It gets drawn out and takes a long, long, LOOOOOOONG time to finish.

That said, the best version is the a-symmetrical Star Wars Clone Wars Risk.

The reason is that it’s a team game, specifically 2v2. The rep team has the immediate advantage of more land and faster card drawing. The sep team however, has to dig in as long as they can. Once order 66 is called, the sep team rolls a 8 sided dice for each rep territory. The longer the sep players wait, the stronger o66 get. So calling o66 on turn 5 would only make number 1 convert a rep colony - a 1/8 chance. But if the sep players wait 10 turns to call it, numbers 1-7 convert a rep into a sep colony.

Maybe it’s out of line to call it similar to A&A, but if I had to, I’d compare the Axis as the rep and the seps as the Allies. The reps have to strike fast and hard in order to stand a chance. But if the sep players hang on long enough, they will have the advantage, as the US does.

The other Risk variants use the same equality thing that is boring. Imagine if A&A was the same for each force. Difference is what makes it interesting. So if you are going to try a Risk game, I highly suggest you play the Star Wars one. The asymmetry is what also gives A&A its exciting flavor.

I’m wondering if you guys have any tips or what you guys do TO introduce a game like AA to new players. Do you do anything to make it seem interesting? Do you have prizes to the winner? Do you take out some rules to make it simpler?

VAGUE ROOLZ AHH!  :mrgreen:

And does strat. bombing STACK with IPC damage done by rockets? Or does is the IPC limit shared by both?

Well, improving myself is one thing, but I think my friends lack the patience to learn as I am doing. They look for instant gratification, but I seek a long term commitment.

You can only get so far by playing board games with yourself. I just need A game to get them hooked on boardgames and say, “Wow these boardgames can be a lot of fun!”, “Maybe I should try some more!”.

I think it was my fault for throwing AA at them when they aren’t usually board gamers. When they put challenging on the difficulty, now I know why!

I think next time, I’m going to throw Cosmic Encounter at them and possibly Risk 2210. Steady difficulty should be more managable than climbing a cliff day 1.

In order to be disappointed, one must have some sort of expectations, or another subject to compare it to. Well, that would be my other board games, card games and video games.

First of all, let me tell you, I’m not here to burn out the fire of everyone else on these forums. I just have some issues with this game that I’d like to say and I could give advice to. I’m not saying AA is a bad game, but these reasons are bothering me.

1. Clutter

From setting things up, to using the battle board, a minor tap on the table shifts units here and there. Placing units back on the board or picking them up is quite tricky sometimes. A lot of my time was wasted on this.

2. Rules

We got pretty much everything except where planes land after battles, what transports do in the combat/noncombat phase and if any ship gets attacked by a battleship they die automatically.

3. Space

The board, the miniboards, the battle area, the production chart, area for pieces, dice, area for the banker… Our table barely fit everything.

Keep in mind this is my first time I actually started playing it. After about the third turn of everybody (I played with 3 other people, I was US Russia), we called it quits. It had been 4 hours and our heads were hurting. I’m wondering if anyone had any similar problems with their first times and if it got any better for them.

I’m just getting a feeling that perhaps I’ll bring Risk 2210, Cosmic Encounter, or rather just play a good game of Texas hold em than AA next time. I have a strong doubt the people I played with want to play again. (we are seniors in high school)

I guess it was just too complex and mentally demanding from most other experiences.

What I mean by turning off HUD and stuff, I meant that to be MANDATORY as in everyone has to play like that. Obviously with the HUD on, you’ll have a large advantage.

And why is that so?

So you’re saying no matter how many strategic bombings in addition to a rocket strike I do to a single territory, I can only do the income amount only for that turn right? Then I guess there’s no point in bringing 2 bombers to bomb a 1-value territory…