Home > Avalon Hill

Axis and Allies Miniatures Expert Rules

V1.0
AAM Expert Rules (V1.0):
Important: This is just the initial incarnation of the rules. The
design calls for relatively simple changes, keeping the core of
the regular rules intact. They haven’t been developed or
playtested to a significant or sufficient degree. They will be
subject to serious changes in near future. We have set up a
special set of forums just to discuss these proposed rules.

Platoons:
Platoon cards are now available. Platoon cards cost a set amount and provide multiple units for one
fixed cost. Like standard units they are subject to nationality. The total number of figures in the
platoon counts against the total unit limit. (i.e. If there are 5 units in the platoon, you can only take
another 10 units in a standard scenario of 15 unit max).

Starting Cards:

• American Infantry Platoon: 1x "Red Devil" Captain, 2x M1 Garand Rifle, 1x Bazooka, 1x

BAR Gunner = 16 points
• Russian Infantry Platoon: 1x Commisar, 4x Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 = 12 points.
• German Infantry Platoon: 1x SS-Haupsturmführer, 3x Mauser Kar 98k, 1x MG 42 Machine-
Gun Team = 19 points.
• British Infantry Platoon: 1x Inspiring Lieutenant, 2x SMLE No. 4 Rifle, 1x Vickers Machine-
Gun Team, 1x Bren Machine Gunner = 21 points.
• Japanese Infantry Platoon: 1x Imperial Sergeant, 3x Arisaka Rifle, 1x Type 89 Mortar = 20
points.
• Many more platoon cards to be added later.

Enfilade Fire:
When a friendly soldier is adjacent to an enemy soldier, treat the enemy soldier as facing that unit
for any other units that fire at that enemy unit. Any friendly fire that hits the rear of that enemy
soldier has a bonus of +1 on the attack dice.

Example: If you have soldiers on opposite sides and adjacent to an enemy soldier, both of your
soldiers would get a +1 on attack die bonus on their attacks against that unit. If you have a soldier
adjacent and to the north of a unit and another unit 3 hexes to the southeast of that unit, the unit 3
hexes away would get a +1 on its attack dice.

Special Units:
Heroes, Paratrooper and Partisans are treated as special units. Special units are limited in the total
number you can take by scenario. Special units may be limited in their deployment by scenario.

Firing at Aircraft:
Units without the antiaircraft ability suffer an additional –1 on attack dice if they are not in the hex of
the aircraft or in the row of hexes the aircraft is facing. This is cumulative with the standard –1 on
attack dice that non-antiair units have and all other modifiers. (e.g. If a regular unit is to the left or
right of an aircraft then it has a –2 on attack dice, a disrupted unit in the same position has a –3 and
cannot hit the aircraft).

Defensive Fire:
Defensive Fire now is no longer limited to only disruption, it can achieve damaged or destroyed.
Units in cover that succeed in their cover roll are disrupted. All other rules for Defensive Fire remain
unchanged.

Overwatch:
Instead of moving a vehicle or antitank (soldiers with the Relocate ability) unit during the movement
phase or activating a unit during the assault phase a player may place that unit on overwatch. That
unit may not move or fire during that phase. The unit placed on Overwatch must be placed facing a
hex side. If the unit has a turret, you may face the unit one direction and point the turret in a different
direction, the direction the turret is facing is the direction of Overwatch. Place an Overwatch counter
on that unit to mark it being on Overwatch.

If an enemy unit enters a hex of the hex row that the Overwatching unit is facing, then the unit
placed on Overwatch may make a Defensive Fire attack on the moving unit. Remove the Overwatch
counter when the unit fires or at the Casualty Phase. A player may place only 2 units on Overwatch
at any one time (this limit applies per 100 points of units allowed by the scenario, so in larger
scenarios more units may be placed on Overwatch).

Grazing Fire:
Machine Guns (Soldiers with the Double Shot ability) may
choose to use Grazing Fire instead of firing an additional time
during the Assault Phase or as a Defensive Fire attack. If they
choose to utilize Grazing Fire they may attack all other units
that are both adjacent to the original target and on the same
line of sight as the original target.

Expert Rules Notes and Discussion

Platoon Pricing:
There is a small problem with balance in the current game. The number of ‘playable’ figures, the
ones that are worth their cost is a lower percentage than we would like. For a miniatures game, we
need most of our figures to be playable or close to playable since miniatures are both tangible and
have a higher real cost than the equivalent in trading card games. There is also the limitation that
you have fewer miniatures then a TCG has cards, so each miniature that can’t be played in an army
due to costing too many points is more significant.

Platoon Pricing will offer the players a defined group of figures (e.g. three 3 point infantry, 1 machine
gun, 1 commander) at a reduced cost from their individual combined costs. This will allow us to offer
historical groupings and at the same time bring more figures to the level of ‘playable’ figures. The
standard platoon will aim at being no higher than 35 points or so, we want to offer players options,
not build their army for them. Since vehicles typically cost 21 or more, platoon cards for them will
cost significantly more. Vehicle platoons will cost a significant part of a 100 point army, so we will
have to use caution in pricing so that the players can still have options once they include a platoon
or two.

We will offer multiple platoon cards for each nationality. Infantry platoons, mortar platoons,
headquarters elements, recon platoons, antitank platoons, etc. This is great spot for player input in
terms of what they expect to be reasonable in terms of platoons. Since figures represent a varying
level of personnel, the platoon cards should be balanced in terms of number of units to reflect the
players’ expectations.

Enfilade Fire:
Enfilade fire happens when a unit is deployed to meet a threat and additional fire comes in from a
direction perpendicular to the main axis of fire. Since infantry units tend to deploy in cover along a
line, fire along that line tends to be very effective.

To represent enfilade fire we can go several directions. The easiest is to give a bonus to units that
attack a unit if there is a friendly unit to the rear of the attacked unit. It would be a bit more realistic if
we can make this at range, but the complexities of a rule that accounts for multiple attackers from
range might be more than is justified.

Limiting Specials:
Several of the specials should be toned back in order to greater represent ‘historical’ battles. Heroes
have been errata’d to be only 1 per army. Paratroopers can only be dropped in a historical situation,
meaning their special will only work when the paratrooper army is built in a historical model.
Partisans might be restricted also to historical scenarios, since partisans were rarely involved in set
piece battles.

Aircraft:
Aircraft are a bit more vulnerable then is
appropriate. To increase an aircraft's ability to
survive and to increase realism, only the non-AA
figure(s) that the airplane is facing will receive the
–1DM, all others will receive a –2DM. The historical
reasoning is deflection. When a target is traveling in
a direction not towards the firer, the target becomes
significantly harder to hit. While there was always a
chance to down an aircraft from ground fire and in
fact the significant majority of allied ground support aircraft were indeed downed by fire from the
ground, it is quite difficult for the untrained unit to successfully hit an airplane that is moving in
direction away or perpendicular to the unit.

Defensive Fire:
Currently Defensive Fire is limited to disruptions. This should be changed to work as normal. We
have added some powerful figures that can move while disrupted in various forms. Increasing
Defensive Fire to regular fire levels makes the rules easier, limits those figures that players currently
feel move about a bit too freely and makes setting up a defensive line a little more appropriate.

Overwatch:
Ranged Defensive Fire isn’t in the standard rules. Right now there is no opportunity for the antitank
gun to prevent vehicles from crossing a road or any clear space for that matter. We can address this
by allowing units to adopt an overwatch position instead of firing or moving. It is reasonable to
consider limiting this to only certain units and/or limiting it to just a unit or two per side per turn.

This provides a significant boost to antitank guns, so additional limitations may be required.

Overwatch may slow down the game a bit too much, we will
have to be careful to test for how much it affects the pace of
the game.

Grazing Fire:
Traditionally the machine gun is nearly half of the firepower of
the average infantry platoon. Our game doesn’t really
represent that. Grazing fire is fire that stays within a meter of
the ground for a significant part of bullets’ flight path. All infantry units can do this fire, but machine
guns’ significantly higher rate of fire, makes this an advantage only for the machine gun.

We can represent Grazing Fire by giving machine guns an additional attack against another target,
if said target is adjacent to the original target and along the same line of sight. It might be
appropriate to restrict this to certain ranges. It might be appropriate to have it only hit the hex rather
than adjacent targets along LOS.

AT facing:
Just about all the AT guns had gun shields for the crew to hide behind. All the AT guns have the
same defense as mortars and other gun units. We can adopt a rule to give AT guns both facing and
a defensive bonus to their front.

At this time we don’t have a rule to simulate this, but have the rule under consideration.

Morale:
While it would be nice to have morale in the game, since it is such a key component in actual
combat, I don’t think we should attempt to add something so outside of the original design. If we
were to think of some elegant way to do so, it is worth considering.

Tank-Shock:
There is a lot of advantages for short range fire for soldiers vs tanks, there is little advantage for
tanks vs soldiers at short ranges. Historically in any sort of cover the short range advantage the
advantage was definitely on the soldiers’ side, however in open ground tanks could be devastating
against soldiers and our game doesn’t address that as well. We could use a rule to emphasis the
advantage that tanks vs infantry in open ground.

At this time we don’t have a rule to simulate this and do not have a rule under consideration.
Home > Avalon Hill

Axis and Allies Miniatures Expert Rules

V1.0
AAM Expert Rules (V1.0):
Important: This is just the initial incarnation of the rules. The
design calls for relatively simple changes, keeping the core of
the regular rules intact. They haven’t been developed or
playtested to a significant or sufficient degree. They will be
subject to serious changes in near future. We have set up a
special set of forums just to discuss these proposed rules.

Platoons:
Platoon cards are now available. Platoon cards cost a set amount and provide multiple units for one
fixed cost. Like standard units they are subject to nationality. The total number of figures in the
platoon counts against the total unit limit. (i.e. If there are 5 units in the platoon, you can only take
another 10 units in a standard scenario of 15 unit max).

Starting Cards:

• American Infantry Platoon: 1x "Red Devil" Captain, 2x M1 Garand Rifle, 1x Bazooka, 1x

BAR Gunner = 16 points
• Russian Infantry Platoon: 1x Commisar, 4x Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 = 12 points.
• German Infantry Platoon: 1x SS-Haupsturmführer, 3x Mauser Kar 98k, 1x MG 42 Machine-
Gun Team = 19 points.
• British Infantry Platoon: 1x Inspiring Lieutenant, 2x SMLE No. 4 Rifle, 1x Vickers Machine-
Gun Team, 1x Bren Machine Gunner = 21 points.
• Japanese Infantry Platoon: 1x Imperial Sergeant, 3x Arisaka Rifle, 1x Type 89 Mortar = 20
points.
• Many more platoon cards to be added later.

Enfilade Fire:
When a friendly soldier is adjacent to an enemy soldier, treat the enemy soldier as facing that unit
for any other units that fire at that enemy unit. Any friendly fire that hits the rear of that enemy
soldier has a bonus of +1 on the attack dice.

Example: If you have soldiers on opposite sides and adjacent to an enemy soldier, both of your
soldiers would get a +1 on attack die bonus on their attacks against that unit. If you have a soldier
adjacent and to the north of a unit and another unit 3 hexes to the southeast of that unit, the unit 3
hexes away would get a +1 on its attack dice.

Special Units:
Heroes, Paratrooper and Partisans are treated as special units. Special units are limited in the total
number you can take by scenario. Special units may be limited in their deployment by scenario.

Firing at Aircraft:
Units without the antiaircraft ability suffer an additional –1 on attack dice if they are not in the hex of
the aircraft or in the row of hexes the aircraft is facing. This is cumulative with the standard –1 on
attack dice that non-antiair units have and all other modifiers. (e.g. If a regular unit is to the left or
right of an aircraft then it has a –2 on attack dice, a disrupted unit in the same position has a –3 and
cannot hit the aircraft).

Defensive Fire:
Defensive Fire now is no longer limited to only disruption, it can achieve damaged or destroyed.
Units in cover that succeed in their cover roll are disrupted. All other rules for Defensive Fire remain
unchanged.

Overwatch:
Instead of moving a vehicle or antitank (soldiers with the Relocate ability) unit during the movement
phase or activating a unit during the assault phase a player may place that unit on overwatch. That
unit may not move or fire during that phase. The unit placed on Overwatch must be placed facing a
hex side. If the unit has a turret, you may face the unit one direction and point the turret in a different
direction, the direction the turret is facing is the direction of Overwatch. Place an Overwatch counter
on that unit to mark it being on Overwatch.

If an enemy unit enters a hex of the hex row that the Overwatching unit is facing, then the unit
placed on Overwatch may make a Defensive Fire attack on the moving unit. Remove the Overwatch
counter when the unit fires or at the Casualty Phase. A player may place only 2 units on Overwatch
at any one time (this limit applies per 100 points of units allowed by the scenario, so in larger
scenarios more units may be placed on Overwatch).

Grazing Fire:
Machine Guns (Soldiers with the Double Shot ability) may
choose to use Grazing Fire instead of firing an additional time
during the Assault Phase or as a Defensive Fire attack. If they
choose to utilize Grazing Fire they may attack all other units
that are both adjacent to the original target and on the same
line of sight as the original target.

Expert Rules Notes and Discussion

Platoon Pricing:
There is a small problem with balance in the current game. The number of ‘playable’ figures, the
ones that are worth their cost is a lower percentage than we would like. For a miniatures game, we
need most of our figures to be playable or close to playable since miniatures are both tangible and
have a higher real cost than the equivalent in trading card games. There is also the limitation that
you have fewer miniatures then a TCG has cards, so each miniature that can’t be played in an army
due to costing too many points is more significant.

Platoon Pricing will offer the players a defined group of figures (e.g. three 3 point infantry, 1 machine
gun, 1 commander) at a reduced cost from their individual combined costs. This will allow us to offer
historical groupings and at the same time bring more figures to the level of ‘playable’ figures. The
standard platoon will aim at being no higher than 35 points or so, we want to offer players options,
not build their army for them. Since vehicles typically cost 21 or more, platoon cards for them will
cost significantly more. Vehicle platoons will cost a significant part of a 100 point army, so we will
have to use caution in pricing so that the players can still have options once they include a platoon
or two.

We will offer multiple platoon cards for each nationality. Infantry platoons, mortar platoons,
headquarters elements, recon platoons, antitank platoons, etc. This is great spot for player input in
terms of what they expect to be reasonable in terms of platoons. Since figures represent a varying
level of personnel, the platoon cards should be balanced in terms of number of units to reflect the
players’ expectations.

Enfilade Fire:
Enfilade fire happens when a unit is deployed to meet a threat and additional fire comes in from a
direction perpendicular to the main axis of fire. Since infantry units tend to deploy in cover along a
line, fire along that line tends to be very effective.

To represent enfilade fire we can go several directions. The easiest is to give a bonus to units that
attack a unit if there is a friendly unit to the rear of the attacked unit. It would be a bit more realistic if
we can make this at range, but the complexities of a rule that accounts for multiple attackers from
range might be more than is justified.

Limiting Specials:
Several of the specials should be toned back in order to greater represent ‘historical’ battles. Heroes
have been errata’d to be only 1 per army. Paratroopers can only be dropped in a historical situation,
meaning their special will only work when the paratrooper army is built in a historical model.
Partisans might be restricted also to historical scenarios, since partisans were rarely involved in set
piece battles.

Aircraft:
Aircraft are a bit more vulnerable then is
appropriate. To increase an aircraft's ability to
survive and to increase realism, only the non-AA
figure(s) that the airplane is facing will receive the
–1DM, all others will receive a –2DM. The historical
reasoning is deflection. When a target is traveling in
a direction not towards the firer, the target becomes
significantly harder to hit. While there was always a
chance to down an aircraft from ground fire and in
fact the significant majority of allied ground support aircraft were indeed downed by fire from the
ground, it is quite difficult for the untrained unit to successfully hit an airplane that is moving in
direction away or perpendicular to the unit.

Defensive Fire:
Currently Defensive Fire is limited to disruptions. This should be changed to work as normal. We
have added some powerful figures that can move while disrupted in various forms. Increasing
Defensive Fire to regular fire levels makes the rules easier, limits those figures that players currently
feel move about a bit too freely and makes setting up a defensive line a little more appropriate.

Overwatch:
Ranged Defensive Fire isn’t in the standard rules. Right now there is no opportunity for the antitank
gun to prevent vehicles from crossing a road or any clear space for that matter. We can address this
by allowing units to adopt an overwatch position instead of firing or moving. It is reasonable to
consider limiting this to only certain units and/or limiting it to just a unit or two per side per turn.

This provides a significant boost to antitank guns, so additional limitations may be required.

Overwatch may slow down the game a bit too much, we will
have to be careful to test for how much it affects the pace of
the game.

Grazing Fire:
Traditionally the machine gun is nearly half of the firepower of
the average infantry platoon. Our game doesn’t really
represent that. Grazing fire is fire that stays within a meter of
the ground for a significant part of bullets’ flight path. All infantry units can do this fire, but machine
guns’ significantly higher rate of fire, makes this an advantage only for the machine gun.

We can represent Grazing Fire by giving machine guns an additional attack against another target,
if said target is adjacent to the original target and along the same line of sight. It might be
appropriate to restrict this to certain ranges. It might be appropriate to have it only hit the hex rather
than adjacent targets along LOS.

AT facing:
Just about all the AT guns had gun shields for the crew to hide behind. All the AT guns have the
same defense as mortars and other gun units. We can adopt a rule to give AT guns both facing and
a defensive bonus to their front.

At this time we don’t have a rule to simulate this, but have the rule under consideration.

Morale:
While it would be nice to have morale in the game, since it is such a key component in actual
combat, I don’t think we should attempt to add something so outside of the original design. If we
were to think of some elegant way to do so, it is worth considering.

Tank-Shock:
There is a lot of advantages for short range fire for soldiers vs tanks, there is little advantage for
tanks vs soldiers at short ranges. Historically in any sort of cover the short range advantage the
advantage was definitely on the soldiers’ side, however in open ground tanks could be devastating
against soldiers and our game doesn’t address that as well. We could use a rule to emphasis the
advantage that tanks vs infantry in open ground.

At this time we don’t have a rule to simulate this and do not have a rule under consideration.