Old Tricks Never Die

It seems that every time I dig into my old Nuts & Bolts to research some other topic I find yet another "Tricks and Treats" tidbit cleverly hidden away. This is another good one, well worth keeping up your sleeve. By the way, I was able to confirm at Europafest II in Dallas that these tricks were the product of the nimble mind of our Editor Emeritus, Gary Stagliano. This one very nearly falls into the sick trick category. (I admit the distinction is growing less and less clear in my mind! I suppose a slick trick is merely a legal sick trick.)

Trick #8: FitE Soviet

Break down divisions into components to gain added movement points to destroy rails and bridges. This works especially well for units isolated or unsupplied in the German rear areas.

Here's a good reason to keep such forces penned in ZOCs!

A similar situation confronted my Axis team in a recent game of SE. During the course of a hasty withdrawal, the Soviets left a 4-6 Rifle XX at the rail junction in hex 2A:4426. The unit was out of reach of Axis units which might attack it during the combat phase.

Fearing the above trick, we dispatched a Ju87B air unit on a harassment mission over the 4-6 and also placed the unit in the ZOC of a motor division during exploit. Thus its 1- 6 regiments would be forced to spend at least five MPs to move to any adjacent hex should the 4-6 break down, leaving them with insufficient MPs to perform any destruction. It was never confirmed that we defused a slick trick; however, in its next turn the 4-6 elected to move into the empty swamp hex in 2A:4527 without tearing up anything. During our next turn we acquired the Bryansk rail net intact, perhaps proving that slime doesn't always pay.

Another Slick Trick

Here's a "guest" trick from P.J. Haugh, who offers the following:

FitE/SE Axis

In SE, when rebuilding destroyed Rumanian and Hungarian forces, rebuild only the cadres of 5-6 and 5-8 divisions, which then enter the reserves (Rule 31.1 and 31.2). Accumulate the remaining replacement points. Each cadre is counted as only 1 RE in size (3D) when released from reserve. After the cadres reach an Axis-owned city in the USSR, use the accumulated RPs to rebuild the units to their full strength. The net effect is to allow more Rumanian and Hungarian strength to reach the front lines. This "tactic" is particularly useful in 1943-44, when only 6 Rumanian REs are released altogether.

A variation of this trick can be exercised in the 1941 campaign. By accumulating all Rumanian RPs one can amass a fair supply to use for rebuilding the Rumanian 5-6 divisions if reduced to 2-6 cadres. Utilizing 5-6's when assaulting "hero cities" allows these units to be used to soak up quite a bit of the losses usually caused by the presence of Soviet NKVD units in such battles. After the city has been taken, the 5-6's advance into the hex and the accumulated RPs are used to build them back to full strength.

A Contest

We invite you to submit your plan for the best opening Axis move for last issue's Kasserine Crisis scenario. List where each unit starts and moves, any battles, and a proposed exploit. Be sure to include how the Luftwaffe will be utilized.

Alternately, list where you would deploy the Allied "free deployment" units (21st and 175th Cons III, 5th mot Art X, 34/168th Inf III, one step of supply and one transport counter) and why.

Using subjective evaluation, I will choose two winners (One Axis and one Allied) who will each be awarded $15 in GR/D credit. The winning plans will also appear in a future issue. The deadline for submissions is November 1, 1990.

A Free Countersheet

Included with this magazine each member of The Europa Association received a free mounted countersheet containing a number of the latest Europa markers. A facsimile of this sheet appears at the end of this magazine. Members and nonmembers alike may use these pages to reproduce copies for home mounting. Here's how the new markers work:

Temporary airfields have been revised to a capacity of 3 (rather than 2 as previously) and are built in clear weather by spending two MPs for each step of capacity. For instance, if a construction unit spends two MPs, a temporary airfield with a two hit marker is placed in the hex.

Permanent airfields of 3 capacity may be built by a construction unit and one resource point. Two construction units and resource points can build a permanent airfield with a capacity of 6, etc., up to a maximum possible capacity of 12 air units. Of course, a construction unit can upgrade an existing airfield in increments of 3 capacity in subsequent turns by expending additional RPs. In summary, each 3 capacity level of a permanent airfield costs one resource point and requires one construction unit one turn to build, up to a maximum of 12 capacity.

In concert with these higher capacities for airfields, markers with more hits on them are now provided. Thus 3 and 6 hit markers have been created. Other counters include combat-odds and modifier markers, and fort markers with "under construction" indicators printed on their backsides.

Next Issue

We will feature a short scenario for Western Desert entitled Enter Rommel. This gem will start with the Axis Mar 11 41 turn and end Jun 11 41 (seven turns). It will cover Rommel's First Offensive and the British Battleax counteroffensive. The scenario will also serve as an alternate starting point for the "War in the Desert" campaign game (this is the traditional starting point used in other titles on the subject such as Afrika Korps). The scenario will have tight, well-tested victory conditions of its own, thus making it ideal for an afternoon beer-and-pretzels game, a F-T-F tournament match, or an introduction for newcomers to Europa.

Also in the next issue, David Hughes looks at more missing Europa units, this time the British Marines. Roy Lane will continue to expound on German tactics in 1941, and Mark Pitcavage turns his sharp eye to game strategy in Western Desert.

Look for Issue #15 to appear in late October. By then we should be playing...

Balkan Front

The components of the game are reaching completion and based on what has been finalized to date, this is going to be an achievement for which GR/D can be justifiably proud.

The box art is visually stunning; to my taste this is the best-looking Europa box ever. The countersheets are also completed - super! The maps I have not seen, but Winston has, and is ecstatic with the results. Rules, charts, and scenarios are all that remain to be finished. John Astell presses hard to wrap up the project as this issue goes to press.

The counters are not perfect. A few errors and a possible omission have been noted: The British "W" artillery unit was erroneously printed with an infantry symbol, but since this unit remains the same as in Western Desert, a IN corrected counter" can be borrowed from that game. The Greek "Mekh" motorized cavalry regiment is printed with a motorized infantry symbol, but this has no impact on play. The Greek F4F-3A and MB.151 fighter units were incorrectly printed with a "B", indicating them to be bombers. Some minor surgery should set things right.

The possible omission regards the lack of breakdown brigades for the 6th and 7th Aus. divisions and the 2nd NZ division. These counters can be pilfered from WD, but will not sport the nifty new color scheme for differentiating Commonwealth contingents.

The Balkan Front counters contain many exciting new concepts. In addition to the changes in the markers, many changes have been made in the presentation of the unit counters. To enhance play, the backs of all air units now display the aircraft type and the word "inop." Italian and Yugoslavian units are identified with their unit name as well as number. For example, 131st Armored Division "Centauro" is identified "131 Cn." The backs of corps markers now have a special hash marking to indicate an overstacked condition, when applicable.

There is one especially nifty German counter which is already a favorite of mine: the fighting 188th Reserve Mountain Division. In addition to boasting a unique unit symbol, it also sports the unusual strength and movement rating of 6-7.

A number of revisions have been made to air unit ratings. To list but a handful: a Ju52 now has a range of 20; the Ju88A is 4B5, while the He 111H is 4B4; a Ju87R has a range of 13, as does the Do17Z. All of the changes were hailed by those "air experts" present at Europafest as improvements.

A final treat is the inclusion of the Bulgarian Order of Battle for Europa, which appears below.

ORIGINS Europa Seminars

John Astell conducted two very enlightening seminars at ORIGINS '90 in Atlanta. During the second session, Winston Hamilton joined John to discuss plans for the future of the Europa series and GR/D. Here are some highlights.

All new-style maps have been completed in draft form and will start to appear in the many upcoming releases. They will at first glance look the same as the old maps, but closer examination will reveal a far richer tapestry of detail. Narrow straits; port sizes; names of rivers, lakes, oceans and mountains; weather lines crossing water areas; reference points and important fortification information will now be displayed on the maps to aid play and add flavor. John reassured the 50 or so faithful who attended the two sessions that the new maps will indeed match up with the old ones, with no more problems than exist using the old maps. If any confusion might arise, guidelines will be provided to clarify things.

The latest production schedule will see Balkan Front published in October, followed by First to Fight, which is the Collector Series remake of Case White. Jockeying for position behind them are Second Front, Gary Stagliano's Russo-Finnish War, a Collector Series remake of Narvik; and the Spanish Civil War game, For Whom the Bell Tolls. No doubt Second Front will get the most attention, as GR/D hopes to have this game out by ORIGINS '91.

A number of interesting facts were revealed about this bonanza of games under development. For example, First to Fight will include the units necessary to field the entire 1939 German Army. Thus the possibility exists that a Master Scenario will be included covering both Poland and the Western Front. For Whom the Bell Tolls will be a big (and expensive) game, containing one and a half maps and FIVE countersheets. Winston remarked that this game, because of its size (i.e. price) and unknown market appeal will have to wait until the company has gained a little more stability. He did, however, vow that this title would eventually be published. Russo-Finnish War will have only one map showing all of Finland and include the 1939 Soviets and Finns, and probably the forces of the Baltic States as well. With the publication of the games in this wave, the historical OBs for all participants at a 1939 start date will be available.

As if the above weren't enough to whet even the greediest Europa fan's appetite, there is a game under development by Jason Long which hypothesizes that the Czechs are sold out at the Munich Conference, but elect to resist. The Soviets intervene on the side of the Czechs and the Germans are in for quite a tussle. In fact, at Europafest II the Czechs, under the able command of A.E. Goodwin, trounced the Huns handily.

And if you really like to daydream of things to come, you will love this item: there are plans underway to provide a direct link between World War II in Europe and the Pacific Theater. Negotiations are underway with GMT Games, a small company presently working on the remake of SPI's old classic, War in the Pacific. This game, to be retitled Great War in the Pacific, may be designed in such a fashion that GR/D can create a module which describes how units moving between the European and Pacific theaters are converted from Europa counters to GWitP counters and vice versa!

The final naval system for Europa remains well downstream, but reportedly will be done eventually. This module will almost certainly use the Mediterranean as its subject. The game will probably be done at two levels, a task force level and full-scale level. The latter will most resemble what appeared in Their Finest Hour, but with much more detail. The biggest problem confronting this project is TIME. John just doesn't know when he will find a block of design time large enough to undertake this project with so many other efforts still in the pipeline.

The strategic air war appears far too boring to be hammered into a worthwhile simulation; thus this will most likely remain in the abstract.

A production module is even further down the pike, but now we are definitely drifting into the realm of Grand Europa, and I wish to cover this in more detail than the space I have remaining will allow, so we will close the book for now and pick this train of thought back up in the next issue.

Until then let me leave you with the immortal words of baseball great, Hal McRae: "History is good. But hell, history don't last forever."

Corrections to TEM #13

Kasserine Crisis Components: Use any necessary charts from "War in the Desert."

Add to Rule 2: "The capacity of the off-map port in the Morocco box is unlimited."

Add to Rule 11: "The off-map airbase in the Morocco box has a capacity of 100."

German Air OB: One of the two He 111H air units which starts the scenario is a type "V" unit.

Allied Initial OB: Clarification-The following units start the game in the Vichy French North Africa Replacement Pool: 3 x 1-6* Inf X (Mar/4M, Cas/2M, Tun/2T); 1 x 1-2-6* Inf X (Cas/lM); 1 x 2-1-8* Lt Arm X (BLM-M); 2 x D.520; and 1 x LeO.451.

The British 1st Para X is in its breakdown box, not the replacement pool.

The Italian 0-8 Lt Tk II in "A Duel in the Desert" should start in Benghazi, to comply with Rule 28A4. Peter had it there originally, but his editor relocated it at 3224. Sorry, Peter!

Corrections inserted in MagWeb.com archive--RL