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144 of 148 found the following review helpful:
 The classic continuation of the excellent original... Sep 01, 2000
By Joseph Payne
If anyone is a true Axis and Allies game lover, and you've been wishing for another game by Avalon Hill, here it is! Axis and Allies Europe couldn't be a better game for the price. It comes with more units and much improved map (of the European theater only), and best of all, the game itself blows the former Axis and Allies game to bits! It is obvious that Avalon Hill spent much more time making A & A Europe then the original, for their is never a time when a player grows tired of this game. Unlike Axis and Allies, this Europe release comes with units that are equal to its country's nationality. In other words, the German's bomber is a Junkers 88, the Russian armored units are T-34s, and the American battleships are in the North Carolina class etc. Not only are the units improved, but their are more! As many Axis and Allies players have mentioned, where is the artillery? That's right...Their is artillery! Germans feature the the infamous 88mm gun, while the allies use the 105mm howitzer. Another added unit is the destroyer. Originally, you had the choice of either buying a sub or a battleship. Don't you think that their should be a ship in between a sub that costs 8 IPCs and a battleship that costs 24 IPCs? The destroyer will fix that problem, which costs 12 IPCs and basically has the power of a battleship moved down a notch on the dice roll. Both the battleships and destroyers can do coastal bombardment. Also, during strategic bombing, you can have fighters escort your bombers. Sounds nice, huh? Well, the defending country can send up interceptors, so it can be a risk with both enemy fighters attacking your bombing run as well as an anti aircraft gun firing from below. From air units to basic combat, the Axis and Allies game has come a long way. Now that the mighty German war machine faces three allies alone, you can pick a wide variety of stragedy. Atleast now the Germans have a chance at the beginning of the game, with ten U-boats, five fighters and a bomber, and an unbelievable ground force. If you have always been a true Axis and Allies lover, then nothing would be better then this big step Avalon Hill has made. An incrediblle game! Let the battle begin!
61 of 62 found the following review helpful:
A Great Entry-Level Wargame Dec 24, 2001
By SCOTT A. MACPHEE
Axis and Allies has been enticing people to the hobby of wargaming for more than 15 years, and this new version should add many more converts. The strategic decisions that each nation faced in the European theatre of World War II are accurately portrayed here. The addition on new troop types (artillery, destroyer) are welcome. The game play is much deeper than in classic Axis and Allies. I've played this game five times, and had differing results. The Allies can win if the Germans strip Western Europe too much in an attempt to knock the Soviet Union out of the war. The key to allied success is in the United States and Great Britain clearing the shipping lanes and applying pressure on Western Europe while Russia trades men and space for time. Germany can win if the navy can deny shipping to the Allies and deliver a killing blow to the Soviets. The game can be learned in a couple of hours. Set-up is a breeze, and can be done in five minutes. The game pieces are attractive and historically accurate, with each nation having its own version of tanks, planes, infantry, artillery, and naval forces. The plastic figures are a little brittle, especially the German 88mm guns.
58 of 62 found the following review helpful:
Superior to the orginal game? It may be possible. Aug 31, 2000
By Nike12021981
When I first played Axis and Allies Europe, I had several years experience playing the original game. In this new version, the board is only of the Alantic theater, with the Allies (Russia, United Kingdom, and United States) vs the lone axis player, germany. But don't be fooled! Germany is fully prepared to attack at will with its vast number of units in the beginning of the game. The Allies will have to work together and combine forces to defeat the German player. A few changes has been added to the game since the orginal; subs can sumerge, no more building of factories and secret weapons, new rules about the middle east, and much more! I would strongly recommend this game based on the fact that it is mostly historical accurate, a great World War II game, and that it is a great follow up to the original axis and allies game.
23 of 25 found the following review helpful:
A fair attraction to A and A fans Jan 05, 2002
By Erik Stone
I am a big fan of the original A and A, and have been playing it consistantly for many years. I must admit, that when the new A and A Europe came out I was very sceptical. I could not imagine how they could have improved on an alreafy great game. Having recieved A and A Europe as a gift, I was my buddies and I were very excieted to play it, if for no other reason than just to compare the two games. Here is what we discovered after playing the game. Avolon hill has made some pretty good changes to the original. All of the pieces are now country specific. That is to say, America uses p-38 fighters, germany had panzer tanks, and so on. Although at first blush this does not seem like a big thing, I feel itreally adds to the game. Purchasing, Combat, and movement all the same, so those familiar witht the original will not have to learn lots of new rules. There are a number of interesting strategic changes however. The allies now have sea lane convoys that can be attacked by Germany. These sea spaces give Germany no extra cash, but they hurt the allies economically if Germany takes them. These spaces add a whole new dimension of stratagy to the game. The US and UK could effectivley lose 10 of more $ every turn if the sea lanes are taken. Therefore, the German player, if they are savy can really be a pian in the side of the two most powerful allies. Secondly, the middle east is controlled by UK and Russia. If Germany takes th middle east, all of the Allies suffer. This is to simulate the loss of oil the allies would experience. I felt this was a great assition to the game, as it very historically accurate. In a more critical note however, the game is very unforgiving of mistakes. Wether you are the Allies or Germany. It was decidd fairly early on in the games I played who would be the winner. Al in all, I greatly enjoyed the game, and look forward ro playing it again
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
great game, better than the original Dec 21, 2006
By woodworker
"woodworker"
I don't understand why some people think the original A+A was a better game. This game is much more balanced. The rule that gives you 12 IPC to allocate units whereever you want in the beginning assures variety.
I play this game with other players that played the original since the 80's... This game is so much better. I think Germany might have a slight advantage in this game, but not much. The allies need to plan and cooperate a lot better in this game (as opposed to the original where it's impossible for the Axis to win with experienced players).
Removing the technology rolls for this game was a great idea. It was so annoying in the original game when someone was losing and then started spending all their money trying to roll heavy bombers (in desparation).
In summary, all our games have been pretty close. Germany begins with an awesome force, but has a lot of British ships to sink and needs to get ground in the USSR. Russia is under pressure from the Germans. Britian and the USA need to sink the German subs and stop Germany from overrunning Russia, Africa, and the middle East. Great game.
Also, in this game, battleships are actually worth building, unlike the original game. It takes 2 hits on the same turn to sink a battleship, which makes them very powerful and worth their cost. Subs are much more powerful in this game too, since they are no longer sitting ducks for planes (Planes need a destroyer escort to attack subs).
This game is light years better than the orginal A+A game, although I'd recommend that a newbie start with the original game.
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