Axis & Allies 1941 First Preview

[Hobbes]

[quote author=marcoflowers link=topic=27527.msg969965#msg969965 date=1338980861]
My 2 cents:
US has 17 IPC of territories, but on the Nat Production strip on the top of the map its initial position is on 15…

start speculating…[/quote]

Could be that the Philippines start in possession of Japan… but then it’s 1941…

[lozmoid]

I expect the U.S. 17/15 IPCs issue is a mistake.

[Guest]

I think I would wait and see what the new German and Russian sculpts from HBG look like.  The cardboard chips are just sad, and no ICs either.  But yeah it might be good if you want to show someone the game.

[CWO Marc]

I know that the WotC preliminary announcement gave some of the new sculpt identifications, but I’m wondering if a full list has been released yet by Larry, Krieghund or some other official source.  Does anyone know this?

Failing that, could djensen perhaps post pictures of one of each of the news sculpts alongside one corresponding piece each from Global?

[Panther]

No artillery, cruisers and AA-guns.
I’m curious about the rules.

[allweneedislove]

usa 17ipc vs usa 15ipc on the ipc tracker. i hope this is a rule we do not know about and not a misprint.

[jim010]

I like the Hood, Stalin tank, Tiger tanks.  Russians have their own transport now, too!  Be a welcome addition.

Don’t like that too many units are shared.  Why is that?  They now pretty much have unique units for each country by now.

[Variable]

Okay, at first I will admit I was thinking “Seriously with these sculpts?” Removing old correct nation specific pieces and replacing them with new incorrect ones? It was a bit shocking to see what they went with here. The map, still small? Still ugly? I didn’t want to like for some reason. I own every other game in the franchise and this just didn’t seem to compare. I guess because we all expect it to have everything everyone wants for $30…

But, I then read all the posts from the more open minded people here, as well as all of the arguments as to why it’s bad, or lame, or interesting, etc. I then let it all marinate on top of my morning coffee…

I think I like it! Yeah, the sculpt choices are not the best for every nation. Yeah, the map is a little weird. But, you can’t please everyone. This game is not for everyone. It’s for our kids. It’s for our non-grognard gamer friends who want to hang out on a saturday and BS over a couple of beers. It’s for game night at home with family instead of watching nonsensical “reality TV”.

And after further consideration, I’m buying more than 1. I will give it as gifts. I will steal the pieces for house rules. I will find new ways to have fun with an iconic game that I’ve loved since buying 2nd edition in Toys ‘R’ Us with my dad as a kid.

[allweneedislove]

i like the small map and more streamlined units, should make for a nice quick game.
hopefully this will be the gateway [s]drug[/s] game to get some friends hooked on axis&allies.

with so few land territories i am guessing tanks will only move one space.

[gamerman01]

[quote author=Lozmoid link=topic=27527.msg969985#msg969985 date=1338985746]
I expect the U.S. 17/15 IPCs issue is a mistake.
[/quote]

I bet so too

[gamerman01]

Great post, Variable - I enjoyed

I wasn’t even thinking about my kids, but when I mentioned it this morning, they were actually very interested! Have had trouble getting them into Anniversary… Don’t want to play Classic with them because the rules and gameplay are sooooo different they’d have to unlearn it like a lot of us had to.

Think I’m gonna be buying this to get the kids going (11 1/2 and almost 14)

[Clyde85]

[quote author=Hobbes link=topic=27527.msg969953#msg969953 date=1338978026]
My initial impression based on the pieces and map:

Yuck!
[/quote]

Funny, that was my exact same reaction.

[gamerman01]

The idea is backwards, not forwards guys!  They’re not trying to make a challenging, fulfilling game for the veterans!  So don’t judge it that way.

Of course it’s a shock to see such a map after you’ve been playing GLOBAL 1940!!

Still laughing after reading the person who hoped to reel his friends in to Global 1940 eventually through this game. � Dude, if they won’t play Spring 1942 or Anniversary or Revised, they are never going to get to Global 1940 by starting with this basic game. � You might as well try reeling them in using Risk!

[Gargantua]

You know what… I get it with the sculpts.

If you buy right into the concept, that this version is FOR NEW PLAYERS, than having sculpts, which are much more clearer to understand, (specifically, the ships being the same)  Makes it easier to know what comprises an enemy force.

Sometimes new players I have played with, have had a hard time, telling the difference between destroyers/cruisers/battleships, or tacs/bombers/fighters, for example.

[jim010]

That makes sense.

Still, it does offer something new in terms of scuplts for us.  I like the Hood!

[allweneedislove]

[quote author=Gamerman01 link=topic=27527.msg970068#msg970068 date=1338996231]

Still laughing after reading the person who hoped to reel his friends in to Global 1940 eventually through this game. � Dude, if they won’t play Spring 1942 or Anniversary or Revised, they are never going to get to Global 1940 by starting with this basic game. � You might as well try reeling them in using Risk!
[/quote]

i am not sure if this was directed towards me.
my friends have suggested playing aaa many times as i tell them how much fun i have. the problem is the time commitment. if this is a 2 hour game we will be rolling for the fate of the world over a few beers.

[gamerman01]

I don’t remember who wrote that they hoped this would lead to playing Global 1940 with their friends.

I totally agree, allweneed, that you should be able to have a great time playing this game in a short amount of time with buddies.  It looks perfect for that.

Just saying that’s a far cry from playing Global 1940 with the same people, if they have a problem with time commitment on less involved games (less than Global) like Revised or AA50

[Scott Nixon]

Has anyone determined what the pieces model?

It looks like all infantry pieces are based on previous versions, and are unique to each country.
So the 16 new molds are 8 pieces for the Allies and 8 pieces for the Axis, which I have only identified as so:

Allied Tank:  USSR IS-2
Allied Fighter:  US P-40
Allied Bomber:  UK Lancaster
Allied Transport:
Allied Sub:
Allied DD:
Allied Carrier:
Allied BB:  UK Hood

Axis Tank:  G Tiger
Axis Fighter:  G FW-190
Axis Bomber:  G He-111
Axis Transport:
Axis Sub:
Axis DD:
Axis Carrier:  J Akagi
Axis BB:

Can anyone else fill in the blanks?

[CWO Marc]

@knp7765:

Seems really weird for UK and USA to have Soviet tanks

I suppose this would be useful for some kind of alternate-history house rule in which the Russians give Lend-Lease to the Americans and the British, but I’m going to have a hard time rationalizing those green and tan IS-2 tanks when I fit them into my boxes of US and UK equipment.

(edit by djensen: only trying to see if I can get those quote working)

[GoSanchez6]

I think the new sculpts look cool. I think this is almost a rehash of classic. I hope the remake of 42 has the countries using only histrorically accurate pieces. I don’t know if that will happen though since they have already made these. I hope I’m wrong.