Back to the 80s/90s: Why no OFFICIAL expansion pack for Axis and Allies Classic?

@thrasher1

Hi thrasher1,

We asked ourselves the same questions in 1993, when we started playing Axis & Allies Classic (by that time the official name was just Axis & Allies).

Who knows why MB/Hasbro never came up with any expansion. Maybe because somebode else had already got the idea (Gamers Paradise). We’ll never know for sure.

What we do know is, that the Axis & Allies was easy to learn, fun to play and inspirational - with lots of options to make the game even more Historically realistic.

Since we had already played RISK for several years by the time we discovered Axis & Allies, and kept a score list with dates of each game - we started to write down on a special sheet from our very first game of Axis & Allies - which we still continue, to keep track of each game.

I just checked and I can see that after 47 games of OOB Axis & Allies, we purchased The Expansion 1 + 2 + 3 from Gamers Paradise.

We also made an enlarged size game bord for our own use - we simply had a copy shop to enlarge the original Axis & Allies game board in full color - and covered in transparent foil.

Our own developement of Axis & Allies Expansion Rules was a Never Ending Story. We’ve been going on for almost 28 years now.

The final outcome of our expansion rules is released at this forum - known as Axis & Alliers Global 1940 House Rules Expansion.

Within the Axis & Alliers Global 1940 House Rules Expansion. you’ll find all of the above units that you mention - and they all started their presence at our Axis & Allies game boards back in 1993.

We have similar House Rules Expansions for use with Axis & Allies Revised, Spring 1942 and Anniversary editions.

Basically, we developed all the Special Units, Battle Formations and Unit Combinations that we dreamed of, for use with Axis & Allies…and we still have some developements going on:+1:

@thrasher1

Thanks thrasher,

Maybe you’re right - I think the only true answer must come from the game developers from MB/Hasbro.

We wanted the Waffen-SS Infantry and Waffen-SS Panzer units on the game board as well as Paratroopers, Commandos, US Marines and Soviet Guard Infantry.

We also purchased Xeno Games World at War - along with Central Powers and Axis & Allies Accessories.

Gradually the Axis & Allies game became more and more realistic, fun and challenging to play.

The only changes we made to the OOB setup was the increased IPC values and unit setup - according to The Expansion from Gamers Paradise.

No other units were added to the starting setup - they had to be purchased during the game.

Not only did our Axis & Allies rules expand - so did the number of new players who joined our play group.

Back in 1995 the we started the Axis & Allies Club Denmark, since some of our members moved to other parts of the Country. Those members quickly found new players where ever they moved to - in this way the number of new players expanded rapidly.

This gave us an opportunity to play test our own House Rules Expansion in depth - and to have Tournaments on a large scale.

In 2004 we started playing Axis & Allies Revised - since then we haven’t played Axis & Allies Classic.

Later the Axis & Allies Spring 1942 version “replaced” the Revised edition - and when the Global 1940 edition came out it replaced Spring 1942.

So, here we are - Back to the Future.

Today we play Global 1940 in conjunction with the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion - and Global 1943 in conjunction with the Axis & Allies Global 1943 House Rules Expansion.

Captain

The pack you speak of was not a Hasbro product. It was boxed and came with Cruisers and Artillery and was made at the time Revised came out. I do have it somewhere but keep in mind it was very basic. Their are no secrets to be revealed here about it. I think it was produced in Canada BTW

@thrasher1 https://www.ebay.com/itm/194189778481?hash=item2d369cde31%3Ag%3AOlIAAOSwCdRgvRg2&nma=true&si=YJd5PisivVUF1pC2LfdR040CA6U%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

@imperious-leader Regarding Gamers Paradise, I bought the remaining inventory of 50 x 30 maps of Classic, which was inside the box of the Midway expansion

@imperious-leader

I have that map also - we never used it since we made our own game board - so even though it is almost 30 years old now - it is still folded in the Midway Expansion box from GP.

@thrasher1 People wanted more space, not a new map or different map. Its the first version of a larger map. Actually it did have a change in regard to the Midway area to simulate the problems the Japanese had with their advantage. I will have to locate my stash and take a picture. The whole module that included the map was some treatment of the Midway scenario since the game starts in spring 1942

@thrasher1

Yes - I’ve played them all together. We used them from 1993-1996 - so it is something close to 175 games in total with all 3 expansions.

I still have the “Midway” map - completely intact and never used (since we already had made an enlarged game board for Classic).

@thrasher1

I think the best answer I can give is, that you read the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion.

You’ll see that most of the rules from Gamers Paradise are included, though modified in most cases in order to be compatible with Global 1940.

@thrasher1 I played it Way back then when it first came out, it had to be in the hundreds of how many games my brother and I played it- We played with the Gamer’s Paradise map whenever we played classic, in fact we played it’s Sonar contact rules well into the New century with escorts and such instead of the later A&A official version rules concerning submarines until 3 years ago!!!