Empire of the Rising Sun
Pacific War board wargame companion to Advanced Third Reich.
Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States · CC0
Empire of the Rising Sun (RS, 1995) is a board wargame originally published by Avalon Hill. It was designed by Bruce Harper, with Dave Casper contributing significantly to the naval warfare rules. The game is the Pacific War companion to Advanced Third Reich (A3R), sharing similar rules and including a copy of Ultra magazine that contains a game synopsis. An earlier version, discussed in The General magazine, was in development during the late 1970s but never released.
The map, designed by Charlie Kibler, consists of two 31" × 22" sheets with 1" hexes. It covers the entire Pacific Ocean, including parts of Australia, India, China, Russia, and Japan. As in the European game, the United States is represented by an off-map box, though the Aleutian Islands and Hawaiian Islands appear on the map. The scale is larger than that of the European war: air units have a range measured in hexes that differs from the European game—typically 4 hexes for most land-based air units—and the specific range values are defined in the published rules rather than a simple comparison. Armor zones of control cost only one extra movement point to enter (rather than two) and do not extend into rough terrain, and exploiting armor must stay in a chain of adjacent hexes rather than one hex apart. Capturing hexes through attrition is far less likely.
Eastern India and northern Australia (including Darwin and Cairns) are shown. A black-and-white extension map for all of Australia was published in Ultra magazine in the late 1990s. Rules allow a successful Japanese player to force the surrender of India or Australia by transferring units into the relevant off-map box and conducting attrition combat. Strategic redeployment between theaters—moving from one off-map box (such as the European US box, Pacific US box, South Africa, Western India, Southern Australia, or Southwest Pacific) to another—takes one turn, and the process can last several seasons.
Much of the eastern map is ocean dotted with island groups. A player need not occupy every island in a group to control it, as long as no enemy units are present. Units can remain unsupplied in a port or on a one-hex island without being eliminated.
The summer turn represents the monsoon, during which attacks or movement into rough terrain are forbidden.
- Publisher
- Avalon Hill
- Designer
- Bruce Harper
- Naval rules input
- Dave Casper
- Map designer
- Charlie Kibler
- Genre
- Board wargame
- Companion to
- Advanced Third Reich (A3R)
Lore & Background
Naval warfare dominates gameplay, with explicit design intent that a major Pacific naval battle takes as long to resolve as an armor offensive on the Eastern Front. Players have generic naval factors plus separate named aircraft carriers (CVL, CV, and optional CVB). Each carrier factor bases one Naval Air Squadron (NAS). Japanese NAS start as elite with black-on-yellow counters and a +1 Die Roll Modifier; when eliminated, they are replaced with normal squadrons, but Japan can rebuild only 3 per turn. Kamikaze squadrons, also using black-on-yellow counters, perform poorly in combat (-2 DRM) but hit Allied ships at double strength. Taskforces and patrols introduce fog of war, with search rolls affected by radar, number of combat groups, and nearby airbases. Naval combat involves multiple rounds of air attacks, followed by possible surface combat that can also span multiple rounds; surface combat is not inherently ineffective against fast carriers, and its effectiveness depends on the specific tactical situation and the forces involved.
Reader's Guide
Empire of The Rising Sun is significant as a detailed simulation of the Pacific War, designed to complement Advanced Third Reich and share its rule system. Its emphasis on naval warfare, with named aircraft carriers, elite and kamikaze air squadrons, and complex search and combat procedures, reflects the historical centrality of carrier battles. The game's map scale and rules for monsoon, jungle movement, and strategic redeployment capture key geographic and operational constraints. The inclusion of rules for forcing the surrender of India or Australia, and the depiction of the China theater as attrition and stalemate, highlight the broader strategic choices. The game's legacy lies in its attempt to model the unique challenges of the Pacific theater, including the difficulty of replacing elite Japanese naval aviators and the potential for catastrophic surprise results like Midway. It remains a reference for wargamers interested in the period and in the evolution of hex-and-counter designs.
Did You Know?
- The map was designed by Charlie Kibler and consists of two 31" × 22" sheets with 1" hexes.
- Kamikaze squadrons perform poorly in combat (-2 Die Roll Modifier) but hit Allied ships at double strength.
- A previous version of the game was discussed in The General magazine in the late 1970s but never published.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Empire of the Rising Sun?
Empire of the Rising Sun is a 1995 Pacific War board wargame published by Avalon Hill. It simulates naval and land combat across the Pacific Theater of World War II using a hex-based map system.
Who designed Empire of the Rising Sun?
Bruce Harper is the primary designer, with Dave Casper contributing significantly to the naval warfare rules. Charlie Kibler handled the map design.
How does Empire of the Rising Sun relate to Advanced Third Reich?
It functions as the Pacific War companion to Advanced Third Reich (A3R), sharing a similar rules framework. The box even includes a copy of Ultra magazine containing a game synopsis that ties the two titles together.
What does the Empire of the Rising Sun map cover?
The map spans the entire Pacific Ocean and is printed across two sheets measuring 31 by 22 inches each. It uses one-inch hexes to represent the vast theater of operations.
Was there an earlier version of Empire of the Rising Sun?
Yes, a prototype was discussed in The General magazine during the late 1970s, but that version never reached publication. The game that eventually shipped in 1995 came from Bruce Harper's redesign.
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