NATO Division Commander (1980)

The monster game of modern warfare, NATO Division Commander is a SPI classic that is probably more studied than played. Described in the rules as a "battalion level simulation of conflict in contemporary Europe", NATO Division Commander gradually introduces players to its complex mechanics through a series of scenarios of increasing difficulty. When mastered, the game is a War College-level education on the conduct of World War III small unit tactics between NATO and Soviet forces.

Adding to its uniqueness, NATO Division Commander contains two identical mapboards and rules for Controller play, producing a refereed, double-blind, fog-of-war effect that was lacking in many of the other wargames of the era. Since finding three people (or even two) in any geographic area patient enough to work through the rules is a challenge, the game includes solitaire scenarios as well. With 1200 counters, multiple rule books, and a pile of playing aids, NATO Division Commander was, and still is, the behemoth of World War III simulations.