Designer: John Astell, Rich Banner
Publisher: Game Designers' Workshop
Marita-Merkur, Europa III, recreates the campaign in the Balkans from November 1940 until June 1941.
Two maps display the battlegrounds from Austria to Crete, including all of Yugoslavia, Albania, and Greece along with bordering regions. The terrain analysis includes rivers, woods, rough, mountains, karst, swamp, and impassable mountains. Six-hundred die cut counters represent the military units of the nine nations that took part in the campaign. Units are deployed as individual battalions, regiments, brigades, and divisions - each with its historical designation, strengths, and capabilities. Aircraft units are groups of approximately 40-50 planes organized by type (such as fighter or dive-bomber) and model (from obsolete CR.42 biplanes to Me109's). The Hungarian Duna river flotilla is included; for future Europa use, so are the entire navies of Greece and Yugoslavia.
The standard Europa rules present a framework of movement, combat, and combat/motorized exploitation. Special considerations cover Greek mountain capability, the Yugoslav coup, and British naval interdiction.
Marita-Merkur is designed to be played by itself as a seperate game, and also to mate with other Europa games.
Game components: