Third Reich:
World Conquest Made Simple

The grandest of all wargames, our edition of one of the best-known games ever melds easy play with the excitement of the greatest conflict our planet has ever seen. The original game debuted in 1974, and came to Avalanche Press in 2001. Since then it's spawned a sister game, Great Pacific War, plus several supplements and more always on the way.

These games, playable together to portray the entire sweep of World War II, give equal weight to the political, economic, military and diplomatic struggles that determined humanity's future. Players have to balance all of these factors: Economic resources, measured as Basic Resource Points (BRPs) are spent to build new units, fund offensives, replace combat losses, bribe minor nations to favor one side or the other, or send fleets to sea. Armies seize or defend resource-rich areas, while aircraft and submarines can attack other powers' economic infrastructure. Every turn's a balancing act.

In October 2007 we brought out the long-awaited Third Edition rules that bring to these games the holy grail of wargame design: a combination of insightful design and smooth flow of play. You can download the rules for free and see for yourself.

Third Reich covers the war in Europe, for two to six players representing Germany, the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, Italy and France. There are scenarios for every year of the war, but of course the main event is the 1939-1945 campaign game.

Great Pacific War uses three maps to display the breadth of its conflict, Imperial Japan's attempt to displace the United States and Britain as master of Asia and the Pacific. Two to four players represent the United States, Japan, Britain and the Soviet Union. Once again there are multiple scenarios, allowing players to pick up the conflict with its early roots in 1939, the Japanese attack of 1941, the turning point of 1943 or the final confrontation starting in 1944. Plus the game includes the scenario book allowing it to be combined with Third Reich.

The Third Reich Players' Guide adds 120 new pieces to the combined games, with strategy articles, new scenarios, and variations on game play. Start the war in 1937 or 1938, add the German Z-Plan, bring on jet aircraft — there's much more fun between these pages.

The Third Reich Deluxe Map is just what it sounds like: a much bigger version of the standard Third Reich map, for those who like their hexes extra-large.

Rumors of War is another supplement, with a new map stretching the Third Reich playing area to the east and southeast to show the Ural Mountains, Iraq and Iran. It has 80 new playing pieces with variants and strategy analysis.