Slitherine

I propose that Finland activate the same turn the Germans declare war on the Soviet Union (like Persia). If possible, I would also like to see the Axis be able to move the troops immediately on that turn. I would otherwise keep Finland's activation date as is - for midsummer of '41 (so the Finns would still activate at that point if the Germans have not yet declared war on Russia). I think this is better from an historical point of view and also makes it at least a little tougher for the Russians to launch an early invasion of Finland when Finland is completely unprepared and its troops unentrenched (which can happen if the Germans declare war on Russia before Finland activates).

I tend to agree with your suggestion. I've just finished a game in which my opponent started Barbarossa in March 41 but I suspected for a number of reasons that he was going to go early, so I built 2 TACs at Petrozavodsk and 2 MECH at Leningrad-Novgorod and DOWed Finland in May (once my readiness had improved). The result was a pretty rapid Finnish collapse (I think I killed three Finnish corps in the first 3 turns) despite the Germans being very successful in southern Russia.

This has been fixed and will be available in the next beta patch. Finland will join in spring 1941 as usual or when USSR activates. So it's possible to get Finland before Barbarossa, but not after. If Finland joins on the turn of Barbarossa only the German unit in Finland can move. So the Finns will be inactive for one turn, but they can do something the turn after before the Russians can launch an offensive.