Axis & Allies is fun, what else is there?

[OgreBattle]

I played it for the first time last week. This week watched my boss play at the office, he wiped out the US fleet then fortified Alaska.

I've also played the Game of Thrones game once but that was also enjoyable.

What other games are in the same vein that are worth looking into?
Any tips on A&A and how to effectively use the Axis countries?

[CatharzGodfoot]

Shogun. But it takes forever to set up.

[Surgo]

If they're playing Axis & Allies, I wouldn't worry too much about game set-up or running length.

[Josh_Kablack]

There's a new game using the Shogun name, e which I haven't played.

The game formerly known as Shogun and more recently sold as Samurai Swords was probably the best of the MB/AH gamemaster series (Conquest of the Empire was cancelled for suckage and Fortress America was kinda middling)

Risk 2210 is kinda similar to A&A and has a mercifcul turn-limit on game length.

I can also strongly endorse OGRE as a great little wargame from the 80s, although that focuses more on tactics in individual engagement than on strategic level economic gains, so the feel is pretty different from the above games. The spiffy new kickstarted super ultra deluxe massive mark VI edition is pretty exciting to us fans from way way back.

Looking at my shelf the only other wargame from the 80s that I endorse is Junta - which isn't really a wargame - it's a hybrid war/politics game where the players with the worst positions in the political minigame gain the biggest military advantage in the war minigame


Edit: You might get more diverse recommendations asking on BGG forums - but beware of the groupthink, recent-release bias and the way distributor money warps their rating system.

[shadzar]

Any tips on A&A and how to effectively use the Axis countries?

wipe out Russia fast and defend the borders of Germany. Russia can move in and take Germany in about 3 turns, then only Japan is left.

Panzer Vor!