Hello… wasn’t really sure where to put this thread, as I’m interested in both A&A 42SE and A&A 41 after taking a 30 year hiatus on playing A&A.
As a teen in the 80s, I used to play on my (now retro-named) 1984 copy of A&A Classic… I played it A LOT back in the 80s… I then moved on with life… fast forward 30 years later, I am now retired with children who I may be able to get into my old hobby, and I’m planning on picking up A&A 1941 to introduce the kids to the game and eventually (fingers crossed) graduate them to 1942 SE.
Having seen the rather shortfall list of units in the default A&A 1941, I’m probably just going to go ahead and pick up A&A 1942 SE as well and merge the sculpts together for a deeper pool of units for either game… finally, I did an attic crawl, and low-and-behold, I dug up my 30+ years old copy of A&A Classic, still complete with everything that was in that original game.
So my question to you fine people with much experience in the current releases of A&A… what (if anything) is worth salvaging from the old 1984 Classic A&A game that I could use with either/both A&A 1941 and/or A&A 1942 SE? Any sculpts, ICs, IPCs, IP-tracker board, Battle Board, chips… anything? Nothing?
You will LOVE what you had from the old classic…paper money, IC sculpt are enough to make a difference…
I am also like you who play a little long time ago and recently come back to play with the latest edition - 42 2E and recently starting to play global. You will love what is evolved… enjoy the game and bring back good memory!
A&A Classic comes with 12 Industrial Complexes (and I do have all 12)… is that enough for A&A 1942 SE? How many IC’s tend to get used in an average game?
There are only 8 Industrial Complexes set up at the start of the game. Usually, less than 3 are built throughout the game. Your 12 ICs should be enough.
Also keep in mind that if ever you get deeply enough into the game to start using house rules, the units from Classic can be put to all sorts of potential uses. For instance the infantry sculpts (which are very similar to the current ones, though slightly different in design) are in different colours from the current standard ones, so they could potentially be used as special infantry units, such as commandos and other special forces. The equipment sculpts can be used to depict expanded minor player powers such as Mongolia or the Axis minor nations. The artillery pieces can be used to provide artillery to China in Global 1940. And so on.
@CWO:
The artillery pieces can be used to provide artillery to China in Global 1940.
Ah… but there are no artillery pieces in A&A Classic! 
Anyways, thanks for the info guys!
Save your IC’s and IPC paper money. Essential for the 1942.2 game. Although I wouldn’t bother with the 1941 edition at all. It’s so watered down that besides using it for it’s sculps it’s rather pointless. My opinion tho. It can be used as a starter game for new players(as I did) but buy 1942.2 along with it. After 1 or 2 1941 sessions you will of had enough.
Speaking of sculps from older games. I was recently able to aquire the original Europe and Pacific games from a yard sale. Now I have 24 ICs and IPC paper money. Sure beats cardboard factories and keeping track of funds on paper.
I’m perfectly fine jumping straight back into A&A 1942 SE personally… but its not all about me… I have two young children who are currently enjoying family games of Risk… so they need a gentle climb into the A&A World… if I shoved 42 SE at them i’d probably give them a heart attack. I’d love to have 24 IC’s just as a cushion… and I currently have 12… might try and find some 2nd hand somewhere.
I disagree with ProtesT about 1941.
As well as being an ideal starter game (as he and Wolf recognise) it brings a refreshing simplicity to the stable. Although I enjoy all the other A&A games I own, there are times when the strategic thrust of 1941 triumphs over the other games’ war of attrition. In 1941 the relatively high cost of units to income ratio leads to a greater need to hold on to the territories you capture, rather than merely trading them.
Of course that simplicity comes at a cost, so I am not saying that 1941 is better, just that I appreciate the differences and value all the A&A variants.
The nerd in me would see me playing massive games of 1940 Global… I can totally see myself doing that… if I had no kids, didn’t have time obligations and had local friends into the same thing. My realistic goal is 1942 SE… that will probably be my target for graduating the kids to at some point and I could see us having time to enjoy that scope as a family. In the meantime, I know that 1941 is going to be the start… 1942 would overload my kids and turn them off before they begin… don’t want that… I’m glad they made 1941, and while it’s not exactly my cup of tea, it definitely has its place in the lineup for introducing new people to the franchise and/or for those just wanting a faster/simpler version. I’ll be picking both 41 and 42 up later this week… can’t wait to get them in hand.
@CWO:
The artillery pieces can be used to provide artillery to China in Global 1940.
Ah… but there are no artillery pieces in A&A Classic! Â
Anyways, thanks for the info guys!
I meant the AAA (anti-aircraft artillery) pieces. A&A Guadalcanal is actually an even better option because it provides the generic AAA pieces in green for the US, which is a better match for China than grey.
Sad to say, my daughter defeated me in Risk this week… her eye for strategy is in her genes. I might have to introduce the kids to 1941 soon!
Sad to say, my daughter defeated me in Risk this week… her eye for strategy is in her genes. I might have to introduce the kids to 1941 soon!
She sounds like she has the potential to rise through the ranks very quickly. I’m reminded of a quote from the WWII-era movie Air Force, in which the enlisted crew chief of a B-17 proudly announces that his son (a fighter pilot) has just received his commission as a Lieutenant: “Can you imagine me saluting my own kid?”
