From: TCLT88A@prodigy.com (MR JAY M FOX) Subject: Axis and Allies - Nova v. MB At the age of seventeen, I finally had the opportunity to go to Origins. It was the height of SPI and I spent the entire weekend in a basement on the University Maryland Campus playing War in Europe. During one break, though, I made it to the sellers area, and picked up a copy of Axis and Allies from Nova games. I didn't unwrap it until my sophomore year in college. But when I did, overnight my roommates and I were playing the game non-stop. It was certainly a far cry from War in Europe, but it was addictive nonetheless. While in law school, I found myself in Toys R Us one day and saw the game under the Milton Bradley (MB) label on the shelves. It was quickly purchased and also played and played and played. That brings me to the present. Recently my roommates and I compared the two games. The clear winner as far as we were concerned was Nova. But I noted that there was no comparison of the two games on Web Grognards, nor was there really any reference to the Nova edition. So here is my first posting to a site I visit regularly and enjoy. Before I begin I need to say a few things. If you love the MB game, fine. You have the right to love it. You may disagree with me on my comparisons. You have the right to disagree. This is not meant to be the end all legal argument in favor of Nova Axis and Allies. It's only an opinion with the hope that at the very least you will try the earlier edition and compare for yourself. Also, this posting is intended to summarize key differences between the games and my view on their affects on game play. It is not a strategy posting for the Nova edition. Nor does it analyze every difference. Just the big ones as far as I am concerned. Finally this posting assumes knowledge of MB game and rules. It is meant for the MB player who has yet to experience the original Nova game. Here are the significant differences: 1. Land Movement MB separates land movement into combat movement and non-combat, which comes after combat. However during non-combat movement, you can only enter territories you control. Nova simply has adjacent combat followed by movement. This means you have to protect your rear areas!! For instance, in MB you need not garrison Moscow if you have units in Karelia and Caucasas, because the Germans cannot move there even if they wipe out units in either of the latter provinces. That makes it much easier for the Russians to defend. In Nova, there is one land movement phase and it takes place after combat (combat occurs between adjacent territories; you don't have to move in and attack like in MB). So if you lose an adjacent territory and do not have Moscow (Russia in MB) garrisoned, bye-bye Kremlin. 2. Production Production in MB is unlimited. Nothing is more annoying than those infantry build-ups in Europe. You roll for an hour resolving the deaths of scores of red and white plastic chips. Production in Nova is limited to the counter mix. Not only does this mean that unit levels are realistic, it also promotes weapons development as you near peak production. 3. Weapons Development Nova includes the atomic bomb as a weapon to develop. It's amazing to see what happens to one side or the other when it is developed. Shear panic and shear fun. MB's decision not to include it took a lot away from the consideration of any weapons development. I cannot remember the last MB game I played where weapons development rolls were made. 4. Special Forces MB has none. In Nova, the Germans get a Panzerkorps, with added strength. The Japanese get Kamikazees. The US get Marines. The Russians can move factories, and the British get Home Guards. These add to the fun and affect overall strategy. Why MB did not include them is beyond me. 5. Neutrals Two types exist in the Nova edition. The first is a neutral that provides production certificates, i.e. China. However, unlike MB, pro-neutrals in Nova cannot be entered without violating neutrality. In other words, Nova pro-neutrals are not staging areas, but simply production boosts. This gives the battle for Asia a completely different feel. There are also a large number of grey unallied spaces in Nova. You must pay to violate their neutrality with only Turkey providing production. 6. The Map MB has far fewer spaces. MB game are often cramped and boring. There is much more maneuverability in Nova. There are more land and many more sea areas. In the Nova edition, the Axis is given Italian East Africa and Syria to start. In my opinion this balances the Middle East and Africa nicely (even though it is ahistorical). The MB set-up in those locales strongly favors the Allies. One significant naval difference is the Pacific. In MB, there is no incentive for the US to approach Japan through the South Pacific. Hawaii is 2 movement points from Japan, and the Carolines and Solomons have no economic value. Nova gives these island chains production value. And Nova puts Hawaii four movement points from Japan. 7. Amphibious Assault In MB, you must destroy navies immediately. That is because loading infantry or armor on a transport costs no naval movement points. This means invasions can happen rapidly. In Nova it costs one naval movement point to load. So navies are not destroyed immediately, because players have ample warning when invasions are imminent. This allows navies to survive much longer, and creates more interesting play. If you play MB often, answer this question: How many times do MB games become German/Russian attrition contests, because no one in Europe has a navy left. If you answered other than "almost always" I don't believe you. 8. Submarines I hate MB subs. Nova submarines are never involved in combat. They are solely an impediment to movement. When performing naval movement subs get optional first shot attacks against units moving through their zone, or units starting in their zone which are leaving. Surviving enemy ships (and fighters on board surviving carriers) then return fire (but only if the subs took their shot). Submarine combat is concluded after that one phase. In my opinion, that gives a much better feel sub warfare. And it keeps subs in the game longer, because they cannot be attacked in the combat phase, only potentially prodded to the surface during movement. 9. Anti-Aircraft There is nothing like attacking a province with 3 fighters and a bomber in MB, to support your ground troops, and having your opponent come up with two AA hits. You won't see that in Nova, because AA guns fire only one shot per gun. And you hit on a 3 or less. This forces a player to either add guns to protect a province, or simply take the 50% shot of knocking out one incoming air unit. 10. Strategic Bombing Aside from the AA gun differences noted above, Nova involves fighters in defending against strategic bombing. For instance, if you bomb a province with 2 fighters, you'd better bring along your own fighters as escorts. In Nova, any fighters defending in the province, above the number escorting, get a first shot in addition to any AA gun first shots. This is a far more sensible and realistic approach in my opinion. Ever seen what happens to unescorted bombers? 11. Limits on Placement This is the one rule I like from MB. When building a factory outside a capital, you are limited to placing the number of units that equal the production factor of the province. This prevents overseas production monsters and keeps the game focused on the capitols. Nova does not have this, but I realized this weakness long before MB was printed. I almost always use the limitation as a home-spun optional rule. In conclusion, it is my opinion that plastic pieces and a pretty mounted mapboard do not make up for the cuts made on MB's predecessor. Nova is not only the technically better game, it is more fun to play. But there are MB mavens who I am sure will differ. More power to them. I hope you found this post worthy of your time. If you have never played the Nova version grab it. You will enjoy. A mint copy will cost about $50, with a used one for about $30 or so. Check out rec.games.board.marketplace and give MB's older and wilder brother a try. Happy Gaming, Jay Fox.