The third box is mostly boxed games and includes some titles from the earliest days of my collection.
Richthofen’s War
Avalon Hill, 1972
One of the games from this collection that belongs to the era when I was playing mostly against my brother at home, and one of the first games we had that was more complex (much more so) than the standard kids’ board games. A true “wargame.”
B-17: Queen of the Skies
Avalon Hill, 1983
A fantastic solitare game that could keep you busy for hours. B-17 was originally published by On Target a couple years earlier, but the AH release gave it much wider exposure. It got great reviews at the time and was the perfect way to while away those pre-computer game afternoons, picking through charts and rolling dice. You’re trying to get your bomber crew through their 20 required missions. I remember a computer version coming out at one point, long after I’d played around with writing one for myself.
RAF
West End Games, 1986
Continuing on with the aviation theme, this was another attempt at a solitare game system, but I found it more of a hassle to set up than B-17: the map required a lot more room, there were more counters, etc. The larger scope of RAF lessened the appeal, as well.
Civilization, Civilization: Trade Card Expansion, and Civilization: Western Extension Map
Avalon Hill, 1981, 1982, 1988
Synonymous now with the name of Sid Maier, he had nothing to do with the board game version of Civilization. AH picked the game up from the British company Hartland Trefoil and its original designer, Francis Tresham, after it hit the European market in 1980. A great game with four or five players, but it last seven or eight hours. The Trade Card Expansion added some of the, well, trade cards used to move your civilization up the ladder. The Extension map added Iberia and Northwest Africa. Never got a chance to play it.
Diplomacy
Avalon Hill, 1976 & 1982
Two different editions, with the earlier wooden fleet and army markers and the later plastic markers. Time and color-blindness have made the Italian and English wooden markers virtually indistinguishable to me.
Star Fleet Battles: Task Force Game #4,
Star Fleet Battles: Designer’s Edition,
Star Fleet Battles Expansion #1,
Star Fleet Battles Expansion #2
Task Force Games, 1979-1982
SFB first appeared as a shrink-wrapped game in digest size and quickly proved popular enough that it came out in a full-sized boxed edition. Not that the artwork got particularly better. SFB walked the line between a boardgame and miniatures simulation (see the previous box for examples of some of the ships). The expansions had new ships and new scenarios.
Luftwaffe
Avalon Hill, 1971
Another early acquisition that I played with my brother. I have to admit, I played a lot of games of Luftwaffe against myself, as well. Very well-constructed markers that can be re-inserted into the original card. This wraps up the third box, with a final aerial combat boardgame (and the third from Avalon Hill alone).