• Recently we have been looking to add an atomic bomb house rule for a bit more realism, but haven’t found anything that works well and is balanced.  Any ideas?

  • '17 '16 '15


  • My friend and I have played with this house rule a few times, and it’s worked well for us so far:

    Optional Technology:

    Atomic Bomb: Must designate research goal before rolling research dice, paying 20 IPCs for 4 dice, must get 3 breakthroughs (odds of 20/1296) to achieve goal, limit of 1 such research attempt per turn.  Atomic bombs cost 20 IPCs to build, must be built in a Major Industrial Complex, are carried 1/strategic bomber, and kill primary targets (3) at 5, secondary (4) at 4, and tertiary (8) at 2.  Primary targets are announced beforehand by the attacker; secondary and tertiary targets are chosen conventionally.

    Hydrogen Bomb: A result of 4 breakthroughs (odds of 1/1296) unlocks the Hydrogen Bomb, 25 IPCs, allows for the naming of 2 ground zero casualties before other casualties, and increases the number of tertiary targets by 3. Facilities are completely damaged as primary targets, half as secondary, third as tertiary, and taken off the map if named as ground zero targets of a hydrogen bomb attack (ICs can’t be ground zero).

  • '21 '20 '18 '17

    There is even a custom set of pieces and rules you can buy from FMG? that has atomic bomb icons and rules

    Besides Supremacy, few games want to tackle the addition of superweapons.  Atomic bombs may be realistic and historical but they are not very compatible with a game where careful choices and building up are the main gameplay element.  If you want to destroy the enemy cities, bomb them.  If you want to destroy his stacks, attack them.  Letting the opponent blow these things up with a superweapon that flies in from above is not really easy (or fun) to integrate with such a set-piece style of wargame.

  • '21 '18 '16

    Here are our Atomic weapons rules
    Only Germany and USA may research them.
    Must pay 5 IPC to research. Roll one die and on a result of 6 a technological breakthrough has occurred.
    Then roll 2 dice to determine the technology discovered. We have multiple technologies for USA and Germany.

    12 – Atomic weapons.
    Atomic bombs cost 24 IPC to build. Only two may be built per turn. May not be built on same turn as breakthrough turn.

    Move as infantry by land or sea. If loaded on a strategic bomber, it can move the current range of the bomber

    Due to a lack of trained technicians and engineers, a nation may possess no more than 2 weapons at one time.
    Due to the size and nature of the airburst associated with the nuclear warhead, no attack roll is required to score a successful hit.
    No air defense, such as fighter scramble, is allowed due to the altitude of the strike plane and surprise of the attack. Only upgraded fighters may intercept. Long range aircraft or jet power technology must have been successfully researched to intercept an atomic strike.

    An atomic weapon is treated as an AAA gun if the territory in which it is stored is attacked. 
    No AAA guns are to be fired due to the altitude of the strike plane and surprise of the attack only normal built in AA gun defenses with an industrial facility can fire. Airbase and naval base do not fire AA.
    Any industrial complex is attacked with 4 dice disabled to maximum value of 20 for major and 2 dice disabled to maximum value of 6 for minor complexes.
    Any airbases or naval bases in the territory are attacked by one dice of value.
    One dice is rolled and that number of units of defenders choice eliminated. AAA guns may be chosen.

    If used on a naval assault:
    The nuclear strike cannot be combined with surface vessels or additional aircraft.
    Due to the altitude of the strike plane and surprise of the strike, aircraft on carriers and loaded troops on transports are considered to be cargo and provide no defense. The 5 hits are assessed and the attacking bomber returns to base. No 2nd attack is permitted.
    Transports chosen last.

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