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Universal A/F Rules Module 
by Fred C. Davis Jr 
(revised by Stephen Agar) 

Introduction (Stephen Agar) 

The Abstraction A/F rules module is incorporated in many other
variants.  However as it stands it could be argued that the
Abstraction rules are not suitable to be lifted wholesale.  The
following module does differ from the strict Abstraction rules in
several respects, namely:

(a) I have abandoned the rule that A/F combinations may only exist for
    3 consecutive moves and that the GM must force units to retreat
    even if no retreat is ordered as there is no particular reason why
    these rules should have universal application;

(b) This revision states that embarkations occur prior to simultaneous
    movement and thus cannot fail and disembarkations occur during
    simultaneous movement and are thus affected by what other units
    do.

These changes ensure that the rules are more logically consistent than
those in Abstraction without the necessity of introducing complicated
time phases as used in variants such as Mercator.  However, they do
produce different result in some circumstances to the A/F rules as
they appear in Abstraction.


Rules 

1. Move Sequence.  Embarkations are adjudicated prior to simultaneous
   movement.  Disembarkations occur during simultaneous movement and
   are adjudicated as being simultaneous with and independent of
   whatever happens to the fleet element of the A/F.

2. Fast Ferry.  A convoy as described in the Diplomacy rulebook is
   limited to the crossing of a single sea space via a single fleet.
   To avoid confusion with A/F convoys, a regular single space convoy
   is referred to as a "Fast Ferry" ("FF")If a fleet attempts to FF an
   army, but is unable to disembark the army, then the army remains on
   board the fleet and an A/F is formed (see below).

3. Embarkation. An army may embark on to a fleet either before
   simultaneous movement is adjudicated and thus a legal embarkation
   move can never fail.  If an army has embarked on a fleet and cannot
   disembark for whatever reason, it will remain on board the fleet as
   an A/F.

4. A/F Operations.  A convoy of more than one sea space can only be
   undertaken by the formation of an "Army/Fleet" ("A/F") to carry the
   army on board.  In a given move, an army may board a fleet in an
   adjacent sea space (thus creating an A/F), the A/F may them move to
   an adjacent sea space, and the army may then also disembark the
   army into a coastal space adjacent to the second sea space.  For
   example, A(Lon) boards F(ENG), A/F(ENG)-MAO, A disembarks Por. 

   An A/F has the same combat value as a single fleet and may attack,
   support and be supported, but it may not FF.  An A/F may support
   operations in coastal provinces, although it may never enter a
   coastal province.

5. Disembarkation.  Disembarkation is simultaneous with other
   movement, thus an army may disembark from an A/F at the same time
   that the fleet is moving elsewhere or supporting another action.
   For example, A/F(ION) disembarks A(Tun), F(ION)-EMS.  However, if
   disembarkation fails, then the A/F remains intact and any fleet
   movement (but not support) will also fail (because if it succeeded
   the army would be left behind to drown).

   It follows that if an A/F is disembarking an army then the fleet
   element may use its move to support the disembarkation of the army.
   For example A/F(BLA) disembarks A(Sev) S by F(BLA) will displace an
   unsupported A(Sev).

   If an A/F attempting to disembark an army attempts to move or is
   dislodged, then the disembarkation will be unaffected as it is
   considered independently of the fleet.

   Exception.  In order to avoid circular reasoning, there is an
   exception to the general rule that disembarkations are simultaneous
   with other movement.  The disembarkation of an army from an A/F,
   which in turn would have had to move successfully to be in a
   position to disembark the army, may not have a direct or indirect
   effect on the success of the movement of the A/F in question, and
   if it does so the disembarkation will fail.

   For example, consider the following orders: 
   
   ENGLAND 
   A/F(NTH)-ENG, disembarks A(ENG)-Bre, F(MAO) S disembarkation A(ENG)-Bre 

   FRANCE 
   F(ENG)-Bre 

   The result will be that the French move to Brest succeeds and
   England will have an A/F in ENG.  The reasoning here is if the
   English disembarkation in Brest succeeded, the French move
   F(ENG)-Bre would fail and therefore the English move A/F(NTH)-ENG
   would fail.  Thus the disembarkation has a direct effect on the
   success of the movement of the A/F it came from, therefore the
   disembarkation fails.

6. Retreats.  If an A/F is forced to retreat to a coastal space, it
   reverts to a fleet and the army is disbanded.  An army may retreat
   on to an adjacent fleet in a sea space and create an A/F.

7. Circular reasoning.  In the event that any movement cannot be
   adjudicated due to circular reasoning, then all units will stand.
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