Axis & Allies 1941 First Preview

[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.

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!

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.

That makes sense.

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

[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.

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

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?

@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)

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.

It is a rehash of MB edition. Minor tweeks but the same idea.

Just get out both maps and compare.

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

Apologies. My ‘yuck’ refers only to the graphic/aesthetics, specially of the map. Some pieces didn’t look that good to me either in quality, specially some ships but seeing just piles of pieces and low-res pics didn’t help at all.

I wasn’t judging for the rules, it’s really that the only reason I could think to justify buying this game are the pieces and so far I’m not impressed.

EDIT - I’m more impressed. First map where the Iberian Peninsula is called Spain/Portugal rather than just Spain :D

A list of map changes from Spring 1942:

• 1 extra SZ around the UK (transports in EUS can’t reach UK in 1 round now)
• Algeria and Libya combined into North Africa
• Jordan and Persia combined into Middle East
• Balkans has been merged into E. Europe
• Belorussia is gone and has been divided between W. Russia and Ukraine.
• Novo, Evenki and Kazakh combined into Urals
• Buryatia and Yakut combined into Siberia
• Several SZs combined into the Indian/Pacific
• It is now possible to reach the entire Asian coastline from Solomon by ship
• China has been completely reworked. Now there’s 2 northern and southern China territories (N. China/Szechuan), instead of western eastern (Sinkiang/China). Szechuan also has access to sea.
• Formosa is gone (Iceland remains though)
• Kenya/Congo merged together
• Gibraltar can be accessed from both Atlantic and Med

That seems about it. Map looks interesting to play, with the longer distances between US and Europe and shorter between US and Asia. The shorter route to reach Russia through Asia must be to pressure even more the US to go Pacific. The ICs on Australia/India must be also to be targets for Japan or to have the UK help the US on Asia.

The 16 new sculpts are…

USSR:
tank

Germany:
tank
submarine
bomber
fighter

UK:
Battleship
fighter
transport

Japan:
Battleship
Carrier
transport
destroyer

USA:
Carrier
Bomber
Destroyer
submarine

ok that is 16.

[quote author=Imperious Leader link=topic=27527.msg970144#msg970144 date=1339004451]
It is a rehash of MB edition. Minor tweeks but the same idea.

Just get out both maps and compare.
[/quote]

I see what you mean. Of course, now Larry Harris had 30 years to figure out how to change that map so we see it pressuring the US to go more Pacific.

Interesting, Hobbes, thanks

[quote]I see what you mean. Of course, now Larry Harris had 30 years to figure out how to change that map so we see it pressuring the US to go more Pacific. [/quote]

Funny thing is some guy made a map based on MB with a very similar take on the German-Russian deal. Also, Xeno games “World at War” changed something with regard to the areas between EE and Caucasus.

MB edition offered a KJF as a viable option from what i recall. Usually that meant Japan hits Hawaii and takes it and the US player rolls up on odds and wipes out Japanese navy and out builds her the rest of the way.

[quote author=Gamerman01 link=topic=27527.msg970102#msg970102 date=1338998719]
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
[/quote]

I wrote it.

I haven’t even asked most of the guys I know to play 1942 because of the playing time. The few that started didn’t play long enough to like it before getting bored with the slow pace of a newbie.

If this game can be played in an hour and a half, they might find they like playing and be willing to give 1942 a try. After getting the hang of A&A mechanics they may like 1942 and be willing to move up again. But none of this happens if if they don’t play 1941 and like it.

Do you suggest I start with HBG’s Global 1939 and work my way down to this instead?

Don’t see what’s wrong with hoping more people play Axis and Allies.

@Col.:

Don’t see what’s wrong with hoping more people play Axis and Allies.

Nothing, of course!

You misunderstand me.  I just think that if someone gets bored trying to learn a medium game like 1942, that starting them on a very light game like this new 1941 is highly unlikely to result in that same person ever playing the very demanding Global 1940.

If you can get him to play this new game, I’m happy for you!  Just found it amazing that you think he would someday play global 1940 when he doesn’t have the patience to learn 1942.

What are the classes of the Destroyers, submarines and transports?

@Imperious:

Funny thing is some guy made a map based on MB with a very similar take on the German-Russian deal. Also, Xeno games “World at War” changed something with regard to the areas between EE and Caucasus.

MB edition offered a KJF as a viable option from what i recall. Usually that meant Japan hits Hawaii and takes it and the US player rolls up on odds and wipes out Japanese navy and out builds her the rest of the way.

Interesting, do you remember where you saw the first map or its name? I went to check World At War and it is the same division than in Revised/Spring 1942, Romania has been chopped off the Balkans but has no effect on the Eastern front.

On the Pacific, the SZs disposition of Classic was used exactly the same on Revised/Spring 1942, the new 1941 map merged quite a few SZs, which now allow for transports on Solomon to reach all of Asia, reducing intervention time for the US.

I can’t wait for djensen to give us some update on the rules. This game seems interesting to play actually.