Fortress America Review

Fortress America was one of the great, big-box board games of the Cold War era. Originally published by Milton Bradley in 1986, it simulated a three-pronged Communist invasion of the United States. With an Asian bloc hitting the West coast, a collection of Latin states from the South and a Warsaw Pact-led socialist Europe landing out East, America is desperately beleaguered. Thanks, Canada, for having our back! The board game reflected many narratives already see on the big screen with Patrick Swayze’s Red Dawn (1984) and Chuck Norris’ Invasion U.S.A. (1985). We were seriously obsessed with this stuff. For anyone born post- 1980 Communism is likely a foreign word, something in the history books or fodder for James Bond cookie-cutter villains.

Milton Bradley’s first edition was part of their “dudes-on-a-map” Gamemaster series which included Axis & Allies, Samurai Swords and Conquest of the Empire. All of those heavyweights have received updates, reprints and/or expansions since their 1980s debuts. Fantasy Flight now affords similar treatment to Fortress America, reprinting the original with snazzier components and some revised rules. No doubt it still remains romantically old school.

This lavishly produced war game tasks hundreds of little minis with subduing or defending a sprawling map of these United States. Dice resolve combat, movement and control are area-based, turns progress in multiple phases and overwhelming numbers often trump savvy strategy. Much of it wasn’t new three decades ago and, indeed, the reprint offers little improvement. It’s still clunky and fiddly with lots of rules and requires an afternoon to play. However, there are enough distinctive elements that make the title a unique entry in the genre – or did. In fact, a number of them influenced later designs. While perhaps not particularly innovative today, it still resonates as something refreshing.

Combat resolution particularly shines. Different units roll variable sided dice and can have special abilities. Defenders may withdraw. More importantly, battles last one round. If you can’t take a territory in one shot, you ingloriously slink back to base. Making it harder yet, the defender fires first and casualties do not participate in the attack! However, there is a 5-unit garrison limit so you’ll never face more than that number of defenders, while you can bring anything within range. Plus you receive a bonus for combined arms assaults involving infantry, mechanized and air forces. It’s a very different combat system which takes some acclamation, but it’s quick, fun and tense.

The scenario remains interesting, despite obvious changes in the geopolitical environment over the past 30 years. While some nebulous international conspiracy has replaced the Communist monolith, Fortress America still pits Uncle Sam against a tri-front invasion so that the game is played with a non-negotiable 3-on-1 allied system. If the invaders in a 3+ player game are victorious, there is a variant to allow for a specific winner, but the trespassing factions may not fight each other directly. With a set schedule of staggered reinforcements, each may maneuver in a manner singularly advantageous to themselves or refuse aid when requested. But they will generally need to cooperate in some fashion to keep America from gaining the upper hand in any one region, lest it proves detrimental to the other two elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Yanks begin with their entire army deployed throughout the country – two units per city. If the aggressors capture 18 cities the mighty empire of mom, apple pie and rock ‘n roll goes the way of Rome. Otherwise, the home team must survive ten rounds. At least their troops get recycled, whereas the bad guys have finite numbers. America also benefits from a wave of unpredictable and elusive partisans. These freedom fighters spring up in the wilds behind enemy lines when they least expect it, brandishing guns from above the mantelpiece and John Wayne swaggers. Oh, and the U.S. builds lasers each turn. Yes, destructively ginormous weapons of mass destruction picking off interlopers from across the continent!

Probably the biggest point of contention is fighting over who gets to be America. The U.S. side is just more fun to play, even if you’re not American. One, it is challenging to learn to play effectively, at first. Two, lasers! Lastly, the Yanks offer a great deal more variety and replayability with random reinforcement cards and laser construction. Conversely the invaders feel a little more scripted. Aside from that, once you know what you’re doing, America is generally easier to play. Indeed, the game is a little imbalanced with a good U.S. player. However, there is no guarantee, of course, and so the design welds a wonderful tension. At first the invasion sends the Americans reeling under overwhelming numbers. The situation looks desperate for the Land of the Free before the U.S. can stem the tide and turn things around. Then again dice heavily influence developments, adding even more tension!

Charmingly nostalgic in all its clunky fiddliness, Fortress America is not for the timid. It is sweeping in scope with lots of chrome, downtime, rules to reference, hordes of dice, and plastic battalions. Its luck, interaction, commitment and thematic narrative are the embodiment of Ameritrash, replete with all of the goodness and drawbacks inherent thereof. For fans of the style this revised classic offers several unique twists on the genre and a great end goal which helps reign in game time. That’s not to say it’s a quick affair. But for those with the time and inclination, Fortress America is a blast and gives players a chance to kick Communist butt or give those Capitalist pigs what’s coming to them. At least that’s the way I’ll always see it…