@mastrtonberry:
Thanks for the responses! So you’re saying there are adequate number of pieces in the Pacific and Europe sets that I won’t really need extras?
Buying a copy of 1940 Europe 2nd edition, and 1940 Pacific 2nd edition (make sure they say 2nd Edition) is very important in my opinion. There are a lot of things you can add and customize to make your gaming experience better, but the base games will give you that immediate foundation. If you have printed my custom map, you can use the OOB (out of box) boards as a strategy tool in a separate room where teammates can discuss. Watch out for a new video on my channel in September about getting started, but for now, here are my suggestions…
Money
The game does not come with any tangible currency, you can get special paper money at HBG (historical board gaming), or special poker chips at IWNGU (I will never grow up).
Facilities
Everyone hates using those cardboard counters for facilities because they are hard to pickup, time consuming for setup, and they take up valuable space. You’re already ahead of the game if you have printed my map with the bases already on it, but you will need something for your factories. I use the gray factories from 1942 1st edition, and the factories from risk revised, but you could use anything from settlers of catan settlements, to monopoly houses and hotels. HBG also has small and large plastic houses in many different colours.
Extra Units
I myself bought 2 copies of both 1940 Europe and 1940 Pacific when I first got started, and I have never run out of anything during a game, but I understand if people don’t want to spend that much. My next suggestion is to play the game and find out what you ussually run out of and then buy extras from HBG. For example: if you find that the Japanese tend to use mech infantry a lot, or if Germany always buys bombers in your games… than add units when it calls for it.
Chips
The game does not provide enough chips, and HBG is always out of stock when it comes to the A&A oob chips… so apart from buying 2 full sets of 1940 global, I suggest replacing all of them with HBG chips. I would get 100 whites, 50 greens, 50 reds, and 10 blues.
Dice
Even if you buy 2 full sets of 1940 Global, you won’t have enough dice… and HBG is always out of stock. I just got a ton from IWNGU which are almost identical to the A&A oob dice.
Game Aids
There are helpful game aids here like what Sauffenberg was saying, here are my national objective cards you can print and cut in order to track them better. Just keep in mind that there is an error on the “North Africa” NO for Italy.
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=36011.0
Hope that helps.