As the Axis player in Scorched Earth, did you ever wish for more of the Soviet Union to conquer? As the Soviet Player in Scorched Earth, did you ever wish for somewhere further east to hide? With GRD's publication of The Urals module, both sides will see their wishes come true! In brief, The Urals module will provide official Europa maps to cover the terrain off of the eastern edges of Maps 6A, 7A and 8A. From north to south, the new maps will be numbered 28, 29 and 30. Each map will be a full size Europa map that will extend the coverage of the Scorched Earth playing surface to the Ural Mountain range. Map 31 is tentatively scheduled to be included as well. This map will be eleven hexes wide and covers the sliver of the European landmass that refused to fit onto Map 28. Each map will be produced by the GDW art department and printed by the same company used for the existing maps. The new maps will be graphically and aesthetically indistinguishable from the first 27 maps in the ongoing Europa series. This module will also include rules to link the new maps to Scorched Earth, order of battle changes to permit the raising and training of the Eastern Military Districts forces on map or in holding boxes for the individual off-map military districts, a possible scenario covering special forces operations in this region and the official play aids kit covering the module. The new maps will complete the coverage of the Arkhangelsk and Volga Military Districts. The majority of the Urals Military District is covered as well, permitting the raising of Urals Military District forces directly on map. The Central Asia, Siberia, Trans-Baikal and Far East Military Districts forces will continue to be raised off map for the purpose of this particular module. And yes, I am already thinking about how to cover the raising of those forces in a less abstract fashion! More on that idea to follow. Since the centerpiece of this module will almost certainly be the three or four map sheets, presented below is a synopsis of each.

Map 28: Will extend off of the eastern edge of Map 6A and cover the Pechora River (a major river for Europa purposes) basin, most of the northern Ural Mountain chain and the northern coast of European Russia. A portion of the island of Novaya Zemlya will appear on the northern map edge. A rail line will run from the southern edge of the map to the Vorkuta coal region in the northern Urals. Three Europa scale reference cities (similar to those covered on the north coast of Norway) will be covered on this map. The rest of the map will depict a high percentage of intermittent lake, swamp, wooded and forested terrain. The Ural chain will dominate the eastern map edge but will not be fully covered on this map. The 11 hex extension map, numbered Map 31, will be required to cover the terminus of the Vorkuta rail line and the bend in the northern Ural Mountain chain that won't fit onto Map 28.

Map 29: Will extend off of the eastern edge of Map 7A and cover the Kama River (a major for several hexsides) basin, most of the remaining portion of the Ural Military District, portions of the Volga, Central Asia and Siberia Military Districts, four major east-west transportation lines (including the Trans- Siberian rail line) and many Europa scale major, dot and reference cities. This map will be a significant addition to the Europa map set from the standpoint of overall rules impact. The major industrial areas of the Urals will be presented on this map. Cities like Chelyabinsk, Magnitogorsk and Sverdlovsk will receive transferred factories from the western portions of the Soviet Union. The eastern edge of this map will extend approximately 100 miles east of Chelyabinsk. The northern portion of the map will be mostly wooded, forested and swamp. The terrain will gradually become more clear toward the south. The Ural chain will dominate the center portion of the map, running from the northern to southern map edges.

Map 30: Will extend off of the eastern edge of Map 8A and will cover the northeastern portion of the Caspian Sea, the western half of the Aral Sea, the delta of the Oxus (a major river), the remaining portion of the Volga Military District, the western portions of the Central Asia Military District, the rail line leading to the Tashkent industrial region, six Europa reference cities and one dot city. The extreme southern Urals will appear on northern edge of this map and will link at that point to the southern edge of Map 29. The Ural River is the major inland wa way on this map, forming the next natural defensive barrier east of the Volga. Most of the terrain will be clear, sand, swamp and salt marsh. Several ridges dominate the desert terrain between the Caspian and the Aral Seas. This map will depict adequate portions of the Caspian Sea to provide the Soviets with a means to supply their forces in the Caucasus should the Axis cut the western Caspian rail Iine. The completion of the eastern portioin of the Volga Military District also provides the Soviet player with one more dot city to raise units in that district.

Map 31: Although not a sure thing at this time (due solely to economics; the research is nearly completed), this map will extend off of the eastern edge of Map 28 and will cover the bend in the Ural chain that couldn't be fit onto that map. Map will be eleven hexes wide (for production purposes) and will extend eastward to the Ob River (a major) for several hexes. Only two Europa scale reference cities exist on this map. The terminus of the Kotlas to Vorkuta rail line is also covered. Most of the terrain will be forest, woods, swamp and intermittent lake along with the rough and mountain areas of the northeastern Urals.

Although the maps will certainly comprise the centerpiece of this new addition to Europa, several other components will be provided with the kit. In no special order, the proposed list of other components is as follows:

Modified Soviet Order of Battle:

Large Map (slow 150K)

Rules Booklet: This will cover changes to the Scorched Earth book based on the additional map coverage, the modified order of battle and possibly some additions/deletions/changes to be provided by John Astell. It will not be a complete rewrite of Scorched Earth. Some important rules that will make it into this book include factory relocation, rail capacity increases, rail conversions and possibly modified victory conditions based on the new maps. It remains my intention to enlist John Astell's support as the final rules arbitrator for this aspect of the project.

Charts and Tables: These will probably include an off-map military district holding box chart, a rail connection table for those lines that run off of the east edge of the map, a TEO to cover the salt marsh hexes and escarpment hexsides that appear on Map 30, a chart showing the new weather zones and several others to be determined.

Play Aids Kit: It is possible that the play aids kit for the module will also be provided. The usual air and rail distance charts, 50% reductions of the maps, and the scenario will probably appear here. Even without the play aids kit, expect some form of scenario with the module.

All of this will appear boxed in official Europa box art and will be designated Europa XIII.

The present status of the project will probably support a first quarter 1989 publishing date. I am presently finishing the draft maps and have most of the order of battle work completed based on some fine work by A. E. Goodwin and Charles Sharp. To the extent that other Europaphiles wish to provide ideas, information, research material or comments, I'm all ears at the present time. Any contributors will be so noted in the published module. You may contact me at 9427 William Kirk Lane, Burke, VA, 22015.

By the way, my next module is even more ambitious than this one! More on that to follow.

Northeast Europa with proposed Urals (sketch map by Ben Knight)

Updated Ural News