This issue's "Unofficial" has expanded to cover games outside Europa, which explains why this column has escaped its usual confines in "Europa Notes".

Europa

Forced March: Any non-combat/ motorized, non-cavalry unit may force march. A unit may expend up to five additional movement points in forced march. Simply move the unit as normal, except that the unit may not participate in overruns after expending its normal movement factor. At the end of its move, calculate the number of MPs the unit spent beyond its movement factor. Roll one die. If the die roil is equal to or less than the number of MPs spent in forced march, the unit is eliminated (reduced to a cadre or divisionsgruppe). For example, if a German 7-6 infantry division moved using 9 MPs, then it has spent 3 MPs in forced march and will be reduced to a divisionsgruppe on a roll of 1, 2, or 3.

--the staff

Partisans in DNO/UNT: (The following is based on U.S. Army Pamphlet 20-231, Combat in Russian Forests and Swamps.) "Bands of hardy individuals well acquainted with the terrain and controlled by fanatical leaders were combined into a substantial fighting organization and conducted ruthless guerrilla warfare against the German forces in the woods and swamps within and behind the combat zone." (page 33). To reflect this, add one to the die roll when partisans are attacking from or into a forest or swamp hex; subtract one from the die roll when partisans are defending in a swamp or forest hex.

"Under German occupation in World War II the villages in the Russian forests and swamps required constant surveillance. Their inhabitants - some voluntarily, some under pressure - cooperated with the partisans and gave them valuable support, not so much as combatants but at least as agents and informers." (page 34). To reflect this, roll one die prior to any attack by a partisan. A roll of 1-4 has no effect. A roll of 5 or 6 means that the partisans have detailed plans of the German positions; add one to the die roll.

The above two effects are cumulative.

-Tom Hawkins

Pearl Harbor

British Secret Base: From the start of the game to the end of 1942, the British may build a secret base in the Indian Ocean. This base must conform to the regular rules on construction, but it is not placed on the map. Instead, its position is written down. Naval units operating from the base may be placed in (when leaving the base) or removed from (when entering the base) any hex within two hexes of the base. A natural water route of 2 MPs or less must be traced from this hex to the base; all naval units using the base in this manner must spend 2 MPs to be placed or removed.

The Japanese may locate the base by allocating air units to search for the base. These air units fly to any hex and may search the hex in which they end their movement. Total the number of factors searching in a hex and roll two dice: if the dice roll is less than or equal to the number of factors searching in the hex, then the UN player must announce if there is a base in the hex. If there is, then the base is placed on the map and is subject to all regular rules from that point. If the searching air units find the base, then they may execute bombardment of land or naval targets at the base.

-Joe Phelan

Reaction Forces: When placing naval units on reaction force status, do not place a reaction force marker on them. Instead, note down the number of the task force, installation, or hex. While this tends to slow down the game and introduce some bookkeeping, it prohibits the other players from knowing which units have been placed on reaction force status.

-the staff

1940

Armor Refitting: After four game turns of operation, armor units attack and defend at a reduced strength. Subtract one from the combat factor of an armor division and two from the combat factor of an armor corps or mechanized cavalry corps; motorized infantry units are not affected. Additionally, such armor units do not receive the armor combat bonus (see Rule 12).

An armor unit regains its former strength and abilities after it has been refitted. An armor unit is refitted if it spends one entire friendly player turn in supply and does not move or attack. After being refitted, the armor unit may operate normally for four more game turns (whereupon it would need refitting again).

-the staff

Extended Game: At the regular end of the game, the German player may choose to extend the game. The game is played for another three turns, at the end of which the German player may again extend the game. Each time the German player extends the game, the level of victory is reduced by one in favor of the Allies. For example, if the German player extended the game twice and then achieved a marginal victory, it would be considered to be an Allied marginal victory.

-the staff

Red Star/White Eagle

The March to the West: One of the Bolshevik goals in the Russo-Polish War was to have the Bolshevik forces reach Germany. Once there, it was expected that the German proletariat would join with the forces and overthrow capitalism in central Europe. In actuality, units of the West Front had passed north and west of Warszawa, partly to outflank the city and partly to march on Germany, as shown by the Gates of Warszawa scenario's initial deployment. To recreate this goal for the Russian player, award the Russian player 5 VPs if, at the end of any game turn, there is a supplied Russian unit adjacent to the western edge of the map. This is awarded only once per game (not per turn) and the Russian player need not maintain a unit there on following turns.

-the staff

The Red Scare: The entry of the Bolshevik forces into central Poland raised fears of Bolshevik invasion and revolution throughout Europe. Assuming a somewhat less turbulent time in Germany, vested interests would have instigated resistance to the Bolsheviks.

In this variant, Russian units are allowed to enter the German areas of the map (Polish units may not). However, if a Russian unit enters any German area or crosses west of the Wista River, then the Polish player receives Freikorps (FK) replacement factors. During each turn's Polish reinforcement and replacement phase, the Polish player receives 12 FK replacement factors if there were any Russian units in any German area during the preceding player turn or 4 FK replacement factors if there were any Russian units west of the Wista (but not in any German area) during the preceding player turn. These factors may be used to bring FK units into play, per the Freikorps rules.

FK units function as described in the FK rules except that they are controlled by and fight for the Polish player. However, no Polish unit may stack or combine in attack with FK units. FK units may operate in the German areas of the map and west of the Wista River (only). If at the start of the Polish player turn, there are no Russian units in the areas where the FK is allowed to operate, then no FK unit may move. If this results in a FK unit occupying Lodz at the end of the game, then no player may receive victory points for Lodz.

-the staff

Lvov: Lvov was an important city in the war, as reflected in the victory conditions and the rules for the Ukrainians. It was as important an objective to the Southwest Front as Warszawa was for the West Front. To reflect this, when playing the three-player game double the victory point value of Lvov when comparing Russian relative performance (only).

-the staff

Narvik

German Infantry Breakdowns The German infantry divisions in Narvik all contain three regiments of infantry. However, only sufficient battalions are provided to breakdown one regiment per division at a time. Since it is best to transport units to Norway by battalion, the following system can be used to breakdown all the regiments of each division simultaneously.

The system requires the addition of two Europa 13A countersheets to provide the needed battalions. Thus, there will be three battalions numbered I, three numbered II, and three numbered III for each division. Simply use the three numbered I for the division's first regiment, the three numbered II for the second regiment, and the three numbered III for the third regiment. For example, the 69th Infantry Division has three 9-4 regiments (the 236th, 169th, and 159th). The three 1/169 battalions would represent the 236th Regiment, and so on.

The additional Europa 13A countersheets can also be used to provide more breakdown counters for captured Norwegian artillery and mountain artillery batteries, both of which will be useful in the game.

-Winston Hamilton

Armored Train: If Trondheim is German controlled at the end of the first game turn, the German player receives an improvised armored train [(x2)-6] at Trondheim during the German reinforcement phase of game turn 2. The armored train has the following special characteristics:

A. It is always entrained and moves at the rail movement rate. It may enter an enemy occupied hex while entrained (unlike other units). It may move only along rail lines. It does not count against stacking.

B. One infantry or mountain battalion or up to three parachute companies may be carried by the armored train. To board the train, the unit(s) must be in the same hex as the train and pay the normal entraining cost. While aboard the train, units have their combat factors doubled and do not count against stacking.

C. The armored train and any units aboard it may move during the exploitation phase using the rail movement rate.

D. If forced to retreat, the armored train must retreat into a hex that it could enter using rail movement, in addition to the regular retreat restrictions.

E. The Norwegian player may never capture or use the armored train. If it is ever alone in a hex (with no units on board), it is treated as if it were a zero strength German unit (see Rule 10.G, second paragraph). The German player may voluntarily dismantle (eliminate) the armored train at any time. If it is eliminated for any reason, it may not return to play.

-Frank Chadwick, et al.