Customer Reviews

Axis and Allies Guadalcanal

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL

This is a wargame for 2 players. Other than a visual board and game pieces it shares little with the original Axis and Allies game. The rules make for a competitive and tense game that takes around 3 hours to play. The best game of the new Axis and Allies series, better than D-Day or Battle of the Buldge but it is a game only for those that like wargames and have experience playing them and are willing to sacrifice accuracy for playablity and fun. A nice historic setting.

THE FULL REVIEW

If you are aware of the Solomon Island Campaign at all, then you are familiar with Guadalcanal. An important part of the Pacific Campaign. It is here that the USA started their offensive against Imperial Japan. Not really a turning point in WW2 (Midway would have this honour) but the first step on a long road of the defeat of Japan. Guadalcanal was the scene of bitter land fighting between the US Marines, later the Army and the Japanese. While at sea the losses on both sides were so heavy that Sealark Sound, the stretch of water between Guadalcanal, Savo Island, and Florida Island of the Solomon Islands, became kown as Ironbottom Sound due to the amount of ships and planes that went to the bottom in a series of engagements. So historically this makes a nice setting and the reason for its educational value, but keep in mind this game is about the naval and ground action in the Solomon Islands, not only Guadalcanal.

As for the Game, this is not another Axis and Allies game, other than the models it uses very different mechanics. The scope of the game is Tactical rather than Strategic and it uses a new feature of a battle dice box, which seems like a silly concept until you actually play the game, well it still seems a little silly but I can't think of a better way for it to work. Dice put a high random factor to the game that can be offset in part by concentrarion of forces and a few special effects counters.

The board is limited, there isn't a lot of room to maneuver, especially regarding naval units, yet there is pressure all along to go for victory since the game is won on a victory point system and every turn both sides collect victory points and must break the stalemate before the other side in order to win. The victory point system is clever and works very well and reflects the actual campaign.

So even if there is little room for maneuver there are still possiblities to achive surprise and deploy tactics. Because of the constant pressure of the victory points system players must be bold and the game is tense making it a good wargame.

As for durability, this game comes in a strong box and thankfully has a plastic tray (unlike Battle of the Buldge). The board and plastic pieces are visual and of reasonbly good quality. Properly handled it will last a long time. On the other side, since this is more a game for dedicated players you probably already own other games you like to play more than this one so you won't play it that often in the end.

The game takes about 3 hours to play and is a 2 player game. If you are an Axis and Allies fan then it is better than D-Day or Buldge, the mechanics work better than in those two but it is not as good as the original or Pacific, which are both better games and you will not play this one as often. Also it is slightly complicated and requires a dedicated mindset so it is a game for wargamers, preferably experienced wargamers looking for a fun evening.

Works out some kinks present in the original game with more rules about what moves when. Overall a quick play but doesn't allow a number of things that would make it more varied (ie, casualties doen't shoot)

Game arrived quickly no problems with order or shipping. I love original axis and allies but sometimes you do't have 8 hoursto play a game. I like this game because the scope of the game is smaller then original axis and allies so game can be a shorter amount of time to play and finish a game in a resonable amount of time. I like the addition of the cruisers to the game. I wish they would go back and add them to the original axis and allies.

While not perfectly true to history (which is ok for a game), Axis&Allies Guadalcanal does bring history to life in an interactive and fun fashion. It is an excellent way for parents to spend time with their kids (in my case a dad with his lad) on a rainy afternoon. The rules are not complicated, especially compared to a number of the wargames from my youth, and the use of miniatures vs. cardboard pieces adds both a visual and tactile enjoyment to the gaming experience. This version, along with the other Axis & Allies versions, have proven to be such fun that a number of the families in the neighborhood have purchased their own versions and the boys spend hours playing Axis&Allies combined with their normal running around outside. I highly recommend this and the other versions for history lovers who would like a fun way to introduce some history to their kids.

Game title is a little misleading as the game is more about the campaign to secure the Solomon Islands and not Guadalcanal. I would have liked to have seen the game designed for the battle of the island itself to replay how that campaign might have gone had the Japanese recaptured Henderson field.

I like the random variable of the dice box, it really changes how you have to consider risk in your strategy versus the other A&A games. It is still a fun game overall.

This is an fine example of a PLAYABLE, fun wargame. Although it may seem simple at first, the rules are quite few, the strategy is everchanging. We have never had a game come out even near the same. The battlebox seems quite strange at first, but actually works very well forcing you to mix your naval forces as you would in reality. The Japanese have to work hard to win.

WE met the designer of this game, Larry at a 43rd Infantry Division National Guard yearly anniversary celebration this year. We saw the game just before the finishing touches were put on. It was fascinating and such great thought went into the product. If you served our country at Guadacanal or had family members who you knew there - it is a great tie to their experiences and also a great game to own. We so enjoy the game.

I bought this game as a Christmas gift for my husband who owns several other "Axis & Allies" games. He enjoys playing it with our son and son-in-law. For people who enjoy this type of game, this is a good one.

i gave this gift to my father for christmas and it came with the wrong pieces. he had to call the manufacturer and have them send a set of the correct pieces.

good luck... err. better luck than we had.

This is a great product. My 9 year old is obsessed with the military and all the many aspects of this game keep him coming back!