Axis & Allies: New version worth it?

[Iron_Chef]

My group used to enjoy this game, but it got old fast when the Axis could never seem to win, only delay the inevitable. The new version is supposed to be more equally balanced so the end result is not preordained. How good is the new version and all of its changes?

BTW: After playing and totally loving Risk 2210 A.D. and Zombies!!!, I had hoped they might add event cards to it --- they added them to Axis & Allies D-Day it seems from the back of the box. I wonder if the cards from Risk 2210 or D-Day could be integrated into the new A&A?

I wish the stupid A&A computer game version from '98 had better A.I.; I can beat the Allies in 3 rounds because the computer is such a poor player. :\ Why don't they release cool computer versions of A&A and Risk 2210 AD?

 

[Iron_Chef]

How balanced is the revised A&A game? This is what's most important to me. I hear Germany, Japan and USA start with much more money (40, 30, and 42 respectively). I don't know how much more stuff any countries get during intial set-up. National Advantages sound cool. Basically, I still don't have enough info to make a "must buy" decision on this game yet. The Avalon Hill website doesn't fill in quite enough blanks for me, despite 15 preview articles, a (crappy) online demo and scanning their messageboards.

 

[the_bruiser]

I think the new version is great. You still have, though, what for me was the biggest turnoff: two stacks of infantry. Once you get to that stage, one of two things happen: (i) the attacker loses, b/c the defending infantry hit twice as often, or (ii) the allies win, b/c they can buy infantry faster.

So if that's the rut your game got into, then it won't fix that, though it WILL be better due to the increased number of sea and land zones in Europe.

We play the new game with one-defense infantry. So far, the new game is *much* more interesting than the old, but it's hard to say for sure how much of that is the new version as opposed to the infantry change.

 

[Crothian]

THe new version is soo much better then the old. All countries feel like they can win and have important effects on the game.