Iron Bottom Sound III

About this board game

Iron Bottom Sound III is a 2015 tactical naval combat game for 1-2 players, focused on fighting in the Pacific during 1942-43. This extensively updated re-launch of Jack Greene’s award-winning game combines corrected scenarios, additional rules, and a substantial collection of naval components.

The game includes twelve scenarios covering a wide range of engagements. Alongside Pacific actions, the set features several 1943 battles, a Channel action between the British and Germans, and two revised 1928 hypothetical actions involving American and Japanese battleships and battlecruisers.

Victory Point values reflect the impact of losses on each side, with Japanese and German ships assigned slightly higher values because their losses are tougher on them than Allied losses. Optional rules are included, while the rulebook portion is designed with large print and generous spacing for easy reading.

• A 22.5 x 22-inch mounted dark blue map
• Cut-out Savo and Kolombangara islands, shown in different visual styles
• Two countersheets with Japanese and English ship counters, featuring top views on one side and silhouettes on the reverse
• Counters for ships, torpedoes, smoke screens, fires, decoys, wrecks, fired markers, and starshells
• English and Japanese combat charts, plus a bilingual Ship Log booklet with scenario roster sheets and photocopiable logs

The counters depict actual ships rather than generic images, including the Yamato, Mutsu, North Carolina, Colorado, and the battlecruiser Lexington, along with many others. Extra ships are included for future scenarios, with additional material planned for release through Quarterdeck International’s ConSim World site.

With its large mounted map, detailed ship displays, and broad scenario selection, Iron Bottom Sound III offers a focused presentation of tactical naval combat across historical and hypothetical engagements.