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Europa Games and Military History

FAQ Tag: Initial Phase

Rule 20G2d: May an Air Unit aborted during an Harassment Mission become operational in the next initial phase?

Question:
An Allied air unit flies a harassment mission during the Axis player turn but never makes it (aborted or killed by flak or fighters). Example: During the Axis Jul II 43 player turn, a USAAF p-400 participates in an air operation flying harassment mission against Messina (26:3823); during the AA fire step it is aborted, and does not participate in the mission resolution step. During the initial phase of the Allied Jul II 43 player turn it is replaced. May the P-400 become operational during the Allied Jul II 43 player turn initial phase? Or is the P-400 inoperative under Rule 20G2d last paragraph, “an air unit which flies a harassment mission during a player turn does not become operative at the start of the next player turn”? Under the Master Sequence of Play Summary air units are replaced (step 6) before air units become operative (step 8).

Answer:
The air unit may become operational. Once it was aborted (or eliminated) it was no longer flying a harassment mission, it was out of play. No air unit “carries” over any status from previous turns when replaced/rebuilt from a replacement pool.

Source:
TEM 74

 

Rule 20E: During the initial phase when phasing and non-phasing players fly their CAP missions, who flies first?

Question:
During the initial phase when phasing and non-phasing players fly their CAP missions, who flies first?

Answer:
Here’s how it works (text taken from WitD 16D):
One player, the initiating player, announces that he is initiating a specific air operation. Should both sides wish to initiate an air operation at the same time, the phasing player first initiates an air operation, and, when that operation is over, the non-phasing player then may initiate an air operation (he may decide not to do so – for example, the outcome of the phasing player’s air operation may have removed the reason for the nonphasing player to initiate an air operation). Continue to alternate air operations between the two sides until both sides no longer wish to initiate air operations at the same time.

Source:
TEM 59/60

Rule 20: Air Missions during Initial Phase

Question:
Can patrol attacks and interception missions be flown during the initial phase? I would assume they can because of three factors: (1) all air missions use the standard air operation sequence that allows for patrol attack interception; (2.) both patrol attack mission and intercept mission both state that “Fighters mayfly patrol attacks interception missions during any air operation initiated by the enemy player “, (3.) how else would you patroll intercept planes flying CAP Harassment / Naval Patrol during the initial phase, so you must be able to fly patrol/ interception. Is this correct?

Answer:
Yes. The rules say nothing about phases because the phase in which an air operation occurs has no effect upon whether or not it can be patrolled or intercepted. Rule 20C. states that you can initiate an interception mission during any air operation initiated by the enemy player, regardless of particular phase.

Source:
TEM 59/60

 

Rule 44E2a – Conquering Territories in Africa

Question:
Africa only VPs – As a territory can only be conquered in the Entente initial phase, does this imply that Togoland always costs the Entente at least one 10 VP loss, as it may not be
conquered till the start of September?

Answer:
No. Rule 44E2a (Africa-Only VP Awards) in the Over There Game-Specific Rules booklet, says the Entente loses 10 VPs for each turn after Aug 14 in which Togoland is not Entente-conquered. The Entente loses VPs for each turn after Aug 14 in which Togoland is unconquered. If the Entente conquers Togoland before the end of the Sep 14 turn, then Togoland is conquered during Sep I 14 and no VPs are lost. Maybe this would be clearer if “for each turn after Aug 14” were changed to read “for each full turn after Aug 14.

Source:
Arthur E. Goodwin posted on the Europa Association mailing List at Yahoo,
11:47am Jun 27, 2002 PST

Withdrawals

Question:

When a unit is required to withdraw by the OOB, precisely when during the turn does the withdrawal happen? It is not explicitly stated in the WD rules, but it seems that a withdrawal would occur in the initial phase. Otherwise the unit would possibly be able to participate in a combat before exiting stage left (or right).

Answer:

Withdrawals occur during the initial phase. Many later Europa games have a detailed sequence of play chart that list exactly when each activity occurs, but earlier ones like Western Desert do not.

In early games like Western Desert, all activities listed in the reinforcements and replacements rule (Rule 29 for WD) occur in the initial phase unless the rule for a feature explicitly states otherwise. In games with a detailed sequence of play chart, the chart governs.

Source:

Posted by John Astell on the Yahoo Classic Europa mailing list on 08.01.2013 17:3

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