Optional Rules

[Batz32]

Do any of you follow AA players use the optional rules or roll for them?

Or do you feel they break the game?

Lastly, which ones are your favorite or most effective to use.

[Hellmet]

We always roll for the defending/escort fighter and Dardanelles/Bosporus Straits open/closed optional Rules.  Personally, I favor the defending/escort fighter Rule as it makes SBRs more challenging.

[Advosan]

We always play Bosporus closed for all sea units. And we also play defend/escort fgt. But especially the Dardanelles rule is imperative imho.

[Hobbes]

Fighter escorts yes, Dardanelles no. Fighter escorts makes bombing campaigns more challenging than simply building fleets of bombers and sending them.

Regarding the Dardanelles rule it limits the options for nearly all powers in the Med:

• Germany’s Med fleet is reduced to striking Africa. It can’t help pressuring the Russians on Caucasus or dealing with any incursions on Ukraine.
• Russia R1 tactic of building a submarine to sink the German fleet is removed (the only time on the entire series of games where the Russians can build ships!)
• The US cannot set a transport chain to reinforce Caucasus (rather a waste of resources but I’ve seen enough people trying it).
• Japan can’t threaten Caucasus with amphibious landings (which usually makes pressure on the Allies to close the Suez)

Since the game is considered already balanced by most players I disagree that having the rule goes towards balancing it, since I can’t see 1 side getting a big advantage by having it closed.

The main argument thus to use the rule is the historical situation but the game does not intend to fully reproduce History, I so guess it is mostly a matter of taste regarding playability/historical accuracy.