Fire in the East (FitE)

Europa Game I, second version. The German Invasion of Soviet Russia, June 1941 to March 1942. FITE is a redesign of Drang nach Osten, again published by Game Designer´s Workshop.
Designed by John M. Astell, Paul R. Banner, Frank Chadwick, and Marc W. Miller. Artist: Rodger B. MacGowan

Test Edition:
Playtest edition issued prior to publication. Packaged in two collage art Marita-Merkur boxes. The responses from playtesters of this draft game were used for final adjustments and changes in the 4/84 edition. Worthy of note is the care lavished on this edition: in addition to using existing Europa counter sheets, it included Europa Test Sheet A and Europa Test B- both sheets of properly colored, printed, and die cut counters.

First Edition, April 1984:
Red double-thickness Europa Map box. Probably the largest game ever published-and one of the best values for the money. The errata sheet for the game were dated April 1984, and 10 July 1984. The 10 July 1984 errata is definitive. 9,506 printed.

Game Components

six 21" x 27" maps
over 2500 die-cut counters
a complete set of rules
a complete set of charts
two dice

Game Reports

Our first Fire in the East game report was written up and shared by John Barr in 2001 and reports from the Axis side of the front.
To the game report

In 2018, Ken Newall started a solitary game of FitE/SE. So far, everything seems to work out mostly along historical lines.
To the game Report

The Grenadier

All in Favor of Blitzkrieg: A Fire in the East Roundtable - The Grenadier 25 and The Grenadier 26
Europa Notes: Fire in the East at Origins - The Grenadier 22
Europa Notes: Optional Rules for Fire in the East- The Grenadier 32
Fire in the East Expanded Sequence of Play - The Grenadier 24
Stoking Your Fire in the East Advanced Variants - The Grenadier 31

Nuts & Bolts

Another look at the Fire in the East Playtest, by Winston Hamilton, Nuts & Bolts #5
Fire in the East and Scorched Earth: Rules Additions, by John Astell, Nuts & Bolts #17
Fire in the East Comments and Questions, by John Astell et. al, Nuts & Bolts #12
Fire in the East Errata and Notes, July 10th, 1984, Nuts & Bolts #8
Fire in the East Off Map RR Movement Chart, Nuts & Bolts #9
Fire in the East: Players Information, by John Astell and the GDW design staff, Nuts & Bolts #2
Fire in the East Playtest. One Player's View, by Steve Miller, Nuts & Bolts #4
Fire in the East: Quick Reference Sheet, Nuts & Bolts #8
Fire in the East Rail Capacity Game Charts, Nuts & Bolts #9
Ticks & Treats: Fire in the East, Nuts & Bolts #10/11
Unofficial: Fire in the East House Rules, Nuts & Bolts #18
Victory in Russia or How to Think to Win, by Tom Johnson, Nuts & Bolts #12

The Europa Magazine

“Adding Soviet Destroyers to FitE/SE.” By Mark Swenholt and Jason Long. TEM 49.
“Battlefield Report: One Week Leningrad.” By Gordon Johansen. TEM 40.
“Der Beverly Hillbillies/Mr Drysdale Forecloses.” (Point/Counterpoint) By Tom Witham and John Astell. TEM 53.
“Clipping Ants Wings.” (Point/Counterpoint) By Alan Tibbetts, Sam Dahman, and James Broshot. TEM 46.
“Continuation War – Barbarossa’s Northern Flank 1941.” By Alan Tibbetts. TEM 74.
Deployment Notes - Soviet Border Setups. TEM 21 and TEM 22.
“The Dual Standard for Soviet Armor.” By Mark Swenholt. TEM 58.
“East Front at Europafest 1999.” By Dean Moon. TEM 72.
“Europa East Front Chapter I: Advice For Soviet Players.” By Trey Nelson. TEM 24.
“Europa East Front Chapter II: The Defense of Odessa.” By Trey Nelson. TEM 25.
“Europa East Front Chapter III: The VVS.” By Trey Nelson. TEM 26.
“Europa East Front Chapter IV: The Transcaucasus Military District.” By Trey Nelson. TEM 27.
“Europa East Front Chapter V: The Soviet ‘Other Forces.’“ By Trey Nelson. TEM 28.
“Europa East Front Chapter VI: The Soviet Border Armies.” By Trey Nelson. TEM 33.
“The Finnish Air Force – June 1941” By James Broshot and Vesa Honkasaari. TEM 61
“Fire in the East Report.” By the French Europa Association. TEM 36.
“A Fix for Arkhangelsk.” By Harold Andrews. TEM 19.
“German Play in 1941: Part One.” By Roy Lane. TEM 14.
“German Play in 1941, Part Two: Army Group North and the Leningrad Campaign.” By Roy Lane. TEM 15.
“Groza II: The Great Eastern Grand Slam.” By Flavio Carrillo and Jason Long. TEM 36.
“The Hungarians in Barbarossa.” By Jason Long. TEM 66.
“In Search of a German Victory.” By Joe Fisher. TEM 38/39.
“In the Center of It All.” By Carleton T. Lum III. TEM 18 .
“Invasion! A Study of an Axis First-Turn Attack in FitE/SE.” By Howard Spinner. TEM 31.
“Leningrad 1941: An Europa Battle Scenario.” By Frank Watson and Victor Hauser. TEM 21.
“Leningrad 1941 Contest.” By Rick Gayler. TEM 34.
“Leningrad 1941 Contest Results.” By Rick Gayler. TEM 38/39.
“Leningrad: 1941 Brandenburger Training Exercise.” By Rick Gayler. TEM 41.
“Leningrad: 1941 Brandenburger Training Exercise Results.” By Rick Gayler. TEM 47.
“Leningrad 1941 Second Edition.” By The Europa Development Team. TEM 30.
“The Leningrad: 1941 Tournament Protocols.” By Roy Lane. TEM 26.
“Marcks, Lossberg, Halder, Hitler, and YOU!” By Tom Johnson. TEN 4.
“Moving Towards Grand Europa: A Proposed Victory Point Schedule for Fall Barbarossa.” By Flavio Carrillo. TEM 33.
“My Solitary Pursuit of FITE/SE.” By Jeffery Turner. TEN 2.
“My Solitary War: A Few Ideas for Solitaire FitE/SE.” By Jeffery Turner. TEN 3.
“NODLs a la Dente.” By Jamie Gagnon. TEM 53.
“Operation Groza.” By Charles Sharp. TEM 23.
“Rails through the Russias.” By John Astell. TEN 7.
“Rails through the Russias Regauged.” By John Astell. TEM 19.
“Russian First Winter.” (Point/Counterpoint) By Alan Tibbetts, Sam Dahman, and James Broshot. TEM 46.
“Russian Tactical Doctrine.” By Roy Lane. TEN 7.
“Some Thoughts About the Eastern Front.” By John Gordon. TEM 51.
“Soviet Defense of the Arctic and Karelia.” By Trey Nelson. TEM 51.
“Soviet Mountain Divisions.” By Rich Velay. TEM 35.
“Soviet Naval Operations.” By Trey Nelson. TEM 49.
“Soviet Pre-War Fortified Areas - A Historical Discussion and Reappraisal.” By Louis Rotundo. TEM 21.
“Soviet Pre-War Fortified Zones: Rethinking Louis Rotundo’s Article from TEM #21.” By John Astell. TEM 26.
“Sudden Storm at the Fest.” By Rick Gayler. TEM 37.
“Sudden Storm at the Fest: Round II 1995.” By Sam Dahman. TEM 43/44.
“Sudden Storm - Clarifications and Modifications.” By Rick Gayler. TEM 36 and TEM 47.
“Sudden Storm: Fire in the East Without the Ants.” By Rick Gayler. TEM 35.
Sudden Storm suggested changes. “Rider on the Storm.” By David Tinny. TEM 47.
“Thunder in the East: A Playtest of Operation Groza.” By Flavio Carrillo with Jason Long. TEM 23.
“Trends in the East.” By Rick Gayler. TEN 3.
“Turkish Entry into the Russian Campaign.” By Phillip Buhler. TEN 2.
“Using A Winter War Map 35 in 1941-44: Incorporating Map 35 into Fire in the East/Scorched Earth.” By Arthur Goodwin. TEM 30.
“War in the East, the Final Chapter: German Tactics in 1941.” By Roy Lane. TEM 17.

ETO:

Play Balance in the East (Various reader essays on the issue of play balance in Fire in the East) ETO #6
Fire in the East Tune-Up: Rough Draft, GDW (Initial thoughts from GDW about restoring play balance in FitE) ETO #7
Postal Fire in the East, Fred Helfferich ETO #5, ETO #6, ETO #8, ETO #11, ETO #12, ETO #15, ETO #16
Reflections on Victory in the East, Russ Duake (Essay on revising victory conditions for Fire in the East) ETO #15
Voenno-Vozdushnye Sil: Jun II '41, Jeff Millefoglie (An analysis of the surprise air attack in Fire in the East/Scorched Earth), ETO #21
General Stein Visits the Russian Front, Bill Stone with Ben Knight, A. E. Goodwin, Ken Ketterling, Jeff Millefoglie, and John Astell (Comparison of rules and tactics between Fire in the East/Scorched Earth and War in the Desert), ETO #30
Donner und Blitzkrieg – An Analysis of Weather in Fire in the East and Scorched Earth , Rich Gayler, ETO #36
Friwaftt, Dan Reynolds (An awkward anagram for “Fools rush in...”: Discussion of history vs. game in using “run-away” strategy for Soviets in Fire in the East/Scorched Earth), ETO #42

Air Units and Supply

Question:
In FitE/SE, what happens to air units surrounded in a
pocket, and the pocket is out of supply?
Supply rules just say units, with special supply listing an RE amount
that can be carried by aircraft, but aircraft only have an RE Equivalent
listed in the Section on German’s operating in Finland, where each air
unit counts as one RE.

Answer:
Air units didn’t need supply until an optional rule was introduced in
WW. So if using FitE/SE, just ignore them for supply calculations.
They never run out of supply.

Source:
Posted by Bill Jenman (bill.jenman@gmail.com) on the EuropaAssociation Mailing list at Yahoo, April 21st, 2015