• @Navalland So you think I should keep it? It does add a good amount of length to the rules, but it’s not actually that complicated


  • These are the rules for combat so far. These will be changed slightly when we switch over the 12 sided dice and the rules for nukes are changed, but this will give you a good idea what Im talking about. Feel free to share your thoughts on my 12 step combat sequence.

    Step 3: General Combat
    In this step, you resolve combat in each space that contains your units and either contains enemy units or is enemy-controlled. Combat is resolved by following the General Combat sequence (below). Combat in each space takes place at the same time, but each affected territory or sea zone is resolved separately and completely before resolving the combat for the next contested space. The attacker decides the order of spaces in which each combat occurs. No new units can enter as reinforcements once combat has begun. Attacking and defending units in each space are considered to fire at the same time, but for ease of play, you roll dice in sequence, attacker first, then defender.

    If you moved any units into unoccupied territories or hostile territories containing only facilities and/or AA units without the AA Weapon Versatility technological advancement (see “Technological Advancements List,” page 59), no actual combat is necessary. Simply skip to the last step (Conclude Combat) for each of these territories and remove any AA that might be in them.

    General Combat Sequence
    Scramble aircraft
    Select targets and announce bomber payloads
    Submarines make surprise strike or submerge (sea battles only)
    Make air defense rolls
    Units targeting aircraft fire
    Units targeting surface units fire
    Remove casualties
    Bombers drop payloads
    Remove casualties and inflict damage
    Press attack or retreat
    Conclude combat

    Step 1: Scramble Aircraft
    If the space that combat is currently being resolved in contains air units that were not moved into the space during the Second Strike Phase or have already been scrambled previously during the combat being resolved, controlled by a major power, the player controlling the air units must decide whether to scramble such aircraft. If aircraft are controlled by a minor power, they automatically scramble if they are able to. A scrambled aircraft can participate in combat, during the round of combat they are scrambled and every turn after, whereas an unscrambled aircraft has no combat values and may not. When the attack combat being resolved is in a territory, then the unscrambled air units may be selected to be taken as casualties. If the combat being resolved is in a sea zone, and the unscrambled aircraft are being carried on an aircraft carrier, then they may not be selected to be taken as casualties, they are considered to be cargo on the aircraft carrier and are immediately taken as casualties once the aircraft carrier is destroyed. The defending side may only scramble six aircraft during each round of combat, unless they control an operative air base, in the territory in which combat is being resolved, in which case they can scramble eighteen aircraft, minus the number of points of damage worth of chips the air base has under it. All planes on an aircraft carrier can be scrambled simultaneously, however, the power that controls the air unit decides if the unit is scrambled. A damaged aircraft carrier may not scramble aircraft, and unscrambled aircraft on the carrier are considered to be the carrier’s cargo. Air superiority fighters and strike fighters may be scrambled while bombers may not.

    Step 2: Select Targets and Announce Bomber Payloads
    Many units have the ability to fire at (or target) both aircraft, and surface units. All ships, land based units, and unscrambled aircraft are considered surface units (Note: units being carried as cargo are not considered to be their own unit and are immediately destroyed when the unit carrying them is), and any attacking aircraft, scrambled defending aircraft, or aircraft that moved into the territory in a Second Strike phase based reinforcement movement, are considered to be air units. Some units have surface combat values. These are split into surface attack and surface defense. Only units that have surface combat values have the ability to target surface units during combat (when surface units are targeted by a unit, that means that all hits scored by that unit, during the turn that they target surface units, are dealt to enemy surface units), and the unit targeting surface units uses either their surface attack or surface defense value, depending on whether they are attacking or defending. Some units have air combat values, and they are the only units that are able to target air units (when a unit targets air units, that means that all hits scored by that unit are dealt to air units). There is only one air combat value because the sky is a level playing field. Some units have both surface combat values and air combat values, meaning they can target either air or surface units during combat. In this step, each player involved in combat chooses which of his or her units will be targeting which kind of unit. He then places his or her units targeting air units on the Air Combat: Combat Strip in the slot number equal to each unit doing so’s air combat value, on the appropriate side (attacker for attacking units and defender for defending units). He or she then places all of his or her units other than bombers, targeting surface units on Surface Combat: Combat Strip, in the slot number equal to the combat value of the type that each unit will be using (surface attack for attacking units and surface defense for defending units) on the appropriate side (attacker for attacking units and defender for defending units). If a unit has neither surface combat nor air combat values, is not cargo, and is not a bomber, or is in the territory but is not participating in combat, is not cargo, and is not a bomber, or there are no units of a type that the unit in question can target, and it is not cargo or is not a bomber, then place the unit to the side closest to the one slot of the combat strip for the unit type that they are (air combat for air units, surface combat for surface units). While these units are not able to actively participate in combat, they may still be selected to be taken as casualties, just like any other unit, and are therefore valuable. Any units that are cargo should be placed on top of, or as close as possible to the unit carrying them.

    All air units (aside from bombers) have every different kind of combat value, however, all air units (including bombers) are subject to being forced into air combat by hostile air units. When both attacking and defending air units participate in combat, then an air battle must occur. Whichever side (attacker or defender) has the less air units must commit them all to the air battle. Whichever side has more air units must commit as many air units to the air battle as the opposite side did, but they may commit more if they choose and then must commit any excess units to ground attack, or to conducting a bombing run. If both sides have an equal number of air units then they both must contribute all of them. Air units committed to an air battle immediately target air units in the round of combat that they are engaged in the air battle. Air superiority fighters and strike fighters that are not committed to an air battle, immediately target surface units in the round of combat that they are not committed to an air battle. Bombers that are not involved in an air battle must drop their payload.

    Any bombers participating in combat that are not being committed to an air battle must drop the payload(s), that you announce that your bomber(s) will be dropping during this phase, during the “Bombers Drop Payloads,” phase. They are the only unit with the ability to conduct strategic bombing raids during general combat, but also have the ability to attack enemy units. During this phase you must announce which of your bombers will be dropping which kind of payload. As stated in Bomber Payloads, each bomber can only carry one payload at any given time, certain payloads must be loaded prior to combat, all nuclear payloads must be declared before combat begins, per the Nuclear Attack rules, and certain payloads can only be deployed in certain steps of general combat.

    During this phase, after all other units have been moved to the combat strip, all bombers participating in combat, that are not participating in an air battle, must announce which type of payload each bomber will be dropping. A power may choose to drop any payload that the power that controls them has researched (see “Technological Advancements List,” page 59) and are able to fulfill the requirements of (the requirements for each payload, as described either in “Bomber Payloads,” or in the description of the technological advancement that allows the dropping of such a payload, described in “Technological Advancements List” (see page 59). If a bomber chooses to drop a payload type that is against surface units, then the bomber is moved to the slot of the Surface Combat: Combat Strip with the numeral value equal to the highest number that dice rolled, because of the payload being dropped, would hit on, on the appropriate side of t he Surface Combat: Combat Strip (attacker for attacking units and defender for defending units). If a bomber chooses to drop a payload against facilities, then the bomber is placed to the side of the Air Combat: Combat Strip, closest to slot number six. When you declare that a bomber will be dropping a payload against a facility, you must declare which facility it will be attacking. If a bomber is dropping a paratrooper payload, then it is placed to the side of the Air Combat: Combat Strip closest to slot number one. Once all of this has been done, this step of general combat ends, and is repeated during every round of combat.

    Step 3: Submarines Make Surprise Strikes (Sea Battles Only)
    This step is specific to attacking and defending submarines. Before the rest of combat is resolved, submarines will have the chance to either make a Surprise Strike die roll or submerge. A player may choose to submerge, all, some, or none of his or her submarines. However, for each destroyer controlled by a power on the opposing side of the combat being resolved, two of your submarines must skip this step, and participate in combat with all other units, losing the opportunity to both make a Surprise Strike or submerge.

    Attacking or defending submarines that choose to submerge are immediately removed from the Surface Combat: Combat Strip and return to the sea zone where combat is being resolved. They may choose to, or may be forced to surface by destroyers in future rounds of combat, however, once a submarine submerges, it may not surface and conduct combat until the round of combat that it chose to submerge in has been resolved.

    Note: Decisions on whether attacking and defending submarines will fire or submerge must be made before any dice are rolled by either side. The attacking power(s) must decide first.

    For each attacking submarine conducting a Surprise Strike rolls one die. Attacking submarines that roll a two or less score a hit. After the attacking player has rolled for all of his attacking submarines, that are able to make Surprise Strikes, the defender chooses one surface unit that did not submerge during this round of combat controlled by their power, for each hit scored by attacking submarines making Surprise Strikes during this round of combat, to be taken as a casualty at the end of this step (Note: Undamaged capital ships that are hit only once are not removed.)

    Then each defending submarine conducting a Surprise Strike rolls one die. Defending submarines that roll a one score a hit. After all defending players have rolled for all defending submarines, the attacker chooses one surface unit that did not submerge during this round of combat controlled by their power, for each hit scored by attacking submarines making Surprise Strikes during this round of combat, to be taken as a casualty at the end of this step (Note: Undamaged capital ships that are hit only once are not removed.)

    Note: Unlike regular Axis & Allies games, transports may be selected to be taken as casualties whenever the power that controls them sees fit.

    Once all attacking and defending submarines making Surprise Strikes have fired, and all hits scored have been assigned to valid units, remove all units that had hits assigned to them from play and return them to their National Storage Box, or other location for units not in play. If only one hit was assigned to a capital ship in this way, it is not taken as a casualty and is instead turned on its side (see “Unit Profiles,” page 45). Once this has been done, this step of general combat ends, and assuming that there are submarines able to submerge or make Surprise Strikes, is repeated during every round of combat.

    Multinational Defense
    It is possible for any number of powers to defend or attack a territory together. When hits scored by the opposing side are being assigned to the your side’s units, all powers on your side, involved in the same combat, may choose how many casualties each power must take from the group of units in that combat that could be taken as valid casualties, as long as all powers agree to this (minor powers automatically agree), and the total number of units selected to be taken as casualties are equal to the number of hits scored by the other side during that round of combat, or other attack. If powers are unable to agree then the other side may choose for them.

    Step 4: Make Air Defense Rolls
    AA units start the game with the ability to make air defense rolls, rolls that hit exclusively enemy air units, and hit them before they have the opportunity to participate in combat. Certain units gain the ability to make these rolls with the research of certain technological advancements. During this step, units with the ability to make air defense rolls do so, starting with the attackers units, and then preceding to the defenders units. An AA unit base air defense ability is the ability to make three air defense rolls, and all units able to make air defense rolls use the same stats and rules AA units do (aside from the number of dice rolled which varies from unit to unit) each hitting on a two or less, however, technological advancements can increase and decrease both of those numbers.

    First the attacker rolls a number of dice equal to the total number of air defense rolls that all of their units participating in the combat being resolved are able to make. For each hit scored, an aircraft controlled by the defenders is immediately removed from the game. Then the attacker rolls a number of dice equal to the total number of air defense rolls that all of their units participating in the combat being resolved are able to make. For each hit scored, an aircraft controlled by the defenders is immediately removed from the game.

    For each bomber that is dropping a payload against facilities, the controller of the facilities being attacked may make three extra air defense rolls for each facility that is being attacked. These dice are rolled separately and any hits scored by these dice may only be assigned to bombers making attacks against facilities in the round of combat being resolved.

    Step 5: Units Targeting Air Units Fire
    Any unit that targeted air units during the second step of general combat during this round of combat now fires on air units. First attackers roll one die for each unit, under their control, that is on the Air Combat: Combat Strip that didn’t fire or submerge in previous steps. Roll for your units with the same air combat value at the same time. For example, roll all units with an air combat value of 3 at the same time. An attacking unit scores a hit if you roll its air combat value or less. After all attacking players have rolled for all attacking units, the defender selects one air unit for each hit scored to be taken as a casualty at the end of this step. If excess hits are scored, they are not assigned to friendly air units, nor are they assigned to surface units.

    Once that has been completed the defenders roll one die for each unit, under their control, that is on the Air Combat: Combat Strip that didn’t fire or submerge in previous steps. Roll for your units with the same air combat value at the same time. For example, roll all units with an air combat value of 3 at the same time. A defending unit scores a hit if you roll its air combat value or less. After all defending players have rolled for all defending units, the attacker selects one air unit for each hit scored to be taken as a casualty at the end of this step. If excess hits are scored, they are not assigned to friendly air units, nor are they assigned to surface units.

    Step 6: Units Targeting Surface Units Fire
    Any unit that targeted surface units during the second step of general combat, during this round of combat, now fires on surface units. First attackers roll one die for each unit, under their control, that is on the Surface Combat: Combat Strip that didn’t fire or submerge in previous steps. Roll for your units with the same surface attack value at the same time. For example, roll all units with a surface attack value of 3 at the same time. An attacking unit scores a hit if you roll its surface attack value or less. After the attacking player has rolled for all attacking units, the defender selects one surface unit for each hit scored to be taken as a casualty at the end of this step. If excess hits are scored, they are not assigned to friendly surface units, nor are they assigned to air units.

    Once that has been completed the defenders roll one die for each unit, under their control, that is on the Surface Combat: Combat Strip that didn’t fire or submerge in previous steps. Roll for your units with the same surface defense value at the same time. For example, roll all units with a surface defense value of 3 at the same time. A defending unit scores a hit if you roll its surface defense value or less. After the defending player(s) have rolled for all defending units, the attacker selects one surface unit for each hit scored to be taken as a casualty at the end of this step. If excess hits are scored, they are not assigned to friendly surface units, nor are they assigned to air units.

    Step 7: Remove Casualties
    Any unit that only takes one hit to destroy, that had a hit assigned to it in the previous two steps is taken as a casualty and removed from the game. Any unit that takes two hits to destroy, that had two hits assigned to it, or had one hit assigned to it and was laying on its side when this step began, is taken as a casualty and removed from the game. Any unit that takes two hits to destroy but only had one hit assigned to it, and was not laying on its side when this step began, is not taken as a casualty and is instead flipped on its side.

    Step 8: Bombers Drop Payloads
    Any bomber that announced it would be dropping a payload during the most recent “Select Targets and Announce Bomber Payloads,” step does so during this step. First the type of nuclear attacks made by bombers in this territory are revealed at this time, flipped rightside up, and placed in the territory they were made in. Then all payloads dropped against surface units are resolved. These attacks are resolved identically to how the attack is described under Bomber Payloads, or in the event that it was a nuclear attack, as described in Nuclear Attacks. The attacker rolls for all of his bombers making such attacks and then the defender does the same. Once those are resolved, all payloads dropped against facilities are resolved as described under Bomber Payloads, or in the event that it was a nuclear attack, as described in Nuclear Attacks. Once those are resolved, bombers dropping paratrooper payloads offload their cargo into the territory being attacked, as described under “Bomber Payloads.”

    Step 9: Remove Casualties and Apply Damage
    Any unit that only takes one hit to destroy, that had a hit assigned to it in the previous step is taken as a casualty and removed from the game. Any unit that takes two hits to destroy, that had two hits assigned to it, or had one hit assigned to it and was laying on its side when this step began, is taken as a casualty and removed from the game. Any unit that takes two hits to destroy but only had one hit assigned to it, and was not laying on its side when this step began, is not taken as a casualty and is instead flipped on its side. The exception to this is enhanced radiation attacks. Only one hit can be assigned to each unit that was dealt by an enhanced radiation attack, and any unit that takes a hit from an enhanced radiation attack is taken as a casualty, regardless of the number of hits the unit would usually take to destroy. After this has been completed, place a number of chips under each facility equal to the amount of damage that was dealt to it in the previous step. Each gray chip represents one point of damage, each green chip represents three, and each red chip represents five. Remove every major industrial complex with more than or equal to 80 damage worth of chips under it, and tilt every major industrial complex that has more than or equal to 40 damage worth of chips under it upside down or on its side. Remove every facility other than major industrial complex with more than or equal to 24 damage worth of chips under it, and tilt every facility other than major industrial complex that has more than or equal to 12 damage worth of chips under it upside down or on its side. Place a number of chips in a territory with a jungle equal to the number of points of damage that were dealt to that jungle. Remove all chips in jungle territories that represent more than or equal to 10 points of damage dealt to the jungle and replace them with one Rainbow Herbicide Token.

    Step 10: Press Attack or Retreat
    Combat rounds step (1-10) continue unless on of the following two condition occurs (in this order):

    Condition A-Attacker and/or Defender Loses All Units
    Once all units that can either fire at a valid target or retreat on one or both sides have been destroyed, the combat ends.

    If a power controls units remaining in play, in the space in which combat is being resolved, that power wins the combat. Any units that have not been taken as casualties, removed from play, or removed from the game, are returned to the territory in which combat is being resolved, along with the face up tokens of any nuclear attacks that were made in this space.

    If both sides only have units remaining that do not have the combat capability to attack each other, then the attackers units may remain in the space, or retreat per the rules in Condition B below, if possible.

    Condition B-Attacker Retreats
    The attacker can retreat during this step of combat. Move any surface units that you would like to retreat to a friendly adjacent space that was friendly at the beginning of this turn, and remove them from combat (note: airborne and seaborne land units may never retreat). Move any air units that you would like to retreat to a friendly space that was friendly at the beginning of this turn, and that is within a number of spaces away that is less than or equal to their move value, minus the number of spaces they moved during the Combat Move phase or Second Strike Move phase, and then remove the air units from combat.

    Step 11: Conclude Combat
    If you win a combat as the attacker in a territory and you have one or more surviving land units there, you take control of it. Otherwise, it remains in the defender’s control. (If all units on both sides were destroyed, the territory remains in the defenders control.) Sea units can’t take control of a territory as they must stay at sea.

    Air units can’t capture a territory. If your attack force has only air units remaining, you cannot capture or otherwise occupy the territory you attacked, even if there are no enemy units remaining. Air units must return to a friendly territory or carrier during the Noncombat Move phase. Until then, they stay at the space where they fought.

    If you have captured the territory, place your control marker on the territory and adjust your national production levels. Your national production increases by the value of the captured territory; the loser’s production decreases the same amount.

    Any facility located in the captured territory is now considered to be controlled by your side. If you capture an industrial complex, you can’t mobilize units there until your next turn, If you capture an air base or a naval base, you can’t use the added flight or sea movement. If you capture a naval base or an industrial complex, these facilities cannot repair your units until your next turn.

    Any damage previously inflicted on a facility remains in place until it is repaired.

    Capturing Capital Cities
    If a power captures a territory containing an enemy capital (Shanghai, Washington D.C., and Moscow) (these territories can be identified by a red star) follow the same rules as for capturing a territory. Add the captured territories income value to your national production level.

    In addition, you collect all unspent IPCs from the treasury of the original controller of the capital, assuming the country has no other capital city under its control. If it does (have another capital under its control), then instead use the rules for “Capturing Victory Cities,” (see below).

    The original controller of the captured capital is still in the game, however, they may not collect income unless they control at least one other victory city or capital city.

    Capturing Victory Cities
    If a power captures a territory containing a victory city (Volograd, New Delhi, Tokyo, San Francisco, etc.) (these territories can be identified by a black star in a yellow circle) follow the same rules as for capturing a territory. Add the captured territories income value to your national production level.

    In addition, you collect a number of unspent IPCs from the treasury of the original controller of the victory city, equal to the IPC value of the territory you just captured.

    The original controller of the captured victory city is still in the game, however, they may not collect income unless they control at least one other victory city or capital city.

    Picking Casualties
    Many rules will say phrases like, choose which unit is hit by this attack, this unit has the ability to target submerged submarines, or you may choose which unit is selected to be taken as a casualty as a result of this. This is called “Picking Casualties”. Not to be confused with selecting targets, which is selecting which kind of unit you would like to attack, picking casualties is forcing the opposing side to take one or more units of your choosing as casualties, instead of picking for themselves. This is also not to be confused with selecting units to be taken as casualties which is when you choose which of you units will have hits dealt by the opposing side assigned to them (which usually results in the unit selected being taken as a casualty).


  • If you think the air combat rules worth more than its downside of slowing down games, then you could keep it as it is. They are just my personal opinions that I would prefer over other turn based startegy games.;

    1. Giving the maximum strategic options to players with the least amount of units, territories, nations and rules. All additional rules are welcome as long as their bring is more important than their possible downsides. Kinda like chess. In the world its no coinsidece that the most popular games and sports are actually the simplest ones yet deep enough to spend whole life to be master. More complex ones will have probably less but more passionate players.

    2. Balance is more important than historical accuracy but it doesn’t mean that for example in a WWII game, having Italy stronger than Germany is acceptable just sake of Balance.

    3. Upkeep: Always needed in any kind of turn based game. I would strongly suggest it over anything.

    4. Playing options. I tend to like scenarios if they are playable for example with techs or no tech. Or with National objectives or not.

    5. Nations should not loss all of their remained incomes, neither mobilizing unit abilities after losing their capital(s). I would also suggest it for any scenario.


  • Im not sure I understand, could you clarify a bit.


  • Which part you didn’t understand?


  • @Navalland These parts confused me

    1. Playing options. I tend to like scenarios if they are playable for example with techs or no tech. Or with National objectives or not.

    2. Nations should not loss all of their remained incomes, neither mobilizing unit abilities after losing their capital(s). I would also suggest it for any scenario.


  • For example A&A Anniversary edition has techs/national objectives and allows players to play with them, without them or just with one of them. It is for to appease more players since some players like them and some don’t like.

    The capital rule of A&A is simly bad. Capitals are already the most valuable territories even temporarily capturing them gives massive advantage, stealing all of remaining enemy income is just too much punishment. Later they introduced victory city concept like national objectives (I dislike both because they bring unnecessary complexity) to give more option.

    The simplest way is treating capitals like other territories and making them victory cities. Very smooth, rememberable victory condition.


  • @Navalland said in Cold War: It's Finally Done:

    For example A&A Anniversary edition has techs/national objectives and allows players to play with them, without them or just with one of them. It is for to appease more players since some players like them and some don’t like.

    The capital rule of A&A is simly bad. Capitals are already the most valuable territories even temporarily capturing them gives massive advantage, stealing all of remaining enemy income is just too much punishment. Later they introduced victory city concept like national objectives (I dislike both because they bring unnecessary complexity) to give more option.

    The simplest way is treating capitals like other territories and making them victory cities. Very smooth, rememberable victory condition.

    Geez I have this concept in my game


  • @Navalland So your point is that I should not have it?


  • Yes, I suggest not retaining A&A capital rules.

    Also I suggest you to thinking about different war goals other than total victory. It is something I have been thinking but hasn’t came up with a good idea.

    For example. I’m playing with USA and lost all Europe to Warsaw pact. I’d probably just surrender at that point instead of to continue because all total victory war aims are now gone and almost impossible to turn the tide of war.

    There should be an extra war aim about not losing. Kinda like draw option that might prevent this kind of anti climatic endings hence players will be more willing to continue no matter how desparate the situation.


  • @Navalland I was asking about the air combat rules


  • I will likely simplify it down to no air combat, infantry, tanks, rocket artillery, can’t hit fighters without certain research, and bombers can’t participate in the first round of combat.


  • I’d prefer no air combat rule.

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