Why was there no unit descriptions w/the game?

I just find it amazing that after more than 25 years (all be it with different publishers and manufacturers) they are still getting this stuff wrong.
I look back at the quick-reference/set-up country cards from my original MB game and those cards are some of the best tools ever included in the game. Remember how the setup cards had a deployment area, tables showing all the values associated with each unit, and some rule references too? I think I actually used the same format and started making the same type of set-up card for 1940 Global. There were not quite enough chips but there was plenty of everything else. The only real short-coming (production wise) were some of the map spaces size and the odd choices for “blow-up boxes” around the edge of the map. 
Which brings me to my question. Which version or variant of A&A do you think was the best produced one? I am not referring to the mechanics of the game just strictly based on the physical product.

How about the marshaling cards included in revised ?
Also the aircraft range markers… I’m so glad I bought revised for those 2 things  :-)
I use those in EVERY A&A game I play
The marshaling cards especially come in handy for 1914

Honestly I think G42 second edition is the best produced, especially when you consider the cost. Tons of sculpts, plenty of units/peices, mech inf and tac bombers, huge map, good battle board, working IPC tracker

The negatives are cardboard chits for ICs and bases, but that doesnt bother me that much
My biggest beef with both G40 games is-
-why so they make Gibraltar so small? Lol use a marshaling card every single game for this tt  :-P

They need to bring back marshaling cards

Spring 42 board was unplayable in my opinion
Ridiculously too small

My view is limited since my first A&A game was spring 1942. I’ve also tried 42 2nd edition and 41. I’ve noticed some small production errors on all of theme (color misprint on map, wrong starting IPC count, manual typos, etc.) These things are annoying but don’t really detract too much from game play.

I don’t really like playing overly complicated board games that have to many things to keep track of, so A&A is just perfect for casual gamers like me. I’ve gotten friends who aren’t normally into board games to enjoy them. It was also popular way to kill time while I was deployed.

For me the worst is 41 which was just a flat unplayable mess for my group. Good source for plastic minifigs though.

It doesn’t look any more horrible than the standard method.

You can actually see what’s going on on the western front.

Separate artillery, tank and fighter sculpts are no longer any fun when you have to shoehorn 12 different stacks into Rome and still keep track of the game, or keep referring to marshaling cards.

I must have spend about half the time in the first game messing about with chips; this system speeds things up considerably.

Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

@Uncrustable:

Flash I would rather shell out another 100$ to get double pieces than use that crap lol
No offense

Part of the fun of Axis and Allies is the unit sculpts
Using all those chips would look horrible and would be a total nightmare esp to new players

Flashman I think it sounds like a very tidy solution. I will try it next time.

For me the dark and lighter red/blue doesn’t work. When it’s in a stack, depending on the lighting, you cannot differentiate what’s light or dark, so you gotta zoom in with your head about 2 inches from the stacks. And I have perfect vision. Anyways, in my only game played so far I have used any shade of blue to represent 1 unit, and any shade of red to represent 5 units. We ran out of blue a couple of times in which case we used the old gray chips. I suggest this to anyone as it worked out really well for us, the amount of units per TT is really easy to see that way.

I really like the red and blue chips for the 2 different powers, though I do agree that the “light and dark” can be difficult to distinguish in faint lighting. But when you have Mr.Spilly-Pants knocking over stacks in Europe it is a lot easier to sort out which chips were CP and which were Allied powers.

I dont have perfect vision, and i have had no problem with the dark/light chips

Of course i use this new fangled light bulb doohicky over the game table :P

If you want the same chips that came with the game I suggest looking on ebay or kijiji, I have seen them for sale on there. I have purchased chips from FMG before and they were quite good, though they don’t match up with the in game chips at all and they were a bit pricey. All cheaper than buying a new game though

HBG have only the mini-sets in stock for the new design:

http://www.historicalboardgaming.com/Supplement-Bag-Chips-1914-WW1_p_1444.html

http://www.historicalboardgaming.com/-Bag-Chips-42-2nd-Ed-Half-Bag_p_1445.html

I got extra 1914 chips from HBG

They sell out pretty often though, think there are some in stock right now

HBG is by far the best place to look for A&A

@Flashman:

I solved two of the problems listed above in one swoop by using a completely different chip system:

Each power has just one stack of units in a tt:

white - 10 infantry

grey - infantry

red - artillery

dark blue - fighter

brown - tank

By mixing in all the chips from all my A&A games I just have enough. Some of the stacks are rather tall, but overall there’s much less messing about swopping chips and shifting stacks, and there’s no overcrowding on the western front; hence, less chance of knocking over stacks.

The artillery, tank and fighter sculpts are now redundant, but the game is a lot more manageable without them.

note: Harry Larris is the chap I interviewed about the game, he is not me.

Have you considered just painting some stripes down the side of the chips?  Black for armor, red for artillery ect….  Red on red would be 5 art, black on white would be 1 tank.

I don’t find the number of chips to be a problem with anything other than infantry, and I have another colour (MB version white) for 10 infantry.

Two or three large stacks in a region are much less of a problem than 7 or 8 medium ones.