Chicago Rules for AA50 (1941 version)

This is what we do in game. Each neutral has a territory value and some kind of army and a few ships. You can attack them if you want. But u need to capture each neutral territory to get icp income.
If you lose battle then just that lone neutral joins other side.
But we also have a cost to try and influence a strict neutral to your side and you receive the territory value towards income and what is there for the ground troops and a possible ship. Nothing stronger than a Destroyer.
Not all countries can influence the same neutrals. We roll a d20 and a 4 or less u get neutral.
This is just an idea u may look at.
Spain and Turkey have the biggest Amy but cost more for those 2 to try and get.

@Topmat

AxA has often been called a “beer and pretzels” wargame, I suppose because it is fairly simplistic and available—FOR a wargame. That’s not because AxA is elementary or easily mastered, its because other wargames tend to be even more rules-heavy and detailed, which makes some of them famously and notoriously unplayable. They may have an attractive theme or rules, but the “chit” game era (60s-80s) built up to a crescendo before it burst. PC Computer gaming was a major catalyst for this; the ASL/Avalon Hill/SSI style games BEGGED for a computer to handle some of the more complex calculations, setup, rules etc.

I think AxA has the general appeal and longevity it does precisely because it appeared after this “First Golden Age”, and is not married to overcomplex or overly realistic considerations, its a truly “abstract” wargame, where each step (building, conquering, purchasing, combat, movement) is fairly simple, but all together, they are complex enough to satisfy long-time players while only barely overwhelming the new ones.

And, the fact that AxA doesn’t try to simulate or do everything a wargame possibly COULD do is the very reason why there is enough room left in the game to add more, but that’s not necessarily desirable. If the game was already highly complex, rich and random, it would already have many of the things that people are trying to add to it—but its likely no-one would play it. I think most of the more complex house rules systems for AxA fall into this trap, by pushing the complexity/time investment level out of the Goldilocks zone.

I bought a “political” Avalon Hill chit game in 1992, Republic of Rome (4/4 difficulty rating). When I read the instruction manual, I was blown away-- I understood nothing of what i’d read… until I read it for nearly 2 years. We only played it in college 4 times, and the Republic consistently lost as a group. Its a great game, but its also an example of a highly complex simulation game with a narrow audience from the first era–very few people still play these games because they lack any general following or appeal in the internet age, and have been replaced by computer-style games, like the Total War and Europa Universalis series.

"END TIME RULE: (See End Time Rule Handout) this is how game will end within the time constraints of the event.
"

Do you have any idea where to find this End Time Rule Handout?

@variable:

It doesn’t make things any more difficult for the allies there. It just becomes a balanced trade off. If the allies decide to put resources into it, there is a payoff. If the axis decides to challenge it, the allies end up with an expensive meat grinder that may happen anyway.

Exactly.

I like it.

Thanks at least for not making a book recommendation.

No please post what you got then everybody can jump in and discuss it.

If you can post a link to pictures of the map with pieces it will help convey the idea better.

just post a link for it.

@Lelouch_21:

2- On the rules I found this one “You do not collect any IPC during setup.” so on the first turn no one can buy right? It seems impossible, we try to play a game in this way but there weren’t anough troops on the board for conduct any combat… probably I don’t get the rule, someone can explain it to me?

3- On the URRS special turn the Russian can collect ipc, buy units, develop weapons and diplomacy or they can only move troops and attcka?

Hi Lelouch I just stumbled across these rules today, and I believe in the first turn only Russia moves, and does not collect any income and builds no units. Then, every successive round all nations collect income at the beginning of their turn* and so every nation also builds units starting from that turn.

this is different from standard A&A where income is collected on the end of each turn. Thus also here, at the setup all nations start with 0 IPCs on their accounts.

Hey, I have been playing this game since it was invented. I have seen tons of different strategies, and tried lots of different things. My friends are also very experienced players. I never said building an IC early with japan wasn’t risky, but for me the rewards outweigh the risks. besides, when you are the axis, you’re at a disadvantage to start. If you want to play a game that takes forever to play and you will most assuredly lose then that is your choice. I prefer to take the bull by the horns, go balls out and see if evil can prevail! Trust me you do not want to play me. I’m your worst nightmare, because I’m crazy and smart.