
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,774
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Arctic Front: Battle for Norway
- 2 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 1985

Rules assistance for Scorched Earth
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Scorched Earth is an expansion for Fire in the East released in 1987 for 2 players, 2400–6000 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Frank Chadwick and John Astell and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Hexagon Grid.
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 tank-busters, 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 separately, 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 (16 countersheets: Europa 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56) Three maps (Europa #7A, 8A and 9A) One rules booklet Two orders of battle booklets (Axis & Soviet) Scorched Earth Version 1.5 Errata - March 1992 One set of game charts: Combat Result/Terrain Effects Chart (x2) Unit Identification Chart/Counter Formats Turn Record Chart Soviet Game Chart/1942 Scenario Front Line Maps - North Axis Game Chart/1942 Scenario Front Line Maps - South Europa marker Display Master Sequence of Play/Special Dates List Europa Map Legend Map Guide (source: back of the box and user's description)
Scorched Earth supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Scorched Earth is 2400–6000 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Scorched Earth for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Scorched Earth has a complexity rating of 4.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Scorched Earth belongs to these categories: Wargame, World War II, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Hexagon Grid. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Scorched Earth are: Frank Chadwick and John Astell. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Scorched Earth as an expansion for Fire in the East. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Fire in the East to use it. Check that your edition of Fire in the East is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.