Axis and Allies for 4 players!
Written: Feb 16 '04 (Updated Dec 07 '05)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Detailed map, beautiful miniatures, action oriented gameplay, (relatively) easy to learn.
Cons: Game length is quite long, pieces are easy to lose, opening strategy is very important.
The Bottom Line: A solid and beautifully crafted entry into the amateur wargame field. 3-4 players lets you have fun without waiting for a family reunion, although you'll still need 3-4 hours.
|
|
|
| openroad's Full Review: Axis and Allies Europe Board Game |
Axis and Allies: Europe Edition
Publisher: Avalon Hill
Release date: 2000
Street Price: $35 - $45
Game Details: 2-4 players
Ages 12 and older
369 pieces
----- Introduction -----
Most fans would say the best amateur wargame ever is the original Axis and Allies, which was released by Milton Bradley in 1987. Axis and Allies was part of the mid-eighties Milton Bradley GameMaster series of wargames, which all boasted oversized boards and scads of detailed miniatures. Other entries in the GameMaster series were; Fortress America, Shogun, and Conquest of the Empire.
Fast forward 13 years, and Avalon Hill now controls the still-lucrative Axis & Allies franchise. A&A Europe is the first Axis & Allies expansion designed by the original A&A creator, Larry Harris. A&A Europe takes place only within the European theater, with only four powers (Germany, USA, USSR, and Great Britain) struggling for power this time. The battle is also taken to the sea, with combat taking place in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Most of the rules are identical and will be familiar to Axis & Allies veterans. A&A Europe does add several new pieces (artillery units and destroyers), new ways to steal IPCs from the enemy (Capturing naval supply zones in the Atlantic and conquering the oil fields of the Middle East), and expanded rules for Strategic Bombing Raids.
As with the later A&A Pacific edition, all of the pieces in A&A Europe are country specific. This one little detail has really helped the game look more realistic and professional. The fighter units are not generic fighter planes but the U.S. P-38 Lightning, the Soviet Yak, the German Stuka, and the British Spitfire. Naval and land units are also unique to each nation, which is how a wargame should be.
----- Actual Gameplay -----
Axis and Allies has the advantage of being one of the easiest wargames to learn. I have taught at least 20 people to play A&A or its Europe and Pacific variants. As with many board games, learning to play doesn't mean you are good enough to win... this game takes awhile to master. Attacking and defending are patterned very much like Risk only with more depth.
All units defend or kill on a die roll of one. The more expensive and powerful a unit is, the better its dice rating. A bomber will hit successfully on a roll of four or less, but only defend with a roll of one. Tanks attack with a three but defend at two. Infantry attack with a one and defend at two. As you can see, each unit type (tank, artillery, infantry, bomber, etc) has its own movement, attack, and defense stats. Most units are either good at offense or defense, with only the mighty battleship having an even spread of power.
As in A&A Pacific, one large power is attempting to conquer several smaller nations. It's the spring of 1941, and Hitler is poised to launch Operation Barbarossa. As some of you know, this was the surprise full-scale attack on the Soviet Union that ended the Hitler - Stalin non-aggression pact.
The Germans occupy much of Europe, have a large amount of land units on Russia's border, and an organized force of deadly U-Boats stationed throughout the Atlantic. The pre-existing navy of the USA is no match for the sneak attack ability of the U-Boats, so building destroyers to detect submarines is essential. United States is strong financially, but not militarily. A quick build-up of U.S. naval and air forces is necessary to assist in the battle around the British Isles.
The United Kingdom is hard to win with, yet also hard to defeat. Since an island requires and invasion with transports, Germany is hard pressed to build a large enough naval fleet to get the job done. The U.K.'s primary role is one of harrassment, using both long range bombers and their sizable naval forces to break down Germany's holdings in occupied France and Europe.
Russia is the un-lucky one with the lowest income and the largest borders to defend. While starting with a large compliment of defenses, Germany's attacks usually wear down Russia's defenses faster than they can rebuild.
----- Differences between standard A&A & Europe -----
Several key rule changes and a few new units have changed the game slightly for A&A veterans. I'll list a few of the major changes below.
Two new units have been added, Destroyers and Artillery.
When Destroyers are present in the same square as (any number) of submarines, subs lose their first strike attack ability and planes are allowed to attack subs.
Artillery attacks and defends at 2 or less, and increases the attack rating of infantry to 2. For this bonus, infantry and artillery must be present in equal numbers.
Allied IPCs are subject to German bombing attacks.
Instead of attacking units, Germany may opt to bomb the allies money. Any money lost through bombing is returned to the bank.
Supply zones provide income for U.K. and USA.
These supply zones can be blocked if Germany moves any naval unit onto a supply zone square. This simulates the blockading of allied shipping by U-Boat packs. Allied forces must re-take the zone to regain the income.
There is no Weapons Development phase.
Unlike standard A&A there isn't any weapons development.
Players may NOT build new Industrial Complexes. (factories)
Only pre-existing factories in their current locations may be used for the duration of the game.
----- Bottom Line -----
If you've never played Axis & Allies, this is a good game to get you into it. All the versions have about the same play difficulty, but Europe and Pacific editions have better rules and unit function descriptions. While the box says 12 years and older, I can't think of any 12 year olds that could really appreciate this game. I'm thinking mid-to-late teens would be the youngest age where someone would be able to have enough patience to finish a game.
Any Gripes? One not-too-serious gripe is that it's so fun to play Germany, I never want to play any other power. The US and UK in particular are quite dull for at least two, and sometimes as many as four turns. In this the game is inferior to A&A, at least for the first couple of turns.
The game times are quite long, usually between 3-4 hours with 3 players. You NEED at least 3 players to play Europe, and one player takes the U.K. and United States. Four players is better, but not necessary. Getting three friends together always seems easier than four, so I usually play with three.
Some people complain that Germany is fighting a uphill battle the whole game, and that it's an unbalanced game. I think it's balanced quite well, although the Soviet Union seems to get the short end of the stick. History is proven time and again as Germany becomes weaker over a long game. The German player must strike hard and fast early in the game to keep a solid lead, but if he does Germany is usually in a strong position to win.
In summary, if you are a fan of the original Axis and Allies, then this game is a must. If you are new to Axis and Allies then I would also recommend this game as the long playtime is not a major factor considering the high quality components and the great flexibility that this game has. After all this, I still find it the least favorite of the A&A trilogy, but not by much. The original is the best purely due to its large scope and various strategies, and Pacific Edition takes 2nd place for it's quicker gameplay and unique kamikaze ending.
---( Other game reviews that might interest you: )---
Axis & Allies Pacific
Axis & Allies Europe
Axis & Allies Classic
Axis & Allies Revised Edition
History of the World
The American Civil War Board Game
Settlers of Catan
Settlers of Catan: Cities and Knights Expansion Pack
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!
Openroad
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 35
Type of Toy: Board Game
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.