Battle for the Deep: Powered by Axis & Allies

In the furnace of July, I brought a crab-and-shrimp battle to the table so we could at least feel a little bit summery. Battle for the Deep treats its war theme with a welcome streak of weirdness: you end up slaughtering whales and feeding sharks, which gives it more personality than its title promises.

The core is simple: claim control points, beat up your opponent, and bring out new units, on the familiar Axis & Allies foundation without extra decoration. The small map quickly makes areas critical, so there is not much room for indifferent moves; reasons to start a fight appear early and often.

The factions are asymmetric and need a little study and preparation, both to play them and to face each one. Interaction is direct and combative, but the dice have a serious say in the outcome. If they do not favour you, you may be better off going fishing; if the odds are shared fairly, though, the conflict can be great fun.

I was not impressed by the production, which could have been better. And, even though I have not played it yet, the other Axis retheme with G.I. Joe looks more respectable to me. This one has the pleasure of quick, dice-driven conflict, as long as you accept that the sea—and the dice—will not always be on your side.