Balkan Front Q&A

When a naval transport point (NTP) is eliminated, is it eliminated permanently or just temporarily? If the latter, when do you get it back? (20F2h)

If you find a rule ambiguous and can't see how to play it as written, by all means ask. However, you can generally count on the rules being complete and telling you how to play the game correctly. If an NTP is eliminated only temporarily, then you can count on the rules telling you what happens in this instance.

Occasionally, players think the rules are unclear or incomplete because they expect the rule to work somewhat different than the way it does. (Alas, I often do this myself when reading the rules of other designers' games.) If you have trouble with a rule, reread it fresh, as if for the first time, and see if this helps. Now, I'm not claiming that the rules are perfect or free of errors-I make mistakes and sometimes explain things poorly. If you have a problem you can't resolve, always write in and ask.

War in the Desert Q&A

Why is the Jewish Brigade missing in WitD? Didn't the British form it in Palestine during the time period of the game?

The Jewish Infantry Brigade Group was officially formed in Egypt on 28 Sept. 1944, but the brigade did not begin to function until 6 Oct. 1944, when Lieutenant Colonel P.F.A. Growse became the acting commander. (The actual commander, Brigadier E.F. Benjamin, took over on 20 Oct.) The brigade was formed with three infantry battalions: the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd battalions of the Palestine Regiment. (Palestine was the name of British-controlled region that later became Israel. In Word War II, "Palestine" did not automatically refer to an Arab region, as it does today.) These battalions served in the brigade to the end of the war. The brigade also had a light AA battery in 1944 and a "field regiment" (an artillery battalion) for most of the first half of 1945.

The Jewish Brigade sailed from Egypt on 31 Oct. and arrived in Italy on 5 Nov. It served in Italy throughout the rest of the war in Europe, under various formations of the 15th Army Group.

See H.F. Joslin, Orders of Battle (London, 1960) for further order of battle details for the Jewish Brigade.

First to Fight Q&A

Why is German railroad artillery 2-1-R now? It used to be 2-0-R.

The 0-defense-strength for heavy artillery, including siege and RR artillery, understated defensive effects. Heavy artillery was not just a offensive weapon, and the Germans often used these guns on the defense, particularly in the Soviet Union in 1943-44. With a defense strength of 0, this aspect of their use is lost. Another benefit is that it no longer rewards ahistorical tactics-in some games, when the German players go on the defensive, they yank the heavy artillery from the line (since it contributes nothing to the defense) and use it to support units hunting partisans.

Are you going to change FITE/SE for this? Can I use it now?

As GR/D publishes the collector's editions of the game, artillery units with a printed defense strength of 0 will go to defense strengths of 1. (1 think-1 haven't yet checked every single artillery unit to see if there are any exceptions.) As for using this in current Europa games, if everyone playing the game agrees, go ahead. Otherwise, you'd better stick to the counters as printed in the games.

Why are the 2-1-R called "RR siege artillery" rather than just "RR artillery"?

Europa now uses the following conventions for artillery characteristics:

All railroad artillery units receive an "R" movement rating. The unit symbol, however, is not automatically RR siege artillery. Instead, it is whatever is appropriate for the unit's gun characteristics.

The artillery (field artillery) symbol is used for small- caliber artillery: guns unable to achieve siege artillery effects. This includes the smaller-caliber RR guns, such as the German 2-1-R artillery regiment in First to Fight. Units with the artillery symbol, including rail guns, do not have a two-hex range.

The siege artillery symbol is used for larger-caliber guns able to achieve siege artillery effects. The dividing line between field and siege artillery is around 200mm, adjusted for gun characteristics. (For example, German 21cm (210mm) howitzers rate as field artillery, while the US 8-inch (203mm) guns rate as siege artillery.)

The RR siege artillery symbol (called "long-range siege artillery," for non-rail units) is used for siege artillery with a two-hex range, such as the German 2-1-R siege artillery battalions in the FTF OB. While most long-range artillery is rail-bound, some towed or self-propelled long- range siege artillery will appear in Europa.

Why aren't there any German or Soviet corps markers in FTF? These countries need them more than the Poles do!

The counter density in FTF, especially after the first turn, isn't bad, so corps markers aren't really needed in the game. I would have put German and Soviet markers in the game, anyway, except I ran out of room in the counter mix. The Polish corps markers are included in the game because the Polish counters are for use in Europa, not just FTF.

FTF marks one Soviet unit as "winterized," but there's no rule about it. Should there be? If not, why bother marking the counter?

No winterization rule is needed, as the game ends before the onset of winter. I hope to do a scenario, however; that links FTF with Fall of France and allows for the possibility of a French offensive against Germany taking the German pressure off Poland. In this case, the Poles might last into winter, with possible winterization effects being needed.

I've seen the 10th Panzer Division listed in some books as part of the OKH Reserves at the start of the war, while the FTF OB puts it in the Army Group North reserves. What gives?

Technically, several divisions, including 10th Panzer, were part of the OKH Reserves on 1 Sept. 1939, while the game shows them assigned to other commands. These divisions all transferred from the OKH Reserves to the other commands early on 1 Sept. For simplicity, the OB shows them with these other commands at the start of the war.

They are:

• Army Group North: 10th Panzer Division.
• Army Group South: 1st and 2nd Mountain Divisions; 56th, 57th, and 252nd Infantry Divisions.
• 1st Army. 75th Infantry Division.
• 5th Army. 76th and 87th Infantry Divisions.

First to Fight. August Attack Option

On 26 August 1939, Hitler ordered Case White, the invasion of Poland, for the 27th. He lost his nerve and cancelled the invasion, not ordering it again until the 31st. He could have decided to invade Poland anytime from the 26th, and this option assumes he ordered the invasion to start on the 29th. This would mean an invasion before Poland had ordered general mobilization (although its secret mobilization was already advanced) or dispersed its combat aircraft. Despite the Germans not needing a further advantage in First to Fight, the earlier invasion would have gained them this. The following rules show how you can add this:

FTF now has a Game Turn 0, which occurs immediately before Game Turn 1. Turn 0 is played the same as any game turn, with the following exceptions:

Do not hold out any German aircraft (as called for in Rule 29, Preparing for Play) and do not use Optional Rule 31E, First Turn Air Strikes. All German aircraft are available for operations, and no Polish aircraft are secretly deployed.

Polish units listed under "High Command Reserves and Units in Transit" on the Polish order of battle may not move during the movement phase of the Polish player turn of Game Turn 0.

Inside Europa

Europa Q&A: BF, WitD, FtF
First to Fight. Lithuania
FtF to FoF: Draft German OB