I really like playing Italy as a single player. In a five person game I played, the German player just used Italy as a meatshield and didn't do anything interesting with them at all. In the game that I played Italy by myself, I turtled a bit for the first few rounds, bluffed that I was going to take Africa, and then took Washington DC. Ended up taking the entirety of North and South America within a two more rounds because the American player had all their units in the Pacific. When you have someone actually thinking purely about what Italy can do, as opposed to how Italy can serve Germany, I'm sure there are lots of interesting plays.
Very interesting, but it sounds as though you had an inexperienced player in America. Still, a-historical fun!!! If that had really happened we'd all be eating pizza right now!
I picked this beauty up on the 2017 release date and got three games in three days. It is a blast to play. You always astound me with the fascinating titles you pick. I get maybe 5-6 games a year and the majority of them either have or end up having Discriminating Gamer Reviews. I liked your mention of how A&A helped develop your love of History. Hopefully I can at the least help my son enjoy some of the topics he learns in history by means of board gaming. Plus Grandpa is big into Bolt Action so the sky is the limits if my boy likes the genre. We play alot of Heroes of Normandie and he really likes driving the Trucks, Motorcycles, and Jeeps. When one of my tanks goes up in smoke he gets this texas-sized grin across his face. Fun Fun. Thank you for the content friend.
The differences between the 2008 printing and the 2017 printing are with a few of the sculpts. For instance, the 2008 edition had Hellcats as the USA fighters, and the 2017 edition has P-38s, instead. Little changes like that. Also, the new rule book incorporates errata and FAQ from the first printing. Two Chinese locations no longer have both the Japanese and Chinese symbol printed on the map. Minor tweaks, but the game is exactly the same, otherwise.
Played Italy myself in a 6-player game and with good co-operation with the germans, I was able to keep my fleet and build it up So that entering near the mediterranean for the allies would be suicide. Near the end of the game I was collecting near 30 ipc's because of National objectives and control of africa and a push towards the middle east. Fun game :)
Thanks for the review 'baby face' Cody. I also remember playing the M B version when I was a kid, although I don't think that I ever finished a game as it became obvious who was going to win about half way through. I will however be looking into this new version after watching this. Thanks and have a good Thanksgiving.
@@herrmatash3116 It really depends on whether you want a Euro focused game or global game. As far as balance, I think they both do a good job. Sorry I can’t be more help.
Excellent review, sir. Alas, the price tag on this giant will most likely prevent me from getting this version of the game, but I am a fan of A&A, so I will be looking for opportunities locally to play it. Also, all hail the return of evil Cody! He’s followed you to Texas and we look forward to more evil hijinx!
Keep your eyes peeled for sales... just last week, I saw it selling for under $54 on Amazon Prime with free shipping. It seemed to be a one day sale, but maybe something will happen on Black Friday? Dunno, but I would keep your eyes peeled. I would have easily snagged it for that price if I didn't already own it. heh
So I decided to get both Twilight Imperium 4 & Star Trek: Ascendancy. Lol Also my dad gave me his first edition of Axis & Allies. Would A&A be a good stepping stone into TI 4?
The combat is similar, but that's about it. TI4 is not really a wargame - though it has aspects of a wargame. TI4 is really its own animal. The good news is that they are all good games. (Personally, I think the first edition AA is broken, but I found that only after dozens of plays - I'd still play it if I were you. That's the game that set me on the path to getting my history PhD!)
hey TDG , have you played A&A Global ? (takes AA:Europe 1942 + AA:Pacific 1942) what are your opinions on it? i love it , and not sure if Anniv Ed. is worth it for someone who has global
I know it's an old review, but I was wondering, I have global, and this anaversary edition. Haven't played either, but have played the MB version. If I were to sell one, which should I still. Is global better than this? Also I have War room second edition on order, does that completely eclipse this as the better game?
Poor Italy can't catch a break, haha. Playing as the Italians in Diplomacy is pretty terrible as well, very easy to get steamrolled. Very cool to hear about how A&A set you on the path all the way to Texas and working on a PhD. Got a thesis going yet? :)
Yeah- Italy was right in the middle of Austria and France in Diplomacy, with Turkey trying to get in there, too. Tough playing in the middle like that. I'm still narrowing down my dissertation topic, I just started my program this semester.
My understanding is that there are 3 versions of A&A out there: "1941" which is sort of a beginner's version, "1942" which is intermediate complexity, and the dual Europe/Pacific 1940 games which are the most complex. Which version (if any) does this new anniversary edition correspond to? Does it supersede any or all of these older editions?
There is also the original version (MB), and earlier Avalon Hill versions of Europe and Pacific. There were also the "battle" versions on the game- Battle of the Bulge, Guadalcanal, and D-Day.
I'm not sure exactly what you are asking. It's better than the "battle" games, for sure. I've not played the new Europe and Pacific, though I did play the old ones. Of the existing world map games, its the best.
I was just asking which of the older versions this new anniversary edition would be most similar to -- the 1942 version? the Europe/Pacific 1940 versions? If somebody has the 1942 version, is this new anniversary edition a step up? If somebody has the Europe/Pacific 1940 versions, is it worth getting this one too?
So, where does Axis and Allies rate in the top 100? I've played it since the original version, and even bought the intro game, 1941 mostly for the newer figures. One thing I noticed about the latest edition is how bad the figures are detailed wise. I paint all my figures so I like some good detail in their moldings.
Last year when I did my top 100 it came in at #42. I imagine it would be around there still. This new version does have much better minis that previous editions.
Curious to know, given my guess at your age from your saying you played the original A&A at 12, is whether as a youth you ever played the old Avalon Hill WW II game Third Reich? If so, how would this compare? I cut my teeth on all of those older AH games, and while those games are often dismissed these days, it is interesting to me to see how many of the game mechanics from those games have been replicated (or in cases completely ripped off) in the modern wave of board gaming. Great review, as always!
Thank you, sir. I attempted to play Advanced Third Reich once when I was about 20 or so. It was a little to complicated for me then. I suspect is still is now.
Every time your video cuts to you and your friends rolling dice on or near the board, I get nervous you're going to knock over half the units on the board... all those games on the shelf and you've never invested in a single dice tray? Inconceivable!
Well, as of 2/22/2023, A&A is NOT going to be reprinted "due to popular demand." From Hasbro...Thank you for contacting Hasbro, Inc. We appreciate your interest. I am pleased to reply, but regret to advise there are no plans at this time for Hasbro to produce that product. I will certainly share your interest with our brand team. Thanks again for your interest. Warm regards, Brent Hasbro Consumer Care Representative
Renegade Game Studios recently got the license to publish Axis & Allies. Renegade has been knocking it out of the park lately, so I'm expecting a lot from their A&A line.
I've always wanted to try Axis and Allies, and this seems like the best edition for it. Trouble is, I've already got so many 6-player all-day wargames that every time I consider a new one I have to ask myself, on any given day, would my 5 friends and I rather play this or Twilight Imperium/Game of Thrones/Rex? In fact, I had considered picking up the 1942 2nd edition a while back, but opted instead for Twilight Struggle for that very reason. However, A&A seems to distinguish itself not only by its historical theme, but by the fact that unlike in those three other games (of, technically, varying degrees of "war"-ness), there are clearly defined teams. Both these elements mean it should definitely still hold its own. Also, even as far away as Texas there seems no escape from Evil Cody! The fiend!
One thing that is great about this game is it works with great with two players, on to five (like I say- six would be a bit of a let down for the Italian player). Some of my favorite games of this were two player games, though I've had a lot of fun with higher player counts as well.
@@TheDiscriminatingGamer Cody, would you consider doing a video covering overall INITIAL strategies for each nation? I realize once the dice start rolling the best plans can go south...
@@hofico6 So, after my acquisition of Larry Harris' War Room, and my move from Texas, I actually got rid of this version of A&A. After playing War Room, I don't think I'll ever go back - maybe an occasional game of A&A&Zombies.
Given what you said about pursuing your PHD in WWII history, I gotta assume you've played Quartermaster General? I don't remember if you've done a video for that game or not.
My gawd man, what on EARTH are you waiting for? If you're a WWII history major with four or five gaming buddies, how have you made it this far without playing QMG???!!! QMG is a fast-playing card driven hand-management game where most cards played bring some real-world history to life. Each player has only a few pieces for the board. The game is great with two players, but is a BLAST with five or six. (Just don't play it with three). Plus it's only about 2-3 hours long... the entire war in 2-3 hours! Can't beat that. Now that I'm typing this, I recollect that I may've given you the same spiel on BGG a few years back (though my username on BGG is similar but different). I'll keep bugging you every few years till you play it! :)
Cody... bring back the beard!!! OK... A&A? Over the years, I've acquired many versions of this game... the original A&A... A&A Pacific, and so on. I'm a solo gamer, so outside of hoarding the plastic pieces, and map boards, there wasn't much going on here. In a lot of ways, the separate components were worth more than the totality of the game. I guess you could work the game mechanics, for the solo gamer, to reflect about 100 different things... from command, to arbitrary movement to how IP are used. This would probably mean the game would need to be card assisted, for each player... a Commissar deck for the Soviets, some form of "Fog of War"/hidden movement feature for smaller countries. and such. That being given... it would probably be fun to try this. Have you thought about this ? Unit activation, perhaps by province might not be a bad idea either. This would obviously mean the game would have to be formerly set up on a large COSTCO table for a long time.... not a bad prospect. I would like to try this... providing there were a lot more options for less than five players... what do you think? Do you know of anybody who has tried this?
You've obviously put a lot more time and thought into this than I have. Never considered it, nor am I aware of anyone who has. Sounds like fun. Take a crack at it and let me know how it goes down.
I really like playing Italy as a single player. In a five person game I played, the German player just used Italy as a meatshield and didn't do anything interesting with them at all. In the game that I played Italy by myself, I turtled a bit for the first few rounds, bluffed that I was going to take Africa, and then took Washington DC. Ended up taking the entirety of North and South America within a two more rounds because the American player had all their units in the Pacific. When you have someone actually thinking purely about what Italy can do, as opposed to how Italy can serve Germany, I'm sure there are lots of interesting plays.
Very interesting, but it sounds as though you had an inexperienced player in America. Still, a-historical fun!!! If that had really happened we'd all be eating pizza right now!
I’ve played Italy a couple of times and I always pull off some unexpected stuff... crazy how the allied players think Italy is toothless!
Looking forward to getting this on the table...thanks for the 6 player warning!
Noel Dillabough Happy to help!
I picked this beauty up on the 2017 release date and got three games in three days. It is a blast to play. You always astound me with the fascinating titles you pick. I get maybe 5-6 games a year and the majority of them either have or end up having Discriminating Gamer Reviews. I liked your mention of how A&A helped develop your love of History. Hopefully I can at the least help my son enjoy some of the topics he learns in history by means of board gaming. Plus Grandpa is big into Bolt Action so the sky is the limits if my boy likes the genre. We play alot of Heroes of Normandie and he really likes driving the Trucks, Motorcycles, and Jeeps. When one of my tanks goes up in smoke he gets this texas-sized grin across his face. Fun Fun. Thank you for the content friend.
Thank you, sir. If you haven't tried it yet, and if you can find it, you may want to try Tide of Iron. Probably my favorite squad level WWII game.
Great Game. Great Review. Thanks Cody!
Thank you, sir! We'll hit another one soon!
The differences between the 2008 printing and the 2017 printing are with a few of the sculpts. For instance, the 2008 edition had Hellcats as the USA fighters, and the 2017 edition has P-38s, instead. Little changes like that. Also, the new rule book incorporates errata and FAQ from the first printing. Two Chinese locations no longer have both the Japanese and Chinese symbol printed on the map. Minor tweaks, but the game is exactly the same, otherwise.
Indeed. Thank you.
Played Italy myself in a 6-player game and with good co-operation with the germans, I was able to keep my fleet and build it up So that entering near the mediterranean for the allies would be suicide. Near the end of the game I was collecting near 30 ipc's because of National objectives and control of africa and a push towards the middle east. Fun game :)
Cool.
Thanks
Once again, thank you!
Thanks for the review 'baby face' Cody. I also remember playing the M B version when I was a kid, although I don't think that I ever finished a game as it became obvious who was going to win about half way through. I will however be looking into this new version after watching this. Thanks and have a good Thanksgiving.
Thank you, sir. You, too. Oh, and "baby face'... I've been called worse.
Saw this cheap (well not this, but the 1940 version and the 1942) so I had to Lay-By it till after Christmas. I have a feeling I'm going to love it.
Fun series of games.
Great game.
Greetings from Sweden
Thank you. Greetings from someone of Swedish descent in America!
If you had to choose between two versions, which one would you choose? Anniversary or 1940 Europe 2nd? Which one plays the most balanced?
@@herrmatash3116 It really depends on whether you want a Euro focused game or global game. As far as balance, I think they both do a good job. Sorry I can’t be more help.
Excellent review, sir. Alas, the price tag on this giant will most likely prevent me from getting this version of the game, but I am a fan of A&A, so I will be looking for opportunities locally to play it. Also, all hail the return of evil Cody! He’s followed you to Texas and we look forward to more evil hijinx!
I'm hoping that with the beard gone we've seen the last of him... We can only hope...
Keep your eyes peeled for sales... just last week, I saw it selling for under $54 on Amazon Prime with free shipping. It seemed to be a one day sale, but maybe something will happen on Black Friday? Dunno, but I would keep your eyes peeled. I would have easily snagged it for that price if I didn't already own it. heh
Indeed.
So I decided to get both Twilight Imperium 4 & Star Trek: Ascendancy. Lol Also my dad gave me his first edition of Axis & Allies. Would A&A be a good stepping stone into TI 4?
The combat is similar, but that's about it. TI4 is not really a wargame - though it has aspects of a wargame. TI4 is really its own animal. The good news is that they are all good games. (Personally, I think the first edition AA is broken, but I found that only after dozens of plays - I'd still play it if I were you. That's the game that set me on the path to getting my history PhD!)
@@TheDiscriminatingGamer Thanks. Can't wait to finally say I have played Axis & Allies for the first time. Lol
Ok, we got Italy in the game (finally). Can we get Finland already?
Ha!
I think when it means 3-6 play hours it means 36 hours
Ha!
Do you like it better than Global 40 is HGBs 1936-1945? What’s the way to go between the three?
I haven't played it yet. I've got Europe and Pacific but haven't put 'em together yet.
hey TDG , have you played A&A Global ? (takes AA:Europe 1942 + AA:Pacific 1942) what are your opinions on it? i love it , and not sure if Anniv Ed. is worth it for someone who has global
I have not played it. I bought Europe and Pacific last year, but I have not yet played either one.
Great Video!
Thank you!
I know it's an old review, but I was wondering,
I have global, and this anaversary edition. Haven't played either, but have played the MB version. If I were to sell one, which should I still. Is global better than this?
Also I have War room second edition on order, does that completely eclipse this as the better game?
War Room killed AA for me. Much better game and you get the same feel.
I need to get a copy of that t-shirt! Happy Thanksgiving Sir!
Got mine in Berlin. Good luck.
Poor Italy can't catch a break, haha. Playing as the Italians in Diplomacy is pretty terrible as well, very easy to get steamrolled. Very cool to hear about how A&A set you on the path all the way to Texas and working on a PhD. Got a thesis going yet? :)
Yeah- Italy was right in the middle of Austria and France in Diplomacy, with Turkey trying to get in there, too. Tough playing in the middle like that. I'm still narrowing down my dissertation topic, I just started my program this semester.
My understanding is that there are 3 versions of A&A out there: "1941" which is sort of a beginner's version, "1942" which is intermediate complexity, and the dual Europe/Pacific 1940 games which are the most complex. Which version (if any) does this new anniversary edition correspond to? Does it supersede any or all of these older editions?
There is also the original version (MB), and earlier Avalon Hill versions of Europe and Pacific. There were also the "battle" versions on the game- Battle of the Bulge, Guadalcanal, and D-Day.
Thanks -- any sense of where this new anniversary edition fits in among all these older versions?
I'm not sure exactly what you are asking. It's better than the "battle" games, for sure. I've not played the new Europe and Pacific, though I did play the old ones. Of the existing world map games, its the best.
I was just asking which of the older versions this new anniversary edition would be most similar to -- the 1942 version? the Europe/Pacific 1940 versions? If somebody has the 1942 version, is this new anniversary edition a step up? If somebody has the Europe/Pacific 1940 versions, is it worth getting this one too?
As I said, I have not played the Europe/Pacific global version, but the Anniversary edition is superior to all other world maps out there.
So, where does Axis and Allies rate in the top 100? I've played it since the original version, and even bought the intro game, 1941 mostly for the newer figures. One thing I noticed about the latest edition is how bad the figures are detailed wise. I paint all my figures so I like some good detail in their moldings.
Last year when I did my top 100 it came in at #42. I imagine it would be around there still. This new version does have much better minis that previous editions.
Curious to know, given my guess at your age from your saying you played the original A&A at 12, is whether as a youth you ever played the old Avalon Hill WW II game Third Reich? If so, how would this compare? I cut my teeth on all of those older AH games, and while those games are often dismissed these days, it is interesting to me to see how many of the game mechanics from those games have been replicated (or in cases completely ripped off) in the modern wave of board gaming. Great review, as always!
Thank you, sir. I attempted to play Advanced Third Reich once when I was about 20 or so. It was a little to complicated for me then. I suspect is still is now.
Thanks for letting me know.
Have you had the opportunity to get Axis & Allies Global 1940 to the table?
Nope. Not yet.
Happy Thanksgiving
You too, sir.
Every time your video cuts to you and your friends rolling dice on or near the board, I get nervous you're going to knock over half the units on the board... all those games on the shelf and you've never invested in a single dice tray? Inconceivable!
That's just the way I roll, yo!
Well, as of 2/22/2023, A&A is NOT going to be reprinted "due to popular demand."
From Hasbro...Thank you for contacting Hasbro, Inc. We appreciate your interest. I am pleased to reply, but regret to advise there are no plans at this time for Hasbro to produce that product. I will certainly share your interest with our brand team.
Thanks again for your interest.
Warm regards,
Brent
Hasbro Consumer Care Representative
Renegade Game Studios recently got the license to publish Axis & Allies. Renegade has been knocking it out of the park lately, so I'm expecting a lot from their A&A line.
Wherefore art thou, Beardy?
I've always wanted to try Axis and Allies, and this seems like the best edition for it. Trouble is, I've already got so many 6-player all-day wargames that every time I consider a new one I have to ask myself, on any given day, would my 5 friends and I rather play this or Twilight Imperium/Game of Thrones/Rex? In fact, I had considered picking up the 1942 2nd edition a while back, but opted instead for Twilight Struggle for that very reason. However, A&A seems to distinguish itself not only by its historical theme, but by the fact that unlike in those three other games (of, technically, varying degrees of "war"-ness), there are clearly defined teams. Both these elements mean it should definitely still hold its own.
Also, even as far away as Texas there seems no escape from Evil Cody! The fiend!
One thing that is great about this game is it works with great with two players, on to five (like I say- six would be a bit of a let down for the Italian player). Some of my favorite games of this were two player games, though I've had a lot of fun with higher player counts as well.
@@TheDiscriminatingGamer
Cody, would you consider doing a video covering overall INITIAL strategies for each nation? I realize once the dice start rolling the best plans can go south...
@@hofico6 So, after my acquisition of Larry Harris' War Room, and my move from Texas, I actually got rid of this version of A&A. After playing War Room, I don't think I'll ever go back - maybe an occasional game of A&A&Zombies.
Given what you said about pursuing your PHD in WWII history, I gotta assume you've played Quartermaster General? I don't remember if you've done a video for that game or not.
I have not played Quartermaster General. Heard good things about it though.
My gawd man, what on EARTH are you waiting for? If you're a WWII history major with four or five gaming buddies, how have you made it this far without playing QMG???!!!
QMG is a fast-playing card driven hand-management game where most cards played bring some real-world history to life. Each player has only a few pieces for the board. The game is great with two players, but is a BLAST with five or six. (Just don't play it with three). Plus it's only about 2-3 hours long... the entire war in 2-3 hours! Can't beat that.
Now that I'm typing this, I recollect that I may've given you the same spiel on BGG a few years back (though my username on BGG is similar but different). I'll keep bugging you every few years till you play it! :)
wwwwait, what? 6? What's Italy doing here?
Italy? You know, just hanging out. Eating carbs. Sipping wine. Italy stuff.
The video is getting darker at the end... maybe cause that beard moment =D
Ha! I just bought a new lamp so I don't have to rely on natural light- and unanticipated cloud cover!
The Discriminating Gamer Great vid Cody.
As always ;)
Thank you, sir!
The original came out in the 80's.
Yes. Yes it did.
The Discriminating Gamer I just wanted to add that considering you didn't mention it.
Cody... bring back the beard!!! OK... A&A? Over the years, I've acquired many versions of this game... the original A&A... A&A Pacific, and so on. I'm a solo gamer, so outside of hoarding the plastic pieces, and map boards, there wasn't much going on here. In a lot of ways, the separate components were worth more than the totality of the game. I guess you could work the game mechanics, for the solo gamer, to reflect about 100 different things... from command, to arbitrary movement to how IP are used. This would probably mean the game would need to be card assisted, for each player... a Commissar deck for the Soviets, some form of "Fog of War"/hidden movement feature for smaller countries. and such. That being given... it would probably be fun to try this. Have you thought about this ? Unit activation, perhaps by province might not be a bad idea either. This would obviously mean the game would have to be formerly set up on a large COSTCO table for a long time.... not a bad prospect. I would like to try this... providing there were a lot more options for less than five players... what do you think? Do you know of anybody who has tried this?
You've obviously put a lot more time and thought into this than I have. Never considered it, nor am I aware of anyone who has. Sounds like fun. Take a crack at it and let me know how it goes down.