Introduction

The Flames of Baku is an Europa microgame that simulates the proposed attack of French and British air forces on the oil fields in the Caucasus region of the Soviet Union in the summer of 1940. Although the rules given are for a two-player game, it is very playable solitaire. Playing time, excluding setup, should not exceed twenty minutes.

Hypothetical Background

By mid-June, 1940, the German invasion of France has momentarily stalled. Although French counterattacks contained the invaders' initial break-throughs around St. Quentin, subsequent German attacks have achieved further penetrations. The Allies have conducted an orderly withdraw from Belgium and have established a new line along the Somme and Aisne Rivers. A new German offensive against this line is expected at any time. With the situation steadily deteriorating, the Allied High Command decides to launch their long planned air attack on the Soviet oil fields in a desperate bid to cripple the German economy and turn the tide of battle.

Components

The Flames of Baku requires components from several Europa games.

Maps

The Near East provides Map 21. Scorched Earth provides Maps 8A and 9A. However, the rules for using the "Supplemental Map Display" allow play without having all the maps.

Counters

Fire in the East contains the Soviet air and antiaircraft units. French units come from Fall of France. British units come from Balkan Front, Western Desert, or Fall of France. Note that all three British Well 1C units (BF, WD, FoF) have different ratings. Use the bombing ratings from the Balkan Front unit. Only one Well 1C unit is available from Balkan Front, The Flames of Baku Order of Battle requires two. Players may make another Well 1C unit, or use a Well 1C from another game and mentally correct the ratings. Each air unit's rating is provided in the Orders of Battle in case players do not have one of the needed titles.

Rules

Use the latest addition of Europa air rules you have available, as modified below under "Special Rules." The rules used during the scenario's development were those from Balkan Front. Notice that these rules and Designer's Notes comprise the center four pages of the magazine and are detatchable, if desired. Just pry up the two binding staples, carefully remove this four-page rule set, and then bend the staples back into their original positions.

Prepare for Play

Set up maps 21, 8A and 9A. You may fold map 8A in half and use only the southern portion. The Soviet player deploys his forces first, as given in the Order of Battle below. The Allied Player then deploys his forces. Play commences with an Allied special surprise turn, followed by the Allied Jun II player turn. The Soviet player is the second player.

Special Rules

Neutral Territory

Through diplomatic pressure, the Allies have gained use of the Turkish airfield at Cizre, in hex 21:2913. Allied units may not initially deploy at Cizre, but may use it as a friendly air base from the game's beginning, including staging though Cizre on the special surprise turn. Although Turkey and Iran are still neutral countries, air units of both sides may overfly Turkish and Iranian territory without penalty. The Allied Player may use the Turkish railroad from hex 21:2930 to 21:3015. The Allied Player gains one Victory Point if Soviet units bomb Turkish or Iraqi territory (maximum 1 VP per game).

Special Surprise Turn

Prior to the first game turn (Jun II 40), the Allied player receives a special surprise attack turn. The surprise attack consists solely of a single Allied air phase. All Allied rolls on the bombing table receive a +1 modifier during the surprise attack turn. Soviet air units may not perform patrol attacks, interceptions, or scrambles during the surprise attack turn. Soviet antiaircraft points function normally. Allied air units aborted during the surprise attack turn cannot roll for repair until the Allied Jul I player turn.

Allied Bomber Ranges

The ranges of all the French A-22 and Fa.222 air units are increased by three for all purposes. This raises the range of the three units affected to 22 hexes. Ranges of other air units are not affected.

Oil fields

Oil field bombing is a strategic bombing mission.

Baku (9A:1506) is a major oilfield. The Allied Player receives five victory points for each bombing hit scored on Baku. There is no maximum to the number of hits that can be scored on Baku during the game.

Batumi (9A:0733) is a minor oilfield. The Allied Player receives three victory points for each bombing hit scored on Batumi up to a maximum of three hits per game.

Groznyy (8A:4932) is a minor oilfield. The Allied Player receives three victory points for each bombing hit scored on Grozny up to a maximum of two hits per game.

Reinforcements

Soviet reinforcements appear at any Soviet airfield. British reinforcements appear at Habbaniya. French reinforcements appear at Alep.

Replacements

The Allied Player receives air replacement points. Each replacement point can replace one eliminated Allied air unit of the appropriate nationality. The replaced unit appears at Alep, if French; or Habbaniya, if British.

Supply

All units are always in supply.

Weather

Weather conditions are "Clear" for the entire game.

Victory Conditions

A. Game Length

The scenario starts with the Allied Special Surprise Attack Turn of Jun II 1940 and ends at the conclusion of the Soviet Player Turn of Jul II 1940. Play lasts for three complete game turns in addition to the surprise attack.

B. Victory Points

Only the Allied player scores victory points, as given by the table below.

Victory Point Table. Upon occurrence.
+5 for every hit scored on Baku (no maximum).
+3 for every hit scored on Batumi (up to a maximum of 3 hits per game).
+3 for every hit scored on Groznyy (up to a maximum of 2 hits per game).
-2 for every Allied air unit aborted.
-4 for every Allied air unit eliminated.
+1 if the Soviet player bombs Turkish or Iraqi territory at any time during the game.

C. Levels of Victory

At the end of the game, the Allied player compares his victory point total to the following schedule to find the appropriate Level of Victory.

Level of Victory Schedule

Level of Victory Allied VPs

Allied Decisive Victory 27 or more
Allied Substantial Victory 22-26
Allied Marginal Victory 17 to 21
Soviet Marginal Victory 13 to 16
Soviet Substantial Victory 9 to 12
Soviet Decisive Victory 8 or less

Allied Order of Battle

French Armee de l'Air

Alep (21:3231).

1x Fa.222 (3NB3 2-6/19*)
2x A-22 (3135 4-2/19*)
1x MS.406 (4 F 5 0/8)
2 pts hv Pos AA

*special range of 22

RAF

Mosul (21:3509)

2x Well 1C (4NB3 2-9/28)
1x Glad (3F3 0/8)
1 pt hv Pos AA

Airfields. Place Allied airfields in hexes 21:2913 (Cizre) and 21:5007 (Habbaniya).

French Air Repair. 1
British Air Repair: 1, 2
Allied Rail Capacity. 2 REs

Reinforcements

Jul I 40
1x LeO.451 (4134 2-6/27)
1 British air replacement

Jul II 40
1 French air replacement

Soviet Order of Battle

Any Soviet air base
1x I-15bis QF2 0/9)
1x I-153 (3F3 0/9)
1x 1-16 (4F3 0/8)

Groznyy (8A:4932)
2 pts hv Pos AA

Batumi (9A:0733)
3 pts hv Pos AA

Tbilisi (9A:0822)
1 pt hv Pos AA

Baku (9A:1506)
5 pts hv Pos AA

Yerevan (9A:1624)
1 pt hv Pos AA

Soviet Air Repair: 1
Soviet Rail Capacity: 1 RE

Reinforcements

Jun II 40
1x 1-153 (3F3 0/9)
1x 1-16 (4F3 0/8)

Jul I 40
1x I-16 (4F3 0/8)
2x DB-313 (2133 1-2/24)
2 pts hv Pos AA.

Variants

The Auction Game

Do not pick which player will play the Allies and which player will play the Soviets. Do not use the normal victory conditions. Instead, both players place a secret bid prior to play. Players should note their bid on scratch paper. The high bid plays the Allies. The victory points needed for an Allied Marginal Victory are equal to that high bid.

If both players place identical initial bids, each player rolls one die. The high roller may bid higher or pass. Players alternate bidding until one player passes. The player with the highest ending bid plays the Allies with points for an Allied Marginal Victory now equal to that highest bid.

Other levels of victory are determined from the table at the bottom of the page.

Auction Game Level of Victory Table
Allied Decisive Victory: Allied Marginal Victory + 10 or more
Allied Substantial Victory: Allied Marginal Victory + 5 to +9
Allied Marginal Victory: High bid in Auction through high bid + 4
Soviet Marginal Victory: Allied Marginal Victory - 1 to - 4
Soviet Substantial Victory: Allied Marginal Victory - 5 to - 8
Soviet Decisive Victory: Allied Marginal Victory - 9 or less

No Near East

Although it may not be as visually appealing, it is possible to play The Flames of Baku without owning The Near East. All the maps are really used for is to define ranges for air missions. In the extreme case, it should even be possible to play without maps 8A and 9A. Without The Near East, use only maps 8A and 9A. All French air missions appear at hex 9A:2432, having begun their mission at Cizre, off map. Cizre is 5 hexes from hex 9A:2432. All British air missions bound for Baku or Groznyy appear at hex 9A:2421, having begun their mission at Mosul, 14 hexes off map to the south. British air missions bound for Batumi appear at hex 9A:2432, having already flown 11 hexes from Mosul.

For the Soviets to fly a bombing mission to Cizre or Mosul, Soviet air units must exit the map at hexes 3A:2432 or 3A:2426, respectively, and use 5 more movement point to reach Cizre, or 11 more movement points to reach Mosul. Patrol, interception and antiaircraft fire are handled in the normal manner, but off-map. "F" type air units may conduct patrol attacks and interceptions against any enemy units which attack the hex in which that "F" type unit is based. The display entitled "Supplemental Map Display" can be used as an aid in unit placement and mission resolution.

The Supplemental Map Display can also be used in lieu of all maps. To do this, trace and resolve all air missions and movement on the display. Conduct patrol attacks and interceptions as above with one exception: the air bases of Poti and Batumi are within patrol range of each other. Assume "F" type units at either location can patrol and/or intercept enemy units attacking the other location.

Designer's Notes

There are certain advantages to developing a hypothetical scenario over an historical one. If something isn't quite convenient or play-balanced, you can just change it.

In developing the OB, I usually rounded the Allied air unit strengths up. This gave the Allies enough units to make a reasonable game. The best example of this is the three Wellington squadrons which I translated into two full Well 1C units. If you must justify this, assume the British flew out a few more planes as insurance. Piekalkiewicz says the French bombers would be Fa.221s. I used Fa.222s. The Fa.221 was an obscure four-engine precursor to the twin-engine Fa.222.

Extending the ranges of the French bomber units was the most artificial modification to Europa, but it proved necessary. Baku and Batumi targets sit just beyond the normal range of the British and French bombers, respectively. It is easy to play the game without range modifications; however, Batumi is within normal range of the Wellingtons. This motivates the Allies to switch the targeting from the original plan and let the long-range British bombers attack Batumi. The shorter range French bombers hit the further target, Baku.

Also, Allied hits become less frequent, the hits needed for victory must become quite low, and victory becomes even more dependent on chance. Without getting into a discussion of discrete vs. continuous strength/range functions, let's just say it makes for a lot better game if we extend the ranges of the Fa.222's and A-22's by 3 hexes.

Incidentally, I began work on FoB before Balkan Front was published, using the 1-6/31 Well 1C unit from Western Desert. Extending that unit's range by three put Baku into normal range and the RAF could bomb Baku on the V column. This actually made a better game, but I wanted to stay as up to date as possible with unit strengths.

Europa is still a dynamic creature, with unit strengths and rules gradually evolving. This is particularly true of the air system as illustrated best by the continuing saga of that infamous Well 1C counter. As these ratings, particularly the French, are officially updated, it is sure to change the play balance of the scenario. FoB could quickly become obsolete, and with this in mind, we developed the "Auction Game," the idea for which has appeared in various places before.

One nice side-effect of the Auction Game is that it lets players make any changes they want to the hypothetical order of battle and not worry directly about the effect on the victory conditions. Think the Russians need more interceptors? How about some French MB.210s or Amiots? Just add them and play an Auction Game. Incidentally, exchanging the MS.406 for a Po.631 gives the Allies the option of an extended range escort mission on a daylight raid to Batumi.

The same thing goes for rules modifications.

Europa's air war is possibly the most popular candidate for "home brew" revisions. If you have a modification you wish to try on Europa air rules, FoB could be a good proving ground before you ruin a game of Scorched Earth.

We always need ways to introduce new players to the Europa system, and The Flames of Baku can do that for the air rules. Many of the air mission mechanics are covered, including patrol attacks, interceptions, AA, night bombing, extended range missions, and staging. The main omission is ground support, but this is also the easiest mission to master. With FoB, a new player can concentrate on air mechanics without the distractions of a ground campaign or the massiveness of, say, the Battle of Britain. Have the new player take the Soviet side for a game, then switch and have the newcomer play the Allies. Since the strategies are relatively straightforward, it is also possible for a new player to win. Admittedly, the best tactic in FoB is to roll high on the Bombing Table.

Overall, I think FoB provides an interesting situation and a peek into some of the truly bizarre situations that could be a part of a Grand Europa campaign. 

"The Flames of Baku" Supplemental Map Display

Using This Display:

This schematic map supplement shows most, if not all, of the relevant map information needed for "Flames of Baku." It can be used in place of the full maps from Near East and Scorched Earth. Simply place units on the appropriate air base display and fly air missions from one circular display to another. Ranges between locations are shown in the boxes lying along the connecting lines.

All "F" type air units may only make patrol attacks and/or interceptions against enemy air units flying missions against the base hex of the "P type unit. The only exception to this if that "F" type units at Poti or Batumi can also make patrol attacks and/or interceptions against enemy aircraft flying missions against either Poti or Batumi.