Annex A: House Rules

Welcome to Annex A, a living document of community-crafted, UNCLASSIFIED modifications designed to enhance your IADS: The Game experience! Whether you really wanted Low-Probability Intercept (LPI) RADAR, some Combat Rescue operations, or with some more-accurate add-ons to your Electronic Warfare Fighters — this is your sandbox.

Have a rule you’d like to see added? Let us know — just keep it clever, at least 10% balanced, and 0% CLASSIFIED!

1.0 GENERAL HOUSE RULES

Quick tweaks to boost gameplay dynamics across any scenario.

• 1.1 Fog of War:  No measuring distances for Detection or Shooting until Actions are declared! This was the original version of the game, and it required an attempt to visually measure the battle space creating even greater uncertainty.

• 1.2 Snake Draft Advanced Capabilities Integration:  Recommended for new players, particularly non-military players. In the Draft Phase:

  • Step 1: Deal out 3x Base Game unit cards to each player and Draft as you would in a normal game.

  • Step 2: Place 2x Advanced Capabilities Expansion unit cards face up in the middle of the table for each player to choose from. Look up the Special Capabilities for each of those cards and make sure all players understand what the strengths and weaknesses are for those cards.

  • Step 3: A player, chosen at random, chooses one of the face up unit cards. The next player, chooses the next.

  • Step 4: When the last player picks, they immediately pick again and the order reverses back to the first player until all cards are drafted.

• 1.3 Losing Target Custody:

  • Mobile Surface Units become un-detected again after moving 4x times.

  • Aircraft that land become un-detected.

• 1.4 Aeronautical Chart Integration

  • In addition to recognizing the land and water features on an Aero Chart, you can also utilize the chart's Maximum Elevation Figures (MEFs) to add line-of-sight considerations for engagement.

  • Surface units cannot Detect nor Shoot through MEF squares higher than the MEF they are in (measured at the center of the unit card) unless their target is an Aircraft at altitude.

  • Aircraft can either be at the MEF or at altitude. Aircraft deploy at the MEF. To indicate which one an Aircraft is at, upon detection, either place one Team Marker Token on the Aircraft (at the MEF), or stack two Team Marker Tokens and place them on the Aircraft (at altitude).

    • Aircraft at the MEF:

      • Cannot Detect nor Shoot through MEF sectional squares higher than the MEF square they are in (measured at the center of the unit card) unless their target is an Aircraft at altitude.

      • Prevent the first Detect against them from Aircraft at altitude.

      • Become un-detected after 4x Fly Actions at the MEF.

    • Aircraft at altitude:

      • Are not limited by, nor protected by MEF restrictions on line-of-sight.

      • Gain +2 to Attack rolls against Aircraft flying at the MEF.

    • Aircraft may climb to altitude or descend to MEF in conjunction with any Fly Action.

• 1.5 Low Observable Mission Planning

  • Aircraft with "Low Observable" may Deploy to the HQ instead of to the field. If they do, when Issued Orders, they can be moved to anywhere in the battle space. Low Observable Mission Planning is limited to formations of up to two Aircraft. This takes Actions 1 and 2.

2.0 UNIT CARD AUGMENTATIONS

This section covers specific unit cards and unit card groups.

2.1 🛩️ Fighter Aircraft

• LPI RADAR:  Advanced Fighters and Next Gen Aircraft (including the Electronic Warfare Fighter and the Collaborative RPA) only reveal from Detecting after their first 2x Detects. Advanced Fighters may Detect 3x Targets per Detect. These Aircraft get +1 Attrition Point.

• IR A-A Missiles: Fighters may Shoot an IR missile at un-detected target within 1x Range.

  
  

2.1.1 🚀 Air Superiority Fighter

• EX Variant:  Upgraded Air Superiority Fighters gain +2 Missile Tokens and LPI RADAR.

  
  

2.1.2 ⚡ Electronic Warfare Fighter (EWF)

• HARMs:  Add 1x HARM Missile Token. May be used instead of Jamming for one round. Rolls 3d6 vs. SAM units.

• Air-to-Air Loadout:  Add 1x Air-to-Air Missile Token to reflect the platform’s multi-role capability. Cannot be Upgraded.

2.2 💣 All Bomber Aircraft

• Targeting Pods:  Bomber Aircraft may Detect surface units within 1x Range without revealing.

2.3 🚀 All SAMs

• SAM Nerf:  SAMs must Reload in Action 1; Reloading takes two Actions to complete.

2.4 🪖 Special Operations

• Combat Search and Rescue:  If at the end of the VUL the Special Operations unit card remains at a Headquarters, it may be used as a one-off to subtract 1x Attrition point for each Aircraft lost in that VUL.

• Stingers: Special Operations gains "Shoot" in both Actions 1 and 2; it gains 1x S-A Missile Token to be used at a Range of 1 with the IR Seeker Special Capability and a Missile Agility of 13.

• Rotary Airlift: Special Operations may use Infiltration additional times for each Upgrade and may return to a friendly Headquarters.

2.5 👾 sUAS Swarm

• Operation Spiderweb:  Any enemy aircraft at any HQ at the time of sUAS Swarm Asymmetric Attack are destroyed.

• Moar!: sUAS Swarm may be used additional times for each Upgrade.

2.6 🛡️ Counter sUAS

• Come at Me!:  Counter sUAS may be used additional times for each Upgrade.

3.0 🎖️ COMMANDER’S INTENT

Creative win conditions and alternate endgame scenarios.

• Fight Another Day: A players' remaining friendly unit cards' Attrition points divided in half count towards victory.

4.0 🍻 ADULT BEVERAGE RULESETS

Not recommended by your flight doc.

• 4.1 🚀 Tabs = Hardpoints:  Any aluminum can tab adds +1 Missile Token to any hard point (munitions slot type, e.g. A-S Shot, A-A Shot, etc) on a unit card. Add when unit cards become detected.

• 4.2 🛡️ Bottle Cap Over-G:  Bottle caps may be placed on unit cards to grant +1 Defense for each cap as a reaction to enemy shots against a friendly Aircraft. Bottle Cap Over-G lasts for 1x Action. Apologize to your maintainers.

• 4.3 🥛 Glass Dome for your HQ:  Mitigate missiles against your HQ with a shot of alcohol.

  • First Shot: This shot subtracts 1 from enemy attack roll

  • Second Shot: This shot subtracts an additional 2 from enemy attack roll

  • Third Shot: This shot subtracts an additional 3 from enemy attack roll, etc

  • Shot mitigation resets each VUL

  • Jeremiah Weed doubles each effect

📎 FINAL NOTE

This page will continue to grow with input from our players, friends, and broader community. Got a good one? Send it our way -- we’ll run it through our OPSEC filter and post it right here in Annex A. ✉️

– Ric & Madonna