Optional Rules
Optional Units
AA gun (a type of artillery)
Mechanized infantry (a type of tank)
Military truck (a type of tank)
Medium bomber
The inclusion of medium bombers causes the following tech category to appear. (Researchable by Japan, Germany, the U.S.S.R., the U.K., and the U.S.)
Medium bombers
Level 1: improved engines. Your medium bombers now have an air combat value of 0.9 and 6 hitpoints. Cost: 1 EU.
Level 2: upgraded payload. Your medium bombers now have a land combat value of 1, a naval combat value of 1.1, an anti-sub value of 0.9, and a strategic bombing value of 1.7. Cost: 2 EUs.
Level 3: improved airframe. Your medium bombers now have an air combat value of 1.1 and 7 hitpoints. Cost: 1 EU.
Level 4: improved armor and damage control. Your medium bombers now have 8 hitpoints. Cost: 1 EU.
Level 5: Improved payload and targeting. Your medium bombers now have a land combat value of 1.2, a naval combat value of 1.4, an anti-sub value of 1.1, and a strategic bombing value of 2.2. Cost: 2 EUs.
In addition to the above, technology researched in other categories (such as radar tech) causes medium bombers to experience improvements in their air, naval, and anti-sub values as though they were dive bombers, and improvements in their land combat value as though they were torpedo bombers. Medium bombers are converted into flying wings upon adoption of that technology.
Spring of 1941 Scenario
Under this scenario, the game begins in the spring of 1941, when the United States is still technically neutral. As a result of this paper neutrality, there are limitations on the contributions it can make to the Allied war effort. While the U.S. is in neutral mode, it experiences the following rules set:
Once an Axis nation attacks an American territory or naval force, the U.S. enters wartime mode. A German attack against an American naval force counts as such an attack, even if the U.S. had been launching attacks against German forces in the Atlantic. Immediately upon the U.S. being attacked, the following happens:
If the U.S. is still neutral at the start of its second turn, the penalties to its EU income are eliminated. If the U.S. is still neutral at the start of its fourth turn, the penalties to its PU income are eliminated.
The U.S. does not receive the rapid industrialization and wartime economy techs until after it is attacked.
Under this variation, the Soviets are forced to accept the initial confusion national attribute.
Initial confusion. The Soviets must skip the combat movement and noncombat movement phases of their first turn. During the first two game rounds of play, the combat value of all Soviet units is halved. If that results in groups of units firing at non-game normal fractions (such as 3.15), those fractions are rounded down to the nearest game-normal fraction (3.1 in this case).
Under this variant, all nations’ technologies which are normally associated with a delay--"may not be researched until round 2"--for example, are delayed by two additional rounds. In the aforementioned case, that technology could not be researched until round 4. In addition, no nation may research the following technologies during the first two game rounds: piston engines, jet engines, rockets.
This variant is associated with a different game board setup.
Optional Technologies
For Japan
Tech transfer from Germany. (May not be researched before round 7.) Each turn, the Japanese player chooses one technology to receive from Germany. Germany must have researched that tech, and Japan must have the prerequisites needed for that technology. That tech must be from one of the following categories: piston engines, fighters, dive bombers, torpedo bombers, strategic bombers, jet engines, jet fighters, jet fighter-bombers. Cost: 3 EUs
I’d considered giving the above technology to Japan in the main rules, but my sense is that the late game Axis is strong enough already. It’s the mid-game Axis I’m worried about. But if the late-game Axis needs a boost, the above tech could provide a big one.
Kamikaze. At the beginning of naval combat, you may designate any number of your planes as kamikazes. Whichever of these kamikazes survive the dogfight phase may be targeted against enemy surface ships. A targeted surface ship uses its AA value to fire against kamikaze aircraft. A ship targeted by multiple kamikazes only gets to fire once. Each plane that survives that fire automatically hits the surface ship and deals 5 points of damage. Japanese aircraft are no longer required to have a legal landing place when launching naval attacks. Cost: 2 EUs.
I’d originally planned to give Japan the above technology, but ultimately decided it would add more to the game’s complexity than to its depth and richness.
For China
Guerrilla warfare. During the place new units phase of each turn, Chinese guerrillas pick an Axis-controlled Chinese territory. The Chinese player allocates two hits to units of his choice. Injured enemy units heal immediately after China’s turn is over. Kwangtung and Manchuria are considered Chinese territories for the purposes of this rule.
I had originally included this technology, but decided it would complicate and slow game play.
For Germany
Underground factories. It now takes 20 hits to reduce one of your ICs, MPCs, RCs, or nuclear production facilities by one level, 60 hits to destroy one of your level 0 ICs, and 80 hits to destroy the Göttingen laboratory. Cost: 5 EUs, plus 4 PUs per IC you control.
I had originally intended to give Germany this tech. However, I want strategic bombing of Germany to be a practical option for Britain and the U.S.
For the U.S.S.R.
Mobile factories. The Soviet player picks zero or more of his own ICs he wishes to downgrade. He may downgrade any given IC by a maximum of two levels per turn. For each level he decides to downgrade one of his ICs, he receives a one-level upgrade at another IC of his choice.
Scorched earth. If the Soviet player’s territory is attacked, then, at the beginning of combat, the Soviet player may choose to scorch the earth. By eliminating or removing all food supplies, farming equipment, industrial machinery, and anything else of value, this scorched earth policy reduces a territory’s value by 1 PU. A territory can be subjected to scorched earth multiple times, but it cannot be reduced below 1 PU in value.
I’d considered giving the Soviets these technology, but ultimately decided doing so would slow down game play.
Optional Rules Additions
Starvation of land forces
During the resolve starvation phase of your turn, examine the board to see if any of your land forces are surrounded. For a land force to be considered surrounded, both of the following must be true. 1) All adjacent land territories (if any) must be either no man’s land or under enemy control. 2) All adjacent sea zones (if any) must have at least one hostile enemy naval unit present. (Enemy transports do not count, but enemy submarines do.)
If one of your land forces is surrounded, some of its units will starve. Less than 3 land units present means no one will starve. Less than 6 land units present means one land unit will starve. Less than 9 land units present means that two units will starve. And so on. As the owner of the territory in question, you decide which land units starve. Starved units are eliminated from play during this phase.
I had originally intended to add the above rule, but ultimately decided doing so would add more to complexity than to depth and richness.
Optional Nations
Italy
Units available for production
Land: light infantry, artillery, light tanks, blockhouses
Naval: destroyers, cruisers, battleships, transports
Undersea: submarines
Air: fighters, dive bombers, torpedo bombers
Starting technology
Combat 1, light tanks 1, piston engines 1, fighters 1, dive bombers 1, torpedo bombers 1.
Inefficient manufacturing. Italian artillery and blockhouses cost +1 PUs, its destroyers and transports cost +2 PUs, its cruisers cost +3 PUs, its battleships cost +8 PUs, and its fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers cost +2 PUs.
Close ally. Italy is a close ally of Germany. This means that the two nations take their turns at the same time, and that their trains may travel across each other’s territories. However, they may not share resources or technologies.
Going concern: if Italy controls Rome during the collect income phase of its turn, it receives a bonus EU.
Rebel against Mussolini. If the Allies control all of Africa and Sicily, or if the Allies conquer Rome, Italy rebels against Mussolini. All Italian units disappear from the board, and Italy ceases to produce manpower points for the rest of the game. All territories currently under Italian control are given to Germany. Territories which had been Italian at the start of the game are now considered to have been originally German for liberation purposes.
Custom technology available for research
Tech transfer from Germany. (May not be researched before round 5.) Each turn, the Italian player chooses one technology to receive from Germany. Germany must have researched that tech, and Italy must have the prerequisites needed for that technology. That tech must be from one of the following categories: artillery, piston engines, fighters, dive bombers, torpedo bombers, strategic bombers, jet engines, jet fighters, jet fighter-bombers. Cost: 2 EUs
Maximum level of general technology Italy may research
Land: artillery level 3, light tanks level 4.
Air: piston engines 7, fighters 7, dive bombers 7, torpedo bombers 7.
Starting resources
1 IC (level 4), 4 MPs, territory value of 7, a level 1 rail network with its hub in Rome.
Finland
Units available for production
Land: regular infantry, artillery, medium tanks
Naval: destroyer, cruiser, battleship, transport
Undersea: submarines
Air: fighter, dive bomber, torpedo bomber, strategic bomber
Starting technology
Combat 1, medium tanks 2, piston engines 1, fighters 1, dive bombers 1, torpedo bombers 1.
Molotov cocktail. For every three Finnish infantry present at the start of a combat round, you may apply one hit to an enemy tank of your choice.
Close ally. Finland is a close ally of Germany. This means that the two nations take their turns at the same time and that their trains may travel across each other’s territories. However, they may not share resources or technologies.
Going concern: if Finland controls Helsinki during the collect income phase of its turn, it receives a bonus EU.
Winter War. Finnish infantry have three hitpoints.
Custom technology available for research
Tech transfer from Germany. (May not be researched before round 5.) Each turn, the Finnish player chooses one technology to receive from Germany. Germany must have researched that tech, and Finland must have the prerequisites needed for that technology. That tech must be from one of the following categories: artillery, medium tanks, piston engines, fighters, dive bombers, torpedo bombers, strategic bombers, jet engines, jet fighters, jet fighter-bombers. Cost: 1 EU.
Maximum levels of general technology Finland may research
Land: artillery level 5, medium tanks level 7
Air: piston engines 7, fighters 7, dive bombers 7, torpedo bombers 7.
Starting Resources
No ICs, 1 MPC (Helsinki, level 3), 2 MPs (Finland and the Baltic States), territory value of 5 PUs. A level 1 rail network with its hub in Helsinki.
Romania
Units available for production
Land: regular infantry, artillery, medium tanks
Naval: destroyer, cruiser, battleship, transport
Undersea: submarines
Air: fighter, dive bomber, torpedo bomber, strategic bomber
Starting technology
Combat 1, medium tanks 2, piston engines 1, fighters 1, dive bombers 1, torpedo bombers 1.
Close ally. Romania is a close ally of Germany. This means that the two nations take their turns at the same time, and that their trains may travel across each other’s territories. However, they may not share resources or technologies.
Going concern: if Romania controls Bucharest during the collect income phase of its turn, it receives a bonus EU.
Custom technology available for research
Tech transfer from Germany. (May not be researched before round 5.) Each turn, the Romanian player chooses one technology to receive from Germany. Germany must have researched that tech, and Romania must have the prerequisites needed for that technology. That tech must be from one of the following categories: artillery, medium tanks, piston engines, fighters, dive bombers, torpedo bombers, strategic bombers, jet engines, jet fighters, jet fighter-bombers. Cost: 2 EUs.
Maximum levels of general technology Romania may research
Land: artillery level 5, medium tanks level 7
Air: piston engines 7, fighters 7, dive bombers 7, torpedo bombers 7.
Starting resources
1 IC (level 2), territory value of 8, 3 MPs. A level 1 rail network with its hub in Bucharest.
