Newbie here. PLEASE HELP!

[Patrick]

I just bought the game, have read and reread the instructions and checked the FAQ’s, but am still unclear on some things. Please help so I can enjoy the game with my family. BTW, if this post is too lengthy I apologize, but I didn’t see a help/tech support link so I’m posting here. Any help is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

1. Is this true? You are limited to the number of each combat unit that come with the game. You can’t use the chips to purchase unlimited numbers of tanks or infantry for instance. In other words, even though you have the economic capacity to produce equipment, there is a maximum, at which point (if all your pieces are in play) you cannot spend any money until pieces become available again due to combat losses. If so, wouldn’t it be a good idea to put all the game pieces on display so each player knows how many of each piece he has left to buy? Also if you use chips to save space, say 4 white chips under an infantry piece, then shouldn’t you take 4 soldiers away from the display of available pieces?

2. After a successful attack, do all the attackers pieces have to remain in that territory (except for aircraft), i.e. cannot be moved back to other areas during non-combat movement? If yes, is this true for naval combat as well?

3. Re: “Purchase Combat Units: This maybe a stupid question but I want to play the game correctly. The instructions start by saying “If you run out of a playing piece, you may now by new combat pieces…”. In actuality, aren’t you allowed to buy whatever pieces you wish, whether you have run out or not?

4. Re: “Combat Movement”: You may only move pieces into enemy controlled areas?

5. Re: “Combat Movement”: Can I move into as many enemy territories as I want, and then I have to pick which one territory to conduct battle in? If so, then what happens? Does this mean there may be several territories on the board that have allied and axis units in them at a stand-off until one of the players decides to attack in a future turn? So, then you may, for instance, build up units in enemy controlled and occupied territories over a period of time and not battle until either you decide to or the opponent chooses that battle on his turn?

If the above is true, then can a defender move troops into one of these standoff territories during his “combat movement” (even if he chooses another area to conduct combat on his turn)? How about during his “non-combat movement?

6. It seems clear that an amphibious assault counts as a player’s one allowed battle per turn
with the exception that a naval battle may be required first if there are enemy ships in that
area. But what about SBR’s? The manual seems to say that an attack can occur after an SBR? If so, must the attack be in the area that came under the SBR? In other words, is it legal to conduct an SBR first in one area, but then conduct your one allowed attack in a different territory?

[zooooma]

Hello ExFactor.

Let me see if I can help.

1 - In Axis and Allies: Europe There are no limitations whatsoever on the number of units you may have on the board. In Classic Axis and Allies you were allowed unlimited units, but a limited amount of stacks (equal to the number of each unit type the game came with). This rule is not in affect in Axis and Allies: Europe or Pacific. (Incidentally, the original Axis and Allies released by Nova Games had a limited number of units exactly as you've described).

2 - Correct. With the exception of air units, only units which did not move during combat movement may move in non-combat movement.

3 - You are allowed to buy which ever pieces you wish, regardless of whether you have run out. Again, this is not the case in Classic Axis and Allies.

4 - During combat movement, move only those units which you wish to move into (or blitz through) enemy controlled or occupied spaces, or, any naval units you wish to move away from enemy naval units in order to prevent combat.

5 - There is no limti to the number of battles you may have per turn. The limit is that each individual unit may participate in only one battle per turn. This is why all combat movement is finallised before any combat is resolved. You may move into as many enemy occupied terrintories you wish, then resolve all the battles in any order you wish. I forget which game(s), but one or two of the versions have the rule that strategic bombing raids are conducted before other combat. Also, obviously, if you are conducting an amphibious assault which require a naval battle, that naval battle must be resolved before the amphibious assault.

6 - see 5 above

Hope this all helps.
-Luke

[pellulo]

Hi, if you want a bit more realsim to the game, (generally for World War II), it was a 7:1 ratio of Armour to regular troop divisions.

Also not taking into account, the use of mobile infantry,(along with a US divsion, which were like a Army Corp in size to some European Armies. Soviet Divisions were hafe the size of German ones, ect.). You can look up on the web army size and ratios of armour to troop divisions.

If you try the 7:1 ratio, it avoids those games, where the winner in Europe has a google of Tanks with a few troops, thanks, Pellulo

[ February 18, 2004, 03:46 PM: Message edited by: pellulo ]

[Patrick]

Thanks VERY MUCH!!

So, I guess you cannot build up forces in enemy territory over time then (standoff's as I referred to them). For every territory you move into during combat movement, all battles must be resolved.

In regard to buying unlimited pieces, then whay does the game come with different amounts of the various units for each player? Also, in the manual it says (about plastic chips) that they are used to save space in overcrowded territories. It doesn't mention anything about they can be used as a substitute to buy units when there are none left in the bank (ie all pieces are already in play). Also, I noted in the FAQ's to the original game that there is a limt, like you mentioned. But then why didn't they make the rule change clear in the Europe edition? It seems to me it's a pretty major change.

Also, I'm guessing a "stack" is a combat unit that has chips under it. So if you are allowed to buy unlimited pieces, even if all the actual ones are already in play, then you must buy chips, and place them under another piece of the same type you are buying. Is this what is called a "stack"?

If this is true, then it suggests that once you have a stack you cannot break it up into smaller units that can go different ways, but rather the stack must remain intact. I say this because, if all the tanks for instance, are already on the board then you can't break up a stack of tanks since you would not have a tank game piece to put on the separated stacks to identify them as tanks. Is this true? Or can you brak up a stack and send individual units out on their own, or move a chip from one stack to another?

Also, in regard to transporting, does this mean you cannot transport a stack of tanks, since a transport only can carry one tank? Or does a stack count as one unit for purposes of transporting?

All of these questions may be stupid since I'm assuming I know what a stack is. There is no mention whatsoever of "stacks" in the instruction manual.

One other thing. In regards to transporting, the ship is allowed two movements. What constitutes a movement? Is the pick up of units for transport a movement, and the drop off another? So if a transport wants to pick up and drop off in the same movement it must do so while staying in the same territory? For instance, if you have a transport in the English Channel, the ship doesn't have to move at all to take troops from Britian to Germany. That would mean you could use the ship like a 'bridge" and walk unlimited units across the channel, and that doesn't seem right.

Sorry in advance if these questions are lame,
I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THE HELP!!

[ November 11, 2003, 09:50 PM: Message edited by: ExFactor ]

[Y2UAsk]

Zooma and I have a difference of opinion about stacks.

A stack is any pile of chips with a combat piece on top. Functionally it is no different from an equal number of individual combat pieces. A red chip + tank = six tanks. You could, if you have five more tanks in your unused pieces bin, split (red chip + tank) into six separate tanks and send each its own way. Conversely, if six tanks all move into the same territory, you could remove five of them and replace them with a chip. In combat, remove chips and leave the identifying piece for last.

Here's the difference of opinion. The rules have this to say about stacks.

1. "Important: Stacked chips must always be topped off by the identifying combat unit piece." (pg. 4, under Plastic Chips)

2. "Note: If you run out of a playing piece, you may still buy that unit. Simply use a piece of paper with the type of unit written on it." (pg. 7, under Purchase Combat Units)

We have always understood this to mean that the slip of paper is valid only while the newly purchased units are sitting in the Purchases box, awaiting placement on the map. Note 2 states only that the paper can be used to purchase units if all the pieces are on the map. It doesn't say anything about moving or fighting with them, and I don't see that it supersedes the note from page 4 in any way. It could be clarified, but when both statements are examined within their context in the rules, I think their intent is clear.

So, for example, if you are playing Germany and you have (for some unknown reason) five aircraft carriers in play in two stacks, you can build another one but you'd better have one of your two stacks adjacent to an industrial complex so you can add the new CV to an existing stack. Germany can have as many CVs as the player wants but it can never have more than two carrier groups on the map. The number of playing pieces is an absolute limit on stacks whether you're playing original A&A, A&A:Eur, or A&A:Pac.

Anyone else care to weigh in on this issue?

Regarding transports: You can transport stacks of chips because transported units aren't assigned to specific ships. Consider this example. Six transports are moving three tanks and five infantry. You could jam all those pieces into a single sea zone, or you could use (red chip + transport), (2 white chips + tank), and (4 white chips + infantry). If a transport is sunk, the defender chooses what goes down with it. In the example, you should choose one infantry, because the remaining five transports can still carry three tanks and four infantry.

A "movement" for a transport is actually moving to an adjacent sea zone. Picking up and dropping off units costs no movement. Dropping off prevents the transport from moving any further but doesn't actually cost any movement points. It just ends the move for that transport. You can't bridge unlimited units across the channel, however, because each transport still can carry only the standard number of units. If two infantry move from the UK to the transport and then from the transport to France, unloading ends the transport's move and prevents it from carrying anyone else. The transport rules on pgs. 27/28 are pretty extensive and have good examples. A careful reading of those should clear this up.

Steve

[Patrick]

Thanks, Steve. After re-reading those sections you referred to, and seeing your answer, it is clearer.

So I guess the limiting factor to the number of game pieces(say, of tanks)is that it limits how many stacks you can have. In your example a stack of 6 tanks separating and each going their own separate way: I take that to mean it is only possible if there are 6 tank pieces in the unused bin. So if there are only 4, you could only break off 4 tanks from the stack, unless you are adding them to another stack within movement range. Now I understand.

I also appreciate that tip about making sure there is a tank or tank stack at an industrial center if you are purchasing a tank with a chip or slip of paper. Which brings up the question, what if you purchase a unit and then can't place it? Do you lose it and the money, get your money back, or do you get to hold on to it off the board until you are able to put it in play?

Guys, I do appreciate it. I'm sure I'll have more Q's as I play the game.

[ November 14, 2003, 12:18 AM: Message edited by: ExFactor ]

[zooooma]

Hi Steve.

I understood the note on page seven to mean that a slip of paper with 'artillery', for instance, written on it constitutes a valid "identifying combat unit piece". In any case, this note does clearly superceed the note on page four, as your purchases are infact a stack of chips which is not accompanied by an identifying piece, unless we count the paper as an identifying piece.

As for the context, there is a note in the classic game rules (from the original A&A) which stated that the number of stacks in play is limited to the number of plastic pieces which came with the game. Note that this was very clear and explicit. When this rule did not show up in the A&A:E manual, it was a natural assumption on my part that whoever wrote the rules for A&A:E omitted this old rule in full awareness, and on purpose. Also, for more contextual evidence, the FAQ here for classsic A&A includes the limiting stack rule, and the FAQ for the other A&A games do not. Additionally, the Classic game rules included an inventory list of the number of each piece in the game, and this was standardized for all the world powers (not the case with the new games). The last piece of context is that the old rules were clear about purchased pieces with no legal placement spots being lost (only aa guns could suffer from this), and there is no such text in the A&A:E rules.

When there is any disagreement at all about rules interpretation, I am not that interested with how the rules ought to be interpreted. I am, however, concerned with universal standardized rules. With the upcoming DCI sanctioning for A&A, I think the need for standardized ules is unquestionable.

I am not sure the relations between what you do, the ultimated decisions as to what gets included in the FAQ here, and What the DCI plans to do about rules questions which they will no doubt receive from tournament organizers and participants. I think that this issue really does warrent some sort of clearification. I do not see the context as supporting your position, at least not absolutely. I think my arguments support this notion. At the very least, it would be nice to have a referential list as to how many units each contry is allowed (my pices from A&A Europe and Pacific are some of them lost, and the British and Americans from both games are combined in a communal zip bag).

Well, I do hope that this stuff appears in either the FAQ or in the DCI floor rules when they come out. I did like your take on units aboard transports. I think that this could use official clarification, as it is not really all that obvious.

Thanks for the support. It's very much appretiated by all of us players.
-Luke