- BGG rating
- 8.0
Axis & Allies: Commanders
- 2–5 players
- 60–240 min
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,085
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Axis & Allies
2004
Rules assistance for Axis & Allies
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 240 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.2/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Axis & Allies
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Axis & Allies is a board game released in 2004 for 2–5 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Larry Harris, Jr. and Mike Selinker and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Team-Based Game.
Expansions
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About the game
Axis & Allies (2004) aka Axis & Allies Revised Edition is the first Avalon Hill version of the classic light weight war game Axis & Allies. The game simulates the entire scope of World War II. The game is nominally designed for five players, representing the Allies: United States of America, United Kingdom and Russia vs. the Axis: Germany and Japan. However, it is most often played as a two-player game. Axis & Allies features a simple dice-based combat system; a small number of types of naval, air and land units; territory control; and technology research to improve unit capabilities. Major new features of Axis & Allies (2004) include new units (e.g. destroyers, artillery), revised unit capabilities (e.g. armor defend at 3, fighters cost 10 IPCs), directed technology research, and totally new victory conditions (key territories must be controlled to win the game).
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Tilsit
- Avalon Hill
Questions and answers
Axis & Allies supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Axis & Allies is 240 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Axis & Allies for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Axis & Allies has a complexity rating of 3.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Axis & Allies belongs to these categories: Economic, Wargame, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Team-Based Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Axis & Allies are: Larry Harris, Jr. and Mike Selinker. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Axis & Allies as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.