AXIS & ALLIES ANNIVERSARY EDITION Review

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(More customer reviews)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 GameMaster 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 is 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 wargaming 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 Panzerblitz 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:
1. There are now three Axis powers: Germay, 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".
2. 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.
3. The map is smaller than the original version but about the size of the Revised version. The colors are a 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Armored or tank units are upgraded and attack and defend at 3. The older version attacked at 3 but defended at 2.
10. 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.
11. 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 a simple bright colored illustrations would be more legible. I saw an 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!

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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!

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Axis and Allies Europe Review

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(More customer reviews)We've had fun with A&A Europe this Winter. It is a classic in the original's mold. We love it.

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Decide the future of Europe--and the world--in this incredible game of military strategy, courage and cunning. 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. Axis and Allies Europe includes 369 historically accurate soldiers, ships, airplanes, weapons and more.

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Axis & Allies Minis Booster Set 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I was a fan of Risk. Then I got Axis and Allies (the revised board game) and was totally disillusioned - by Risk. Risk felt like I was using a butcher knife after a scalpel. Axis and Allies Miniatures is the same way. While I have always been loved chess and am very good at Stratego, Axis and Allies Miniatures opens up an entirely new way to play a war game. Just as Axis and Allies allows it's players to command vast armies of generalized WWII units, Axis and Allies Miniatures allows it's players to command groups of specific units. Men, in war, are not all created equal, and tanks, as the players quickly learm, are certaintly not. Unlike Axis and Allies, Axis and Allies Miniatures allows for different beginnings and endings each and every time. But one of the most exciting things about this line is that when you open up your booster pack you get entirely new units to experiment with and master. As a confirmed cheapskate, even when asking for gifts, this particular pack was a great deal. Unlike many of the other booster packs, this pack contains nine units intstead of just five - and does it for about the same price. I totally recommend this product. I will make a few warnings, however: this is a game for people who can take care of their things; the maps are not cardboard but paper and some of the units are rather fragile. Also, you really need (seriously now) to start with a Starter Set. This does not come with dice, maps, or rules. And when you might need up to fifteen dice to blow an enemy tank off a map using the proper procedures, all of these are a must.

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Challenge your friends to fast, head-to-head combat with the Axis and Allies Miniatures Game. This high-quality skirmish game is playable right out of the box. With these faithful reproductions of real WWII combat vehicles and fighting units, you can recreate historical battles from World War II with authentic Shermans, Panzers, infantry, and more. You can also create your own battles. The Base Set Booster Pack contains nine randomized, prepainted, durable plastic miniatures. These are prepainted, fully assembled, and made of durable plastic. Also included are full-color game stat cards and a set checklist. The starter set is required in order to play the game.

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Axis and Allies Battle of The Bulge Review

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(More customer reviews)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.

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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".

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Axis And Allies Revised Review

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(More customer reviews)First off, be sure that you love REALLY long games with complicated rules and LOTS of pieces on the board (and that you have friends who like the same thing) before purchasing. That said, this is an awesome game.
I never played the un-revised version, so I have no way of comparing the two. I did, however, love everything about this version.
The game board is thick cardboard folded in 6 parts. It is of high quality, and it's longer than the standard game board. It is a map of the world and most of the territories have financial values. As you attack your enemies and take over their territories, you also increase your income depending on the financial value associated with the territory that is now yours. There is an additional cardboard piece that allows you to track the changing income. (Lots of table space required for all of the additional stuff).
You also can do something called weapons development. During your turn you have the opportunity to buy dice to roll to give yourself advantages. Some examples of advantages are increasing the defense strength of your jet fighters, allowing your anti aircraft guns to shoot at industrial complexes, and increasing how many spaces your aircraft can fly, etc. If you roll the number needed to create the development, you may now use this added ability for the rest of the game. This is risky, because money is limited, and you are not guaranteed to roll the appropriate #.
There are plenty of plastic pieces that come with the game.The pieces that come with the game are: aircraft carriers, battleships, destroyers, submarines, transports, infantry, artillery, tanks, fighters, bombers, anti aircraft guns, and industrial complexes. In order not to lose all of the parts, I got small tackle boxes for cheap at Walmart and used a label maker to label everything. It's a lot less messy than keeping all of the little parts out on the table in front of you. There is a card which tells you how many of these pieces to put on the board to start the game. The set up time takes a little while because there are a lot of pieces to put down to start the game. The card is full of valuable information. It tells you how much it costs to buy each unit, how many spaces they can move across the board, how strong they are on attack and on defense, turn sequence and combat sequence...basically everything you need to know to play the game. Each power (Soviet Union, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States) starts with varying amounts of money and troops. Germany and Japan starts with lots more troops but less money, so they have more incentive to attack quickly to increase their income. The allies are a little more challenging to play due to the fact that, inspite of the fact they have more money to start the game, the united states and united kingdoms resources are located across the water, and it takes a bit to transport these troops and get established in areas they need to be in. The soviet union can quickly get overwhelmed by germany since they have little money and not that many troops, plus a lot of land to defend.
When I first learned the rules to this game I was completely confused on many points. It took a full day of trying to figure them out. Then I emailed the manufacturer and kept asking questions until I felt comfortable. There are a few websites out there that give some good answers to questions as well. Once you learn the rules, however, it is easy. I just think whoever wrote the manual could have made it a whole lot easier to understand than it is.
Gameplay is pretty basic. You do the following in this order: You develop weapons if desired. You purchase units, conduct combat if desired (troops from multiple territories can attack one territory), do any non-combat moves, mobilize the new units purchased at the beginning of your turn to any territories that have Industrial Complexes on them (you can buy more industrial complexes to place on different parts of the map) and then collect your income. You may discuss strategy with your allies, and as a matter of fact that seems to be a major part of what takes up so much time. I got frustrated by the fact that the enemy could hear what was being talked about and pointed to on the map, so I developed a means of silent communication via dry erase boards. I took a photo of the game board that I found on the web, and in photoshop I enlarged it to the size I wanted and faded out the image to pastel colors so that it would be easy to write over the top of it. I then went to a home improvement store and cut out pieces of thin wooden board to mount the pictures on and covered them with thin clear plastic sheeting I got from an art store. I taped them down at the edges with duct tape and bought some dry erase markers and erasers. This way both the axis and the allies had their own dry erase boards where they could point out areas of concern on the map without being seen by their opponents. I also developed an easy shorthand type of code to quickly communicate to each other via the boards. This made a fantastic addition to the game and made communication easy and private.
Here are a few notes on gameplay which may help your understanding of the game:
-Allies may occupy the same territory. If they are attacked, they defend together at the same time. If they attack, they must attack seperately on each power's seperate turn.
-Sea units can only attack sea and air units (unless it's an amphibious assault, then a battleship may do an initial attack on land as the units are going on shore), land units can attack land and air units, and air units can attack both (the submarine can't shoot at air units, but after the initial first attack can submerge and escape if they weren't destroyed from that first assault).
-During combat you use a "battle board" where the pieces in combat are placed on the board on the attack side and the defense side. Each side shows where the units should be placed according to their defense and attack value. For instance, if you have 3 infantry, two tanks, and one fighter plane attacking a territory, each of those units have different attack values and are placed in different columns of the battle board. The infantry attack value is "1", which means that you have to roll a 1 to have a "hit" on the enemy. You would roll 3 dice for the 3 infantry and hope to get as many 1s as possible. If your attack is successful and for example you roll two 1s, your opponent decides which 2 troops of theirs gets hit in the attack and moves them to the "casualty zone" at the bottom of the battle board. The reason they are not moved off of the board is because technically you are shooting at each other at the same time, and those troops that got hit still will have their opportunity to respond and shoot back. Then the next column is resolved. The tanks attack value is a "3". So you would have to roll 2 dice for the two tanks and hope to roll a 1,2, or 3 to have a "hit" on your opponent. The fighter has the same attack value as the tank. So you could roll one extra dice at the same time as the tanks since they have the same attack value at 3 or less. Then the defenders resolve their troops. The defenders have 2 infantry. The defense value of infantry is "2". Infantry has a stronger defense than attack value (maybe because they are fortified?) So, the infantry needs to roll a 1 or 2 to get a "hit". After all casualties are put in the casualty zones, these zones are cleared, and if there are any troops remaining on the battle board, the attacker gets to decide whether they want to continue attacking or retreat. Each round is resolved this way until the attacker wants to stop or the territory is captured.
-Aircraft carriers can carry up to two fighters, and transports can carry two units.These units can't defend themselves during transport, and the transport only has a defense value of 1, so it is wise to escort the transports with other sea units.
-The game can be shorter by deciding on how many victory cities you want to capture. Or you can play the full game to total conquest, but that takes all day. I've had games where I started at noon and ended at 1 or 2 in the morning and the game was still not finished (almost).
-There are additional "national advantages" that are optional. They are a list of advantages each power can use once during the game. Here are a couple of the Soviet Union National advantages to give you an idea of what these are like:
Russian Winter- Once during the game in your collect income phase, you can declare a severe winter. Until the start of your next turn, your infantry defend on a 3.
Trans Siberian Railway - In the non-combat move, your infantry, anti aircraft guns, and artillery may move two territories per turn only among these territories: Russia, Novosibirsk, Yakut SSR, and Buryatia SSR.
These are two examples of the 6 National Advantages for the Soviet Union. Each power has 6 national advantages they can use. This is for the advanced player who wants to add some more interest to the game.
To sum up - This is a complex strategy game. It's not easy to win. There are a ton of differet ways to approach winning the same game, so the replayability is high. Definitely one of my favorite games, and it's a classic.

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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.

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