This is my first session of "Rules Court" within these pag es, but it marks what should be a long stay on the bench. I have been "preparing" for this job by bombarding John Astell with innumerable queries over the last seven years. Upon my appointment to this task, John laughed and said it served me right. Anyway, I have a rather extensive library of questions and answers in reserve in ad dition to the current flow of questions. The good news is that there is plenty of material for this column. The bad news is that there are an awful lot of folks out there confused about proper play of Europa games. I hope to be able to address the questions which appear in this column in a way that will serve to enlighten.

It is inevitable that from time to time I will get a ruling wrong. I accept this as unavoidable; even John Astell has made ruling errors and reversed himelf over the years. I will seek such guidance as is needed to keep such missteps to a minimum.

Also, I may occasionally cover material previously printed in other publications. My operating procedure is to provide this information, even though some of the readers may have seen it elsewhere previously. There are many others who will not have seen it, and it is for the sake of these folks that we print this material again. In any case, such duplication should be very limited.

For those readers who have submitted requests for opinions on design, game play, and the like along with your rules questions, be advised that such requests will slow down my reply. / will eventually answer all this mail and do my best to respond in a meaningful manner, but in the interim answers to your questions will be delayed. I would advise that in the future you segregate this kind of dialogue onto a page separate from the rules questions. That way I can return the rules questions to you promptly and reply to your discussion material as time allows.

Europa Basic Concepts

In example # 1, if the units in hex C get a "DR" result, can one 3-6 division retreat to hex A and the other to hex B?

Yes, and note that in some cases units must retreat to different hexes due to stacking limits.

May both 3-6's retreat to the same hex?

Yes, so long as stacking limits are obeyed.

Do units retreat as a stack or individually?

The best way to handle this is as follows: All units retreating to the same hex retreat as a stack. An example may serve to illustrate the finer points of this answer. Suppose a stack consisting of a 12-10 Panzer XX and a 2- 1 10 assault gun battalion receives a "DR" result and must retreat to an empty hex in enemy ZOC. The Panzer XX can not retreat first (that is, independently) and occupy the hex with its Division Group, thus providing the assault gun unit with a safe haven using the ability of German c1m units to retreat through ZOCs onto friendly units. In this case, the assault gun unit would be eliminated and the Panzer XX would be reduced to DG and retreat into the empty hex.

Do Zones of Control extend into enemy occupied hexes at all times, especially during retreats?

Yes, however note that for some game purposes friendly ZOCs are negated by the presence of enemy units in a hex, e.g. tracing supply lines.

For purposes of the following question on overruns, assume clear weather and terrain. In example # 2, units in Hex B can overrun Hex C and units in hex A can move to Hex D and then overrun Hex C. May some or all of the "Hex A units" overrun Hex C by going through Hex B? The second sentence of Rule 13 states "... ; these units may not exceed the stacking limit of the hex.

Does the phrase "these units" apply only to the overrunning units or to all units in the hex, both those overrunning and those not participating?

It applies to only those units participating in the overrun. Notice, however, that stacking limits must be observed at the end of the movement and exploitation phases; this might mandate that some or all of the overrunning or non-participating units vacate the hex. Here's a little more background on my decision: Overruns occur during the movement and exploitation phases and during these phases any number of units may pass through the same hex without violating stacking limits. Consider if Hex C were empty instead of occupied. "Hex A units" could certainly move through the units in Hex B to occupy an empty Hex C; why then disallow them from making an overrun of Hex C.

Are ZOC and overrun movement costs in addition to the other terrain in the hex?

Yes.

Scorched Earth

May a unit 'begin a phase in a hex other than road or clear, but still use admin movement if it does not subsequently move into ineligible terrain or across ineligible hexsides?

Yes, but note that this includes ineligible hexsides of the hex in which it begins the phase.

When using the "1/2+1" movement rate in the Arctic, does this effectively limit movement to one hex?

Yes.

Since interceptors may only intercept at half range, is their re turn range limited to half range also?

Yes, Rule 18 states that when an air unit's movement rating is modified based on the mission it is flying, this is the maximum number of hexes the unit may use to fly from its base to the target hex and the maximum number of hexes the unit may use when returning to base. In the case of interception this is half range.

If a fighter attacks a stack of four bombers and after the exchange of fire the fighter unit is unharmed, may it then attack the second bomber, and then the third, etc., this continuing until the fighter is killed, aborted, or returned?

No. There would be a single exchange of fire between the fighter and the one bomber it chose to attack. The other three bombers would not be involved in air combat with that fighter during that air combat resolution step.

When the surprise attack air phase refers to tactical bombing strength (Rule 31 F2b) does it mean the printed strength, or the units' strength as modified for flying the air unit bombing mission (yielding a +1 for Class "F" units)?

The +1 adjustment is used for Class "F" units participating in the surprise attack against the Soviet Air Force.

What happens when all the breakdown counters of a division are eliminated?

It may recombine in the replacement pool at the appropriate time, but is not required too, EXCEPT.. see the next question.

May regiments of a Russian fragile division be replaced?

No, in this case when all the regiments are eliminated, they are removed from the pool and returned to the breakdown box. The fragile division is then permanently removed from the replacement pool and the appropriate 3-6 Rifle XX substituted for it.

Does the "C" capability of the Mel 09T have any significance in the game?

No, it has no bearing on the play of SE.

Is a German foreign Group Allowance increase treated any differently from a normal GA increase?

No.

If an air unit is killed over water does it still go into the EFT box if within two hexes of friendly land?

Yes.

Can the KM commando's "intrinsic transport" be attacked by air units under Rule 38.E when it moves at sea?

No.

If on Jun II the Axis capture major city hexes or successfully bomb rail marshalling yards, is the Soviet rail capacity for Jun II reduced below 45 REs?

Yes.

It is very useful for the Russians to keep rebuilding the 12-8 motorcycle units during the first winter. The alternative is build tank brigades, but since there is no AEC, these units' extra defense strength point is quite useful. Should these units be fragile (replace with 18 m/c III) or should there be a limit on the number of m/c REs replaced per month?

In FitE these units were replaced using infantry replacement points; thus my counters are rather dog-eared from overuse. Even with the SE change which now requires that these units be replaced using armor replacement points, most Soviet players appreciate the extra defensive "bangs for the bucks" these provide. The only limit on their replacement, however, is that imposed by the availability of armor RPs. These units are not fragile.

Do naval units count towards the stacking limits in any fashion? How about river flotillas?

This has been asked and answered before, but based on the number of people still inquiring about this, it obviously bears repeating. Naval units (including river flotillas) do not count toward the stacking limits.

Do Soviet ZOCs extend across the Rumanian border on the Jun II 41 Axis turn?

Not during the Surprise Attack Turn, but since Axis units in Rumania can not move or attack during this turn anyway, it hardly matters. During the regular Jun II turn, Soviet ZOCs do extend across the border as the standard rules are then in effect and Rumania is at war with the Soviet Union.

Do Finnish and Hungarian ZOCs extend across their borders and affect adjacent Soviet units during the Jun II 41 turn?

No. Since movement at this time across such border hexsides is prohibited due to neutrality rule 31B, ZOCs do not extend across per Rule 5.

Although a partisan may not move or attempt sabotage on the turn of recruitment, may it attack a 0strength unit that turn.

Yes.

In that case, may it advance after combat?

Yes, as advance after combat is not movement per se. If all other retreat routes are blocked by APZOCs, may a partisan retreat through the hex of the unit which is attacking it?

Yes.

May a unit use operational rail movement to move adjacent to (even over) a partisan and then attack it?

Yes.

May a partisan-occupied rail hex be repaired or regauged so long as the engineer performing the construction does not end its movement in the hex?

Yes.

Does RR artillery count against the stacking in a hex? Is there a limit to the number of RR artillery or railonly units that can be in a hex at the end of the movement phase?

Rail-only units, including RR artillery units, are treated as any other units for stacking purposes. Is a rail-only unit required to pay the entraining cost before moving?

Well, technically yes. However, it may still move up to 30 hexes operational rail, so it may be easier to just consider such units permanently entrained.

Do reinforcements entering by rail have to pay the 1 MP entraining cost?

Yes.

Please provide some more examples of Guards conversions and the appropriate costs/ gains associated with these conversions.

Okay, here are some examples:

1. 11-8-8 Tank XXX to 15-12-8 Guards Tank XXX = 3 Arm RPs. 2. 510 Guards Mot XX to 14-8 Guards Mech XXX = Free. 3. 2-1-8 Tank X to 3-2-8 Guards Tank X = No Cost (2+ 1 =3). 4. 3-2-8 Tank X to 3-2-8 Guards Tank X = Yields 1 extra Arm RP. 5. 6-6 Guards Rifle XX to 12-8 Guards Mech XXX = Free.

War in the Desert

Is the supply condition of a unit determined during the initial phase still in effect during the combat phase even though it was cut off from a supply route during the movement phase?

Yes. (BLK)

Can the limited Vichy French engineering capability in the Levant mentioned in rule 32D3 be used while the Levant is neutral?

Non, monsieur. (BLK)

In David Scheel's OB in The Grenadier #23 for the "Italian Offensive", John Astell showed a VAL(1T1 2-2/14) aircraft appearing as part of RAF Egypt initial forces Sep II 1940. This is a transport with a bombing strength of two tactical and strategic bombing points. Is this correct?

The VAL (which stands for "Valentia') was a pre-war transport biplane. It could carry 22 men and was fitted with underwing racks capable of carrying a bomb load. The above info is correct. (JMA)