Axis and Allies: A Board Game Where You Control the Fate of World War II

I previously did a review of the classic board game Risk, and now a new strategy game has come to my attention, Axis and Allies. Axis and Allies is based on the World War II era and puts you the player in control of either side of the conflict. You can control the Axis powers with Germany and Japan at your command, or the Allies with the Untied States, Russia, and the United Kingdom under your control, wither way Axis and Allies is an extremely fun, yet difficult game.

Axis and Allies reminds me a lot of Risk, but way more complex. The instructions may take you a couple of hours to read through, if not days, because it's like reading a 40 page novel on World War II, but the manual is not only filled with essential game information, but interesting facts about key battles of the war. The rules are very complicated and you'll be referring back to the instruction booklet frequently during play, so be sure that it's close at hand.

An interesting feature of this game is the wide variety of pieces that you have to chose from. Infantry, Fighter Planes, Bombers, Anti Aircraft Guns, Tanks, Missile Fortifications, and a variety of Navy as well including Submarines, Destroyers, Transports and Aircraft Carriers. All of this together makes for a very realistic combat simulation, and adding to that is the fact that you just don't get these tools of war for free, you have to pay for them.

Each turn a player earns money for their respected power they control. The amount of money you earn depends on what territories you control and how much economic value they are worth. Germany starts with a lot of military presence, and has a strong economy. Japan has the largest navy in the games start, but suffers financially. The Allies who are considered to have been under attack for years prior to you taking command of the game are both weak economically and in military, although Russia does have some muscle behind that iron curtain. The United States are the strongest team in terms of financial presence, but they start outside of Europe and Asia where most of the action takes place so they won't be fighting lot early on.

Another very innovative feature is the way in which you develop weapons for your nation. You can power up your forces by developing long ranged fighters, super bombers, and many other weapon advancements. You can purchase the chance to develop these weapons and by rolling a specified number on your dice you achieve the development of these weapons which could greatly turn the tide of battle.

Axis and Allies takes a lot of strategy to play and a typical game will last for a few hours, so be prepared. There are a ton of rules that each piece on the board has to abide by and limitations that must be accepted. The game comes with a number of extra punch-out cards that will help players to set up the game and keep track of their economic value, and what weapons they have developed. These boards will simplify the game in many ways and that is a very good thing because simplicity is one thing this game lacks. Axis and Allies is a great game for anyone that loves Risk and is looking for a more in-depth play experience, or those who want to really get into the action of World War II.