Axis & Allies: Everything the First Game Should Have Been

Last year, this same team came out with Axis and Allies for the computer. The game was dreadfully stupid and fatally buggy. Axis and Allies version 1.33 finally got rid of most of the bugs, but although it added some intelligent decision-making paths for the computer opponents, it did not raise the IQ of the AI beyond that of a novice. The only real way to get any satisfaction from playing that game solitaire was to give one of the countries in the player’s alliance to one of the dim-witted computer generals, and then to give the opposing computer commanders a lot of bonus points (like super subs, jet planes and easier victory conditions).

Iron Blitz fixes all of that. This game is not at all buggy, and its computer generals will give a player at least three or four good turns of solid if not inspired play. The game also comes with additional units, new options and seven "what-if" scenarios (and a game editor) that are drawn from the extensive lore of the Axis and Allies board game fan clubs and web sites.

The only bad part of the game, for Axis & Allies affictionados is Iron Blitz's set up- the game box includes TWO CD’s: The original (buggy) Axis and Allies of last year AND the Iron Blitz CD. The player has to install BOTH CD’s and THEN has to access and activate the Version 1.33 patch noted above. This information is located in the "Read Me" folder, as is the information about DirectX. The original CD needs DirectX 5.0 or higher, while the Iron Blitz CD needs DirectX 6.1 to work properly however it is included on the CD. This is a bit of a hassle and it really should have been made easioer by Hasbro. Still, once this little bit of work is completed, the gamer gets a very high quality product.

The game itself though is a blast to play and should be intimately familiar to anyone who has ever played the board game. If you hav enot, here are the basics. Each player gets to be a WWII power (the United States, United Kingdom and USSR are the Allies, and Germany and Japan are the Axis) beginning in early 1942 when everyone is at war. France has been conquered, Russia has been invaded and Pearl Harbor has been bombed. Each country, in fixed order, will spend money on weapons research and new units. It will then move, fight and conduct post-battle moves. It will then place the new units it constructed at its factories, and will collect income. This process occurs in a steady, turn-based process until one of the victory conditions agreed upon at the start of the game have been met (either the conquest of two enemy capitals, or the attainment of a majority of the income-producing territories on the board).

The board game was a miniatures game (ie, you got to move around little tanks and planes) and this is carried through on the computer with several nice improvements - countries have specific, historical icons to represent their units. This means German Tigers and American Shermans, instead of generic "tanks," and British Tommys and American GIs instead of composite "infantry."

Just as importantly, players with somewhat more knowlegde of their computer can also import their own icons, a process that is described in detail in the rules booklet. This opens up a level of custumizability that is very appriciated.

In short, Axis and Allies board gamers will be very much at home with this game.

Iron Blitz allows players to play Axis and Allies as it appears in the second OR third edition board game packages (the Milton Bradley game with the toys in the box), play the Iron Blitz version which adds destroyers and marine units, play the original setup or one of seven "what-if" and cold war scenarios, modify setups, unit costs and values, victory conditions and selected rules, or mix and match from all of the above to make either a custom Axis and Allies game or create a completely new scenario, which should have fans drooling.

As far as the AI goes, while much better than the first game, its still a bit of a mixed bag. While the computer handles the USSR very well, its does less well with either the UK or America. As either one of the two Axis countries, the computer can launch a solid opening attack and sustain it into the third turn of the game. After that, however, it seems to get a little confused and focuses mainly on defensive strategies to hold what it has gained – although the computer will take some moderately risky chances in attacking peripheral areas or areas of opportunity. Thus, while novices and medium players will be challlenged, veterans will not be.

Fortunately, gameplay can be handled with hot-seat which can minimize this problem. This game also comes with internet play, but to be honest, setting it up is a chore and the routines aren't very stable.

Where Iron Blitz really takes off, however, is with its seven new scenarios and its editor. These add new situations, new balances of forces, and new problems that will keep players going back to fight the computer (and other people) over and over again.

There are four "what if" World War II scenarios in Iron Blitz. Each takes a very real, very plausible situation and recreates it in the Axis and Allies context.

One of the "what if" scenarios is set in 1942, which is where the classic game opens. The only difference is Russia is neutral. That means that the Axis can not count on an economic win by simply crushing Russia between a German-Japanese vice. German and Japanese forces gain nothing except some positional advances by invading Russia (it actually costs economic points to do so). On the other hand, there are no Russian forces poised to attack them, which means that the two-front strategic "sandwich" of the real war (and classic game) is replaced with a more direct "us versus them" one-on-one situation.

Three of these "what if" scenarios start earlier, in 1939. This is before France has fallen. That means that Allied units (represented by British forces) begin the game in Western Europe (France) and in the French colonies of Africa and Southeast Asia. That means that, compared to the classic 1942 setup, there is more money and men for the British, and less money and territory for the Axis. There are also a few more Russian units floating (literally, at sea) around the board, and the Russians have more territory and money.

There are three post-war scenarios in Iron Blitz. These really push the envelope of the game system though they do so successfully. While the four World War II "what ifs" stay within the bounds of the original game, these three post-war scenarios let the player color outside the lines. All three post-war scenarios are based on the Anglo-American confrontation with Russia. Russia is the Axis in these games.

The Iron Blitz system really shines in the Cold War scenario. which takes place in 1950. Russia against the Anglo-Allies, with EVERY super-weapon in the game on the board. There are big bombers, jets, super-subs, rockets and improved industry for all three big powers, and the board is loaded with a lot of these special weapons (with their special icons). Air power rules in this game, although with the improved industry everyone has the ability to buy lots of cheap infantry, so that can balance the situation.

The game also comes with an editor, which allows for extensive modifications that are well described in the book.

While I would recommend this game hands down to anyone interested in the genre, there are still some bugs in Iron Blitz, though they are more of a minor annoyance than anything major (at least for my system).

Sometimes, the computer will tumble into a loop in a battle. The player will see the same dice rolls repeated over and over without units being removed. If that happens, the player will have to get out of the game, reboot, and restore a saved game. Save often.

The program also has a tendency to let anti-virus/system doctor programs bump it out and bring the player back to the Windows. This is easily prevented by turning off the anti-virus software while running the game though.

I would recommend this game to anyone who has played this game back with dice and paper in the 1980s, anyone who has played (and liked) RISK, or anyone interested in a strategic war game. There are minor bugs, but they do not detract from the larger value.