An experienced Axis player is taking on a relative novice to the Europa system in a game of Fire in the East/Scorched Earth/Urals. The beginner has acquitted himself well as the Soviet player, and been learning the ropes quickly under severely competitive conditions. Nonetheless, he has committed several blunders and the Axis player has taken full advantage of them. Also, our Soviet newcomer has been plagued by horrible weather rolls, resulting in clear or frost weather in zones B and C in 10 of the first 11 turns. Balancing things somewhat in his favor is the fact that the game is being played at his house, thus giving him the "home field advantage". What this means in game terms is that the Axis player comes to the Soviet player's home and makes his moves in marathon sessions, sometimes lasting 4-5 hours, while the Soviet player has more time to study the board and make his moves at a more leisurely pace, without the burden of time constraints.

Several house rules are in effect, one of which has a direct bearing on the case: the use of incremental odds. Briefly stated, the final combat odds are determined by making a preliminary dice roll using decimal dice. Example: The raw odds are determined to be 3.47 to 1, but rather than rounding this down to 3:1 as required by the rules as written, a special "odds determination" dice roll is made using percentile dice. If the result of this dice roll results is a number 47 or less, then the odds are rounded up to the next odds column. In this example, if a "26" result were rolled on the special percentile dice roll, the final odds would be 4:1, while if a "71" were rolled, the odds would fall to 3:1 as usual.

It is the Jul I 42 turn and bad things have already happened to the Soviets this campaign season (which started early with clear weather in zone B on the May I 42 turn). The Axis have gained a huge advantage by overrunning their way into Moscow, and then capturing the capital and the factory in a subsequent surprise attack. The center of the Soviet line is a shambles, although the northern flank at Leningrad and the southern flank at Rostov and Stalingrad are still holding fairly well. Furthermore, the Soviet army in the field has not yet been defeated, and still packs a lot of power. Therefore, the Soviet player has been loathe to throw in the towel, preferring to see just how much punishment the Red Army can endure, while hoping for a break to come his way. Unexpectedly, from out of nowhere, the big break comes... or does it? You be the judge!

During the Axis Jul I turn the Axis player executes his move in accordance with his early summer campaign plan to capture Moscow and Rostov while driving east in the center. Moscow is 'in the bag" and the panzers are moving relatively unopposed toward the Volga east from Voronezh. Rostov, however, will be a tough nut to crack, and so the Axis player is moving reinforcements into place. Two large stacks of rail artillery and numerous fighter aircraft wings have arrived in the area recently in anticipation of a long siege through August. However, the Axis player is confident he will ultimately prevail and capture the "Gateway to the Caucasus", as he has already gained control of four of the hexes adjacent to the city.

Play proceeds to the combat phase and the Axis is wielding a hot die. After making his planned attacks he has racked up some 150 points of Soviet losses, and remarkably lost none of his own units. The Axis player states that he is feeling lucky, and proceeds to search the board for additional attacks. He realizes that these attacks will be more risky, but he feels he has been so fortunate thus far that he can risk "a bloody nose". He makes a low-odds attack in the north, gaining an important hex near Kalinin with a DR. Flushed with success, the Axis player thinks that there must be some other attack that he can make, and as fate would have it, turns his gaze towards Rostov.

The Axis player had investigated the feasibility of an attack on Rostov the previous turn, and had a fairly good impression of his assets in the area. After making a cursory inspection of the rather formidable Soviet defensive forces, the Axis player announces that he is going to step up his time table, and make an assault on Rostov earlier than planned. Although an NKVD unit and several Guards divisions will prevent the capture of the city this turn regardless of the combat outcome, the Axis player feels he might be able to soften the city up in order to expedite its eventual capture.

The Soviet player counsels against making the attack, stating bluntly that it seems ill-advised. Our rash German shrugs this off, stating that he will "just have to take his chances". From this point of departure a series of events and circumstances unfold that bring the Axis player to the brink of disaster--a disaster which threatens to unhinge his entire campaign. Faced with this crisis, the Axis player cites extenuating circumstances and asks that the combat be overturned, modified, or negated. The Soviet player demurs. Unable to agree on the correct combat result, the two players turn to Rules Court to settle the dispute. Each player has chosen a GRD employee to judge the case. The players have agreed that if the two judges can arrive at a unanimous decision, they will abide by the results. The two adversaries present their cases here. The verdicts rendered will appear in the next issue. We'd like to hear your verdicts, too, so mail them in!

Rules Court The Case of the Rostov Attack

General Background
The Case for the Prosecution: Soviet
The Case for the Defense: Axis

Rules Court The Verdict of the Rostov Attack: Part 2

General Background
The Verdict for the Prosecution: Soviet
The Verdict for the Defense: Axis