• The first Pacific game is one of the best A&A games in the series IMHO.  One thing that is a little frustrating is how Japan has a big advantage OOB.  In doing some research on balance, I found 2 really good sources to help me with making up some house rules for balance.  Here are the two sites that I found most helpful for my following house rules.

    Saburo Sakai: http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=7581.0

    Krieghund: http://www.harrisgamedesign.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1086

    Axis and Allies Pacific House Rules

    1.  Japan wins by receiving 24 victory points.

    (Japan can capture enemy capitals, but it must reach 24 victory points to win the game)

    2.  Allies receive 12 IPCs to purchase units before or during the first round.

    (Allies need help in the beginning of the game, especially in India)

    3.  If Japan attacks sea zone 5 in the first round, it scores no victory points on that turn.

    (It will be difficult for Japan to lose at least two carriers in a counterattack and hold off the Americans.  This also reflects a higher level of anger and shock for the USA)

    **4.  Kamikazes activated if Japan drops below 30 IPCs.  **

    (Kamikazes were a desperation tactic used by Japan when they were losing the war)

    5.  Attacking subs must fight one round before submerging.

    (No substalling allowed.  Larry Harris did not intend to have substalling)


  • Also using the adjusted setup from Larry Harris.

    French Indochina receives 2 infantry, not 4.
    Hainan receives 6 infantry, not 4.
    Sea zone 37 receives 1 transport, not 2.
    The Mariana Islands receive 0 fighters, not 1.
    Sea zone 20 receives 0 subs, not 1.
    Sea zone 22 receives 1 sub, not 0.


  • I played a game with my brother in law where I was Japan and he was the Allies.  We played that all Allies play simultaneously and Japan must take a country to win (No VP win option). Japan still won and took both India and Australia before the Allies resigned.  That being said, my brother in law is less experienced than me, but doing that may help swing the balance towards the Allies?  This is similar to what we do with A&A Europe (1999), which was always a German victory.  We mainly did this to speed up play, but it also helped with the balance to where the Allies usually, but not always, win.

    Regarding the sub stalling: I read a thread related to A&A 1940, where it was proposed that Cruisers could have a special ability of a recon attack, where they could be used to attack blocking DDs.  If they took out the blocking DD, you could then either pass through the zone or use your shore bombardment with the other ships.  Using this idea, since Pacific (2001) doesn’t have cruisers, you could use Destroyers and/or subs as a recon force, where if they took out the sub, the rest of the fleet could pass through/bombard.


  • Allies going together would be interesting.  Looks like it helped you a lot in Europe (1999).

    The recon destroyer/sub is also a good idea.  I wonder how it is done since you have to do the combat movement at the same time (probably have to clear out the sub before completing combat movement).


  • I think you could just announce that it’s a recon force and which ships would be passing through if it succeeds… maybe put the recon force into the territory for combat and the rest of the fleet could be put on the line between the territories until combat is resolved.  If the recon force takes out the blockers in the first round of combat, the ships on the line could then pass through the territory or use their shore bombardment in the territory: but the recon force could not pass through with them and could not bombard with them (they would be out of position, expended munitions, etc.).  If the recon force fails to take out the blockers, then the remaining ships may join the combat or they could stay in the previous zone and either way can’t pass through or bombard the shore.  The recon force would then have to continue to engage in regular combat or retreat.

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