Axis and Allies Minis 1939-1945 Starter Se

by Avalon Hill

Product Features

• 2 player game
• 60 minutes to play
• Collectable miniatures
• Prepainted
• WWII Historical setting

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 2.2 inches ; 0.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: 0786947942
• Item model number: 216430000AVH
• Manufacturer recommended age: 12 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,196 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Roll Across the Battlefield and on to Victory Get your customers ready for the new Axis and Allies™ Miniatures 1939-1945 release. With 60 authentically detailed miniatures, gamers and history buffs will be able to assemble armies ready to do battle across the battlefields of World War II. Fast-paced and action-packed, this exciting miniatures game will let players recreate historical battles or go head-to-head in competitive warfare that rages across massive 20”x 30” battle maps.

Product Description

Roll Across the Battlefield and onto Victory!

Get you and your friends into the all-new Axis & AlliesTM 1939-1945 expansion.

With 60 authentically detailed miniatures, gamers, collectors, and history buffs will be able to do battle in World War II.

Fast-paced and action-packed, this exciting miniatures game will let players recreate historical battles or go head-to-head in competitive warfare that rages across massive 20"x 30" battle maps.

Each Axis & Allies 1939-1945 Starter Pack contains 10 prepainted plastic miniatures with stat cards, 2 double-sided maps, 8 dice and a rulebook.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun collectible miniatures war game, August 6, 2010

By 

Philip D. Miller - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Axis and Allies Minis 1939-1945 Starter Se (Toy)

Although I didn't purchase this from Amazon, I do own the product.

Pros:

- Nice looking pre-painted 15mm miniatures

- Quick setup

- Easy to learn

- Games can be played in 60 minutes or less

- Many free downloadable maps and scenarios both from Avalon Hill and the user community

- Expandable via map and booster packs so game play never gets stale

Cons:

- The starter set includes more Allied pieces than Axis, giving the Allies a significant advantage

- Most of the downloadable scenarios cannot be played with just the starter pack units

- Booster packs are expensive for the number of units you get ($11 to $15 dollars for five miniatures)

Being new to Axis & Allies, this seemed like it would be great little game and I am not disappointed. Whereas the board games are more strategic, this is more tactical which I like. In addition, games can be played in around 60 minutes as opposed to 2 to 5 hours for some Axis & Allies board games. It comes with 10 detailed 15mm miniatures, each having a corresponding card that shows its cost, year available, defense, speed, weapons range and any special abilities it may have as well as a little trivia about the unit. The starter pack comes with the following miniatures:

Axis:

- German Panzer III Ausf. F (Tank)

- German MG 42 machine-gun team (Soldier)

- German PanzerFaust 30 (Soldier, anti-tank)

- German Mauser Kar 98k (Soldier, rifle)

Allies:

- British Cromwell IV (Tank)

- Russian T34/76 (Tank)

- U.S. M4A1 Sherman (Tank)

- U.S. "Red Devil" Captain (Soldier)

- U.S. Bazooka (Soldier anti-tank)

- U.S. M1 Garand Rifle (Soldier)

Also included in the box are:

Rulebook

Quick start guide

Eight dice (six sided)

Damage counters

Two double-sided maps that may be used separately, or be combined to form six different configurations

The starter pack does not come with any scenarios probably due to the limited number of units. The rulebook simply recommends you setup some skirmishes using the units included in the box. This will help you learn the rules and flow of the game. There are a ton of downloadable maps and scenarios from the Wizards of the Coast website ([...]) but most I have looked at require more units than the ones included in the starter pack and this is where the game can get expensive. To get the most out of this game (as in any collectible miniature or card game) you need to purchase booster packs. You can buy booster packs from eight different sets, each set containing from 48 to 60+ miniatures. Each booster pack contains five random miniatures from that set. At about $11 - $15 a pop, you can see how this would add up quickly. The good news is that there are websites out there that sell the individual units from each set. Although some of the rare units can be upwards of $10 to $11 apiece.

Overall Axis & Allies Miniatures is a fun game to play if you like unit level tactical combat. As long as you are prepared to make about a $50 to $60 investment beyond the starter pack price, you can have a game of almost infinite re-playability with collectible miniatures to boot. As you purchase more miniatures and map pack expansions, the game just gets richer, more varied and more fun.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A way to start a hobby, May 15, 2010

By 

J. H. Barge "Necro Compendium" (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Axis and Allies Minis 1939-1945 Starter Se (Toy)

I bought this just for fun to see what it's like. I've played the A&A board games and thought this would be similar. Despite the major difference in playing style, I quite enjoyed the miniatures. This particular set was like a teaser, it got me interested in buying more. However, it's not a very balanced set. First off it comes with 4 tanks, 3 of which are allied tanks and 1 is axis. It comes with 6 infantry soldiers, three on each side. The allies have a commander so the M1 Garand troop gets bonuses and the allied side gets an initiative bonus. On the other side the Germans have an MG 42 unit with the double shot ability and a high kill ratio vs. infantry, so the infantry is balanced. However, each allied tank could overpower the axis tank individually. The axis tank is a Panzer III Ausf. F which has lower armor and a low cost. All of the allied tanks are almost twice the Panzer's cost and have more armor/fire power. Out of all the scenarios I have run with this set the Germans have only won once due to a lucky roll by the axis Panzerfaust 30 unit taking out the American Sherman early on in the match. Overall, the set is rather nice. It's a good way to add some troops and armor into your ranks. It's also a good way to obtain the rare British Cromwell tank and the uncommon Russian T-34/76 tank. Of course it's not enough for a good match, if you have the time and extra money then go ahead and buy more.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Like it's called: A Start, November 5, 2010

By 

A. Becker (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Axis and Allies Minis 1939-1945 Starter Se (Toy)

The starter pack will provide you with the rulebook and maps you will need to play A&A minis. What you may not be able to tell at first look is that 3 of the 4 tanks included here are Allied units. This means it is not very balanced between the opposing forces. You will need to get some booster packs to try to bulk up your Axis units. But the collecting is half the fun!