Some questions

[fredrick319]

I ordered a sealed original Axis and Allies Pacific and was wondering about the Japanese pieces, I saw the back of the box they are a pretty red color, but saw some used ones with orange and the HbG website has orange and red pieces, is it a random chance to get the red ones?

[Krieghund]

The earlier print runs of the game featured red pieces, while later runs had orange ones.  It will depend on which print run your copy came from as to which color you will get.

[CWO Marc]

And on a related point: in the early printings, which had red Japanese pieces, the Chinese infantry units were straight copies of the Russian infantry units (brown, as I recall), stamped “RU” under the base.  In the later printings, which had orange Japanese pieces, the Chinese infantry units were still copies of the Russian infantry units, but they were stamped “CH” under the base and they were red in colour.  I own a few of those sculpts (eight, to be precise), and I think of them as, quite literally, “Red Chinese infantry” units.

[fredrick319]

Ah okay, also I noticed that some boxes said 345 units while some said 330? The one I got has 330. What will I be missing?

[Krieghund]

I don’t think you’re missing anything.  It was a long time ago, but I think they just had the count wrong on the box at some point.  Maybe someone who has a copy of each print run can confirm.

[gkhager]

Hi frederick319,

My copy is of the infamous ‘345’ style and has a total of 329 fighting minis. I have seen this stated as being mis-typed on the box as it should have ‘335’ pieces (counting the six plastic task force markers as playing pieces). These are the sets with the red Japanese and the brown Chinese units. Please confirm when you get your ‘330’ version that that is all fighting minis with a total of 336 actual pieces (including the task force markers). Incidentally, the ‘330’ version should have the pumpkin Japanese and bright red Chinese units.

[fredrick319]

Yeah I’ll let you guys know! I also went to a used game store and found an axis and Alliex pacific “345” piece version for cheap and it has the red Japanese set which is awesome!

[fredrick319]

Okay! So I now have both the 330 piece print and the 345 piece print, here’s the differences(keep in mind my 345 piece set I bought used and the box is beat up.)

345:

• Japanese are a beautiful Red color
• British are a dark/dull khaki, almost like the color of cardboard
• USA is exactly the same between 330/345
• Task Force cards are a thicker, more durable piece
• Chinese are a dull Brown (darker than Italy)

330:

• Japanese are the same orange as newer editions except maybe a bit more dull
• Pieces seem to be of lower quality? Remember I just unboxed this which was sealed today
• British/Commonwealth are the same tan/khaki as newer editions
• Chinese are bright red USSR pieces(maybe use them for elite Soviet NKVD in global40 or something)

Both:

• British/USA battleships are smaller than other editions, Japanese pieces are the same size
• Same piece count
• map is the same

That’s basically all, I actually MUCH prefer the red Japs and ordered spare fighters from hbg. So anybody looking to get A&A Pacific classic there’s info you hopefully needed on the aesthetics of the game. Just be warned that Japan does not have enough fighters to place them all during setup. What i plan to do is buy atleast one more used 345 piece print to reinforce my Red Jap set.

[gkhager]

Thanks for the update.

So I guess that the 330 pieces listed on the front is also a mis-print as there is another a box that has 335 listed on the front (which is the only one that is correct!) that also appears to have the orange Japanese and red Chinese pieces.

Can you let us know the copyright dates on the back of the two boxes that you have? I am assuming that the 345 is going to be 2001 like the one I have, but the 330 looks like it might be 2007 with another date in-between (maybe the 335 version).

[fredrick319]

Yup, my 330 print is @2007, but my 345 print is @2000

[gkhager]

Yeah, you are right, copyright 2000 released early 2001 for the 345 set. I am still trying to decide whether or not to purchase a 335 set for some communist Chinese pieces for Global 40. The 330 set is a little rarer, but if the quality went down, then I would pick up another 345 for the red Japanese before buying the 330 version.

Thanks again for the update!

[fredrick319]

Yeah, I had an idea about implementing special units into each major faction for global40.

Britain, USA, Japan, and Germany(last one only)

• Light carriers cheaper than regular, carry one plane
• Heavy carrier just the basic two plane carrier
• Fleet Carriers carry three planes and cost more
• SP Artillery moving two and attacking at 3 when paired with a tank but only improve mech inf attack if paired with one and not both at once

USA

• Impliment US Marines and same stats from pacific to global40

Germany

• Use light grey infantry from classic A&A as SS or something that fight at a 2 offensively and 3 with artillery but cost more

Britain

• not sure yet

USSR

• NKVD (red chinese from a&a pacific 330 print) Same as German elite

Japan

• no clue either

[CWO Marc]

@fredrick319:

Yeah, I had an idea about implementing special units into each major faction for global40.

Britain

• not sure yet

USSR

• NKVD (red chinese from a&a pacific 330 print) Same as German elite

Japan

• no clue either

There have been various house rule threads devoted to elite / special forces units, which you may find useful.  Popular choices include the Commandos for Britian, Guards units for the USSR, and SNLF (Special Naval Landing Forces) for Japan, although wargaming expert James Dunnigan argued in one of his books that the SNLF, although they’re often thought of as “Japanese Marines” were nowhere close to being in the same league as the USMC.

[CWO Marc]

Note by the way that knp7765’s Evolution of Axis & Allies pieces – Take 2 thread…

https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=23386.0

…has useful reference pictures of both versions of Japan’s and China’s pieces in the Pacific game.

[gkhager]

Well, frederick319, thanks to your response further up the thread, I settled on getting the 335 piece printed version instead of the rarer 330 piece printed one. I found one on ebay and to my surprise, not only did it have the red Chinese pieces (which were pretty clear in the pictures), it also had all 8 of the Wildcat/Hellcat pieces as well as the miscounted US infantry pieces with 12-olive infantry and 25-green Marines! So a double bonus since olive infantry are easy to come by!

Production values seemed pretty close to my original Pacific set (345 piece printing with the red Japanese pieces).

Geoff