Axis and Allies: D-Day
Encyclopedia
Axis & Allies: D-Day is the fifth version of the strategy board-game
Axis & Allies
, released on June 11, 2004 as a celebration of the 60th anniversary of D-Day
during World War II. It lets 2-3 players recreate Operation Overlord
or D-Day scenarios during June-July 1944. It was designed by Larry Harris
and developed by Mike Selinker
. The game won the Origins Award
Gamers’ Choice Award 2004.
USA and UK land troops at Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches while Germany tries to push them back and keep control of the cities Cherbourg, Saint-Lô
, and Caen
. If the allies haven't captured all three cities within ten turns, Germany wins. The allies start with no victory cities in their possession.
Mike Selinker
, the developer of the A&A games, said: "The original Axis & Allies board game was strategic. D-Day is tactical. D-Day is shorter and 'tighter' than the original game, and is also a bit less complicated."
Instead of purchasing units, players get them by placing units on "Reinforcement Charts" and then moving them to the play board. The play board also has unit silhouettes which shows how you should set up the game, instead of charts with lots of numbers. It makes the game a lot easier, less complicated, and less time consuming. With the help of paratrooper planes and amphibious assaults, the allies send over troops to breach the Atlantic wall. A new unit is the Pillbox, a little fortress with artillery inside that fires at troops about to land on the beach. Otherwise, it is all the original pieces without chips for indication of multiple units. In order to deal with the possibilities of excess amounts of units, an 8-unit limit has been enacted so that territories do not become overcrowded.
An experienced Allied player will utilize his or her fighter planes to pin down/strafe German units trying to move toward the front lines. An effective Allied strategy involves focusing on seizing the central strategic objective St.Lo first. The St.Lo first strategy requires clearing Omaha Beach quickly, then moving directly to St.Lo with combined American/Anglo forces. An Allied line can then be extended from St.Lo toward Caen. After a St.Lo-Caen line is reinforced, then Cherbourg can be picked off, as the Germans have difficulty reinforcing Cherbourg.
For players who still find the German side consistently victorious, an option to improve play balance is to add some Allied bombers, reflecting the overwhelming historical Allied air superiority, e.g. adding two Allied bombers to the two the game already provides.
German strategy and tactics are straightforward. Maintain infantry alongside tanks to absorb casualties. Keep at least one anti-aircraft artillery piece in any territory with two or more units to discourage Allied bombings and strafings. With respect to each of the three strategic objectives, determine early on where the defensive lines or positions will be, and concentrate forces along these lines in such a way as to fight on the defensive. If the dice allow the Germans to bring in many reinforcements quickly, then expand the defensive lines beyond the strategic strongpoints. If a buffer is formed in front of an objective, the Allied player will have to attack recklessly to seize the strongpoint.
German-style board game
German-style board games, frequently referred to in gaming circles as Euro Games or Euro-style, are a broad class of tabletop games that generally have simple rules, short to medium playing times, indirect player interaction and abstract physical components...
Axis & Allies
Axis and Allies
Axis & Allies is a popular series of World War II strategy board games, with nearly two million copies printed. Originally designed by Larry Harris and published by Nova Game Designs in 1981, the game was republished by the Milton Bradley Company in 1984 as part of the Gamemaster Series of board...
, released on June 11, 2004 as a celebration of the 60th anniversary of D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
during World War II. It lets 2-3 players recreate Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
or D-Day scenarios during June-July 1944. It was designed by Larry Harris
Larry Harris (game designer)
Larry Harris, Jr., is a game designer most famous for creating the board game Axis & Allies, as well as all of its sequels. His other significant games include Conquest of the Empire, Broadsides and Boarding Parties, LionHeart and more. He has also assisted in the further development of Trivial...
and developed by Mike Selinker
Mike Selinker
Mike Selinker is a game designer whose design credits include Pirates of the Spanish Main and Fightball with James Ernest, Axis & Allies Revised Edition with Larry Harris, the Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game, and Risk Godstorm. He was a creative director for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
. The game won the Origins Award
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 Origins.The Origins Award is commonly...
Gamers’ Choice Award 2004.
USA and UK land troops at Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches while Germany tries to push them back and keep control of the cities Cherbourg, Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
, and Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
. If the allies haven't captured all three cities within ten turns, Germany wins. The allies start with no victory cities in their possession.
Mike Selinker
Mike Selinker
Mike Selinker is a game designer whose design credits include Pirates of the Spanish Main and Fightball with James Ernest, Axis & Allies Revised Edition with Larry Harris, the Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game, and Risk Godstorm. He was a creative director for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
, the developer of the A&A games, said: "The original Axis & Allies board game was strategic. D-Day is tactical. D-Day is shorter and 'tighter' than the original game, and is also a bit less complicated."
Instead of purchasing units, players get them by placing units on "Reinforcement Charts" and then moving them to the play board. The play board also has unit silhouettes which shows how you should set up the game, instead of charts with lots of numbers. It makes the game a lot easier, less complicated, and less time consuming. With the help of paratrooper planes and amphibious assaults, the allies send over troops to breach the Atlantic wall. A new unit is the Pillbox, a little fortress with artillery inside that fires at troops about to land on the beach. Otherwise, it is all the original pieces without chips for indication of multiple units. In order to deal with the possibilities of excess amounts of units, an 8-unit limit has been enacted so that territories do not become overcrowded.
Play balance and strategy
Axis & Allies: D-Day is initially a challenging game for the Allied player. The Germans have more units and more firepower. Taking and holding all 3 of the strategic objectives (Caen, St.Lo, and Cherbourg) unopposed for one full turn is difficult. Between two experienced players, the Allied player has decent winning chances, but the Allied player must use his or her forces skillfully.An experienced Allied player will utilize his or her fighter planes to pin down/strafe German units trying to move toward the front lines. An effective Allied strategy involves focusing on seizing the central strategic objective St.Lo first. The St.Lo first strategy requires clearing Omaha Beach quickly, then moving directly to St.Lo with combined American/Anglo forces. An Allied line can then be extended from St.Lo toward Caen. After a St.Lo-Caen line is reinforced, then Cherbourg can be picked off, as the Germans have difficulty reinforcing Cherbourg.
For players who still find the German side consistently victorious, an option to improve play balance is to add some Allied bombers, reflecting the overwhelming historical Allied air superiority, e.g. adding two Allied bombers to the two the game already provides.
German strategy and tactics are straightforward. Maintain infantry alongside tanks to absorb casualties. Keep at least one anti-aircraft artillery piece in any territory with two or more units to discourage Allied bombings and strafings. With respect to each of the three strategic objectives, determine early on where the defensive lines or positions will be, and concentrate forces along these lines in such a way as to fight on the defensive. If the dice allow the Germans to bring in many reinforcements quickly, then expand the defensive lines beyond the strategic strongpoints. If a buffer is formed in front of an objective, the Allied player will have to attack recklessly to seize the strongpoint.
External links
- Axis & Allies: D-Day at axisandallies.org