What additional rules would you use for AA classic in 3 pages or less?


  • I want to bring ‘back’ classic and the fun it provided me for many years since like 1981 when i played Nova games edition.

    I feel the strategy must be kept intact at least for turn 1 and possibly turn 2. This will give my idea more favor to others who love this version and don’t like many changes.

    Practical considerations:

    My intention is to take the classic map and enlarge it to 50%-100% larger and post that file link. That is being done at my expense.

    I want to reduce the effects of heavy bombers because it messes up the game

    I want to conclude some of the unit values from Revised. Has anybody tried using for example artillery in MB edition?

    I want to make cards for the game that could be optional to add some very minor items.

    I want to window dress the map with some additional minor enhancements

    I would like to allow 2 hit bb, and allow neutrals to have some minor forces, because the strategy the allies use is to attack spain, so id like some penalty for it… rather than saying… “you cant move in spain”

    post ideas (your best). This is only 3 pages of simple ideas:

    here are mine:

    Axis & Allies: Special Rules

    • German and Soviet tanks defend at 3
    • German U-Boats cost 7 IPC and two or more can attack at 3 ( wolf pack)
    • German, British and American Bombers can elect to conduct “night- bombing” which makes their bombers SBR at ½ values, but no AA gun is used.
    • American can invade with “marines” which on the first round attack at two.
    • All standard units and values from Revised are used even if some of these are not starting in the game.
    • Following the first turn both the axis and the allies receive 24 IPC to be used to only but the following:

    1. Destroyers: attack/defend at 2, move 2, cost 10
    2. Cruisers: attack/ defend at 3, move 2, cost 18 (take 2 hits)
    3. Mechanized Infantry: attack/defend at 2, move 2, cost 4

    Procedure: Each side buys one piece and alternates with placement from highest value to lowest value.

    No technology rules are used?

    Neutrals can be invaded, but you pay 3 IPC to enter. No blitzing neutrals

    Transport rules: 2 infantry OR 1 Other unit. They can invade two territories from one transport (bridging is allowed). You can also do this on friendly transport.

    Planes on carriers can be placed if adjacent and not used in combat or on carrier if newly built.

    You cannot deny naval placement if you control the sea zone adjacent to enemy factory.

    Subs cant be hit by planes unless a ASW unit is present.

    Subs cant be attacked by naval ships except Cruisers and Destroyers.

    USA only can lend lease up to two D6 worth of income each turn to Soviets?

    No new factories except India, South Africa, Egypt, Manchuria, FIC, France, or Canada.

    The Soviet player can move each factory once per game, but he cant place in that territory until his following turn.

    When a capital falls you lose only saved income and the actual income of the territory, not all the income… so you may still built stuff in other factories.

    Battleships and cruisers are repaired on D6, but if you roll 6 you have to pay the result of another roll of a D6.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    1)  Russian Infantry Cost 2 IPC

    2)  German Tanks Attack at 4 or Less on Round 1 of any battle, German Submarines cost 6 IPC, attack at 3 (4 with super submarines) can withdraw after first round of fire without defender getting to return fire except when a battleship is present for the defender and/or if the Germans attack with anything else (ie you have to attack ONLY with submarines)

    3)  England Gets 1 Free Infantry per Round it can place in any 2 IPC or 3 IPC Tan Territory it owns at the START of it’s turn (E. Canada, Australia, Egypt, S. Africa)

    4)  Japan’s Battleships take 3 hits to sink

    5)  American Bombers cost 10 IPC, Fighters cost 8 IPC

    That pretty much evens things out.


  • #5 option is huge for USA. 10 IPC bombers??? I think ill be buying them the whole game.

    why do you think this is balanced considering its quite radical approach? Have you played it?

    Just wondering because i want to re-vitalize classic like an old antique car you drive around on sundays just for fun. I have the means and commitment to make it so.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    Yea I have played it and yes early on America spent a lot on bombers, until it became apparent that they were not doing well.

    I should mention we outlawed tech, so there was no heavy bomber god option for America.

    With German tanks attacking at 4 (basically 5 IPC bombers that defend twice as well) Germany was able to do serious damage with America not producing any ground units to help.

    However, we found that without reducing the fighter cost for America as well, killing Japanese battleships was a major chore!  (notice that 3 USA fighters = 1 Japanese battleship in cost and it takes 3 hits to sink a Japanese battleship.)

    That made battles in the Pacific a lot more fun and thus, more likely.


  • Yea but a problem is discovered.

    Japanese BB takes 2 free hits (before a third that sinks it), so japan don’t have to buy anything else except fleets of them…or what you are saying is the hits remain with them the whole game? so are these repairable?

    On the tech thing i have this new idea:

    If you roll a six you can choose which tech you want rather than have to roll randomly. I take off the HB as well as this starts a tech race and destroys the game, but perhaps you can also limit the HB to one per nation?


  • here is my last draft pending further play testing. its just one page.

    Axis & Allies: Special Rules version 1.1
    • German and Soviet tanks defend at 3
    • German U-Boats cost 7 IPC and two or more can attack at 3 ( wolf pack)
    • German, British and American Bombers can elect to conduct “night- bombing” which makes their bombers SBR at ½ values, but no AA gun is used.
    • American can invade with “marines” that attack at two on the first round only.
    • All standard units and values from revised AA are used even if some of these are not starting in the games setup.
    • Following the first turn both the axis and the allies receive 24 IPC to be used to buy only the following units:

    1. Destroyers: attack/defend at 2, move 2, cost 10
    2. Cruisers: attack/ defend at 3, move 2, cost 18 (take 2 hits)
    3. Mechanized Infantry: attack/defend at 2, move 2, cost 4
    4. Carriers cost 16 IPC
    5. Fighters cost 10 IPC
    6. Battleships take two hits and damage is repaired by D6 at sea zone adjacent to factory.
    7. American and British bombers cost 13 IPC.
    8. Invasions can only take place from adjacent land territories separated by one sea zone.

    Procedure: Each side buys one piece and alternates with placement from highest value to lower value. Axis place first.

    Technology rules are used except the result of heavy bombers is ignored. Instead, the player who rolls a 6 can choose which technology he will acquire.

    Neutrals can be invaded, but you must defeat them.  They have armies raised as the result of a roll of two D6 allocating IPC to purchase units and controlled by the opposing coalition. Spain and Turkey get four D6 rolls. The conquered neutral gives 1 IPC to the owning player, while Spain and Turkey give 3 IPC each.

    Transport rules: Use Revised rules. They can invade two territories from one transport (bridging is allowed). You can also do this during friendly transport.

    Planes can be placed on carriers if on an adjacent sea zone and not used in combat or directly on the carrier if they are newly purchased planes.

    No naval occupation: You cannot deny naval placement if you control the sea zone adjacent to enemy factory.

    Subs can’t be hit by planes unless a ASW unit is present.

    You cannot land planes on carriers that are not your own.

    Up to two Soviet fighters can attack at 4

    Up to four German tanks can be built as SS panzers attack and defend at 4 and cost 8 IPC

    Subs can’t be attacked by naval ships except Cruisers and Destroyers.

    USA only can lend lease up to two D6 worth of income each turn to Soviets. This is deducted from US totals.

    No new factories except India, South Africa, Egypt, Manchuria, FIC, France, or Canada.

    The Soviet player can move each factory once per game, but he cant place new units in that territory until his following turn.

    The Soviet player can buy up to two tanks each turn for 9 IPC

    When a capital falls you lose only saved income and the actual income of the territory, not all the income… so you may still built stuff in other factories.

    Battleships and cruisers are repaired on D6, but if you roll 6 you have to pay the result of another roll of a D6.
    Battleships are only repaired in sea zones adjacent to factories.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    We just had them auto repair.  Made it a royal pain on America, but then remember, America was buying aircraft at 67% normal cost too.

    3@3 > 1@4 and a LL simulation would have that battleship sunk in two rounds even if it hit in round 1.  So you are trading 16 IPCs in American fighters for 24 IPC in Japanese battleships.


  • ok auto repair, but they cant do the thing where they got 3 battleships and allocated the free hits on each. “A damaged battleship must be hit again before another undamaged battleship is allocated for a hit.”

    That takes out the riff raff.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    Yes, I like that.

    We had a myriad of extra rules too, but they were like 6 pages long.  Things like all American MECHANIZED units could be bought back at 2/3rds cost (rounded up.) Russian Infantry defending in Moscow defended at 4 or less on the first round if tanks were present, 3 or less if no defending Russian tanks were present.  Japan could designate one Kamikazee hit for each attacking fighter (not represent on the board, just free shots which the defender allocated hits for) in naval warfare if, and only if, the Philippine islands fell.  etc.

    Then again, we also had Hellcats, Betties, Cruisers, Destroyers, Zeros, etc as well, all with different rules.  :)

    I’m selling my old AA games, all three of them.  I know those rules are in the box, I’ll probably type them up and post them under house rules.  It took about 4 years of ironing them out to get them fair and balanced…at first, America was owning, then Germany was killing, them Russia was way too powerful… (We gave them a 5 hit battleship of the Iktusk Penninsula over by the Soviet Far East along with a free Industrial Complex there.  Big mistake!)


  • I’m selling my old AA games, all three of them.  I know those rules are in the box, I’ll probably type them up and post them under house rules.

    yes please by all means lets get a full picture of your concept. It would benefit the site and could be a published variant for the community.

  • '19 Moderator

    I always thought AC should be weaker on atack/defence, the Fighters are thier defence.  But I think they should take two hits.  Say a damaged ac can only carry 1 fighter, and costs 1d6 to repair.  So if your in a fight you don’t take damage on an ac lightly.


  • I also like this new idea:

    Tanks:
    everybody starts with 3/2 tanks

    all new German and Soviet tanks built are at 3/3

    American tanks go to 3/3 on turn 5

    UK and Japan tanks stay at 3/2 rest of game

    Planes:

    all fighters except Japaneses are 3/4 and cost 12

    New German fighters cost 10

    New American, Japanese, and Soviet fighters cost 10

    Old Japanese fighters are at 4/4 if attacking sea targets ( try to keep them separate), while new ones are at 3/4 and cost 10

  • '19 Moderator

    Well, by turn 5 UK tanks ARE US tanks.

    When I played back in the 80s we had a way of determining when fleets were in port, we used the blow up boxes.  When fleets were in port they were defended by AA against air.  It helped the German fleet, particularly subs, survive.  Ships in port did not effect enemy movement through the sea zone they were in.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    @Imperious:

    I’m selling my old AA games, all three of them.  I know those rules are in the box, I’ll probably type them up and post them under house rules.

    yes please by all means lets get a full picture of your concept. It would benefit the site and could be a published variant for the community.

    Will do.


    @dezrtfish:

    I always thought AC should be weaker on atack/defence, the Fighters are thier defence.  But I think they should take two hits.  Say a damaged ac can only carry 1 fighter, and costs 1d6 to repair.  So if your in a fight you don’t take damage on an ac lightly.

    Actually, if the series Battle 360 is correct, then the carriers themselves were ungodly for defense, at least the American ones were.  Torpedo bubbles to deflect torpedo hits, massive - radar guided AAA guns, etc.  And Japan had colored AA fire so the boats could tell who’s guns were whose.

    So yea, I can see ATT 1, DEF 3.  Actually, I’d say ATT 0, DEF 3 would be more accurate.


    BTW, what should be the going price on a used AA classic game?  $25?


  • Jen:

    the trick is shipping.

    Charge like $9.99 for the game starting bid,

    But $19.00 shipping

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    Yard sale.  eBay attempted to plunder my bank account when someone claimed they didnt get a package I shipped, even though I had the tracking information proving it arrived at his registered address.  Luckily, I had closed the account, so now I have the cash, but can’t use ebay or paypal.

Suggested Topics

  • 4
  • 8
  • 3
  • 5
  • 3
  • 19
  • 3
  • 15
Axis & Allies Boardgaming Custom Painted Miniatures

42

Online

17.0k

Users

39.3k

Topics

1.7m

Posts