Ever play Blind?

First off let me say hello to everyone out there. I’ve played A&A for quite a few years now and I consider myself rather good. (Or maybe I just play poor players: :wink: )
To me the greatest problem A&A always presented, no matter what additional/optional rules you implemented, was that everything is visible. There is no Fog of war. Well my friends and I fixed that one. If this is old news to you sorry, but in the reading of Forums/rules and such I’ve seen no mention of this method. If you haven’t tried it and have the time to give it a try, it really makes your head spin.

Requirements
1- First off this method requires one fair Referee. In my group we rotate who would be ref so it stays fair in the long run. Now, it is VERY important that the ref is 1) Honest and 2)-diligent. If the ref is neither, the game fails. Honest players make his life A LOT easier, but you know there is always a bad apple in every barrel. But then again, most cheaters can be caught and thus never invited to play again. This persuades many from the bad acts.

2 - Two complete sets of A&A

3 - Two rooms that are close but completely separated from each other (two bed rooms in a house) and a third room that you can all meet/conduct battle

4 - A few new rules:
a) Recon Aircraft/Subs - Just prior to Combat phase (but still considered Combat), you may conduct RECON. Bombers, Fighters and Subs can do this.
Bombers/Fighters - They may fly their movement value. Any Enemy space they over fly, the ref will tell the player what enemy forces are present. Note however, if the space has an AA gun, and since this is considered combat, the AA gun gets a shot off. The plane must survive ALL AA guns shots for ANY information to be returned. (How can the photos be read if destroyed?) Thus if British bomber flies over Western Europe to Berlin then back home, both AA guns get a shot. If the WE guns misses, but German AA gun hits, the Brits DO NOT get the info for WE.
Subs - A sub can RECON one space (since it is going so slow) The Enemy force cannot detect the sub. If the player detects enemy forces, then attacks with his forces, the sub cannot attack, as it RECONed. If you have moved a sub into waters with an enemy fleet, then the enemy moves the fleet; you will know the first zone to which they departed. Of course, if the fleet moves 2 spaces, you only know the first zone they went into. Further, you can place a sub as a lurker. Any enemy units moving into his zone is automatically discovered. (Note-We used small blue poker chips the same size as the A&A red and whites to mark a lurker or CAP aircraft (explained later). Placing a sub into lurker status is that submarines turn. Thus J1 you place sub into lurker. A1 lone transport enters zone, this is reported to Japan. J2 Sub is removed from Lurker status and can attack the transport. USA now knows a sub is out there. Sub cannot move except under normal retreating rules. A2 (If Japan decided not to attack the sub) Transport departs to whichever zone. This is reported to Japan as well. J3 Sub is free to do any move.

CAPS- Now since you can fly RECON, we also figured we should be able to fly CAPS (Combat Air patrols). Again using the blue chip, place a fighter on CAP. Now ANY enemy aircraft flying into this zone with cause battle. The CAP aircraft are the defenders. Any Bombers entering however will attack on a 1. (Note: Industrial bombings are unaffected. We reasoned since recon is flown low and slow and bombing high and fast) But you may want to add the option of sending escort fighters if you wish. Further, any aircraft on CAP will defend if the zone is attacked normally.

The last form of RECON is a coast watcher. Any zone that you occupy with an Infantry unit will see any ships that sail past.

One note for all RECON’s – Any transport seen by RECON will only be seen as a transport. You will not see what, if anything is in the transport. Even when the transport is brought to the battle board, the units inside are not divulged unless that transport is sunk.

The only other rule change applies to the Blitzkrieg. You tell the Ref the two zones you wish to blitz. They ref will check the enemy board once all combat moves are made. If the first zone is occupied, the blitz is ended and battle begins.

Start of Play:

The players determine their sides. The allies go to one room, the axis to the other. The Ref ensures the boards are set up correctly. A neutral room is set up with the money and battle boards.

Now, the axis and Allies only see each other when Combat is conducted at the battle board.

What I love most about this game is the Fog of war. You don’t see what units are purchased. Germany can’t tell if Russia built 30 inf in Russia or rolled for developments. It really makes you think about what you can and can’t do. It also makes strategy a focal point of the game vice luck of the dice.

I’d love to hear your comments reactions to this type of game. Also, if you have played something similar, what differences do you use?

If a lone transport enters a zone with enemy combatants, battle ensues. Of course the transport does not get a shot off, and if the enemy fails to sink it on the first battle turn, the transport of course retreats in the desired direction.

If it was the transports second move, the transports can ONLY goto the zone it occupied on move 1.

If the transport encounters enemy action on move one, survives, then tries to retreat to anouther enemy occupied sea zone, the transport is lost, yet the player will learn the enemy forces in BOTH zones.