AXIS & ALLIES ENHANCED REALISM RULES
Entire contents © 1998 by R.D. Baker. Site created: 7-25-98. Our Axis & Allies Gamers Group welcomes players for face-to-face games in the Washington, D.C. area. Email: rdbaker43@yahoo.com
List of recent updates and rule changes in this section:
09-20-98: ALTERNATE TURN ORDER (Summer 1942).
09-20-98: ANGLO-ALLIED COOPERATION.
09-20-98: Revised GREATER CHINA: The Chinese Army. Added explanatory information about the Chinese Army. Chinese Infantry now have limited attack capability and strength. Added rule for FRENCH INDO-CHINA BURMA (Lesser China).
08-26-98: AIR TRANSPORTS. AIRBORNE ASSAULTS.
08-26-98: AXIS-SOVIET SEPARATE PEACE.
08-26-98: REDUCED RUSSIAN COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS.
08-26-98: RUSSIA-JAPAN NON-AGGRESSION PACT: Examples.
VIII. HISTORY AND POLITICS
AIR TRANSPORTS
Air Transports cost 15 IPC and they attack and defend on rolls of ONE. Use specially-marked bombers to represent Air Transports, but remember that air transports are different than bombers and the two are not functionally interchangeable. During noncombat, an Air Transport may carry one infantry. It does not need to begin the turn in the same territory as the infantry it transports. Picking up or dropping off an infantry does not cost an air transport any of it's movement. Air transports have a total flight range of FOUR. An air transport may not be used in combat in the same player-turn it is used for transport.
AIRBORNE ASSAULT
During combat, an air transport may carry one infantry for airborne assault. Airborne assault troops must begin the turn with the air transport. Air transports have a flight range of TWO when transporting airborne assault troops, and a return flight range of TWO after the airdrop. Picking up or dropping off an infantry does not cost an airborne assault transport any of it's movement. An air transport may not be used in combat in the same player-turn it is used for airborne assault.
ALTERNATE TURN ORDER
Follow this turn order in every game turn: (1) USA (2) Germany (3) USSR (4) Japan (5) UK. [This reflects a more historically accuarate ‘‘Axis initiative’’ considering the date when the game begins. Although the 2nd Edition A&A rules give Spring 1942 as the start date, an examination of the map indicates a more likely start date of Summer 1942, that is, a German offensive in Russia and a Japanese offensive in the Pacific (Midway).
ANGLO-ALLIED COOPERATION: THE "D-DAY EFFECT"
Once per game, the Allied player may use the "D-Day" option to combine the UK and USA player turns into one turn.
ALTERNATE TURN ORDER: At the beginning of the UK player turn, the Allied player may declare the D-Day option. The UK player turn is delayed to merge with the next USA player turn. Since the UK player-turn ends each game-turn, and the USA player-turn begins each game-turn, the two player-turns merge with no intervening Axis player-turn. During all other game turns, resume the normal separation of USA & UK player-turns.
STANDARD TURN ORDER: After any German turn, the Allied player may declare the D-Day option. The UK player turn is delayed to merge with the USA player turn for this single game turn only. Go directly from the German turn to the Japanese turn. After Japan has its turn, then the UK and USA may play their combined turn. The next game turn, and all other game turns, resume the normal sequence of play.
AXIS EXCLUSIVE SPHERES OF INFLUENCE
German and Japanese units may never be based in the same land area. However, they may overfly each other's territory, and German and Japanese naval units may share the same sea zone.
AXIS-SOVIET SEPARATE PEACE
At the beginning of any German player-turn in which the Germans control at least ONE Soviet territory and the Soviets control NO Axis territory, the German player may roll two dice in an attempt to conclude an Axis-Soviet separate peace. Modify the dice roll by adding ONE for every Soviet territory controlled by the German or Japanese players. This MODIFIED dice result must be 12 (or more) to secure a separate peace. If a separate peace is established, all USSR pieces are removed from the game board, all USSR original territories still controlled by the Soviet player are OFF LIMITS for all players for the rest of the game, and each Allied territory controlled by the Soviet player (under the BOLSHEVIZATION rule) is considered a separate neutral country. If attacked by any player, these "new" neutral countries are defended by Soviet units, which may never be removed from the territory except through loss in combat. Roll THREE dice for each point of territory value in the violated Soviet neutral territory to determine the IPC strength of the defending army.
BOLSHEVIZATION OF LIBERATED AREAS
Any USA or UK territory liberated by the USSR player is considered Soviet territory. All the restrictions under the STALINIST XENOPHOBIA rule (below) apply. The only way for such territory to revert to control of the original owner is if it is retaken by an Axis power and then reliberated by the USA or UK player.
GERMAN SUBMARINE WARFARE
The Germans tried to strangle the Allied war effort through submarine interdiction of their resources. To simulate this historical conflict, and to give the German's incentive to build subs and the Allies incentive to destroy them, use this rule: The UK and USA players, when calculating their IPCs at the beginning of each turn, must subtract ONE from their IPC totals for EACH German submarine on the high seas (that is, German subs in any sea zones except the Baltic, Black, and Mediterranean sea zones).
GREATER CHINA
Although the Chinese Army numbered THREE HUNDRED DIVISIONS in 1942 (equivalent to 30 Infantry units in Axis & Allies), the average division was at no more than 60% of ‘‘full strength’’. Most of these divisions were spread throughout China in a state of low supply, virtually immobile, and more concerned with holding on to what they had (against the communists) than attacking the Japanese. Using these special rules governing Greater China are vital to a more historically accurate simulation of WWII in the Far East. They act as a brake upon unrealistic Chinese agressiveness AND Japanese expansion in Asia, especially when used with the RUSSIA-JAPAN NONAGRESSION rule.
Greater China consists of the territories of Manchuria, Kwangtung, China, and Sinkiang. Manchuria and Kwangtung are Japanese controlled at the start of the game, and China and Sinkiang are Chinese [USA] controlled.
Lesser China refers to French Indo-China Burma (See heading for French Indo-China Burma, below).
The Chinese Army: At the END of every USA player-turn, after placing his other units, the US player rolls one die. On rolls a 3, 4, or 5 the US player immediately places that number of infantry in any territory or combination of territories in Greater China which were controlled by the Chinese at the start of the US player-turn. [Ignore rolls of 1, 2 or 6 and roll again until a 3, 4 or 5 is rolled]. These US infantry units represent Chinese infantry. It requires FIVE Chinese infantry for ONE attack die roll, hitting on a roll of ONE only. ALL ATTACKS made by Chinese forces are ALWAYS limited to ONE round of combat. Chinese infantry defend normally (each unit rolling TWO or less on defense).
The Chinese Volunteer Air Force: The fighter that begins in China represents US fighter aircraft with US volunteer pilots. During noncombat, the US and UK players (but not the USSR) may fly fighters and bombers to China to support the Chinese army. These aircraft may NOT be used in attacks in the player-turn in which they fly to China. Once attached to the Chinese Army, US and UK aircraft may support Chinese infantry in attacking Axis troops within the territories of Greater (and lesser) China. These aircraft may NEVER leave the territory of Greater (or lesser) China unless all four Greater Chinese territories are controlled by the Chinese. Also, these aircraft may not be used in attacks in the same player-turn in which they leave Greater China.
Chinese Sovereignty: No USA or UK land forces may ever enter the territories of Greater China unless all Chinese forces have been eliminated from the board and all Chinese territories captured. [If this happens, the Chinese are permanently eliminated from the game and all the rules pertaining to Greater China are suspended.] Allied fighters and bombers NOT based in Greater China (including Soviet aircraft) may attack Axis units in Greater China without violating Chinese sovereignty (but they may NOT land in Greater China in that turn). Soviet land forces may attack enemy units in the territories of Greater China, but they may not enter Chinese-controlled territory. If the Soviets ‘‘liberate’’ any Chinese territory from the Axis, it becomes Soviet territory when using the BOLSHEVIZATION rule.
Chinese War Aims: Chinese units (including US and UK aircraft attached to them) may only operate in the four territories representing Greater China and the one territory representing ‘‘lesser China’’. They may not be deployed outside of these territories. The ONLY exception to this rule allows US and UK aircraft (bombers and their fighter escorts) to conduct strategic bombing raids on Japan.
The Elusive Chinese Army: The Axis are always limited to ONE combat round PER PLAYER-TURN when attacking Chinese units in China or Sinkiang (but not in Kwangtung, Manchuria, or French Indo-China). In other words, both China and Sinkiang may be attacked in the same turn by the same Axis player, but each combat only lasts ONE round. An Axis player may not attack China and Sinkiang in both the regular (Army) combat and Second Armor Combat of the same PLAYER TURN. After this one combat round, if there are any surviving Chinese units, the Axis must break off their attack.
French Indo-China Burma (‘‘Lesser China’’): Chinese units MAY attack Axis units in ‘‘lesser China’’. Chinese and other allied forces may occupy this territory at the same time (that is, the Chinese Sovereignty rule does not apply to ‘‘lesser China.’’)
HISTORICAL PRODUCTION
Although the new production rules encourage players to build a variety of units every turn, it is still rare for the Russian player (not to mention the UK and USA) to build bombers, or for the German player to build submarines. Historically, the Russians built huge numbers of fighters AND bombers, and the Germans kept up submarine production to the bitter end. Likewise, the UK and USA conducted major bombing campaigns throughout the war.
To simulate history, therefore, players may use this rule to add "free" units to their forces every turn in which they control their capital city. The free units must be placed at the capital city industrial complex. They DO NOT count against industrial capacity limits.
USSR: One Bomber
Germany: Four Submarines
UK: One Bomber
Japan: Nothing. Sorry, those are the breaks.
USA: One Bomber
INCOME VARIATION (BONUS IPCs)
This rule provides a degree of variation and unpredictability in a player's production. At the start of his turn, a player rolls 2 dice, subtracting the lower from the higher. The resulting number (which will always be between ZERO and FIVE) is added to his IPC total for the current turn.
NEUTRAL AID TO GERMAN WAR ECONOMY
Germany gets 1 IPC at the beginning of his turn for each of these countries: Sweden, Switzerland, and Spain, as long as these neutral countries are surrounded exclusively by Axis held territory. If the German loses any of this income due to Allied occupation of territory adjacent to neutrals, he may begin collecting it again if he reestablishes control of the surrounding territory. [Allied control of Gibraltar does not affect the German income from a neutral Spain].
REDUCED RUSSIAN COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS
Reduce the combat effectiveness of all USSR units by 1. This means:
USSR infantry has NO attack ability and defends at 1 only.
USSR artillery attacks and defends at 1 only.
USSR armor attacks at 2 or less and defends at 1 only.
USSR fighters attack at 2 or less and defend at 3 or less.
USSR bombers attack at 3 or less and have NO defense ability.
USSR transports have NO attack or defense ability.
USSR subs attack and defend on rolls of 1 only.
USSR carriers have NO attack ability and defend at 2 or less.
USSR battleships attack and defend on rolls of 3 or less.
This rule should ALWAYS be used in any scenario in which the Russian scenario multiplier is FOUR or FIVE. For play balance, it may be used even when the Russian scenario multiplier is THREE.
RUSSIA-JAPAN NONAGRESSION PACT
Russia and Japan are not at war as the game begins. They may not attack each other without first ending the pact and declaring war. At the beginning of their turn, the Russian or Japanese player may choose to roll one die in an attempt to begin hostilities (declare war). These are the die roll effects: a roll of 1 always means WAR; a roll of 6 always means PEACE; rolls of 2, 3, 4, or 5 indicate the number subtracted from the rolling player’s current PRINTED territory value; if the adjusted number is GREATER than the current PRINTED territory value of the enemy player, then its WAR. Otherwise, PEACE prevails.
EXAMPLE: At the start of his turn, let's say the USSR has all his own territory plus Finland/Norway for a total of 26. Japan has lost some territory to the British and only has a territory value of 22. The Russian player rolls one die and gets a 2. Subtracting 2 from 26 leaves 24, which is more than the Japanese number (22) so war is successfully declared by the USSR. If the Russian had rolled a 4 or 5, the results would have equalled 22 or 21, and war could not be declared. (War may always be declared on a roll of 1, and may never be declared on a roll of 6, regardless of the difference in territory values).
STALINIST XENOPHOBIA
No Allied units can ever be based in any territory controlled by the USSR, nor may they traverse USSR territory or airspace (unless the USSR player is eliminated from the game: see Victory Conditions)
AXIS & ALLIES ENHANCED REALISM RULES
Entire contents © 1998 by R.D. Baker.
Introduction & Overview.
Section I: Basic Rule Changes.
Section II: Artillery.
Section III: Combat Losses.
Section IV: Advanced Air Power Rules.
Section V: Advanced Naval Rules.
Section VI: Advanced Retreat Rules.
Section VII: Industrial Capacity & Scenarios.
Section VIII: History & Politics.
Section IX: Revised Action Sequence.
Section X: Game Turn Time-line Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Email: rdbaker43@yahoo.com
