Updated January 16, 2000
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These house rules are not coordinated with or endorsed by Columbia Games; they are for my own personal amusement and for the those of my opponents that I can arm-twist into using them.
Changes and additions are italicized.
Subsequent Victory expansions included some of the production and strategic airpower rules in the July 1999 version of these house rules; therefore, I have removed those mods in favor of the official ones.
This modification is, in my ever so humble opinion, the single most crucial change to the existing rules. Without a rule like this, it is too easy for a player to put four units in a production hex and defy all comers. By making it possible to isolate cities, fighting for the surrounding countryside can be as decisive as the battle for the city, requiring the defender to spread out a little.
(Add) If a city is isolated (see rule 7.2 below), it cannot be used to build new units, nor to add steps to existing units.
(Change) Any friendly city (not town), including a friendly-occupied enemy city, functions as a supply base if it can trace a supply line to another friendly city. A friendly city which cannot trace such a line is isolated. A friendly city which is not isolated can supply any number of friendly units; a city which is isolated can supply only as many friendly units as the city's production point value. Note that enemy cities must be garrisoned by at least one unit to be controlled.
(Change) At the end of each Player Turn, check if any friendly units are out of supply. Each unsupplied Air or Army unit loses one step. 1 CV units are eliminated by Supply Attrition. Unsupplied units move and fight normally.
IMPORTANT: A unit can cut enemy supply even when it is itself out of supply. In fact, two units can cut each other's supply lines in consecutive player turns.
(This reverses the original rule exactly. By checking at the end of the friendly turn, you have a one-turn chance to restore a cut supply line.)
(Change) Naval units, army units, and cities can use their air firepower (if any) to attack air units. Flak does not pose a danger to friendly aircraft.
(New Rule)
Heavy bombers have no air combat strength. While it is true that heavy bombers in WWII carried numerous machineguns to defend themselves, this does not translate into having an air combat strength given the scale of this game. If heavy bombers have an air combat strength, they can hunt down and kill enemy bombers; while Giulio Douhet would have loved it, it is an unhistorical gimmick.
(Add) Shore Bombardment is only possible if friendly army units are in the target hex (they don't need to be "ashore").