The (unofficial) Revised Version of Axis and Allies 1914

Greeting fellow A&A players. 1914 is a great game and is a fun to play out of the box. However, it feels like it could be better than what it is. So I composed a major set of house rules and changes to add a greater depth. This is my revised version of Axis and Allies 1914

Disclaimer: The rules and changes are ones either I discovered here in the forums or I did create. However, I do not take full credit for any of these changes or rules. Also I have not really play tested to an extent to see if it is balanced and that also means this is not 100% complete. You may also need to have outside(of the game) sources to play some of these rules (I will get to that later).

Revised Rules

Board Changes:
(quick note: this is where you may need to use some pieces from other games)

• Switzerland is an impassable territory
• Belgium and Belgian Congo is allied with Great Britain
• Round 1 Portugal and its colonies, Arabia, Romania and Bulgaria are neutral, until  round 2, where they go back to be allied with whoever they were on the board
• Albania’s value is now 1 and is neutral
• Serbia’s value is now 3
• Greece becomes allied with Great Britain on round 3

Setup Changes:

• Munich’s setup pieces are switched with Ruhr’s
• One infantry is removed from Somaliland, Togoland and French West Africa
• Add three infantry to Livonia and Sevastopol
• Remove the battleship and one transport from sea zone 16
• Smyrna’s setup pieces are switched with Trans-Jordan’s
• Ankara’s setup pieces are switched with Mesopotamia’s
• Add one fighter to London, Moscow and Vienna
• Add one British cruiser to sea zone 9

Unit Changes:

• Fighters cost 5 ipcs
• Submarines cost 5 ipcs
• Cruisers cost 7 ipcs
• Land units (except fighters) can move two spaces in their nation’s original territories (but no in colonies). However, they can only move one space in friendly/contested/conquered territories
• Starting Serbian units have a defense of 4
• Naval units starting on friendly seaport can move three spaces

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Sea zones that are adjacent to the British isles (3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9) are convoy zones. If Germany has submarines in any of the convoy zones, then Great Britain on their collect income phase will lose 3 ipcs per submarine (example if Germany has two subs in sea zone 8 and one sub in sea zone 4, then Great Britain will lose 9 ipcs). If Germany sinks 15 ipcs in the convoy zones before round 4 then America will immediately join the Entente. (This part is for technology which is optional and will later be explained) If Great Britain has researched the technology Convoy System, it will decrease the ipc lost by 1. If Germany has researched the technology Advanced Submarines, it will increase the ipc lost by 1.

Italy Rules
Italy is neutral until round 2, however they may be attacked by any of the Central Powers round 1. While neutral, Italy may not attack/move land units into any territories in doesn’t control. Its naval units can move anywhere however if they move into a sea zone with a Central Power’s naval unit/units or is adjacent seaport is controlled by a Central Power, the Central Power player can choose to attack Italy’s ships with the mines of the naval port and/or with its naval units.

Spanish and Portuguese Colonies
If a player moves their units in a colonial territory controlled by Spain or Portugal, then the player takes control over the territory. However, the neutral country with its other colonies will ally itself with the player’s enemy (example if France moves an infantry into Spanish Morocco, Spain and the Balearic Islands will ally itself with the Central Powers). Then any of the enemy powers can move into that country and mobilize it.

India Rules
In India, Great Britain can only build six units per turn. India can only build one artillery per turn and can’t build tanks, elite infantry or fighters.

Ottoman Empire Rules
The Entente are not at war with the Ottoman Empire till the Ottoman’s turn on round 1. Which means the Entente can’t attack the Ottoman Empire or move into/ through sea zone 20.

Victory Condition
Whoever has the most victory points after 10 (Standard) or 15 (Advanced) turns wins the game. If both sides have equal amount of victory points, then the war comes to a “ceasefire” and nobody wins To gain a victory point do the following:

• Economic Dominance: Whoever has the highest ipc production gains a VP
• Capturing a Capital: If you capture an enemy capital you gain a VP even if it was liberated
• Victory Cities: Whoever has the most victory cities gains a VP.
  Entente VCs: London, Cairo, Bombay, Paris, Verdun (Lorraine), Moscow, Petrograd, Kiev, Rome and Venice
  Central Power’s VCs: Berlin, Colonge (Ruhr), Vienna, Budapest, Constantinople and Baghdad (Mesopotamia)

Technology Rules (optional)
Before the purchase/repair units phase, you can buy a “research chip” for 5 ipcs. Then choose what technology you want to research and roll as many dice you have purchased to see if you “complete” the research for the technology. If you rolled a 4, 5, or 6 with one of the dice you complete the research and gain the technology’s bonus. However, if you roll lower than a 4, 5, or 6 you failed the research. You may only research one technology per turn. Powers that are not at war cannot do research.

Tech Chart
1. Advanced Artillery Tactics: Artillery can now support two units
2. Gas Attack: (Attacker only) Before any combat you will roll one die to see how many defending infantry are ‘disabled’
from the battle (Better explained below)
3. Advanced Railroad System: All land units (except fighters) can move three spaces in its original territories and two
spaces in friendly/conquered territory
4. War Bonds: During the collect income phase you will gain five extra ipcs
5. Advanced Submarines: Submarine’s attack is increased by 1
6. Advanced Fighters: Fighter’s combat is increased by 1 and can move three spaces
7. Gas Masks: (Defenders only) After a gas attack you will roll one die to see how many of your infantry are unaffected by the Gas Attack (Better explained below)
8. Tanks: You can build Tanks. Unit cost 5, attack 3, defense 1, and movement standard
9. Stormtrooper Tactics: You can train Elite infantry. Unit cost 4, attack 3, defense 3, and movement standard
10. Convoy System: Transports cost 5 ipcs and now has a defense of 1

To better explain Gas Attacks and Gas Masks. For Gas Attacks, ‘disabled’ means that the infantry cannot be rolled for, however, they still can be taken as casualties. For Gas Masks, basically during the Gas Attack let say that the attacker rolled a 4 and the defender rolled a 3. This means that only one of the defending infantry are ‘disabled’. Hopefully that explains. If not you can ask questions.

Also what to use for elite infantry models? I use the infantry models from G40 2nd edition (Germany’s for Germany, USSR’s for Russia, UK’s for Great Britain, and etc…) If you do not have G40 2nd edition, I guess you got to be creative by either finding pieces from other games to represent or go to HBG to find some unit models. If those don’t work you can change the rule. Really you can do what best fits for you. The same applies for the map changes.

So what do you think? Questions? Do I need to explain something better? Should more be added or something gotten rid of? Please feel free to share your opinion. I shared this so people can use it or to give them ideas on their own house rules. So if you want to try these ideas, you can and you can change what you want. If you do use these please tell your experience with them and tell what could be improved.

I hope this was useful for you and enjoy!

@bgugs:

Does artillery give +1 attack to elite infantry too? If not they are basically artillery without the ability to have air superiority or support other infantry

Yes, however, would that make them to op?

@Carolina:

Setup change: (in addition to your changes)
Add 1 GE CA in SZ26 (represents German presence in Indian Ocean).
Add 1 GE SS in SZ18.
Add 1 GE CA in SZ20.
Change 1 OE CA to TR in SZ20.
Change 1 RU CA to SS in SZ21.
Add 1 FR SS to SZ16.
Change 1 GE AR to IN in SWA.
Add 1 GE AR to GEA (represents gun ships in lakes).
Add 1 FR IN to BEC - cannot move until turn 4 (represents the Belgian Congo Force Publique).
Move 1 UK CA in SZ29 to SZ19.
Remove 1 UK TR from SZ2.
Add 1 UK SS to SZ8.

Rule change:
Allow loss of load on transport to absorb MINE hits against a transport.

Board change:
Make Finland a minor-aligned territory with Russia (already controlled at start of game).

It seems you are buffing up the Middle East and Africa. I was taking the route of decreasing the importance of Africa since OOB it is a front of small groups of units walking around capturing and recapturing territory with little fighting. But buffing it up could make it more interesting.

Making Finland a minor-aligned with Russia, is that for historical or realistic purposes? I don’t see how much that could affect the game. Good idea but for what purpose?