During high school and college, I often played wargames through the mails. These were all moderated by a company called Flying Buffalo, Inc, which was based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Basically, I paid anywhere from fifty cents to two dollars per turn for the right to play in a game. The turns generally took one or two weeks.
My favorite game was called Nuclear Destruction. The goal of this particular game was to be the last country left alive on Earth. At the start, each country is given a base population and a number of factories. The factories may be used to build missiles (to shoot at other countries) or ABM’s (to protect one’s self). Cash may be used to purchase influence in minor countries, thus giving one control of their missiles.
I’ve included an example from one of the games that I played. This was a special game known as a "partners game", which meant exactly what it sounded like. I got to play with a friend. In this case, it was Marty, my old pal from high school.
Turn 1 (Normal turn) Note: Your partner is Argentina Population 61 Million Missiles 20 ABM’s 10 Cash $100 Million Factories 9 Populations in other countries: Minor Countries: Argentina 56 Bermuda Panama Brazil 65 Cyprus Rhodesia Canada 54 Denmark Switzerland Ethopia 58 Guam Uganda Greece 54 Holland Venezuela Japan 63 Ireland Zambia Korea 54 Jamaica Mexico 59 Kenya Nigeria 56 Lapland USA 67 Malta USSR 67 Oman
Turn 2 (normal turn) Spy Results: Population 61 Million USA 20 Missiles, 13 ABM’s Missiles 0 Malta 125 for Indonesia ABM’s 10 Cyprus 125 for Indonesia Cash $55 Million 30 for USA Factories 12 Your index is 1st or 2nd in Factory sold for $215 by Cyprus Japan Malta and bought by: (1) Uganda World News: For sales; A parrot likes children but can get along on seed -ARGE Small countries unite for mutual defense -GREE Or you will trip -Trigger Adolf Hitler lives!!! -**** Watch your step -Hair Come, let the burial rite be read - the funeral song sung! <<No players missed the turn>?
Turn 3 (normal turn) Spy Results: Population 61 Million Japan 5 Missiles, 10 ABM’s Missiles 0 Malta 125 for Indonesia ABM’s 10 Switzerland 125 for Canada Cash $60 Million Factories 16 Your index is 1st or 2nd in Factory sold for $75 by Cyprus Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, Greece Malta Japan, Korea, Nigeria and bought by: (1) Guam (4) Oman (3) Venezuela World News: Guam is mine or else -ARGE Before declaring war remember that haste makes waste -ETHI Step on my fingers in Oman and I’ll blow your foot off -JAPA Democratic nations, let us unit for common defense -USA CANA rejects merging African nation -**** Beware Nazis - The big three Any SF fans out there? Reply through W.N..-**** Should I trade spies with JAPA so he can invest wisely? -**** <<No players missed the turn>>
Turn 4 (Battle turn) Spy Results: Population 61 Million Canada 3 Missiles, 10 ABM’s Missiles 0 Oman 200 for Brazil ABM’s 11 170 for Japan Cash $65 Million Cyprus 125 for Indonesia Factories 21 30 for USA Your minor-country missiles: Factory sold for $64 by 19 in Cyprus Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, Greece 18 in Malta Japan, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria and bought by: (2) Guam (1) Ireland (2) Lapland (1) Oman (1) Rhodesia (2) Venezuela World News: Pana & Guam are mine or WWIII starts now / SF dealer, I’m hip -ARGE Bug SF fan. Read any good books lately? CANA SF fan, Bradbury, Leguin, Asimov. Who are you? -ETHI We Martians are very interested in this situation -**** Watch out ARGE or you might get burned -**** Destroy the big countries -A small one If GREE isn’t careful instead of frying he’ll be fried -**** BRAZ and JAPA sign accord over Oman -**** "Peace Brothers" at least until I get my factories built -**** <<No players missed the turn>>
Turn 5 (Normal turn) Spy Results: Missiles Fired Last Turn: Population 61 Million Canada 3 Missiles, 10 ABM’s At Greece: Missiles 0 Oman 200 for Brazil 2 by Ethiopia ABM’s 11 170 for Japan 20 by USA Cash $65 Million Cyprus 125 for Indonesia 14 by Jamaica Factories 21 30 for USA 14 by Kenya 20 by Rhodesia Your minor-country missiles: Factory sold for $64 by At Japan: 19 in Cyprus Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, Greece 7 by Greece 18 in Malta Japan, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria 6 by Mexico and bought by: 13 by Bermuda (2) Guam 47 by Venezuela (1) Ireland At Mexico: (2) Lapland 5 by Brazil (1) Oman 13 by USSR (1) Rhodesia 22 by Denmark (2) Venezuela 12 by Oman World News: At Nigeria: I’ve snuffed NIGE - Who’s next? -ARGE 56 by Guam JAPA imperialism has been paid in full -GREE 38 by Ireland The Nigerian fascist movement has been punished -MEXI 22 by Lapland Aggression must not be tolerated! -USA 10 by Panama Declaration of war is a fool’s task -A friend New Populations: "Peace to all". Peace received from my missiles -**** 0 in Greece 0 in Japan 22 in Mexico <<Three players missed the turn>> 0 in Nigeria
Turn 6 (Battle turn) Spy Results: Population 61 Million USA 0 Missiles, 20 ABM’s Missiles 0 Ireland 1 for Korea ABM’s 20 250 for Mexico Cash $70 Million Lapland 219 for Brazil Factories 25 1 for Korea 170 for Mexico Your minor-country missiles: Factory sold for $111 by 20 in Cyprus Argentina, Korea, USSR 19 in Malta and bought by: (2) Lapland (1) Switzerland World News: Anybody want to buy my services? -ARGE ARGE imperialism must not be tolerated! -INDO ARGE -- You are! -**** 3 countries bit the dust. Another is on the way -A friend Who’s next? The bell tolls for thee -**** Be careful big snuff or I will sneeze -**** Indo: All those factories are to be wasted this turn -**** <<One player missed the turn>>
Turn 7 (Normal turn) Missiles Fired Last Turn: Population 61 Million At Argentina: Missiles 0 21 by Switzerland ABM’s 20 32 by Zambia Cash $70 Million New Populations: Factories 25 21 in Argentina Your index is 1st or 2nd in: Cyprus Malta World News: ARGE had a big mouth -A friend indeed Gesundheit, Anon1 -**** <<Six players missed the turn>>
Turn 8 (Battle turn) Spy Results: Population 61 Million Cyprus 125 for Indonesia Missiles 0 2 for Korea ABM’s 33 30 for USA Cash $75 Million Switzerland 279 for Canada Factories 29 3 for Korea Malta 5 for Brazil 125 for Indonesia 2 for Korea 5 for USA Your minor-country missiles: Factory sold for $58 by 21 in Cyprus Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Korea, USSR 20 in Malta and bought by: (1) Bermuda (1) Denmark (1) Rhodesia (1) Venezuela (1) Zambia World News: For sale, conspirators plans to annihilate ARGE -**** Some one give Anon a Kleenex -A friend KORE - reports unusual clouds forming in ARGE -**** A friend indeed is a F----R in need - Big mouth <<No players missed the turn>>
Turn 9 (Normal turn) Missiles Fired Last Turn: Population 61 Million At Argentina: Missiles 0 4 by Rhodesia ABM’s 33 At Canada Cash $75 Million 1 by USSR Factories 29 2 by Bermuda 3 by Denmark Your index is 1st or 2nds in: 32 by Holland Cyprus 4 by Ireland Malta 8 by Lapland 31 by Oman World News: 3 by Panama Accident occurs in VENE: missiles misfired -Big mouth At Venezuela ARGE rushes in where fools would fear to tread! -**** 20 by Panama Wanted: co-rules of Earth. Call after 5:00 -Mr Algar, Uranus New populations: Here’s one for JAPA, big mouth -JAPA’s ally 17 in Argentina Gesundheit again, stop size of talk trivial stop just stop -**** 0 in Canada "Start counting the Ghosts; the new one’s in CANA" -**** 0 in Venezuela <<One player missed the turn>>
Turn 10 (Battle turn) Spy Results: Population 61 Million USA 0 missiles, 20 ABM’s Missiles 0 Zambia 3 for Brazil ABM’s 47 294 for Korea Cash $80 Million 3 for USSR Factories 34 Lapland 319 for Brazil 2 for Korea You control: no minor country missiles Factory sold for $117 by Brazil, USSR and bought by: (2) Malta World News: He who bluffs first; gets blasted first; -**** CANA’s ghost may well come back to haunt you! -**** Our first target: USSR Mr. Algar, Uranus Peace brothers: least we all perish -**** Anyone want a 2nd copy of damnation alley! -ARGE <<No players missed the turn>
Turn 11 (Normal turn) Spy Results: Missiles Fired Last Turn: Population 61 Million At Argentina: Missiles 0 15 by Korea ABM’s 47 4 by Switzerland Cash $80 Million At Brazil: Factories 34 43 by Ethiopia 4 by Denmark Your index is 1st or 2nds in: 6 by Jamaica Cyprus 3 by Kenya Malta 3 by Rhodesia 3 by Zambia World News: At Ethiopia: At last! Earth is ours! -Mr. Algar 2 by Bermuda To the peace brothers! Perish quickly friends -**** 1 by Holland My allies don’t go unrevenged -USA 2 by Ireland I shot KORE in my PJ’s. Don’t know what he was doing in them. 5 by Lapland 6 by Oman 1 by Panama 61 by Uganda At Korea: 40 by Cyprus 15 by Guam 21 by Malta At USSR: 18 by Denmark New populations: 0 in Argentina 23 in Brazil 0 in Ethiopia <<One player missed the turn>> 0 in Korea
Turn 12 (Battle turn) Spy Results: Population 61 Million Cyprus 240 for Brazil Missiles 1 125 for Indonesia ABM’s 62 30 for USA Cash $85 Million Malta 125 for Indonesia Factories 40 55 for Brazil 5 for USA USA 10 missiles, 30 ABM’s Your minor-country missiles: 3 in Malta Factory sold for $107 by Brazil, USSR and bought by: (1) Cyprus (1) Kenya World News: The missiles are coming, the missiles are coming! -USSR "Why" You-all pickin on me -BRAZ
Turn 13 (Normal turn) Spy Results: Missiles Fired Last Turn: Population 61 Million At Indonesia: Missiles 0 2 by Bermuda ABM’s 45 1 by Cyprus Cash $85 Million 4 by Guam Factories 40 2 by Ireland 1 by Kenya Your index is 1st or 2nds in: 1 by Panama Cyprus 3 by Rhodesia Malta 3 by Switzerland World News: INDO "Wins" by default -BRAZ Hey INDO! It’s two and a half against one now -**** <<Two players missed the turn>>
Turn 14 (Battle turn) Spy Results: Population 61 Million USA 20 missiles, 10 ABM’s Missiles 41 ABM’s 45 Cash $10 Million Factories 40 Gifts made by you: CASH: 5 to every minor Your minor-country missiles: 6 in Malta Factory sold for $191 by Brazil and bought by: (1) Switzerland World News: Fallout shelters for rent. Cheap! -Capitalist Any white flags anybody? -**** <<No players missed the turn>
Turn 15 (Normal turn) Spy Results: Missiles Fired Last Turn: Population 60 Million At Indonesia: Missiles 41 20 by USA ABM’s 0 2 by Cyprus Cash $10 Million 4 by Denmark Factories 39 2/3 2 by Jamaica 14 by Lapland Your index is 1st or 2nds in: 1 by Panama Bermuda, Cyprus, Guam, Holland, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lapland, Malta, Oman 3 by Rhodesia Panama, Rhodesia, Switzerland, Uganda, Zambia At USA: 2 by Bermuda World News: 4 by Guam Must be nice to have factories -**** 2 by Holland We got behind again. It’s spring. *SIGH* 2 by Kenya 12 by Oman 2 by Switzerland 6 by Uganda 25 by Zambia New Populations: 60 in Indonesia <<One player missed the turn>> 52 in USA
Turn 16 (Battle turn) Spy Results: Population 60 Million Lapland 359 for Brazil Missiles 80 5 for Indonesia ABM’s 0 Guam 122 for USSR Cash $15 Million 5 for Indonesia Factories 39 2/3 USSR 0 missiles, 28 ABM’s Your minor-country missiles: 9 in Malta Factory sold for $219 by Brazil and bought by: (1) Oman World News: Factories, "H" It must be nice to have ABM’s -**** Who is Algar? -Dr. Fegg <<No players missed the turn>
Turn 17 (Normal turn) Spy Results: Missiles Fired Last Turn: Population 0 Million At Indonesia: Missiles 0 7 by USA ABM’s 0 2 by Bermuda Cash $0 Million 2 by Cyprus Factories 0 2 by Denmark 4 by Guam Your index is 1st or 2nds in: 1 by Holland 24 by Ireland World News: 1 by Jamaica Good game - well fought -BRAZ 2 by Kenya It sure was! -**** 5 by Lapland 7 by Oman 1 by Panama 3 by Rhodesia 3 by Switzerland 2 by Uganda 2 by Zambia At USSR: 80 by Indonesia 9 by Malta New populations: 0 in Indonesia ≤≤No players missed the turn>> 6 in USSR
Unless otherwise noted, all photos and text is Copyright © Richard G Lowe, Jr.