• First post!

    Our A&A group would like to start using bidding at our game, but I’m wondering how to implement the bidding rules.

    Some details about our group:  We’re usually 4 or 5 players, and we randomly draw the countries from the unit charts.  Our teams aren’t fixed and we like the “randomness” of it.  I would like to avoid “pick your partner” type situations.

    How do you implement bidding rules?  Fill me in…  I’ll try taking a stab at it.

    Everyone secretly bids for Axis.  The players with the two lowest bids are given the Axis countries and must decide who will play Germany and who will play Japan.  Does that sound about right?

    What if there’s a bid tie between three players?

    If the two lowest are the Axis, then the other 2 or 3 divvy up the Allies between them?

    Does the player with the lowest bid determine how the bid is divided between Ger and Jap?


  • Also:  Are there certain bid limitations?  Only one unit per territory?

  • Moderator

    In a face-to-face situation as the one you describe there are really no rules to how it needs to be done.

    Also it is important to note that the bid does not (and often isn’t) evenly split among the Axis so most of the time Germany will get most of the bid.  Not always but it just works out that way.

    There are probably several ways you can do

    One would be an Auction style:

    Player 1:  I’ll play the Axis with 12 extra ipc
    Player 2:  I’ll play the Axis with 11
    Player 3:  I’ll play the Axis with 8
    Etc…

    At some point the players will stop and the guy left with the Axis then picks his country, and however you chose the rest can be random draw or just take the next lowest bidder or something.

    Another sytle would be a blind bid where you all write down how many extra ipcs you want to play the Axis.
    Then yes lowest 2 could be the Axis taking the lowest amount.

    In case of ties flip a coin (or random draw from the set up charts).

    You can really do anything you want as long as you all agree before hand.

    You can even all agree to a “fair” bid amount (example 6 ipc) and then random draw countries from there.

    On-line play is different.

    Certain clubs have different Rules.

    Here (A&A org) we have no placement restrictions and blind binding (ties broken randomly).  We use Frood (an A&A dice calculator site) to submit bids and get results via email.

    Other Clubs use what is called a FIDA bid, which is the bid is split between half units and half cash.  So a 12 bid would be like 2 inf placed anywhere and 6 ipc to be split between Ger and Japan.

    IIRC, the Triple A Ladder uses a 9 bid with a limit of 1 unit per ter.

    Hope this helps.  But you are kind of free to do whatever you want.
    The important thing is to make sure everyone has a fun game, well at least until one side loses or the dice smite some poor country.
    :-)


  • So if the lowest bid is 6, then do all players start with an extra 6 IPC?

    And generally, the bidding method assumes everyone wants to play Axis, which certainly cannot be true of everyone… So if you want to play Allies you just make a higher bid?

  • Moderator

    In a 5-player FTF game things are a bit different.
    In the example a “6 bid”  would ONLY go to the Axis.  From there they can split it up any way they want for example 2 Ger inf, or 1 Ger inf, 1 Japan, all cash to Ger, or any variation.  the two Axis players would obviously have to agree on how they spent the 6 IPC.

    @Gavinator:

    And generally, the bidding method assumes everyone wants to play Axis, which certainly cannot be true of everyone… So if you want to play Allies you just make a higher bid?

    Short answer is Yes.

    Long Answer
    Bidding is typically used to “balance” the game.  It is generally understood that the Allies will win the vast majority of games without a bid.
    For online play it usually revolves around two trains of thought -
    What are you willing to give up and still think you can win as the Allies? OR
    What do you feel you need as the Axis to win?

    It is more competetive so your bidding thought process is centered around giving yourself the best chance to win.

    The problem with bidding extremely high just to play the Allies is what if your opponent also wants the Allies and bids high?  Say you hate playing the Axis so you bid 15 thinking you’ll get the Allies.  Now, you opponent also wants the Allies but is a bit more realistic and bids 11.  Now All of a suddent you are facing an opponent who gets to spend 11 IPC on extra units.  So in this case you bid high and get the Allies, but you better be really good with them otherwise it may have cost you the game by tipping the balance too far in the Axis favor.


  • Well that makes more sense. Bidding rules and strategies do not seem to be spelled out clearly elsewhere. They seem to skip the basics.


  • 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  :-o and they gave us the Allies the fight of our lives mainly because of bad coordination

Suggested Topics

  • 20
  • 8
  • 7
  • 2
  • 4
  • 2
  • 7
  • 14
Axis & Allies Boardgaming Custom Painted Miniatures

40

Online

17.0k

Users

39.3k

Topics

1.7m

Posts