Axis and Allies 50: House Rules (Lite)


  • Disclaimer:

    I believe Imperious Leader put up some very good house rules for A&A:50 at http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=12316.0

    I did find the sheer volume and complexity of Imperious Leader’s rules to be a bit daunting, especially to a casual player like myself.

    A&A:50, like all great board games, is not without its faults.  But rather than complain about these faults, adamant supporters of the game will look for ways to “fix” them.  That’s where House Rules come in.

    These House Rules are meant to simplify and make sense of the game, while adding to the game’s balance and enjoyablility.  They are not meant to serve the agendas of rules gurus or turn A&A:50 into a bonafide wargame.  Finally, these House Rules should strive for historical accuracy, but without specializing Axis and Allied units.

    So without further adieu:

    Example
    Name: New Rule 
    Description: What New Rule does     
    Expected benefit: Which side benefits from New Rule?  Used for balancing issues. 
    History: Has New Rule been used before?  What was New Rule’s impact? 
    Credit: Who came up with New Rule?
    Additional Rulings: Mainly used for New Rule clarification purposes.   
    Note: These rules are not meant to be cumulative.  In other words, you can mix and match these House Rules at your leisure.

    1941 Scenario
    Note: These House Rules seek to balance the alleged Axis advantage of the 1941 Scenario

    Non-Aggression Pact
    Description:  Japan cannot attack Russia until Washington or London falls to the Axis.  Russia cannot attack Japan until Berlin falls to the Allies. 
    Expected benefit:  Japan can no longer open a second front on Moscow.  Russian player benefits.
    History:  Not tested
    Credit:  Cmdr Jennifer

    1941 Modified Turn Order
    Description:  Turn order of the 1941 Scenario is changed to Russia, Germany, UK, Italy, Japan, USA.  Turn order is kept for the duration of the game.   
    Expected benefit:  Allies benefit from Russia and UK going ahead of Germany and Japan, respectively.     
    History:  Not tested.

    Chinese Infantry
    Description:  China receives 1 Infantry per territory during the mobilization phase (instead of 1 Infantry per every 2 territories).
    Expected benefit:  Allies benefit due to greater volume of Chinese infantrymen per turn. 
    History:  Not tested
    Credit:  Imperious Leaader

    Technology

    Modified Heavy Bombers
    Description:  Whether attacking or defending, roll two dice for each bomber and pick the best result.  In an SBR, add one to the resulting number.
    Expected benefit:  Axis advantage.  Allies are more likely to roll for tech and build bombers. 
    History:  Tested and Sanctioned by LHTR
    Credit:  Krieghund

    Navy

    **Revised Destroyers **
    Description:  Destroyers’ ASW capabilities cancel submarines’ specials abilities at a 1-to-1 ratio.  For every destroyer present, one sub loses it’s opening fire/submerge/submersible abilities.  ex. If you attack a fleet with 3 subs and they have 1 destroyer, 2 subs still get opening fire.     
    Expected benefit:  Makes submarines more playable.  Hurts transport reliant powers (ie UK/USA in the Atlantic, Japan in the Pacific).     
    History:  Not tested.
    Credit:  Bridger

    Revised Cruisers
    Description:  Cruisers now have ASW capabilities identical to submarines. 
    Expected benefit:  Make cruisers more playable.  Helps Navy reliant powers (ie UK/USA in the Atlantic, Japan in the Pacific).     
    History:  Not tested
    Additional Rulings:  You may also want to implement the 1-for-1 Crusier/Submarine canceling premise seen in Revised Destroyers.

    **Production   **

    Unlimited ICs 
    Description:  More than one industrial complex (IC) may be built in each territory.  For each IC beyond the first, the production capability of that territory is doubled.  The cost of each additional IC is 15 IPCs and is represented by a chip underneath the starting IC.   
    Expected benefit:  About equal to each side, though Germany, Japan, and Russia need the extra IC the most.             
    History: Not Tested

    National Objectives (NOs)

    Full Round National Objectives
    Description:  NO income is collected only after players hold their NOs for a full round.  All players receive IPCs based on NOs at the beginning of their turn (minus the first).
    Expected benefit:  NOs benefit the Axis powers the most, making FRNO harder for the Axis player to achieve. 
    History:  Not Tested
    Credit:  Admiral_Thrawn

    US National Objective Errata
    Description:  USA’s first NO is changed to “Gain 5 IPCs if the Allies control at least 4 of the following territories: West US, Central US, East US, Alaska, and/or Hawaii” 
    Expected benefit:  Axis advantage, making this NO more difficult to obtain.   
    History:  Not Tested
    Credit:  FieldMarshallGames

    Victory

    12 Victory Cities for Victory
    Description: Capture of 12 Victory Cities (VCs) is required for victory, down from the original 15 VCs.   
    Expected benefit:  The capture of 12 VCs should benefit the Axis. 
    History: Not Tested

    Held Victory Cities
    Description: Victory is determined when one side holds the allotted number of Victory cities for 1 full turn.  ex. If the UK takes Warsaw for 15 VCs, the Allies have to hold 15 VCs until the UK’s next turn.
    Expected benefit:  Held VCs are more difficult to obtain, which should benefit the Allies.   
    History:  Not Tested
    Credit: Zephaus

    No Special Capture Capitol Rules
    Description: Capture Capitol Rules are no longer in effect.  ie. The attacking player does not receive the defender’s IPCs. The defender retains his IPCs, continues earning income based on held territories, and may produce units at other ICs (if possible).
    Expected benefit:  About equal, with NSCCR most likely to affect Berlin, Rome, and Moscow.
    History:  Not Tested
    Credit: Bridger


  • These house rules are meant to be used not together, but presented as a structure of ideas to solve aspects of the game that players find daunting and to provide a sensible remedy to those issues that are historically based, but not terribly complicated.

    I have played with all of these rules many years, but i reserve the opportunity to make them into a whole document when such time arrives that i have played AA50 enough to make that declaration.

    So as they are actually presented where you have presented yours but less formal in structure that you assign.

    All these rules will make their way into the new AA50HE ruleset… Its up to our team to decide how to use them.

    AARHE has made dramatic influence on AA50 in terms of many of the nuances of the new rules.

    This is all very pleasing for us, but we still have much to do.


  • When do we get started on AA50HE?  :-D


  • The file set is assembling. Look at AA50: house rules. Its a la carte system of ideas with little structure… I have played them all for years in many cases, except the specific ones for AA50.

    The main thing is pick something from it and comment. each would be debated and manipulated to its final result. Then we assemble the parts like options on a car.


  • What is AA50HE?  “House Edition”?

    These house rules are meant to be used not together, but presented as a structure of ideas to solve aspects of the game that players find daunting and to provide a sensible remedy to those issues that are historically based, but not terribly complicated.

    I did not know that.  For a moment there, it looked like you were proposing a completely different game.  Anyways, I see my House Rules as being “open source” where anyone can contribute to them.  They are less specialized than yours and catered to less experienced player.

    The house rules I posted here serve mainly as a help file for when I play the game.  I just thought I post them online so everyone could have access to them.


  • AARHE is Axis And Allies Revised Historical Edition. Google it and you find millions of entries

    AA50HE is another historical edition, but for AA50


  • 1941 House Rules have been added.

    AARHE is Axis And Allies Revised Historical Edition. Google it and you find millions of entries

    Yes, you guys seem to take customization rather seriously.


  • yea we fill the niche for the type of more of a wargame, but LITE will present a more friendly form.


  • @TG:

    Anyways, I see my House Rules as being “open source” where anyone can contribute to them.  They are less specialized than yours and catered to less experienced player.

    are you serious about open source where everyone can contribute?
    you should create a system

    imagine a base ruleset playtested on this forum - voted by a development team
    plus some optional rules that are you were saying as not “cumulative” - contributed from people

    regardless AARe sort of belong to Avalon Hills forum community
    I am saying a AA50HE that belong to axisandallies.org forum community


  • tekkyy,

    are you serious about open source where everyone can contribute?

    As you can see most of House Rules already come from other people.  I just collect everything together into one easy reference chart.  Obviously, I’m just one person so I don’t have time to read everything that gets posted on A&A.org.  In the old days I could, but that’s a different story.  If people want to post their own house rules here, I’m fine with that.

    imagine a base ruleset playtested on this forum - voted by a development team
    plus some optional rules that are you were saying as not “cumulative” - contributed from people

    I dunno… it sounds like you’re explaining AARHE to me.  How would they be different?  I don’t want to tamper with the core mechanics of the game.  If other people do, then I recommend AARHE.


  • @TG:

    I dunno… it sounds like you’re explaining AARHE to me.  How would they be different?  I don’t want to tamper with the core mechanics of the game.  If other people do, then I recommend AARHE.

    heheh I wish (that was AARHE was that)

    like AARe, thats a variant playtested by community of the late Avalon Hills forum
    I am hoping there would be a AA50 variant playtested by axisandallies.org

    but I guess you don’t have that much time (like the old days)
    so you probably won’t put your hands up for PBF games


  • Right now my energies are directed to Playtesting the game:

    http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=12942.0

    I feel that the sooner we find out how balanced the game is and if it’s not, who benefits, the sooner we can go about correcting these flaws.  Besides bidding, House Rules are a great way of balancing the game and I look forward to implementing a few of these rules in my next game.

    But yes, before we can start prescribing medicine we need to figure out what the symptoms and causes are.


  • yes right
    no one is qualified to sugguest house rules until they’ve playtested the base game enough

    anyway, would be nice when we come to playtesting the house rules that there’ll be a good amount of PBF games

  • Customizer

    That non-aggro pact looks a little familiar.

    But it should add this: the 2 signatories cannot allow their allies to attack the other signatory from their territory.

    That is, for example, UK bombers based on Russian soil cannot attack Japanese units, nor land in Russia from such an attack from elsewhere.

    The treaty should remain in force for as long as the power gaining the right to attack wishes.  For example if Berlin falls Russia and Japan are only at war when Russia declares war on Japan, which it can do at any time.  Japan would not have the right to attack until Russia declared war, or until it’s own criteria were achieved.
    (Supposing Russia wanted to see a powerful Italy beated down a bit, or rebuild it’s own forces up after a hard German campaign, before risking war with a bloated Japanese monster.)

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