Here is our current bid(s) under the Chicago Rules (house rules) for 1941:
Bids under Chicago Rules
Add units before game play begins. Only one additional unit per territory/sea zone. The territory/sea zone must already contain at least one unit to permit a bid unit to be added. No Bombers, Battleships, or Aircraft Carriers can be placed as part of any bid.
Russia may not place more than $10 worth of units in the following combination of territories:
Karelia, Baltic States, Eastern Poland, Ukraine, Eastern Ukraine, Belorussia, Archangelsk, Urals, Russia, Caucasus, Kazakh, Novosibirsk or Evenki National Okrug.
Chinese inf may be also be bid units, at a cost of $2. Other Chinese bid units are regular cost.
Bidding Rules:
- Allies may bid $28, with a maximum of $25 being placed as instant units, remaining $3 can be split amongst the allies, being added to their first round IPC bank. Darndelles straight is closed.
- The allies can bid to Open the Dardenlles straight, with the resulting bid increasing to $30.
- If the allies have not opened the Dardenlles straight, the axis can ‘force open’ the Dardenelles Straight, but the bid level is now $34 (as a penalty for forcing open the canal). $4 of that bid must be an artillery for Russia in the Caucasus. The Caucasus art must be included in the $10 limit of Russian bid units.
I can send you our rules if your are interested. We’ve found the 1941 game to be pretty balanced under the Chicago Rules.