AA50: House Rules

Well for starters this thread has already outlined the new techs. Thats why you see some of the national advantages indicating such things as paratroopers.

I have playtested my rules and its really fun option

Also i have a new idea:

Battlecruisers are a better choice than light cruisers ( use the Milton Bradley battleships)

This is …drum roll… a 4-4 unit but takes just one hit to sink!  I know this is brilliant!

So forget the light cruisers…these new units could represent pocket battleships, and older battleships.

I suggest the starting German Cruiser in 41 and 42 is this Battlecruiser.  I suggest the cost be at 14 IPC and it can shore bombard at 4.

Escort carrier:
is 8 ipc and 0-1-2 unit with 1 fighter capacity

Battlecruiser/Pocket Battleship:
Would be a 4-4 unit moving 2 and a 4 @ SB,  costing 14 IPC, takes 1 hit.

Mechanized Infantry:
2-2-2-4 unit can carry one inf or art one extra space at 1:1 basis

Fighter-Bomber:
3-2 unit costing 8 that SBR @ 1/2 rate

Fighter interceptors:
2-3 unit costing 8 that can immediately assist any adjacent attacked territory on the defense ( using its 3 value)

Heavy or Elite Armor:
4-5-2 unit costing 8. you can only build one per turn.

Commandos or elite infantry are a (3)- first round 2-2 unit. These move 4 spaces and this may include up to one water space. They attack to the death and can allocate unused movement points left over to “run away”  they cost 8 IPC
Note: these can be sent to attack naval targets as well ( think Italian frogmen or British at St. Nazaire)

Elite infantry idea #2: Representing Shock troops, Waffen SS, Guards
2-3 unit cost 4 move 1, can be boosted like infantry with artillery at 1:1 basis.

Generals:

Each nation has one general ( or perhaps more including admirals)

the General (or admiral) allows one re roll in combat for a miss each round.

I’ve pretty much scratched the idea of an elite infantry unit and replaced it with a fast attack vehicle.  (Armored Vehicle, Duece, Half-Track, whatever.)

Cost 4
Attack 2
Defend 1
Move 2

I scratched it out entirely… too many land units ( 2 types of armor, 2 types of infantry, 1 art)

This way you don’t have to kill the Technology for Mechanized Infantry.

Well for me Mech infantry should not be a technology. Its not an invention, but just motorized transport and light tanks grouped in military formations. It should be standard unit in the game.

I’m also leaning towards all Artillery being treated like Battleships/Cruisers.  They fire in Opening Fire and then no longer participate in the battle, instead of increasing an attacking infantry’s roll. (However, they still defend like a normal unit.)  Advanced Artillery, then would fire two shots like a Heavy Bomber.

If you do this you need to have a thing where if it rolls a one , the attacker can declare the defending unit hit. Otherwise nobody will buy artillery and you took it out of the game. I don’t see why you want to do this with artillery…remember a turn is like 4-6 months and i am sure they can get a shot off by then.

The Pocket Battleship idea isn’t half bad.  I’ve already got the map and toolpieces for the units, I can certainly fix up the light cruiser into something a bit meaner looking to represent pocket battleships.

Its like a cheap way to get that 4 and save the cash to buy a destroyer. I really think its original idea and has a more clean valuation ( 1 hit rather than 2) rather than some 3-3 (2 hit) heavy cruiser idea.

And I think the fast attack vehicle is missing in this game.  We have tanks, but tanks are SLOW.

ok point taken but what do these formation represent when the game is featuring army sized units. Fast attack vehicle is like some really tactical unit on a scale much smaller than AA.

Tanks moving 2 is the top speed for land units. The game was designed for 1 or 2 MP units

Mech infantry does this job at 2-2-2-4 and you can justify it bringing some slower moving ordinance to battle, because really an army would be 1 Inf, 1 art together and an armor is 1 tank and 1 mech inf together.

slowing tanks down is messing with the DNA of the game. Its too radical.

your basically saying armor which is the focus of penetration attacks, gonna just move 1, while armored cars go 2?

the difference is speed is negligible considering 6 month turns.

I think some of the tanks are faster than some of these halftracks ( M-10 jackson tank destroyer was quite fast)

i think you place too much emphasizes on the slow Tiger II and some really large German types. but in general tanks and armored cars are the same.

http://www.mediafire.com/?yot3fehznth

this is the latest update on my rules after further playtesting.

Just have 3 types:

Heavy tank
armor
mechanized infantry

at least you got proper unit designations that were at corps level

The fast moving light tank thing didnt exist in division or corps level

I use the term heavy tanks but i am really saying SS panzers or elite armor formations.

i should use the term elite armor instead.

remember at Kursk the entire operation was held up for additional shipments of Tiger  and Elephant designs where Hitlers focus was on building Battalions of these heavy tanks which did make a huge impact by killing many times their weight in Soviet tanks.

Thats would also include more advanced tank designs including heavy tanks, but for mobility these units had the best of everything to make maximum use of their abilities.

In 6 months all armor can move 2 spaces.

These could also include Patton 's 3rd army. Soviet shock armies, Guard mechanized corps, Guard armor corps, and others

Axis & Allies Historical Anniversary Edition:

These rules are meant to be used as players may want to pick and choose. You can feel free to add some or all of them for various balancing issues in games or just for more realism. I suggest players use the standard rules together and add optional rules for balancing and increased historical realism.

Standard rules set:

Revised turn order:

1941:
Germany/Italy
Soviet Union
Japan
United Kingdom/United States

1942:
Japan
Soviet Union
Germany/Italy
United Kingdom/United States

Note: some teams conduct their turn segments at the same time.

Alternative bidding system: The axis player starts with a cash fund of IPC which grows by the rate of one IPC each turn. It can be used once and when that occurs it’s used in its entirety and the fund stops growing. The fund can be used at any time even if it’s not your turn and you immediately place pieces equal to its value in any controlled territory. Unspent IPC are lost.

Bidding system option #2: The Italian player can control a number of German units equal to the bid amount expressed in IPC. The Italian player can use these German units in any manner of his choosing and if some of these units are lost in combat, new forces up to the bid amount in IPC can be reallocated. Procedure: German player moves the forces in Italian controlled territories and on Italy’s turn they can be used as needed.

Dice challenge: During the course of combat rolls, each side is allowed a number of re-rolls for either a poor dice result as the attacker or defender (costs one point), or a re-roll of an air unit hit from a defending AA (costs two points). The total number of assigned points is to be determined before start of play.

Anti-Air rolls: These are now done according to Low Luck rules with any fraction still being rolled. Multiple AA guns have no effect. AA guns only fire during the combat phase and not during NCM.

Income collection:  
This phase now occurs just prior to purchase phase.
Income collection changes for western allies: Axis players keep income for neutral conquests, but the western allies do not collect when they liberate, the Soviet player does collect for ‘liberated’ territories. Example: British player captures France and the IPC is subtracted from German totals and not added to British total. The Allies do not gain from taking territories.

Both players can retreat: Either player can retreat in land combat after any full combat round. Retreat can be in full or in part. The attackers retreat must be to at least one of the territories the attacker can from. The defender can retreat to any controlled space.

Special land movement: Land units moving 2 spaces, but only using 1 movement point in combat movement, can allocate the last movement point to move to one new space. This may be done even if the unit participated in combat. The movement is conducted during non-combat movement phase.

Variable Factory costs: the cost of a new factory is now calculated as follows:
15 IPC minus IPC value of territory. Also, you can only build new factories at territories with a Victory City (VC). So if UK decides to build an Indian factory the calculation is: 15-3= 12 IPC to build new factory.

Placement modification: Each home factory allows you to place any units equal to IPC value, plus infantry only also equal to this value. So for example: In Germany the allies damaged 3 points, so you can now only place 7 units of any type and 7 infantry.

Placement at VC: You may place one land unit of any type in each VC you control even if you do not have a factory in the territory. If you have a Port you may also place one naval unit in the adjacent sea zone.

Strategic Redeployment:  
Procedure:
During your turn in the NCM phase count up your total adjusted placement capacity for all your factories and divide by 2. The adjusted total reflects any damage from SBR and is rounded down for the purposes of this count. The value equals the total number of additional land movements that can be made even if these units moved in the combat movement phase.

Effect:
Each land unit moves at double speed within contiguously connected territories. These may even be units that had just taken a new territory as a result of combat.
If you have an empty transport you can bridge up to that capacity a number of units across ONE sea zone onto another land zone. So if UK owns France and has 2 transports and 4 SR points cleared, they can transfer 4 more units to France from UK. This only works with one intervening sea zone.

Note: To increase the value of possible additional movements buying more factories or repairing  damaged factories is the way to go.
Lend Lease: For each transport in the Atlantic the US player rolls one d6 = result equals IPC that can be sent to Russia and deducted from US IPC total. (I recommend you use chips) Procedure: place whatever you rolled in the Soviet Lend Lease box. The convoy box can be subject to attacks and should be protected. The following Soviet turn the IPC generated is added to the Soviet player’s treasury. A limitation of 50% of the total American income can go to lend lease purposes.

For example: The US player has 5 transports and rolls 5 dice resulting in 22 potential Lend Lease IPC. They elect to send only 15 and place that amount of chips in the Lend Lease Box. Enemy subs or planes can attempt to attack these IPC up to the limit of 15 IPC. They roll as a convoy raid attack.

Exception: You may place up to one naval ship in a VC even if the territory does not contain a factory.

Convoy Raid Attack: Each warship or plane in range can elect to attack a nation in addition to other attacks in the same sea zone if other ships are also present (subs can only attack transports in this manner with or without ASW units defending).

Procedure: move warship or plane in sea zone with convoy box roll and d6
1-2= 1 IPC lost
3-4= 2 IPC lost
5-6= 3 IPC lost

Following the Convoy Raid each submarine has the option to attack enemy transports located in the sea zone.

Germany can perform convoy raid attacks against USA and UK.
USA can perform convoy raid attacks against Japan.
Japan can perform Convoy raid attack against USA.
UK can perform Convoy raid attacks on Italy but only from the Mediterranean.

Submarines:
Attacking Submarines can only engage enemy transports (with or without naval escort) or perform convoy raids on enemy sea zones designated as such. If they elect to attack transports perform the following sequence:

1.  Subs each roll at 2 or less to hit. Transports are removed for each hit. Additional hits can go against other ships (the defender decides), but only after transports are all hit.
2.  ASW units (Destroyers and Cruisers) then each return fire hitting at one. Remove
subs.
3.  Subs may elect to submerge or continue attack at the end of the round. If they submerge combat is over.

Note: If attacking ASW capable units (Cruisers and Destroyers) decide to engage the Submarines on their own turn follows the same procedure except ASW units are allocated as hits first rather than any transports.

Special Rules:
•   If the active player has Super Subs Technology his subs attack at 3 or less.

•   If the player has ASW Technology, then planes can now be involved and roll for ASW
as long as a ASW naval unit is present (at a 1:1 basis). Also, all ASW units now roll at 2 or less to score a hit.

•   Both Destroyers and Cruisers negate a submarines first strike, but at a 1:1 basis. Excess Subs over ASW still get preemptive fire. This goes for attack or defense.

•   Planes cannot fire at submarines unless they gain ASW technology. Submarine hits can never be allocated against air units and subs cannot fight each other.

Submarines no longer block movement of surface naval units, except for transports. Submarines can never be involved in attacking fleets unless a transport is present. They are now strategic weapons to attack income and transports as the active player chooses. If the active player chooses to only perform a convoy raid that’s fine, but if he chooses to go after the convoy transports he will face return fire for at least one round. So remember he can choose no combat, attack the nation’s income, or attack the transports directly. That’s to say they now perform as totally independent forms of naval combat. Once the surface naval combat is resolved, further combat with submarines can occur.

Wolf pack rule: 2+ German subs attacking together gain a +1 attack modifier on convoy raid attacks. This modifier lasts until the Allied player under attack develops ASW technology. This is a standard rule.

German Submarines cost 5 IPC.

Soviet-Japanese non-aggression pact: The Soviet player cannot attack Japanese territories until Berlin falls. The Japanese player can do as he pleases. But if he chooses to cross into Russia, the Russian player gets a fund of up to 12 IPC to be used immediately to place forces adjacent to Japanese and this fund is subtracted from the Russian players next turns income. The Japanese player also receives a bonus of 3 IPC for each turn he does not attack.

Italian Surrender: If the Italian player’s land forces are removed from Africa and at least one other territory they roll a die each turn and surrender on a roll of 6. If that happens, the Italian player removes his fleet and air forces and the remaining Land units are split equally along IPC costs and the German player chooses how this is done. Lastly, the German player replaces his Italian units with his own color, and the balance of these forces becomes under allied control as independent Italian forces. If surrender occurs when the axis control the territory of Italy, consider the territory split in 2 parts ( north and south) and allow opposing sides to coexist. No IPC are awarded until the territory is under the control of one side and the other side is destroyed.

Optional Rules:

Optional new force pool:

Mechanized Infantry:  Any nation can now build Mech. Infantry that attack or defend at 2, move 2, cost 4. They are considered non-infantry for transport purposes.

Heavy Tanks: Only one of these per turn can be built per turn, or you can pay 3 IPC and convert one of your tanks. The Tank is immediately placed in a factory to designate its refitted status and cant attack on the turn it’s converted. These units attack at 4 and defend at 5.

Fighter-Bomber: Any nation can build them for 8 IPC and they attack at 3 and defend at 2 and move 4 spaces. They can be placed on carriers at same capacity as fighters. These have a special ability on defense: If they are adjacent to attacked land territories they may assist (using their defense factor) in land combat starting on the first combat round. They can retreat with other defending units after any complete combat round.

Fighter Defense and Escorts: During SBR attacks, the defending player can bring in planes from the same territory that is under attack to fight against bombers and they defend at a 2. The attacker can also bring in fighter escorts to protect his bombers and they attack at 1. The maximum number of defending planes cannot exceed the total number of attacking air units including bombers. Only one round of air combat occurs prior to SBR rolls. The attacker can not bring in more escorts than bombers. Note: The AA gun rolls only against the bombers and not against the escorting fighters.

Escort Carrier: These are small capacity carriers and carry only one fighter. They make for decent fleet defense and convoy escorts.

Battlecruiser: This unique unit represents the classic fast battleship and also takes two hits to sink, but with reduced ability of 3-3. They move 3 spaces. They can SB at 3. Note: this unit does not perform ASW duties.

Cruisers: The cost of these is dropped to 10 IPC. These can perform ASW warfare and negate the subs first strike at a 1:1 basis. It can SB at 1 rather than 3.

Fortifications:
It defends preemptively at two rolls of 3. It does not move and costs 8. It must be manned by at least one infantry and this infantry also defends. Only Artillery or Bomber hits can destroy a fortification and the fortification takes 2 hits to kill. Infantry inside cannot be destroyed until the fortification is also destroyed.
Naval Repair: Damaged Battleships, Heavy Cruisers or Improved Carriers (with technology) no longer are repaired for free. Repair is equal to one d6. Repair can be done at your port or in sea zone adjacent to a friendly factory.

Fighters: The first fighter built now costs 9 IPC each. Additional still cost 10 IPC.

Unit Summary:

Unit Move Attack Defend Cost Notes
Mech. Infantry 2 2 2 4 +1 MP Inf /Art
Heavy Tanks 2 4 5 8 Build 1 per turn
Fighter-Bomber 4 3 2 8 SB at 50%
Escort Carrier 2 0 1 8 1 Fighter
Battlecruiser 3 3 3 17 2-hits, SB @ 3
Cruiser 2 3 3 10 1- Hit, SB @1, ASW
Fortification - - 3-3 8 Only 1 per space, 1st shot

Soviet Winter: Once per game the Soviets can declare a severe winter just prior to the German player rolling for attacks and it effects the game as follows: All Soviet land units defend at +1 for the first round of combat, and all German units rolling a 5 or 6 must withdraw from further combat that turn.

Partisans: If the German or Italian player controls soviet territories but does not garrison them with at least one land unit, Partisans can attempt attacks on the IPC value as follows: For each un-garrisoned territory the German player rolls one D6 1-2= 1 IPC lost, 3-4= 2 IPC lost 5-6= 3 IPC lost.

Soviet Factories: The Soviet player can move 1 factory per turn to any other originally controlled territory.

Siberian Army: in the 1941 scenario the Soviet player may exchange 3 Infantry (from the eastern territories) for 2 tanks and 2 Artillery and place these in Moscow as early as the start of the second Soviet turn. This is a one time occurrence.

Scorched Earth: A player can destroy a factory after any complete combat round providing he still has units remaining after at least one round of combat.

Stalin Xenophobia: NO USA/UK units of any type allowed in Soviet territories. NO mixing of any units with Soviet units (including naval). Soviet Units can liberate Japanese occupied Chinese territories and that’s the only time they can enter China. Soviet units can also ‘liberate’ any Axis occupied territories and keep them as their own even if they were previously owned by Allied nations.

Lend Lease: For each transport in the Atlantic the US player rolls one d6 = result equals IPC that can be sent to Russia and deducted from US IPC total. (I recommend you use chips) Procedure: place whatever you rolled in the Soviet Lend Lease box. The convoy box can be subject to attacks and should be protected. The following Soviet turn the IPC generated is added to the Soviet player’s treasury. A limitation of 50% of the total American income can go to lend lease purposes.

For example: The US player has 5 transports and rolls 5 dice resulting in 22 potential Lend Lease IPC. They elect to send only 15 and place that amount of chips in the Lend Lease Box. Enemy subs or planes can attempt to attack these IPC up to the limit of 15 IPC. They roll as a convoy raid attack.

Exception: You may place up to one naval ship in a VC even if the territory does not contain a factory.

Generals:
Each nation has one general (or perhaps more including admirals)

The General (or admiral) allows one re-roll in combat for a miss each round.

I suggest the following:

Von Manstein ( reroll on defense, or armor attack)
Rommel ( reroll one roll in Africa or German original)
Guderian (reroll armor attacks or defense only)

Yamamoto ( admiral reroll any naval attack)
Yamashita ( reroll any land attack)

Kesselring ( reroll for land defense for Italy)

Zhukov ( reroll on any attack with tanks)
Konev or Timoshenko ( reroll on defense only)

Montgomery ( reroll on defense)

Patton ( re roll any land attack)
Nimitz ( admiral reroll any naval)
Macarthur ( reroll any pacific land invasion)

Naval Ports: These can be purchased for 8 IPC and placed in your controlled territories that contain a Victory City and is adjacent to a sea zone. They protect ships in port from naval attack, but not from air attack. If air units attack its for one round and the naval port has an implied defense of 1 against each plane that attacks and this is rolled prior to the first combat round. Loses are removed immediately. If the land territory is captured, the naval units are considered dislodged and must be placed in the sea zone. If any enemy ships pass thru the sea zone adjacent to the port they cannot be intercepted. New units built can also be placed in ports rather than the open sea zone as long as the territory contains a factory. During Strategic Redeployment one naval ship may move from one port to another during NCM.

Amphibious Invasions: On the first round of any invasion by sea, all defending units fire first on the starting combat round. Attacking pieces are removed and don’t fire in return. After that point combat is conducted normally. In addition, the invading player may still retreat, except all retreating non- infantry units are converted to infantry before embankment on transports. When invading the attacker is limited in the number of land units he may bring into battle by the IPC value of the territory that is invaded. Each round this number can be increased by this same value until all attacking units are in play. For example: in France the British decide to invade but can only bring in 6 land units the first round, 12 units the second, etc. If the American player decided to use the D-Day option, this is doubled so it would be 6 land units per nation.

D-Day: once per game the British and American player can make a joint attack in any one combat situation. It can be during either players turn. On the next UK or USA turn those units will still be able to be moved again.