PUBLISHER: Game Designers Workshop (GDW). Europa is the
Trademark of Game Research/Design and materials related to the trademark are
copyrighted by Game Research/Design.
SCOPE: The Russian Front, 1941-1942
RULEBOOK DESCRIPTION: FIRE IN THE EAST is the thoroughly
revised edition of DRANG NACT OSTEN!, the first game of the Europa series.
As in DNO, FIRE IN THE EAST is a detailed, operational?level game of the German
invasion of the USSR, from the start of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941
to the end of the Soviet winter counteroffensive in March 1942. Scorched Earth,
the revision of UNENTSCHIEDEN, is under preparation and will include more
maps, counters, and rules to cover the campaign in the Soviet Union to the
end of 1944.
GAME BOX DESCRIPTION: 22 June 1941: DRANG NACT OSTEN!
Germany’s armed forces invade the Soviet Union, beginning the largest
and fiercest ground campaign of World War II. Smashed and surround on the
frontier the Soviets filed new armies and fight back tenaciously. Driving
to the gates of Moscow, the Germans are unable to destroy the Red Army before
winter sets in. With winter and fresh forces fro Siberia, the Soviets launch
a vas counteroffensive against an over-extended and exhausted enemy.
YEAR PUBLISHED (EDITIONS): 1984. A 1.5 edition was published
by GRD (Europa caretaker after the apparent demise of GDW). Both my copies
are this later edition. I am presently not sure if DRANG NACT OSTEN! was the
'first edition' or a FITE first edition existed. This should be revealed by
my research. Published review taken from on
Web Grognards. The complete errata
for FIRE IN THE EAST/SCORCHED EARTH/THE URALS included in the Revision 1.5
game set. The errata includes all material not provided in the rulebook, orders
of battle and charts contained in THE URALS and SCORCHED EARTH.
CREDITS
Design: John M. Astell, Paul R. Banner, Frank Chadwick,
and Marc Miller
Research, Axis Order of Battle: Franklyn G. Prieskop
and Shelby Stanton
Research, Soviet Order of Battle: Paul R. Banner
Other Research and Research Assistance: Frank Chadwick,
John Astell, Marc Miller, Louis Rotundo, Paul Dunigan, David Hughes, Karl
Garrsoe, and Lou Coatney
Art Direction and Graphics: Paul R. Banner
Art Department Assistants: Chris Purcell, John Harshman,
John Astell, and Loren Wiseman
Playtest, Advice, and Assistance: Shelby Stanton, Frank
Prieskop, Dave Hughes, Winston Hamilton, Darla Hamilton, Jack Radey, Jeffry
Tibbetts, Norman Hawkins, Louis Rotundo, Les Spain, Tony Svajlenka, Larry
Frum, Joe Adkins, Tim Brown, Darlene File, Bill Stone, Wayne Matthews,
Gary Wells, Michael Mitchell, Joe Bermudez, Rob Beyma, Andy Nunez, Jack
Parks, Richard Allen, John Scott, John Kaiser, Val Phillips, Nick Somlo,
Steve Miller, David Jones, Terry Shank, Eric Johnson, Tom Whitmyer, Bill
Carnes, Phil Tomescu, Louis Ransdell, Vaughn Stultz, Doug de Vault, Paul
Pigulski, Dave Samuel, Jules Gagnon, Eric Pinnell, Terry Fong, Ray Fong,
Paul Grant, Ross Nickle, Herbert Wagner, Gary Stagliano, Tom O'Neil, Rich
Woodard, Dave Wheeler, Dan Lee, Paul Dunigan, Roger Land, Cliff Stephan,
Doug Langsather, Gordon Foltz, Steve Winslett, Mike Stankovich, Robert
C. Tibbetts, S. A Jefferis-Tibbetts, Harald
Hansen, Jeff Milliefolgie, Joseph Youst, Michael Rega, Michael Sloan,
John T. Schuler, Irving Hacker, John Gee, and others.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2+ (multiplayer teams)
WGA COMPLEXITY SCALE (1-10): 10;
TYPICAL PLAYING TIME (HOURS): 40+
MAP SCALE: 16 miles per hex.
UNIT SCALE: Divisions, regiments (30 counters for typical
division)
TIME SCALE PER TURN: 2 weeks
NUMBER OF GAME TURNS:
ARTICLE LISTING: GRD published a Europa News journal of
which I have photocopies of EEF articles.
GAME INVENTORY: 2500 counters, six 21x27": maps, one
40-page rules booklet, one chart set, two dice
JETis computer program that is aimed to make playing of Europa
board games easier. JET's main goal is to allow easy PBM (Play By Mail)
playing and playing without paper maps and cardboard counters. JET also
helps you by taking care of sometimes tedious and error prone tasks like
calculating MP's and combat strengths.
PBEM OPPORTUNITES: Contact Wargame
Academy if interested. A Group effort would be required to create a VASSAL
module.
WARGAME ACADEMY COMMENTS: I have seen the game played by
several different groups on different occasions but family responsibilities
negated my on-going participation. However viewed from my extensive War in
Europe perspective(SPI), I consider the Europa East Front modules a step up
in complexity and realism. Most notably, the units are individually rated
unlike the generic WIE units. The game is approximately the same unit and
map scale although two weeks a turn instead of one week in WIE. EEF lacks
the player controlled German and Soviet production but air and naval units
are type specific rather than WIE abstracted points. EEF details unit winterization,
AT/Mech component capabilities as part of a more complex combat resolution,
air fields (on map and constructed), RR construction units, other constructed
fortifications, variable Finnish war effort adds additional suspense. Although
more detailed than WIE its playability is lessened. A generalization cant
be made which system is better, it is a matter of player preference as either
is a enormous investment of time and space requiring an ongoing series of
gaming sessions. However as a detailed simulation of the most significant
campaign in World War II European war, EEF has no peer.
WARGAME ACADEMY GAME TOOLS: One shrink-wrapped
copy (2nd edition), one unpunched copy (2nd edition). Currently creating a
3rd edition WGA rulebook. unpunched copy serves as a template for counter
images, softcopy maps to be created in creating a Europa East Front (EEF)
Java game combining Fire in the East, Scorched Earth, The Urals.
Europa on-line forum - to subscribe send email message
to:- europa-request@lysator.liu.se
