How to Join the IAAPA Axis & Allies Club

Updated

The IAAPA (International Axis and Allies Players Association) is a free, Play-by-Email (PBEM) club for Axis & Allies players. To join, go to axisandallies.net and work through the membership path the site lays out: read the New Player Information, complete the step called "The Final Hurdle," and enlist. Before you do, decide which supported edition you want to play — the club currently supports Axis & Allies Classic (Original, 1984) and Axis & Allies Revised (AAR, 4th edition, 2004).

What you are joining

IAAPA describes itself as the oldest Axis & Allies gaming organization in the world and the biggest and best A&A club. It is built around PBEM play, so you do not need to block out long sessions to finish a game.

What the club provides, per its own site:

  • A dice server that rolls battles automatically, produces a verification log, and emails results to both players.
  • Map programs and odds calculators available for download.
  • An active core of players, so finding an opponent is generally not the hard part.
  • Tournaments running through the year, plus a mentorship program for newer members.

Before you enlist

Two things are worth settling first.

Pick your edition. The club supports Classic and Revised. If you own only one of these, that choice is already made. If you own both, check which one has more activity in the tournament listings before committing.

Understand what PBEM asks of you. Play happens over email rather than in real time. That removes scheduling pressure but means a game unfolds across many exchanges, and you are responsible for keeping your side moving. The dice server handles the randomness and the record-keeping; you handle the orders.

The joining path

The site organizes the process under a few named sections. Follow them in this order:

  1. New Player Information — start here for the orientation material aimed at people who have not played in the club before.
  2. The Final Hurdle — the site's own name for the last step before membership. Treat this as the actual gate: read it fully before you act on it.
  3. How do I Join the Association? — the membership instructions page.
  4. Enlist in IAAPA — the enlistment entry point.

The site also lists IAAPA Rules, IAAPA Administrative Rules, and separate rules pages for 2nd Edition and 4th Edition (AAR). Read the rules set that matches your edition, since tournament play follows them.

What you can do once you are in

  • Play PBEM games against other members using the club's dice server.
  • Enter tournaments. The site maintains a tournament overview, a 2026 tournament schedule, 2nd Edition tournaments, AAR tournaments, tournament leaders for 2025 and 2026, a Hall of Champions, and tournament archives.
  • Join the mentorship program if you want guidance from experienced members.
  • Use the Supply Depot and BBS archives for club resources and past discussion.

Common sticking points

Assuming you need to be an expert. The club runs a mentorship program and a dedicated new-player section, which suggests beginners are expected and accommodated.

Skipping the rules pages. Tournament play is governed by the posted IAAPA rules and administrative rules. Reading them after you have already started a tournament game is the wrong order.

Confusing the two supported editions. Classic and Revised have separate rules pages and separate tournament tracks. Know which one you are signing up to play.

Expecting real-time games. PBEM is the club's default format. The site does note face-to-face gaming returning to IAAPA, but that is a side development, not the core mode.

Cost

The site states membership is "100% FREE." No pricing signals, payment platforms, or paid tiers appear on the page, so there is nothing to suggest a paid option exists.