Wow, okay.
Of course Axis & Allies miniatures has nothing to do with the boardgame and Larry Harris. And yes it is a collectible game.
On the other hand the game has a great battle system and is very accessible to a wide range of players. From occasional gamers like myself to even hardcore boardgamers.
Yes, having it be collectible is a drawback at first glance but it’s also what helps drive the community to keep interest in the game. Just look at games like Magic and HeroClix as compared to specific boardgames. Any night of the week I can find a Magic or HeroClix game but it can take days if not weeks to find an A&A game.
You can actually even play economically. If you study the rules and the pieces and wait for 1-2 weeks after each A&A Minis release, you can spend about the same amount of money on the exact pieces you want for your armies as you would on a boardgame. You can trade away the pieces you no longer use or want and the the pieces you prefer to have instead. If you’re clever and patient, you can keep your costs very low. If you are enterprising, you can even finance your entire collection by buying in bulk and selling pieces on eBay.
BTW, any toy could be considered a worthless hunk of crap. In fact each set of A&A contains many worthless pieces of crap. But when you combine it with rules and other players, it become entertainment and a fun social activity.
I think it’s a fun collectible game and the Axis & Allies logo was a great way to foster interest in the game. Just like the computer game that was nothing like the boardgame but it was a great marketing tool not only for the computer game but also vice versa.
On the other hand, I am a little bummed that there are no A&A boardgame events scheduled at GenCon.
Hmm, can you tell I like the game? :-)
Anyway, on Friday I’ll be wearing my Axis & Allies.org t-shirt. Where will you be setup? Maybe we can debate in person about A&A Minis :-D.