From: zxmna01@studserv.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de (Brian Nash)
Subject: A&A variant (Very Unofficial)
Summary: A&A Variant rules
Keywords: A&A
Organization: Comp. Center (ZDV) U of Tuebingen, FRG
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 14:08:58 GMT


Seeing how this current A&A thread is spreading into variants I thought
I might post the variants my friends and I sometimes use.  Most of these are
home cooked except some of the Tech breakthroughs, I once stumbled across a
magazine that had a whole list and we use what we can remember of them.

Whoever posted the article before mentioning actual variants please post
the publishers, costs, etc for those, I've never seen any *real* variants
before...

First a set-up variant:
  
  'All-out forget history method'
    Setup:
     Add up the costs for all the items each country would normally receive
     at the set up.  (i.e. 4 tanks equals 20$, 2 fighters is 24$ more etc)
     Do NOT include values of AA guns and Factories.  Each player receives the
     normal allotment of these.
     Then each player secretly makes his purchases.  We decided not to allow
     additional factories or AA guns to be built, however it could be allowed.
    Placement:
     Players place their units in the standard order (i.e. Russia, Germany,
     UK, Japan and USA). First 5 armies are placed, then 2 tanks, then 
     1 submarine, then 1 transport, then 1 fighter, then 1 bomber, then 1
     Aircraft Carrier, then 1 battleship.  If a player doesn't have any units
     of a particular type then he is skipped and the next country goes.  For
     fractions (z.b. if Russia has only 4 more infantry to place) the country
     places whatever it has left.  Another possible placement method is to
     go infantry, battleship, tank, Aircraft Carrier, Sub, Bomber, Transport,
     fighter.  Or in other words work from both ends.
        To keep one country from stacking their entire military force in one
     country we ruled that no more than 3 * the IPC value units can be placed
     in any one country.  That is, the UK player can only place 9 TOTAL units
     in India.  Meaning 5 tanks 3 Inf and a fighter is ok.  Naval units also
     count as a unit, and in Capital Countries and countries with a factory
     there is no placement restrictions.
    Notes:
     We've played this method many times and it *usually* works pretty well.
     Ocassionally you'll end up with a quick game because of totally 
     differing strategies.  In one game I played the Axis and was slaughtered
     quickly because I chose a Naval strategy for germany and a Land (with
     ferrying transports) strategy for Japan.  Of course then the Ally 
     players just happened to do the opposite so it was over in hurry.

 Technology Breakthrough List
    Notes:  This list is based on using a d20 die to determine which 
            breakthrough is gained.  Since this list adds so many additional
            breakthroughs we usually award a breakthrough on a 5 or 6 instead
            of the regular 6.  Also sometimes we give each player a free roll
            in the beginning so each player automatically starts with one.
            These are in no particular order.

    1.  Atom Bomb
        The country has developed an atom bomb and with the help of a bomber
        can carry out an attack on a enemy factory.  With a successful attack
        (Meaning that the plane is not shot down by AA fire) the factory in
        the target country is destroyed.  One bombing attack per atom bomb
        breakthrough.
     2. Paratroops
        The country can use a bomber to deliver paratroop drops to any country
        within range of the Bomber.  Each bombber can carry a max of 1 Inf
        unit and if the bomber flies over enemy AA guns is subject to being
        shotdown.  Otherwise combat is conducted as normal.  The Inf unit
        cannot continue moving after it is dropped.
     3. Assault Infantry
        All Inf units now attack on a 2 or better.
     4. Improved Aircraft Carriers
        Each Aircraft Carrier now can carry 3 fighters or 1 fighter and 1
        bomber.
     5. Improved Transports
        Each Transport can carry 3 Inf units or 1 Inf and 1 Armor unit.
     6. Improved Transport Defense
        Each Transport now defends on a 2 or better.
     7. Improved AA Accuracy
        Each AA gun now scores a hit on a 2 or better.
     8. IPC Lend/Borrow
        The country with this breakthrough can borrow OR lend IPC dollars
        to one other country in it's alliance.  A max of 5 IPC dollars can
        be transfered.  Transfer takes place on the turn of the country with
        the breakthrough.
     9. Saboteurs
        1 saboteur strike can be carried out per turn vs an enemy factory.
        The player with this breakthrough chooses an enemy factory and rolls
        one die, on a 1 or 2 he causes 1d6 dollars in IPC damage to that 
        country (Like a Bombing raid), however then the attacked country gets
        to roll a die and on a 1 destroys the saboteur force in that location.
        (This means that if the saboteurs in Germany are destroyed then the
        factory in Southern Europe can be target instead.)
    10. Improved Production Capabilities
        (Used when playing with the rule that a placed factory cannot produce
        more units than the IPC value of the country it's placed in)
        This breakthrough allows the player to place up to 1.5 or 2 * the
        amount of units in a factory.  For example, if the UK has this 
        breakthrough and has a factory in India, he can place 5 (rnd fractions
        up) or 6 units in the factory India instead of the normal max of 3.
    11. Partisans
        Allows the country to make a partisan attack in any ONE country of his
        that has been taken over by enemy forces. (Ok, yeah I know that Eastern
        Europe and Western Europe really arn't 'Owned' by Germany, but owell)
        If the attack succeeds on a 1 then the defender removes a unit of his
        choice.  Then he rolls back and on a 1 the partisans in that country
        are eliminated from the game.
    12. Propaganda
        Allows the player to build home units (see note below) in countries
        that he has conquered at up to half the IPC value of each country.
    13.
    14. (2 other breakthroughs that I can't remember at the moment)

    15. Rockets
    16. Super Submarines
    17. Jet Fighters
    18. Industrial Technology
    19. Long-Range Aircraft
    20. Heavy Bombers

 Note:  In our game we always use a rule that we came up with that allows
        a country to build up infantry in its home countries with a factory.
        The max to be build up was equal to the IPC value of the country.


Most of these have been playtested extensively and normally don't cause to
many problems.  I do know however that some of the above are more useful to
some countries than to others (Assault Inf to Russia is a good example). But
IMHO the original breakthroughs were the same way.

Please forgive any mistakes I might have made in this, I don't have my
set here at school.  (It's not really conducive to studying)
Any comments to this are welcomed, but keep the flames to minumum..

--
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
+ Brian Nash nash@student.uni-tuebingen.de     Karls Eberhard Uni     +
+            s9bj9@starburst.uscolo.edu        Tuebingen Germany      +
+            bnash@nyx.cs.du.edu                                      +
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