AXIS & ALLIES - A Buyers Guide 

The actual buyers guide... end-all, be-all starts at 26:03 if you really just want to hear the recommendations on what to buy (and I heartily agree with everything Eric says in this video). Excellent video guys, you did a great job all the way through. I personally have the original "Classic" edition from the 1980s... the one I played the most... and currently have the new 1941 and 1942 Second Edition... but I can't really find anyone to play anymore... waiting for my kids to get a little older then I will school them.

My first experience with Axis and Allies was with the combined Europe and Pacific 1940 Second Edition maps in high school about six years ago. That was freaking awesome. We later adapted the map so that we could combine both WWI and WWII maps together. We ended up playing two games: a global WWI map that lasted 16 turns, and then we’d sign the Treaty of Versailles and then do WWII.

This buyer's guide is tremendous. Don't buy any edition of any of these games, until you watch this video several times. Thanks guys!

Stumbled on someone’s old collection of out of print Axis and Allies games for sale at half price books yesterday. I bought the original Europe version for $15, D-Day for $20, and Battle of the Bulge for $25. I was so happy because I never thought I’d get them

The anniversary edition is my favorite, it is like a streamlined version of the global (Europe + Pacific) edition

Thanks! This video was exceedingly helpful. My kids are just getting to the point at which they can handle this level of strategy game and I was snowed in by the many A&A products on the market, in and out of print. I remember playing A&A at lunch time with some schoolmates, and later with college roommates (when else would you possibly have time for this level of constant gaming?). Again, much appreciated!

Eric I just love your guide to A&A. Seen it four times now. Every time it pops up on RU-vid when searching something A&A, I can't help myself. I just love watching the passion and love you have for the game. I hope you are still playing it from time to time. Thanks for putting the video together it was so helpful. Keep up the good work. 👍

Hey... what a fantastic updated video on the Axis & Allies games! BTW, I do have all of the AnA games incl. 50..and it's a keeper, a beautiful game box with so much attention to detail. Laters, Jon

Thank you for this video! I am trying to buy this for my son and had no clue what I was doing when I saw there were multiple versions. This video was so helpful!

Thank you for putting this together, and showing the boards, and sharing your opinions. Very helpful. Really appreciate it.

I've never played Axis & Allies but your guide led me to buy 1942 and 1940 Europe & Pacific. i figure i can do 1942 with people who have the stamina for 4-8 hour games and 1940 i can play with a few friends over the course of a week or two. Great video Eric.

You did an excellent job of summarizing all the versions, thank you!!! Only wish I had found this video earlier!

Used your video and the wikipedia article on the game series to make a mean excel spreadsheet guide to all the games, prices, gameplay, everything. Thank you!

There is a gaming store close to where I live right now. It has revised, Guadalcanal, 1942, and the two global 1940 games (first edition). After checking them out a few times, I became more and more interested in 1940. Thanks for the vid

I played og axis and allies many times in my teen years, it had the aa guns but none of the other units you listed as new in 1942 core edition. excellent overview for people considering getting one or more editions.

Thank you for making this video! Lots of great info. I only played the original Gamemaster Edition way back in the day at a friend's house. I have been thinking about getting an edition or two but was completely in the dark about the differences between them.

I have the original game, 1984 print, my brother and I would play 7/8 hours, log our game pieces/locations, then come back the next night and play another 6/8 hours before one of us started to tip the game to where we knew the other was going to win. There have been, in 32 years of playing, games that would go 3 or 4 segments of 7/8 hours a piece, yeah 30+ hours of play. I lost him several years ago now, the game has sat in storage for 6 years, I just got it out yesterday and almost sold it....but I couldn't. The upside is, my wife said she will learn the game and play with me. This will be fun.

I managed to get D-day for only $35 less than a year ago and I love it.

I've never seen your channel before, until this video. Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to make this video. It was very helpful & informative. I have the original version of Axis & Allies and just bought the 1942 2nd edition after listening to your advice. Thanks again!

The anniversary version is now being rereleased for 75$! Great videos I'm getting back into to A&A would love Europe and Pacific for global. Nice!

Awesome video Eric. Your buddy is like my friends who can't quite understand your mission, but play along and make jokes about it. It is a passion and I hope your son plays often...mine, not so much. Everyone always cringes at the game time, but I have one friend that only plays A&A and one of us will just concede at a point around 4 hrs knowing that we're outmatched. After playing 100+ games you can tell who is going to win at a certain point.

I’ve been wanting to introduce this game to my board gaming friends for years. Thankyou so much for pointing me in the right direction on where to start :D

Excellent guide. I play the classic one most but also have AAE and AAP. This guide gives me pretty good introduction to the new prints.

Nice info on the game. I just randomly picked up an unopened version of A&A 1941 for $3 at Goodwill, and I'm trying to look into it. I figured it couldn't hurt for $3 to give it a try. Looking forward to our first play.

Was happy to find this video. I've been playing this game since the 80s and it is also my favourite board game of all-time and I have played a tonne of board games. I have the anniversary edition and had NO CLUE it was worth so much, it is still my favourite edition. I had custom dice made for it from Chessex with each nation's flag on the dice including Italy and China. Oh how I have to get the 1940 editions!!!

Great video, guys. Thanks so much for showing me how addicted I 'am to our wonderful hobby, as I own everything thing you highlighted in this A & A documentary, including 75%-80% of the A & A Miniatures-what happen there, Eric? (just call me Mr. Grognard.) Seriously, job well done! Kudos!! (Thanks to Young Grasshopper for pointing out this video series.)

100% what I was looking for....so many version and you cleared it all up!!

I love my Spring 1941 Anniversary Edition. The little hobby kit boxes for each nation are great and and it feels almost as epic as 1940 global... without the multiple days it takes to play.

Excellent video! Really comprehensive, please keep doing this type of videos.

This was an extremely helpful video. I had no idea what to buy but I love WW2 history and board games. Now I know where to start.

was always very intimidated by the scope of these games, but after playing twilight imperium and loving it, i was looking at giving these a shot

Thank you guys, I came across the 1942 at a garage sale and boys it's a wonder game. I am just wandering whether to invest in the 1914 game. Your review help.

The first time I played Axis and Allies was on Larry Harris' board, made from a world map that he had drawn the regions on. He was still shaking out the rules. My copy of the game is the NOVA games, with the cardboard unit counters having different shapes.

Great video guys! I only got into A&A in 2009 when I bought the then new Spring 1942 edition. I admit I knew nothing about the game before I bought it. But knew it would be good. Unfortunately, I remember seeing Anniversary on the shelf next to Spring 1942, and I opted for the latter because it looked easier to begin with.... I had no idea at the time of the significance of anniversary... Man, I wish I picked it that day... Good thing it is getting a reprint then. Got my order in ;)

I loved you video. My favorite parts where were Eric stressed over his games and folding the boards back up. I love seeing a kindred spirit. The part of the unpunched AA50 was classic.

Man you may not believe it but this video was EXACTLY!!! what I was looking for. My group of buddies has spent three days on a single game of risk. We’ve branched in table top minis like 40k and I was debating switching to A&A minis.... but man you’ve sold me on either 1940 pacific and Europe or 1942 second edition. Overall thank you!

Thanks for this! I haven’t played in over 20 years and was looking to buy one, but wasn’t sure which ones since so many have come along since the early 90’s

You forgot Spring 1942 (not to be confused with 1942 Second Edition). It came out after Anniversary Edition and tried to combine the Revised map with the Anniversary rules.

Fantastic guys! Keep rolling those dice! Thanks for sharing.

I agree, 1914 edition is amazing

Hey Eric they are re-releasing the Anniversary Edition in November of this year! You can pre-order on Amazon now and it's under 100 bucks. Get on it.

Great video! I love A&A and you did a great job showing them off and explaining each one. 1940 E+P looks amazing! :)

Excellent Job guys!... definitely top shelf.

17:10 when that gets folded the wrong way it breaks my soul. Had a friend do that to one of my brand new games and it ripped the board in half. Ugh, my heart goes out to you.

I picked up a brand new 1942: Second Edition for £30.

Great video! My girlfriend got me 1942 Second Edition and I love it. I added Tech Development Rules and a few new units and it's AWESOME. Gonna get Pacific and Europe 1940 eventually.

I’ve been watching you guys forever, and I’m surprised you don’t have over 10k subs, you guys deserve it, love your content

Awesome video, the info I needed to decide which copy to buy, thanks guys.

Thanks really helped me a lot! it makes me want to buy the 1941 edition instead of the 1914 edition :D

Thank you for this video!!! Was looking to get into this game, and I just bought the 1941 version on Amazon based on your take that it's best for newbies. Awesome video!

Seeing the fully set up 1940 Global game Second Edition set up (that is the new European and Pacific boards put together) makes me feel all tingly inside. This is easily my favorite board game of all time and I wish I could find someone as passionate as I am about this game who's willing to sit down from noon until midnight and play this game. Sadly no one else wants to sit for 12 hours for a single session of the single greatest board game of all time...I have no idea what's wrong with them.

Great video - fun to watch and really informative! Would be fun to see you guys do a video on the Axis & Allies & Zombies edition.

My best friend has the A&A 1940 Europe/Pacific editions and after seeing this video I want to play it so bad! My friend and I have played A&A since high school (mid-1980's). Thanks for making this video!

Thank you for the excellent overview!

Hey just so you know they came out with a reprint of the Axis and Allies 50th anniversary edition. (The only way to tell the difference on the box is the 2008 edition has a "50" on the front and back, and the 2017 edition does NOT have a "50" on it.)

Have you played "Amerika" by Historical Board Gaming? If not, I **STRONGLY** recommend it. As you can guess, it deals with a fictional invasion of the United States by Germany on the Atlantic side and Japan on the Pacific Side following an assumed victory by the Axis powers everywhere else and the defeat of the U.S. navy. It's set in 1951, so the units are slightly upgraded, such as jet fighters across the board, heavy bombers for all powers, self-propelled AA guns, etc. Even so, they're the same size and flavor and fully compatible with all Axis & Allies games. The objective? The Axis powers are furiously trying to force the United States into signing a peace treaty prior to the U.S.A. developing the atomic bomb (it's assumed that the U.S.A. didn't successfully do so prior to this point). I own it and have played it several times. I'm convinced you'll absolutely love it.

Thank you for the buyer's guide. You were very helpful.

I'm late to this video, but I wanted to say it was really well done! If anyone is looking for a game there is an official video game called Axis & Allies 1942 Online that you could play solo or in multiplayer. (It came out after this video was made.) I also play a version of Pacific 1940 that I've adapted to play online through Roll20. You can find some of these versions of the game as mods for Tabletop Simulator. Interested folks can ping me for more info.

I grew up playing Axis and Allies. My boys just asked for Axis and Allies so I went to order a copy and was surprised by all the versions. Thanks so much for clearing this up so I know what to get. Im going to start them with 1942 Sexond edition. We game a lot so I can see us wanting the 2 1940 games because they look amazing!!

I guess it’s the same child in me at age 58 (the part that still enjoys boardgaming) that couldn’t help but LOVE the boxtop fart noise @ 17:54 - I literally LOLled! 😆 Is that so wrong?.. ~⚔️KT⚔️

I made my own 4 by 6 foot board and revised the rules to be a more realistic game.I drew railroads on the board and everything.

A local store close to where I live has a lot of those selling for 40 to 50 euros, even Guadalcanal.

Very useful video! Thanks guys.

19:55 If you can't dump 8 to 10 hours into Axis & Allies then you don't really want to play Axis & Allies. When my uncle and I would play we took an entire weekend.

I have an original A and A from 1990 I bought in College. I just got it out of the attic today and played a little for nostalgia. Still has all the pieces and the customer survey card. I am going to fill it out and send it in this weekend.

Super helpful indeed, I was about to buy the A&A 2004 Revised Edition and it was a mistake. Although now I don't know what to do, the new 1942 or the or both 1940... the space is painful :'(

Hi Eric - Thank you for putting this video together. I been bitten by the nostalgia bug and have been thinking about collecting the new game versions.

Thank you for covering this board game and its variant! Your sidekick is funny, ha ha ha!

LOL me and my dad bought the last 2 as our first a&a games. was a hard learning curve

Nicely done and entertaining!

the face the guy on the left made every time the game is out of print is spot on.

Wow... Thanks for the info Never herd of this game until today, looks awesome. Can't wait to play this game... 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

Great review of the whole A&A universe. Not sure if this point was brought up somewhere in the comments, but I'll mention it anyway. At around 21:20, you mention that AA guns were not in the original MB version. This is not the case. Otherwise, thanks! Oh, and maybe highlighting the different miniatures, but I realize that would have taken a tremendous effort.. Cheers!

A&A 1914 is really fun! I really want to try the combined A&A boardgame with my playgroup

Back when the original version came out I bought it plus Shogun and Fortress America. I never knew about these, I played the original one to death. I remember in the 80's and 90's going to my local hobby shop and seeing polybag's of expanded rules and such with the Axis and Allies label on them. I never picked em up but always wondered what they were. Were they official expansions, unofficial or just some hobbyist putting them out. Anyone heard or know what I'm talking about? Thanks Eric for showing me the 1914 version as a beginning WWI buff I'm going to be looking into purchasing that in the near future.

Great video. I only played Axis & Allies 1941 and had a lot of fun with it. I think I'll be buying 1914 now. I've always loved learning about WW1. Also, I like that you guys are still replying to comments on this over 3 years old video.

I currently own two version of axis and allies. The 1942 second edition, and the revised edition, which i bought at a neighbors garage sale in the wrappings for $8. Now I know it was a lucky find.

Hi. Bet you have the anniversary edition now as its been reprinted. I have it bought and ready for christmas. Cant wait. .

Thanks for the advice guys.... very helpful video.

go to Canada I recently ( end of May) went to the Mall of Edmonton, while I was there for training with their military and I found the anniversary edition for about $150 Canadian

Thank you guys for the video. Loved it. If anyone is interested in playing A&A every year in April we have "Spring Gathering". It is a 2 day mini Con for Axis & Allies games. You can find it on line.

I just got introduced to Axis and Allies last week (hadn't heard of the series before then) via the D-Day version. I thought it was super fun and had a nice balance of strategy and chance without being cumbersome (played my first game in around 2 or 3 hours). I'm pretty excited to go and learn these much more intense "core" versions of the game now.

I just bought the anniversary edition on Amazon for $70. I think it's still available if you wanted to complete your collection

I have a "Spring 1942" edition which doesn't seem to match any of these... is it the same as the "1942" edition depicted here just with different box art?

Love to see an updated version of this video after Renegade’s new releases.

Excellent video, guys! You answered all the questions a noob like me could have.

I am so late into this game. Just started online two weeks ago and decided to check out the board game possibilities. Went on Amazon and purchased the 1940 Europe 2nd edition. I'll be playing mostly solo so I wanted a large board but not huge by adding Japan into the mix. My only question is: Can I use my Warhammer 40k for Germany ? I think it would help them a little :)

I also love 1914 it my favourite version ,second is spring 1942

Great Video.....Many thanks!

So I have an Axis and Allies set, and I think it’s 1942, but the map and the box are different from any of the ones you guys showed

Excellent. Thank you.

I have both the Europe and Pacific 1940 Games. I prefer them over the standard games due to them having more unit types and zones, as well as special rules such as Kamikazes, etc.

I actually lucked out this past weekend at a local gaming convention and picked up the Revised edition *UNPUNCHED* - none of the counters punched out, all the unit pieces in the original bags...even the AA gun and industrial complex pieces still on the plastic tree - for only $10. Now there was some wear to the box, and a few of the perforations along the edges of the cards were punched, but other then that it looks like whomever bought it originally never got around to playing it. BTW, it actually came out in 2004, but that's still within the whole 90's "Super dark is super cool!" nonsense that I *really* hate. The rules seem a little confusing here and there, but I think that's because no one bothered to proof-read sections of the rules because they wanted to get it out into the game stores in time for the actual 20th anniversary. After reading the rules, one thing I do *NOT* like is how they changed weapons development. You buy your research dice as normal (5 IPU per die), but instead of rolling them and hoping for a '6', you choose which item you want on the list and *THEN* roll your dice, hoping to have *that* number show up on at least one of the dice.

thanks for the help!!

this was very helpful, thanks

I snagged the axis and allies zombie addition for around 20 dollars and this will be my first experience with axis and allies. after watching this buyers guide, I look forward to getting a more full experience, possibly buying the 1942 edition as my zombie version has 1942 zombie expansion cards to add zombies to that edition. Thanks for this video.

I have been playing Axis & Allies with my dad for many many years, we have nearly all the versions that have been released. My favourite versions are Anniversary Edition, Global & 1914, I wasn't keen on Guadalcanal, it was to easy. I keep hoping they will do a new version of 1914, there is so much more they can do with that game. Did you ever get a copy of the Anniversary Edition, they did rerelease it a year or so ago?

awesome video guys, very knowledgeable and keeps it light

Oh... now I DO have to make a run down and visit... Axis & Allies is one of my favorite games.

Awesome. Exactly what I was looking for.