Release date

release date is november 17th… just came in… no other info at this time

not sure its conjecture… but tiger tanks, me-109, halftrack for (mech infantry/panzer grenadier)

Yes pieces thats the whole reason why we are here… those damm pieces… this is the first system with plastic micro miniatures that are used instead of cardboard pieces… its an aesthetic that is not found before 1984.

The number of pieces has little to actually do with the quality of the game itself. In spite of what some say, Axis & Allies is not a box of toys. It’s supposed to be a game. A game with plastic pieces. There are enough pieces to play the game. The piece count is based on the game play requirements of the game. They are really pretty cool pieces if you ask me. Battle of the Bulge has 4 new pieces. An American duce-and-a half, a German Opel truck, a 109 fighter and one hell of a cool revised Panther. By the way, this stuff isn’t cheap! I look around and try to see who else is manufacturing this kind of game. Manufacturing these kinds of games and is still in business!

I’m kind of impressed with what HASBRO is and has been doing over the years. I owe a lot to this company. They continue to lead the charge up that hill that not many can or would venture off to. They’ve got the “hutzpah” to run not walk into this niche market area and produce the finest games of this type to be found anywhere.

This company (Hasbro) comes from and is firmly based in the Mass Market business. It’s roots are firmly planted there. Yet, it finds the time and resources to keep pumping out these Axis & Allies games to a relatively small speaciality market business area. Occasionally they have disappointed some of us with the “thinness” of their National Control Markers or erroneous piece count packout, but you know what? THEY AWAYS MAKE GOOD for their short comings. They sometimes appear to be slow to react. Few of us know about the crusades being waged by a handful of people in the boardrooms and meeting rooms at this corporate giant. Hats off to these unsong hero’s of games.

I didn’t wake up and want to do a Sunday sermon this morning but comments and concerns about piece counts and hating Hasbro sometimes compels me to speak up. Speak up in much the same way I would if I see someone falsely accused or unfairly convicted of something. It’s always easy to through rocks and trash at the big guy on the hill.

I couldn’t just let these comments pass with out commenting in return. I suggest, if you can’t support these efforts, at least recognize the effort that went into them. Being on both sides of this preverbal fence I see the efforts being made by the good people at Avalon Hill to keep this business growing. If Hasbro doesn’t continue to support this thin margin business adventure, then we’re going to be talking about cardboard counters and how many trees were used to make each game.

This is a quote from larry harris about the new game.

See i knew it would be the me 109, a new tank, and a half track…  I called that like 9 months ago.

Yea and you know ill bring my copy and we will have to play it out!

I hope you have time between your axis and allies miniatures competition. :-D :-D

After studing the map in detail I do see that the starting forces are in fact printed on the map. If you look carefully under each piece it even has lines to indicate how many chips go under the piece! Also some hexsides have some terrain barrier to regulate movement. This would be woodlands. The germans have a starting supply influence which is used up after either moving units and or combat actions. This reduces from the graph on the right of the board. The printed icons on the allies side represent fuel reserves which also have a corresponding counter thats placed in these areas. If you enter you flip over the unit and it reveals the number of supply points you have captured. I believe the placement of these supply points ( meaning their value) is probably random.

The combat system lends itself to make artillery very important as they roll 3 dice in combat. I wonder how airpower works.