Here is a new variant for gameplay primarily for Global but will work with almost any edition of Axis & Allies.
Introduction:
One of the primary reasons WWII occurred was due to the reluctance of world leaders to engage in another bloody conflict that essentially destroyed a generation. The policy of appeasement to avoid bloodshed did not work however and a second world conflict began in 1939.
Boots On The Ground is a variant where your infantry casualties matter more than ever. Initially it will be easy for You, the leader of a powerful nation, to send troops abroad fighting conflicts all over the globe. However as the game progresses your troop amounts will dwindle, and if you lose them all you lose the war.
While this variant can be won the traditional way, Boots On The Ground adds a new dynamic that can extend or shorten the game and breaks away from the traditional strategies where the game is won by a more common strategy or formula.
Victory Cities and National Objectives:
National Objectives have been removed from the game (Although some players may want to include them). Regular VCs are now worth 20 IPCs and Capitals are worth 30 IPCs this is on top of the territory value (This also is up to player’s discretion). This brings a significant amount of money to the game and it will be needed as you will see further in the rules.
The Concept:
In this variant each player will start with all of the infantry he or she has setup OOB on the board, plus a reserve of an agreed upon amount by the players. I suggest 100 infantry for Global but players can decide this for themselves. The key is that you cannot buy or earn anymore infantry in the game. If you lose all of your infantry you lose the war. Normal victory conditions still apply but you must have at least one infantry unit alive and in your control.
Important: this applies only to Regular OOB Infantry not mechs or specialized infantry like HBG Paras, Marines, Commandos if you use them in your games.
The Rules: 1. Before the game begins the players will decide on an Infantry Reserve amount. I suggest 100 but you can decide whatever you want you may even want to bid. This does not count against infantry already on the board.
2. The players will decide who places their reserves first. This can be determined any way the playgroup chooses.
3. No regular infantry may be purchased ever in the game. The reserve is all the infantry any player has in the game. � �
4. Players may place some, all, or none of their infantry reserve on the board in any of their controlled territories.
During the opening Round there is no limit.
Once the opening round is over and normal gameplay has begun, players will place their reserves in any territory they control.
The placement limit is the territory value with the exception of Capitals and VCs which have unlimited placement restrictions.
Territories with no income value are limited to one.
The second exception is that you may never place more reserves than your IPC income in one turn. You may have more infantry on the board than you have income, but you cannot place new reserves exceeding your IPC income.
5. Infantry play exactly as they do OOB you just can’t buy them.
6. Normal OOB Victory conditions still exist with the exception that you must have one infantry alive to stay in the game.
7. If your capital is taken you still may place your reserves.
8. No IC is needed to place reserves, just a territory you control.
9. In G40 games these rules still apply to China.
10. All other units in the game may be purchased OOB there is no limit.
This variant has not been tested yet but I hope many will enjoy this. This is just a fun variant and the intent is just to mix it up a bit and make infantry more important than they have been before. On the surface it looks insane. But the more men you lose the closer you are to defeat.
