Returning player/Fresh meat seeks help getting back into the game

If you guys are just getting back into the game, it would be a great idea to start of with AA42 (Axis & Allies 1942)

It is inexpensive and will give you all a refresh on the basics.

1. Yes, the boards with the game box are HUGE! and very well suited to gameplay.  No one has made a replacement map.  http://www.historicalboardgaming.com/ has a variant of the map, and his OWN rules… you might be able to use that instead if you really wanted to, but I don`t see the reason unless you are a hardcore custom gamer.

2. Interesting question…  Global had whats called OOB or Out of Box Rules…  those are CONSIDERABLY outdated.  Larry Harris himself, the creator and designer of Axis and Allies, has whats called the Alpha Project, where he is changing the rules of the game, to make it just “perfect”.  It’s ALOT better in terms of game experience if you play with these rules.  OOB is broken.

Go here for Alpha + 3 rules, http://www.harrisgamedesign.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=6149

To be used in CONJUNTCION with the rules you get with the box!  You can get those rules in .pdf at axisandallies.com

3.  Yes

IN SHORT

There are ALOT of new rules, new units, and new things to consider…  its going to take ALOT of time to get used to it (atleast 3 or 4 games)  my advice is to get someone with some experience, and to play the stand alone` versions first… Europe and Pacific, until you get the hang of it.

My experience sounds a lot like yours.  We used to play classic A&A a looong time ago, then time went by and I bought the old A&A Europe when it came out but by then I didn’t know anyone willing to learn it to play with me.  So I set it up and played solitaire once or twice and that sucked.  Another decade went by and this time I was stuck in another city all by myself with nothing to do so I went out and bought the new Europe and Pacific on boxing day.  Once again I set them up and played solitaire which… actually did not suck so bad.  The new game is waaay better than classic or the old A&A Europe/Pacific.  I started reading what people post on here and eventually learned the gist of the game. So try that for a bit and then either find a group in your city or play it online.  Try Ebay or historicalboardgaming.com for extra units

Some people have posted pictures of some very fancy tables.  For mine, I just got an old table and a sheet of very thin plywood that I cut to fit the board with an extra inch on the East and West edge, and 4 inches on the North and South.  I attached the board with velcro stickies and covered the exposed parts of the plywood with black duct tape from the dollar store.  It is cheap but strong enough to set a drink on (if you allow that kind of thing).  BTW if you go with 1942 first, you will have extra pieces for when you go to global.  The most coveted extra pieces are Japanese tactical fighters and the grey antiaircraft guns.

Blizz,

Yeah, I’d suggest Axis & Allies 1942 as a refresher as well.  As to the other points…

1. The Out Of Box maps are sufficient and I think look pretty good.  Guess you won’t have to worry about warping if you’re making a perm. table setup.  But if you plan on customizing, historical boardgame’s maps are large enough to fit more pieces - everywhere.  And they’re wonderful pieces of cartography.

2. The final global rules will be available in the (near?) future, compiled and edited by the folks themselves (quoting Wardog on BGG).  I’m not sure if this includes the Europe and Pacific rules separately…

3. Yep - but Field Marshal Games are making some excellent alternatives for each nation’s selection, and HistoricalBoardgaming are making special units as well (custom rules mainly, but also neutral units and perhaps tech…?).  Both of the above look awesome/great detail and are historically accurate.  FMG have cool dice and chips as well… and HBG have other misc. supplies ($$, pieces from other editions, etc.).

Here’s the thread with all the tables:

http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=20658.0