Axis and Allies Board Game

Axis & Allies (2nd Edition) Strategy Articles-9

2009-06-22T04:26:00.000-07:00

Patience Pays Off

Players are often faced with a single naval unit that seems to offer minimal usage, and decide they’d rather go ahead and eek what little value it offers out of it right now, rather than being patient.

For example, if through a combination of skill or luck the UK player still has his Indian transport a few turns into the game and Africa is already won by the Allies, the UK player may be tempted to just bring a couple of African infantry up through the Suez Canal and join in a larger attack that may be going on in the Ukraine or Caucuses.

However, while that may offer some marginal value right now, what is the German player going to do on his turn?

Two fighters and a bomber are going to easily wipe out that undefended transport and the potential threat it might have remained will go with it.

Consider instead that the UK player uses that transport instead to shuttle troops out of Africa and into Asia. Meanwhile, it sits there in the Red Sea, constantly posing a threat to Southern Europe that the Armada off the coast of England could never cause. The entire game, the Germans will be forced to keep a few infantry in Southern Europe as a result of that threatening transport. If it weren’t there, Southern Europe would be perfectly safe, and could be left completely empty, freeing up those troops for other duties.

Similarly, a US transport off the coast of Western Canada poses a threat to the Soviet Far East, not to mention Japan itself in a couple of turns (should the Japanese fleet decide to flit off to Africa).

So when you have a single remaining naval unit in a certain theater, resist the temptation to just throw it to the wolves, as you’ll often find it can serve a far better purpose just lurking around and waiting for its day in the sun.

Axis & Allies (2nd Edition) Strategy Articles-8

2009-06-20T04:25:00.000-07:00

Empty the Islands

The Japanese, UK and US all have island countries with infantry stuck on them. Most players will try to evacuate some of the infantry, but won’t get to all of them.

How many should you try to move and when?

Obviously an infantry defending the Solomon Islands is doing the Japanese much less service than it would if it was sitting in Manchuria where it could actively participate in battles.

The Japanese should do their best to empty their islands, particularly Wake and Okinawa (the ones that are only one space away from Japan). That way a transport doesn’t waste a turn out at sea. It can go one space, pick up an infantry, move back a space, pick up another infantry from Japan, and drop them both in Manchuria.

The other islands are a little bit trickier. You have to consider your opportunity cost. You are only going to be able to average moving about one infantry a turn in trying to get to those distant islands. It can be a good strategy still, but only do it when you ended up having to purchase one transport more than you could use (there just wasn’t enough money to buy the transport and additional infantry, so you just bought the transport). Then, rather than have that transports turn completely wasted, you can send it out to collect a couple of infantry on some distant islands.

It also helps make it an easier decision if the UK evacuates the infantry on Australia. Then moving a Japanese transport down to the distant islands allows them to capture Australia along the way, making it a more profitable venture.

Axis & Allies (2nd Edition) Strategy Articles-7

2009-06-18T04:24:00.000-07:00

Keep the Pipeline Flowing

“Amateurs discuss tactics, professionals discuss logistics.”

Just as you should coordinate a 2:1 available infantry to available transport ratio in your purchases as the Japanese, UK, or US player, don’t waste a great purchasing allocation by making a dumb move.

If you are planning on having a transport back at your capitol for the beginning of the next turn in order to carry across another load of infantry, don’t forget about it as soon as you start planning combat moves and see a great opportunity to use your transport and a couple of infantry to take some backwater location that doesn’t really matter.

If infantry are waiting to be transported, it’s an indictment against your abilities as a player if you can’t maintain the mental logistics to keep the pipeline open and have transports ready at the docks at the beginning of your turn.

This means you won’t be able to make as many creative opportunistic plays. It may mean you don’t garner a couple of extra IPCs on certain turns. What it will mean though is you’re making every turn count. Infantry that aren’t on the front are a waste. It does you no good if your US transport fleet is out island hopping around the Pacific and a stack of infantry is sitting in the Eastern US waiting to go to Russia or France.

It’s incredibly easy to get sidetracked, and veteran players are no exception. In some ways, veterans may be more easily sidetracked because they are more likely to see openings and opportunities that a newcomer wouldn’t. However, you must remain disciplined. The US player may see what seems like an ideal opportunity to take Eastern Europe. However, the unforeseen cost of making that move is that those US transports will get stuck in the Baltic Sea for a turn before they can make it back. One precious turn in the sequence is lost and US infantry have to wait back in Canada or the US and unable to cross over to Europe.

It is absolutely critical to keep the pipeline pumping. Build lots of transports and infantry as Japan, UK and US and coordinate their activities so you have just the right number of transports as you have infantry needing to be transported each turn. Unless it is of utmost importance and mission critical, do NOT interrupt the flow of infantry through the transport pipeline in order to capture an insignificant territory that on the following turn would keep you from moving even more infantry into a frontline position.

Axis & Allies (2nd Edition) Strategy Articles-6

2009-06-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

Transport Math

You’re playing Japan and have 1 usable transport, 3 infantry in Japan, and 27 IPCs. What should you buy?

Well, assuming that it’s not round 16 and the US isn’t about to invade with a huge army to win the game, this comes down to a simple calculation of transport efficiency.

You want to have one transport for every two infantry, and you have to buy now, knowing what your moves and intentions are this turn, likely responses by the Allies, and what position that will leave you at the beginning of your next turn.

Well, it’s easy if you take it incrementally. First you have too many infantry for your existing transports, so you want to go ahead and get one more transport. That leaves you with 19 IPCs. You now don’t have enough infantry, so pick up one more. That leaves you with 16. A set [one transport and two infantry] is 14, so that leaves you with 2.

But wait a second. You still have that one infantry on Okinawa and another one on Wake. You almost forgot to include those, and they are easy to pick up, since they are both just one space away from Japan.

That means that you can put back two infantry you had already mentally committed to, so you now have perfect transport/infantry sets and 8 IPCs left over. Go ahead and get one more transport. It’s not perfect optimization, but as close as you can get. Besides, if you continue to have too many transports, you can send one of them on a mission to pick up those useless infantry on those hard-to-get-to islands like the Solomons, Carolina, New Guinea, etc.

The net purchases you should make: 3 transports, 1 infantry.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, you’ll start your next turn with four transports and six infantry that can be picked up and moved ashore this turn.

It may sound like a purchasing strategy that is very deterministic and that leaves little room for creativity - that’s because it is. Remember, most Axis & Allies games are not won by creativity, but are slugging matches won by the player with the most patience and biggest stack of infantry surviving at the end of the battle.

This transport/infantry mix should be your purchasing strategy for Japan, the UK, and the US. Russia and Germany have it much simpler – just buy infantry.

Axis & Allies (2nd Edition) Strategy Articles-5

2009-06-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

The Dark Continent

It’s round 3 and the last German unit just got killed in Africa. The German navy has been dead since round 1, and Algeria and Libya are now in Allied hands and will most likely remain there until the end of the game.

Sound familiar? Probably, unless you were playing a game with a German player who actually had a long term African strategy. Axis lights usually get turned off all too quick on the Dark Continent.

You may be asking yourself, “What is a long term African strategy? How can you maintain a German presence in Africa when your fleet is dead and you can’t reinforce?”

It’s simple. Don’t lose your fleet.

“How?” you might ask.

The answer will surprise you.

Buy a transport on turn one off of Italy.

It really is that simple. Well, that and manage to keep a minimum of one transport down there from then on protecting the German battleship and maintaining a naval presence in the Mediterranean. That fuels Germany infantry going into Africa, and allows Germany to maintain an ongoing battle with the US and UK for Africa at a minimum and in many cases allows them to take over all of Africa and hold it.

That can be a shift in 11 IPCs from the Allies to the Axis (considering that the alternative is often a loss of Algeria and Libya and those 2 starting Axis IPCs).

It all starts with buying the transport on round one with Germany. The next step requires a lot of discipline for the German player.

Don’t move your battleship or transport on round one. By all means transport a couple of infantry over into Africa, but resist the temptation to use your Italian fleet to supplement your offensive operations.

You may think that it’s foolhardy to not use such assets, but sometimes patience pays off.

In this case, keeping your fleet off Italy allows you to transport two infantry to Africa undeterred, dropping them off in Livya. Plus, the transport that you build gets to go right alongside the other two naval units, giving you a nice cushion for the forthcoming British attack (if they even attempt it).

Moving your fleet would not only deprive your transport in production of the ability to be built alongside the battleship, but also open up the fleet to either British fighters which could land in Gibraltar, or the fighter coming from India.

Meanwhile, your troops in Libya should NOT attack Egypt. Feel free to blitz down and back to scoop up FEq, or take WAf, but don’t leave your tank exposed with less than two infantry alongside defending it.

From there, you should do your best to keep the Allies from being able to bring enough units to bear against your Med. fleet by moving it back and forth in a game of cat and mouse. If one or both of your transports get killed, buy at least one more. You should always have at least one, preferably two. Two transports alongside the battleship are a necessity to survive the potential first round attack by the British.

It also helps to keep some German fighters in France in order to strike down at any Allied transports that drop Allied ground forces into Africa. The German bomber can reach from Germany itself or somewhere else.

http://www.morrisongames.com/

Axis & Allies (2nd Edition) Strategy Articles-4

2009-06-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Roadblocks: A Cunning Rule Exploitation

It may not sound very courageous or courteous, but you should play with every trick the rules allow and a nice roadblock can sure be a game winning move.

For instance, let’s say that you have a couple of transports off the coast of the Western USA, and the Japanese fleet and a stack of Japanese infantry are in Alaska. It looks bleak as the Japanese will be able to knock out your two transports and then do an amphibious invasion with a large army. The US will get an opportunity to build troops to defend the Western USA, but that of course detracts them from their strategy to focus on Germany.

But wait, it will eventually detract them, but doesn’t have to on this turn.

Those two transports can be turned into very effective roadblocks. One can be moved off the coast of Midway and the other can be moved into the sea zone off the coast of Western Canada.

The Japanese player will be frustrated and may decry the historical inaccuracies that force his huge fleet and invasion army from being held up by a pair of seemingly insignificant transports, but that’s life – or at least, that’s the official rule.

Roadblocks can work just as effectively on land, as a single infantry in Caucuses can keep a few German tanks from blitzing through and taking Russia with the help of air support.

So whenever you can, don’t forget to trade space for time, and slow down the attacker through the effective use of just a single lowly transport or infantry.

http://www.morrisongames.com/

Axis & Allies (2nd Edition) Strategy Articles-3

2009-06-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

Factories: To Build or Not to Build

Objective: Maximize troops on the ground quickly

Easy enough to state, but what’s the best way to achieve this goal?

Two schools of thought are transports and factories.

Factories give you the advantage of building closer to the action, and are equally adept at producing premium units such as tanks, as they are infantry. However, this comes at a price of 15 IPCs, added vulnerability to strategic bombing, and less flexibility.

Transports give you the advantage of greater flexibility, greater infantry throughput, invulnerability to strategic bombing, and naval cannon fodder. However, this comes at a price of being further from the main action and exposure to conventional attack by enemy navies and airplanes.

So what’s the best route? Does it depend on the player or the situation? Well, like any strategy it is of course somewhat dependent upon the situation, but not as much as you would think, since the decision to build a factory is usually in the early stages of the game, when the game has changed the least amount from the starting positions, allowing pregame strategies to still be fairly intact and useful.

The real answer: transports.

Transports are better because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Axis & Allies essentially boils down to an infantry war, and transports allow you to get more infantry on the ground quicker.

Let’s look at two classic situations:

1. A Japanese factory on the mainland. For the same number of IPCs, you could essentially have 2 transports. Those two transports can bring over 4 infantry a turn to any spot along the Asian coast. The factory only allows you to bring 3 infantry a turn and they always have to arrive at the same location, with no flexibility. That alone is sufficient reason not to build it, as stacks of infantry are going to be what eventually bring about Russia’s defeat.

If you’re still not convinced, consider this: the US and UK are very likely to have their bombers based in Russia. That means that you are going to be forced to build or bring over an AA unit to defend the factory, or the Allies will get free strategic bombing – not something you want to allow. That AA unit is either 5 IPCs you shouldn’t have to spend, or a wasted turn by one of your precious transports.

Furthermore, if Germany doesn’t have a good strategy for Africa, then it falls to Japan to do something about all those African IPCs that the Allies would otherwise have a lock on. A swarm of transports about Japan offer a much greater projection of power potential to take Africa than a Japanese factory.

2. An Allied factory in India or China.

This can be a bad idea for a number of reasons.

First is pure mathematics. Japan can pump every IPC into efficient use in Asia. By efficient I mean self-sustaining infantry stacks, and not expensive tanks that are economically wasteful. This means that either the Allies are going to spend too many IPCs on inefficient, expensive units to try to hold Asia (and as a result lose to Germany), or Japan is going to take China and India.

So, if you know the factory is either going to get taken, or you’re going to have to waste your IPCs on fighters and tanks, then why give the Japanese a good factory that they can then use once they capture it. Building a factory only temporarily prolongs the inevitable, and gives a useful asset to the Japanese.

Another reason that some players try this strategy is they don’t have a better alternative and want to do something to slow Japan down. The solution is Russia. Get Allied units into Karelia quick to relieve the Russian troops and free them up to deal with the Japanese. Russia is much more suited to fighting in Asia and as long as the US and UK are focused on containing Germany, Russia can start to put lots of pressure on the Japanese.

The conclusion is that whenever you think a factory might be a good investment, consider other ways to get units into the area, through transports, reallocation of other troops, etc.

http://www.morrisongames.com/

Axis & Allies (2nd Edition) Strategy Articles - 2

2009-06-08T18:26:00.001-07:00

Infantry: Cannon Fodder or Solid Math?

Cold hard facts of math make infantry the best choice

An old (and now obsolete Soviet Cold War joke):

Two Soviet infantry generals were meeting at a café in Paris. One asked the other, “Say, did you ever hear who won the air war?”

Grunts on the ground may not have the sex appeal of a strategic air wing, or a tank corps, but they’ll decide the outcome of the battle time after time.

It’s a cold, hard, mathematical fact, that infantry are hands-down the best buy in the game. Simply put, the side that sticks to the infantry plan the best - wins.

Let’s look at the numbers.

An infantry costs 3 IPCs and rolls a 2 or less on defense and a 1 on offense, a tank (and tanks make by far the most generous comparison) cost 5 IPCs and roll a 2 or less on defense and a 3 on offense.

Let’s assume each side has 15 IPCs to spend, and Player A buys 5 infantry, and Player B buys 3 tanks.

Example 1 – Player A attacks Player B:

At the end of round 1:

Player A attains .833 hits against Player B with 5 infantry trying to rolls 1s.

Player B attains 1 hit against Player A with 3 tanks trying to roll 2s or 1s.

It looks promising for Player B doesn’t it? After all they got more hits. Remember though, they have fewer units to lose.

After six rounds the battle is over. Player A still has 2.3 infantry standing on average, and the tanks are long gone.

But what if the battle is the other way around? After all, tanks are best on offense.

Example 2 – Player B attacks Player A:

At the end of round 1:

Player B attains 1.5 hits against Player A with 3 tanks trying to roll 3s or less.

Player A attains 1.667 hits against Player B with 5 infantry trying to roll 2s or 1s.

Both classes are units are here at their best (infantry on defense, tanks on offense) and the higher number of hits are a clear reflection of that.

After only three rounds the battle is over. Player A still has 2.8 infantry standing on average, and the tanks are long gone!

As you can see, infantry outshine tanks on both offense and defense.

The reason is simple: infantry provide cannon fodder. They may be cheap and only provide meager firepower, but they absorb a hit just as easily as a costly tank, fighter, or bomber.

Imagine if you were told you could buy a unit that had 0 attack and 0 defense, but could absorb a hit, what would that unit be worth to you? Even stingy estimates are that it should be worth at least 1 IPC. So in essence, 1 IPC of the 3 IPC cost of an infantry, is buying you that hit absorption ability. Similarly, 1 IPC of the 5 IPC cost of a tank is buying you that same hit absorption ability. That in effect reduces the “true” cost of the offensive/defensive capabilities of those units to 2 and 4 IPCs respectively. Now, would you rather a 4 IPC tank, or a 50% cheaper, 2 IPC infantry?

Most would rightly prefer the 2 IPC infantry, making infantry the clear winner and favored buy.

Some would argue that a tank has a special ability that infantry don’t. Tanks can move 2 and blitz through unoccupied enemy territory. That is true, but how often does a blitz movement win the big battle for you? It’s the huge 30+ units against 30+ unit battles in Russia, Karelia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Germany that win the game. A supertank that could move 5 wouldn’t do you much good at that point.

Also, don’t forget that infantry have a special ability of their own. They get to double-up on transport movement. You can carry 2 infantry with your transport, but just a single tank. That can make a big difference when you’re trying to maximize the use of your transports to get land units into key areas or make critical amphibious attacks.

Now, to be fair, a few tanks to deliver the final knockout blow are optimal at the very end, particularly if you’re buying them to take part in the big Armageddon battle that will take place on your next turn and is two spaces away from your industrial complex. But it’s better to buy too few tanks too late, than too many tanks too early. If you’ve ever seen mathematical analysis of battle outcomes given certain armies, it is truly amazing the difference that just a single additional infantry can make to the battle. When in doubt about what to buy – buy infantry!

Pick Up From Axis & Allies (2nd Edition) Strategy Articles http://www.morrisongames.com/

Axis & Allies (2nd Edition) Strategy Articles

2009-06-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

Axis & Allies is one of the 50 most significant games published since 1800.

It was one of Milton Bradley's Gamemaster series of games, also including (Fortress America, Conquest of Empire, and Samurai Swords). The original game covers every theater of WWII. Since then other variants produced by Avalon Hill (also owned by Hasbro) include Axis & Allies: Europe in 2000, Axis & Allies: Pacific in 2001, revised Axis & Allies in 2004, and Axis & Allies: D-day in 2004.

While Risk introduced a generation to strategic fighting board games, Axis & Allies took Risk to a new level for a new generation. It adds new levels of gaming complexity, but can be enjoyed by both experienced players and newcomers alike.

Clumping - Axis & Allies' Fatal Flaw

The first principle is: act with the utmost concentration

-Carl Von Clauswitz, On War

First off, what exactly is clumping?

Clumping is simply put, the situation where it’s better to have all your eggs in one basket, rather than a few eggs in a couple of different baskets.

Clumping is virtually guaranteed to occur in Axis & Allies, due to the rule allowance that gives each unit its own die roll. What that means is that you want to have as many of your units in a single territory on the frontline as possible. You don’t want a spread-out frontline, but rather a massive clump of units that can deliver a punch on offense, but more importantly, can survive on defense without getting cut up piecemeal.

Example: If the German player has 20 units and is at the gates of Russia, controlling both Caucuses and Karelia, what troop positioning is best for Germany? Are they better off to have 10 units in each territory, or are they better off to have all 20 in Karelia or all 20 in Caucuses.

They’re better off clumping their units in either territory. This is because on the Allies players turn, assuming the Allies have the forces and desire to attack the German positions, they would probably only have enough troops or desire to attack just a single German position.

Let’s assume the Russians have 20 units in Russia, and are building 6 infantry. If the Germans clump their units, having all 20 German units in a single territory, then odds are: the Russians won’t attack.

However, if the Germans do divide their forces, let’s say 10 and 10, then the Russians have an opportunity. The Russians could then attack with all 20 units from Russia against either German position. After 1 or 2 rounds of attack, in which the severely outnumbered Germans would get mauled, the Russians could pull back into Russia (which ensures their main army doesn’t get stuck outside Russia).

The end result of the 2-round battle: The Germans have lost about 8 units, and the Russians have lost about 4 units. On the front as a whole, the Germans now have 12 units, and the Russians have 16 + 6 they just built.

Mathematically, clumping occurs because when you’re getting attacked by “x” amount of troops, they are going to achieve “y” hits on your units. On your turn, your troops are going to do “z” hits in response. The only number on defense that you get to influence is “z”. You determine how many of your units are going to be in that territory on defense, and the (number of units * the average number of rolling die points per unit) / 6 is going to be the number of hits that you deliver, or “z.” Now assuming “x” and “y” are givens (and you should always assume worst case scenario), you as the defender want to maximize “z.” You want to maximize the number of units that you have in the battle, which are able to respond to the attack and deliver hits in return. That desire usually outweighs other considerations, such as keeping a reserve, protecting more expensive units, maintaining a nice frontline, spreading out your attack, etc. Also, it must be remembered that those additional units in the battle are “safe.” The minimum number of units that you would leave in that territory is already fixed and therefore will absorb the blow of the attack. Assuming the attacker wouldn’t be able to wipe them all out on the first roll, then adding additional units to the defense doesn’t cost you anything, but gives you lots of additional retaliatory hits.

Controlling territory, or more importantly, just getting credit for owning the territory on your turn and thus gaining the IPCs for it, in the long run will often win games, particularly the close ones that go for many rounds and the economic edge becomes the economic sledge. Yet despite the importance of gaining a few extra IPCs, the game is won and lost in the big battles. Picking up 3 IPCs pales in comparison to the risk that you lose 10 more units than your opponent in a key battle. If you don’t clump and your opponent hits you with everything they’ve got, you’re going to lose a lot of mid-sized armies, and likely the game.

Now, every strategy has to be used with a little bit of common sense. There are many situations where your best strategy isn’t really to clump or to divide your forces, but rather retreat in the face of overwhelming odds (when clumping wouldn’t help at all). There are also situations where you don’t have enough units to defend either territory, but you either can’t retreat, or want to leave them in there just to tie down additional enemy forces that would be required to oust your troops. In that case, you want to spread out your forces, making things less efficient for the attacker, and forcing him to use even more troops in order to guarantee statistical success against you. Finally, there are situations in which the enemy’s forces are so few, clumping gains you minimal additional advantages, as evenly divided your forces can still easily triumph. However, by and large, most situations in which you have a choice between putting a few troops in multiple territories or a lot of troops in a single territory, the best solution is to clump them in a single territory.

Pick Up From :

http://www.morrisongames.com/

Axis & Allies Video Games

2009-04-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

Axis & Allies Video Games Product Description

The Time: Spring 1942, The Place: The World at War, The Challenge: Change the Course of History! Mobilize your country, command your forces and attack the enemy on land, sea and air. March massive armies of tanks and infantry into the enemy's heartland. Dominate the world's oceans with your mighty fleets. Launch grand scale bombing raids and destroy the enemy's ability to wage war.

It is all in your hands. Decide the fate of your nation and the destiny of the world.

Game Features:

Solo or Multi-player gaming up to 5 players
Customize your unit's strengths and movement ability
Play an opponent over the LAN, or modem-to-modem or the Internet via Microsoft's Gaming Zone

The Ultimate World War II Strategy Game

The year is 1942. Five world powers are struggling for supremacy. The Axis war machine of Germany and Japan appears invincible. The Balkans have fallen. Pearl Harbor has been attacked. Wake Island is in Japanese hands. Rommel has the British on the run in North Africa.

Challenging this expansionism are the Allied powers of the United Kingdom, the U.S.S.R. and the United States.

At this explosive moment in history, you take command.

System Requirements

Pentium 133mhz or faster,
16MB RAM,
40MB HD
4x cd-rom drive
Sound Card,
Mouse

Axis & Allies Board Games

2009-04-26T04:10:00.000-07:00

Axis & Allies

Those of you who played through Kohan 2 will likely have no trouble diving right into this title as the game play design is virtually identical to that of Kohan 2. Although the game design is basically the same, something is lost in the translation to the WWII theme. However, because the game does start off with the already excellent design decisions that powered Kohan 2, it is at least enjoyable if not a must have title.

Axis and Allies has four game play modes; a skirmish mode, the requisite online multiplayer mode, the campaign mode, and the WWII mode.

WWII is a mode where there is a turn based strategy portion much like in Rise of Nations. The goal of the turn based game is to overtake Germany and Japan when playing the Allies, and to overtake any two of Great Britain, Russia, or the USA.
Just like in Rise of Nations, you have army units that you can move into bordering territories. If there are enemies in that territory, you have the choice of fighting an RTS battle or of having it quickly decided by the computer. The more territories you control, the more money you generate per turn. The single player campaign is a series of famous battles. When playing the Allied campaign, you will jump from nation to nation's battles'. For the most part, though the introduction to each mission is a little bit sparse and the historical significance of each battle seems somewhat diluted. The actual management of units and the game play is virtually the same as Kohan 2 with things modernized to reflect the WWII era. Like in Kohan 2 there are three basic building types; building that generate units, buildings where you perform research and allow the creation of better units, and buildings that generate a resource.
In Axis and Allies, all buildings are generated by your primary building, the Corp HQ. The buildings you create generate your resources for you, and the units you recruit require a certain amount of resources as upkeep to build any buildings, to research any technologies and to create any units.
To generate more money, you will need to create more Division HQs; buildings where you create units. All buildings generated by the Corp HQ are first created as trucks and can be unpacked to create a fixed location. Troops in Axis and Allies are not created individually but as a regiment consisting of a group of individual troops or vehicles. As long as there is one troop from that regiment left alive, and the regiment is in supply, the regiment will re-supply back to full strength and to a full number of units. This is important because regiments can gain experience and become tougher. Each Division HQ has a certain number of slots and attaching regiments to them simply means clicking an attach button. There is an airfield building, but you won't ever really generate plane regiments. Either that or the battles should have focused on only land battles.
Overall, Axis and Allies is a good effort and is already based on an excellent game.

Set Up The Axis & Allies Europe

2009-04-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

The rules are virtually the same as the rules for Axis and Allies. If the player has played the original Axis and Allies game, they should be able to step in very quickly and start playing this European-focused version of the game. Most playing pieces are still given the same attack restrictions and powers. This European version of the game does add a few new types of playing pieces – artillery and destroyers – which add to the killing power and require special strategies for use.

The game centers on an extra large game board that depicts a map of Europe, North Africa, the Atlantic and part of North America. Game pieces are provided for the four countries involved in the European war activities – Russia, Germany, Great Britain and the United States.
The game includes:

Game board
Battle board
Industrial Production Certificates (money)
4 national reference charts
National control markers
National production charts
12 dice
Plastic chips (red and gray)
373 historically-accurate plastic game pieces:
100 infantry
42 artillery pieces
12 anti-aircraft guns
40 armored tanks
Anti-aircraft guns
44 fighter planes
15 bombers
12 battleships
28 destroyers
10 aircraft carriers
24 transport ships
28 submarines
12 industrial complex

A detailed, illustrated Gameplay Manual details rules such as the amount of money and the number of game pieces which should be allotted to each country at the beginning of the game. It also includes specific information on the use of various game pieces. For example, a player can purchase infantry for a lot less money than the cost of a fighter plane. But, the infantry require additional purchases such as guns and tanks to be fully effective. The player has to make strategic decisions about the cost of a ground war action versus the cost of an air or sea-based action.

Playing Axis and Allies Europe

2009-04-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

Axis and Allies Europe sets the stage and provides the firepower for the war gamer to get involved in World War II just as Germany is poised to invade Russia. All it takes is the right strategy!

Playing Axis and Allies Europe
The game can be played by two to four players, ages 12 and up. The rules are not easy to follow; but, a beginner can be up and playing in 30 minutes. A typical game moves very quickly and can last over three hours.
Axis and Allies Europe uses the same basic format as the original Axis and Allies game. The difference is this Europe-based version is a more focused look at WWII, spotlighting the European war activities starting in 1941 when Germany was ready to attack Russia. The game centers on the many fronts and combat situations encountered by the allies in fighting against Nazi Germany.
Players need to make decisions throughout the game on when and where they are going to organize their resources. The rules are very specific about the cost and power of each soldier and piece of guard. Each player must develop and implement strategies that involve where they use infantry and artillery versus where they are going to use bombers and fighters, while following the detailed rules.
As with the original Axis and Allies game, hard core players often join informal groups and online forums to play, discuss strategies and exchange gaming tip ideas. One well-known online networking source is Harris Game Design, the message board of Larry Harris, the creator of Axis and Allies.

Axis & Allies Review

2009-04-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

In addition to being a new real-time strategy game, Axis & Allies is a cult classic board game that pits the Axis powers against the Allied powers at the height of World War II.

The new computer game is not the game of previous, however. You don't collect resources in Axis & Allies; as an alternative, you have a constant income of money, ammo, and oil. You gain an increased rate of income by building ammo and oil depots, while a negative inflow of these two resources penalizes your money income. Temporarily, money accumulates if you have a positive income, and you'll use this money to construct buildings, research technologies, and build military units. Instead of recruiting individual units, you'll recruit companies. Companies include squads of multiple units that act as single units. So if you build three armor companies from an infantry headquarters, those units will be supplied as long as the headquarters survives.

There are four modes of play in Axis & Allies: World War II, campaign, skirmish, and multiplayer over LAN or Internet. World War II mode is the one that's most similar to the board game. You'll use cash on your turn to research technologies and purchase armies, which are used to attack and capture territories under enemy control. Your three army types--infantry, mechanized, and armor--can only move one space (there are no mechanized units in the board game, and armor could move two spaces). As an alternative of rolling dice, you can fight battles in the RTS mode. For example, a mechanized army means you can build infantry and mechanized units in the battle, but you can't build armor units. The strategic AI on the world map isn't very bright either. It will spend too much money on technologies early on rather than spending this money on armies. The inconsistent AI and broken map make this mode a disappointment.

The two campaigns in Axis & Allies follow each side's road to victory. In all three modes in which you battle the computer AI, you'll probably be severely disappointed at how poorly it plays the game. The computer does a good job of directing its forces to attack different locations, but when it comes down to strategy, the computer fails unhappily. For example, you can have a single infantry group attack an enemy base from one direction.

Mass infantry raids dominate the field.
Rushing with infantry is how you can get miracle victories against the chances, and doing so also exposes a fundamental weakness in the game's build order. To construct mechanized and armor buildings, you have to erect an infantry building. While you're saving up money to construct these buildings, the opponent can buy cheap infantry and attack you before you can even have units...unless you choose the same strategy. It will slowly produce a couple of infantry units before saving up to build a mechanized building, thus leaving itself wide open to attack.
Basically, if two opposing forces are in a town's district, then the town is contested. You can then attract the enemy units into the bunker's firing range and decimate the force.

There just isn't much strategy in the single-player portion of Axis & Allies, even without these AI problems. Since companies get resupplied quickly, it's hard to overcome an conflicting computer army if you're evenly matched. As a result, the game boils down to sheer numbers. Attack with more guys than the computer and you win. It doesn't matter if you have infantry or tanks. As mentioned before, the computer can't come up with a counter to mass infantry.
Infantry are cheap and fast to build, and they're very effective. It's disappointing that the game essentially discourages the use of diverse fighting forces.
Humans can plan ambushes, trap fleeing units, and effectively use general powers. Expect multiplayer games to last much longer than single-player skirmishes when facing opponents of equal skill. The Internet in-game browser is adequate, and it lists both available games to join and players who are online.

Axis & Allies isn't the greatest game to look at. While the game's multiplayer portion can be enjoyable, it's hard to recommend Axis & Allies based on that aspect alone, especially since the real-time strategy genre is filled with so many excellent, well-rounded games. Only a few campaign missions are remotely challenging, and even these cases are due to poor AI with Allied forces. Simply put, there are much better World War II games on the market, and Axis & Allies board game fans are encouraged to steer clear.

Axis&Allies Board Game, 2004 Revised Edition

2009-04-12T03:22:00.000-07:00

Axis and Allies 2004 Revised Edition on Editorial Review:
"It is the spring of 1942. The world is at war. Five world powers are struggling for supremacy. You and your opponents control the military and economic destiny of one or more of these countries.... In this game, you'll discover that cooperation and negotiation are just as important as tactical maneuvering." So begins the 32-page instruction manual for Axis & Allies. To win this complex strategy game, you must learn to be a master economist and a brilliant military strategist and tactician. The game board is a map of the world divided into the spheres of influence that existed at the height of World War II. Both the Axis and Allied powers are allotted combat forces and income, measured in Industrial Production Certificates (IPCs). You must manage your nation's economy and lead its military forces--air, land, and sea--into well-chosen battles. The intricacies of the game are carefully spelled out, as are the criteria each side must meet to become the victors. Contents include 299 detailed combat force playing pieces, IPCs, dice, markers and chips to chart each country's progress, and everything you need to change the course of history in under a day. For two to five players. --Rachel Radway

Customer Review On Amazon
This game is Great strategy games, Axis and Allies is best described as a "thinking person's Risk." While random dice rolls still determine the outcome of battles, the decisions players are forced to make, allow the game to be far more challenging than the better known Risk while not hampering its play-ability. Do you need infantry or armored units? Should you build an airforce or a navy? When do you attack and when do you assume a defensive posture? All are questions players need to consider. Axis and Allies is easy play the first time and challenging enough that it is still a game you will want to play the hundredth time you take it out of the box. The flexibility of the game which pits the Allies (US, USSR, GB) against the Axis (Germany, Japan) allows for two players to enjoy the game as much as when as many as five players each control the destiny of each country during WWII. The colorful gameboard and plastic infantry, tanks, ships, and planes all work together to make this one of my favorite games.

Axis & Allies D-Day

2009-04-10T04:35:00.000-07:00

Axis & Allies D-Day will feature detailed game components including a new blockhouse piece, an extra-large game board, and original artwork commissioned exclusively for the D-Day game box. Other elements of this new Axis & Allies variant include a card deck with three card types -- Orders, Tactics, and Fortune -- to add depth and complexity to play. Order cards determine play sequence and break turns into distinct phases; Tactics cards offer players varied strategic opportunities; and Fortune cards add an element of unpredictability. Axis & Allies D-Day begins as Operation Overlord, the invasion of German-held Normandy, is underway -- 130,000 soldiers of the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States are poised to assault Fortress Europe. You and your fellow world powers control their fates. One player controls Germany, whose Axis forces have turned the beaches of Normandy into a near-impenetrable stronghold. Set to breach those defenses are the Allies: the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. The future of Europe and the world hangs in the balance. Axis & Allies D-Day is designed for two or three players and can be played in two hours. Axis & Allies D-Day is the third Axis & Allies variant, following the successful Axis & Allies Europe and Axis & Allies Pacific, both of which were published in 2001.

Product Features

June 6, 1944: You are on the beaches of Normandy, and ahead lies an uncertain future. Axis & Allies D-Day accurately captures this dramatic conflict and places you squarely in the middle of the greatest battle of the 20th century.
This is an all-new stand alone extension of the Axis & Allies line featuring three-tiered complexity and a new, extra-large game board/map.
Contents: 1 Game Board (20" x 33"), 241 Combat Unit Playing Pieces (115 Infantry, 62 Artillery, 37 Tanks, 17 Blockhouses, 8 Fighters, 2 Bombers), 1 Battle Board, 48 Tactical Cards, 24-Page RuleBook, 3 Reinforcement Charts, 8 Dice, & Tray.
The fate of Europe depends upon your courage! Designed for 2 or 3 players

Recommended Link :

Axis & Allies D-Day

Axis & Allies Gamemaster Series 1987 Edition Board Game

2009-04-07T03:39:00.000-07:00

Axis & Allies Gamemaster Series 1987 Edition Board Game Product Description :

The year is 1942. The Axis war machine appears invincible. The Balkans have fallen. Pearl Harbor has been attacked. Wake Island is in Japanese hands. And Rommel has the British on the run in North Africa At this explosive time in history, Axis & Allies challenges you and your opponents to decide the outcome of World War 2. As one of the world powers battling for supremacy in 1942, you must spearhead your country's military drive. During play, you'll discover that the theaters of war remain the same and the familiar embattled frontiers still exist, but astonishing events will occur. The Battle of Midway could be lost by the United States--the Russians might not stand at Stalingrad-- MacArthur may never return to the Philippines-- and the Normandy invasion could happen again and again. As a world leader in Axis & Allies, you must be a brilliant military strategist. You must have the perseverance of a Montgomery, the elusiveness of a Rommel, the courage of a Patton, the daring of a Yamamoto and the steadfastness of a Zhukov! Decide where to strike, when to strike and the intensity of the strike. Will it be a strategic bombing raid, a sneak submarine attack, a hit-and-run assault by your well-trained infantry, an antiaircraft barrage or a major invasion by land, sea and air forces? Plan your attack, move into the embattled territory with your forces and resolve the conflict. The economic destiny of your nation is also at stake. Buy armaments and develop secret weapons from your stockpile of production certificates..... an income based on your own natural resources and successful territorial expansion. If you're a brilliant military strategist, a prudent economist and an astute politician, you'll lead your nation to victory.

Axis & Allies Battle Of The Bulge

2009-04-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Axis & Allies Battle Of The Bulge Product Features

Axis & Allies: Battle of the Bulge challenges you to control territory and contend with supply shortages, while directing infantry, artillery, tanks, and aircraft in one of the most decisive conflicts of World War II.
German tanks thunder into the snow-covered Ardennes forest, opposed only by a few unsuspecting divisions of exhausted American troops. As Axis forces plunge into the countryside,
Allied troops must struggle to hold the front line in order to repel the all-out offensive.
Axis & Allies Battle of the Bulge is designed for two players and can be played in three to four hours.

Product Description
German tanks thunder into the snow-covered Ardennes forest, opposed only by a few unsuspecting divisions of exhausted American troops. As Axis forces plunge into the countryside, Allied troops must struggle to hold the front line in order to repel the all-out offensive. Axis & Allies: Battle of the Bulge challenges you to control territory and contend with supply shortages, while directing infantry, artillery, tanks and aircraft in one of the most decisive conflicts of World War II.

Detailed game components include a new truck piece, a hex-based game board with new original artwork, and original artwork commissioned exclusively for the Battle of the Bulge game box. Other elements of this new Axis & Allies variant include crucial elements that were key factors in the historical battle, such as supply shortages and late-battle air support, mechanics for overland vs. road movement and randomized casualties of war.

Axis & Allies depicts Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhein), the German code name for this counter offensive that took place toward the end of World War II. The objective: to capture the port city of Antwerp. One player controls Germany, whose massive build-up of forces has gone undetected by the Allies and is poised to unleash all its fury on the Allies. The other player controls the forces of the United Kingdom and the United States and they must stem the tide of German armor and hold their positions until reinforcements arrive. Axis & Allies Battle of the Bulge is designed for two players and can be played in three to four hours. Measures 10.5" x 15.75" x 3".

Product Review
Hasbro/Avalon Hill has finally produced a game on this significant battle and much in line with the movie from 1966, this version features the rationing of supplies as a key part of the game. There are no Germans dressed as MP's, and the road signs do lead to Malmedy! The method of German victory is to acquire more territory than the actual historical results. The Allied player need only prevent the German conditions of victory. Game mechanics are slow, plodding and very hex concentrated with lots of tedious steps for each hex. In fact it may bore the average player. The dice roll situation is pure insanity! Especially when you have a lot of units in a hex and you have to roll twice, once for hits and another to see where they landed. This version therefore is recommended only for veteran grognards. Allied air power, which appears half- way through the battle were surprisingly ineffective. The initiative is important, as it can make a difference in the way a battle will pan out. However, with regard to Air activity, it is better for the Germans to place their aircraft after the allies, to keep them from destroying entire tank groups. You can offset this possible devestation by having artillery around but it seems that planes won't turn the tide before the Germans get their "24". If you are good at defense then the Allied army is for you. You can prevent Tank blitzkrieg's if you use your troops properly. One really interesting thing about this game is the surprising situations that can arise in individual hexes. You may get chances as a German to actually capture supplies (Colonel Hessler would be proud!) and sudden openings can appear that will let your tanks roll to the areas where the point values are for winning the game. The game is 8 turns long only, but don't let that fool you.It will take hours to play. Like Henry Fonda, play your hunches because like his character in the movie, you will know everything about the battlefield from your Bird's eye view. In the early part of the game, some Major Wolenski situations may result (the role played by Charles Bronson). As a General you will have to request your troops to hold positions, to cover your withdrawl against advancing German Panzers. Overall, it is OK but not fluid and only for the wargaming veteran.

Axis & Allies Pacific

2009-04-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

Axis & Allies Pacific Product Description
Axis & Allies Pacific is the second expansion to the Axis & Allies game system. In this game, three main powers (Britain, Japan, and the US) square off against each other against the backdrop of the Pacific ocean. Japan is trying to grow her empire, either through military might or by holding off the Allies long enough to consolidate her gains. The game adds a few new rules and a few new twists to the established A&A game system. Naval bases and air bases turn small, meaningless islands into vital strategic holdings. Convoy zones allow a single submarine pack to cripple an economy. The Chinese forces, while limited, are hard to crush. Japan gets her kamikazes, but will it be enough to hold off the vast economic power of the USA?

Product Details

Product Dimensions: 14 x 2.5 x 10 inches ; 0.3 ounces
Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.
ASIN: B00005EBA6
Item model number: 4098347
Our Recommended Age: 12 - 99 years
Manufacturer Recommended Age: 12 - 99 years

Product Features

Axis and Allies Pacific is the second expansion to the Axis & Allies game system. In this game, the three main powers (Britain, Japan, and the US) square off against each other against the backdrop of the Pacific ocean.
Ages 12 and up. 2-3 players. 335 historically accurate battleships, carriers, fighters, artillery, and more! Complexity level: Challenging.
Contents: Gameboard Map, National control markers, national production charts, battle board chart, industrial production certificates (IPCs), 12 dice, plastic chips (gray and red), gameplay manual.
Axis & Allies Pacific invites you and your opponents to determine the future of the Pacific! Good Luck. The fate of the world is in your hands!

Product Review
I don't tend to write reviews, but I think this one is justified for the new purchaser of A&A:P. First of all, I find the game to be quite challanging and enjoyable for intermediate to expert A&A players. I leave out beginners beacuse, as other reviewers have pointed out, fronts are relatively nonexistant. I think that standard A&A will prove to be easier to catch on to for a more inexperienced player as you can clearly see where the fronts are, why they are there, where the reinforcements are coming from, etc. On A&A:P, with all the sea zones (not to mention the airports and naval bases which add movement to planes and boats respectively), a novice might think his fleet is relatively safe when, in fact, it is threatened by a ton of the enemies stuff.
The main reason I'm writing this though is because I have seen a couple reviewers say that a win with Japan is inevitable and others have said that the Americans are too powerful and they will eventually win. I just wanted to post what I have found so far.
Japan, typically, has the advantage (and this is further evidenced by online tournaments where the players "bid" over who has to take the allies). In 9 games, I have seen 3 Victory Point wins, and two India Takeovers. Of note is also that Japan was maybe one or two rounds away from submission on 3 of those VP wins (America and Aussie right on the doorstep and pounding away with their bombers which reduces Japan's VPs).
India most certainly has enough resources to defend itself. On the two India captures I have seen, the British player allocated more money to Australia than India. The key to holding India is too give ALL the money from the British Convoys to India and build a ton of guys and a ton of artillery. You have to have an offensive threat to Japan over there, otherwise they will build up with impunity and eventually crush (or win with VP).
To the reviewer that said America is overpowered.. If you have a smart Japanese player who expands fast, BUT THEN contracts just as quickly, you should eventually be facing this navy:
3 Battleships; 4 Carriers; at least 15 fighters; 2 bombers; and about 8 destroyers and maybe 10 transports.
That's just what Japan STARTS with. By turn 3 they should be earning at least 30 IPCs per turn.
Let's see, at America's 72 dollars a turn (they immediately lose 3 on the phillipines unless Japan players is on crack), or 3 battleships, that's QUITE a lot of catching up to do. And don't forget: you only have about 8 turns to do it.
I have seen four or five Allies wins, but they all been through very interesting tactics (ie Bombers racing to China; no Pearl Harbor movement until 6 battleships and 2 carriers were up and running, etc).
Bottom line: This game, in my opinion, is quite well balanced at the intermediate level. I think once people become experts at it (not that I am by ANY means), the game eventually favors the Japanese, but for different reasons than stated in these reviews.

Axis and Allies Anniversary Edition

2009-04-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Axis and Allies Anniversary Edition Product Description

Axis & Allies celebrates 50 years of Avalon Hill games with this Anniversary Edition of the classic World War II strategy board game. Designed by Larry Harris, A&A Anniversary Edition utilizes the standard D6 combat system found in Axis & Allies Revised, Europe, and Pacific, and contains two different set-up options. Italy will debut as the third Axis nation, China will be operated by the U.S. player, and cruiser class ships will join the naval line-up for the first time. The largest board ever produced for an A&A game (24' x 46'), along with new sculpts and deluxe components will ensure this is the granddaddy of all Axis & Allies board games. Deploy your forces and prepare for battle!

Product Details

Product Dimensions: 26 x 5 x 18 inches ; 11 pounds
Shipping Weight: 11 pounds
Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
Recommended Age: 12 years and up

Product Features

Same d6 combat system used in A&A Revise
Over 600 pieces!!
Largest A&A board ever produced - 2'x4'!
Ages 12 and up, prepare for battle!
For 2-6 players. Hours of fun per game (average time is 240 minutes)!

Product Review
Axis and Allies Anniversary Edition is an updated version of a board game classic. The original game was designed by Larry Harris and was part of the Milton Bradley Game Master Series - large box games with full color mounted boards, simple mechanics which allowed rapid understanding of "how to play" yet with deep subtle strategies, and of course wonderful little plastic soldiers, tanks, planes, ships and submarines. The game has changed hands over the years passing through Avalon Hill/Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast. Wizards of the Coast currently are the publisher. This new version is published on the 50th anniversary of the Avalon Hill Company. Avalon Hill is widely regarded as the company which helped to popularize board war gaming in the US and was for many years the leading producer with mounted game boards and die-cut counters. The company produced such classics as Panzer blitz and Squad Leader.

For people who are unfamiliar with the game, Axis and Allies is a board game recreating World War II on a grand strategic level. Armies, fleets, and air armadas are represented abstractly by wonderful plastic pieces (battleships, tanks, soldiers, etc.). Movement is by area and combat is resolved in a simple yet satisfying system. Research and industrial production are key parts of game play. It was a huge hit when first introduced and spawned variants and a revised version a few years ago.

If you are familiar with the original game and the later variants (A&A Europe, A&A Pacific, etc) the fundamental mechanics are the same. The designer and developers have clearly been tracking the progress of this great game and have incorporated many of the rule changes seen in later variations. The major differences are:

There are now three Axis powers: Germany, Japan and Italy. This alters the game play sequence from Germany-USSR-Japan-UK-US to Germany-USSR-Japan-UK-Italy-US. This eliminates the Allies "double move".
There are special rules for China - there are now specific Chinese game pieces and help to recreate the historical situation where huge numbers of Japanese troops were tied down in China - making an attack against the USSR (a favorite strategy) in coordination with Germany more difficult.
The map is smaller than the original version but about the size of the Revised version. The colors are muted green/brown earth tones. It may be nostalgic or just my eyes getting older, but frankly I liked the original primary color map - the details were easier to see and less fatiguing. Admittedly, the newer maps are more artful.
The game map now includes major cities (sort of like the key cities in Third Reich) and controlling form the victory conditions (unlike the older Industrial Production Certificate [IPC] total method) but in practice this is quite similar.
The game map now has impassable and neutral territories which cannot be crossed/invaded/flow over. The Sahara, Switzerland, and other territories are now impassable. Other territories don't have much IPC value.
Ships are a bit cheaper to acquire than the original version. The commonly used "double hit" rule is now standard for Battleships. There are now cruisers and destroyers in addition to the original Aircraft Carriers, Battleships and Submarines.
Transports now no longer automatically defend with a value of 1. The old strategy of having an armada of transports (e.g. 10 or 12) overcoming an attacking sub force is no longer allowed. If attacked and undefended by other forces, transports are automatically destroyed. It is also no longer possible to move-unload-and-scoot. I understand why this rule change was made but at the large grand strategy scale, the transport unit represents not a single ship or small flotilla of transports but a whole transport fleet - with minor escorts, oilers, etc. So it is reasonable to think it has some self-defense capability.
Research now has 12 possibilities. Old favorites like Heavy Bombers and Jet Power are still there but tweaked down. Heavy Bombers only inflict two dice worth of damage and not three. Jet powered fighters attack at 4 and not 5.
Armored or tank units are upgraded and attack and defend at 3. The older version attacked at 3 but defended at 2.
The little plastic pieces are all there and have been tweaked a bit to reflect the different nations. The UK tanks look like the Churchill and the USSR tanks look a bit like the T34.
Rule books and misc. Again, I fear it is just my aging eyes, but the newer version with the darker muddier colors and fancy watermark/faded images on each page are quite beautiful but are a bit harder on the eyes. The game play examples are hard to see the colors of the printing obscures the detailed outlines of the pieces. Again, maybe simple bright colored illustrations would be more legible. I saw a comment on another site complaining that the IPCs were printed on only one side - but that was the case with the original version. The box art on the site is a bit off. On the actual box, it is entitled "spring 1941" and not "1942"

Who will like this game? Anyone who is familiar with the original or later Revised version will appreciate this new version. For newcomers, Axis and Allies is a wonderful system - simple and easy to learn, but full of subtle moves and strategies.

Is it worth the price ($80-100)? For collectors and nostalgia buffs, it is probably worth having a nice new version. If you are just into playing the game, and have already your own set of homebrew rules then you are probably already using most of the new rules and could draw up your own maps!

A great game for the board gamer!

Axis and Allies Revised

2009-03-31T21:19:00.000-07:00

Axis and Allies Revised Product Description
Control the fate of the world in this incredible game of military strategy, courage and cunning. Play this updated version by Larry Harris, the game's original creator. With all-new packaging art, a redesigned map and new artillery and destroyer pieces, this classic game is prepared to take on a whole new generation. Players can change the course of history in a few short hours as they maneuver over 350 playing pieces including armies, ships, planes and more. For 2 to 5 players.

Product Details
• Product Dimensions: 3 x 10.9 x 15.9 inches ; 0.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Recommended Age: 12 - 99 years

Product Features

All New Updated Version! Control the fate of the world in this incredible game of military strategy, courage, and cunning, updated by Larry Harris, the game's original creator.
Now includes artillery and destroyer pieces. 40 artillery, 75 infantry, 50 tanks, 16 bombers, 50 fighters, 13 aircraft carriers, 14 battleships, 26 destroyers, 33 submarines, 29 transports, 12 antiaircraft guns, 12 industrial complexes.
1 Game board (20"x33"), 370 playing pieces, 90 industrial production certificates, 40 page rulebook, 8 information cards, 10 marshaling cards, 125 control, marshaling, and aircraft markers, 12 dice, 85 plastic chips.
Spring, 1942: The World is at war. Axis and Allies places the military and economic destiny of the globe in your hands. Change the course of history in a few short hours! Designed for 2-5 players, age 12+.

Wizards of the Coast Axis and Allies Guadalcanal

2009-03-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

Wizards of the Coast Axis and Allies Guadalcanal Product Description

The Axis and Allies Guadalcanal challenges you to control sea zones and island groups while managing troop and supply transport and directing land, sea, and air forces in one of the decisive campaigns of the Second World War’s pacific theater. The game incorporates crucial elements that were key factors in the historical campaign, such as air strip construction, troop and supply transport, and furious land, sea, and air battles. It introduces the cruiser unit as well as mechanics for land, sea and air combat in the south pacific using a randomized casualties system. Features one game board, 172 combat unit playing pieces, 85 plastic chips, 20 supply tokens, 12 six-sided dice, one battle box, and one rulebook.

Product Description
Axis and Allies: Guadalcanal challenges you to control sea zones and island groups while managing troop and supply transport and directing land, sea and air forces in one of the decisive campaigns of the Second World War's Pacific Theater. Axis and Allies: Guadalcanal incorporates crucial elements that were key factors in the historical campaign, such as air strip construction, troop and supply transport, and furious land, sea and air battles. It introduces the Cruiser unit as well as mechanics for land, sea and air combat in the South Pacific using a randomized casualties system. Features one Game Board, 172 Combat Unit Playing Pieces, 85 Plastic Chips, 20 Supply Tokens, 12 Six-Sided Dice, one Battle Box and one Rulebook.

Product Details

Product Dimensions: 3 x 10.6 x 15.8 inches ; 4.5 pounds
Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.
Recommended Age: 13 - 99 years

Product Features

This is a standalone game in the popular axis and allies series
Designed for two players and can be played in two to three hours.
Incorporates real-life factors in this historical battle
Introduces the cruiser unit as well as mechanics for land, sea, and air combat in the south pacific using a randomized casualty system
Created by Larry Harris, designer of the axis and allies board games

Product Review
This is a wargame for 2 players. Other than a visual board and game pieces it shares little with the original Axis and Allies game. The rules make for a competitive and tense game that takes around 3 hours to play. The best game of the new Axis and Allies series, better than D-Day or Battle of the Buldge but it is a game only for those that like wargames and have experience playing them and are willing to sacrifice accuracy for playablity and fun. A nice historic setting.

If you are aware of the Solomon Island Campaign at all, then you are familiar with Guadalcanal. An important part of the Pacific Campaign. It is here that the USA started their offensive against Imperial Japan. Not really a turning point in WW2 (Midway would have this honour) but the first step on a long road of the defeat of Japan. Guadalcanal was the scene of bitter land fighting between the US Marines, later the Army and the Japanese. While at sea the losses on both sides were so heavy that Sealark Sound, the stretch of water between Guadalcanal, Savo Island, and Florida Island of the Solomon Islands, became kown as Ironbottom Sound due to the amount of ships and planes that went to the bottom in a series of engagements. So historically this makes a nice setting and the reason for its educational value, but keep in mind this game is about the naval and ground action in the Solomon Islands, not only Guadalcanal.

As for the Game, this is not another Axis and Allies game, other than the models it uses very different mechanics. The scope of the game is Tactical rather than Strategic and it uses a new feature of a battle dice box, which seems like a silly concept until you actually play the game, well it still seems a little silly but I can't think of a better way for it to work. Dice put a high random factor to the game that can be offset in part by concentrarion of forces and a few special effects counters.

The board is limited, there isn't a lot of room to maneuver, especially regarding naval units, yet there is pressure all along to go for victory since the game is won on a victory point system and every turn both sides collect victory points and must break the stalemate before the other side in order to win. The victory point system is clever and works very well and reflects the actual campaign.

So even if there is little room for maneuver there are still possiblities to achive surprise and deploy tactics. Because of the constant pressure of the victory points system players must be bold and the game is tense making it a good wargame.

As for durability, this game comes in a strong box and thankfully has a plastic tray (unlike Battle of the Buldge). The board and plastic pieces are visual and of reasonbly good quality. Properly handled it will last a long time. On the other side, since this is more a game for dedicated players you probably already own other games you like to play more than this one so you won't play it that often in the end.

The game takes about 3 hours to play and is a 2 player game. If you are an Axis and Allies fan then it is better than D-Day or Buldge, the mechanics work better than in those two but it is not as good as the original or Pacific, which are both better games and you will not play this one as often. Also it is slightly complicated and requires a dedicated mindset so it is a game for wargamers, preferably experienced wargamers looking for a fun evening.

Axis & Allies Europe

2009-03-30T21:00:00.001-07:00

Axis & Allies Europe is the first Axis & Allies extension created by the original A&A designer, Larry Harris. He likes to call it "a whole new puzzle to solve." A&A Europe takes place only within the European theater where four powers (Germany, USA, USSR, and Great Britain) struggle on the continent, in the Atlantic, and across North Africa and the Middle East. Most of the rules will be familiar to Axis & Allies players. A&A Europe does add new pieces (artillery units and destroyers), new ways to take IPCs from the enemy (by occupying naval supply lines and taking over the oil fields of the Middle East), and expanded rules for Strategic Bombing Raids. Plus, all of the pieces in A&A Europe are countryspecific. The fighter units are not generic fighter planes but the U.S. P38 Lightning, the Soviet Yak, the German Stuka, and the British Spitfire.

Product Details

Product Dimensions: 14 x 2.5 x 10 inches ; 3.5 pounds
Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
Recommended Age: 12 - 99 years

Product Features

The European Theater of World War II remains the same, but you control the events. As a world leader, you must initiate masterful military maneuvers, conjure up clever economic strategies, and play power politics to lead your nation to victory.
Ages 12 and up. 2-4 Players. 369 historically accurate soldiers, ships, airplanes, weapons, and more! Complexity level: Challenging.
Contents: 40 tanks, 100 infantry, 42 artillery pieces, 15 bombers, 44 fighter planes, 10 aircraft carriers, 24 transport ships, 28 submarines, 12 battleships, 28 destroyers, 12 antiaircraft guns, 12 industrial complexes. Extra large game board map!
The game of military strategy, courage, and creativity.
The European Theater of World War II remains the same, but you control the events. As a world leader, you must initiate masterful military maneuvers, conjure up clever economic strategies, and play power politics to lead your nation to victory.
Ages 12 and up. 2-4 Players. 369 historically accurate soldiers, ships, airplanes, weapons, and more! Complexity level: Challenging.
Contents: 40 tanks, 100 infantry, 42 artillery pieces, 15 bombers, 44 fighter planes, 10 aircraft carriers, 24 transport ships, 28 submarines, 12 battleships, 28 destroyers, 12 antiaircraft guns, 12 industrial complexes. Extra large game board map!
The game of military strategy, courage, and cunning.

Axis & Allies Collector's Edition

2009-03-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

The first thing to know about Axis & Allies is that it has no direct similarities to the Hasbro board game of the similar name. This Axis & Allies is a real-time strategy "inspired" by the tabletop classic. Of the three play modes, only one, World War II, bears a resemblance to the old warhorse. In practice, though, even this mode plays more like Risk, with battles decided by dice rolls and a single-minded focus on holding territories.

The campaign mode features a short tutorial and a separate operation for each of the Axis and Allied powers. There are hecks of a lot of missions, and they'll carry you to every theater of the war, allowing you to control all five major powers. Each side has proprietary units that look, sound, and shoot like the real thing: Germans get Tiger tanks for their heavy armor; Soviets get a quartet of lumbering T-34s. Factions also get a selection of leaders (such as Nimitz for the U.S. and Yamamoto for Japan) who have special abilities that can help friendliest or annihilate enemies. The campaigns will rotate you among all the generals, but in skirmish, multiplayer, and World War II modes you choose just one.

Still, in spite of the variety of locales, leaders, and units, individual missions virtually always involve the same drill: destroy the enemy or capture and hold certain map points. Storm the beach on D-Day. And capture some locations; sack Stalingrad. And hold some locations; retake Iwo Jima and.well, you get the idea. This lack of imagination significantly hobbles what could have been one of the more robust RTS campaigns to come along since War Craft III.
The Wince of War & Allies' engine is lifted directly from Time Gate’s Kohan II--right down to the hot-keys. But if you liked Kohan II, don't lock-and-load just yet; Axis & Allies' game mechanics differ notably, and not for the better.

First: Axis & Allies' A.I. is A-crappy. I have rarely encountered a game that evinces more clearly the rigid, stimulus-response nature of algorithmic thought. Dispatch even a few troops against the computer, and it will reflexively send all nearby units to counter. Obviously, this puts taking enemy positions in the same league as a Ken Jennings vs. Paris Hilton think-off. And that's with the difficulty set to "hard." Clunky A.I. is such a fundamental flaw in a game like this that it robs the single-player of any suspense, and winning simply becomes a chore.

Add to this deficiency other weak elements of the game engine: controls that obscure 30 percent of the viewable area, needless complexity instead of real depth, frame rate and stability issues, the overwhelming power of early infantry rushes, et al., and there's not much left to pin a medal on. Multiplayer offers some solace, but since there are so many other options in this genre, you're better off spending your money on a game that provides a more gratifying solo experience. If you absolutely must have everything WWII, consider Axis & Allies. Otherwise, look elsewhere, soldier.

Result
Answers the call of duty on the battlefield, but lacks the heart of iron necessary to win a Medal of Honor.

Product Description
Axis & Allies is a classic board game that centers on strategy and forward thinking. Now the thrills and challenge of WWII strategy come to your computer, bringing all the original action and drama with it! Special Collector's Edition.

Product Details

Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
Product Dimensions: 4 ounces
Media: Video Game

Product Features

It is spring of 1942, and the Axis is going strong. Choose your side and lead them to victory
Capture two Axis capitals or Allied nations to ensure victory -- it can be done through more than just military power
Multiple units to use in your pursuit of victory - tanks, infantrymen, heavy bombers and more
Explore technology to improve the war effort -- you can even design jet engines for a new level of air power
Wild multiplayer action through a peer-to-peer connection, a LAN or through E-mail

Axis and Allies Board Game Strategy

2009-03-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

Axis and Allies Board Game Strategy

Axis and Allies is a popular series of World War II (WW II) strategy board games, with nearly two million copies printed. The first game was originally designed by Larry Harris and published by Nova Game Designs, before being republished and popularized by the Milton Bradley Company (Wikipedia).

The Axis and Allies series includes the best WWII strategy board games presented. This version keeps the board game's world map and game play, but adds to it with great RTS play. From your Corps HQ, you can deploy infantry, mechanized, armored, and airborne divisions. Also available are engineer and artillery brigades, and motor pools, which unlock additional units and provide useful technologies. Naval units are not producible, but are available in some missions.

Balancing resources involves accumulating money as well as keeping an income of ammunition and oil. If you enjoy the board game's game play, then you will enjoy hearing that it carried over to A&A on the PC nicely. Both the Axis and Allied powers have different campaigns, with the Axis version ending in victory for Germany and Japan (leading to clearly made up missions).

Multiplayer communities still survive, with many player-made maps available. For WWII RTS enthusiasts, it is a large strategy game to pick up. Whether you want to build your own army and attack Japan, or find out what could have happened if Germany had repulsed the Allies in Normandy, Axis and Allies can bring great game play time and time again.

The Axis and Allies series :
• Axis and Allies
• Axis and Allies Europe
• Axis and Allies Pacific
• Axis And Allies Revised
• Axis and Allies Anniversary Edition
• Axis and Allies Battle Of The Bulge
• Wizards of the Coast Axis and Allies Guadalcanal
• Axis and Allies Minis Booster Set 2