New Player

[I need help]

Hello!
I have a couple questions for someone to answer. Please don't flame me I have no clue when it comes to axis and allies.
What is the concept of this game? I have played Risk 2210 and I am looking for a game that has kind of the same strategy. Is Axis and Allies like Risk?
I guess it comes down to this... How does it compare to Risk 2210?? Which version is the best. Europe, Pacific, or the original?
Thanks for your help!

[Epicedion]

Ugh.. patience...

Alright, allow me to put Risk in a nutshell:

1) All units are of equal strength.
2) New units appear wherever you want them.
3) The game is based on sending massive hordes of units after weaker hordes of units in an effort to conquer the world.
4) The game is anarchical by design, letting the individual players make or break alliances as they want.
5) Actual combat is the most important part of the game.

None of this really applies to Axis and Allies. A&A is a -much- different game. I will try to focus on the major differences between Risk and A&A, and I will focus on the current basic edition. In Axis and Allies:

1) Units are different. There are ground units (infantry and tanks/armour), air units (fighters and bombers), and sea units (subs, battleships, carriers, and transports). Each unit has different attack and defense characteristics, and some have different movement characteristics. Transports can move infantry and armor in the oceans, carriers allow fighters to land in the ocean, tanks/armour are good land attackers, et cetera.

2) Production. Territories are worth Industrial Production Credits (IPCs). These function like money, and are used to buy units. New units can only be placed at Industrial Complexes which begin the game in key locations like Germany and Russia (but new Industrial Complexes can be built during the game). Units cost different amounts, starting with a cost of 3 IPCs for an Infantry unit, and reaching 24 IPCs for a Battleship.

3) The game is Axis and Allies, and thus focuses around World War II. That means there are two distinct teams. Germany and Japan are the Axis Powers, and Britain, Russia, and the US are the Allied Powers. They fight. Alot.

4) Objectives. There are several ways to win: the Allies can conquer both Germany and Japan and hold them for an entire turn; the Axis can conquer 2 of the 3 Allied capitals (Britain, Eastern US, and Russia) and hold them for an entire turn; the Axis can pass a certain threshhold of income (84 IPCs) and maintain it for a turn. It is not necessary to play the game until someone has taken over the whole world.

5) Combat is unique. Essentially, the attacker rolls a die for every single one of his units, and based on each unit's Attack characteristic, records a certain number of 'hits'. Then the defender rolls a die for every single one of his units, and based on each unit's Defense characteristic, records a certain number of 'hits'. Each side takes the number of hits applied against him, and removes that many units from his side. Rinse, repeat -- until someone is completely destroyed or until the attacker decides to retreat. In Risk, a very lucky single unit can hold off a horde of 10 attackers, since ties go to the defender. In A&A this is a virtual impossibility.

Risk and A&A are similar in general (armies fighting for world domination) but very different in the details. I personally find that A&A is a more complicated, more involving, and more rewarding game than Risk, since Risk mostly revolves around luck and exploitation. A&A revolves more around planning and strategy.

I enjoy a game of Risk 2210 every now and again, since it's quicker to play and simpler to teach to new players. But if I'm going to spend several hours staring at a board with my wargaming friends, Axis and Allies is always top of our list.

Each version of A&A is fun and worth playing. If you have a particular interest in either theater of WW2, you may want to dive straight into A&A: Europe or A&A: Pacific. I believe that for just starting out, the original board game is best, since you get to learn all the basic rules and get a feel for how units work before you get tossed into the much more detailed Europe and Pacific versions.

Otherwise, go with the original A&A. Since there's a new version coming out this year, it would be silly to go ahead and buy a copy of the old version (at the very least you should wait and see if you'll like the new game before dropping $30-$40 on the old one), so try and find a friend who has a copy.

In short, if you like Risk, but want a more in-depth game, you'll like Axis and Allies.

--Epicedion

[ecliptic]

That entire post of yours really makes me doubt you've ever played Risk 2210.

[Epicedion]

That's nice, ecliptic. Want a cookie? No offense, but unless you have something relevant to add, or an error to correct, you're just wasting space.

'Help me' has obviously played Risk 2210, or else he wouldn't have said anything. I was describing Risk -in general- since an in depth discussion of that particular subject would have been redundant. I posted to inform him about the basics of Axis and Allies.

The most important thing to note is that even with Commanders, Command Cards, and energy credits (or whatever they're called), even with the moon, and even with a limited 5 turn game, Risk 2210 is a very -basic- and -simple- game that tends to be decided mostly by luck. Axis and Allies, being based more around production timing, planning, and holding key territories, is a more -complex- and -rewarding- game that tends to be decided mostly by skill.

Ecliptic, if you care to debate the subject intelligently, I welcome it and urge you to go right ahead. Otherwise, and I mean this in the most sarcastically respectul way possible, stuff it.

'Help me', if you have any specific questions, please ask.

--Epicedion

[I need help]

Thank You very much Epicedion!
I am going to get axis and allies your weekend. Once I get it I will probably ask a couple more questions.
Thanks again!

[jbs_pocket]

Well, I've played Risk, Risk 2210, LOR:Risk, A&A, A&AE and A&AP (and have many adult games for 30+ year) and I can tell that I have, do and probably will always favor any of the A&A over any of the Risk games.

My comparison is as such: when you've become burnt out on Risk and are looking for something more challenging; do play A&A.

My biggest hang-up with any game is how much luck-of-the-draw outways the strategic application of the game. Dice are dice, but either of the A&A games offer far more challenge for each individual's strategic ability than either of the A&A games. Risk and Risk:2210 have far too much luck versus strategy -- in fact I prefer Risk over Risk:2210 for that very reason. I personally enjoy Risk:LOR over both of them. But neither of the Risk versions will never compete with any of the A&A versions for meeting the challenge I enjoy when playing a game.

[jbs_pocket]

Whoops! I meant to say I prefer any of the A&A games over any of the Risk games!