I want this pretty bad. Ive been a fan of A&A for a long time, and have an old version of the game. I love it because its so much more indepth than Risk. I mean, you have troops, tanks, fighter jets, bombers, subs, battleships…the list goes on and on.
For those who arent familar, A&A is a WWII board game. The original game allows up to five players; three for the Allies (USA, England, and Russia) and two for the Axis (Germany and Japan). You then use the territories under your control to build up your military and attack the other team.
Its a lot of fun, but like I said, very complex. The set up takes a lot of time, because unlike Risk, each player has a set collection of territories they control at the beginning of the game, depending on which country they are playing as. Also, each territory has a different number and type of troops present. Some territories also have factories, which are used to deploy newly-purchased units. Also, you can use some money to promote R&D, which will give your country additional abilities, such as deadlier subs or long-range fighters. When it comes to battles, it plays similar to Risk, where the dice determine who wins and loses. Its a very fun game, but very time consuming.
The 50th Anniversary Edition has some awesome new additions to it. Most cool is the addition of a sixth country…Italy! The Axis can now have up to three players, and the game can now hold up to six different players playing. Basically, the Italian army picked up some territories in Europe and Africa from Germany and Russia. The new set also includes a bigger board/map to play on. There are some new technologies that you can research and develop to give your nation an edge. There are also other changes, which I havent looked into yet, but Im sure make the game awesome.
A&A is, in my opinion, a great way to spend a day. I wish I had the time and resources to gather up a few guys and get a game going. Maybe someday…
