Introduction

World War Three is a simulation on an army/fleet level scale of a hypothetical, world-wide, conventional conflict in the near future. The simulation is primarily a land and naval conflict with the secondary influence of air forces. The game covers five years in seasonal (quarterly) turns. Optional rules allow Players to choose from several levels of complexity.

Each game turn represents three months (one season) of real time. Each hex is equivalent to 500 miles in distance.

Credits

Publisher: SPI (1975)
Designer: James F. Dunnigan
Developers: Christopher Allen, Ed Curran and Steve Bettum
Graphics: Redmond A. Simonsen

Components

2 22"x34" standard mounted map
1 Counter sheet of 200 die-cut counters
1 Counter sheet of 400 die-cut counters
1 16-page rulebook
2 Identical Charts and Tables Sheets

Counter Manifest

US

12 1 strength Surface Fleet A
12 1 strength Surface Fleet A Depleted
23 1 strength Surface Fleet B
6 2 strength Surface Fleet B
10 1 strength Nuclear Sub Fleet (SSN)
3 2 strength Nuclear Sub Fleet (SSN)
2 1 strength Conventional Sub Fleet (SS)
11 Anti Submarine Unit (ASW)
11 Anti Submarine Unit (ASW) Depleted
6 1 strength Coastal Defense (CD)
62 1 strength Merchant Ships (MS)
15 2 strength Merchant Ships (MS)
3 10 strength Merchant Ships (MS)
20 1 strength Amphibious Assault
5 2 strength Amphibious Assault
4 5 strength Amphibious Assault
2 10 strength Amphibious Assault
12 Supply units
10 1 strength US Mobile Land Army
20 2 strength US Mobile Land Army
15 5 strength US Mobile Land Army
7 10 strength US Mobile Land Army
10 1 strength non-US Mobile Land Army 4 2 strength non-US Mobile Land Army
16 1 strength non-US Self-Defense Land Army
3 2 strength non-US Self-Defense Land Army
4 Long Range Bombers (SAC)
11 Missile Bases (ICBM)

Neutrals Countries

2 1 strength Mobile Land Army
10 1 strength Self-Defense Land Army
1 2 strength Self-Defense Land Army
1 3 strength Self-Defense Land Army
1 1 strength Surface Fleet B

Russians

4 1 strength WP Self-Defense Land Army
15 1 strength Mobile Land Army
29 2 strength Mobile Land Army
15 5 strength Mobile Land Army
11 10 strength Mobile Land Army
14 1 strength Surface Fleet B
6 2 strength Surface Fleet B
13 1 strength Nuclear Sub Fleet (SSN)
3 2 strength Nuclear Sub Fleet (SSN)
10 1 strength Conventional Sub Fleet (SS) 6 Anti Submarine Unit (ASW)
6 Anti Submarine Unit (ASW) Depleted
14 1 strength Coastal Defense (CD)
2 2 strength Coastal Defense (CD)
1 3 strength Coastal Defense (CD)
1 4 strength Coastal Defense (CD)
1 7 strength Coastal Defense (CD)
2 1 strength Merchant Ships (MS)
1 1 strength Amphibious Assault
5 Supply units
15 Missile Bases (ICBM) 2 1 strength USSR Allies Mobile Land Army
3 2 strength USSR Allies Mobile Land Army

China

7 1 strength Mobile Land Army
10 1 strength Self-Defense Land Army

General Markers

6 Ports
10 Conventional Destruction
9 Nuclear Destruction
2 Game turn
2 0 to 9 markers sets (black and light green)

Player’s Value

WW3 is actually closer to science fiction and pseudo-history than to a simulation of a possible next war. Of course, the Eastern Communist Block is not a hegemonic empire any more, animated only with the will to conquer the world. So the first question is: is it still worth acquiring this game? And to write a review for Simulacrum?

My answer is yes, it is still an interesting game to play and review. First, because it is one of a few games where you get a map of the whole world and where you can invade any continent you want (megalomania is always a big deal in wargaming) and second because, even with the end of the cold war, you can always learn something about strategic modern warfare. The naval part of the game is certainly the most interesting and the part provoking the most thought.

WW3 provides six scenarios, two to learn the game, one totally fictional for three players in the 1984 manner (three blocks like in the book), and two standard scenarios for two players: western block with Europe, USA and Japan on one side, and USSR, China (neutral depending on the scenario) and Eastern Europe on the other. Between them you will find some neutral countries, often with a political orientation. For instance, India cannot join the Communists, but can be invaded. As the game has a strategic scope (three months and army counters) small countries’ armies are not present and you can often just pass through. The economics are not forgotten, as industrial main centers are positioned on the map. They are used to produce new units and supply the existing ones. Some of them have to be linked by merchant ships to oil fields in the Middle East or elsewhere. Those factories represent the victory objectives: to win, each camp must own the majority of the industrial centers at the end of 20 turns (five years).

The sequence of play is not complex, beginning with the naval part, movement and combat. There are two fundamental concepts: the first is basing, second is transit attacks. Basing is a kind of limitation to the range of ships, depending on the type. Depending on the distance of the fleet, you have to get a part of the fleet to port. This simulates the time of rotation between ships to maintain a presence at sea and for refit. There are differences between Surface A (CV and escort), Surface B (other surface ships), SS (classical diesel submarines), SSN (nuclear attack ships – the most powerful naval units in the game) and SSBN (Nuclear missile submarines). Other units available are Coastal Defense (basically small boats and coastal batteries); ASW (anti-submarine aircraft), Merchants Ships and Amphibious Units, each type of unit having its own special rules and uses.

The second fundamental concept is transit attacks. To simulate the patrols and blocking effects of navies in a three month turn, all naval units have a zone of control and can attack all ships leaving the zone or tracing supply through the zone. The effects are sometimes hard to follow, but seem a good compromise between simplicity and efficiency. The main objectives of the fleets are: protect the merchant ship pipelines, which are supplying factories and troops; try to intercept and destroy enemy navies; and cover amphibious landings. Mahan would be happy.

The next phases are for the land movement and combat, which are very classical with overrun, supply and amphibious assaults. The main problem with amphibious assault is to have the special ships (there are not many available and they take a long time to build) and find a place to land without too many enemies. Movement is slow at this scale and, depending on the season, affected by whether the units are in a weather zone, but there is no hope for a large blitzkrieg. It takes some years to invade a whole continent and establish the new order.

The final phases are for reinforcement and production. Each factory can build units, but it will take time (years) to build units like ships or armies.

The game often has the same tempo: USSR, with surprise rules, destroys large fleets and invades Europe, sometimes Iran and India, with Chinese help. After four or five turns, the next objectives are looked for, Mainland Asia or Japan or North Africa, but the global idea is to prepare a good defense of Europe where all the Industrial centers needed for victory are located. The USA, after the initial defeat, builds a large revenge army in its heartland and prepares for the invasion of Fortress Europa, perhaps beginning with Africa. The end of the game will see a rush for the factories.

If the players find the game boring or too long, they can implement the atomic bomb and nuclear ballistic missiles. The author of the game guarantees that in two game turns, it’s all over and everybody has lost!

So, WW3 is an excellent game for a change from formal history, and to understand what real sea power is and global strategies; perhaps old fashioned but with some very clever ideas. For its age, this game is a real winner.

Collector’s Value

As an old SPI game, nothing more need be said, but as unrealistic fiction this game is old fashioned. There were many editions: plastic z-pak, standard box, deluxe box with mounted maps, and a special South African packaging format. Boone lists low, high and average prices of 5/22/10.19 at auction and 5/55/22.10 for sale.

Support Material

S&T issue 48 contains a very short and concise briefing by Richard Berg: “Global warfare in the future; emphasis on economics and production; air, land and sea interrelated; fleet and army sized units; several scenarios; diplomacy variants; nuclear warfare possibilities; complex and fairly long.”

Three issues of Moves speak about WW3: issue 16 contains an extensive set of designer’s notes and commentary, issue 19 contains a new 1962 scenario and issue 23 adjusts the victory conditions.

Both The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming and The Best of Board Wargaming by Nicky Palmer present small reviews of the game. Both discuss the poor victory conditions, the author “recommend[ing] planting some industry in South Africa, Australia and Brazil, and give the Russians a merchant shipping capacity adequate for some overseas adventures, while tilting the victory conditions to the West in compensation.”

Other games of this type

There are no other games that cover WW3 on all continents with all armies.

Other games by this designer

Don’t ask again ...