Europa gives you the tools to fight World War II in Europe, you are free to use them any way you like.

Sometimes I wonder why GR/D even bothers to include rules with their Europa games. It sometimes seems nobody plays by them anyway. Many hardcore Europists relish creating their own house rules, which to their tastes are superior to the rules- as-written (RAW). These house rules run the gamut from minor embellishments (called 'chrome' by their creators and 'overly-complex' by John Astell) to full-blown rewrites such as the 'Master Europa' rules set that is advertised elsewhere in this issue. Consequently, prior to playing even the most simple Europa game the contending parties must first hammer out an acceptable amalgamation of rule compromises.

Although this usually takes just a minute or two to settle on a few gentleman's agreements, in the extreme it can require months of delicate negotiation, culminatiiig in a multi- sectional written contract arbitrated by a neutral third party and signed in blood. Just how has this state of affairs developed and why is it so widespread?

It has long been maintained that the heart and soul of Europa lies in its orders of battle. This reputation, richly deserved, has evolved over a number of years starting in the early 1980s. What first drew people's attention to Europa, however, was the counters. In the mid-70s, DNO's multicolored array of units was the trendsetter for the hobby, and it still makes for a spellbinding display when a large campaign like the Eastern Front is laid out.

More recently, the maps, under the skillful direction of A.E. Goodwin, have become quite the rage. With their wealth of terrain and informational graphics, the new-style Europa maps are arguably the best in the hobby.

In summary, Europa gives you the tools to refight World War II in Europe: accurate maps and reasonably rated counters based on exhaustively researched orders of battle. Oh yeah, and there happen to be rules for the games, too. But using them is strictly optional-since there are no Europa police, players are free to use these tools any way they like.

Now some might see this tendency to dispense with Europa RAW and concoct homebrew rules as a sign of weakness within the system--a tacit indictment of the quality of the official rules. However, I view it as one of the most endearing qualities of Europa. What other game series is flexible enough to allow this? What other system has a following willing to invest vast amounts of intellectual capital to 'improve' upon an already established and proven set of rules? Can any other game boast such an expenditure of tender loving care by each individual owner to mold it into his vision of the perfect military simulation?

No, and this is what distinguishes Europa from other military boardgames on the market. The system has shown true legs--it has survived numerous changes in the marketplace, changes in design concepts, changes in artistic/graphical presentation and changes in the demographics of the boardgaming population. While other games have come and gone, the Europa system continues to thrive.

Some ask, "Why does GR/D encourage all this tinkering?" Do we in fact advocate altering the rules? No, in fact we strongly encourage you to play using the published rules. But would it really do any good for us to order players to play by the rules-as-written?

Of course not. Many devotees hunger to experiment with new concepts; they passionately want to see Europa evolve into the best simulation it can be. The fact that the magazine gives a fair airing to homebrew ideas merely reflects this reality. That some of the best of these ideas eventually become official rules affirms my belief that this process, over time, ultimately serves to improve the system.

Happy, Happy! Joy, Joy!

This is the first issue of the 1995 subscription year. The next issue is a double: #42/43 will contain the Grand Europa 1943 Linking Scenario. When this issue hits the rack at Origins, the magazine will be back on schedule.

Wanted Scandinavian Support for Narvik

We are seeking assistance from Scandivanian Europa players in compiling the orders of battle for the Scandinavian countries, especially Sweden. We would also welcome offers to review the draft maps for the Collector Series version of Narvik.

We are particularly seeking to establish contact with the Swedish student whose letter was published in the EXchange section of TEM #35. Sadly, the portion of his correspondence containing his name and address was misplaced and lost.

If interested, please write to: GRD P.O. Box 591 Grinnell, IA 50112