Fortress America
Fortress America Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- The Revolt
- The Attack
- The Object
- The Challenge
- The Strategy
- Notice To Gamemaster Players
- Game Setup
- Action Sequence
- Action 1: Reinforcements
- Action 2: Declare Battles
- Action 3: First Movement
- Action 4: Fire Lasers (U.S.A. Turn Only)
- Action 5: Combat
- Action 6: Second Movement
- Action 7: Supply Check (Invaders' Turns Only)
- Action 8: Capture Territories
- Ending The Game
- Balancing Factors
- Illustrated Example: A Resupply Attempt
The Revolt
It took ten years and several short wars. But gradually, the global chaos created by the U.S.S.R. shifted the delicate balance of world power. New political boundaries were drawn; new alliances formed. Asian and Pacific nations allied in the Orient, and the Central and South American countries formed a federation that was politically hostile to the U.S. Europe, now completely dominated by the Soviet Union, plotted a 3-way simultaneous attack on the U.S. Finally, three armies set sail, with one goal in common: the total destruction of America!
The U.S., complacent in its military superiority, had cut its defense budget to a minimum. It was a mistake they would soon regret: for the U.S. Navy, reduced to a skeleton crew, was no match for the approaching enemy ships.
The Attack
Unprepared and without allies, the U.S. is challenged to defend itself against three deadly foes. On the Western shores, the Asian Peoples Alliance. At the Southern border, the Central American Federation. Along the East coast, the Euro-Socialist Pact. Canada, by remaining neutral, has mercifully prevented an attack from the North.
At this very moment in the imaginary future, Fortress America begins.
As an invader, your forces initially attack the U.S. from neighboring invasion zones. The more battles you win, the deeper you can move into U.S. territory. City territories are most important—and most difficult to capture! And you start the game with two big advantages: an initially-weak U.S. defense; and two other invaders, who will close in on the U.S. forces from different invasion zones.
As the U.S.A. player, you face the enemy at every turn. In the defense of the U.S., you must beat back the three invading armies before they encroach too far into your territory. You start the game at a military disadvantage; but with each turn, you'll convert a solar relay station into a powerful laser complex; and a new band of Partisan rebels will spring to your aid. With well-planned attacks and a tireless defense, you can beat the odds and rally the U.S.A. to victory!
The Object
A U.S.A. Victory: The U.S.A. player must control at least 13 of his original 30 City territories by the end of each one of his turns. The U.S.A. player wins the game 1) if he destroys all invader units; or 2) if his ever-strengthening forces become so powerful that the invaders mutually agree to concede the game.
An Invader Victory: For an invader victory, the invaders must control a total of 18 City territories at the end of the U.S.A. player's turn. When an invader victory is scored, invaders take one last turn each, to determine which invader is the individual winner.
An Individual Invader Victory: After the invaders-only round of play, each invader totals his victory points: 10 points each for City territories, 3 points each for resource territories, and 5 points each for U.S.A. lasers. The invader with the most victory points is the individual winner!
The Challenge
The U.S.A. Player: As the game begins, all territories belong to you! Your primary challenge is to defend your territories—especially your City territories—from invader takeovers. You can recapture lost City territories, for a bonus. Your powerful lasers can destroy any enemy unit anywhere on the board. And your Partisan units will have the advantage of surprise attacks against unprepared invaders! If you can keep the invaders at bay while you build new lasers, increase your Partisan rebel force, and redeploy military units lost in battle, you'll have a better chance to win with every turn!
The Invaders: As an invader, your primary challenge is to try to overpower the U.S.A. player before he becomes too strong. To do this, you must push aggressively into U.S.A. territory, try to break through enemy lines, and capture as many City territories as you can early in the game. Once you capture a City territory, you must defend it fiercely, or the U.S.A. player may recapture it!
The Strategy
The U.S.A. Player: Remember that the burden of capturing a territory is usually on the invader: you own a territory; he must capture it from you! According to combat rules, the defender gets to fire first, which gives you a huge advantage when invaders attack your territories!
While defending the U.S.A., always try to maintain your perimeter. Try not to let the Eastern invader break through into New England, where City territories abound. Try to keep the Southern invader below St. Louis. And try to prevent the Western invader's progress past Denver!
The Invaders: As an invader, you must be aggressive in your attacks. If you capture a City territory, try not to lose it. If you can spread out your forces, do it: this will force the U.S.A. player to spread out his own forces in defense. Lasers are the U.S.A. player's most powerful military unit; try to protect your helicopters and bombers from their fire. If possible, attack a City territory from two or more sides, for a greater chance of victory in battle. And bring out your most powerful units—your bombers and helicopters—early in the game, when they are most effective against the U.S.A. player's relatively weak forces.
Notice To Gamemaster Players
For a thorough understanding of the rules for Fortress America, we recommend that you read the entire booklet before playing.
Chapter 1 is devoted to game setup, a procedure that should take you and your friends about 15 minutes to do.
Chapter 2 is the real heart of the booklet. It explains in detail the actions each player follows on every turn. Important rules are highlighted in green; and there's an action-by-action example of the Western invader's first turn, as he gains a foothold in California and the Northwest territories!
Chapter 3 explains how the game ends, and describes the conditions of victory for both sides.
Chapter 4 talks briefly about balancing factors you may want to experiment with after playing the game several times.
Chapter 5 is a detailed example of one action of the Southern invader's turn.
Game Parts
1 gameboard 306 plastic playing pieces* 5 parts trays 1 reference card 90 CONTROL/BATTLE markers 12 laser fire markers 12 dice 1 deck Partisan cards rulebook
*Extra pieces included.
Game Setup
Choose Your Forces
Fortress America is a game for 2 to 4 players. One player controls the U.S.A. force only; each remaining player controls one or more of the 3 invading forces. Depending on the number of players, the breakdown of control is as follows:
2-PLAYER GAME Player 1: All 3 Invaders Player 2: The U.S.A. Player
3-PLAYER GAME Player 1: Western and Eastern Invaders Player 2: Southern Invader Player 3: The U.S.A. Player
4-PLAYER GAME Player 1: Western Invader Player 2: Southern Invader Player 3: Eastern Invader Player 4: The U.S.A. Player
Set Up Your Trays
YOUR PLAYING PIECES: Carefully remove the plastic playing pieces from the runners (see separate sheet for special instructions). Each player (U.S.A. and invaders alike) has 60 military units: 24 infantry, 12 hovertanks, 9 mobile units, 9 helicopters, and 6 bombers. The U.S.A. player, in addition to these 60 units, has 12 lasers, 30 City markers, and 24 Partisans.
IMPORTANT: We've included extra pieces, in case any are lost or damaged. To ensure proper balance, play the game with the exact number of pieces mentioned above. Place all extra pieces aside, out of play, and store them separately.
Take the playing pieces of your color. Color-coding is as follows: U.S.A. Player—green and gray pieces Western Invader—yellow pieces Southern Invader—blue pieces Eastern Invader—red pieces
Note: The Partisans are a lighter green for U.S.A. infantry, and are shown in a different position (kneeling).
YOUR MARKERS: Carefully punch all of the markers out of the cardboard sheet. Each invader takes the markers showing his force's symbol. This is the CONTROL side of the marker, which indicates invader control of a territory. The BATTLE side of the marker indicates that an invader is battling for control of a territory.
The U.S.A. player does not have CONTROL/BATTLE markers of his own: he controls every territory until an invader takes control away from him. The U.S.A. player takes the 12 laser fire markers only.
Marker distribution is shown below.
A. U.S.A. Player (Laser Fire Markers) B. Western Invader (Asian Peoples Alliance) C. Southern Invader (Central American Federation) D. Eastern Invader (Euro-Socialist Pact)
TRAY SETUP: Break apart the 5 parts trays. The U.S.A. player takes the large tray, and one of the small trays; each invader takes one small tray for each force he controls.
Place your playing pieces and markers in separate compartments in your trays. Recommended placement is shown below.
Note: The U.S.A. player's large tray has 3 compartments for the future placement of destroyed invader units. The dice compartments are used for storage only.
Reference Card
Carefully punch the reference card out of the cardboard sheet. The front of the card shows the order of play and the action sequence, for quick reference. It also features charts and tables with important facts about how your forces move and fight. The back of the card shows detailed information about your two most powerful units: helicopters and bombers. As air units, they have special abilities, so we've provided a synopsis of each, for easy reference.
Place the reference card chart-side-up so that it's easily accessible to all players.
The Dice
The game contains four each of the following dice: red 6-sided dice, white 8-sided dice, and blue 10-sided dice. Depending on its strength, each military unit rolls a certain type of die during combat (see the Unit Specifications Chart on the reference card). Note: The "0" on the blue 10-sided die represents a "10".
Place all of the dice near the U.S.A. player, who will roll them first, in defense of his embattled country!
The Partisan Cards
The U.S.A. player takes the deck of Partisan cards, shuffles it, and places it facedown nearby, off the gameboard. The Partisan cards are used by the U.S.A. player only. On his turn, this player will draw two Partisan cards, which will allow him to place Partisan units and/or replacement units on the gameboard.
See the green shaded rule on this page for definitions of friendly territories and enemy territories.
Reinforcements placed on the board can move and attack later on during the U.S.A. player's same turn.
In the rare event that the U.S.A. player runs out of Partisan units, he can substitute infantry.
The Gameboard
The gameboard is a map of the continental United States. Open it up and take a look at it as you read about the gameboard features described below.
TERRITORIES On the Fortress America gameboard, the United States is divided into territories. These territories are separated by thin black or white lines; or by thick red lines, where they coincide with Sector borders (see Sectors, on this page). Each territory is considered a game space. When the game begins, all territories are owned by the U.S.A. player. All territories are important for combat and control purposes, but three types have special significance in game play: City territories, Mountain territories, and Resource territories. Below is a description of each. Note: The gameboard map does not include territories in Canada; gameplay does not extend above the U.S.A./Canada boundary.
City Territories There are 30 City territories on the gameboard. Each is marked by a symbol and name (Denver, Tampa, Boston, etc.). When defended, City territories (and Mountain territories, below) are harder to capture than other territories. But the City territory is of primary importance, for two reasons: 1) for each City territory captured, the controlling invader scores 10 points toward individual victory at the end of the game; and 2) for each City territory recaptured, the U.S.A. player draws an additional Partisan card, which will strengthen the U.S.A. force!
Mountain Territories Mountain territories are distinguished by their dark brown color. Each Mountain territory is part of a mountain range or plateau, and contains at least part of the mountain's name within its borders. Like City territories, they are difficult to capture when defended. Note: Some Mountain territories, like Pittsburgh, are also City territories. All the rules for City territories apply to these Mountain territories.
Resource Territories There are three types of Resource territories: oil, agricultural and mineral. Resource territories are marked by symbols on the gameboard, for two reasons: 1) for each Resource territory captured, the controlling invader scores 3 points toward individual victory at the end of the game; and 2) these territories are designated on certain Partisan cards as territories where Partisans spring up.
SECTORS There are five Sectors on the gameboard: West, Rocky Mountains, South, Plains, and East. Sectors are divided by thick red borders, which run along territory borders. Sectors are important only to the U.S.A. player, who may be directed by a Partisan card to place units in a certain Sector on the gameboard.
INVASION ZONES Each invader has six invasion zones. Each invasion zone is marked by the invader's colors, and each counts as a game space. Invasion zones are similar to territories in movement and combat, but they can never be occupied or controlled by the U.S.A. player! Invasion zones are the game spaces from which all invading units begin their attack on U.S.A. territories.
LAKES Although the Great Lakes are shown on the gameboard, they are not considered game spaces. They can never be occupied by playing pieces, or crossed over during movement.
Adjacencies
Territories that share a common border are adjacent to each other. Invasion zones are adjacent to territories, and to other invasion zones, which share a common border. Territories that meet at a point are not adjacent to each other.
For example: Los Angeles is adjacent to San Diego, but is not adjacent to Phoenix. Invasion zones A are adjacent to territories B and C, and to invasion zones D; they are not adjacent to invasion zones E.
Adjacencies are important in movement and in combat. In movement, each territory or invasion zone counts as only one game space; some units can move to only one adjacent space, while others can move farther. In combat, units can attack each other only from adjacent spaces. This is referred to throughout the rules as "combat position." Note: As air units, helicopters and bombers are exceptions. Their special abilities are explained later.
Place Your Starting Units
UNIT PLACEMENT: THE U.S.A. PLAYER First, the U.S.A. player places his initial units on the board. Units are placed as follows:
- Place a City marker in each of the 30 City territories (displaying the City symbols and names).
- Then place all 60 military units (the units in your small tray) on the board—2 units of any type (but not necessarily the same type) in each of the 30 City territories. Note: Do not place any lasers or Partisans on the board at this time.
Placement Strategy As you become familiar with the game, you will place your pieces in whichever way best suits your particular game strategy. But here's a placement hint for your first game: your turn comes last in the order of play; so your perimeter will probably be attacked by all three invaders before you can take your first turn. Your most expendable units are your infantry; and your least expendable units are your bombers and helicopters. So it's a good idea to place your bombers and helicopters in City territories that are not likely to be attacked on the invaders' first turns.
UNIT PLACEMENT: INVADERS After the U.S.A. player has placed his units, all the invaders place their own units in their own invasion zones. Invading units enter the game in waves of attack, one wave of a certain number of units per turn. To begin the game, each invader places his first wave of units in his invasion zones, as follows:
- Take one-third of your military units out of your tray: 8 infantry, 4 hovertanks, 3 mobile units, 3 helicopters and 2 bombers.
- Then distribute the 20 units throughout your six invasion zones. You can place any combination of units in each invasion zone, but you cannot place more than five units in any invasion zone.
Placement Strategy As you place your pieces, bear in mind that on your first turn, you are in combat position to all coastal territories adjacent to your occupied invasion zones. Also remember that your object is to capture as many U.S.A. City territories as possible. As you become familiar with the game, your strategy will determine where you place your initial pieces. Consider these two basic factors:
- Where you want to attack the U.S.A. first. You may want to capture City territories immediately; or you may decide to capture unoccupied territories first, then move into them to attack City territories later, from more than one side.
- How heavily you plan to attack. You can capture unoccupied territories without a battle, using only one unit; but to capture occupied territories, you should try to exceed the strength and number of the defending U.S.A. units.
Order Of Play
Regardless of the number of players, play always moves counterclockwise around the map. Beginning with the first turn, the order of play is:
Player 1: Western Invader Player 2: Southern Invader Player 3: Eastern Invader Player 4: U.S.A. Player
ADVANCED PLAY
Experienced invaders may take their turns simultaneously.
First Turn Example: The Western Invader Places His Units
The Western invader places his first 20 units as shown. Later, he will declare battles on coastal territories adjacent to his occupied invasion zones. He will also declare battles on inland territories, by using the special movement abilities of his air units: helicopters and bombers.
Action Sequence
As shown on your reference card, there is a specific sequence of actions each player will likely take on every turn. The action sequence is:
ACTION 1. Reinforcements ACTION 2. Declare Battles ACTION 3. First Movement ACTION 4. Fire Lasers (U.S.A. turn only) ACTION 5. Combat ACTION 6. Second Movement ACTION 7. Supply Check (Invaders' turns only) ACTION 8. Capture Territories
Although 8 actions are listed, you will notice that Action 4, Fire Lasers, is done only by the U.S.A. player on his turn; and that Action 7, Supply Check, is done only by the invaders on each of their turns. Each player, then, skips one of the 8 actions on his turn.
In this chapter, there's an entire section devoted to each of the 8 actions. Look for the boxed examples at the end of each section. They show, action-by-action, how the Western invader conducts his first turn.
Action 1: Reinforcements
During Action 1 of their turns, players will place reinforcement units on the board, as described below. Players can place any combination of units in a space, as long as they don't violate the five-unit-per-space limit (see the green shaded rule below).
THE INVADERS' REINFORCEMENT UNITS The 20 units each invader placed in his invasion zones during setup are considered reinforcement units for his first turn. So for the invaders, Action 1 is complete when the game begins.
The Five-Unit-Per-Space Limit
Never place more than five units in any invasion zone or territory. You may have more than five units in a space temporarily, while you decide what to move where, or while you fly an air unit overhead; but at the end of every action, there must be five or less units in each space. Note: Bombers flying over enemy territory for combat are the only exceptions. This special rule appears in Action 3: First Movement.
The 40 units remaining in each invader's tray are brought into the game as reinforcement units on turns 2 through 6—eight units per turn. On these turns, place any 8 units in your invasion zones. You choose the combination of 8 units that best fits your strategy; but remember, no more than 5 units per zone! These units can move and attack later on your same turn. After turn 6, all 60 military units will have entered the game, and invaders will begin future turns with Action 2.
Note: As invaders' units are destroyed, they are placed in the U.S.A. player's large tray, and never re-enter the game.
THE U.S.A. PLAYER'S REINFORCEMENT UNITS For the U.S.A. player, there are three types of reinforcement units: lasers, Partisan units, and U.S.A. units previously destroyed by invaders. U.S.A. units destroyed by invaders in combat are placed back into the U.S.A. player's parts tray. Unlike the invaders, the U.S.A. player can redeploy these units from his tray during Action 1, by using Partisan cards (see next column).
As the U.S.A. player, follow these two steps, in order, beginning with turn 1.
- Take a laser from your tray, and place it in any U.S.A.-owned City territory. Note: Do not place more than one laser in a City territory.
Strategy Hint For Laser Placement: A laser is automatically destroyed when an invader captures the territory it occupies. It can never be fired by the invader—but it is worth 5 points toward his individual victory at the end of the game. Therefore, you should place your laser in a City territory that is unlikely to be attacked early in the game. For example, you might want to place your first laser in Detroit or Milwaukee.
- Draw 2 Partisan cards from the deck, one at a time, and follow the directions on them. Then place the used Partisan cards faceup in a discard pile, next to the facedown deck.
Partisan Cards: Partisan cards are used only by the U.S.A. player. Their purpose is to give the U.S.A. player the advantage of surprise attacks against invaders!
On the left side of each Partisan card is a brief war report, in the form of a television news bulletin. This report tells you where the action will occur. On the right side (of most cards) are silhouettes of military units. These silhouettes tell you what type and number of pieces to place. Some cards mention a City territory, a Mountain territory, or a specific type of Resource territory (oil, mineral or agricultural—the symbol is shown on the card, and on the gameboard legend). Others mention one or more of the five Sectors: Western, Rocky Mountains, Southern, Plains, or Eastern. Cards that mention a Sector give you a choice of territories within that Sector to place your units into. For instance, if a Partisan card mentions the Eastern Sector, you can (if possible) place your units in any Eastern Sector territory or territories.
Below are the rules for drawing and playing Partisan cards:
- Draw your two Partisan cards and follow the directions on them one at a time, in order of the draw.
- Partisan cards drawn during this action cannot be saved for future use—use them now, or lose them!
- Reinforcements can be placed in: —Friendly territories —Unoccupied enemy-controlled territories (except City territories). When you do this, you take automatic control. Return the controlling invader's CONTROL marker to him: he has lost that territory!
- They cannot be placed in: —Invasion zones —Enemy-occupied territories —Unoccupied enemy-controlled City territories. (Exception: MAJOR AIRLIFT! card)
- If the deck runs out, just shuffle the discard pile and place it facedown to form a new drawpile.
See the green shaded rule on this page for definitions of friendly territories and enemy territories.
Reinforcements placed on the board can move and attack later on during the U.S.A. player's same turn.
In the rare event that the U.S.A. player runs out of Partisan units, he can substitute infantry.
Bonus Partisan Cards: For every City territory you recapture on a turn, you draw a bonus Partisan card, to use during your next turn. Place these cards facedown in front of you, without looking at them. If you have one or more bonus cards from your previous turn, follow the directions on them one at a time, after you draw and use your first two Partisan cards. Bonus Partisan cards are explained in Action 8: Capture Territories.
Following the Directions on Your Partisan Cards: Follow as many directions as possible on your Partisan cards. Depending on when you draw them, some will be playable, some partially playable, and some unplayable. Just place unplayable Partisan cards in the discard pile with the other used cards. The 3 cards shown below and on the next page are examples of playable, partially playable, and unplayable Partisan cards.
A Playable Partisan Card
The U.S.A. player draws the card shown below on turn 5. There are 13 territories in the Rocky Mountains sector. Ten of them are currently invader-controlled, but only seven of those are invader-occupied. The U.S.A. player places a Partisan unit in each of the three unoccupied enemy territories, and returns the three CONTROL markers to the invader. He places the remaining Partisan unit in U.S.A.-owned Denver.
Card text: "U.S.A. refugees form bands of resistance in the Rocky Mountains Sector. Place units separately where possible." This card directs you to place 4 Partisan units in the Rocky Mountains.
A Partially Playable Partisan Card
The U.S.A. player draws the card below early in the game, before invaders have encroached as far as Chicago—and before he has lost a helicopter unit. Because he still owns Chicago, the U.S.A. player can place units there. He places a hovertank and a mobile unit, since he has lost these units in battle; but he is unable to place a helicopter, because there aren't any destroyed helicopters to redeploy.
Card text: "National industrial production drive spearheaded in Chicago." This card directs you to place the 3 units shown in Chicago.
An Unplayable Partisan Card
The U.S.A. player draws the card at right late in the game. The Southern and Eastern invaders have moved into the Midwest, and have captured St. Louis and all adjacent territories. These captured territories are occupied, so the U.S.A. player is unable to make a play.
Card text: "Army Veterans rally together adjacent to St. Louis." This card directs you to place 4 infantry units next to St. Louis.
Other Invaders: Friends Or Foes?
Even though they have a common goal as the game begins, invaders are considered enemies to other invaders, for movement and combat purposes. Throughout most of the game, invaders will make pacts with other invaders in their mutual desire to defeat the U.S.A. player. At any time, however, they can attack each other, hoping for individual victory in case the U.S.A. player is defeated.
For example: by turn 4, the Western invader has pushed well into the Rocky Mountains Sector, capturing Portland, Seattle and San Francisco along the way. The Southern invader has captured Los Angeles and San Diego. On turn 4, the Western invader declares battle against the Southern invader for Los Angeles! This battle does not interfere with their mutual fight against the U.S.A. player; and if the invaders win the game, Los Angeles (as a City territory) will be worth 10 points toward the Western invader's individual victory.
Except for BATTLE marker placement (explained in Action 2: Declare Battles), the rules for invader attacks against other invaders are the same as for invader attacks against the U.S.A. player.
Territories: Friendly Or Enemy?
FRIENDLY TERRITORIES To the U.S.A. player, a friendly territory is a territory controlled by the U.S.A. It contains no marker or invader units. It may or may not contain one or more of the U.S.A. player's military units.
To an invader, a friendly territory is a territory (or invasion zone) controlled by himself only. It contains one of his CONTROL markers; it may or may not contain one or more of his military units.
ENEMY-OCCUPIED TERRITORIES To the U.S.A. player, an enemy-occupied territory contains an invader's CONTROL marker. It also contains one or more of the invader's military units.
To an invader, an enemy-occupied territory contains one or more of the U.S.A. player's military units, and no CONTROL marker; or it contains one or more military units belonging to another invader, and that invader's CONTROL marker. The shaded rule on the next page describes friendly and enemy relationships among invaders.
UNOCCUPIED ENEMY-CONTROLLED TERRITORIES To the U.S.A. player, an unoccupied enemy-controlled territory contains only an invader's CONTROL marker; it contains no invader military units.
To each invader, an unoccupied enemy-controlled territory is an empty territory still controlled by the U.S.A. player; or it is an empty territory containing only another invader's CONTROL marker.
Action 2: Declare Battles
During Action 2, the player must declare which territories he plans to attack (if any) on the combat part of his turn. He does this by placing a BATTLE marker in the territory, and announcing that it is a "declared territory".
Before he declares an attack, the player must know which of his units will be in combat position after the First Movement part of his turn! After reading Action 3: First Movement, you will have a better idea of where you can and can't declare your battles.
Battles are declared against enemy-occupied territories, and unoccupied enemy-controlled territories—never against friendly territories. The green shaded rule on page 9 defines these kinds of spaces.
COMBAT POSITION: To be in combat position, the attacking unit or units must be adjacent to, or must move adjacent to (during First Movement), the declared territory. Remember, territories that meet at a point are not adjacent to each other. NOTE: Bombers and helicopters each have an additional combat position, discussed in Action 3: First Movement.
DECLARING BATTLES: INVADERS An attacking invader—whether attacking the U.S.A. player or another invader—must place a BATTLE marker in the declared territory.
DECLARING BATTLES: THE U.S.A. PLAYER The attacking U.S.A. player does not own BATTLE markers. To declare a battle in an invader's territory, he flips the invader's already-placed CONTROL marker BATTLE-side-up. To declare a battle in an invasion zone, he takes one of the markers out of that invader's tray, and places it BATTLE-side-up in the declared zone.
OTHER DECLARATION RULES While declaring battles by marker placement, the attacker must also declare verbally where he plans to attack.
A player can declare battles in two or more adjacent territories from a single territory. During combat, each unit can participate in one battle only—so for this type of battle, the attacker must declare which units will fight which territory as he declares the territories, and face that unit toward the declared territory.
The illustration at right shows an example of this type of attack.
DECLARING A DOUBLE ATTACK FROM A SINGLE TERRITORY From a single territory, one infantry unit, one helicopter and one hovertank will attack territory 1; two hovertanks will attack territory 2. Invader units are separated, facing U.S.A. defending units; markers are placed BATTLE-side-up in declared territories; the marker in the invader-controlled attacking territory remains CONTROL-side-up.
From a single adjacent territory, battles are declared in these two U.S.A.-controlled territories.
First Turn Example: The Western Invader Declares Battles
To declare battles, the Western invader places a BATTLE marker in each of the 8 territories he plans to attack. Notice that 5 of them are coastal territories, and 3 are inland. He plans to attack these inland territories with helicopters which, as air units, are not restricted to adjacencies for combat position. The special combat abilities of air units are explained on the back of the reference card, and in Action 3: First Movement.
Action 3: First Movement
After declaring your battles (if any), you can move your units during Action 3. You may move your units into combat position; or from one of your invasion zones to another (if you're an invader); or from one friendly territory to another; or not at all!
Combat position: After First Movement, all military units, whether or not they moved, are considered in combat position if they are adjacent to a declared territory. The air units—helicopters and bombers—each have an additional combat position, as discussed in this chapter.
On the reference card, the Unit Specifications Chart describes the First Movement capability of each military unit. This chart applies to invader units and U.S.A. units alike.
Unit Specifications Chart
| CLASS | TYPE | DICE | MOVEMENT (First) | MOVEMENT (Second) | ORDER OF CASUALTIES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOOT UNITS | Infantry | 6 | 0 | 1 | Foot, Mech., Air |
| FOOT UNITS | Partisans | 6 or 8 | 0 | 1 | Foot, Mech., Air |
| MECHANIZED UNITS | Mobile Units | 6 | 1 | 1 | Foot or Mech., Air |
| MECHANIZED UNITS | Hovertanks | 8 | 1 | 1 | Foot or Mech., Air |
| AIR UNITS | Helicopters | 8 | 2 | 2 | Choice |
| AIR UNITS | Bombers | 10 | 4 | 4 | Choice |
| LASERS | Lasers | 10 | 0 | 0 | Choice |
As you can see, the military units are divided into 4 classes: foot units (infantry and Partisans); mechanized units (mobile units and hovertanks); air units (helicopters and bombers); and lasers.
LASERS AND CITY MARKERS
Lasers: Lasers are shown on the chart, because they are considered military units; but they have no movement capabilities, nor do they come into play during Action 5: Combat. Their role is discussed in Action 4: Fire Lasers.
City markers: City markers are not shown on the chart because they are not military units. They are used only to mark City territories, and their role in the game is only to help keep track of gained and lost City territories. NOTE: Experienced players can keep track of captured City territories by removing the City markers from the City territories they capture. In this scoring system, a City marker is replaced when the U.S.A. player recaptures a City territory. Destroyed lasers are also removed for scoring— but once a laser is destroyed by an invader, the U.S.A. player cannot recover it if he recaptures the territory.
Below is an explanation of how each military unit can move during First Movement.
THE FOOT UNITS Neither infantry units nor Partisan units can move during First Movement. They can battle enemy units during combat, however, if they are already in combat position.
THE MECHANIZED UNITS Mobile units and hovertank units can each move into one adjacent friendly territory during First Movement. Unlike foot units, they can move into combat position during First Movement.
THE AIR UNITS
Helicopters: Helicopters can move up to 2 adjacent spaces during First Movement. A helicopter can fly over any territory (friendly or enemy) to land in the second adjacent friendly territory.
A helicopter can battle enemy units on land from an adjacent friendly territory, as all other units can; or it can use its special First Movement ability to move into a combat position all its own, as described below.
Special First Movement Ability: Helicopters have the special ability to land in unoccupied enemy-controlled territories. (EXCEPTION: Helicopters cannot land in unoccupied enemy-controlled City territories.) Before you move your helicopter into such a space, you must declare that space for battle, during Action 2, by placing (or flipping over, in the U.S.A. player's case) a BATTLE marker in that space.
There are two advantages to moving a helicopter this way: 1) It paves the way for faster future advances of friendly units; and 2) It may cut off a possible enemy retreat. Retreats are explained in Action 5: Combat. However, when a player takes advantage of this special movement rule, he must pay a penalty: the helicopter cannot attack adjacent territories during combat, nor can it move during Action 6: Second Movement. This means, as you will learn in Action 7: Supply Check, that when an invader moves a helicopter this way, he runs the risk of losing it!
Bombers: Bombers can fly up to four adjacent territories during First Movement. Like a helicopter, a bomber can fly over any territories (friendly or enemy) to land in a friendly territory.
A bomber can battle enemy units on land from an adjacent friendly territory, as all other units can; or it can use its special First Movement ability to move into the combat position described below.
Special First Movement Ability: Unlike helicopters, bombers cannot land in unoccupied enemy-controlled territories. But bombers can attack enemy-occupied territories from above. To symbolize a bomber air attack, place your bomber or bombers right into the declared territory with the enemy units! Bombers flying over enemy-occupied territories must attack during combat—either alone, or in concert with other units in combat position. Up to five bombers can fly from the same territory, or from different territories, no matter how many enemy units occupy the attacked territory. This is the only exception to the five-unit-per-space limit.
A bomber air attack.
The illustration at left shows 5 Eastern invader bombers flying in from 2 different invasion zones to attack Washington D.C. All 5 bombers will be placed in Washington, with the 5 defending U.S.A. units. Later, during combat, the bombers will attack Washington, along with the 4 invader units in the territory below it, and the 2 invader units in the adjacent invasion zone.
General First Movement Rules
WHERE YOU CAN—AND CAN'T—MOVE YOUR UNITS During First Movement, you must move:
- A unit or units into combat position with every territory you've declared for attack, if there is not a unit already in combat position.
You can (if you wish) move:
- Into friendly territories or friendly invasion zones.
You cannot move:
- Into an enemy invasion zone.
- Into an enemy territory, unless with an attacking bomber or helicopter.
THE FIVE-UNIT-PER-SPACE LIMIT Remember that you can never have more than five units in each territory or invasion zone. Bombers in combat are the only exception.
First Turn Example: The Western Invader's First Movement
The Western invader moves a bomber 1 space into San Francisco, and another bomber 2 spaces into Portland, to help battle for these important City territories. He also moves each of his 3 helicopters 2 spaces, to land in unoccupied declared U.S.A. territories, where they will take control without a battle. Finally, he moves a mobile unit into an adjacent invasion zone, to fight in the Portland battle.
Action 4: Fire Lasers (U.S.A. Turn Only)
Because lasers are controlled only by the U.S.A. player, this action is done on his turn only.
In the Reinforcements Action of each of his turns, the U.S.A. player places one laser in any U.S.A.-owned City territory. In the Fire Lasers Action of the same turn, he fires each laser on the board, one at a time, at an invader unit of his choice!
As the U.S.A. player, fire your lasers as follows:
- Choose a territory or invasion zone to fire your first laser into.
Laser fire affects all territories equally, with no additional effect on City or Mountain territories.
- Declare your target in that territory or invasion zone. It can be a military unit of any type.
- Roll one blue 10-sided die.
- If you roll a "5" or higher, the declared unit is destroyed! Take it from the territory or invasion zone and place it in your large tray in one of the three compartments reserved for destroyed invader units (see Tray Setup, on page 4).
- If you roll a "4" or less, the laser has missed the target, and the declared unit remains on the board.
- Whether you hit the declared unit or not, take a laser fire marker from your tray, and place it in the territory or invasion zone the laser fired into. You cannot fire another laser into that territory or invasion zone on this turn!
- For each laser on the board, repeat steps 1 through 4. After firing your last laser, take your laser fire markers off the board and return them to your tray.
Action 5: Combat
During Action 5, the attacking player must conduct combat with every territory containing his BATTLE marker and at least one defending enemy unit. To understand how combat works, you must use the charts and tables on the reference card.
The overview below will explain how to use the reference card. Following the overview is a detailed description of the whole combat action. Finally, the example boxes show what happens as the Western invader conducts combat in Portland and San Francisco.
The Combat Sequence: Overview
During combat, declared battles may be fought in any order, at the attacker's choice. In each battle, the defender fires first, by rolling one of the special dice for each defending unit. This gives the defender an advantage, because any casualties are removed from the battle before the attacker gets a chance to fire them!
The attacker fires last, by rolling a special die for each surviving attacking unit. Any casualties are removed from the battle. After the attacker's last unit has fired, the battle ends in one of two ways: either the defender has held the territory with at least one surviving unit; or the attacker has won the battle by removing all defending units from the territory. After combat, a territory with a BATTLE marker and no enemy units is considered a vacant territory to the attacker. Later, during Action 8: Capture Territories, each vacant territory must meet the requirements for capture, or it is returned to the defender.
On the next page are the answers to the most obvious questions about combat—and a look at which part of the reference card applies to them.
Order of Play
- WESTERN INVADER
- SOUTHERN INVADER
- EASTERN INVADER
- U.S.A. PLAYER
Action Sequence
- REINFORCEMENTS
- DECLARE BATTLES
- FIRST MOVEMENT
- FIRE LASERS (U.S.A. Turn Only)
- COMBAT
- SECOND MOVEMENT
- SUPPLY CHECK (Invaders' Turns Only)
- CAPTURE TERRITORIES
Unit Specifications Chart
| CLASS | TYPE | DICE | MOVEMENT (First) | MOVEMENT (Second) | ORDER OF CASUALTIES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOOT UNITS | Infantry | 6 | 0 | 1 | Foot, Mech., Air |
| FOOT UNITS | Partisans | 6 or 8 | 0 | 1 | Foot, Mech., Air |
| MECHANIZED UNITS | Mobile Units | 6 | 1 | 1 | Foot or Mech., Air |
| MECHANIZED UNITS | Hovertanks | 8 | 1 | 1 | Foot or Mech., Air |
| AIR UNITS | Helicopters | 8 | 2 | 2 | Choice |
| AIR UNITS | Bombers | 10 | 4 | 4 | Choice |
| LASERS | Lasers | 10 | 0 | 0 | Choice |
Combat Sequence
DEFENDER FIRES FIRST*
- Air Units
- Mechanized Units
- Foot Units
ATTACKER FIRES LAST*
- Air Units
- Mechanized Units
- Foot Units
*ROLL DICE, THEN RESOLVE CASUALTIES, FOR EACH UNIT CLASS. RESOLVE DESTROYED UNITS BEFORE DISENGAGED/RETREATED UNITS.
Combat Results Table
| COLUMN 1: Attacks into city and mountain territories without combined arms | COLUMN 2: All other attacks and all defenses | |
|---|---|---|
| ATTACKER DISENGAGED / DEFENDER RETREATED | 1 | 1 |
| MISS | 2-5 | 2-4 |
| TARGET DESTROYED | 6+ | 5+ |
Each colored box matches the section it relates to on the card.
1. WHICH UNITS FIRE FIRST? The Combat Sequence shows the order of fire. First the defender rolls for each class of defending unit and resolves casualties; then the attacker rolls for each class of (surviving) attacking unit and resolves casualties. Air units fire first, mechanized units second, and foot units last.
2. WHICH DICE DO I ROLL? The Dice column on the Unit Specifications Chart explains which type of unit rolls which die. The more powerful the firing unit, the more sides on the die, and the greater its chance of destroying a target.
Rolling Dice For Partisans Notice that the Dice column shows both 6 and 8 for Partisan units. If a Partisan attacks or defends a territory with any other unit(s), you must roll a 6-sided die; if it attacks or defends alone (with no other units—not even another Partisan), you have the advantage of rolling an 8-sided die. NOTE: If an attacking Partisan attacks with other units but ends up attacking alone after casualties are taken, it rolls an 8-sider.
Whether defending or attacking, each unit gets one die roll. Roll all dice at once for each unit class, if possible—for example, if you're rolling for three bombers and one helicopter, roll three blue 10-sided and one white 8-sided die all at once. NOTE: If you're rolling for five units of the same type (e.g. five hovertanks), you will have to reroll one of the four dice.
3. HOW DO I INFLICT A CASUALTY? To see if your die roll inflicted a casualty, check the Combat Results Table. Possible casualties are TARGET DESTROYED, ATTACKER DISENGAGED, and DEFENDER RETREATED. All other die rolls miss the target.
4. WHICH TARGET CAN I CHOOSE? Targets are declared after each die roll, not before. The Order of Casualties column on the Unit Specifications Chart explains which unit you can choose as your target (casualty), according to which unit class "fired."
The green shaded rule below defines each type of casualty, and the rules for its removal from battle.
The Combat Sequence: in Detail
THE DEFENDER FIRES FIRST The defender rolls one die for each defending unit. The dice are rolled by unit class, in the following order: air units, then mechanized units, then foot units.
- Roll Air Units; Resolve Roll for all defending air units—8-siders for helicopters, 10-siders for bombers.
To resolve casualties, consult Column 2 on the Combat Results Table. The defender always follows this table.
If you roll more than one die and get a mixture of destroyed/disengaged results, always resolve the destroyed results first, then choose the disengaged unit(s) from those remaining.
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Roll Mechanized Units; Resolve Roll for all defending mechanized units—8-siders for hovertanks, 6-siders for mobile units. Resolve any destroyed units before resolving any disengaged units.
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Roll Foot Units; Resolve Roll for all defending foot units—6-siders for infantry and Partisans alike. Resolve any destroyed units before resolving any disengaged units. NOTE: A Partisan fighting alone—with no other units after casualties are taken—rolls an 8-sider.
If all attacking units are destroyed or disengaged, the battle is over and the defender has held the territory. If not, the attacker opens fire!
THE ATTACKER FIRES LAST Now it's the attacker's turn to do battle. He follows the same sequence as the defender did, with two important differences:
First: the attacker doesn't automatically follow Column 2 of the Combat Results Table. If he attacks a City or Mountain territory without combined arms, he must follow Column 1. The green shaded rule on this page defines combined arms, and what it means to the attacker in combat.
Second: whereas the defender can roll disengagements, the attacker can roll retreats. In both cases, destroyed results are resolved first.
If there is still at least one defending unit in the attacked territory after the attacker fires all units, the defender has held the territory. If all defending units have been destroyed or retreated, the attacker has won the battle—and may later get to capture the territory!
Vacant Territories At the end of Action 5: Combat, take a look at your declared territories. Those with no defending units (meaning the territory was undefended, or all defending units were beaten in battle) are considered vacant. Later, during Action 8: Capture Territories, if any of your vacant territories don't meet the requirements for capture, you will be forced to relinquish your claim to them!
Combined Arms: A Fair Fight For Cities and Mountains
Defended City and Mountain territories are more difficult to capture if the attacker (whether U.S.A. or invader) does not attack with combined arms. Combined arms means that you attack with at least one unit of each class (foot, mechanized, and air). Notice the Combat Results Table: in Column 1, attacks into City and Mountain territories without combined arms requires a "6" or better to destroy an enemy unit (rather than a "5" or better in Column 2). This extra count needed on the die roll can make the difference between victory and defeat—so you should always try to attack these important territories with combined arms. Note: To follow Column 2, you must have combined arms after the defender fires and your casualties are removed.
TARGET DESTROYED If you follow Column 1 on the Combat Results Table, you'll need a die roll of "6" or better to destroy an enemy unit; if you follow Column 2, you'll need a "5" or better.
The defender always follows Column 2. The attacker will follow Column 1 or Column 2, depending on the territory he attacks and which units participate in the battle. See the green shaded rule on the next page for details.
Destroyed invader units are immediately—and permanently—out of the game. They are removed from the board and placed in the U.S.A. player's tray. Destroyed U.S.A. units are also placed in the U.S.A. player's tray; but they may be recalled for duty later, by a Partisan card!
ATTACKER DISENGAGED During the defender's fire sequence, a die roll of "1" disengages an attacking unit. The defender chooses the disengaged unit according to the Order of Casualties Column of the Unit Specifications Chart. The disengaged unit stays where it is, but is immediately placed upside-down until the end of the attacker's turn: it cannot fire during Combat or move during Second Movement.
DEFENDER RETREATED During the attacker's fire sequence, a die roll of "1" retreats a defending unit. The attacker chooses the retreated unit according to the Order of Casualties Column on the Unit Specifications Chart. The defender must immediately move the retreated unit into a friendly territory or invasion zone. The unit can retreat as many spaces as indicated in its Second Movement column of the Unit Specifications Chart. It cannot retreat to a declared territory or enemy territory, nor can it violate the five-unit-per-space-limit. If a unit cannot retreat, it is automatically destroyed!
First Turn Example: The Western Invader Battles for Portland
Defender Fires First As the defender, the U.S.A. player follows Column 2 on the Combat Results Table. First, he rolls an 8-sided die for his hovertank: a "7", which destroys an enemy unit. According to the Casualties Column on the Unit Specification Chart, his target can be either a foot unit or a mechanized unit. He chooses the Western invader's hovertank, because it is most powerful in combat, rolling an 8-sided die. He places the destroyed hovertank in one of the "Destroyed Invaders" compartments of his tray. Next, the U.S.A. player fires his infantry unit by rolling a 6-sided die: he rolls a 3, which misses the target. This ends his defense.
Attacker Fires Last The attacking Western invader now begins his firing sequence with all units except his destroyed hovertank. As the attacker, he checks the Combat Results Table: he still has combined arms, so he follows Column 2. First, he rolls a 10-sided die for his bomber: a "0" (10), which destroys an enemy unit. Because he can choose any enemy unit as his target, he destroys the U.S.A. hovertank, since there are no air units defending, and the hovertank is more powerful in combat than the infantry. The U.S.A. player removes the destroyed hovertank from the board, and returns it to his tray.
Next, the Western invader fires his mobile unit by rolling a 6-sided die: a "1", which retreats the infantry unit (the only remaining defending unit). According to the Second Movement column on the Unit Specifications Chart, the infantry unit can move 1 space to a friendly adjacent territory. But the Western invader has declared battles in the territories to the north and south; and the Western invader's helicopter occupies the territory to the east! Since all possibilities of retreat are cut off, the infantry unit is destroyed. The U.S.A. player places the destroyed unit in his tray.
Since there are no units left to defend, the battle ends, and the Western invader has won. The territory is now considered vacant, and must meet the requirements for capture during Second Movement and Supply Check.
The Western invader now turns his attention to his only other battle this turn, in San Francisco.
First Turn Example: The Western Invader Battles for San Francisco
In San Francisco, the U.S.A. player rolled an "8" for his hovertank, and destroyed the invading hovertank. The U.S.A. player's mobile unit then rolled a "1", and disengaged the invading mobile unit.
The Western invader, now without mechanized units, lost combined arms before he got to fire back; so he followed Column 1 on the Combat Results Table. His bomber rolled a "6" to destroy the U.S.A. player's hovertank; but both infantry units missed, so San Francisco held out!
Action 6: Second Movement
The Unit Specifications Chart shows the Second Movement capability of each unit. For mechanized and air units, movement is the same as in First Movement; foot units can move to 1 adjacent space during Second Movement, whereas they could not move at all during First Movement.
During Second Movement, units can move into vacant or friendly territories. Invader units can move into friendly invasion zones. And invaders can destroy lasers as they move their units into vacant City territories!
As in First Movement, the five-unit-per-space limit applies.
General Second Movement Rules
WHERE YOU CAN—AND CAN'T—MOVE YOUR UNITS During Second Movement, bombers that used their special First Movement abilities must move, in the following two cases:
- If they survive a lost battle. This holds true even if they became disengaged in battle.
- If they attacked alone. Whether they won or lost the battle, they must move. Bombers alone cannot capture a territory. For example, two bombers and a mobile unit attack an enemy hovertank. The defending hovertank destroys the mobile unit; then the attacking bombers retreat the hovertank. Even though they won the battle, the lone bombers must fly out of that territory during Second Movement. The defender remains in control of the territory.
Bombers that move during Second Movement must fly from 1 to 4 adjacent spaces away, to land in friendly territories or invasion zones.
You can (if you wish) move:
- Into a vacant territory, with or without units that attacked. EXCEPTION: Units cannot move into a territory that was left vacant by a lone bomber or bombers: such a territory cannot be captured. Moving into a vacant territory is optional: even though you win the battle, you may decide it's too risky to move in. However, to capture a territory, you must move at least one unit into it.
- Into a friendly territory or invasion zone.
- Into a vacant territory occupied by a helicopter that used its special First Movement ability.
You cannot move:
- Into an enemy territory or invasion zone.
- An attacking unit that was disengaged in combat (with the exception of bombers in defender-held territories).
- A helicopter out of a vacant territory, if it used its special First Movement ability to land there.
DESTROYING A LASER As an invader, if you move at least one unit into a vacant City territory containing a laser, take the laser. Once you destroy a laser, you own it, even if the City territory is recaptured. Each destroyed laser is worth 5 individual victory points if the invaders win the game.
First Turn Example: The Western Invader's Second Movement
During Second Movement, the Western invader moves most of his surviving units into vacant territories. Both bombers joined a helicopter. The Western invader units have their first foothold on U.S.A. territories, and there is plenty of room in the invasion zones for reinforcement units on Action 1 of the Western invader's next turn.
Action 7: Supply Check (Invaders' Turns Only)
Action 7 is done by invaders only, on each of their action sequences. During this action, just after Second Movement, each invader must check to see if any of his units are isolated.
ISOLATED UNITS Isolated units cannot trace a path of adjacent friendly territories from the territory they occupy to any of their invasion zones. NOTE: During Supply Check, a vacant territory containing at least one of your units is considered a friendly territory, since it is now eligible for capture.
If any of your units are isolated during your Supply Check, they are automatically destroyed! Remove the isolated units from the board, and give them to the U.S.A. player.
Helicopter units, and units which have just broken through enemy territories, are most susceptible to isolation. For example, a helicopter landing beyond a declared enemy-occupied territory has the advantage of cutting off possible retreats by enemy units defending in the declared territory it flies over; but if the defender holds the embattled territory, the helicopter may become isolated.
As another example, if an invader pushes into enemy territory during his turn, the U.S.A. player may recapture one or more of the adjacent territories on his own turn, isolating the units in one or more of the invader's newly-captured territories. If the invader cannot resupply his isolated units by the Supply Check action of his next turn, he will lose them.
The boxed example on this page shows that, during the Supply Check action of turn 1, all of the Western invader's units are in supply.
Chapter 5 is devoted to an illustrated example of the Southern invader's attempt to re-supply isolated units.
First Turn Example: The Western Invader's Supply Check
On Action 7, the Western invader checks all of his units to make sure they have a supply line to his invasion zones. As the arrows show, all of his units are in supply.
As the game progresses, the Supply Check is not always this successful. In the detailed example in Chapter 5, the Southern invader is shown trying to re-establish supply to three units which were cut off during the U.S.A. player's turn.
Action 8: Capture Territories
Action 8: Invaders During Action 8 of your turn, do the following:
- Check each territory showing one of your BATTLE markers.
- If none of your units occupy the territory, place the marker back into your tray. Either you lost a battle there; or none of your units moved into the vacant territory during Second Movement; or units that moved in did not survive Supply Check.
- If at least one of your units occupies the territory, you now own it! Flip your BATTLE marker over to the CONTROL side. If you're capturing the territory from another invader, return his CONTROL marker to him.
- Flip over any units that became disengaged during Combat.
Action 8: The U.S.A. Player During Action 8 of your turn, do the following:
- Return any BATTLE markers in invasion zones to the controlling invader(s).
- For each BATTLE marker in a territory, do the following:
- If none of your units occupy the territory, flip over the invader's BATTLE marker to the CONTROL side. Either you lost the battle there, or none of your units moved in during Second Movement.
- If at least one of your units occupies the territory, you have recaptured it! Return the invader's BATTLE marker to him.
- Flip any disengaged units right-side-up.
- For each City territory recaptured on your turn, draw a Partisan card from the deck. These are bonus cards, to be used during Action 1: Reinforcements on your next turn.
A CAPTURED TERRITORY A captured territory is a territory that was vacant of enemy units after Action 5: Combat, and now contains a BATTLE marker and at least one of your units.
First Turn Example: The Western Invader Captures Territories
During Action 8, the Western invader flips over 7 of his 8 BATTLE markers to the CONTROL side. He lost the declared battle in San Francisco; so he removed the BATTLE marker from that territory and replaced it in his tray. San Francisco remains under U.S.A. control.
The mobile unit that was disengaged during the battle for San Francisco is turned right-side-up. This ends the Western invader's turn.
Ending The Game
The game ends in either of two ways:
1. U.S.A. VICTORY: The U.S.A. player wins the game if he destroys all invading units, or if all invaders concede by mutual agreement. Usually, by the time they run out of reinforcements (after turn 6), the invaders will assess the situation on the gameboard and decide whether or not victory over the ever-strengthening U.S.A. force is possible. If they feel that an invader victory is impossible, they can concede at the end of any of the U.S.A. player's turns.
2. INVADER VICTORY: Among them, the invading players must capture 18 City territories from the U.S.A. player. If, by the end of the U.S.A. player's turn, the invaders still control 18 City territories, they score a victory!
In a 2-player game, the player controlling the 3 invaders wins the game if he has captured 18 City territories by the end of the U.S.A. player's turn.
In a 3- or 4-player game, the invaders take one last turn each, after capturing 18 City territories, to determine which of them is the individual winner. This last round is played according to the rules below.
Last Round Of Play
During the last round of play, an invader can declare battle against other invaders and the U.S.A. player. Each invader takes an entire turn, following the Action Sequence described in Chapter 2. The object for each invader is to try to capture City territories, Resource territories, and lasers, all of which will contribute toward his victory points when the round is over. During this round, invaders should concentrate on capturing as many City and Resource territories as possible from other invaders!
Even though the U.S.A. player has lost the game and can't take his turn, he must defend any attacks against occupied U.S.A.-owned territories.
After the round ends, each invader counts his total victory points. Victory points are scored as follows:
- 10 points for each captured City territory.
- 5 points for each destroyed laser.
- 3 points for each captured Resource territory.
Balancing Factors
When the skill or experience of the players varies, the rules can be modified to give all players a fair chance of victory. You may want to experiment with one or more of the balancing game play factors described below; or invent some balancing factors of your own.
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The U.S.A. player is in the game all the time, attacking on his turn and defending on invaders' turns. If one player is an especially skilled strategist, he should play the U.S.A.
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Instead of bringing in 8 units for 5 turns, the invaders bring in 5 units for 8 turns.
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Bombers must attack from an adjacent space only; no bombings over enemy-occupied territories!
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Partisans always roll red 6-sided dice, never 8-sided dice.
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The U.S.A. player does not get a bonus Partisan card when he recaptures a City territory.
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The U.S.A. player starts the game with one or more lasers already on the board.
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The invaders must capture and hold more City territories, or less, to win the game.
Illustrated Example: A Resupply Attempt
Throughout Chapter 2, each action of the Western invader's turn was illustrated and explained. His first foray into U.S.A. territories was generally successful; but his strategy was not greatly dependent on any immediate threat from the U.S.A. player, or from other invaders.
As the game progresses, each player's strategy shifts as pressure mounts from all sides, and territories are captured and recaptured—some at great risk and expense. The U.S.A.'s force increases, while the invaders' forces dwindle; as a result, the battles for territorial control become much more critical.
The example in this chapter shows an invader's attempt to resupply cut off units, so that they will survive Action 7: Supply Check.
Scene 1: Beginning Of Turn
In Scene 1, the Southern invader has just begun his 6th turn. The U.S.A. player has cut off three of the Southern invader's units from supply: a helicopter (just below Chicago), and two hovertanks (between St. Louis and Memphis). Unless the Southern invader can resupply these units during his present turn, he will lose them during Action 7: Supply Check.
As his turn begins, the Southern invader has several options to consider. He can concentrate all of his efforts on resupplying his helicopter and two hovertanks—or he can use the unsupplied units to destroy the lasers in Chicago and Indianapolis, while his other units attack one or more of the four territories that are cutting off the unsupplied units.
Scene 2: Battle Declaration And First Movement
The Southern invader made his decision: he declared battles (shown by the numbered arrows) in five different U.S.A.-owned territories. For Battles 1 and 2, he moved his unsupplied hovertanks one space north. For Battle 3, he moved his unsupplied helicopter one space south. For Battle 4, he moved three hovertanks north one space. For Battle 5, he moved a bomber two spaces northeast, and three helicopters one space north.
Scene 3: Combat
Scene 3 shows each of the five battles in progress.
Battles 1 and 2: Because there are no defending units in Chicago or Indianapolis, the hovertanks wait until Second Movement, when each of them can move in and destroy the laser.
Battle 3: The U.S.A. helicopter destroys the invader helicopter to the north. Then the two Partisans destroy two invader infantry. Returning fire, the two invader mobile units destroy both Partisans, and the remaining infantry misses the U.S.A. helicopter.
Battle 4: The U.S.A. Partisan and infantry units both fire and miss. Then the invader hovertanks score one hit and destroy the Partisan.
Battle 5: In St. Louis, the U.S.A. bomber destroys the invader bomber, and the hovertank takes out the invader's mobile unit. The U.S.A. mobile unit and Partisans both miss. As the invader (who lost combined arms) returns fire, the three helicopters destroy the U.S.A. bomber and hovertank. The infantry unit misses.
Scene 4: Second Movement To End Of Turn
During Second Movement, the Southern invader moves one hovertank north, into Chicago, and one hovertank northeast, into Indianapolis. He then destroys the lasers in these City territories, by removing them from the board.
Because the Southern invader did not win a battle, he failed to re-establish a supply line to his two hovertanks. During Action 7: Supply Check, he must remove the hovertanks from the board, and give them to the U.S.A. player.
During Action 8: Capture Territories, the Southern invader must remove all 5 of his BATTLE markers: he lost 3 battles in 3 of the declared territories, and he has no units on the other two (Chicago and Indianapolis).
©1986 by Milton Bradley Co. under Berne & Universal Copyright Conventions.