Evolution of Axis & Allies pieces.

[knp7765]

Next, we have Germany.  In Classic, the pieces were all moulded in a medium grey color.  There was a small mistake in some copies where German infantry units got molded in American green and visa versa.
In Avalon Hill’s versions, the Germans have gone through several shades of dark grey to black, which is their current color.  The shading difference may be hard to see in my pictures.
In D-Day and some early versions of A&A Europe, they were actually a dark grey with a bluish tint to them.  In later versions of Europe and Revised, they were a darker grey with no bluish tint.  I think it was the Anniversary game that first came out with black German pieces.  However, I think some copies of 1942 had a very dark grey, at least with the infantry pieces.  I believe with BOTB and Europe 1940, they have finally settled on all black pieces.
German Panther tanks underwent a rather drastic change.  Up through the Revised edition, they were rather skinny and long.  The Anniversary edition changed them to a slightly shorter and wider tank, although it is still the Panther.  Personally, I think the newer version looks more like the actual German Panther from WW2.
Also, the German cruiser pieces have underwent a minor change.  First introduced in the Anniversary game, the Hipper class cruisers came out with the aft end cut off.  In 1942 and later versions, German cruiser pieces were the whole ship with the aft section in tact.  Not sure why AH put in the chopped off versions in the first place.  Just another of many disappointments with the pieces in the Anniversary edition.
All German pieces are uniquely German.
Artillery = 88mm
Mech Inf = SdKfz 251 half-track
Tank = Pzkpw V (Panther)
Fighter = BF-109
Tac Bomber = JU-87 Stuka
Bomber = JU=88
Carrier = Graf Zepplin
Battleship = Bismarck
Cruiser = Hipper
Destroyer = Zerstorer 1934
Submarine = Type VII U-boat
Transport = Hilfskruezer

[knp7765]

Next, we have Italy.  As most of you know, Italy wasn’t introduced until the Anniversary edition came out.  They were not in the Classic game so obviously I have no Classic pieces to compare.
Italian pieces from the Anniversary game were somewhat of a disappointment for most gamers.  Aside from the bad moulds, the only unique Italian units were the Infantry and the Tank.  All other units were German with the Artillery and Bomber pieces actually Japanese models.
With Europe 1940, Avalon Hill stepped up their game with the Italian pieces ( as well as ALL pieces) with much better moulds.  They replaced the Japanese units with German, which is at least historically feasable since the Italians did use some German equipment during the war.  Now, except for the Infantry, the Italians have ALL German units.  They even replaced the Italian tank with brown German Panthers.  I found that very disappointing because the Carro Armato really was an Italian tank.  While these pieces are nice, I’m really looking forward to the new FMG Italian pieces.
Here is Italy’s lineup:
Artillery = <old>Type 92 howitzer (Japan), <new>88mm (Germany)
Mech Inf = SdKfz 251 half-track (Germany)
Tank = <old>Carro Armato, <new>Panther (Germany)
Fighter = BF-109 (Germany)
Tac Bomber = JU-87 Stuka (Germany)
Bomber = <old>G4M2E Betty (Japan), <new>JU-88 (Germany)
Carrier = Graf Zepplin (Germany)
Battleship = Bismarck (Germany)
Cruiser = Hipper (Germany)
Destroyer = Zerstorer 1934 (Germany)
Submarine = Type VII (Germany)
Transport = Hilfkruezer (Germany)

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[Hobbes]

Thank you for the pics, it helps figuring out which pieces go together when you have several of the games and it is very interesting to see the evolution.

The only absences seem to be the German & US trucks from Bulge, the German Blockhouses from D-Day and the US&Japanese AA Guns from Guadalcanal.

There was also a mention a while ago by someone getting on AA50 an UK Matilda tank cast in Italian colours.

[knp7765]

Finally, we have ANZAC, France and China.  Also referred to as the “minor countries”.
ANZAC (short for Australia/New Zealand Army Corps) was first introduced in Pacific 1940.  They basically use ALL British units, including infantry, in a steel grey color.  In the right light, you can also tell that there is sort of a brown tint to them too.  I like the color although it may make problems for people wanting to use FMG’s grey German units in the future.  ANZAC is too new so they have not underwent any changes as of yet.
France was introduced in Europe 1940.  They do have a unique infantry unit but all of their other units are Soviet models moulded in French blue.  Very pretty.  As with ANZAC, the French have not yet underwent any changes.
China was first introduced in the A&A Pacific game with unique rules.  They didn’t receive money like the other countries, but rather received infantry units for defense depending on how many territories they had.  In that Pacific game, Chinese infantry were represented by dark brown or bright red Russian infantry pieces.  The dark brown were used in sets with red Japanese and the bright red were used in sets with orange Japanese.  The Anniversary game first introduced a unique Chinese infantry unit in a lime green color.  The rules for China were altered somewhat, but they still received no income.  It wasn’t until Pacific 1940 came out that China could actually receive IPCs and purchase units, albeit on a limited basis.  
Since China was somewhat backward and primitive at this time, they don’t have the array of different units that all the other nations have, only infantry.  China does get 1 fighter unit and can purchase artillery if the Burma road is open, but those are represented by using US units.
Since ANZAC uses all British units and France uses all Soviet units, I’m not going to list all the different unit types here.  You can just go back and check the British and Soviet posts.
I hope you all enjoy the pics.

[knp7765]

@Hobbes:

Thank you for the pics, it helps figuring out which pieces go together when you have several of the games and it is very interesting to see the evolution.

The only absences seem to be the German & US trucks from Bulge, the German Blockhouses from D-Day and the US&Japanese AA Guns from Guadalcanal.

There was also a mention a while ago by someone getting on AA50 an UK Matilda tank cast in Italian colours.

Dang it!  Yes, I did forget those special pieces from the smaller games.  Oh well, at least I got all the major stuff.  So someone got Matilda tanks in Italy colors?  He wasn’t confusing it with the Carro Armato tanks that came in the Anniversary game?  That would be a neat little collector’s piece.

[Hobbes]

@knp7765:

@Hobbes:

Thank you for the pics, it helps figuring out which pieces go together when you have several of the games and it is very interesting to see the evolution.

The only absences seem to be the German & US trucks from Bulge, the German Blockhouses from D-Day and the US&Japanese AA Guns from Guadalcanal.

There was also a mention a while ago by someone getting on AA50 an UK Matilda tank cast in Italian colours.

Dang it!  Yes, I did forget those special pieces from the smaller games.  Oh well, at least I got all the major stuff.  So someone got Matilda tanks in Italy colors?  He wasn’t confusing it with the Carro Armato tanks that came in the Anniversary game?  That would be a neat little collector’s piece.

reloader-1 was the guy who had it. He has posted a pic: http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=19566.0

[FieldMarshalGames]

Thanks for this study.  It is a useful reference guide.

[knp7765]

You are welcome.  I wasn’t sure how much interest there would be when I first started this post but then I figured “Heck with it” and went anyway.  Sorry I missed the little special items like trucks from BOTB, blockhouses from D-Day and colored AA Guns from Guadalcanal.  It also occured to me that I could have done a set on the common pieces like ICs, AA guns, air bases and naval bases.  ICs and AA Guns have underwent changes from white in Classic, to grey, to cardboard.  I am curious to see what FMG comes up with in the “commons” set.  I know that is a ways off yet, roughly a year or so assuming all the major nation sets do well as planned.
I am curious to see if the French and ANZAC pieces undergo any changes in color or unit types in WOTC’s future releases.  After Pacific 1940 and Europe 1940, I can’t imagine what else might come out later to either compliment or replace them.  Although, I’m sure some people said that when AA50 came out too.  Maybe some people even thought Revised was the ultimate A&A game at the time and just couldn’t be topped.  Maybe they will come out with a 1939 game.  I know that IL has maps and such for a game like that.  Here’s an idea, Axis & Allies January 1945 – Bring the Axis back from the brink of defeat.  Okay, kind of goofing on that one.

[DrLarsen]

Great reference knp!  Two things that might improve it:

1. I think I would find it helpful if you labelled the pictures’s captions so that we can tell which rows came from which games/ game variants/ era’s

2. I could maybe loan you a set of the sea-foam green Brits and a burgundy Russian art piece to round out your sample if you think it would be helpful.

[Imperious Leader]

You left out the blockhouses from D-Day and Marines.

Also British forces in some AAR were lime green and also a weird yellow color.

[knp7765]

@Imperious:

You left out the blockhouses from D-Day and Marines.

Also British forces in some AAR were lime green and also a weird yellow color.

Actually, I did have the Marines infantry pieces from Pacific, but I did forget to include the blockhouses from D-Day.  I also forgot the trucks from BOTB and the colored AA guns from Guadalcanal.

I have heard about the lime green Brits but not the yellow color.

[knp7765]

@DrLarsen:

Great reference knp!  Two things that might improve it:

1. I think I would find it helpful if you labelled the pictures’s captions so that we can tell which rows came from which games/ game variants/ era’s

2. I could maybe loan you a set of the sea-foam green Brits and a burgundy Russian art piece to round out your sample if you think it would be helpful.

Dr Larsen, that would be great if you could loan me the sea-foam Brits and a burgandy Russian artillery.  I would just need them long enough to snap a couple of pictures then ship them right back to you.  I could put up some new pictures with better information like you suggested and include the pieces I missed (trucks, blockhouses, colored AA guns).  Here is my e-mail:  knp7765@sbcglobal.net  Send me an e-mail and I will give you my mailing address.

[Hobbes]

@Imperious:

You left out the blockhouses from D-Day and Marines.

Also British forces in some AAR were lime green and also a weird yellow color.

IL, since you usually buy truckloads of the A&A games have you seen any more one of a kind pieces like the Italian Matilda or that UK yellow colour?

[reloader-1]

I have all of the above (yellow Brits, lime Brits, cream Brits, tan Brits, etc) - I will post pictures when I have time.