Axis and Allies
Axis and Allies is a strategy board game by the Milton Bradley Company set during World War II. It was released as part of their Gamemaster Series in 1984 and was the most successful of the five games. Each player takes control of one of the Axis nations (Germany or Japan) or one of the Ally countries (England, Soviet Union or USA). The object of the game is to win the war, either by capturing enemy capitols or, for the Axis, achieving a certain economic advantage. The game is for two to five players, ages 12 to adult.Axis and Allies is often played in high school classes to help teach students about the economic climate and tensions the world was involved in during World War II. When Hasbro acquired the Milton Bradley Company, they kept Axis and Allies in print as part of their Avalon Hill lineup, a rather prestigious game company they bought in 1998. Under the same brand, they published two follow-up games, Axis and Allies: Europe (1999) and Axis and Allies: Pacific (2001), that were designed by Larry Harris, the original designer of Axis and Allies. The latter especially improves on the original game mechanics and tries to make the game feel less scripted, but manages to keep the appeal of the original.
Hasbro is currently working on a new, completely redesigned version of the original game, due to be released in early 2004. This edition will feature all-new artwork and substantially different rules from the original edition.
See also: Axis and Allies Members Club
