So im thinking of getting a copy of axis and allies for when my brother in law is over to visit
I can potentially get my hands on or buy the following versions of the game…classic, 1942 1st ed, 1942 2nd ed, 1941 and anniversary
Are their variants that let me play the anniversary or 1942 versions with the play time of the 1941 version in case we dont have the time to get a full game in when he is over to visit? Or should i just get Risk or the 1941 edition instead?
BTW I’ve never played an Axis game…my head says get 1941 but my heart says anniversary or 1942 2nd and my wallet says classic or 1942 1st…im torn…lol
From my research, the anniversary is obviously the most impressive looking version, but a long play time might not be feasible? And my BIL is not much of a gamer aside from playing games like risk, monopoly and clue as a kid …but he is a huge WW2 history buff…I’m an avid gamer so complicated rule sets don’t bother me.
My wife and kids may also want to have a crack at it at some point…may use them to playtest and learn the rules, unless there is a solo variant I could use instead
Get the 42 2nd edition. You can go to the sites opening thread page and click on 1942 2nd Edition thread topic and get all info on game and bids if need be.
Welcome to site Neemo. Ask away any questions you have, Somebody will reply. :wink:
how much more complicated is the Anniversary over 1942 2nd Ed.?
are their variants to streamline play if we only have a couple hours to kill? (like control 1 or 2 enemy capitals as per the 1941 game, or does the increase number of areas on the large anniversary map make this and option that is not a feasible?)
It seems like the Anniversary Version is starting to sell out already here in Canada … I’m wondering if I just go for it while the price is reasonable, if its the definitive version … but at the same time I don’t wanna completely turn him off of a game with too many bits and rules.
From what I’ve read online in the past few days it seems like 1941 would be too simplified for my tastes.
Hi Neemo
In broad terms the game gets more complicated as you move from 1941 to 1942.2 to Anniversary to 1940. I have excluded 1942.1 and Classic from my list as they are out of print (or so I believe) and I have not played them. But I have included 1940 as it is very much part of the stable of currently available and much played games.
So the obvious learning path is from 1941 to 1942.2 to Anniversary to 1940.
Those that love the A&A format (such as members of this forum) find 1941 too simple. But it is easier to learn, quicker to play and more likely to be enjoyed by those who are not yet addicts of the game. So ignore the addicts and buy 1941. If you like that sufficiently to progress along the A&A path you can spoil yourself at a later date with 1942.2.
BTW - Three years ago I began my A&A addiction with 1941 and now have the whole stable of in-print games. However, many of those I have taught have liked 1941 sufficiently to keep playing, but insufficiently to want to spend the whole day engaged in a more elaborate version.
It seems like the Anniversary Version is starting to sell out already here in Canada … I’m wondering if I just go for it while the price is reasonable, if its the definitive version … but at the same time I don’t wanna completely turn him off of a game with too many bits and rules.
In a sense, there’s no such thing as a “definitive” version of the A&A board games. If such a thing existed, there would be no point in WotC ever publishing any other version and there would be no point in anyone buying any other version. A more useful categorization, in my opinion, would be the following two-part division: the older versions which have gone out of print, and the versions which are currently in print. The older out-of-print ones, at this point, would mainly of interest to collectors and others who are sufficiently motivated to buy them on the secondary market. In terms of the current ones, a useful way to think about them isn’t so much in terms of which one is definitive but rather in terms of which one best suits your needs and preferences, based on where they fall on the size-and-complexity continuum. That’s the nice thing about the current array of games which are in production: they can be viewed as falling on such a continuum, so they offer you a range of options.
Leaving aside the WWI 1914 game (which is non-standard because it’s not a WWII game), and D-Day (which gets reprinted on-and-off, and thus is technically still in print, but is non-standard because it’s a game depicting a specific battle of WWII rather than WWII itself), your range of options, from smallest and simplest to biggest and most complex, are 1941, 1942 (2nd ed.), Anniversary (reprint), Pacific 1940 (2nd ed.) by itself, Europe 1940 (2nd ed.) by itself, and the Global 1940 (2nd ed.) game which you get by combining the Pacific and Europe games. From what you’ve mentioned in your posts, it sounds as if you’ve already more or less narrowed the array down to a choice between 1942 and Anniversary, which sounds correct to me because if you’re uncertain about what to buy and if you’re weighing different considerations against each other then you’re probably better off avoiding the two extreme ends of the continuum (1941 at one end and the 1940 games at the other end). Having narrowed things down to those two games, the deciding factor might then be to ask yourself: a) whether you think Anniversary is more likely to go out of print than 1942 and b) how badly you think you might regret missing it on the primary market if it does indeed go out of print. If a) and b) are serious concerns for you, you should probably get Anniversary; if they’re not serious concerns, then get 1942 first; you can then decide whether to just stick with it or whether to also get Anniversary later, based on your playing experience with 1942.
Based on what I know about the versions you have available to you, here’s what I would recommend:
If you’re worried about barrier of entry because of game length or complexity, get 1941 with the intention of upgrading to either Anniversary or 1942 2nd ed. later (or go ahead and get both 1941 and one of the other sets so you can upgrade the 1941 components).
If cost is the bigger issue, try to pick up either Classic (for nostalgia) or 1942 1st ed. (for better compatibility with later versions) on the cheap. Just because they’re older editions doesn’t mean they’re not still fun to play.
If you only want to get the “best” single version, it’s a toss-up between Anniversary and 1942 2nd edition since they have about the same level of depth, complexity, and game length (with Anniversary being a little longer and more complex with the inclusion of Italy and China as major powers, but not by much). Personally, I would get Anniversary because of what you get in the box compared to 1942 2nd edition and because who knows for how much longer this limited run will be available.
Id buy both. Be done with it. Play 42. Then go to AA50 Ann. If you want to play longer. Hey who knows start checkin around and u may fiend more players than yr bil.
Of your list, I would suggest getting the Anniversary Edition. It’s big, it’s loud, it’s bold - and it’s here for a limited time.
-Midnight_Reaper
I’d buy whichever one was in front of me. :-D
Managed to order the anniversary edition so hopefully it’ll work out for our needs
Should i also grab a copy of 1941 as a introductory or just suck it up and roll with AA50?
Is there an option to play this game solo (so i can invest some time to learn rules so i can teach others)
If you are confident that you will both enjoy the more complex all-day version from the start off then 1941 is probably now redundant for you. But if you want an evening version which is easier to learn, then 1941 is just the ticket.
Many of us began the journey towards owning multiple versions of A&A by thinking about how to top up the pieces in the box of our first version. But as an owner of Anniversary you might top up your pieces by purchasing something other than 1941 if the more complicated versions are your thing.
I certainly played solo to learn the game and know that others did so too, although playing yourself is likely to become boring very quickly.
Alternatively you can play on the computer using “triple a” software available via this forum. If that is what you want to do, then one of us will be very happy to point you at the instructions, etc.
How do i play solo without triple a? Just play all powers by myself independently without bias?
How do i play solo without triple a? Just play all powers by myself independently without bias?
Yes, you just play each side yourself. There is no hidden information in the game, so while you can’t surprise yourself, you can certainly practice obvious strategies - Kill Germany First (KGF, Allied Strategy) or Kill Russia First (KRF, Axis Strategy).
You can also try favoring one side over another - playing UK hard and Germany passively, or Japan aggressively and the US in a diffident manner.
-Midnight_Reaper
for some reason my solo strategy always ends up with me wanting whoever is attacking to win :)
for some reason my solo strategy always ends up with me wanting whoever is attacking to win :)
And that’s fine, so long as you have a coherent strategy from turn to turn for the different powers.
Something as simple as writing down, say: “Sov - contain Germany, Ger - Kill Russia, UK - contain Germany, Japan - Kill Russia, US - Kill Japan”. Now, you can remember what you were working on when you last had control of that power. It’s not the simplest thing in the world but I don’t find it impossible to do, either.
-Midnight_Reaper
heh heh :)
not ideal is right :)
For beginners, I’ve always liked A&A Europe the original. It’s out of print, but still obtainable. There’s even a copy for $25 on BBG!
It’s easy to play, dramatic, and not too long. It teaches the basics of game play without getting too bogged down in technical rules.
Consider it!
