NATO Errata and Addenda

First, my own findings:

[17.0]  Turn-Record / Reinforcement Chart:  The USSR 3-3-6 Infantry that enters on turn 5 at [WP-3] should be a 4-3-6.

[Counter set]  There are no West German 1-2-8 Mountain units in the set for breakdowns and creating battle groups; I have added three of these to my replacement set.

As a result of post-publication playtesting and questions or comments received from SPI customers, the following errata have been assembled to clarify play of this simulation:

RULES

[11.15]  (clarification) The type of supply received when within eight Movement Points of the appropriate supply source depends on the nationality of the supply source, as explained in 11.13. Thus "any supply" means the appropriate supply.

[14.0] TACTICAL NUCLEAR WARFARE (clarification) The use of Nuclear weapons in the nuclear scenarios is always voluntary. Either Player may designate some, all or none of his individual attacks as nuclear at any time and remains free to make conventional attacks.

[18.3] LEVELS OF VICTORY (change) The Levels for M + 31 both conventional and nuclear should be:

[19.51] NATO NEUTRALITY (clarification) As under Warsaw Pact Unreliability, at the beginning of the game the Player roles the die once for each individual country to determine if that country becomes neutral.

GAME EXTENSION: (addition) It is possible to play the M + 31 Scenarios for an additional fifteen Game-Turns. The only reinforcements are Warsaw Pact Supply Units at a rate of one per Game-Turn. If thus extending the game, use the printed (in rules folder) Levels of Victory for the Conventional Scenario and add 70 to printed levels for the Nuclear Scenario. Also, if extending the game, for the first ten additional Game-Turns, the Warsaw Pact Player rolls the die. This number of supplied divisions must be removed from the map and replaced on any hex on the eastern map edge. For the last five Game-Turns, twice the number on the die have the same 'procedure applied.

MAP

TERRAIN EFFECTS: (clarification) Mountain hexes with a pass may be entered at the pass rate when entered from a clear terrain hex only.

Hex 3747 is part of Austria and therefore considered impassable.

UNIT BREAKDOWNS FOR NATO

by Alan R. Arvold

The following unit breakdowns are for the game NATO (SPI) and are based on the unit organizations of the early 1970's upon which the game designers based their design.

UPDATING NATO

I currently own the NATO game and am more than satisfied with it. The designation of the NATO units is surprisingly quite accurate. However, some American units are slightly mislocated, and the wargamer, looking for the ultimate in accuracy, may wish to correct this. For this reason, I am enclosing the true locations and designations of American combat units.

On hex 1234:  8th Infantry Division (5-5-8), which is located around Bad Kreuznach.

On hex 1824:  Mechanized Infantry Brigade (1-2-8), part of the 1st Infantry Division located around Göppingen.

On hex 2030:  11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (1-2-8), located in and around Fulda and Bad Kissingen.

On hex 2136:  3rd Infantry Division (3-3-8 & 1-2-8), located in and around Würzburg.

On hex 2538:  1st Armored Division (5-5-8), between Nurnburg and Bamberg.

On hex 2939:  7th Armored Cavalry Brigade (1-2-8), redesignate as 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, located in and east of Nurnburg.

The American units which would probably come to Europe after an invasion would be the remainder of the 1st Division, 2nd Armored Division, 4th Infantry Division, and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, as well as the 1st Cavalry Division and the 101st Airborne Division. The 24th Infantry Division, which is supposed to be re-activated next year, would be another likely part of any reinforcement.

-- Bill Eldard

MOVES #18, p. 22

Transcribed by Mark Kindrachuk — August 2003

NATO: Errata and amendments

Relating to the 1973 SPI design

RULES

[16.0] INITIAL PLACEMENT (change)  In all scenarios the NATO player may set-up his divisions broken down. In the M+1 scenarios, once the NATO player has set-up his forces, he is allowed a special pre-game movement phase. This special movement phase takes place before the Soviet player sets up his forces. The NATO player may move all friendly non-neutral combat units (i.e. not supply units) as follows:

These fractional movement allowances are rounded down, but are not subject to supply effects. These units may not be moved adjacent to the Czechoslovak or inter-German border during the special movement phase.

[17.0] REINFORCEMENTS (clarification)  West German reinforcements may be entered at hex 1425 or 2745.

COMMENT

This game is showing its age; any realistic representation of this alternate history subject deriving from it would require a great deal of development work.

Tim Alanthwaite — 08/07/02-1.0