Just How Old Are We Axis and Allies Players?

I got my first copy 4 years ago.  And have overplayed half my neighbors and most of my friends and now only have 1 who plays on a regular basis.  I was 13.  I LOVE AXIS AND ALLIES!!!  Can’t wait to get AAPacific 1940.

I was 12 or so, back in the late eighties, when I first saw A&A in the big wholesale store where I was with my dad. I immediately thought: wow, cool drawings on this box with Rommel and these battleships and soldiers. I was already interested in WW2 so I knew what I saw.

I have played the game ever since, right up to A&A 50. Only thing is that I dont really know a lot of people who are willing to play with me. They always complain that the game takes too long or is too complicated to learn (whine whine whine). They also tend to go crazy with all the little figures falling and dropping and such. So I have only one friend that I actually play a lot with. He also ownes a few A&A versions. But a new opponent would be real cool to have one day. I’m 33 and live in the Netherlands.

koffie, a lot of folks actually play A&A (right up to AAP40) right here on axisandallies.org.  There is a “Play Boardgames” forum toward the bottom after you click “forums”.
You will need to download a small set of computer files (called ABattlemap) to use as a map with pieces on it.

Anyway, many of us A&A fans have the same problem you do.  You’re lucky, because you have one friend who plays with you.  I have zero.  However, I play several games of AA50 at a time online using this site, with nice people from all over the world, who have varying levels of skill.  Most of them are really good, because they’re dedicated enough to learn how to play A&A this way!

I didn’t explain it very well, but I just wanted to make sure you realize that you could play A&A to your heart’s content if you delve into this site a little bit.  Also, there are plenty of people who frequent this site who would be happy to help you get to playing A&A this way.

Thank you Gamerman, for your kind words. I will try to find people on these forums to play with. I am also quite experienced and I am really looking forward to a good game.  :-)

@koffiekroft:

Thank you Gamerman, for your kind words. I will try to find people on these forums to play with. I am also quite experienced and I am really looking forward to a good game.  :-)

I could be that person (to play with).

Start by looking at the thread just above this one (modules for ABattlemap).  There are short instructions for it and everything.

Well I just downloaded the Battlemap etc, but I couldnt find AA50 map. Do you know whether I am missing something. Perhaps we can do a game indeed, I look forward to it.

Koffie, I will start PM’g you so we’re not spamming the thread.

Forgot to tell you, the AA50 module is separate.  I will PM you when I find it.

I started playing in 1986 while in the air force,  I lived off base because i had a family.  so friends would come over some weekends and we would play from friday night to sunday night with very little sleep  I just started playing again and love it…… cant believe i didnt play for some 8 years  glad to be back war gaming and dropping the dice, oh ya  I am new to the site and find it very useful

I got started back in high school about 8 years ago.  I didn’t start with any of the actual board games but the video game version of the original for the PC.  My uncle lent it to me and I thought it was tons of fun.  After playing it for a couple of months I forgot all about it until about 3 or four years later in college when I was in a game store and saw revised edition on the shelves.  I thought, “holy crap I loved that game!” and bought it right then and there.  I’ve been playing it on and off since then but have really picked up my play since AA50 came out.  Now I play it all the time and have been starting to play AAP40 alot too.  Can’t wait to play it combined with AAE40!  My friends and I have been joking about making a massive game of A&A by integrating all of the other forms of the game into one giant game.  AAP40 and AAE50 together will deliver just that!  Might toss in the D-Day, Guadalcanal, and Battle of the Bulge games to make it as epic as possible.

Guess it was 1984 when I started playing this game with my two boys. Wasn’t long till I built a game room in the attic for them (for me to) Then we made a home made AA board on a 4x8 sheet of plywood. Shortly after that I picked another copy of the game so that we could have extra units. We did not need chips with such a big board. I played some different versions through the years including the computer versions. When the AA50 version came out then I really got interested again. It is amazing that after all these years there will be a decent size board to play this game on. (AAP1940 + AAE 1940) As to my age, well when I was born the DEAD SEA was only sick. Fishmoto

My first game was on Thanksgiving 2009 actually.  A friend brought it over and I watched half a game and demanded to be part of the next one.  Ever since then I’ve been hooked and have bought AA42, AAP40 and AA Revised.  What an awesome game!

Been playing since 2006…haven’t looked back, even got into a lot of the mini’s games.

i played my first game earlier  this year, at the age of 12 years old. It was axis and allies D-day

Good demographic we got going here. Any chance this topic could be stickied?

I had just turned 14 (1981), first year in high school.  There was a dungeons and dragons club, many of the guys played other board games.  Our city is too small to have a proper games store so we would travel to the next city over which was 3 times the size.  An office supply store had a games store in the basement and the old dental offices upstairs had been turned into a ‘games club’ where you could sign out various games.  Our Friday nights consisted of car pooling to the next city, spending our money in the basement then going upstairs to play games.  15-25 kids would be there every friday night, diplomacy in that environment was great lots of new kids, you didn’t always want to back stab your buddy whose mother happened to be the one taking you all home!  Somebody introduced us to the original Nova version, paper map, cardboard pieces with the atom bomb as a tech!  After just 1-2 games I was hooked and purchased the game.  Flipper and I must have played 100 times!  Dang I wish I still had that version!

“Like”!

My Dad, a World War 2 veteran, is now 87 and he still plays Axis & Allies with my brother(63) and I (53).  We all started back in the 1960’s (when I was a little kid) playing RISK, and then in the early 1980’s started playing the original A&A.  I must say,…the 1940-Global version is a MUCH IMPROVED game, even though it still has some flaws.

By the way, that’s a pic of my Dad on the left just before his outpost was overan in the Battle of the Bulge.  He’s a BIG man.  I’m about 6’-4" and I’m the shortest in my family.  He’s got a ton of fascinating stories,…Wow!

“Tall Paul”

Great anecdotes and stories - keep 'em coming, guys!

My first time playing A&A was Classic (or 3rd edition).  I was 14.  One of my youth group leaders was a major A&A geek, and he organized a late night game.  He had worked us up to the task via Risk and then Castle Risk–now it was time for the big whammy.  I was Russia, and I somehow lucked out in my first game and demolished Germany.  This new game was awesome; it was like chess and poker rolled into one game!  I was having so much fun I forgot to call my parents and tell them where i was, and they were furious when I got back home.

Our group of friends played occasionally for a few years, but then I forgot about it when I went away to college.  I discovered the GTO Revised version about 3 years ago, and was instantly hooked :-P

Chess and poker combined - exactly.

And with one more element - cool plastic army men, planes, and boats!!

The enjoyment of intellectual stimulation and unpredictability all rolled into one package.  No wonder I’ve been hooked.