Bids

Thanks to everyone for clearing that up.

@AJ: What is FIDA? http://aamc.net/bunker/forumsql/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=68 All AARevised games played in AAMC use FIDA bidding unless the players agree to another bid system prior to the game starting.  FIDA stands for Flames of Europe, IAAPA, DAAK and AAMC, the four clubs that developed the bidding system.  Under FIDA bidding, each player submits a number of IPCs for a bid.  The lower bid plays Axis.  Up to half of the value of those IPCs can be placed on the mapboard prior to the start of the game in new units.  Germany can place units in territories and sea zones that already contain German units.  Japan can place units in territories and sea zones that already contain Japanese units.  Neither Axis player can place units in territories or sea zones where it does not already have units.  The remaining balance of IPCs from the bid can be given to either Germany or Japan or split in whatever manner the Axis player chooses. Example of a bid:  15, 1 Inf in Ukraine, 1 Rtl in Libya, 6 IPC Germany, 2 IPC Japan.

If the Axis starts with 6-9 IPC’s worth of additional units(placed before R1), the game is balanced. I’ve played with two basic versions of the bid. Players can bid high to low for the Axis. Example: I bid 9. You bid 8. I bid 7. You don’t think the Axis has a fair shot with only 6, so you let me have the Axis. You don’t necessarily need to bid down one at a time. The other variation involves players writing down their bids, revealing them at the same time, and the lower bidder gets the Axis. Balancing by tech or NA could be fun, but I haven’t tried this. Obviously, you’d have to be careful about which NA or tech you give. LRA or HB’s for either country would be too powerful, Super Subs would be too weak. German Rockets could be interesting.

Oh yea good idea!

Here’s another complete system; very easy to use.  If you have seen the game show “Name that Tune” then you’ll get the concept immediately. Caspian Sub Bid Rules 1. Roll for high roll to see who gets the first bid. 2. Conduct the bid like “Name that Tune”.  The player with the first bid says “I can win with the Axis and X IPCs.”, where X is the number of IPCs the bidder receives to play the Axis.  You are always bidding to play as the Axis. 3. The other player either lets the first player have the bid or counters with a bid that is smaller than the first bid such as, “I can win with the Axis and X-2 IPCs.”  This is a bid-down system. 4. Keep going until a bid is accepted. If the bid ‘goes negative’, then the bid becomes “I will take the Axis and give the Allies X IPCs.” Counter-bids then become higher values given to the Allies. 5. Once the bid is accepted there is a pre-game bid placement turn. Whoever is getting the IPCs may buy units to place on the board.   a) Unit costs are normal   b) Land units can be placed in any territory a power controls   c) Naval units can be placed with other naval units or in territories adjacent to a power’s land   d) There is a limit of 1 bid piece per territory   e) Powers cannot put their units in another power’s territory (i.e. no German pieces start in Japanese territory)   f) IPCs do not have to be spent on units.  IPCs not spent on units can be given to any of the team’s powers. 6. Play starts as normal with the Soviets.

I am speaking of averages here… And it is not the INF that creates the extra Russian deaths, it is the FIG and ARM living longer with the extra fodder AND the extra single roll of a 2 which gives you a 33% chance of an extra death in and of itself.

I strongly suggest don’t bid if you are 4 or 5 players and playing face to face. Those games are complex to play and allies struggle to coordinate. Any bid could easily unbalance the game and favor the Axis. Even 1 ipc to Japan can mean 1 IC, 2 trannies in Japan 1, a very important change. I play one FtF game with another 3 guys each week and believe me, I know what I’m saying. Last time, without any bid, Axis bought 1 bb and 1 ac for Mediterranean sea  and they gave us the Allies the fight of our lives mainly because of bad coordination

Lots to think about here.  Thinking about the Polar Express and the entire game itself, the phrase, “For everything gained, there’s something lost” comes to mind.  If Japan is in W. Canada, it halts the US shuck, but if they’re in Asia, it forces Russia to spend more to defend against Japan.  Every game I play as Japan, the thought always crosses my mind to send my 4 transports to Alaska/W. Canada, but I can’t ever come to terms with it because of all those units you take away from Asia.  Even if the US was out of the picture in Europe because of having to deal with the polar express, I don’t see how Germany could overcome Russia and the UK by themselves anyway. As far as simply bidding a Jap transport….that works well regardless of whether you go after the US or not.  It’s a win-win for Japan.  I just won an Axis game with that transport in SZ50 implementing a KRF.  It’s key to grabbing income very early on–income that you wouldn’t normally get a hold of that soon.  I was able to hold Africa for a while with Germany as well.  I admit, I was pretty fortunate to do that without the German bid.  Overall though, I definitely recommend bidding the Jap transport.