Best posts made by vodot

UPDATE: I made my own :) Thanks Nodever2 for a great source file.

@general-6-stars said in House Rules Compilation & Discussion: Oil!:

What I’m going to do is setup G40 map, and place all oil derricks in game with iron, wheat, copper and rubber tokens in certain territories that I have play tested with in
my game many times.
…
…I’ll just make a chart with all resources.

If you want to take a stab at a chart with more resources, incl. positioning them on the map, that would be cool - I did just find the “League of Nations International Resource Report” for 1931-1940…
https://wayback.archive-it.org/6321/20160901222852/http://digital.library.northwestern.edu/league/le0280ah.pdf

…and a wheat & grains report here:
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/142804/files/wheat-1941-12-18-04.pdf

Lots of great info across multiple resources here:
https://histclo.com/essay/war/ww2/eco/raw/met/met-spe.html

@reloader-1 whoops - looking at that, I realize that I’ve forgotten Aircraft Carriers attacking at “1” in AA50. I’ll upload a fixed version and include one with just black and red “attacker and defender” coloring.

@GoekaWar I really would encourage you to get going on your own edits - whatever it is you want to see, take a stab at making it happen yourself! The needed tools are not only free but also easier to learn than they seem, and that learning is it’s own reward.

This post will contain any full-map versions I create with combinations of the above modular changes. Again, all credit goes to @Tjoek for the hundreds of hours of work he put into the incredible original files (links at the top of the OP above) I use here as a baseline.

Summary of full-map versions:

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1. Version 1 contains:
   • Australia split
     • West (1) + East (2) + North (1)
   • Italian Islands named and IPC values added
   • Italian Africa renamed, recolored, and given an Italian roundel

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2. Version 2 contains the above tweaks plus:
   • Cairo added as a VC

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3. Version 3 is a ‘kitchen-sink’ version with many of the tweaks available:
   • Australia changes:
     • Split: West (0) + East (3) + North (1)
     • Add RC to East
   • Pacific/Indian Ocean changes:
     • Split: East Indies (Sumatra (3) + Java (2); Borneo (3) + Celebes (2)
     • Split: Sea Zones 36, 37, 49, 62
     • Add: Ceylon (1), Hokkaido (1), Aleutians (0)
     • All Islands given IPC value = 1
   • Italy changes:
     • Split: Balkans (3) into Balkans (2) + Greece (2)
     • Islands named and IPC value = 1 added
     • Italian Africa renamed, recolored, and given an Italian roundel
     • Turkey extended north of Bosporus (up to you if this matters or not)
   • Recruitment Centers added in:
     • East Canada
     • Brazil
     • France
     • Bulgaria
     • India
     • East Australia
   • Burma Road
   • Trans-Siberian Railway

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4. Version 4 is a superset of version 3, additionally containing:
   • Added VCs:
     • Rio de Janeiro
     • Cape Town
   • China changes:
     • Add/split two new Chinese TTs in northwest
   • Add more RCs:
     • Kazakh
     • Novosibirsk
     • Evenki
     • Buryatia
     • South Africa
   • Increased Buryatia IPC value to 2
   • Increased Aleutians IPC value to 1

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5. Version 5 is the same as version 4, but removes all RCs and the TSR.

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6. Version 6 is my G40 Lite Release, which contains all of my modular changes including Jehol, IPC-ified and “Impassible” Neutrals, plus a recolored and roundeled French Empire c. 1940, and de-possessed Aligned Neutrals.

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7. Version 7 has all of my latest modular changes as of 8/14/2025 including the addition of Jehol and both IPC-ified and “Impassible” Neutrals… but no France.

Version 1-2 Discussion

So the net changes for versions 1/2 are:
o +2 IPC for UK (or +1 if Italian East Africa is Italian) and likely better Australian survivability
o +2 IPC for Italy (or +3 if Italian East Africa is Italian)
o +1 VC in Africa (version 2 only)

Overall I feel this is a decent Axis boost with the additions of Cairo + 2 or 3 new Italian IPCs, while also giving the UK (and maybe Japan…?) a nudge towards the pacific. Adding Cairo adds even more tempo to Italy; up to you whether you increase the victory thresholds accordingly or not. If the thresholds remain the same, the allies now begin the '41 game satisfying the “Projection” victory condition, and need only two additional VCs for a major victory @ 15.

These are some changes I’ve wanted to try for a while, and as I’ll be playing AA50 with some friends soon I thought no better time than now. I will probably be teaching the Italian player how to play, so in the '41 setup with NOs turned off the axis seem to need a bit of a boost. Having Cairo as an objective right in front of his face - and IEA to link up with/protect just beyond it - should give him something achievable and fun to focus on as well. :)

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Version 3 Discussion

Unlike the above two versions, Version 3 asks the question “how many map changes can happen to AA50 before it becomes a totally different game?”

There are some great options out there already for “hybrid” A&A games that try to simplify G40 or meet somewhere in the middle of AA50 and G40. Even with all of these map changes I’m not trying to hybridize or add significant complexity - just to make AA50 more dynamic and interesting.

Net IPC shifts below:

• Germany +1
• Russia - no change
• Japan +3
• UK +7
• Italy +4
• US +2

This is a net +8 for the Axis and +9 for the allies, although obviously much more nuance and analysis is required to evaluate the impact these changes will have.

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Version 4 Discussion

Version 4 follows in the footsteps of Version 3 but ramps up the changes to “11”:

• Two more off-the-beaten-path VCs: Adds Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town
• Tougher China: Adds two new Chinese TTs in northwest
• More Russian RCs: Kazakh, Novosibirsk, Urals, Evenki, and Buryatia
• Increased Buryatia IPC value to 2
• Increased Aleutians IPC value to 1

Updated IPC shift from OOB:

• Germany +1
• Russia +1
• Japan +3
• UK +7
• Italy +4
• US +3
• China +2 TTs

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Version 5 Discussion

Version 5 is identical to version 4, but without RCs or the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

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Version 6 (G40 Lite) Discussion: see this thread

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Version 7 Discussion

Version 7 follows the version 4 tradition of the kitchen sink, adding Jehol to further granulate China and add playable Neutrals. Some suggested rules for those are included in the G40 Lite post here

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Map Previews and download links below:

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Version 1:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/0zre7tnay609a3f/myAA50_Aus_Ita.png/file

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Version 2:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/gmgbqzldbvvvwyg/myAA50_Aus_Ita_Cairo.png/file

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Version 3:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/znsy94cn2p0774z/AA50_Version3.png/file

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Version 4:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/gdd0ma4fepuex7o/AA50_Version4.png/file

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Version 5:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U1TXfCgmFmmGQEZcfoQw-29bkUCyR2Ud/view?usp=sharing

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Version 6: G40 Lite

https://www.mediafire.com/view/h2ctcn5ahox4r7q/AA50_1940ed_v0.7.png/file

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Version 7:

https://www.mediafire.com/view/mxxk6aebhytcfrz/AA50_Modular_vodot_v7.png/file

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Version 8: ‘G40 Lite’ with ANZAC, Canada + updates as of 9/13/2025

https://www.mediafire.com/view/wha2r078q7nugx6/G40_Lite_vodot_v8.png/file

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Version 9: AA50 with all updates as of 9/13/2025

https://www.mediafire.com/view/i51apr6rkht507x/AA50_Modular_vodot_v9.png/file

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Version 10: G40 Lite with all updates as of 11/18/2025

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mBgt6KSM7oIE3uNmuESPSU2F1AhicYMG/view?usp=sharing

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v11: AA50 with all the recent additions up to 11/18/2025.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NIKcU-L3Hzh2jpF113TMyvAaE1GNZEQg/view?usp=drive_link

Honestly, if it’s speed you want, the game you’re looking for might be… Axis & Allies & Zombies. Have you tried turning off the zombies, cards, and techs and just playing this version otherwise straight out of the box? The board is a modernized and lightly simplified Revised board; the pieces, costs, and rules are modernized Revised pieces… IPC values are a bit lower but otherwise this might be a great fast option; much better and richer than AA41.

Regarding revised,

@domanmacgee said in Converting Revised To The Modern Era? (emphasis mine):

@all-encompassing-goose Compared to the more “modern” games like 1914, G40 and even AA50 to an extent, Revised’s map is pretty simple (meaning games on Revised are a lot faster than those three).

This. Revised is simpler and faster than 42, 42.2, AA50, and either P/E40 individually.

To keep things moving/modern, I would use some of the more salient bits from LHTR 2.0:
1. Allow fighters to land in Sea Zones that are about to gain newly-built Aircraft Carriers
2. Turn off AAA fire during NCM

Next, for speed and simplicity:
3. Ditch the NAs and Tech rules.
4. Move the Purchase Units phase to after NCM, so the turn just goes
- Combat move
- Combat
- NCM
- Purchase & Mobilize Units
- Collect Income
5. Use a laptop & spreadsheet to publicly track VCs and IPC income levels on a TV or wall projector in the room
6. Use battle dice to simplify and greatly speed up die-rolls.

Finally, I would do what @DoManMacgee suggests above and pick territories corresponding to a modern VC set - like the below - and then set a threshold for victory, like 15/20 or even 13/20 at the end of the US turn.

1. Ottowa
2. New York
3. London
4. Paris
5. Berlin
6. Rome
7. Warsaw
8. Leningrad
9. Stalingrad
10. Moscow
11. Cairo
12. Calcutta
13. Singapore
14. Manila
15. Shanghai
16. Hong Kong
17. Sydney
18. Tokyo
19. Honolulu
20. San Fransisco

My old group could play Revised in <4 hours; faster for games that are conceded early due to failed (or successful!) gambits, bad dice, and other shenanigans.

@argothair said in [AA50] Map Overlays - Splitting Australia, DEI, and Sea Zones; adding Cairo, Singapore, and Malaya; Recruitment Centers and more!:

• Oil was more important to everyone’s war effort than is really appreciated on the A&A maps…

Yeah. I do think at the AA50 level some very simplified oil rules would be great for this. You could plunk down an ‘Oil Derrick’ or two on these TTs, and then go:

During the “Collect Income” phase of your turn, each Oil Derrick you control grants you +1IPC.

Prevents the factory exploit while still attracting the masses?

• Along similar lines, Rumania needs to be worth more than just 2 IPCs for Germany. I would probably just make Poland worth $2 and Rumania worth $3…

Same solution as above, although I agree that B/R makes good sense as a factory site. The recruitment center I added there is intended to cover that historical factor (as well as give some balance to just popping RCs everywhere for the Allies alone).

I’ll also note here, since I’m not sure where else to note it, that my plan for all these new RCs is to make the rule that they can both recruit infantry ala AAZ and also that they additionally reduce the cost of building an IC in their territory by, say, ~7 IPC. Essentially, they can be ‘upgraded’ to ICs, even during a turn where they continue to recruit Infantry. This is intended to allow any of these territories to be platformed quickly if desired.

• Ukraine and Eastern Ukraine… bump them to $3 and $2.

Yep. I actually want to add a cute little Grain resource (with identical mechanics as the “Oil” rules above) to some of these TTs.

• The Chinese map is still set up to allow the Japanese to quickly and reliably conquer all of China – there’s just not quite enough defensive depth…>

What about something like

“Every attack against a Chinese territory preemptively raises 1 free Chinese infantry there (prevents blitzes).”

Or, different and perhaps even stronger:

“During the ‘Assign Casualties’ step of every combat round occurring in a TT with a Chinese nationalist roundel, the Allied player may ignore one hit. (doesn’t prevent blitzes)”

Finally, I’d love to see victory cities in South Africa and Brazil…

Yeah, the lonely, boring south of the board. :( @Imperious-Leader wants me to include Antarctica… maybe he’s on to something…

I mean there’s no reason at all why Rio isn’t a VC, at least, and why not Cape Town as well? There were something like a half-million people there in 1940. Adding them, though, and we really do need to do something about VC thresholds; that’s +4 starting VCs for the Allies including Singapore and Cairo. But that’s easy, and we’re powering up Italy by 40% already, so maybe it’s not wholly unreasonable for Germany to expect some more southern hemisphere results out of them. :smiling_imp:

EDIT: You know, as I think more on it, there is a big reason not to include Rio as a VC. Like literally a big reason - my A&A dice tray is huge, and South America is where I usually put it. :grin: Like Europe during a game of RISK - that’s where the snack bowl goes.

@barnee The original classic yellow was great, although it was tough to differentiate from the UK at times and has been a BEAR to color-match for 3D printing… just like the current “pumpkin orange”…

@grinchveld intriguing concept, and I usually find it fun to play from a losing/underdog position; and maybe there’s no time to concede, set the game up again, and give it another go.

I think a better way of achieving this might be to lay out from the outset conditions by which the game could end in a tie, and simply allow players to switch from a ‘victory’ set of objectives to that ‘draw’ set of objectives if and when it becomes clear that victory is going to be impossible. Chess, football and a dozen other games successfully employ the idea of playing purposefully for a draw, especially if tournament standings are favorable and there is no need to risk anything for a win.

@djensen Thanks for everything you do for this community!

@Azimuth @Argothair
Love the discussion & would love to look at a French recolor on some TTs and some splits per your ideas, Azimuth, to both enhance vanilla and also potentially accommodate the addition of France. Like Argo says I’m skeptical it’s possible in a way that retains middleweight status while adding strategic options and fun, but let’s find out!

That balance is crazy difficult to achieve and I think AA50 pulls off something of a unicorn in accomplishing it. Want to keep this thread firmly in that worldview.

@djensen in for :first_place_medal: this year! Thanks to this community for the years of ideas and conversation, and lately for support of my fledgling shop!

@Pine-of-England YES! Thank you!!!

EDIT: Here is the the text data file - after downloading, rename the file below from *.txt to *.otf, then right-click --> Install.

Delta Jaeger Book Regular.txt

@djensen thanks for everything you do, Dave

@Tjoek I just want to show off some more images of these incredible maps from a recent solo game.

This printout is from an HP DesignJet T830 on satin paper at 60x32" and covered by a 1/8" sheet of acrylic. I assure you that any blurriness in the photos is due to image compression or camera focus - the map itself is razor sharp and beautiful!

@domanmacgee said in Renegade Con Virtual: Axis and Allies:

@thrasher1 Revived, Classic and the original Europe and Pacific weren’t even listed as options for the “favorite game” section. Does Hasbro not have the rights to them or something?

EDIT: Spring 42 also wasn’t listed, although I can’t really blame them on that front as I can’t imagine there’s a soul out there who’d list that as their favorite (although 41 is listed so…)

EDIT #2: Did the Lord’s work and plugged this site wherever I could on the poll. If enough people follow suit we might be able to get some of these guys to lend us an ear for future releases, events, etc.

ditto on “the Lord’s work”; /agree on 1942; and also sad for the omission of Revised, my second favorite edition after anniversary.

Hi @Pvt_Griff, welcome to the forums! Awesome Battle Board!

Some unasked-for notes:

• “Artillery” is misspelled.
• Great art & fonts!
• Colors look perfect
• You may want to show that Infantry can be boosted to an attack value of 2 when paired 1:1 with attacking Artillery.
• You may want to shrink the Destroyer art so that it is more to-scale with the battleship and cruiser
• You may want to note that Battleships take two hits to destroy

@reloader-1 said in Renegade Con Virtual: Axis and Allies:

…owning sculpts for games you don’t yet have is an incredible incentive to buy that game!

But by definition then you’re paying more money than you needed to play the game you wanted to play. My goal with the above is to make the game in all it’s flavors as inexpensive and non-redundant as possible at each desired level of complexity.

“Axis and Allies” should be slightly cheaper than AA:Z today - no zombie bits or deck.

“Advanced” should be far cheaper than Anniversary today - all you would be buying is a new board, new rules, and a handful of advanced units for each power, plus the full set of Italian/Axis Minors units.

“Global War” would be the most expensive of the three but would still be far cheaper than the $200 MSRP it is today - all you would be buying is the new board, new rules, and a handful of “Expert” units for each power, plus the full set(s) of Allied Minors units.

I’ll try to actually work out the math for each tier using today’s bloated games as a basline.

Japan is difficult to take with one monolithic territory to defend. Hokkaido in the north helps but is an ahistorical site for an invasion; industrialized Kyushu in the south was the historical choice, so representing it on the map should be fun. Furthermore, ANZAC + lots of new UK IPCs in the Pacific (and even a few new US IPCs) means that Japan may need a boost. I think Japan is plenty strong, so I’ll include both options.

Kyushu (2) split off from Japan (reduced to 6):

Kyushu (2) by itself (leaving Japan proper at 8 IPCs):

@black_elk Totally, I would love a conversion to a “bookshelf” type system for A&A.