Improved Research and Development 1940 Second Edition

[Militarized Milkmen]

We can all agree that the optional R&D rules for A&A are complete garbage right? We’ve all browsed from forum to forum trying to find a set of rules that actually works. I mean sure, there are a lot of great ideas out there but all of them are just conceptual and incomplete. So I now present to you my revised set of R&D rules for Axis and Allies (beware of typos). By the way this version was written for 1940 Second Edition, but I made a version for 1942 as well if people want to see it. Enjoy!

Improved Axis and Allies 1940 Research and Development Rules (Revised)

New Turn Sequence:
Research and Development
Technological Breakthrough
Purchase and Repair Units
Combat Move
Conduct Combat
Noncombat Move
Mobilize New Units
Collect Income

New Unit: Research Centers
During the Purchase and Repair Units phase, any nation that is at war, who controls at least one victory city, may build research centers in illegible territories for fifteen IPC’s each. New research centers may only be built in originally owned territories with an IPC value of two or greater and are placed during the Mobilize New Units phase.
Research facilities function similarly to industrial complexes. They have a built in AAA, are subject to damage during strategic bombing raids, and can be captured. A research facility can take up to six points of damage, but like industrial complexes, cannot be destroyed. China may not build research centers.

New Unit: Patrol Torpedo Boat
Cost: 5
Attack: 1
Defense: 2
Move: 2

Coastal Water Limitation: A patrol torpedo boat may only occupy sea zones adjacent to land, and may only move into or through sea zones that are adjacent to land, that share a common border with land adjacent to the sea zone they were just in.

New Game Setup:
The following changes should be made to the game setup:

Germany:
Add one research center to Greater Southern Germany
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 114
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 115

Soviet Union:
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 100
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 81

Japan:
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 20

United States:
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 10
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 35
Remove one cruiser from sea zone 101 and add one destroyer and two patrol torpedo boat

United Kingdoms:
Add one research center to United Kingdom
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 39
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 109

Italy:
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 96
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 97

ANZAC:
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 63

France:
Add one patrol torpedo boat to sea zone 110

New Rule: Research and Development Phase
During the Research and Development phase, all undamaged research facilities you control may roll one six sided die. If any of your research centers rolls a six then you have made a technological breakthrough and proceed to the Technological Breakthrough phase (you may only make one technological breakthrough each turn regardless of the number of sixes you roll). If not then you skip the Technological breakthrough phase of your turn.

New Rule: Technological Breakthrough Phase
If you made a technological breakthrough in the Research and Development phase, then you may select one of the following four categories to gain research in; Land Unit Research, Naval Unit Research, Aerial Unit Research, or Special Research. You then roll a four sided die and gain an advancement corresponding to the number you rolled on the chart you selected. Each four slot on each chart has advancements with three tiers. Once the first tier is researched, the second tier becomes available, and once the second tier is researched, the third becomes available. If you have already researched all possible advancements for the slot number you rolled then you may reroll. The slot corresponding to the number you rolled becomes developed for you and you gain access to all of its benefits at the beginning of your next turn.

New Rule: Capital Ship Repair Costs
Repairing a boat is not an inexpensive endeavor. Due to this, Battleships and Aircraft carriers no longer automatically repair themselves while in a sea zone adjacent to a friendly naval base during the Purchase and Repair Units phase. During the Purchase and Repair Units phase, any player with a friendly boat in a sea zone serviced by one of their naval bases may choose to pay to have those boats repaired. It costs ten IPC’s to repair a battleship and eight IPC’s to repair an aircraft carrier. Any boats that are being repaired may not move or be involved in combat during the turn that they are being repaired. A naval base may repair up to three boats each turn, minus the number of damage chips it has on it. Boats stats are altered when they are damaged. Damaged battleships have an attack of two, a defense of three, a move of one, and lose one die of shore bombardment capabilities. Damaged aircraft carriers’ attack value is unchanged, but it has a defense value of one and a move of one. Damaged aircraft carriers carry aircraft rules and air defense rules are unchanged (see page 30 of the Pacific 1940 rule book or page 32 of the Europe 1940 rule book. Ships repairs finish during the Mobilize New Units phase.

New Rule: Research and Development Charts: (This used to be a chart but the copy and pasting ruined it)

Land Unit Research
1.
Improved Tanks
2.
Radar
3.
Improved Mechanized Infantry
4.
Tier 1: Advanced Artillery → Tier 2: Defensive Emplacements → Tier 3: Long Range Barrage

Naval Unit Research
1.
Improved Shipyards
2.
Hydrofoils
3.
Improved Battleships
4.
Tier 1: Super Subs → Tier 2: Superb Subs → Tier 3: Supreme Subs

Aerial Unit Research
1.
Jet Fighters
2.
Long Range Aircraft
3.
Paratroopers
4.
Tier 1: Improved Defensive Armaments → Tier 2: Heavy Bombers → Tier 3: Nuclear Bombers

Special Research
1.
War Bonds
2.
Increased Factory Production
3.
Sabotage
4.
Tier 1: AAA Rocket Battery → Tier 2: Cruise Missile → Tier 3: Ballistic Missile

New Rule: Technological Advancements
There are twenty-four technological advancements available and they are detailed below in ascending order.

Improved Tanks: Each of your tank units now has an attack value of four.

Radar: Your AAA now hit on a one or a two when making their air defense roll.

Improved Mechanized Infantry: Each of your mechanized infantry units now has an attack value of two when paired with a tank and may now blitz without the support of a tank.

Advanced Artillery: Each of your artillery units can now provide greater support. One artillery unit can support up to two infantry, mechanized infantry, or a combination of the two, per attack.

Defensive Emplacements: Each of your artillery units now has a defense value of three.

Long Range Barrage: Your artillery’s range has grown to staggering levels. When defending, each of your artillery may fire once before combat. Any casualties dealt are removed before the first round of combat begins.

Improved Shipyards: Your sea units are now cheaper to build and repair. Use these revised costs:

Battleship
17
Battleship Repair
8
Aircraft Carrier
13
Aircraft Carrier Repair
6
Cruiser
9
Destroyer
7
Transport
6
Submarine
5
Patrol Torpedo Boat
4

Hydrofoils: Each of your patrol torpedo boats now has an attack of two and a move of three.

Improved Battleships: When your battleships participate in combat with enemy aircraft, your battleship may roll one die of AAA fire against those aircraft. In addition to this, your battleships may also roll twice when conducting a naval bombardment and select the best result. Damaged battleships have no air defense capabilities.

Super Subs: Your submarines now have an attack value of three instead of two.

Superb Subs: Your submarines now have a defense value of two instead of one. In addition to this, if your submarines hit while making a surprise strike, you may select the casualty that is taken.

Supreme Subs: Your submarines are now supreme, whatever the hell that means. Your subs are now immune to the effects of destroyers.

Jet Fighters: The attack value of your fighters is now four instead of three. In addition, during bombing raids, your escorting and intercepting fighters now hit on a one or two instead of just one.

Long Range Aircraft: All of your air units’ ranges are increased by one space.

Paratroopers: Each of your bombers can act as a transport for up to one infantry during combat movement, but it must stop in the first hostile territory it enters, ending it’s movement. Both units must begin their movement in the same territory. The infantry is dropped after any possible AAA fire is resolved, so if the bomber is hit, the infantry it carries is also destroyed. The bomber may still attack during the conduct combat phase, but it cannot make a strategic bombing raid in a turn that it transported an infantry unit. If attacking along with land units the infantry unit may retreat normally to a friendly adjacent space during combat.

Improved Defensive Armament: During bombing raids, your tactical and strategic bombers hit interceptors on a one and a two instead of just a one.

Heavy Bombers: Your strategic bombers are now heavy bombers. When attacking, whether in a battle or a bombing raid, roll two dice instead of one.

Nuclear Bombers: Your heavy bombers are now nuclear bombers. When attacking, whether in a battle or a bombing raid, roll six dice instead of two.

War Bonds: During your collect income phase, roll a six sided die and add the result to your income.

Increased Production: Each of your industrial complexes can now produce units beyond their normal production capacity. Major industrial complexes may now mobilize up to twelve units and minor ones can now mobilize up to four. Also when repairing naval bases, air bases, research centers, and industrial complexes you may remove two damage markers for the cost of 1 IPC.

Sabotage: You have developed an extensive spy network. During the research and development phase of an opponent’s turn, if an opponent makes a technological breakthrough, you may choose to sabotage their research. If you sabotage their research you roll a six sided die. On a one, your spies are caught and killed and you may not sabotage that country again. On a two through five nothing happens. On a six their research is sabotaged and they lose their technological breakthrough (this does not mean if you successfully sabotage them and they roll two sixes that they still get a technological breakthrough).

AAA Rocket Battery: Your AAA now implements mass rocket salvo fire. Your AAA may now fire during each round of combat, in addition to its normal air defense capabilities, hitting on a one.

Cruise Missile: Your air bases can now launch rockets. During the strategic and tactical bombing raid step of your conduct combat phase each turn, each of your air bases can launch a single rocket attack against an enemy naval base, air base, research center, or industrial complex within four spaces of it. This attack does one die roll of damage to that facility. Rockets may not be fired over neutral territories.

Ballistic Missile: Your air bases can now make long range, anti-personnel, targeted strikes. During the combat combat phase your undamaged air bases may make a rocket attack against a unit of your choosing within eight spaces of the air base. To signify this, place your control marker under the unit you targeted. At the beginning of the conduct combat phase, before any other roles are made, roll a six sided die to determine whether your rocket strike hits. On a five or less the targeted unit is destroyed, on a six nothing happens. An air base that makes a rocket attack against a unit may not make a rocket attack against a facility, and vice versa, in the same turn.

I’m open to suggestions and I hope this serves you well. Cheers!

[General 6 Stars]

This been play tested yet ?

[Militarized Milkmen]

It has not been play tested professionally yet, however, it has worked amazingly in my many circles of play. It was neither to complicated for my friends who haven’t played the game since the 90’s, nor was it to simple to bore any of my other friends. I’ve played ten or so games with it so far.

[Militarized Milkmen]

Seven of the games I’ve played with it were 1940 and three were with the adapted 1942 version.

[doomer1940]

Nuclear Bombers: Your heavy bombers are now nuclear bombers. When attacking, whether in a battle or a bombing raid, roll six dice instead of two.

as you were saying roll six dice but in normal combat you can do only 1 casualty so what is the point with that?

and second if you have “Nuclear Bombers” you can better do roll 2 or 3 dice choose your dice to use and count the dice both instead of 1

but great house rules when a friend comes over I will test them

[Militarized Milkmen]

@doomer1940 First of all thanks for responding! Second of all no, you can deal more than one casualty. How it works is in combat you roll two dice for heavy bombers. Just like regular bombers you hit on a four. You deal the same number of casualties as the dice that rolled fours. The same goes for nuclear bombers except your roll six dice instead of two.

[Militarized Milkmen]

@doomer1940 unlike the regular 1940 r&d rolls, you don’t select the best roll out of the two, or six, you use all of them. The only time you select the best roll is with improved battleships where the rules should states that that is what your should do.

[doomer1940]

can you point out in the rules were that is I always thought that it was my way in the rule book

heavy bomber: your strategic bomber are now heavy bombers. when attacking, whether in a battle or in a strategic bombing raid, roll two dice for each bomber and select the best result.
that means you can throw 2 dice and you choose the best from the 2 not do 2 casualty’s
for my understanding

[Militarized Milkmen]

@doomer1940 Yes you are exactly right, that is what it says in the normal 1940 r&d rules, however, the rules for mine do not say you select the best result because I think that’s boring.

[doomer1940]

wait i was to fast replying I didn’t saw your second post.
is that not OP you think then you are capable of destroying a major factory (damage to the lowest point possible)
and you can do it then with everything that is a building
and if you spend for germany 30 or 45 on it and you can “farm” it if you are lucky you can choose still how you say it go for strategic bomber and you are capable of destroying
36 if you are lucky that is 4 or 5 from the hole russian setup in 1 blow so tobruk or turkey 1 hit gone amphibious assault 1 hit gone most of the time right?

[doomer1940]

and I think it’s a good idea to get 1 roll from the start of the game for free for a different game every time and with the patrol boat sorry but you need extra pieces and I realy don’t so the point of buying them in game for 1 ioc more you got a submarine and with the tech now that can be a lot more worth

[Militarized Milkmen]

Yes it is very powerful. Like I mentioned above, this blends a multitude of other people’s rules together. It draws heavily on a set of rules I have printed out from a while back, which I can’t track down right now, which is where I got that particular rule from. I’m thinking about a few possible edits for it, like adding more researches per category, so that its less likely that you get a nuclear bomb early game. Or perhaps I will make it so it’s only four dice instead of six, or that each bomber can only drop one nuclear bomb each turn, or something similar. Again I’m open to suggestions. My brother is pestering me to allow artillery to make bombardments, and other changes so the rules will probably be nothing like how they were when they started.

[Militarized Milkmen]

well the point of the patrol boat is it’s like the infantry of the sea, a decent defender but otherwise garbage. Also their were many, many, patrol boats used during the war on every side which made hydrofoils rather important. Also I originally made these rules just for me and my friends but they pressured me to post it so I did. I didn’t have to buy pt boats, because I found a nice model on thingiverse and printed it on my hobbyist 3d printer at home. Obviously it won’t work for everyone so I can provide some other options to u-boat in (get it? instead of sub in? No? Yeah it was bad) like destroyer bombardment.

[doomer1940]

I know this is not related to this but you you play with other house rules?

[Militarized Milkmen]

And instead of getting one roll maybe each country starts with a specific research.

[Militarized Milkmen]

Yes I play with a set of elite infantry rules that I’ve developed, although I do not like it as much as I like my research rules. the idea of national advantages has always interested me although I’ve never implemented them. Also I think it would be cool if people national control markers were placed in a hat/cup/etc. and drawn at the beginning of each round to determine turn order. I haven’t implemented that either because i think it would make tracking ipcs even more tedious

[doomer1940]

hallo I have tweaked it a little bit and now i have this as rules
the rest is the same as yours

AAA rocket battery to land units research
naval units: i don’t have the boat so no research for it

for aerial units: I have long range set for 2 spaces and nuclear set to 3 dice and all do damage and no +2 anymore
I have 2 tier in war bonds first 1 is the normal 1 and tier 2 is that you trow 2 dice and choose
special research:
sabotage I set it to choose 1 country roll a six sided dice if it lands on 1 you stall 3 units in the enemy mobilization phase

new rule tier 1 field logistics: every ground unit gets a +1 move stat in the no combat move
tier 2 field logistics: defenders have now the option to retreat 1 space back to friendly territory
cruise missile is the same
and ballistic missile can target now 2 infantry or 1 infantry and 1 artillery or 1 other unit and it can hit capital ships because of the size this is my thing now maybe you see something point it out that really helps e

[Militarized Milkmen]

I understood very little of that from the typos but what I did understand, I was able to appreciate why you did that. I won’t try and copy your work and pass it off as mine. Cheers!

[Militarized Milkmen]

I do have one suggestion for field logistics though… maybe you add in somewhere that during the he passive move, your units can move one space, before or after offloading or onloading onto a transport

[doomer1940]

what are the think you don’t understand then maybe help you understand better
and I update it now so maybe you understand it better now
and this is just me but the rules you have for nuclear still are OP i think mine is a little bit less OP