I am not against difficult games. I even play ASL regularly. However, I think it is wonderful that there is a series of games simple enough to play with my wife, or a friend who never played a wargame before. It is also nice to start playing without needing to spend a week (or longer) reading rules. Above all, I like a game that is fun to play and usually decided in the last game turns. Of course, the system is not perfect and the weak spots are historicity and simulation. (I do not intend to restart that old discussion here.) The ideas that follow give more options to the players, increasing realism a little and fun (I hope) without increasing difficulty. The first idea addresses Soviet HQs, the second is about movement and EZOCs, and the third is an addition to the rules regarding prepared positions.

Soviet HQ

During the supply segment of his player turn, the Soviet player has the option to change HQ assignment of units. For each such unit the player must record the new headquarters from which the unit is taking supply, and put an "out of supply" marker on top of the unit. It is out of supply during the following turn. Units that belong to corps sized organization (ex I Gd Mk) can only change HQ as a block (i.e., all remaining units on the board from that corps must always be assigned to the same HQ).

At the end of any phase in which a Soviet HQ is destroyed, all units drawing supply from that HQ are immediately out of supply. In his next supply segment, the Soviet player can assign new HQ to them, but they will remain out of supply for one more turn. When reinforcements enter the board, the Soviet player must immediately assign them to an HQ. If he does not do so, the unit is out of supply in the next supply segment, by the assignment rules.

Movement in EZOCs

The cost for entering or leaving an EZOC is 1 MP. The cost for moving a unit from EZOC to EZOC is 2 MP. The moving player has the option of declaring a 'risk move' and throwing a die instead of paying this cost. If the result of the die is greater than the number of enemy stacking points with a ZOC into that hex, he ignores the EZOC cost and pays only the terrain cost. If he fails, the moving units that were in supply are immediately out of supply. Pay the 1 MP for entering or leaving the EZOC and lose half the remaining MPs (fractions round up). If the unit no longer has enough MPs to enter the new hex, it must go back to the hex last entered. If it was already out of supply, it immediately loses one step and has to pay the EZOC cost.

Prepared Positions

In the movement phase, a unit can "Dig in" in its current hex instead of moving. Put a "Dug in" marker on top of the unit. (You can use the "box" markers from Afrika, or make some.)

Effects of "Dug in": When an attack hits a hex containing one or more "Dug in" markers, there is a column shift favoring the defense. If the unit marked as "Dug in" leaves the hex or is eliminated, remove the "Dug in" marker. The unit moving out of that hex must pay one MP extra to "undig" and may never advance after combat.

That's it! Just a few comments. The first rule I think is fundamental for the game. It solves the problem of the reinforcements (which are treated differently from the initial setup units under the rules), and avoids the ahistorical Soviet tactic of burning the units that lost the HQ, before they were out of supply forever. Instead, the units are weaker for one and a half turns due to the confusion, then they start functioning normally. I made the last rule before I read the Afrika rules. It is similar to the "boxes" rule, but I think that it is more adaptable to the time scale of SP. If a unit in campaign wants to defend a region and has a couple of days before it encounters the enemy, it will use this time to dig foxholes and trenches, make breastworks, boresight weapons, etc. It is natural that its defense value be greater than that of a newly arriving unit.