Advanced Third Reich (A3R - 1992) is a board wargame originally designed by Bruce Harper and published by Avalon Hill, who then sold the license to Hasbro. The game was marketed as "the ultimate World War II strategy game". A3R, a rewrite of Rise and Decline of the Third Reich (1974) is a simulation of the European and African theatres of World War II. In 2003 GMT Games published a new Bruce Harper game, A World at War (AWAW). AWAW is a substantially revamped, larger, and more complex version of the combined A3R and Empire of the Rising Sun (ERS). ERS is a stand-alone simulation, also developed by Bruce Harper, of the Pacific Theater of Operations in World War II. A3R and ERS can be played together in a "Global War" simulation using rules that are part of the ERS package, but the integration is not as clean as that which is provided with the gigantic AWAW game.
A3R demands a high level of attention to detail: strategy includes diplomatic, economic, and surrender level conditions, in addition to ground, air, and naval combat. The optional Research rules, which are available as part of the ERS game package, add the ability to focus on additional strategies and capabilities, including Axis fomenting of insurrection in the Middle East, research and production of jets, rockets, and super-submarines, use of British commandos, etc. Designed to reflect the corp scale, a turn represents three months of movement and fighting. Players will find themselves engulfed in complications, upsets, and perhaps victory if their plans meet reality.
A newsletter, Ultra, is focused on strategy discussions on the play of AWAW. Back issues from 1992 to 2002 are available that focused on A3R and ERS.