• So I have only played the classic version of AA and I was thinking about getting another version either revised or 1942 second addition. Other than changes to the map what are the major differences (such as rules, gameplay) between the classic, revised, 1942/2 AA?


  • Welcome to the forum, superAAA!

    There are four major steps in the development of the rules:

    1. Classic (2nd Edition)
    2. Revised
    3. Anniversary Edition and Spring 1942
    4. Europe 1940/Pacific 1940/Global 1940 (all 2nd ed.) and 1942 2nd edition

    Too many differences to list them here.

    But you can try before you buy:

    HTH :-)


  • In case this is useful to superAAA, there’s a Wikipedia article titled “Comparison of Axis & Allies games” which summarizes the basic differences between all the various editions of A&A.  It does a decent job of proving an adequate amount of detail within a reasonably concise article (which correctly states right at the beginning that “an exhaustive comparison is impossible”).


  • @CWO:

    … there’s a Wikipedia article titled “Comparison of Axis & Allies games” …

    Very interesting article! Thank you for bringing it up!


  • My pleasure.  I haven’t read the article in detail, so I have no idea how accurate it is, but the large table of units (the only part I was really interested in) looks a little wonky (unless I’m misinterpreting its structure).  The article says…

    The following table lists the various real-world units that are used as the basis of the figurines in the Axis & Allies series since Europe, along with the first game in the series featuring that unit. Names in green are figures that are used to represent each unit in the most recent game in the series (as of 2012, Europe 1940 Second Edition and Pacific 1940 Second Edition), while names in yellow are figures that have been used to represent the unit in past games.

    …but that doesn’t quite seem to correspond to the green and yellow boxes in the actual table.  To give just one example: under the “most recent game in the series” guideline, the American tactical bomber should be listed as being in one (or actually both) of the two second-edition 1940 games (Europe 1940 2nd ed and Pacific 1940 2nd ed), but it it’s listed as being in Pacific 1940 (presumably meaning Pacific 1940 1st edition, which is older than both 2nd edition games and even older that Europe 1940 1st ed).  So the table and the article should be used with caution – or, perhaps, should be corrected as needed by anybody here who has both A&A expertise and Wikipedia editing rights.

  • '17 '16

    @CWO:

    In case this is useful to superAAA, there’s a Wikipedia article titled “Comparison of Axis & Allies games” which summarizes the basic differences between all the various editions of A&A.  It does a decent job of proving an adequate amount of detail within a reasonably concise article (which correctly states right at the beginning that “an exhaustive comparison is impossible”).Â

    I read the whole thing… the chart IS WONKY and mostly useless… the article itself is mostly “here’s unit-x, unit-x does this and this, unit-x was in version-y, but not version-z.”

    The read is pretty heavy, and not really in a good format IMHO.

    I much prefer the style people on this forum have written when in MUCH SHORTER terms, they write “well, 1941 does this, this and this, and is mostly aimed at people who want this… 1942 does this, this and this, and is mostly aimed at people who want this”… so on and so on.

    If there was someone who wasn’t at all familiar with the different versions of A&A, and wanted to learn the differences between them, pointing them to that Wiki article would be counter-productive in my opinion.  I don’t like the way that article is written at all… its very heavy where it doesn’t need to be heavy, and seems to go out of its way NOT to compare the different versions of the game as a whole, but seems to focus on the difference between unit-A in version-x vs version-y, instead of the game as a whole.


  • I couldn’t really get anything useful from that either.

    I think the thing that confuses me the most is sub combat. Basically subs always have the choice to leave the battle unless there are destroyers present for the other side whether they are attacking or defending is this correct? So if a battleship attacks a sub the sub can just submerge before the battleship gets a chance to roll?

  • 2024 2023 '22 '21 '20 '19 '18

    @superAAA:

    I couldn’t really get anything useful from that either.

    I think the thing that confuses me the most is sub combat. Basically subs always have the choice to leave the battle unless there are destroyers present for the other side whether they are attacking or defending is this correct? So if a battleship attacks a sub the sub can just submerge before the battleship gets a chance to roll?

    In Revised:

    1.) Subs must fight one round of combat minimum.
    2.) At then of a round of combat (the same step where the attacker opts whether to retreat), a sub on either side of the fight may submerge, ending combat and sharing the SZ with the opposing unit.
    3.) If a Destroyer is present in the battle for one side, Subs on the opposing side cannot submerge.
      EX.)  If Germany brings a Destroyer and a Sub to fight a Russian Sub, the German Sub may submerge but the Russian Sub may not.
    4.) Unlike later A&A editions, Air Units may hit subs in combat.

    Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but this has always seemed to be the case for me.


  • @superAAA:

    I think the thing that confuses me the most is sub combat. Basically subs always have the choice to leave the battle unless there are destroyers present for the other side whether they are attacking or defending is this correct? So if a battleship attacks a sub the sub can just submerge before the battleship gets a chance to roll?

    This is correct for all editions starting from and including Anniversary Edition. Revised has been the last edition where the submarine has to fight one round of combat. In later editions the sub may submerge before any dice are rolled (unless there is an enemy destroyer cancelling the sub’s special abilities present).

    Also (starting from Anniversary) subs cannot be hit by air units unless the air unit is escorted by a destroyer.


  • @P@nther:

    Also (starting from Anniversary) subs cannot be hit by air units unless the air unit is escorted by a destroyer.

    That rule started in Axis & Allies: Europe, 1999.  It’s been a rule in every edition except Milton Bradley & Nova Games (not counting battle games or WWI).


  • @zooooma:

    @P@nther:

    Also (starting from Anniversary) subs cannot be hit by air units unless the air unit is escorted by a destroyer.

    It’s been a rule in every edition except Milton Bradley & Nova Games (not counting battle games or WWI).

    That is not correct for Revised, see

    @rulebook:

    Submarines always fire in the opening fire step, whether on attack or defense. They can fire
    only on sea units. Casualties from this attack will be destroyed before they can return fire, unless an enemy
    destroyer is present. (Any sea or air unit can hit a submarine.)

    No requirement of a destroyer that supports the air unit in this ruleset.


  • I guess they back-pedaled  on this for the Revised edition.  Sounds familiar; I must have forgotten.

    I didn’t play as much Revised - there was only 4 years between that and AA50, during which time we were still playing a lot of Europe and Pacific.
    I did enjoy the Minor Victory version.  It was a tight game, well balanced, and required a very different strategic approach than the other options.

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