How to bid on a nation basis?

[Noll]

Let’s say we are 6 players, everyone interested in playing a single nation specifically.

How should I rule a bidding system per -nation- instead of per -side- ?

I have some ideas but I have no experience in bidding, so please help me :)

[Geoscal]

This is how our group plays individual nation bids:

Please put a bid on each country with no bid exceeding 30 IPC and bids may be as negative (a penalty that comes out of your starting IPC) as you dare. The total of all your bids combined may not exceed 120. For example, if you don’t care what you play, then you would bid 20 on each of the 6 countries for a total of 120 IPC.  The lowest bid for a nation wins first choice and ties go to the player with the most winning bids and then the player with the lowest bid will choose their country next and so on. If a player wins multiple bids they get their choice and then are removed from the bidding pool.  Bids may continue up to game time. Also a bid played may never be increased.

Please note a bid is a ONE time payment at the start of a game.  We find this system works great because more skilled players tend to bid low to get what they want and player with less experience bids higher causing a nice balance in the game regardless of the alpha version.

This is an example of how it worked.  In this bid (attached jpeg) McMain had the lowest bid and won first choice.  McMain could then choose Italy or Germany.  McMain then chose Germany for a one time starting bonus of 5 IPC and his bids were then removed.

Then Sheldon won his choice of USA/China and Italy.  Sheldon then chose the USA/China for 9 IPC.    Pontinen then chose Japan for +13 IPC.    Between Beeds and Russ, Russ’ bids were overall lower so he got next choice and took Russia/France for +14.  Beeds then chose UK/ANZAC for +14.  Gavin having the overall highest bids then ended up with Italy for +20.

In Summary the Axis ended with a one time bonus of +38 and the Allies +37.  This was an actual bid and you see how it usually ends up with a nice balance.

[Noll]

Thank you Geoscal, this will help me a lot and we’ll definitely try it!

[Jennifer]

Or just go round robin:

I’ll take Germany for -9 IPC
I’ll take Germany for -10 IPC

Until everyone conceeds that the player is that nation for that change.

Or, just roll a die.

[knp7765]

I’m still confused with this bidding idea.  I understand that the lowest bid wins his/her choice of country.  So does that winning bid get added on to the starting IPC for that country?  In your example above, McMain won Germany for a 5 IPC bid.  Does that mean Germany starts with 35 IPCs for this game?

What about bids on more than one country (USA/China, Russia/France, UK/ANZAC)?  Sheldon won USA/China for a bid of 9 IPCs.  Does USA get those 9 IPCs or China?  Or is it simply winner’s choice?

This bidding only affects who plays which country and the starting IPCs, right?  The rest of the game proceeds normally?

[Ruanek]

Bidding can be done a few different ways, but my understanding of it is that generally it’s in terms of units.  So with a bid of 5 IPCs that nation could get an AA gun (I guess that’s it) anywhere they already have units or get less and bank whatever’s left.  Only the starting setup is affected.  With multiple nations I guess it’s the bidder’s choice how to split it.

[Geoscal]

@knp7765:

I’m still confused with this bidding idea.  I understand that the lowest bid wins his/her choice of country.  So does that winning bid get added on to the starting IPC for that country?  In your example above, McMain won Germany for a 5 IPC bid.  Does that mean Germany starts with 35 IPCs for this game?

What about bids on more than one country (USA/China, Russia/France, UK/ANZAC)?  Sheldon won USA/China for a bid of 9 IPCs.  Does USA get those 9 IPCs or China?  Or is it simply winner’s choice?

This bidding only affects who plays which country and the starting IPCs, right?  The rest of the game proceeds normally?

The winning bid is a one time bonus at the start of your first turn to buy some extra units.  So Germany would start with an extra 5 IPC for the his first turn only.

For bids with more than one country (I.e. USA/China) combo it would be winners choice how the one time IPC bonus would be distributed between the two countries.

Yes the bidding only affects who plays that country (won the bid) for the opening IPC only and then the rest of the game would proceed normally.

[Geoscal]

@Ruanek:

Bidding can be done a few different ways, but my understanding of it is that generally it’s in terms of units.  So with a bid of 5 IPCs that nation could get an AA gun (I guess that’s it) anywhere they already have units or get less and bank whatever’s left.  Only the starting setup is affected.  With multiple nations I guess it’s the bidder’s choice how to split it.

The way our group plays it is that the bonus IPC is added to your IPC for your first turn purchase.  And only the for the first turn, the bonus is NOT ongoing.

[Geoscal]

@Cmdr:

Or just go round robin:

I’ll take Germany for -9 IPC
I’ll take Germany for -10 IPC

Until everyone conceeds that the player is that nation for that change.

Or, just roll a die.

The reason our group uses the other system of bidding is to prevent the last players from bidding themselves high bonuses.  When all players must put a bid on every nation (with a 120 IPC limit for all bids combined and no bid exceeding 30 IPC) before starting it prevents the bids from getting to high.  You can also start the bidding a week before game time to build up the game in advance - we post online and you can see the bids unfold before game time, and the teams are then decided in advance.

[Noll]

I have a question.

What happens if two or more players place the best bid for the same nation?

Let’s say 3 players bid 0 for germany. Who wins?

[Geoscal]

@Noll:

I have a question.

What happens if two or more players place the best bid for the same nation?

Let’s say 3 players bid 0 for germany. Who wins?

When this happens and it does (often) look to the player who has won the most bids overall.  I.e a player may have won the bid for Germany & Japan.  That player would then have first choice.  And if the players are tied in that regard then the player with the lowest combined bid on all the nations would get first choice.  If they are still tied at this point, then you will have to roll a dice (this has yet to happen in our group)  :-D

[Gargantua]

Screw doing a bid.

Do a lottery,  shake up all the roundels in your hand, and hand them out randomly.

If people want to trade, let them.  If not, forget it, and play.

Adding up to 120 in IPC’s to the game board, is NOT how to play Axis and Allies.