Ideal set-up for $150?

[Springvloed]

Having played the classic Axis & Allies version many times about 20 years ago and every couple of years since, I'm ready to buy myself a copy of the game again. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the game was being offered for around 35 euro in some shops in Amsterdam and started reading up on the game and the different versions today.

The feeling I'm getting on the forums is that the coolest set-up would be the combination of the 1940 Pacific and Europe versions (aka Global 1940 if I understand correctly) but that it's impossible to play this version in less than 10 hours on average. And that you need a big ass table to play on! 

Most people here seem to love the Anniversary edition but it's hard to get and I'm not going pay $300+ for a game I'll  probably play less than 10 times in coming decades.

I understand that the 1942 Spring edition is a really good version but I already know I'm going to be annoyed by the smaller map and the few pieces.

So what are my options with say a $150 budget? I guess I can buy 2 copies of AA1942 to have enough pieces and have one of those great maps Imperious Leader made printed on canvas or vinyl.

Is it also possible to play the 1942 edition on a classic or revised edition map?

Or would it be possible to print a Anniversary edition map & rules and just buy the AA1942 sets to get the pieces combined with additional pieces from historicalboardgaming or fieldmarshalgames?

Hope you guys are willing to share your thought and advise!

Cheers

Eric

[Bunnies P Wrath]

I prefer Spring 1942 to both Global and Anniversary edition.

Global takes a long time, has a lot of special rules - but has no fog of war.  In my opinion, if you're going to try to make a serious detailed war game with political rules &c &c &c, you need fog of war.  Larry Harris you have failed me.   

Anniversary edition has some interesting options with national objectives and technology.  But the increase of size of the map means gameplay boils down to very much fixed lines of play once the opening moves are done.  In Spring 1942, the smaller map allows quicker changes in position, so is a more dynamic game.  Which certainly isn't to say that Anniversary edition doesn't have some appeal to it.

Classic, Revised, and Spring 1942 have different maps.  When compared to Spring 1942, Classic is very much different, and boils down to a fight over Karelia.  Revised gives Japan more interesting options as transports can hit Western Canada from Japan in a single turn.  But it's best not to mix maps and rules; mixing them up will mess with your head.

As far as printing an Anniversary edition map and rules, I don't know that anyone would openly condone that as it may not be legal under copyright laws.  But since Anniversary edition is out of print, well, that's interesting.  Really, what can one do?  Anyways, no comment.

Anniversary edition has Italy and China as powers.  Maybe you could whip out a can of spray paint or something.

[Imperious Leader]

http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=23325.0

buy aa42 and print my map...less than $150

[Springvloed]

Thank you both for your quick replies!

@Bunnies: good to hear your feedback, that makes me more comfortable going for the 1942 edition

@Imperious: yes thanks for that, I just need to read up on the neutrals or no neutrals on the map thing. I think I read something about rules coming out for that but haven't read / found the whole story yet

So would you guys advise me to just buy two copies of AA1942 to have enough pieces or I guess perhaps I can buy 1x AA1942 and a 1940 edition to solve the pieces issue and have half of the "Global" in my possession already?

[Imperious Leader]

just get no neutrals which is OOB

[Hobbes]

So would you guys advise me to just buy two copies of AA1942 to have enough pieces or I guess perhaps I can buy 1x AA1942 and a 1940 edition to solve the pieces issue and have half of the "Global" in my possession already?

My advice would be: get both Europe and Pacific 1940 and skip 1942 - the 1942 board is the worst one of all.
If you have the Revised board you can use it to play 1942 (that's what I do and 1942 is my favorite) since the differences have a minimum effect on gameplay or print IL's map. That way you'll have both games for Global, all the pieces you need and you won't be stuck with a copy of 1942.

[techroll42]

Actually I don't think 1942 is half bad. But that's just me.

[Hobbes]

Actually I don't think 1942 is half bad. But that's just me.

The worst part of 1942 is Europe - it becomes difficult to figure out the terrains on Eastern Europe because of the colours chosen for the boundaries. And then something happens and you're not sure how many units there were exactly on each territory - this can get to some really intense discussions with my friends

[CWO Marc]

And that you need a big a** table to play on! 

One way to get around this problem is to get three or four inexpensive card tables (the kind with folding legs).  When you want to play a game, you set them up in a row and put the map boards on top of them.  When you're finished, you fold up the tables and put them away in a closet.  That way, you don't need a massive single table permanently taking up valuable floor space...unless of course you do have enough floor space for use as a full-time gaming area.  In my case I do have the space, which is why my setup -- which uses four folding card tables as its foundation -- has additions to make the gaming surface more solid and flat.  There are three pictures of it in the first post of this thread: http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=20658.0

[techroll42]

I have a table that's big enough but I always play on the floor.

[Gamerman01]

Or play any version you want, any time, with people from all over the world for free, on this site.  And you don't need to allocate 10-20 hours to do it.

[Hobbes]

Or play any version you want, any time, with people from all over the world for free, on this site.  And you don't need to allocate 10-20 hours to do it.

But you don't quite see the look on the other player's eyes when he misses an important roll... 

[Gamerman01]

True, but on-line you can admire your game for years to come and show it off to others if need be.... 

[Bunnies P Wrath]

You can post your real life game results online.