Chris Brooks - Axis & Allies Miniatures

Sunday, June 11, 2006

I first saw Axis & Allies Miniatures at GenCon 2005 and after hearing so-so playtest reports from Jacob and Matthew I decided to skip it. Besides, it was near impossible to buy starter packs after the second day of the convention.

Last weekend KC, Rita, and I took a trip down to Medford / Ashland Oregon to spend some time with Jeff Deboer and the Funagain team. We had a blast playing games (and prototypes), talking some business, and visiting the Funagain retail store. I had a bit too much fun, walking away with about 8 or 9 purchased games. On an impulse I picked up a starter and one booster of Axis & Allies Miniatures, and with Jacob eager to try it tonight we set out to play a quick scenario. He stayed up later than usual but with only 1.5 days of school left, no big deal.

We each chose 83 point armies. Why 83? Well, that’s all the armies the Axis could muster up with what I purchased. As it was, I played the Axis with a blend of Germans, Japanese, and Romanians. Jacob played the US, Brits, and Chinese. So much for historic realism. Guess I need to go out and buy more boosters. Do you think that’s what WOTC wants me to do?

The game was quite fun – very simplistic combat system that I think we got mostly right. There are no complex timing rules as damage is deferred to a casualty phase, though I suspect things might get dicey with some of the special abilities like most collectible games (no evidence to back that up yet).

Our armies were knocked down quickly – we each lost three of our starting 8 units in the first turn, and were down to 2 or 3 units each by the end of the second. This was partly due to the fact that we both wanted to dive into combat to see what the game was about. We still aren’t clear about the disruption / damage rules, but I’m sure I’ll be able to find some clarifications online.

I’m wondering if it would be worthwhile to pick up a set of commons and uncommons on eBay to get decent armies. It looks like this can be done pretty cheaply (about $30 total).

Session Reports

posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 3:16:58 AM (Pacific Daylight Time, UTC-07:00)

Comments [4]
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Monday, June 12, 2006 11:27:49 AM (Pacific Daylight Time, UTC-07:00)

It helps to keep in mind that A&A minis hails from the lineage of A&A, so we're not exactly coming from deep simulation territory. :)

That said, I like the game a good deal. Yeah, WotC is pushing you to the boosters...that's the sales model, after all. Later sets introduce air units, though I haven't played with them, yet.

The combat model doesn't reward head-on conflict, as you discovered. That's a good recipe for mutual annhiliation. Infantry units need to use terrain for protection, and often perform best by creeping up on other units and jumping them at close range. Unit coverage is, of course, critical. For example, the snipers, mortars and machine gun emplacements can be deadly when used properly. A powerful tank can be devastating, but the mobility of a half-track or power of an anti-tank unit can turn the odds.

It's not the deepest game around, but it does play fast and is pretty fun. I haven't seen too much of the 'new units devalue old units' philosophy from things like M:tG. I think WotC learned that lesson...especially since many A&AM fans like to create scenarios for specific fronts or are just WWII collectors (with only a marginal interest in the game itself).

WizarDru | wizardruAT NOSPAMwizardru dot net

Monday, June 12, 2006 1:27:33 PM (Pacific Daylight Time, UTC-07:00)

Thanks for the insights. Question - how important is rarity in playability? I need more units to really play the game, so can I get by with buying some commons/uncommons?

Chris Brooks | brooksclAT NOSPAMcomputer dot org

Tuesday, June 13, 2006 9:18:00 AM (Pacific Daylight Time, UTC-07:00)

IME, rarity is not that important in playability. Most of the rares are vehicles or leaders, and the vehicles, while more desirable, are far from necessary. The standard Sherman tank, for example, is an uncommon....the 'Easy Eight' is the rare version. It's very good (and at 50+ points, the most expensive unit in the game), but it's expense means that it's not going to win a battle all by itself.

You can easily enjoy the game without using too many rares. Especially since the A&A minis community is in to creating custom scenarios and rules situations...even WotC creates them. See some at http://www.axisandallies.org/node/32

For example, if you look at WotC's European campaign, Scenario 1 (The Fight for Hill 122), they only use one rare in the scenario for the Germans, and only commons and uncommons for the British/Canadians. So it's very doable.

WizarDru | wizardruAT NOSPAMwizardru dot net

Thursday, July 06, 2006 12:28:08 AM (Pacific Daylight Time, UTC-07:00)

are you claiming the easy eight is the most expensive unit in the game?? Try the German King Tiger, a beast unit clocking in at 71 points. I have fielded it in two battles, really not worth the ridiculous points cost.

BeastMan

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