Piece count

Unfortunately it can’t be avoided, you’ll spend more time figuring out how to save a few bucks, but it’s best to load up. My table has 2 copies of 1st Edition Europe, 2 copies of 1st Edition Pacific, 2 copies of Spring 1942, and 1 copy of 50th annaversary Edition (not to mention custom pieces from HBG and FMG). I’m not saying that you’re gonna need all that, but I have never ran out of anything while playing, and that luxury is priceless.

Yeah, I’ve gone kind of piece crazy myself. I have a specific set of pieces for each nation in Global 40 I call my gaming sets. Here is what comprises each nation set:
100 Infantry
50 Artillery
50 Mechanized Infantry
50 Tanks
40 Anti-Aircraft Artillery
40 Fighters
30 Tactical Bombers
30 Strategic Bombers
40 Transports
40 Submarines
40 Destroyers
30 Cruisers
20 Battleships
20 Aircraft Carriers
100 Control Markers
And that is just OOB units! The only exception is China, but they still have 100 OOB Infantry units. I also have some HBG units for China for artillery, tanks and fighters (some house rules allow China to have tanks).
To get these totals, I actually got several copies of the game when they came out and cannibalized them for pieces. I was able to sell off extras which helped me make back some of the money I spent, but it was still pretty pricy. 
On top of this, I have huge collections of HBG’s sets in just about every color available. This part is really silly on my part because I pretty much use the Olive Drab for US, Dark Grey for Germany, Burnt Orange for Japan, Maroon for Russia. Basically the OOB colors. So all of those other colors, like the Axis Minors, Neutral sets, US Supplement for Allies and alternate colors for the Japanese Supplement and Expansion sets just basically sit there in their containers. I keep thinking I will use them in trying out the HBG 1939 Global variant because it has all these little countries and you can use all the variant colors to represent them, but I never get around to doing so. My group simply prefers Global 40.
When I think back on how much I have invested in all these game pieces, it almost makes me sick. I enjoy my games and it’s a fun little hobby, but there is such a thing as too much.
Obviously having such large sets is not necessary. You can always use chips which in some cases you simply have to because of space limitations on the board. I hope you are able to find your balance. However, I must agree with YG, the pieces in a single game are simply not enough.

…I can definitely relate to your obsession KNP (as anyone you has seen my YouTube videos can testify), I have been following the same piece build up path recently with my Settlers of Catan addiction (they never give you enough resource cards).

@RJL518:

ok…i dont think i need to go that far…but i am impressed with those counts…my question was…for the casual player…would 1 copy of e40 and p40 and s42 be enough for pieces?  i know i wont get italian, french, and anzac units out of s42…but since they really dont get much play anyway…u think i could get away with 1 extra copy of s42 or do i really need to get 1 more copy each of e40 and p40?

Yes, you should be fine with 1X 2ndE 1940 Europe, 1X 2ndE 1940 Pacific, and 1X Spring 1942. You will be lacking the extra mech infantry and tac bombers, but you will gain more chips and plastic industrial complexes. You might want to double check the chips in 42, they might be slightly larger than 2nd edition 40 (or maybe I’m thinking of A&A WW1 1914). I would get another group player to buy their own 1940 Europe, and Pacific copies and put theirs and yours together as a shared investment… that’s my suggestion.

I bought two copies of Europe 1940 1st Editon as well as two copies of Pacific 1940 1st Edition just for the extra pieces……I also have Europe & Pacific 2nd Editions…I also have every Axis&Allies game and was lucky to get a copy of Anniversary Edition…I never have the problem of running out of pieces and I use fishing tackle storage trays to keep my units in. I would like another copy of Global 1940.2 for some more of the newer units…read somewhere that Larry Harris is now working on another Global WW2 game…so I’m hoping for maybe some new French units…maybe some new Canadian units as well…always looking to add to my collection

Board games have an extremely low profit margin, it’s a miricle any get made at all.

@knp7765:

When I think back on how much I have invested in all these game pieces, it almost makes me sick.

You should feel gratified rather than sick because sculpt collections last forever.  There are plenty of other things on which you could have blown the same amount of money without having anything to show for it today.  Best of all, sculpts have zero calories, so they definitely qualify as a guilt-free pleasure!  :lol:

@RJL518:

I need opinions before i shell out 50 for a copy of 1942 2nd just to cannibalize it…

In case you’ve never seen it, here’s a classic video about the lack of sufficient pieces in the 1940 game.  I especially like the joke about the poker chips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmBo8q0akGo&feature=related

@corporal:

read somewhere that Larry Harris is now working on another Global WW2 game

Can you recall the source for this?  I’d be very interested in finding out more, if that’s indeed the case.  The last I’d heard was that Larry wasn’t planning any 3rd edition of Global at the present time.

Hey you are right. Monday morning, 75 years ago, Germany invades Poland. You know, most Mondays suck but imagine starting a World War. What a LONG week that turned out to be.

@RJL518:

received my 2nd copy of pacific 40 2nd edition…boy do i have lot of japanese units…and yet…only 8 aircraft carriers and battleships for the USA…although i do understand why…after all…the USA has pieces in Europe 40 as well…

2nd copy of Europe is on the way…

also received my IPCs from HBG…i love the way they did them…great graphics

Good for you dude, you won’t have anything to worry about with 2 copies of each.