Couldn't agree more. The right balance of information without being lost in details, humor without being obnoxious. Just very very well done! Can't wait for part 2
yes the production quality is insane. editing is so tight, wonderful arrows and callouts on the screen. all that effort in the video editing software really shows. i think that's why these videos are getting soooo many views. even if you aren't into A&A very much, the quality of the commentary and the pacing draws you in...
for the record i barely care about A&A played a few time in high school. just found these videos and they're getting me into it. but have tried some other A&A videos and nothing is as good as these. so you're gonna have to keep making more... !
This is a masterclass in how to present material like this. Superb job. Really looking forward to the final video and hope the success means more this style in the future (I am sure its a ton of work!)
You are very kind. Thank you for watching! We will be making more videos in this style after this series concludes and I get a nap. Thanks for the support!
This gives me a new strategy: The Sunrise Surprise. Step 1 - Become a morning person. Step 2 - Play in the morning. Step 3 - Play against non-morning people. Since I play Revised with my 10 year old, who wakes up and is ready to face the day at 6am, there might be something to this. My partner already has Step 1 down pat!
P.S. The EDITING of this episode in particular was FANTASTIC!! The way you “layered” in the Opponents comments on EVERY move was perfectly done. Bravo!!!
Easily the strongest German play you guys have faced so far. Constant pressure, not over extending and some interesting moves with the fighters. Looking forward to part 2 👍
While this German player did well, honestly it had more to do with Gary’s insane and cataclysmic rolling. Vegas should hire him as a cooler. I would have taken the dice away from him for the rest of the game.
This has been so entertaining to watch, as someone who loves A&A but doesn’t get to play much, it’s great getting to watch some high level play! Also as a Canadian, seeing the Infantry and Tank from Canada fail in the France invasion was incredibly historically accurate with the failed invasion of Dieppe!
John and Adam were a lot of fun to play with and great as we made these videos. So glad you enjoyed the series! Working on more of them now. Thanks for watching!
You guys really should have banned Gary from rolling dice after the second disaster. Brutal brutal luck I think getting your opponents to be in this video is an absolute stroke of GENIUS. I'm so glad they agreed to come talk with you guys and give us secondary insight of every move. This game could still go both ways, I'm so excited to see how this pans out.
Awesome video series guys. It really brings me back to playing A&A and Fortress America with my brothers and friends. Amazing quality video and coverage and huge props to John and Adam for participating. Great job avoiding spoilers during the video. Everyone involved A+++
I also want to highlight that its very satisfying to see older asymetric games like this find life with new setup and bidding rules, especially with some recent asymetric games also finding success.
im calling it right now: gary rolls hot to close the game. Also, im glad that the videos in this series are getting so many views because gary and his team deserve the validation. You can tell a lot of work goes into making them by how polished and entertaining they are
I'm hoping it's getting really close here. The fact he is recreating the board state is crazy. Plus it makes more sense in my brain than trying to recreate it in say the online game.
I think Gary will blow an easy roll on the final turn by somehow rolling zeros and will have a meltdown and Gary will comfort him and their friendship deepens.
So well done. Happy you stretched the finals out into two videos, if for no other reason than that it gives us one more video to enjoy. This series has been amazing. One of the things I think you have glossed over a bit in your videos and in your live show responses to questions on how to execute on or counter the "Thorpe Thump" is how the Thorpe Thump is a strategy that leaves open many tactical options depending on specific battle outcomes. Games 3 & 4 really have demonstrated this so far: the differences in Sea Zone 37, Borneo, Wake and Okinawa vs. Solomon & New Guinea, how and where the bomber forces are used, and the resulting build choices have resulted in very different tactical paths ... but look like they are leading to a similar strategic outcome - at least in the Pacific. Very much looking forward to Part 2!!
Gary, I appreciate the effort you put into these videos! I don't have much means to play Axis & Allies in-person and it's hard to find _clear_ videos of board game play online. Your work to recreate the board and the moves with clear pictures and helpful graphics, as well as the commentary from the participants, makes these videos feel like I'm in the gameroom with the group. Your videos are easy to follow and it's entertaining to hear everyone's thoughts and strategies. Hope you got a dice-rolling participation trophy for this one! 🎲🏆
Excellent quality video and editing. I'm an "Old school" A&A player from the time the game first came out. At first I was confused about how far away from the meta both teams' strategies were. I was thinking to myself, "If they were playing A&A Online they would be getting trounced by every platinum and most gold level players ." (highest I have gotten to is #23 platinum). BUT THEN I noticed the 5hour timer constraint and it ALL made me fully understand the heavy plane/heavy tank strats and it all made sense. Now I will go back and watch the first three rounds and will subscribe. Thanks for the time put into this production.
Looking forward to the final video! It was fun to see you guys pitch Diplomacy. I haven't played it in decades. I remember the between turn negotiations took longer than the gameplay :))
I was already excited for this video, and then I find out that not only do we get a part two, but we also get to hear from your opponents!! What an incredible series this has been so far! This is quite possibly the best table top board game content I've ever seen on TH-cam, ever - this format works so well for these tournament games, and your writing and editing are amazing!
I have actually only played A&A once, but I still enjoy these videos immensely. Stumbled onto your first game and have kept up since. Looking forward to part 2!
I tried that strategy in our practice sessions, but it was never fast enough to stand up to pressure from both the US and UK forces. Not to say it isn't possible. I just never found a way to make it work. (I also tried a complex in Manilla on J1. No joy.) Thanks for watching!
34:00 So what are the "table talk" rules? We've always played that the players can walk away from the board and talk amongst themselves AND they can work and talk cooperatively during their turns, but this was in the original game. Does the rulebook address "table talk" rules now?
You can step away from the table to talk with your teammate, but this is a timed event. So, you can't take too long. I don't think this is addressed in any of the rulebooks, but "slow play" is addressed in the tournament rules used at Gen Con. We talked about slow play in a number of the live streams we made following these events. If you'd like to check those out... Thanks for watching!
Talk about a nail biter! Excellent presentation of the gameplay in this and the previous games leading up to it. I know these must be a lot of work to put together but thank you. I can't express how much I've enjoyed watching these games.
Excited to watch this tonight. Love the breakdown of your matches. You're reigniting my desire to play this game. I'll be dusting off my anniversary edition soon.
Thank you so much Gary and Doug!!! Loving every bit of this series. So glad that John and Adam took part in this video. Very interesting hearing both sides react to the game. Please do more of these. You have earned my subscription and don't ever apologize for delays due to quality. I favor delays so the final product will be fantastic. Excited for part 2 and the future of your channel. Stellar work friends!!
Gary, after watching this episode all the way through you have got me on the edge of my seat in excited anticipation of what will happen next. It is really fun to watch you recreate the play by play moves with the suspense and changing strategy. Adding the opponents insight into their thought process added additional depth which made me feel like I was there at the game watching this all play out. Thank you for putting this all together. I know this had to be time consuming to create this video but the end product is just fantastic. I think this series of videos will become a roll model for others to follow and will attract new interest in this game. Well done my friend!
As someone just getting into A&A thank you so much for these videos! Genuinely so entertaining to watch higher-level play presented in this way, you guys have nailed the format, it's so much fun to watch!!
I'm not a huge fan of tabletop games. But I used to play this game when I was a kid. You obviously spent a significant amount of time on this and the presentation is great. I enjoyed these videos and would love to see more. It would be great to see some non-tournament/long play sessions! Anyways, thanks for doing this.
I'm glad you enjoyed them. We just returned from Gen Con, where we captured the histories 10 more A&A games, plus the finals for Acquire, RoboRally, and Diplomacy. We will be turning all all of them in videos like this one. We hope you'll tune in. Thanks for watching!
6:50 Gencon the biggest (board) gaming event in the world? Oh boy, you guys have to come over to Germany and visit the SPIEL once in a while - it's about 4 times as large as Gencon (measured by visitors), an absolute blast. Although, to be fair, Axis & Allies probably wouldn't be a crowd favorite there.
7:41 I am looking at the map of the setup. In an earlier video, you mentioned the fighter missing from French Indo-China. I put the picture on full-screen, took off my glasses and got really close to the screen and squinted really hard. I cannot see the fighter!
I've been hooked to these videos. You two are a fantastic narrative compliment to each other. Thank you for posting these. Production quality is super. Editing is super. What a treat this series was. To put it in Hollywood terms, you guys "got it".
Wow, what a game, and a cliffhanger ending for part 1 haha, great work guys, thank you so much for this treat! I have a question for the axis players if I may. I did not understand the 2 transports 1 destroyer in SZ62. It was too big a target not to attempt with 2 UK bombers, especially if you consider axis sacrificed a CV and a fighter to take out 3 US transports later. Much safer would be 1BB + 1 DD on one SZ and 1 DD + 1 CV + 2 fighters on the other one. And 1 bonus question, why not attack Belarus too in G2? Thank you.
A real pleasure to watch! Having opponents close to your skill level really makes it a nail-biter, and despite certain blunders, both sides are putting up a strong fight. My personal take-away is: think twice about transport buys! Both the US and Japan blundered their entire turn’s purchases on unprotected transports. But then again, this is a friendly game- right? 😉
I would love to see some form of team time control added to this format. Seems like the games max at 5 rounds. If there were incentive to play quickly--and I'm not sure what that would be, rules-wise--could add more action to the game overall.
following your passions, brother, is and has been inspiring for all of us who have imagined these things our entire lives. and, this brings it to us. appreciate you, being you. god made you as you are
Excellent quality videos from the bald guy.. I mean Gary. I will say having played other tournaments (flames of war, Star Wars legion) at gen con that the exhaustion factor is real. High stress, timed rounds, lots going on. It’s exhausting. Well done guys.
Hi guys! I'm back with another question on the original A&A second edition. (1981) I could very well have overlooked the rule but I'm sure as always you can help. In an amphibious assault infantry and armor cannot withdraw back onto a transport. If all the attacker has remaining is a fighter, can it withdraw onto a carrier if the carrier was moved with the transport in the amphibious assault?
First, I think you might be talking about the Milton Bradley 1986 A&A classic Second Edition. The 1981 version would be the Nova Games version, and I've never played it. If I'm correct, I believe that the land units offloaded from a transport (sea borne land units) can never retreat (back to a transport or to any adjacent territory). However, the attacker can retreat land units that came from adjacent land territories and air units. The land borne units would retreat as normal, the air units would be removed from the combat (moving in non-combat as normal), all while the sea borne land units would fight on to whatever end. It has been a long time since I played the Classic, but I think that is correct. Plus, that is the rule for all the current mainline A&A. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching!
Gary, Doug: I haven’t seen Japan or USA build a factory in Asia in any of your games. Why not? It seems like that would allow IPCs to be used on air and land, instead of navy, in subsequent turns.
I tried that strategy in our practice sessions, but it was never fast enough to stand up to pressure from both the US and UK forces. Not to say it isn't possible. I just never found a way to make it work. (I also tried a complex in Manilla on J1. No joy.) Thanks for watching!
Really enjoy all your videos and they been pretty helpful. What would you change about the Allies Openings if you were playing the second edition instead of the Harris 3.0?
That is a tough question. For the game to be balanced, the Allies would need a bid in the 18-22 range. The placement of which could dramatically swing the game. (Add a UK Battleship to the fleet in Indian Ocean or 7 INF to Karelia) But... out of the box, for the Allies to have a chance... the Russians have to play more conservatively, the UK needs to either defend Calcutta 100% or get out of it, and the US has to play perfectly. It comes down to a race. Axis trying to get to Moscow before the Allies can reach Berlin or Tokyo. Thanks for watching!
You guys bid up instead of bid down? My experience with bidding is, "allies 4" and if the other player wants allies he types 3 or takes the axis and I get 4. How do tournaments work for live game play? Some games can take a long time before reaching the VC conditions. Online games are faster than live games so it is played out to VC win or surrender.
Loving learning this top level strategy and play-by-plays of top games from Baldy and Glasses. Great videos! Would you guys consider reviewing other players' games as well?
I have a question: I thought battle calculators were allowed in tornements, but after Doug words (44:16) I m not so sure anymore. So can battle calculators be used during torunements or you have to use only a pen, paper and your mind?
Been playing the game for 30 +years.the original handbook said to order more pieces.... Then nothing. Bought 2 more games for the extra pieces. So glad,the newer ones aren't nearly as good
To each, their own, but I find each game has their own flavor. I like the option to play a variety of different games depending on how the group is feeling, time available, and skills of the players. Thanks for watching!
Those dice rolls were brutal. I play poker for a living and have lost as a 96% and 97.5% favorite against the same player in two different poker rooms, so I understand your pain
Wow!! What an EPIC PENULTIMATE chapter to your 2023 A&A Championship tourney! This part was UNBELIEVABLY entertaining!😁 I literally watched and listened to each move then, rewound EACH section to watch and listen AGAIN for a deeper dive. The devil is DEFINITELY in the details and you 4 gentlemen played this match at a VERY high level! Bravo!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 You left it on the PERFECT cliff-hanger moment (of course!) with “90 mins left” in the match to keep us hanging with bated breath for the FINALE!! Omg!! 😱 Eeeeek!!! 😳 Will Gary EVER get a “decent” roll for the Allies in the most important match of them all? Will Japan be able to hold off the American advance? Can America capture a victory city with 1 LAND unit left?! Can the UK somehow help hold off the Nazi advance into the Asian Theater with MULTIPLE TANK Columns to help hold the American/UK line? I cannot wait to find out!!! Let’s make it HOT!!!! 🔥🔥🔥 #RenegadeStudios #LetsMakeItHot
I am Cow. The author of the Japan playbook for global 1940. I played this board heavily when it first came out on steam and then took a long hiatus. I won tournaments on this board online and was rank 1 season 1 for Allies and rank 2 for season 2. This horrible gameplay made me play Axis and Allies again to see if things have digressed over the years. I am bouncing around in the top 10 for Allies. Overall online game play and strategies are much more refined and dialed to perfection. I been getting a run for my money, which is good to see. First two seasons I was blasting through everyone. My second tournament I had to win with the Axis because giving me Allies was a bad idea. I am doing my preferred strategy exclusively because the players know how to deal with standard Allies play - they aren't used to seeing green skies. So online the top 10 players are seasoned vets. Most of the names I recognize from when the game first came out. I don't know if live games can be considered world championships. Regional? maybe. City sure! Small state like Montana? Ok. Is this the Duo's tournament over discord? I would love to team up with Zhukov4 if I can find him online again. He is wacky sometimes. I like my partner being wacky and having fun.
For your notes, next time it would be nice to have timestamps for all the starts of the turns (i.e. turn 1: Russia: 0:15, Germany: 0:40, etc). This also shows the speed of play
Hi Gary, another great video, excited for part 2. A tiny remark, when moving bombers around, could you use a bit more of the numbered arrows 1-2-3-4-5 and land on 6? For the amateur player as myself, with an untrained eye, it took me 10 tries to figure out how you got that bomber from Western USA across the pacific into Yunnan, lol
Axis has made some serious errors that will come back to bite them. Losing the two Japanese transports exposed to British air early was probably the worst mistake. They needed those boats for ferrying and, critically, to have a spare boat to block the sea zone around Okinawa to prevent the American fleet from setting up shop in Manila on Turn 3. Germany is no better. They had massive wins but have failed to capitalize. By that I mean they should push tanks forward to threaten stealing all of the undefended Russian territory behind Moscow and getting in range to foil British plans. Instead they consolidate and angle to attack Moscow, which is basically dithering in such a short game.
@@BoardGameNation I have never actually played this game, but I saw it in my friends basement closet when I was a kid and have always been interested in it. Wish I had friends who like long board games.
Very excited to listen while having a late night at work. Where can i learn more about getting into such a tournament? I've been playing for a while and would like to try my hand at this.
Sorry for the slow reply! We are working on get information together about organized play, but for sure you can find us at GenCon in Indianapolis this August! Hope to see you there! If you would like to learn more, you can join our Find-a-Player project by following this link and filling out the form: bit.ly/Find-a-Player Thanks for watching!
This is a super interesting game but is also showing why the Victory Territories used at WBC for so many years was a superior scoring system. You really had to fight everywhere. How Caucasus isn’t a VT in a tournament blows my mind - fully aware none of the participants made the rules. WBC - Revised was used. The determination of who wins a game will be based upon the control of Victory Territories (VTs). The Victory City method of determining a winner will NOT be used. Each side controls 12 Victory Territories at the beginning of the game. The Victory Territories are listed below. AXIS POWERS GERMANY Germany Western Europe Southern Europe Eastern Europe Ukraine SSR Norway JAPAN Japan Manchuria French Indochina Philippine Islands East Indies Borneo ALLIED POWERS USSR Russia Caucasus Archangel Novosibirsk UK United Kingdom India Anglo-Egypt Australia USA Eastern US Western US Hawaiian Islands Sinkiang If a player holds 18 (or more) VTs for a full round of game play (from the end of a country’s turn to the beginning of that same country’s next turn.), then that player automatically wins. In the event of a VT tie at the end of the game, whichever side increased its IPC total is the winner. If the game is still tied after reviewing the IPC totals, then the GM will make a determination of the winner based upon the game situation at the time the game ended. If a player chooses to concede before the game has reached the 18 VT automatic win threshold or the game time limit (4.5 hrs), a default score of 19 VTs and +30 IPCs will be awarded to the winner. I would add and I think that Doug mentioned in an early vid is that all games should last ‘at least’ so many rounds and I think 5-6 should be the number depending on the venue’s time restraints.
I'm curious about nomenclature. You call this 2nd edition, but this seems to be what I would think of as the 3rd edition board (artillery etc). My understanding was that there was a cardboard version before the MB edition which was the first I played.
A very fair question. I suppose if you are counting all the versions of the game that use the entire world (rather than Europe/ Pacific/ local)... that would mean the 2012 release of 1942 "Second Edition" would actually be Sixth Edition. (Nova, 1984, 1986, Revised, 2009 (1942: World at War) and then 1942 Second Edition). So, yeah. I wouldn't look for a lot of logic in how these are named... but they are fun! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for watching Part 1 of our Final Match of the Axis and Allies World Championship! What would you do to win this game?
Any idea when part 2 will drop?
@tylersimplot13 - Brother, this one almost killed me. Still, the goal is to have Part 2 out this coming Friday.
Thanks for watching!
@@BoardGameNation Completely understand, loved the video and cant wait for more.
allow them to take moscow and india, while going all-in on taking shanghai and France?
Maybe sacrifice a goat to the rng god???
This is imo the gold standard for tabletop gameplay quality videos!
You're very kind. Thank you for watching!
Couldn't agree more. The right balance of information without being lost in details, humor without being obnoxious. Just very very well done! Can't wait for part 2
Agreed it is.
yes the production quality is insane. editing is so tight, wonderful arrows and callouts on the screen. all that effort in the video editing software really shows. i think that's why these videos are getting soooo many views. even if you aren't into A&A very much, the quality of the commentary and the pacing draws you in...
for the record i barely care about A&A played a few time in high school. just found these videos and they're getting me into it. but have tried some other A&A videos and nothing is as good as these. so you're gonna have to keep making more... !
This is a masterclass in how to present material like this. Superb job. Really looking forward to the final video and hope the success means more this style in the future (I am sure its a ton of work!)
You are very kind. Thank you for watching! We will be making more videos in this style after this series concludes and I get a nap.
Thanks for the support!
This gives me a new strategy: The Sunrise Surprise.
Step 1 - Become a morning person.
Step 2 - Play in the morning.
Step 3 - Play against non-morning people.
Since I play Revised with my 10 year old, who wakes up and is ready to face the day at 6am, there might be something to this. My partner already has Step 1 down pat!
Genius!! 🤣🤣🤣
Ohhhh we play Revised alot aswell. Fun times
Seems solid!
sunrise surprise LOL
P.S. The EDITING of this episode in particular was FANTASTIC!! The way you “layered” in the Opponents comments on EVERY move was perfectly done. Bravo!!!
Easily the strongest German play you guys have faced so far. Constant pressure, not over extending and some interesting moves with the fighters. Looking forward to part 2 👍
While this German player did well, honestly it had more to do with Gary’s insane and cataclysmic rolling. Vegas should hire him as a cooler. I would have taken the dice away from him for the rest of the game.
This has been so entertaining to watch, as someone who loves A&A but doesn’t get to play much, it’s great getting to watch some high level play!
Also as a Canadian, seeing the Infantry and Tank from Canada fail in the France invasion was incredibly historically accurate with the failed invasion of Dieppe!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Ran across your first video on a whim and quickly got hooked. Honestly had no idea this game was played to this level. Fun series to watch!
Really enjoying this series! Having your opponents on hand to discuss the replay is a great touch.
John and Adam were a lot of fun to play with and great as we made these videos.
So glad you enjoyed the series! Working on more of them now.
Thanks for watching!
You guys really should have banned Gary from rolling dice after the second disaster. Brutal brutal luck
I think getting your opponents to be in this video is an absolute stroke of GENIUS. I'm so glad they agreed to come talk with you guys and give us secondary insight of every move. This game could still go both ways, I'm so excited to see how this pans out.
It was nail-bitter for sure. We really enjoyed playing with John and Adam and love that they joined us for the final two videos.
How did it turn out?
Awesome video series guys. It really brings me back to playing A&A and Fortress America with my brothers and friends. Amazing quality video and coverage and huge props to John and Adam for participating. Great job avoiding spoilers during the video. Everyone involved A+++
I also want to highlight that its very satisfying to see older asymetric games like this find life with new setup and bidding rules, especially with some recent asymetric games also finding success.
You're very kind. Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
im calling it right now: gary rolls hot to close the game. Also, im glad that the videos in this series are getting so many views because gary and his team deserve the validation. You can tell a lot of work goes into making them by how polished and entertaining they are
I'm hoping it's getting really close here. The fact he is recreating the board state is crazy. Plus it makes more sense in my brain than trying to recreate it in say the online game.
I think Gary will blow an easy roll on the final turn by somehow rolling zeros and will have a meltdown and Gary will comfort him and their friendship deepens.
I'm sure Gary has a complicated inner life... but this seems to be taking it to extremes@@jjthefish446
So well done. Happy you stretched the finals out into two videos, if for no other reason than that it gives us one more video to enjoy. This series has been amazing. One of the things I think you have glossed over a bit in your videos and in your live show responses to questions on how to execute on or counter the "Thorpe Thump" is how the Thorpe Thump is a strategy that leaves open many tactical options depending on specific battle outcomes. Games 3 & 4 really have demonstrated this so far: the differences in Sea Zone 37, Borneo, Wake and Okinawa vs. Solomon & New Guinea, how and where the bomber forces are used, and the resulting build choices have resulted in very different tactical paths ... but look like they are leading to a similar strategic outcome - at least in the Pacific. Very much looking forward to Part 2!!
Gary, I appreciate the effort you put into these videos!
I don't have much means to play Axis & Allies in-person and it's hard to find _clear_ videos of board game play online. Your work to recreate the board and the moves with clear pictures and helpful graphics, as well as the commentary from the participants, makes these videos feel like I'm in the gameroom with the group. Your videos are easy to follow and it's entertaining to hear everyone's thoughts and strategies.
Hope you got a dice-rolling participation trophy for this one! 🎲🏆
Thanks for putting these out so quickly guys! It’s been a fun ride and I eagerly await each episode
Excellent quality video and editing. I'm an "Old school" A&A player from the time the game first came out. At first I was confused about how far away from the meta both teams' strategies were. I was thinking to myself, "If they were playing A&A Online they would be getting trounced by every platinum and most gold level players ." (highest I have gotten to is #23 platinum). BUT THEN I noticed the 5hour timer constraint and it ALL made me fully understand the heavy plane/heavy tank strats and it all made sense. Now I will go back and watch the first three rounds and will subscribe. Thanks for the time put into this production.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Tournament rule definitely change up the strategic approach. Glad you enjoyed the series.
Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Looking forward to the final video! It was fun to see you guys pitch Diplomacy. I haven't played it in decades. I remember the between turn negotiations took longer than the gameplay :))
I was already excited for this video, and then I find out that not only do we get a part two, but we also get to hear from your opponents!! What an incredible series this has been so far! This is quite possibly the best table top board game content I've ever seen on TH-cam, ever - this format works so well for these tournament games, and your writing and editing are amazing!
You're very kind. Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
I have actually only played A&A once, but I still enjoy these videos immensely. Stumbled onto your first game and have kept up since. Looking forward to part 2!
Does no one build new factories in tournament play? I feel one in Manchuria or Philippines helps get troops there
I tried that strategy in our practice sessions, but it was never fast enough to stand up to pressure from both the US and UK forces. Not to say it isn't possible. I just never found a way to make it work. (I also tried a complex in Manilla on J1. No joy.)
Thanks for watching!
What are the win/loss stats for the axis and the allies in the tournament setting? Does the 5 hour 4-5 turns favour one side over the other?
34:00 So what are the "table talk" rules? We've always played that the players can walk away from the board and talk amongst themselves AND they can work and talk cooperatively during their turns, but this was in the original game. Does the rulebook address "table talk" rules now?
You can step away from the table to talk with your teammate, but this is a timed event. So, you can't take too long. I don't think this is addressed in any of the rulebooks, but "slow play" is addressed in the tournament rules used at Gen Con.
We talked about slow play in a number of the live streams we made following these events. If you'd like to check those out...
Thanks for watching!
44:11 "Caffeine-deprived fog."
The most dangerous fog of war, indeed. 😂
That is for sure!
Thanks for watching!
Talk about a nail biter! Excellent presentation of the gameplay in this and the previous games leading up to it. I know these must be a lot of work to put together but thank you. I can't express how much I've enjoyed watching these games.
You did a great job with the broadcast of your games.
So glad you enjoyed it! Working on more of them now.
Thanks for watching!
Excited to watch this tonight. Love the breakdown of your matches.
You're reigniting my desire to play this game. I'll be dusting off my anniversary edition soon.
Thank you so much Gary and Doug!!! Loving every bit of this series. So glad that John and Adam took part in this video. Very interesting hearing both sides react to the game. Please do more of these. You have earned my subscription and don't ever apologize for delays due to quality. I favor delays so the final product will be fantastic. Excited for part 2 and the future of your channel. Stellar work friends!!
Hey Gary, I haven't played A&A since my Navy days, but I still remember games where I couldn't roll a hit to save my life. So I feel your pain.
Gary, after watching this episode all the way through you have got me on the edge of my seat in excited anticipation of what will happen next. It is really fun to watch you recreate the play by play moves with the suspense and changing strategy. Adding the opponents insight into their thought process added additional depth which made me feel like I was there at the game watching this all play out. Thank you for putting this all together. I know this had to be time consuming to create this video but the end product is just fantastic. I think this series of videos will become a roll model for others to follow and will attract new interest in this game. Well done my friend!
I get it, "Roll Model" lol! I agree, very well done. I have never anticipated TH-cam videos more than these!
Note to self, become a dice exorcist and travel to gaming conventions offering my services to purify dice. =)
Shut up and take my money!!! 😂😂😂😂
Thanks for watching!
Fantastic game and video! Appreciate the commentary on overall strategy and turn-by-turn tactics by both sides. Can't wait for part 2!
This is sure an epic game - the most fun and memorable type to play! Looking forward to part 2!
As someone just getting into A&A thank you so much for these videos! Genuinely so entertaining to watch higher-level play presented in this way, you guys have nailed the format, it's so much fun to watch!!
It brings back memories of my dormmates in the early 90s at UMICH. We always have a game of A & A going on for years.
Awesome! Hope this rekindled your nostalgia enough to inspire a new game.
Thanks for watching!
Your videos are awesome and very entertaining. Thanks for all the work you put into them!!
Glad you like them! More coming soon!
I don't know about the rest of you, but I plan on re-watching part 1 and then go into part 2 when it drops! It's gonna be so good!
Cliffhanger!!!! Ahhhh... I can't wait to see how this one plays out!! Super-super great video! 🍻 Dave Skelly's calculator is on my home screen now!
So glad you enjoyed it! Working on more of them now.
Thanks for watching!
Well presented video. I got my A&A itch now and I need my fix.
So glad you enjoyed it! Working on more of them now.
Thanks for watching!
this video and series have been such a pleasure to watch so far!
So glad you enjoyed it! Working on more of them now.
Thanks for watching!
Can’t wait for part 2. Great content!
I'm not a huge fan of tabletop games. But I used to play this game when I was a kid. You obviously spent a significant amount of time on this and the presentation is great. I enjoyed these videos and would love to see more. It would be great to see some non-tournament/long play sessions! Anyways, thanks for doing this.
I'm glad you enjoyed them. We just returned from Gen Con, where we captured the histories 10 more A&A games, plus the finals for Acquire, RoboRally, and Diplomacy. We will be turning all all of them in videos like this one. We hope you'll tune in.
Thanks for watching!
Great video! Thank you for sharing! 👍
Thanks for being a member!!
The editing on this video is top notch. Well done!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for posting this! I'm looking forward to Part 2!
This is a professional video. So good to include the opponents!
Kind of... nice to see other do mistakes in game too. Obviosly subscribing now.
6:50 Gencon the biggest (board) gaming event in the world? Oh boy, you guys have to come over to Germany and visit the SPIEL once in a while - it's about 4 times as large as Gencon (measured by visitors), an absolute blast. Although, to be fair, Axis & Allies probably wouldn't be a crowd favorite there.
I have a sneaky suspicion that it will come down to America going last. Thanks for posting and sharing!
Ditto
7:41 I am looking at the map of the setup. In an earlier video, you mentioned the fighter missing from French Indo-China. I put the picture on full-screen, took off my glasses and got really close to the screen and squinted really hard. I cannot see the fighter!
8:43 Now I see it.
Thanks for watching!
I've been hooked to these videos. You two are a fantastic narrative compliment to each other. Thank you for posting these. Production quality is super. Editing is super. What a treat this series was.
To put it in Hollywood terms, you guys "got it".
New subscriber. Quality jumped out from jump. Looking forward to more.
Working on it now! Thanks for watching!
I would love to see how you notate these games.
I'm working on a smoother way to do this. I'll publish it when it's ready. :)
Thanks for watching!
Great game so far! when can we expect part 2?
So glad you enjoyed it! Working on new videos now.
Thanks for watching!
Wow! So awesome to hear both side’s thoughts and strategies. Very excited for part 2.
Haven't played Axis and Allies since high school, so this is quite the blast from the past. Glad to see it represented at GenCon!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Hope to see you there! :)
Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Wow, what a game, and a cliffhanger ending for part 1 haha, great work guys, thank you so much for this treat!
I have a question for the axis players if I may. I did not understand the 2 transports 1 destroyer in SZ62. It was too big a target not to attempt with 2 UK bombers, especially if you consider axis sacrificed a CV and a fighter to take out 3 US transports later. Much safer would be 1BB + 1 DD on one SZ and 1 DD + 1 CV + 2 fighters on the other one.
And 1 bonus question, why not attack Belarus too in G2? Thank you.
Your videos have always been superb. This world championship coverage is beyond next level. This has been awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been waiting for this. A fantastic job on the video.
Thanks for your patience! Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow, I can see why this took so long to cut together! Thanks for all the grinding!
A real pleasure to watch! Having opponents close to your skill level really makes it a nail-biter, and despite certain blunders, both sides are putting up a strong fight. My personal take-away is: think twice about transport buys! Both the US and Japan blundered their entire turn’s purchases on unprotected transports. But then again, this is a friendly game- right? 😉
This is unbelievable play by play breakdown! Thank you!!!
I would love to see some form of team time control added to this format. Seems like the games max at 5 rounds. If there were incentive to play quickly--and I'm not sure what that would be, rules-wise--could add more action to the game overall.
Midnight in Brazil. Waiting for this video. Tks!
Thanks for your patience! Enjoy!
following your passions, brother, is and has been inspiring for all of us who have imagined these things our entire lives. and, this brings it to us. appreciate you, being you. god made you as you are
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent quality videos from the bald guy.. I mean Gary. I will say having played other tournaments (flames of war, Star Wars legion) at gen con that the exhaustion factor is real. High stress, timed rounds, lots going on. It’s exhausting. Well done guys.
You got that right. So glad you enjoyed the videos! Working on more of them now.
Thanks for watching!
Loved this series so excited for the last part.
So glad you enjoyed it! Working on more of them now.
Thanks for watching!
Hi guys! I'm back with another question on the original A&A second edition. (1981) I could very well have overlooked the rule but I'm sure as always you can help. In an amphibious assault infantry and armor cannot withdraw back onto a transport. If all the attacker has remaining is a fighter, can it withdraw onto a carrier if the carrier was moved with the transport in the amphibious assault?
First, I think you might be talking about the Milton Bradley 1986 A&A classic Second Edition. The 1981 version would be the Nova Games version, and I've never played it.
If I'm correct, I believe that the land units offloaded from a transport (sea borne land units) can never retreat (back to a transport or to any adjacent territory). However, the attacker can retreat land units that came from adjacent land territories and air units. The land borne units would retreat as normal, the air units would be removed from the combat (moving in non-combat as normal), all while the sea borne land units would fight on to whatever end.
It has been a long time since I played the Classic, but I think that is correct. Plus, that is the rule for all the current mainline A&A.
I hope that helps. Thanks for watching!
I was recently introduced to your channel and I'm lovin it! Thanks for the play-by-play!
Gary, Doug: I haven’t seen Japan or USA build a factory in Asia in any of your games. Why not? It seems like that would allow IPCs to be used on air and land, instead of navy, in subsequent turns.
I tried that strategy in our practice sessions, but it was never fast enough to stand up to pressure from both the US and UK forces. Not to say it isn't possible. I just never found a way to make it work. (I also tried a complex in Manilla on J1. No joy.)
Thanks for watching!
Really enjoy all your videos and they been pretty helpful. What would you change about the Allies Openings if you were playing the second edition instead of the Harris 3.0?
That is a tough question. For the game to be balanced, the Allies would need a bid in the 18-22 range. The placement of which could dramatically swing the game. (Add a UK Battleship to the fleet in Indian Ocean or 7 INF to Karelia)
But... out of the box, for the Allies to have a chance... the Russians have to play more conservatively, the UK needs to either defend Calcutta 100% or get out of it, and the US has to play perfectly. It comes down to a race. Axis trying to get to Moscow before the Allies can reach Berlin or Tokyo.
Thanks for watching!
You guys bid up instead of bid down? My experience with bidding is, "allies 4" and if the other player wants allies he types 3 or takes the axis and I get 4.
How do tournaments work for live game play? Some games can take a long time before reaching the VC conditions. Online games are faster than live games so it is played out to VC win or surrender.
This channel is great.
Woohoo! Excited to watch
Great video, looking forward to the next two round!
So glad you enjoyed it! Working on more of them now.
Thanks for watching!
Loving learning this top level strategy and play-by-plays of top games from Baldy and Glasses. Great videos!
Would you guys consider reviewing other players' games as well?
So glad you enjoyed it! Working on more of them now.
Thanks for watching!
Sincerely,
Baldy
Love these videos so much
So glad you enjoyed it! Working on more of them now.
Thanks for watching!
this has been so fun to watch
I have a question: I thought battle calculators were allowed in tornements, but after Doug words (44:16) I m not so sure anymore. So can battle calculators be used during torunements or you have to use only a pen, paper and your mind?
Pen, paper, and your mind only. No electronic assistance.
I don't even like A&A that much, but I love this video series. I have A&A online now and I will give it a go
Been playing the game for 30 +years.the original handbook said to order more pieces....
Then nothing. Bought 2 more games for the extra pieces. So glad,the newer ones aren't nearly as good
To each, their own, but I find each game has their own flavor. I like the option to play a variety of different games depending on how the group is feeling, time available, and skills of the players.
Thanks for watching!
Those dice rolls were brutal. I play poker for a living and have lost as a 96% and 97.5% favorite against the same player in two different poker rooms, so I understand your pain
When does the next video drop???
Working on it now! Should be ready on Friday!
Thanks for watching!
Wow!! What an EPIC PENULTIMATE chapter to your 2023 A&A Championship tourney! This part was UNBELIEVABLY entertaining!😁
I literally watched and listened to each move then, rewound EACH section to watch and listen AGAIN for a deeper dive. The devil is DEFINITELY in the details and you 4 gentlemen played this match at a VERY high level!
Bravo!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
You left it on the PERFECT cliff-hanger moment (of course!) with “90 mins left” in the match to keep us hanging with bated breath for the FINALE!! Omg!! 😱 Eeeeek!!! 😳
Will Gary EVER get a “decent” roll for the Allies in the most important match of them all?
Will Japan be able to hold off the American advance? Can America capture a victory city with 1 LAND unit left?!
Can the UK somehow help hold off the Nazi advance into the Asian Theater with MULTIPLE TANK Columns to help hold the American/UK line?
I cannot wait to find out!!! Let’s make it HOT!!!! 🔥🔥🔥
#RenegadeStudios
#LetsMakeItHot
This is a great format being able to hear all players observations and thoughts👍
I am Cow. The author of the Japan playbook for global 1940. I played this board heavily when it first came out on steam and then took a long hiatus. I won tournaments on this board online and was rank 1 season 1 for Allies and rank 2 for season 2.
This horrible gameplay made me play Axis and Allies again to see if things have digressed over the years. I am bouncing around in the top 10 for Allies. Overall online game play and strategies are much more refined and dialed to perfection. I been getting a run for my money, which is good to see. First two seasons I was blasting through everyone. My second tournament I had to win with the Axis because giving me Allies was a bad idea. I am doing my preferred strategy exclusively because the players know how to deal with standard Allies play - they aren't used to seeing green skies.
So online the top 10 players are seasoned vets. Most of the names I recognize from when the game first came out.
I don't know if live games can be considered world championships. Regional? maybe. City sure! Small state like Montana? Ok.
Is this the Duo's tournament over discord? I would love to team up with Zhukov4 if I can find him online again. He is wacky sometimes. I like my partner being wacky and having fun.
For your notes, next time it would be nice to have timestamps for all the starts of the turns (i.e. turn 1: Russia: 0:15, Germany: 0:40, etc). This also shows the speed of play
Hi Gary, another great video, excited for part 2.
A tiny remark, when moving bombers around, could you use a bit more of the numbered arrows 1-2-3-4-5 and land on 6?
For the amateur player as myself, with an untrained eye, it took me 10 tries to figure out how you got that bomber from Western USA across the pacific into Yunnan, lol
Your comment came in at exactly the right time. Working on that now for part 2!
Thanks for watching!
Axis has made some serious errors that will come back to bite them. Losing the two Japanese transports exposed to British air early was probably the worst mistake. They needed those boats for ferrying and, critically, to have a spare boat to block the sea zone around Okinawa to prevent the American fleet from setting up shop in Manila on Turn 3.
Germany is no better. They had massive wins but have failed to capitalize. By that I mean they should push tanks forward to threaten stealing all of the undefended Russian territory behind Moscow and getting in range to foil British plans. Instead they consolidate and angle to attack Moscow, which is basically dithering in such a short game.
Been waiting for this, thanks for posting
what a great pleasure this was! It made me download the old 1998 axis and allies game
31:58 those criminal dice.. Stalin will surely understand 😂. Great video once again. This really has been a pleasure to follow!
No kidding! It was absolutely brutal! Glad you enjoyed the series.
Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Amazing video , I subscribed, thank you for having this and hope to meet you at GenCon 2024
The worst roll I ever seen was by me in College. 18 dice, needing 3's to hit, and I didn't score any.
Was there any consideration made to shift one or two UK fighters from India to help defend Moskow during the 3rd round? 53:15
Been waiting for this to drop!
Thanks for your patience! Enjoy!
@@BoardGameNation I have never actually played this game, but I saw it in my friends basement closet when I was a kid and have always been interested in it. Wish I had friends who like long board games.
I have been waiting for this 👍👍👍
How did you move the battleship into the Black Sea? Isn’t that useful shut off?
Negative. The straits is open. Closing that border is an optional rule that is not in play in the 1942.2 tournaments.
Thanks for watching!
New Larry Harris Gen Con rule... No dice for Gary. Great series. Loved watching!
Hahaha! SOLD!
So glad you enjoyed it! Working on more of them now.
Thanks for watching!
Very excited to listen while having a late night at work. Where can i learn more about getting into such a tournament? I've been playing for a while and would like to try my hand at this.
Sorry for the slow reply! We are working on get information together about organized play, but for sure you can find us at GenCon in Indianapolis this August! Hope to see you there!
If you would like to learn more, you can join our Find-a-Player project by following this link and filling out the form: bit.ly/Find-a-Player
Thanks for watching!
This is a super interesting game but is also showing why the Victory Territories used at WBC for so many years was a superior scoring system.
You really had to fight everywhere.
How Caucasus isn’t a VT in a tournament blows my mind - fully aware none of the participants made the rules.
WBC - Revised was used.
The determination of who wins a game will be based upon the control of Victory Territories (VTs). The Victory City method of determining a winner will NOT be used. Each side controls 12 Victory Territories at the beginning of the game. The Victory Territories are listed below.
AXIS POWERS
GERMANY
Germany
Western Europe
Southern Europe
Eastern Europe
Ukraine SSR
Norway
JAPAN
Japan
Manchuria
French Indochina
Philippine Islands
East Indies
Borneo
ALLIED POWERS
USSR
Russia
Caucasus
Archangel
Novosibirsk
UK
United Kingdom
India
Anglo-Egypt
Australia
USA
Eastern US
Western US
Hawaiian Islands
Sinkiang
If a player holds 18 (or more) VTs for a full round of game play (from the end of a country’s turn to the beginning of that same country’s next turn.), then that player automatically wins.
In the event of a VT tie at the end of the game, whichever side increased its IPC total is the winner. If the game is still tied after reviewing the IPC totals, then the GM will make a determination of the winner based upon the game situation at the time the game ended.
If a player chooses to concede before the game has reached the 18 VT automatic win threshold or the game time limit (4.5 hrs), a default score of 19 VTs and +30 IPCs will be awarded to the winner.
I would add and I think that Doug mentioned in an early vid is that all games should last ‘at least’ so many rounds and I think 5-6 should be the number depending on the venue’s time restraints.
I'm curious about nomenclature. You call this 2nd edition, but this seems to be what I would think of as the 3rd edition board (artillery etc). My understanding was that there was a cardboard version before the MB edition which was the first I played.
A very fair question. I suppose if you are counting all the versions of the game that use the entire world (rather than Europe/ Pacific/ local)... that would mean the 2012 release of 1942 "Second Edition" would actually be Sixth Edition. (Nova, 1984, 1986, Revised, 2009 (1942: World at War) and then 1942 Second Edition).
So, yeah. I wouldn't look for a lot of logic in how these are named... but they are fun!
Thanks for watching!