Considering that it is good to use as few chips or bucks as possible to fill each player’s amount, more high-value coins and fewer low-value coins should be used.
Looking at the needs for the Anniversary edition we cover all the others except the Global edition which has higher requirements and taking into account that the Anniversary, Europe, Pacific and Global editions also require extra amounts from the National Objectives Income.
It should also be taken into account that it is impossible to achieve all National Objectives at the same time because on the one hand some overlap between rival powers and also it is impossible for both sides or for all powers to excel at the same time. However, here the calculation takes into account the theoretically maximum amount that can exist.
Below I also list the quantities required in editions as well, including the revenues from the National Objectives, where they exist:
Starting IPC’s for Axis & Allies games:
1941: 55
Pacific 1940: 81 (157)
Spring 1942: 166
Anniversary: 171 (246)
Europe 1940: 149 (249)
Global 1940: 241 (373)
A&A IPC Calculation.pdf
For the Anniversary edition:
IPC Chips with a value of 1:
It is possible that 6 quads with a value of 1 are needed at the same time. For example if all powers have income ending in 4 or 9 (eg 4, 14, 9, 19 etc). This means that 24 chips with a value of 1 may be needed.
IPC Chips with a value of 5:
Also if all powers have income ending in 5 to 9 at the same time (eg 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16 etc) they may need 6 tokens with a value of 5 at the same time. This does not change if there are chips with a value of 25 in the set because then, they complete the five after 25 to make a ten up to 30 for the amounts that follow (e.g. 31, 32, 33, 34, 41, 42 etc.).
IPC Chips with a value of 10:
If there are no chips of 25 then 20 chips with a value of 10 may be needed at the same time since the maximum total income reaches 246 IPC.
Having chips worth 25 greatly reduces the requirement for chips worth 10 used to complete tens between 10 and 25 or between 25 and 50 (eg 35, 45 etc). Therefore, the highest requirement for chips with a value of 10 occurs if all powers need two chips with a value of 10 at the same time, so 6 pairs, i.e. 12 chips with a value of 10.
So the perfect sets for the Anniversary Edition are:
- Simple required set: 24x1 + 6x5 + 20x10 = 256 IPC with 50 chips
- Simple configured set: 25x1 + 5x5 + 20x10 = 250 IPC with 50 chips
- Full required set: 24x1 + 6x5 + 12x10 + 3x25 = 249 IPC with 45 chips
- Full configured set: 25x1 + 10x5 + 10x10 + 3x25 = 250 IPC with 48 chips
Likewise for the Global version:
IPC Chips with a value of 1:
If all powers have income ending in 4 or 9 (e.g. 4, 9, 14, 19 etc), 10 quads with a value of 1 may be needed at the same time, meaning 40 tokens with a value of 1.
IPC Chips with a value of 5:
Also, 10 chips with a value of 5 may be needed at the same time if the powers’ incomes end in 5 to 9 (eg 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16 etc). This does not change if there are chips with a value of 25 in the set because then, they complete the five after 25 to make a ten up to 30 for the amounts that follow (e.g. 31, 32, 33, 34, 41, 42 etc.).
IPC Chips with a value of 10:
If there are no chips of 25 then 29 chips with a value of 10 may be needed at the same time since the maximum total income reaches 373 IPC.
If there are chips with a value of 25 it greatly reduces the requirement for chips with a value of 10 which are used to complete tens between 10 and 25 or between 25 and 50 etc. Therefore, the highest requirement for chips with a value of 10 occurs if all powers need two chips with a value of 10 at the same time, so 10 pairs, i.e. 20 chips with a value of 10.
Therefore the perfect sets for the Global version are:
- Simple required set: 40x1 + 10x5 + 29x10 = 380 IPC with 79 chips
- Simple configured set: 40x1 + 10x5 + 30x10 = 390 IPC with 80 chips
- Full required set: 40x1 + 10x5 + 20x10 + 4x25 = 390 IPC with 74 chips
- Full configured set: 40x1 + 10x5 + 20x10 + 5x25 = 415 IPC with 75 chips