From: goudswaa@fraser.sfu.ca (Peter Goudswaard)
Subject: Axis & Al house rules
Summary: House rules of A&A
Keywords: axis allies
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 05:05:54 GMT

Does anyone use their own house rules to Axis & Allies?  A few years ago
I got an old issue of Battleplan magazine, #3, July/Aug 1987.  In it
was a goldmine of info on A&A.  It had the summary of the updated rules
of A&A by MB, as well as a version of PBM A&A, pages of changes and rule
enhancements to A&A by various folks, and some strategies and tips.
Here are the items that my group sometimes uses as a variant:

1.  Damaged battleship: ATT 2, DEF 2, MOVE 2.  Repair: 1 turn at friendly
port + $12 (yes, I know they are not dollars but it is easier to abbrev.
them this way).  They are shown on the board as being damaged by laying
them on their sides.  They still have the option of one amphib assault
shot.  Credit goes to Vance von Borries: "This rule has 2 important
benefits.  1st, each fleet has a little more staying power to even out
those lucky rolls.  2nd, there is a real need for a German light fleet in
the Baltic to give the Allies a tougher time knocking out the German
transport."  Personally, we thought it made losing the expensive battleship
in one shot less difficult to swallow by giving it a second chance.

2.  Neutrals:  either UK or Germany controls (depending on which side attacked
the neutral), and the attacker pays $3.

3.  On setup of the board, swap the US battleship and carrier; carriers were
out at sea or on the coast in 1942, and the battleships were at Pearl.  This
of course assumes that the time frame is roughly equivalent to history, but
this is A&A, and it is pretty easy to stretch your imagination here.

4.  Combat Air Patrol:  a maximum of 2 fighters can defend friendly ships
adjacent to the fighters' zone.  This gives harbored ships (c'mon,
stretch!) an advantage over seagoing ships.

5.  3 AA guns may now defend any zone, although more may be on the zone.
This makes heavy bombers a bit easier to defend against.  (It was either
this rule or limit heavy bombers to 2d6.)

6.  Lend Lease:  the US may purchase Brit units (but not dice) on the US
turn, and place them in the East US only.  They may only then be moved by
the Brits, as if the Brits put them there in the first place.  It gives the
US an altruistic option.

7.  Additional weapons development:  Pay $5 times N dice.  Roll N dice,
success on a 6.  Roll again to choose from these weapons:

     1. Large carriers: 3 fighters
     2. Carrier-based bombers: maximum 1 bomber on carrier, no fighters.
     3. Loss of vital materials: declare once per turn that any enemy unit 
        type will cost $1 more.  i.e. Germany gets this on his roll, and 
        once at the beginning of his turn he declares that all Allied
        infantry will now cost $4!  Disastrous to Russia!  He can do this
        at the beginning of his turn for the rest of the game - any piece!
     4. Radar Jamming: your aircraft are unaffected by AA guns.
     5. Awakening the masses: once per turn, place 1 infantry in any
        territory that you control.
     6. Enlist neutral:  any neutral of your choice joins you. (We use
        a list of neutrals, complete with land value and weapons, from
        the magazine, borrowed (with thanks) from one of the authors.)


Sorry for the long article, but if anyone wants more info, I have lotsa
stuff to make an interesting game a bit more interesting on occasion.
Of course we relish the original second edition rules as well.  How do
we keep track of all these rule changes?  I decided to write a small basic
(oops, BASIC.  I don't want to hear any of the peanut gallery on my
choice of languages, we wanted a quick and dirty solution) ...er, program
to keep track of the money, then countries' values on the production
chart (doesn't yours always get mixed up?), and so on until I wrote in
a full combat system, save game, etc.  The only thing it doesn't do is
keep track of what pieces are on what zones.  It wouldn't be A&A without
that big, colorful map and game pieces!  Automated, games now play about
10 to 20% faster MINIMUM, allowing players to concentrate on strategy
rather than bookkeeping.

Well, I've had too much to say already.  Sorry, I just got tired of siting
..oops, sitting here reading strategy.  I thought maybe someone might
want to hear how others play with their own house rules.

P*.*
Peter Goudswaard