular news reports with the best ones.
🎖 Today's heroes 🎖
Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
_ Pɑӥȥeɼ_Peiper_
Goopasloppababookaba
Strategic Mind: Fight for Freedom
Germania
Strategic Mind: The Pacific
Arkblade
GhostLight
Steam Autumn sale ends in 2 days
Do not forget to get your best deals at Steam Autumn sale, it ends very soon - on October 29th.
Strategic Mind: The Pacific - 40%
https://store.steampowered.com/app/991810/Strategic_Mind_The_Pacific/
Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg - 40%
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1200330/Strategic_Mind_Blitzkrieg/
Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism - 35%
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1341170/Strategic_Mind_Spectre_of_Communism/
Strategic Mind: Fight for Freedom - 30%
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1381850/Strategic_Mind_Fight_for_Freedom/
Save up an additional 20% on top of the discounts above if you get Strategic Mind Complete Collection bundle:
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/16499/Strategic_Mind_Complete_Collection/
Support us by adding Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty to your wishlist
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1474770/Strategic_Mind_Spirit_of_Liberty/
With Best Regards from Kyiv
Oleksandr
Units In Spirit of Liberty #3 | Jaeger
"Jaeger" is a German word for hunter, and it isn't a coincidence: for these units, soldiers with hunting backgrounds were perfect. It was a traditional name for light infantry intended for reconnaissance and skirmishing, and while these used to be considered the less "honorable" types of combat, such units were "the special forces" before the concept of "the special forces".
The story of the Finnish Jaeger in particular begins with World War I. It was a German Army unit created for Finnish volunteers, who were forbidden from military training under the Russian Empire. As a risky and illegal affair, this program drew in only the boldest, most adventurous among the Finnish youth — together with former Imperial Russian Army officers they later formed the core of the Finnish Defense Forces.
By late 1930 Finland had its own jaeger units, drawing upon the experience of their predecessors but uniquely specialized for fighting on Finnish soil. These were highly mobile, highly trained forces, using bicycles and skis to quickly cover ground and outmaneuver the enemy. Even their logistics and maintenance companies were given motorization priority, so that they could keep up the pace!
During the Winter War and the Continuation War the Jaeger became known as the best infantry units of the Finnish Army – just like their predecessors, who were now staffing the nation's High Command.
In the game
The Finnish army lacked armour vechicle, but excelled at all types of Infantry troops who were eager to protect their homeland. That is why in Spirit of Liberty we will focus on the Infatry units more than in all previous Strategic Mind titles. Jaegers are Finnish elite troops, but ont the only ones. In the next episodes we will cover more of the unique Finnish Infantry units.
Also, see our previous unit posts:
Landsverk L-182
Vickers 6-ton tank
👉 Support us — add the upcoming Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty to your wishlist:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1474770/Strategic_Mind_Spirit_of_Liberty/
With Best Regards from Kyiv
Starni Games team
Steam Autumn Sale begins!
We are be joining the annual Steam Autumn Sale (22-29 Nov) with all of the Strategic Mind titles. Great opportunity to finish your Strategic Mind collection and check out other strategy titles out there. Have a great time this weekend! :)
Strategic Mind: The Pacific - 40%
https://store.steampowered.com/app/991810/Strategic_Mind_The_Pacific/
Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg - 40%
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1200330/Strategic_Mind_Blitzkrieg/
Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism - 35%
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1341170/Strategic_Mind_Spectre_of_Communism/
Strategic Mind: Fight for Freedom - 30%
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1381850/Strategic_Mind_Fight_for_Freedom/
Save up an additional 20% on top of the discounts above if you get Strategic Mind Complete Collection bundle:
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/16499/Strategic_Mind_Complete_Collection/
Support us by adding Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty to your wishlist
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1474770/Strategic_Mind_Spirit_of_Liberty/
Stay tuned for more news about the Strategic Mind series.
With Best Regards from Kyiv
Oleksandr