A&A: Acronyms and Abbreviations

Greetings, fellow Axisers and Alliers,

To assist us in more rapidly verbally battering each other back and forth,  here is my list of commonly used A&A ‘Acronyms and Adjectives’.  It works on so many levels!

Comments and feedback welcome!  For territory abbreviations, skip to the bottom. Original post hosted on BGG: boardgamegeek.com/article/8788810#8788810

Format:
Term; alternate terms
Definition

A&A; AAA
Axis and Allies

A(#)
The American (US) player’s turn in Round #X

aa; aaa
Anti Aircraft gun

AA40; AAG40; AAG
Axis and Allies 1940, either Europe or Pacific Theaters, which can be combined to play the massive “A&A Global”

AA42; AA1942; AA4
Axis and Allies 1942 (2010); the current printed edition of A&A

AA50; AAAE; AA3
Axis and Allies 50th Anniversary Edition; out of print

AAR; Revised; AA2
Axis and Allies Revised (2004); out of print

art; RTL
Artillery

Bait Shop; Chop Shop
An IC built in Alaska

bmr; BOM
Bomber

Bridging
Using a stationary transport(s) to move gear between two landing sites adjacent to the same Sea Zone.

btl; BB
Battleship

C(#)
The Chinese player’s turn in Round #X

Canadian Shield
A dual Germany/Japan invasion of Canada, usually on Round 3

Cannon fodder
Weak units (infantry and artillery on land, transports (in AAR and before) and subs at sea) that are there primarily to absorb damage for more expensive units

car; CV
Aircraft Carrier

Cheese
A move that is both:
a) intended to decide the outcome of the game immediately, AND
b) based on an [i]immense[/i] degree of randomness.
See “Sea Lion” for the classic example of Axis Cheese.

Chi
China

Chop Shop
See ‘Bait Shop’

Count
The total number of hits a force can absorb; either oCount (for the attacker) or dCount (for the defender)

cru; CA
Cruiser

Curry Shop
See ‘IIC’

des; DD
Destroyer

Donut Shop
An IC built in the Ukraine

ftr; FIG
Fighter

G(#)
The German player’s turn in Round #X

Ger
Germany

German Turtle
see ‘Turtle’

I(#)
The Italian player’s turn in Round #X

IC
Industrial Complex (Factory)

IIC
An IC built in India, usually by the UK on U1. The most common IC build.

inf
Infantry

IPC; $
Industral Production Certificates (money)

Ita
Italy

J(#)
The Japanese player’s turn in Round #X

Jpn
Japan

JTDTM
Japan Tank Drive To Moscow; a strategy where the Japan player aggressively pressures Russia and threatens Moscow with ground forces

KAF
Kill America First; a strategy where the Axis go all in to kill the US quickly while demphasizing or ignoring other targets. Usually involves Landbridge, Canadian Shield, or Operation Hollywood.

KBF; KUF
Kill Britain First; a strategy where the Axis go all in to kill the UK quickly while demphasizing or ignoring other targets. Usually involves Sea Lion or Landbridge.

KGF
Kill Germany First; a strategy where the Allies go all in to kill Germany quickly while demphasizing or ignoring Japan

KJF
Kill Japan First; a strategy where the Allies go all in to kill Japan quickly while demphasizing or ignoring Germany

KRF
Kill Russia First; a strategy where the Axis go all in to kill Russia quickly while demphasizing or ignoring other targets. Usually involves JTDTM.

Landbridge
A massive, early buildup of German transports (usually 6-8tra) in the Baltic

LH
Larry Harris, creator of Axis and Allies

LHTR
Larry Harris Tournament Rules, a set of improved rules and errata for playing AAR, mostly modifying tech, Carrier, and submarine rules.  LHTR were eventually largely incorporated into the base rulesets for the later AA40, AA50, and AA42 games.

LRA
Long Range Aircraft, for games where tech is available and allowed

NA
National Advantage(s); optional, side-/nation-specific rules included with AAR and other A&A games. Rarely used in competitive play.

NO
National Objective, side-specific IPC-incentivized criteria. Present in AA40 and AA50 only.

Operation Hollywood; Polar Express
A Japanese invasion of WUS, usually on J3

Pazcki Shop
An IC built in Eastern Europe, usually by Russia

Punch
The added-together strengths (hit-on numbers) of all units in a given force.Either oPunch (for the attacker) or dPunch (for the defender). Divide the Punch by 6 to arrive at the number of hits that force should produce per combat round.

R(#)
The U.S.S.R. player’s turn during Round #X

Round
Rounds are made up of one Turn for each player.

Rus
The USSR

Russian Turtle
see ‘Turtle’

SBR
Strategic Bombing Run (or Raid); when a bomber is used to attack the production or economy of a player rather than their units directly

Sea Lion
A G1 amphibious invasion of London.  In games where tech is allowed, usually preceded by a G1 roll of 6 tech dice for LRA or Heavy Bombers.

Shuck; shuck-shuck, single/double shuck
A transport move or series of moves that actualizes the most efficient means of landing gear amphibiously. The single ‘Shuck’ is a term generally reserved for single- or two-Sea Zone transport moves involving a single transport group; while the double or ‘Shuck-shuck’ term describes a two-turn, four-Sea Zone transport action with one group of transports repeating the first leg depositing gear at an intermediate landing site, with a second transport group repeating the second leg, depositing the gear at it’s final location.

Skew
The degree to which a force resists strength reduction when absorbing hits. Cannon fodder is required for good skew.

Strafe
An attack that is designed to inflict asymmetrical losses in one or two rounds before retreating

sub; SN
Submarine

Sucker Punch
Any move that is potentially devastating but easily countered if seen ahead of time (or if encountered before)

tac
Tactical Bomber

tnk
Tank

tra; TRN
Transport

Turn
The 5-phase period of time when a particular side may act. When each side has taken their turn, that Round is complete.

Turtle; turtling
A strategy that emphasizes survival by sacrificing liberty-of-action and/or initiative.  Generally involves a simultaneous withdrawal to core territories and ‘infantry-alone’ builds. Typically initiated by Germany (WEU+GER+SEU+EEU) on G3-4 in KGF; or by the USSR (RUS+CAU) as early as R2-3 in KRF.

U(#)
The UK player’s turn in Round #X

UK
The UK (British); also the UK capital when used as a territory

US
The US (America)

VC
Victory City

Territory Abbreviations:

Anglo
Anglo-Egypt Sudan

AUS
Australia

Baltic
Sea Zone 5 (The Baltic Sea)

Bury
Buryatia S.S.R.

CAU; Cauc; CAC; CAS
Caucasus

ECan
Eastern Canada

EE; EEU
Eastern Europe

EUS
Eastern United States

FIC; Frindo
French IndoChina

GER;Berlin
Germany the Territory (Ger Capital)

KAR
Karelia

RUS
Russia the Territory (USSR Capital)

SE; SEU
Southern Europe

SZ(#)
Sea Zone #X

WCan
Western Canada

WE; WEU
Western Europe

WRU
West Russia

WUS; L.A.
Western United States

3/22/2012
Added turtle, shuck, and bridge; added CAU and KAR.