
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,824
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Axis & Allies: Pacific 1940
- 2–4 players
- 360 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2009

Rules assistance for Dateline: World War II
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dateline: World War II is an expansion for Axis & Allies released in 1997 ages 12 and up. It was designed by Philip Schwartzer and its main mechanics are Area Movement and Dice Rolling.
This is an expansion to Axis & Allies. Its added additional features to the base game include nuclear weapons, secret subs, German tiger tanks, long range fighters, Kamikaze missions, paratroopers, Cruisers, and more. This expansion includes a 20 page rulebook, 40 counters, navigation charts, and secret sub status board.
The catalogue lists Dateline: World War II 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.
Dateline: World War II has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light 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.
Dateline: World War II belongs to these categories: Wargame, World War II, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Area Movement and Dice Rolling. 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 Dateline: World War II are: Philip Schwartzer. 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 Dateline: World War II as an expansion for Axis & Allies. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Axis & Allies to use it. Check that your edition of Axis & Allies is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.