Last issue, this column mentioned a number of hypothetical scenarios being tested with the components of Case White, Marita-Merkur, and DNO/UNT Several readers have responded to the remarks with requests for more information and details about OAs, OBs, etc. "Next War 41" is the name that stuck with a scenario postulating a peaceful, non-Nazi Germany and a Soviet invasion of Eastern Europe in 1941.

Using maps from Case White and Marita-Merkur, the campaign was essentially a home-brew cooked up with heavy doses of researcher-extraordinaire Frank Prieskop's Europa Newsletter and Grenadier articles, game OBs, and outright speculation where necessary. Using that data, the armies were built around existing Europa countermixes (plus some home-made units) to represent Soviets, Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Poles, Germans, Rumanians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Yugoslavs, Hungarians, and Czechs. The chef says that he worked spontaneously, did not record his recipe, and is in no mood to set off laboriously listing ingredients or devising victory conditions. However, rumors indicate that the Soviets were well organized, fully equipped, and competently commanded - strong enough to be unleashed on diplomatically fragmented and militarily unprepared Europe. Allied co-operation increased only after several nations fell to the Soviets. Late reports indicated that a weakening Germany desperately called for Franco-British entry into the war as the Soviets neared Berlin.

Another Europa fantasy scenario that recently underwent off-hour playtesting was an exercise pointing out the futility of Czech resistance to a a hypothetical German invasion in 1938. Despite the mountain barriers, fortifications, and full mobilization, Czechoslovakia proved indefensible. Prague fell within two weeks, triggering Polish and Hungarian exploitation of the situation. Soviet aspirations in the Baltic states destabilized the entire region, and, later in the year, clashes occurred on the German-Polish and Soviet-Polish borders.

Meanwhile, on the production front, Narvik is now temporarily out of print but should be available again the first quarter of 1980 in its revised edition. The new edition will include minor changes to the counters (some unit IDs added), mild revisions to the rules to integrate the accumulated errata into the text, and new maps. The maps will now include two full-sized sheets upgraded to the current Europa color scheme (a la Case White and Marita-Merkur). The price will be increased somewhat in the new edition. Besides Narvik, the ever-changing production schedule shows the following Europa releases by the end of 1980: Fafl of the West, the 1940 invasion of France and the Low Countries, and the revised edition of Drang Nach Osten! Sadly, the revision of Their Finest Hour has again been postponed. As always, though, the schedule is subject to change. Note that the upcoming 1940 and Desert Victory games are not part of the Europa series.

As this column is being written, the initial reaction to Marita-Merkur seems to be very favorable. Sales, always a good barometer of popular acceptance, are brisk; there have been a good number of responses from satisfied customers and very few rules questions. The staff has caught some typos and made some clarifications in the current errata, dated 24 Oct 1979. This errata also includes a table of contents and complete sequence of play. See the Marita-Merkur article in this issue for details.

Multicommander Postal DNO

A good number of incurable Europa addicts with too much time on their hands have responded to the announcement in last issue for multicommander postal DNO players. The campaign will pit a team of Workshop staffers against a team of very capable and experienced Europa enthusiasts. The rules will be modified to include some experimental material from the DNO revision project, and there will also be some modifications to allow for the peculiarities of postal play. Final details are being ironed out and the game should begin some time after the first of the year; watch this column for news from the front.

Europafest 80 is an idea that is catching on around the Workshop. For some time now, GDW has wanted to bring together experienced Europa players for an intensive session of play, consultation, and testing. Sometime in 1980, so the fantasy goes, the Workshop should sponsor a long weekend of nonstop Europa gaming with a particular emphasis on playtesting the DNO revision. This would involve perhaps two dozen players with two or three games running simultaneously. All such plans are strictly speculative at this point, but we are seeking input from the readers: Is anyone interested in such an event? Let us have your suggestions.

Nothing has been finalized yet, but a well-known East Coast gamer is attempting to run a DNO competition at Origins 80 in Delaware this summer. The Workshop has already offered its support of the project, and negotiations are underway with the Origins tournaments committee. More details will appear here as they become available.

Thanks to Samuel Connor and M.G. Mitchell for the "Unofficial" submissions in issue 7, and apologies to them for failing to give them credit in that issue. Submissions are solicited for "Unofficial" and should deal with optional/variant rules for improving Europa games.

Due to the unique character of urban warfare, treat all units defending in full or partial city hexes as supported. (Staff)

Additionally, to simulate the greater troop densities that usually are concentrated in cities, stacking in full or partial city hexes is treated as up to four divisions, plus four non-divisional units, plus two artillery units. (Staff)

In any city or airfield hex, antiaircraft units may be counted as artillery units for stacking purposes. (Staff)

To reflect the flexibility of defensive air support operating in conjunction with mobile troops, allow DAS air units to target support to the unit instead of a particular hex - this permits DAS in the hex that the ground unit occupies after its exploitation movement. Of course, the air units may not exceed their range for this. (Staff)

In DNO, the weather conditions in mountain hexes should reflect more severe restrictions than the surrounding non-mountain hexes. From September II through April II, clear weather is treated as mud in the mountains; frost, mud, and snow are treated as snow weather. Additionally, the Marita-Merkur limitations for stacking in mountain hexes should be imposed in DNO. (Staff)

Units may entrain, detrain, and rail through EZOCs exerted into primary transportation line hexes as long as the hex is occupied by a friendly unit. (Staff)