A couple problems I have with this version


  • Since all nations are pretty much poor and the IPC’s are the board are minimal. I think that every ship should cost 1 less, so subs be 5, transports 6, dd’s 7, carriers 11, BB’s 15. This would make it to where naval battles won’t be so decisive. If say the axis get unlucky the first turn in naval battles the game is over before it began. No nation can rebuild a navy… Why make the game so first turn based and so hard to fight large naval battles, also I would like to be able to have the ability for US to build a battleship on the first turn. They were the richest nation as well as most industrial nation on the planet even in 41… Another huge problem I have is tanks being 6 dollars. I haven’t purchased a single tank with any country in any game played, except for when russia was about to fall and I spent a whole turn with germanys income building tanks. Why is it that tanks are so expensive when the board is much smaller than 42, and the income is WAY smaller. Over a third less IPC’s on the board. Tanks should be their normal 5. Infantry are much better on boards that are small because their one biggest weakness when compared to a tank is their 1 movement. Their 1 attack isn’t so much a hindrence if your opponet is building all 6 point tanks… Even him building all infantry to match, 1 tank attacking 2 infantry is going to take the territory 13%, and loosing 80% of the time. The tank killing both infantry is 15%. 2 infantry attacking a tank is 53% chance to win, and 40% chance to loose. I am really dumbfounded on the price of a tank being 6… I am going to play from now on tanks are 5 dollars and each ship costs 1 less, and see if the game isn’t so all infantry only with a couple destroyers and transports thrown in. I feel like only 4 units are purchased, fighters, infantry, transports, and destroyers. I also agree that the axis are too strong. Mainly Germany’s navy being too strong for GB to build a navy for 2 turns. Maybe loose the sub in southern Europe and I like the idea of India being worth 2. In earlier versions of axis and allies you were almost never left with a problem of having too much money and not enough factory space. In this version it happens all the time with every country besides US/Russia. I’d like to see every capital get 1 extra IPC value to alleviate this glaring error… What happened to the other units in the game? Why are they even there? They should just call it infantry vs infantry. Makes me wish I could have helped the creator with this project. I love the board, but there are too many obvious mistakes for my liking.


  • Hi ROCmonster, this game is designed to be a cheaper introductory one to get more players in to A&A. We think it is working. We who have most games bought it because we have to. (It is a problem we have!) it is simpler, with fewer units and less money so games finish more quickly. We do not want  new players getting bored and not wanting to play again.
    You can do anything with your game. A lot of peope are.
    If you play with a new player, I suggest you play as it was designed though.


  • @wittmann:

    Hi ROCmonster, this game is designed to be a cheaper introductory one to get more players in to A&A. We think it is working. We who have most games bought it because we have to. (It is a problem we have!) it is simpler, with fewer units and less money so games finish more quickly. We do not want  new players getting bored and not wanting to play again.
    You can do anything with your game. A lot of peope are.
    If you play with a new player, I suggest you play as it was designed though.

    I do love this game for new players also. The board is the perfect size and complexity for them to get addicted while being able to learn the game. I just think a couple small changes would make this board playable for us experts… I also see the bias towards the axis. I feel like Larry Harris was trying to force a build of every unit, but he didn’t realize that most every unit gets built already if they cost correctly. Fleet, air, and tanks being one less would make every unit playable. Also the country’s capital needs to be 1 more, or this game is a joke. I had 3 turns in a row where Germany had 15 dollars and all I could purchase was 3 infantry and a tank… Saving 1 everytime. Why is the game this way? Also now you can only buy 4 ground units in Germany and japan. What happens when Germany has 15 and Japan has 18? UK has 3 IPC’s? She needs 4 minimum to be able to build 4 infantry for their 2 transports. Just really unhappy with a game that is so unbalanced and not fun to play as an expert player…


  • Germany only being able to build  4 units is frustrating when you have conquered all of Russia and have 19 IPCs and need to take London quickly. You can always change a few things to complicate  matters and lenghten a game, or play it as it is If you have only 3 hours spare.
    It is a pretty map and playing can be funny as hell sometimes because there are so few spaces.

  • TripleA '12

    But if Germany has conquered all of Russia then surely she can use the old Soviet ICs? Or am I mistaken?


  • Yes Loz. Of course. When I let my wife beat me, I suggested she build 2 inf in Moscow
    As well as 4 in Germany. That way she could attack London with 6 Inf and her 4 Air units. Eventually London fell (Turn 10). Is slow going!


  • In fact, the US starting income is 17 (and not 15 as shown in the rulebook and on the IPC tracker), so a BB is affordable on Turn 1.

    For the tanks, they have been at 6 IPC since Global 1940. I guess it made sense with the synergy with the new units (tactical bombers, mechanized infantry). For this game, tho, it’s hard to tell. But maybe 5 IPCs tanks in a map so small with so few units would be too strong? Don’t know.

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    build a fighter and 3 inf next tim Witt…


  • Thanks Garg. My wife did once. Didn’t like it.
    Still need tonnes of Inf if UK(that would be me playing new people) buys 3 Inf each turn for England. By turn 6, which I think is earliest you can Sealion, UK has 12 ground units and 3 or 4 Fts. The game drags on and on…
    Incidentally, It’s Wittmann or Hauptsturmfuhrer or Captain. What’s with the Witt? Sounds gay!
    You trying to say something?

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    You better start liking your new nickname…


  • It has taken me 8 months to get a picture up and you disrespect me! We have many words for you in Italian, but I will say it in English: bugger!
    It won’t catch on anyway. It’s not Germanic enough.


  • @toblerone77:

    Haven’t played yet… but the impression I get is that this game is a bit “Lucased” up a notch and it is the Jar-Jar Binks of A&A however I will reserve judgement until I play it.Â

    I recommend the buy if you wish to teach new players, otherwise it is garbage!

  • Customizer

    I bought it bbecause I’m a longtime fan and an A&A collector. I did buy to teach. I did notice however that 1942 2009 edition is cheaper and about as easy to teach with. 1942.2 is much more expensive as the sequel to the “main” version of the game, which makes me nervous because essentially it means a huge price hike in A&A games. The cheapness and lack of materials at a 30 dollar MSRP seems to cconfirm this to me also. I don’t think 1941 is horrible but I’m weary of what this means for the franchise.


  • How much is the newest version of 42 going for?

  • Customizer

    $65.00 USD Amazon is cheaper though.

  • Customizer

    The problem with this game is this: 2 people sit down to play it that have never played before and they will find it near impossible to win as the Allies. If it is supposed to be an introductory game for newbies then it will fail miserably. If however it was designed to be bought by hardcore A&A fans who either A: want to indoctrinate newbies into the A&A world by letting them be Axis and win all the time, then request something more complicated, or B: want to have some cool new sculpts. Then it will succeed albeit in a much smaller market share. If they wanted rookies to have fun with this simple and quick game they should have balanced it more to the detriment of ANY historical accuracy. Barring that a reprint of 42 or Classic would have done the trick to get new people into the game. As it is only with the help of veteran A&A folk will this game see any table time. That’s fine for us but WotC really dropped the ball on this opportunity to get fresh blood in any significant numbers.

    That said, I love it and can’t wait to get some time with it to tweak it into a game worth playing when the hour gets late and there’s too much time to quit for the day and not enough time to play anything else.


  • @Most:

    The problem with this game is this: 2 people sit down to play it that have never played before and they will find it near impossible to win as the Allies. If it is supposed to be an introductory game for newbies then it will fail miserably. If however it was designed to be bought by hardcore A&A fans who either A: want to indoctrinate newbies into the A&A world by letting them be Axis and win all the time, then request something more complicated, or B: want to have some cool new sculpts. Then it will succeed albeit in a much smaller market share. If they wanted rookies to have fun with this simple and quick game they should have balanced it more to the detriment of ANY historical accuracy. Barring that a reprint of 42 or Classic would have done the trick to get new people into the game. As it is only with the help of veteran A&A folk will this game see any table time. That’s fine for us but WotC really dropped the ball on this opportunity to get fresh blood in any significant numbers.

    That said, I love it and can’t wait to get some time with it to tweak it into a game worth playing when the hour gets late and there’s too much time to quit for the day and not enough time to play anything else.

    agreed! First thing I did was drop everything in price down by 1, except arty and inf, and I added arty. Secondly I added the home capital of every country by 1 so having 16 with germany meant you could actually buy 5 units!


  • I like this game for what it’s intended for, it’s not necessarily ment to be a totally dictated by strategy- luck plays a huge part in it as well and i have come to terms with it.

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