Showing posts with label Axis and Allies Board Game. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Axis and Allies Board Game. Show all posts

Axis & Allies Board Games

April 26, 2009
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.

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Playing Axis and Allies Europe

April 16, 2009

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.


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Axis & Allies Review

April 14, 2009
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.


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Axis and Allies Revised

March 31, 2009
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+.
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