May units be deployed broken down during the initial set-up?

No, Scorched Earth Rule 36 applies here; only units in weather zones A and G may be deployed broken down.

The Soviet order of battle rates the 8th Mech XXX as a 16-8, but my, counter for this unit is rated 18-8. Which is right?

The SE errata sheet dated May 1 89 changed this unit's rating to a 16-8, and the counter in the SE Version 1.5 reprint reflects this. If you do not have this counter, substitute 1x 16-8 Mech XXX 7.

May units voluntarily move off the map and leave the playing area?

No, however they may be forced to retreat off the playing area; this case is governed by the scenario rule entitled "Playing Area and Restrictions."

Speaking of that rule, what if a unit is forced to retreat off a map edge and there is no friendly hex available along that map edge in the owning player's next turn?

The reentry of the retreated unit is delayed until such a hex is available.

No VPs are awarded for regiments in the replacement pool at the end of the scenario. Can't I manipulate the VPs by breaking down some of my divisions into regiments?

At the end of play prior to calculation of VPs, if all the regiments of a division are in the replacement pool, return them to the breakdown box, and place their division in the replacement pool.

Can't I build any forts during this scenario?

No, as there are no resource points available to either side. The designer did not feel fort-building was an important aspect of this fluid campaign.

Rules or Reality?

Just prior to going to press we received the following letter from Jack Radey:

"Dear Europa Folks,

I am sending this to you, seeing that the Kiev scenario is coming up soon. I was originally asked to do this one, and rapidly bogged down in the conflict between reality and the rules. To wit: the stacking rules.

In the opening Soviet attack, they concentrated in the Lyutezh bridgehead. Yes, indeedy.

At scenario set up, Nov I 43, in hex 0308 you will find six (and possibly nine) rifle divisions, an artillery division and an artillery brigade.

In hex 0408 we find 12 to 15 rifle divisions, a tank corps, a motorized brigade, an artillery brigade, two artillery divisions and a rocket division!

In hex 0906 will be found 10 rifle divisions (3 of them depleted, 2 weak), 3 artillery brigades, plus, in a tiny bridgehead in 0907 that is mostly German-held, 3 more rifle divisions and an antitank brigade; best choice is probably to put them in 0906 also.

In their initial assault the Soviets attack 5 hexes from 0308 and 0408. The Germans are defending them with three infantry divisions, three depleted infantry divisions (which almost immediately formed a Corps Group), a depleted panzer division, two sturmgeschdtz (assault gun) battalions and an artillery regiment. They are assaulted with 21 rifle divisions, 3 artillery divisions, I rocket division, three tank corps, a mechanized corps, a tank brigade, a motorized brigade, a rocket brigade and an artillery brigade. All attacking from two hexes! Note that more stuff has moved across the Dnepr to join the attack as compared to the above set up.

I will look forward to seeing how the scenario deals with this problem. What will give, the rules or reality?"

Simulating the Soviet Nov I 43 attack at Kiev, which unfolded exactly as Jack has outlined it, obviously presented Flavio with a tough challenge. Using the SE rules as written, and with the Soviets confined during set up to a two-hex Lyutezh bridgehead and a one-hex Bukrin bridgehead, his playtesters reported that the Soviets were consistently getting stuffed. As Jack surmises, something had to be done to blend the rules with reality.

Flavio tackled the problem by using a little artistic license, and adding some special scenario rules.

First, he slightly expanded the size of the two bridgeheads to allow more Soviet units to fit into them. After all, given the artificial nature of map hexes, terrain is slightly distorted under the best of circumstances. Rivers stray a little off course to conform to hexsides, and cities are pulled or pushed along with them. There is always a certain amount of judgement involved when converting period situation maps into scenario start lines. It is Flavio's prerogative as designer to interpret how to handle bridgeheads that fall into parts of more than one hex.

In his scenario rules, Flavio grants the Soviets player both initiative and surprise by allowing him to set up after the German deployment is complete, and then move first in each turn. He also gives the Red Army extra punch with a strength-multiplier for artillery divisions during the Soviet Nov I 43 combat phase.

Finally, by endowing cavalry units with exploitation capability, Flavio allows the Soviet player to stack these units in hex 0407 behind the bridgehead, and then move them through any gap that has been created during exploitation movement, modeling the manner in which these units actually operated.

All in all, we think Flavio did a remarkable job in designing a scenario that works both as a competitive game and a reasonable recreation of the historical event. But, in the final analysis, it will be up to you, the Europa gamer, to decide for yourself. Play it and see!

Rules Court

The Battle for Kiev, 1943 Scenario
Other Europa Topics
Popofsky Partisans