From Roberto Chiavini

Third Reich (Avalanche Press)
NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS BASED ONLY ON THE BARBAROSSA SCENARIO, SO IT 
DOESN'T TAKE IN ACCOUNT SEVERAL IMPORTANT RULES.

The new edition of the classical John Prados design Third Reich is an
interesting addition to the strategical WWII library, even if this
version could be totally rejected by the old fans. 

Starting from graphics, in this sector there has been definitely a clear
advancement and, other than for the mounted map that may displease a few
purists (as the junctions among the three parts of the board leave an
unpleasant black border dividing Europe in three parts), it is really
very good. 

Rules are a mixed bag, at least for me, as the designer has tried to
take the best of the old version and putting in it several new ideas
(taken mostly from the best strategical wargame of all time, in my
opinion, ADG's World in Flames), that works only in part. 

From the old design there are still rules for BRPs, a no ZOCs movement
phase (with only armor units exerting ZOC) and other aspects. Totally
new are the impulse chit activation phase (where players buy several
different kinds of chits – among them attrition, that replace the old
rules, plus general offensive, one each year, HQ activation chits, naval
and air units only chits) that is similar to the ADG design, but with
the added bonus of chit drawing, making the turn more unpredictable (an
aspect that I always love in a game); the combat system is instead a
little convoluted and too based on luck, as there are no more CRTs of
any kind, but each combat is resolved rolling tons (literally) of
6-sided dice (usually, one die for each combat factor involved), with
each 6 equalling an hit (5-6 for armor on attack, 4-5-6 for armor on
defense), that may be absorbed (depending on the total of the hits
suffered) through elimination or reduction, retreat or simply BRPs loss.

Another new facet of the game is the new naval rules, that takes in
account sea-zones (again, similar to World in Flames, but with a
simpler, neat system), while an added bonus, that makes for a really
various and interesting multiplayer game, are the political markers and
the diplomatic phases. 

Judging from the rules and a couple of trys of the Barbarossa scenario,
the game sounds very interesting in theory, but the combat system may
deter several players, as it is boring, long and only for the
die-rollers out there. I don't know why the designer has chosen this
kind of combat resolution, but I prefer another type (not necessarily
the old CRT, but a faster and less luck driven system). 

Other than this (that, anyway, it's not a small matter in a wargame), I
rate the new version of Third Reich as a must have in any serious
wargamer library, as the possibility to play a strategical version of
WWII in Europe in only a few evenings is definitely to take in account.
7 ½ out of 10 should be a correct evaluation of what you get for your
money.