Try any or all of these as you explore the game.
1. Rail Action Rule Change:
No longer is Rail Commodities an action; instead it costs $5000 to initiate rail use and the same cost as the original rules to move commodities from other cities to port. This is a much more useful rule and allows more flexibility to the game.
2. Begin game by giving each player after the first an additional $2000:
Hence the third player would begin with $4000 more than the first. This will mitigate the problem of going later in the beginning random turn order.
3. Use three dice instead of two:
This sounds like it just makes the game easier, which it does - ship loss wise, however it actually makes the competition stiffer because it reduces the overall luck factor.
4. Convoy rules:
If any number of ships run together (from a harbor or to harbor) and one has a pilot all other ships gain one more speed (as far as their blockade evasion rolls go), they simply follow the leader.
If two ships of one owner deliver war goods and black market goods in one harbor they are treated as one ship. So one can bring war goods and the other brings black market goods and they don´t have to pay the bribe.
If more ships convoy to a harbor than the union blockade, the surplus ships do not need to roll dice against the union blockade.
For instance, Union Blockade is 2, you run with 4 ships, two run without risk. It is especially important to avoid the high sea squadron.
5. Purchase card play:
On your turn, you may play a card, not counting it as an action, for $5000 placed in the Port Defense Fund. A second play costs $10,000 and so on. YOU MAY NOT USE THE PORT DEFENSE FUND THIS ROUND OF PLAY, BUT MUST LEAVE THE CASH THERE FOR THE FOLLOWING PLAYER(S).
These variants were designed by Dietmar Gottschick
6. Land War:
Three Confederate Armies are introduced symbolized by three counters. Their task is to defend important junctions.
In the beginning they are placed in Richmond, Petersburg and Grand Junction (cities that cannot be attacked during the game.
When a new round starts (+1862) every player who delivered war goods during the last round is allowed to rail one of the armies to an adjacent city for free. If the player wants to move the army further, he has to pay one of his delivered war goods per section of track (they are removed from the war goods box).
When all movements are finished the Union phase starts.
If, during the inland city capture phase a city in rolled where one of the Confederate Armies is positioned, the inland city capture is prevented but also the Confederate Army is removed. Commodities in that city are destroyed.
Of course the city can be captured at a later point in time.
This little addition encourages the interaction between the players. Each player might have a different opinion what junctions are important.
But this procedure additionally can diminish the total of war goods and the effect of the union blockade is thus strengthened.
Uncredited submission form Germany.
7. New Inland City capture chart:
Roll Twice in 1862, then x 3 for 1863 & 4 1864, then x 5 in 1865. Do one roll at a time.
2d8 roll
2 Petersburg >> Lynchburg >> Raleigh
3 RICHMOND >> Petersburg !!
4 Chattanooga >> Atlanta >> Augusta
5 Houston - -
6 Knoxville - -
7 Memphis >> Grand Junction !!
8 Grand Junction >> Decatur !!
9 HUMBOLDT >> Memphis !!
10 NASHVILLE >> Humboldt !!
11 Decatur >> Chattanooga >> Atlanta >> Augusta
12 Jackson >> Vicksburg
13 Meridian >> Jackson >> Vicksburg
14 Vicksburg >> Jackson >> Meridian
15 Augusta >> Columbia
16 Lynchburg >> Raleigh
Notes : ** This city falls to union forces, providing there is also an adjacent Union controlled city or port. Otherwise no effect !
Exception – the 3 cities in large CAPITALS are always Union captured if their number is rolled, regardless of the above rule. i.e. RICHMOND
IF a ** city is rolled for and it is already Union controlled, then the adjacent >> indicated **** city is automatically captured instead.
!! = return to the ** column, if this city is already captured...
Example :
On turn two 1862, the two I.C. rolls came up as 9 for Humboldt – now captured, And 14 Vicksburg – not captured, because the only adjacent city of Jackson is not Union controlled.
It is now turn 3, and the rolls have come up 8, [ grand junction ] 10 [ Nashville ] & 12 [ Jackson ] ; Grand Junction is captured because the adjacent Humboldt is Union controlled. Nashville is {always }captured. Jackson is now captured – because the adjacent Grand Junction has been captured ! On turn 4 if either 12 or 14 are rolled Vicksburg will be captured. [ note ; Cotton can still be shipped to New Orleans – as a “ rail “ action, from Vicksburg ! Along the Mississippi !! ]
If using the optional “ Confederate Reserve divisions “ rule (4), then a city is not captured if a CSA unit is on it, when the roll(s) are done { but remove the unit instead ! }
Courtesy of Paul Regulski
