Axis And Allies Board Game Review

Axis & Allies is a World War II strategy game designed by Larry Harris, Jr. Nova Game Designs released it in 1981, and Milton Bradley’s 1984 Gamemaster edition made it the best seller of that line.

Two to five players split into teams and fight over a world map with plastic armies. It is rated 12+ and runs about three hours. This review covers the classic edition’s rules, components and play experience.

Axis & Allies Overview

The game opens in spring 1942. Germany and Japan form the Axis. The United States, United Kingdom and Soviet Union form the Allies.

Each power earns income in Industrial Production Certificates (IPCs) and spends it on new units.

What’s in the Axis & Allies Box?

Counts below come from BoardGameGeek’s list for the Milton Bradley edition.

Each power gets 17 infantry, 10 tanks, 10 fighters, 6 transports, 6 submarines, 3 battleships, 3 bombers and 2 carriers.

All five powers share the same molds in different colors. The paper money and styrofoam trays are the weak spots, and trays in older copies often crack.

Axis & Allies Review: Pros and Cons

Pros

• One board holds every front, so a German push on Moscow pulls Allied units away from the Pacific.
• Team play gives everyone a job. UK and US players plan joint landings while the Soviet player holds the east.
• Combat is easy to teach: roll a die per unit and hit on its attack value or lower.
• Purchases are real tradeoffs. One battleship costs 24 IPCs, the same as eight infantry.
• Fan variants, TripleA, Vassal and an official tablet app keep the game in active play.

Cons

• A full game takes three hours, and first games run longer.
• One bad roll in a naval battle can sink a fleet that took three turns to build.
• Experienced groups often give one side extra IPCs to balance it.
• Five-player games have long waits between turns.
• The classic is out of print, and used copies often have missing chips or broken trays.

How to Play Axis & Allies

Axis & Allies Setup

Each player takes the reference chart for their power. Place starting units and control markers as the setup instructions list, then hand out starting IPCs. Setup takes 20 to 30 minutes.

Turn Order and Phases

Play runs Soviet Union, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, United States. Each turn has seven phases:

1. Develop weapons (optional, 5 IPCs per research die).
2. Purchase units.
3. Combat move.
4. Resolve combat.
5. Non-combat move.
6. Place new units at industrial complexes.
7. Collect income.

How Combat Works in Axis & Allies

The attacker rolls one die per unit and hits on its attack value or lower. The defender rolls back with defense values, even for units already hit.

Each side picks its own casualties. The attacker then retreats or fights another round.

Axis & Allies Victory Conditions

Victory is checked after the US turn. The Allies win by capturing Germany and Japan. The Axis win by holding two Allied capitals or territories worth 84 IPCs.

Where to Buy Axis & Allies

The classic is out of print. New boxes come from Renegade Game Studios, the series publisher since 2023. Prices change often.

Axis & Allies Game Mechanics and Strategy

Area movement and dice combat drive the game, and income ties them together. That puts it in two board game categories at once: wargame and economic game.

Infantry moves one space, tanks two, fighters four and bombers six. Fighters must land on friendly territory or a carrier, which limits air strikes.

Every territory has an IPC value, so each conquest raises your income and cuts your opponent’s.

Infantry costs 3 IPCs and defends on a 2, the cheapest way to hold a line. Bombers cost 15 and hit on a 4 but defend on a 1.

Research is a gamble. A die showing 6 unlocks a breakthrough such as jet fighters or heavy bombers, and missed dice are wasted IPCs.

Teammates can stack units in one territory and defend together.

Who Should Play Axis & Allies?

Axis & Allies suits players who like Risk but want an economy and more unit types. It works best with four or five people who enjoy team planning.

Diplomacy has no dice and more negotiation. Quartermaster General is shorter and card-driven. This ranking of military board games lists more World War II options.

Skip it if you want games under two hours or hate losing a battle to dice. Groups that prefer working together can try Black Orchestra, a World War II co-op on this list of top cooperative board games.

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