Playing with China under full USA control (and other China alternatives)

  • 2024 '22 '21 '19 '15 '14

    China is considered US supported chinese forces. The same rules apply to Chinese territories as all other territories.

    All Chinese forces are replaced with equivalent US forces. The same rules apply to these units as all other Allied units.

    All starting Chinese income is considered US starting income.

    +7 ipcs added to the US starting income for a total of 47.

    This eliminates all the complications and weird rules surrounding China and gives the US some additional much needed Allied cash in the first round. Seems a fairly simple alternative to the way this region is handled OOB.


  • Does this mean that US-controlled China could purchase tanks and planes and ships?  Having the same rules applying to China as to any other power would certainly simplify matters, but it would also create a situation in which China would potentially have military hardware that it was incapable of producing itself (due to lack of industry) and which the Alllies could not have supplied to it in appreciable quantities (due to transportation limitations).


  • I don’t think he meant that Marc. He wants the US to have the income to spend in the States.
    The US just does not have enough income in Anniversary(or 1942 for that matter).

    I think China should get some reinforcements though.
    What do you suggest for China, Black Elk? They will be wiped out otherwise.

  • 2024 '22 '21 '19 '15 '14

    In practice China does almost nothing for the Allies beyond simply providing a dead space stall to distract Japan in the first round. In the OOB set up they have basically no influence on the game aside from a few potential Japanese infantry casualties.

    Effectively this situation doesn’t change if the territories are treated simply as normal American territories/units. All the same units will still die on J1. The only difference is that USA could potentially get 10 IPCs out of it before they die (instead of nothing), and if somehow an infantry or fighter survives the initial onslaught it could escape to Russia instead of pointlessly trapping itself to no purpose. In later rounds Russia would have an incentive to recover Chinese territory, which it doesn’t currently,  since at least the money might be recovered for USA. I don’t see any way for China to mobilize any units at all directly, unless Shanghai is liberated or Manchuria with a factory.  All the other spaces are only worth 1, so not very viable for a new factory. Support from other Allies (Russia, UK, or US air/pac forces) are still pretty hard to get into china, which matches the logistical challenges faced in the war. Basically only fighters can get here with anything approaching  a degree of regularity.  In game terms,  for the opening rounds it’s mainly just a way to get rid of annoying China only rules, in exchange for a few extra IPCs to America (where they can have some kind of impact, which China in OOB totally lacks.)

    Some people try to fix OOB China by adding 3 extra inf. I don’t see why the same couldn’t work under this set up, with full US control. They might help hold the line at Kazakh or Novos, provided they survive J’s sweep.

  • 2024 '22 '21 '19 '15 '14

    Cover all starting Chinese markers with the appropriate US or Japanese roundel. For the purposes of this alternate, Kiangsu and Manchuria are considered starting Japanese territories, all other Chinese territories are considered starting US. The map even looks better. With a tiny boost to USA of +7 ipcs on balance.

    If desired add 3 American infantry, 1 each to Chinghai, Ningxia, and Sikang.

    Enjoy a game free of frustrating Chinese rules :)

  • 2024 '22 '21 '19 '15 '14

    Here’s another different way to play, (from the one outlined above). Say you wish to keep China a separate nation with its own weird rules…

    In that case, how about starting the game with China’s turn? If China moved before Germany/Japan, then they could retreat and regroup before Japan has a chance to destroy them, and could place units to reinforce and strengthen their position. This is a comparatively minor change, since China has the final position in the standard turn order anyway, its just a matter of shifting the start back 1 position in the turn order. This would at least give the Chinese a chance to be somewhat more effective.

    Or a massive China bid? All territories starting with up to 3 units (the max)?

    But of course I find the China rules annoying altogether, so I favor just placing them under direct US control, since it simplifies everything.

  • 2024 '22 '21 '19 '15 '14

    Consider this starting position (max bid), under normal China rules normal turn order

    2 inf and 1 fighter in Chinghai
    3 inf in Ningxia
    3 inf in Sikang
    3 inf in Hupeh
    1 inf each in Suiyuan, Fukien, and Yunnan
    Everything in the bag!

    This would allow for Japan to trade in those last 3 spaces for 1 ipc each. Hupeh is stronger, the fighter can be saved, and China would have counter attack or stack defense options. Who knows under this set up China might even get to use a chip! I find something like this way more appealing than an open pre-placement bid for Allies. China in the Vanilla game was disappointing, because it didn’t have enough strength to do anything and just dies in the first round. But if you allow China to place all the bagged units, then they can actually be a menace to Japan. Does anyone else find such China rules interesting?

    The flying tiger is much more fun, when it survives and has these extra infantry units to back it up. By placing it in Chinghai it is safe from round 1 Japanese attack, can still fly into an attack in the first round, but must also land in a more forward position if doing so. Alternatively it can stay back and try to form a wall to protect the Russians. Because the China rules state that no chinese unit may leave China, this kind of bid situation is less dramatic than other kinds of Allied bid. It allows you to restrict the focus on one specific area of the gameboard, without totally unbalancing the situation in all the other areas of the map. I think it works

    Or consider this aggressive forward bid with all units in the bag…

    3 inf each in Suiyuan, Hupeh, Fukien, and Yunnan
    with the flying Tiger and 2 inf in Sikang.
    That almost directly captures the situation with the Tiger safe in Chungking, but ready to strike out on an attack against Shanghai should the option present itself.

    Or if keeping all the OOB units in the same position, add 3 inf each to Chinghai, Ningxia, and Sikang, 1 extra infantry to Yunnan and 1 to Hupeh. This at least allows a 9 stack (or more) onto Sikang, with first round inf units placed safely in Chinghai or Ningxia. This could allow a 12 stack in Chinghai by the 3rd round, which could actually hold for a while against Japan (especially if the Russians decide to send Mao some aid.) This bid requires no adjustment to the turn order or anything else, just option up to 11 extra Chinese infantry units, distributed at the start to re-balance the overall game Axis vs Allies.

    Or any arrangement of up to 15 inf and the Tiger (max 3 units in a territory per the rules), at the Chinese player’s discretion. In order to achieve game balance.

    Any of those bids would work in a China first or China last standard turn order, whatever your preference.


  • My local game group has created a version of the AA50 rules that we have labeled “The Chicago Rules”.  Here is an excerpt from that regarding how we play China differently:

    @Chicago:

    China receives special treatment in the Chicago Rules Anniversary Edition.  China begins the game with an IC and has different rules while China controls the IC and different rules after the axis take control of and destroy the Chinese IC.
    China and its units are controlled by the U.S. player, but for game purposes it is considered a separate power and its resources cannot be mixed.  Chinese combat and movement are done separately from the U.S. forces
    Chinese units have a limited range of occupation, displayed by the colored border.  They can also be moved into the Japanese occupied territories of Kiangsu and Manchuria.  China can take control of these territories and have them count toward their new infantry placements.  Chinese units cannot be loaded onto transports.
    Kwangtung is a special case.  While it is not a Chinese territory and cannot be controlled by China, Chinese forces can attack Axis units there and occupy it, but the IPC’s generated, go to the United Kingdom.  This is the only non-Chinese territory that Chinese units may occupy.
    Before the start of game play China places their IC in any Chinese controlled territory. The IC works like the mobile industry National Advantage (for Revised edition): the IC can move one territory per turn and place units there (no unit limits on placement of Chinese units).  Since, the IC has unlimited production it is not subject to axis strategic bombing. 
    Before the start of game play China may also move their fighter to any Chinese controlled territory. The fighter represents the American volunteer group- the Flying Tigers. This fighter is considered part of the Chinese forces for purposes of movement and combat. 
    While the IC is in play, China collects income at the end of a turn just like any other country.  China starts the game with $7 IPC’s.  China may purchase infantry for $2, other unit costs are unchanged.  China can save unspent IPC’s and spend IPC’s on technology research if the optional rule is agreed upon.
    After the Chinese IC has been captured  The Axis power that takes control of the Chinese IC must destroy it immediately.  The Chinese player must also surrender all of their IPC’s to that Axis power.  China no longer receives IPC’s for income and can no longer “purchase units”. China may never rebuild this IC.
    Instead, China gets one new infantry unit per turn for every two Chinese territories that are not under Axis control during the Purchase Units phase of the U.S. player’s turn. The U.S. Player places the new Chinese units on any Chinese- controlled territories. However, those units cannot be placed on any territory that already contains three or more units.

    I will email a copy of the rules for this variant for those interested (too big to attach  :-( ).  Send me a PM if you like this or have  further questions on what I posted above.

    Good Gaming!
    axis_roll

  • '17 '16

    @Chicago:

    China receives special treatment in the Chicago Rules Anniversary Edition.  China begins the game with an IC and has different rules while China controls the IC and different rules after the axis take control of and destroy the Chinese IC.

    China and its units are controlled by the U.S. player, but for game purposes it is considered a separate power and its resources cannot be mixed.  Chinese combat and movement are done separately from the U.S. forces.

    Chinese units have a limited range of occupation, displayed by the colored border.  They can also be moved into the Japanese occupied territories of Kiangsu and Manchuria.  China can take control of these territories and have them count toward their new infantry placements.  Chinese units cannot be loaded onto transports.

    Kwangtung is a special case.  While it is not a Chinese territory and cannot be controlled by China, Chinese forces can attack Axis units there and occupy it, but the IPC’s generated, go to the United Kingdom.  This is the only non-Chinese territory that Chinese units may occupy.

    Before the start of game play China places their IC in any Chinese controlled territory. The IC works like the mobile industry National Advantage (for Revised edition): the IC can move one territory per turn and place units there (no unit limits on placement of Chinese units).  Since, the IC has unlimited production it is not subject to axis strategic bombing.  
    Before the start of game play China may also move their fighter to any Chinese controlled territory. The fighter represents the American volunteer group- the Flying Tigers. This fighter is considered part of the Chinese forces for purposes of movement and combat.

    While the IC is in play, China collects income at the end of a turn just like any other country.  China starts the game with $7 IPC’s.  China may purchase infantry for $2, other unit costs are unchanged.  China can save unspent IPC’s and spend IPC’s on technology research if the optional rule is agreed upon.

    After the Chinese IC has been captured  The Axis power that takes control of the Chinese IC must destroy it immediately.  The Chinese player must also surrender all of their IPC’s to that Axis power.  China no longer receives IPC’s for income and can no longer purchase units. China may never rebuild this IC.

    Instead, China gets one new infantry unit per turn for every two Chinese territories that are not under Axis control during the Purchase Units phase of the U.S. player’s turn. The U.S. Player places the new Chinese units on any Chinese- controlled territories. However, those units cannot be placed on any territory that already contains three or more units.

    Excuse my old eyes.  :wink:

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