Two days late, but it’s never too late for Axis & Allies: D-Day! How about a chance to alter history under two hours?June 6, 1944 will forever be etched in the history of mankind, as that was when 130,000 Allied soldiers began the liberation of Western Europe from the clutches of Nazi Germany.

It all began on the beaches of Normandy, where the unsuspecting German Army were beset upon by the largest amphibious task force the world had ever seen.

From the moment the naval and aerial bombardment began, the outcome was never really in doubt. The once-mighty German “Wehrmacht”  had been reeling under a series of defeats: Stalingrad in 1942, Kursk in 1943 and the loss of its Italian fascist allies in 1943 as well. Check out the History Channel’s account on D-Day here.

Well, here’s your chance to play generals in the two / three-player Axis & Allies: D-Day boardgame. It’s part of the legendary Axis & Allies franchise, of which Axis & Allies remains the most iconic strategy boardgame that features hundreds of detailed miniatures as well as a huge colorful mapboard of the world.

D-Day is a super trimmed down and simplified version of that iconic game. Gone are the resources management and unit purchase parts of the game, as it focuses on only the combat and strategic maneuvers, around the beaches of Normandy (but of course). Units enter the fray via a die-dependent but sequential reinforcement phase, so you can always count for that extra division, brigade or combat group to make an appearance and swing the fight back to your favor!

It’s designed to be a lot more balanced than what really went on back in the actual battle, so no worries about taking the German side – they’re surprisingly tough. The game would be supremely unbalanced in the Allies’ favor if realism was allowed – hey it’s only a game!

Axis & Allies: D-Day may have been out for for six years now, but it’s still a mighty fun introduction to one of the most enduring and popular strategy boardgame franchises ever. It sells for less than RM200 and is a mighty fun if slightly predictable ride – perfect for a quick play of one of history’s greatest battles.

For unbiased reviews of the game, check out its Boardgamegeek.com entry here. You would also want to check out the demo of the game on Wizards.com, here.