Sea Units House Rules

Updated. Simplified the rules more.

Hey guys/girls,

First time posting on the forums, thus first time submitting my house rules, so bear with me. I created a stylized rule sheet, but as far as I understand I’m not allowed to post a hyperlink yet, so I will have to type them out here. I apologize for the lack of aesthetic.  :-P

It is important to remember that I have no idea if these rules are balanced or not. I have only had a couple of chances to test it out. That’s why I would love some feedback; any observations, improvements, and criticisms are encouraged and welcomed. Don’t hold back, folks.

HBG provides beautiful blue acrylic naval mine tokens that I use when implementing these rules. In essence, my naval mines act as ocean AAAs and the similarities can be easily discerned. This also helps in understanding their affect.

Naval Mines
Cost: 6 IPCs
Attack: N/A
Defense: 1
Movement: N/A

Unit Characteristics

Blocks Enemy Movement: Sea zones containing naval mines block the movement of enemy sea units. However, cruisers may bypass naval mines, as well as disarm them.

Sea Defence: A naval mine unit can defend only when enemy units enter the sea zone containing the naval mine. Naval mines defend only once, before the first round of combat. Naval mines may defend up to three times, but only once per attacking sea unit. For each “1” rolled, the attacker chooses one sea unit as a casualty. These casualties are removed immediately, and will not participate in the remainder of the battle.

Amphibious Assault Defence: In the event of an amphibious assault on a coastal territory with naval mines in the adjacent sea zone, transports must be chosen as casualties first. A die is rolled by the defender for each transport engaging in the amphibious assault, up to three times. For each “1” rolled, the attack chooses one transport as a casualty.

Limited Placement: Naval mines can only be placed in sea zones adjacent to coastal territories.

Cannot Hit Air Units: When defending, naval mines cannot hit air units.

When a coastal territory is captured by enemy land units, any naval mines in adjacent sea zones are destroyed.

The transports taken as casualties first may seem, “iffy” (for lack of a better term) but it is meant to emulate the real danger posed by naval mines. I am worried this might be imbalanced/overpowered, but I think it adds a whole new dimension to Amphibious Assaults.  
In addition to the Naval Mines, I sought to expand the role of cruisers. I think the general opinion is that Cruisers aren’t worth their cost (though I could be mistaken.) With this in mind, I decided to provide a specific foil for the Naval Mines, but merging the role of a Minesweeper/hunter with that of the Cruiser.

Cruiser/Minesweeper
Cost: 12 IPCs
Attack: 3
Defense: 3
Movement: 2

Unit Characteristics

Minesweeper: Cruisers are specially equipped for mine sweeping duties. When entering a sea zone containing naval mines, cruisers cancel the Sea Defence and Amphibious Assault Defense characteristics of the naval mine.

Minehunter: Cruisers can also attempt to disarm naval mines. After combat (if any) is resolved, cruisers can attempt to disarm any naval mines present. If a “4” or less is rolled, the naval mines are disarmed and removed from play. If a “5” or more was rolled, the naval mines were not disarmed, and the cruiser must wait until the next round to attempt to disarm them again.

Treat hostile Naval Mines as Friendly: Cruisers can move through a sea zone containing enemy mines. Their movement is not blocked by the Naval mines.

Any and all comments are appreciated. If you notice anything even just by reading these, share it. I’m also open for rule clarifications, in case there’s any confusion.

Thanks guys/girls.

Played our first game of 1914 tonight and had a blast. Afterwards, we brainstormed some additional house rules (because gamers, I suppose), and one stuck out. Before I say this, let me note this is a very casual crowd.

Rule: A neutral minor power when attacked by one faction or the other sides with the one that did not attack it. If it is able to repel the invasion, it becomes a fully functioning member of the alliance it joined. It has IPCs, builds units, deploys them, and attacks.

Cause: Almost no reason not to attack some of these nations. Defeat means nothing- the scale of units involved means a small handful of units lost is not a true blow. The potential IPC gain outweighs the risk in all but a few instances. By making neutral powers a bigger threat, hopefully players will only attack those they deem important to a war winning strategy and not just as random acts of violence for IPC gain. This can lead to silliness with Switzerland and the Nordic countries along with Spain among others.

Mechanics: New factions get 6/8 IPCs plus whatever IPC total is on their territories. From this point we had some disagreement:
1- They are a fully active faction with no restrictions.
2- They can only attack the faction that attacked them and their territories.
3- They can only counter attack into the territories that the attack against them was launched

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I posted this in the 1914 forum, then I saw the House Rules forum.  I believe that is the forum suited for the idea. I would message the mods to move this thread but their profiles indicate they’ve been gone for a while. I apologize for my faux paus.

Larrys new NOs for US look exellent and look like they will balance game better becouse they will scale down US income if conditions are not met

New Units

IPC Lend-Lease
IPCs can be converted to raw materials (represented by tokens from AA Battle of the Bulge). These tokens can be transported by transport, cargo plane, and/or mechanical infantry.  Transports and cargo planes can carry up to 10 IPC’s and mechanical infantry can carry up to 5. The raw materials can be moved to a team player as either a loan or gift (based on verbal agreement). These raw materials are produced at industrial complexes. Production of 3 raw materials at an industry only counts against 1 production cap. (E.g. A major industry could produce 30 raw materials in one turn) No IPCs can be “pirated,” they are destroyed along with the units carrying them with the exception of those that are carried over land. Mechanical infantry transporting raw materials cannot attack, but defend normally.

Pillbox
Pillboxes cost 5 IPCs (limit one per territory) and can take 2 hits before any hits have to be taken against your defending land units. Pillboxes are destroyed if territory is captured. Pillboxes can be repaired, even if fully damaged, at the cost of 1IPC per damage marker. Counts as a facility for sabotage and increased factory production technology purposes only. Cannot be strategically bombed or attacked by a rocket attack. Can be upgraded to a fortress for 10 IPCs.

Fortress
Fortresses cost 12 IPCs (limit one per territory) and replace pillboxes. They can take 4 hits before any hits have to be taken against your defending land units. Fortresses are destroyed if territory is captured. Fortresses can be repaired, even if fully damaged, at the cost of 1IPC per damage marker. Counts as a facility and has antiaircraft defense against strategic bombing runs and rocket attacks only. Defends at a 3 during all combat rounds, stops defending after 3 damage inflicted against it.

Shore Batteries
Shore Batteries cost 8 IPCs (limit one per territory) and roll 1 dice for each transport conducting an amphibious assault and each warship conducting a coastal bombardment. Hits on a 1. Movement 1.

Cargo Planes
Cargo planes may transport two infantry or one infantry and artillery or one mechanical infantry or one tank into a friendly territory. All units must start from the same location. Cargo planes cost 12 IPCs, move 6, and have an attack value of 0 (may be taken as casualties in an offensive, but must be Para dropping).

Land Mine Fields
Mine fields cost 10 IPCs (limit one per territory). Mine fields roll 1 dice for each land unit (including paratroopers) attacking the territory and hit on a 1. Destroyed if territory lost. Built directly on the territory. Territory must have been under your control since beginning of turn.

Naval Mine Fields
Naval mines cost 8 IPCs (limit one per border). Naval borders are mined instead of sea zones (white chips for Allies and grey for Axis) deployed where your cruiser present. Cruiser must not have been in combat on same round. Can be removed by opposing destroyers if destroyer has not been in combat on same round. Rolls 1 dice for each ship/sub passing through sea border. Hits on a 1.
Axis mines: http://www.mediafire.com/?tao8kieyv8i6xu9
Allied mines: http://www.mediafire.com/?kcn6osvgwx0vc5x

Spy Network Rules:

Spies (represented by infantry) cost 3 IPC’s each and are designated as either sabotage or espionage. When the spy is designated it cannot be changed. Only 1 spy per slot (espionage and sabotage).
Espionage:
To use a spy for espionage, roll 1D6, the player whom you are using the spy against then rolls 1D6, if the defending player wins nothing happens. Defender wins on a tie. If you win, see espionage below and leave the spy on the board for further use.
Sabotage:
To use a spy for sabotage, roll 1D6, the player whom you are using the spy against then rolls 1D6, if the defending player wins, the spy is captured. Remove the spy from the board. Defender wins on a tie. If you win, see sabotage below and leave the spy on the board for further use.
http://www.mediafire.com/?smq4qqddfvnqicq

Espionage
When the targeted opponent finishes its combat move phase, but before its conduct combat phase, you may make one special move. You may move any number of your units from any one adjacent space into one friendly space being attacked by that opponent. Alternatively, you may move any number of your units from a space being attacked by opponent into an adjacent friendly space, but you must leave at least one of your units behind. This special move otherwise follows the rules for a noncombat move. If your units survive, they remain in the space to which they were moved. This ability must be used on the targeted opposition’s NEXT combat move/conduct combat phases following your successful espionage role.

Sabotage
You may immediately roll 1D4 against a chosen facility owned by targeted player. That amount rolled on the die is damage done to that facility. If the chosen facility is an industrial complex, normal damage rules apply. Does not destroy pillboxes or fortresses.

Part 3 - Technology
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=21072.0

Edit: added links to Axis and Allies’ chips

:-D these are all great ideas i am using many ofthem does any one have any more…?

OK, here is my house rule, Its is great and fun. In real ww2 they did not have turns to go. For instance Axis and Allies didnt go to a meeting to say alright USSR (Russia) you can not do any attacks or buy anything because its Germanys turn this month. So me and my friend took it to the realistic level. Everyone goes at once ,but it may seem confusing or something like that but it is not you still go in the turn sequence but everyone does it at the same time. Also it helps with many things, its helps by having allied invasions where they can attack the same place or start a strategy to take over a place, also here is a problem we had, what happened was I pushed my troops from Karelia SSR, into Belorussia, then he made attack from Eastern Europe into Karelia SSR. So then we were like crap because Im moving my troops into a different territory and he is moving his troops into my territory that I am leaving open. So we thought of a rule, it is  ,since in WW2 history the axis had to quickly take over otherwise they may have a great chance of losing, they Axis will always beat you into your territory. So that means the Allies will have to defend before they attack. Although if the Axis almost takes out the Allies before the Allies gets to attack the Allies can change his mind, where he does not have to attack the territory he was going to. So basically that is 1 of our house rules tell me what you think about it or if you have any ideas.

@Micoom:

Germany had Already Radar in place to defend the “Atlantic wall” in Early 1941, long before “Barbarossa” would begin… So Radar shouldn’t be a UK advantage at all in a 1942 scenario. Only in a 1939…

We are working here on a Historical edition for A&A, so for this game timelines are essential and therefore more important then game flexibility, IMO.

Germany had short wave radar only, hence did not pick up a signal on airplanes being long away and the warning was too late sometimes!