Axis & Allies 1942 Second Edition - Tips & Strategies

Don’t forget that this A&A 1942 title does not come with any rules for technology, which some players may find a little annoying. However! Do not despair for you can simply incorporate these (optional) rules straight from the Axis & Allies 50th Anniversary Edition, here:

http://boardgaming.com/games/board-games/axis-and-allies-50th-anniversary-edition

As the technology rules are not described in detail on the A&A50 game page, I will summarise them here. Please remember that the rules for technology are optional in the A&A50 game, so it would be totally up to the players to decide if they wished to use them for A&A 1942. Here goes then:

The player turn sequence will now be:

1. Research & Development (optional rule)
2. Purchase Units
3. Combat Move
4. Conduct Combat
5. Noncombat move
6. Mobilize New Units
7. Collect Income

How the technology rules work:

PHASE 1: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

In this phase, you may attempt to develop improved military technology. To do so, you buy researchers that give you a chance for a scientific breakthrough. Each researcher token will grant you one die that provides a chance for a breakthrough. Should your capital be captured by the enemy during the game, surrender all your current researcher tokens back to the box.

Research & Development Sequence:

1. Buy researcher tokens
2. Roll research dice
3. Roll breakthrough die
4. Mark developments

Step 1: Buy Researcher Tokens:

Each researcher token costs 5 IPCs. Buy as many as you wish, including none.

Step 2: Roll Research Dice:

For each researcher you have, roll one die. Success: If you roll at least one “6,” you have successfully made a technological
breakthrough. Discard ALL your researcher tokens and continue to step 3. Failure: If you do not roll a “6,” your research has failed. Keep all your researcher tokens and continue to the Purchase Units phase of the turn.

Step 3. Roll Breakthrough Die:

If you rolled a “6” on any research die, choose one of the two breakthrough charts (below) and roll a die to see which technological advance you get. You can only receive one advance each turn. If you have already received the same result on a previous turn, reroll until you get a new technological advance. Once you have received all the advances on a chart, you cannot gain any more advances from that chart.

BREAKTHROUGH CHART 1 (Land & Industry)

1. Advanced Artillery: Each of your Artillery units can now provide greater support. One Artillery unit can support two Infantry per attack. Two Infantry when coupled with one Artillery unit each
have an attack value of 2.

2. Rockets: Your anti-aircraft guns are now rocket launchers. In addition to its normal combat function, during the strategic bombing raid step of your Conduct Combat phase each turn, each of your
anti-aircraft guns can make a single rocket attack against an enemy Industrial Complex within 3 spaces of it. This attack does 1d6 damage to that complex. In each turn, only one AA Gun per territory may launch rockets, and each Industrial Complex can be targeted by only one rocket launcher.

3. Paratroopers: Each of your Bombers can act as a transport for up to one Infantry, but it must stop in the first hostile territory it enters during a turn and drop off the Infantry, ending its combat movement. Both units must begin their movement in the same territory. The Infantry is dropped after any anti-aircraft fire is resolved, so if the Bomber is hit, the Infantry it carries is also destroyed. The Bomber may still attack during the Conduct Combat phase, but it cannot make a strategic bombing run in a turn that it transports an Infantry
unit. The Infantry unit may retreat normally to a friendly adjacent space during combat.

4: Increased Factory Production: Each of your Industrial Complexes in a territory worth 3 or more IPCs can now produce two additional units beyond its listed IPC value. For example, Germany (worth 10 IPCs) can now produce 12 units. Also, when repairing a damaged Industrial Complex (removing damage markers), you can remove two damage markers at a time for the cost of 1 IPC (half price).

5. War Bonds: During your Collect Income phase, roll 1d6 and collect that many additional IPCs.

6. Mechanized Infantry: Each Infantry that is matched up with a Tank can move two spaces along with the Tank.

BREAKTHROUGH CHART 2 (Air & Sea)

1. Super Submarines: Your Submarines are now Super Submarines. The attack value of your Submarines is now 3 instead of 2. The defense value of your Submarines remains at 1.

2. Jet Fighters: The attack value of your Fighters is now 4 instead of 3.

3. Improved Shipyards: Your sea units are now cheaper to build. Use these revised costs:

Battleship 17
Aircraft Carrier 11
Cruiser 10
Destroyer 7
Transport 6
Submarine 5

4. Radar: Your anti-aircraft gun fire now hits on a 1 or 2 instead of just a 1.

5. Long-Range Aircraft: Your Fighters are now long-range Fighters, and your Bombers are now long-range Bombers. Your Fighters’ range increases
from 4 to 6. Your Bombers’ range increases from 6 to 8.

6. Heavy Bombers: Your Bombers are now Heavy Bombers. You roll two dice for each Bomber and select the best result whenever you attack or make a strategic bombing raid. On defense, your Heavy Bombers still roll only a single die.

I thought players might find it useful to see a complete breakdown of the game pieces and components, so they know exactly what comes in the box. Boardgaming.com have already given a brief list:

■Game Board
■One 24-Page Rulebook
■Six Dice
■410 Military Unit Pieces
■80 Plastic Chips
■2 Parts Sheets

However, I am now going to expand upon that. Here goes:

■Game Board – This come in two seperate foldable halves which combine to make a playing game area of 40″ x 26″.

■One 24-Page Rulebook – Full colour, very comprehensive rulebook.

■Six Dice – 3 x black D6 with white dots, 3 x red D6 with white dots.

■410 Military Unit Pieces – Each player power comes with a varying amount of combat units, which I will detail below including their totals:

SOVIET UNION – 74

Infantry: 20
Artillery: 8
Tanks: 10
Antiaircraft Artillery: 8
Fighter: 8
Bomber: 2
Destroyer: 4
Cruiser: 2
Battleship: 2
Aircraft Carrier: 2
Submarine: 4
Transport: 4

GERMANY – 86

Infantry: 20
Artillery: 8
Tanks: 12
Antiaircraft Artillery: 8
Fighter: 8
Bomber: 4
Destroyer: 6
Cruiser: 4
Battleship: 2
Aircraft Carrier: 2
Submarine: 6
Transport: 6

UNITED KINGDOM – 84

Infantry: 20
Artillery: 6
Tanks: 8
Antiaircraft Artillery: 8
Fighter: 8
Bomber: 6
Destroyer: 6
Cruiser: 4
Battleship: 4
Aircraft Carrier: 2
Submarine: 6
Transport: 6

JAPAN – 82

Infantry: 20
Artillery: 6
Tanks: 6
Antiaircraft Artillery: 8
Fighter: 8
Bomber: 4
Destroyer: 6
Cruiser: 4
Battleship: 4
Aircraft Carrier: 4
Submarine: 6
Transport: 6

UNITED STATES – 84

Infantry: 20
Artillery: 6
Tanks: 6
Antiaircraft Artillery: 8
Fighter: 8
Bomber: 6
Destroyer: 6
Cruiser: 4
Battleship: 4
Submarine: 6
Transport: 6

■80 Plastic Chips – 50 x grey, 20 x green, 10 x red.

■2 Parts Sheets – These are full colour cardboard sheets which include additional game components that are pressed out for play, and include:

5 x National Setup Charts (1 for each power)
100 x National Control markers (20 for each power)
1 Battlestrip
1 Casualty Strip
12 x Industrial Complexes

And that was the complete breakdown of game components! Hope you found it useful.

You start out the game with the most units available to deploy. You must take advantage of that! First the purchasing phase. First couple of turns max out on armor. Armor is Germany’s friend because of blitzkrieg. Chances are you will lose most of your navy and air-force early on so use it while you have it. With your air-force take out as much of the UK’s and Russia’s navy as you can. Bring both of your U-boats to help in the sea zone near England. With your navy bring troops down to Africa and take as much as you can. Remember blitzkrieg is your friend. With your land units take over Russia’s industrial complex in Kerlia, if they don’t take that back you have a spot to drop 3 armor to put pressure on Moscow. Your overall strategy is for you and Japan to meet in Russia, so keep pushing that direction. If things go poorly and the UK starts moving in start buy infantry to help defend Berlin. If your air-force stays intact use it to keep the UK or US from bringing their navies close.

The way that I like to play the UK is to put the pressure on Germany. This accomplishes two things it makes Germany have to defend on multiple fronts and gives Russia a chance to slow down Japan. During the buying Phase of the first tun I purchase an aircraft carrier (this allows the US to land planes in your sea zone to help defend the sea zone from Germany) then either a fighter or a transport and infantry depending on what Germany did on their turn. If Germany uses it’s battleship and transport to bring troops to Africa, try to take out that navy. The less navy they have will keep them land locked for the most part and the US or you can bring troops into Africa, an easy continent to conquer = money in the bank. In India and the troops in Australia use them to annoy Japan or at least slow them down as they march towards Moscow. Use your fighters to help bolster defenses in Russia. Remember you can land in friendly territory. Eventually you will be able to start attacking Western Germany and they will have to choose where to commit their defense/offense. Do they still try to defeat Russia or allow you to come in through the back door. I would not purchase a Industrial Complex till you have Germany on the ropes. If your aircraft carrier survives till your next turn I would then purchase at least one fighter, one transport and infantry.