Scorched Earth (1987)

Scorched Earth, the sequel to Fire in the East, covers the war in the Soviet Union from April 1942 through December 1944. Scorched Earth uses Fire in the East as a base (and cannot be played without Fire in the East), adding more maps, counters, and rules. The game requires two players - one for the Germans and one for the Soviets - or two teams of players. The size of the game makes it well-suited for team play, with up to 3 or 4 players per side.

Scorched Earth's three maps extend the coverage of those in Fire in the East. The maps cover:
The Volga River, from its heavily forested northwestern reaches to its mouth at the edge of the deserts of Asia; the western shores of the Caspian Sea; the Caucasus Mountains area of the USSR, to the borders of Turkey and Iran.

Scorched Earth's sixteen counter sheets (3840 counters total) encompass the diversity of forces in this theatre. All Axis forces engaged in the east are shown, from German through the Axis Allies (Finnish, Hungarian, Italian, Rumanian, Slovakian), and including the eastern troops - Soviet citizens fighting against their government. The entire range of Soviet forces is given: regulars, guards, NKVD, militia, and the foreign contingents in the Red Army, including the Poles, Czechs, and even the German formations raised from prisoners of war. Over 40 different types of ground units are represented, from divisions (including division-sized Soviet Corps) to individual batteries of super-heavy artillery, such as tank corps, panzergrenadier divisions, artillery divisions, parachute brigades, and commando battalions. Aircraft units cover the many new aircraft sent to the front, such as the Fw 190 fighters and ground attack aircraft, Hs 129 tankbusters, A-20 and B-25 lend-lease bombers, Yak-9DD long-range fighters, and even late-war German jet aircraft.

Scorched Earth's rules expand upon those in Fire in the East to cover the rest of the war in the USSR. New features include:

• Abilities of new aircraft types
• Partisan warfare
• Oilfields
• Surrender and defection of Germany's eastern front allies
• Continual upgrading of armored and mechanized forces
• Use of artillery divisions *Allied Lend-Lease to the USSR

Scorched Earth's orders of battle present in game terms the most detailed and accurate orders of battle ever published for the Russian front. The grand campaign game can be played to the end of 1944 from two starting points: from June 1941 or April 1942. The rules also allow the 1941 and 1942 campaigns to be played seperately, giving two campaign games shorter in playing time than the grand campaign game. Scorched Earth covers the largest land campaign in history with the scope it deserves. It presents a detailed, exciting game situation, challenging and rewarding the players' strategic and tactical skills.

Game Components:
3840 die-cut counters
Three maps
One rules booklet
Two orders of battle booklets
One set of game charts

Note that the quoted playing time is utterly unrealistic. Average playing time is about 1-2 hours per player turn, and a complete game is 85 game turns.

Scorched Earth is the second edition of Unentschieden.

Belongs to :

• The Europa Series

Magazine References:

• The Europa News 10
• The Europa Magazine 11
• The Europa Magazine 12
• The Europa Magazine 13
• The Europa Magazine 14
• The Europa Magazine 15
• The Europa Magazine 17
• The Europa Magazine 18
• The Europa Magazine 19
• The Europa Magazine 20
• The Europa Magazine 21
• The Europa Magazine 22
• The Europa Magazine 23 (Vol.V,No.1)
• The Europa Magazine 24 (Vol.V,No.2)
• The Europa Magazine 25 (Vol.V,No.3)
• The Europa Magazine 26 (Vol.V,No.4)
• The Europa Magazine 27 (Vol.V,No.5)
• The Europa Magazine 28 (Vol.V,No.6)
• The Europa Magazine 29 (Vol.VI,No.1)
• The Europa Magazine 30 (Vol.VI,No.2)
• The Europa Magazine 31 (Vol.VI,No.3)
• The Europa Magazine 32 (Vol.VI,No.4)
• The Europa Magazine 33 (Vol.VI,No.5)
• The Europa Magazine 34 (Vol.VI,No.6)
• The Europa Magazine 35 (Vol.VII,No.1)
• The Europa Magazine 36 (Vol.VII,No.2)
• The Europa Magazine 37 (Vol.VII,No.3)
• The Europa Magazine 38-39 (Vol.VII,No.4-5)
• The Europa Magazine 40 (Vol.VII,No.6)
• The Europa Magazine 41 (Vol.VIII,No.1)
• The Europa Magazine 42 (Vol.VIII,No.2)
• The Europa Magazine 43-44 (Vol.VIII,No.3-4)
• The Europa Magazine 45 (Vol.VIII,No.5)
• The Europa Magazine 46 (Vol.VIII,No.6)
• The Europa Magazine 47 (Vol.IX,No.1)
• The Europa Magazine 49 (Vol.IX,No.3)
• The Europa Magazine 51 (Vol.IX,No.5)
• The Europa Magazine 53 (Vol.X,No.1)
• The Europa Magazine 54 (Vol.X,No.2)
• The Europa Magazine 57 (Vol.X,No.5)
• The Europa Magazine 58 (Vol.X,No.6)
• The Europa Magazine 61 (Vol.XI,No.3)
• The Europa Magazine 62 (Vol.XI,No.4)
• The Europa Magazine 66 (Vol.XII,No.2)
• The Europa Magazine 67 (Vol.XII,No.3)
• The Europa Magazine 70 (Vol.XII,No.6)
• The Europa Magazine 72 (Vol.XIII,No.2)
• The Europa Magazine 74 (Vol.XIII,No.4)
• The Europa Magazine 79 (Vol.XIV,No.3)
• The Europa Magazine 86 (Vol.XV,No.4)

Alternate rules & counters:

• Master Europa 101 - Eastern Front
• Master Europa 108 - Red Army