Re: Field Marshal Games Pieces Project Discussion thread

Hello? I put some pics up! replies? :?

Hey All,
I’ve had time to play a couple of games of the new Fortress America. Aside from the new pieces, the game is pretty much the same as the older version. Here are the most noteable differences:

The USA’s Partisan cards are spelled out quite a bit clearer than the old ones. These tell you EXACTLY what territories, units and actions are involved. Most of the cards are really the same as in the old deck, except of course one that deals with Colorado Springs, which wasn’t in the old game, but the new cards seem to spell out what you are supposed to do in more detail. They even tell you to discard the card after you are done.
After I compared the new and old cards, I can see that some of the old cards could have been misread. Specifically, the MAJOR AIRLIFT card. With the old game, I always played it by taking ALL US units anywhere on the board and moving them as I wished. The new MAJOR AIRLIFT card specifically says that you pick ONE territory and can move the units from that territory to anywhere on the board that doesn’t have enemy units (even enemy controlled, unoccupied city territories). So, the USA player is basically limited to a maximum of 5 military units that he/she can move around like this. While this can still be a big plus for the US, especially if the invaders have left a lot of cities unoccupied, it isn’t so devastating to the invaders that it might be a game ender. Since then, I have gone back and re-read the MAJOR AIRLIFT card in the old deck and realized that I think I have mis-played it all this time. I think it might have ALWAYS been just one territory of units, not ALL US units. The way it is worded could go either way.

Another big difference is that the Mobile Units are much more useful now. If you have a Mobile Unit and an Infantry (or Partisan for the US) in the same territory, that Mobile Unit can transport that Infantry/Partisan with it in the Maneuvers phase (normally Infantry/Partisans have no movement in the Maneuvers phase). This happens on a 1:1 ratio. So if you have 2 Infantry and 1 Mobile Unit, then only 1 Infantry may travel with the Mobile Unit. That makes Mobile Units much more valuable now. In the old game, they were more or less mobile cannon fodder to me.

Finally, the biggest difference is that now there are cards for the Invaders. Each Invader has a deck of 8 cards that can give them certain advantages if certain conditions are met. During the reinforcement phase, each Invader must decide to get 8 new units or get only 5 new units and draw a card. Each card has certain advantages which could boost their forces’ movement or attacking power or cause a detriment to the US’s abilities (like depriving them of the laser attacks for a round). To gain these advantages, certain conditions must be met, like holding certain cities, or simply a certain number of cities and/or holding certain resource territories (agriculture, mineral, oil). Some cards are one time use and others are “Remain In Play” which the invader that holds that card can use even if the original conditions are no longer met. For example: Say the Western Invader draws a “Remain In Play” card and the conditions are that he has to own Los Angeles, 2 Agricultures and 1 Mineral. Then later on he loses one of the Agricultures, or the Mineral, or even Los Angeles, he can STILL PLAY THAT CARD. Also, even once the Invader’s reserves are depleted, they can still draw cards during the reinforcements phase. If you get a card for which you haven’t met the conditions yet, you simply keep it face down in front of you until you can use it. So, theoretically, Invaders could possibly use several cards in the same turn, provided all the conditions are met for each card.
Frankly, while some of the advantages in the cards are pretty good, I think overall they are more of a detriment to the invaders as well as the overall game experience. As an invader, you might end up becoming too fixated on trying to accomplish the conditions on a card so that you can gain that advantage that you end up not doing other things that would better defeat the USA forces. As for the game, it really takes more time for the invaders to keep checking their cards to see if they meed the requirements. Also, losing that 3 extra pieces each turn so you can draw a card may not seem like a lot, but I think it could be just enough for the USA player to get just enough of an edge that they don’t lose all 18 cities. The longer this game goes, the more forces the US will have and the less the Invaders will have, thus it will be that much harder to gain the 18 cities and defeat the US. Plus if you keep getting cards that you can’t use, then is it really worth losing those extra 3 units each turn. It seems to me like a lot of the conditions, while not impossible, are pretty hard for the Invaders to accomplish. For Example: there are two or three cards for the Eastern Invader where one of the conditions is an Oil Resource. The nearest one for them is clear over by Memphis. That’s a lot of territory to conquer.

Well, there is my report. It’s a pretty cool game, but VERY similar to the old game. If you have the original, unless you just really want the new pieces and map or really want to try out the new Invader cards, I would say save your money and play the original some more becasue except for the few points above, they are basically the same game.

Well then, it looks like I will be placing a new order next week as well.

What I really want Larry Harris to do is make a new Axis & Allies game with the Revised rules and Tech tokens.

I suppose it’s possbile that they play blind, but it sounded like you could shift alliances and such, which would mean you would have to have an extra board for every player, and I think they only used two.

This game was played May 5th of last year. Again this is an account by Stuart.

Players:

Germany - Kevin
United Kingdom - Carl
Free French - Joseph
Japan - Jon
USSR - Stuart
United States - Red
China - Joseph

War erupts

It was a helluva battle, but in the end, it came down to great team work and the Allies prevailed.

Kevin started things off by using his German double impulse, beautifully. By the end of turn 1, his Kriegsmarine had nearly destroyed Carl’s Royal Navy and the Wehrmacht had taken half of Africa. In addition, Joseph’s French Navy decided to join the German High Seas Fleet, rather than scuttle enabling Kevin to pump troops and panzers into Africa at an alarming rate which he did.
Carl’s Limeys had a bloody time of it staving off the German onslaught, but to his credit, the Brits even managed to make continuous raids into Mozambique and Egypt interrupting German efficiency. For 15 months, her majesty’s armed forces held back the Nazi’s with little aid. (Most of Red’s American Lend Lease money was either lost at sea at the hands of the wolf packs or plundered by the High Seas Fleet.
As Usual, Jon played a very aggressive Japan using his double impulse during the first turn to ALMOST completely overrun all of China save for one territory. (Cant remember name of particular territory–the one above Tibet) This brings me to my shining moment. I decided that in order to keep Japan from overrunning all of China with a clear road into Tibet that my Russians would have to conquer said last Chinese territory. The attack was a success. (Sorry Joseph. It had to be done) Japan was now unable to advance any further into Asia for the time being and it was I with the clear road into Tibet. This blocking maneuver also kept Japan from creating an even longer border with Mother Russia. During this time, the Ruskies also took hold of Arabian territories eliminating the German threat of influence over Turkey while increasing Russian production which would be needed later.
With Japan stalled in Asia and unable to enter the war, until turn 6, Jon was itching for a fight. On turn 5, I gave it to him. The Russians waltzed unopposed into Mongolia claiming it for herself. Jon began a major Japanese buildup on my Southern border and Kevin began perching panzergrenadiers and SS panzers on the “Eastern Front.” Russia was caught between Axis pinschers.
The Allies needed to buy time for the Soviets. We created a diversion by talking out loud that we had a major objective in Thailand. Jon’s Imperial Navy soon was on the go down the SouthEast Asian coast to stop Dutch landings into Thailand in support of an already flanked British Army. What a break for the Allies. We were sure an invasion was coming into the Soviet Far east to support an invasion by a huge Japanese armored force that by now was in Khazak getting ready to go into Russia herself. The attack into the Motherland failed, however, at a huge price. She was in no shape to fight off the SS Panzers now in Russian territories pursed for an attack. Russia needed more time.
Ahh, I almost forgot. Whilst the Imperial Navy was down south, a solitary American transport with green US infantry managed to take a Japan that was defended by a single Japanese paratroop division. Even though the odds were in favor of the defending Nips., Red secured a beachhead. It was short lived, however. Yamamoto came steaming back and decimated the American infantry division before all Japanese forces could be wiped off the map, literally. The Americans hardly had a chance.
Red’s American fleet was on its way to invade Italy, when Hitler had influenced Spain to join the Axis and also was able to capture fortress Gibraltar with ease thus preventing an American passage through the Gibraltar straits. Kevin also planted a transport in the Mediterranean further delaying American passage and thus delaying an American invasion fortress Europe. It was a superb blocking tactic by Kevin. I don’t think any of us saw it coming. While Red’s Atlantic fleet was stalled, Jon used this advantage to kamikaze American carriers. The very economically stable Red, just kept right on buying American carriers.
At this point, it wasn’t looking good for Ivan. Operation Barbarossa was about to succeed when Red pulled another rabbit out of his hat. He suggested that Stalin use all of his armor to counter attack the Germans where they were weakest in Orel. This attack succeeded and now most of the German SS panzers and panzergrenadiers were unable to blitz into Moscow. Just what she needed. Shortly thereafter, a combined British/American invasion on the beaches of Normandy created the 2nd front that Stalin desperately needed. From there, the rest is in the history books.
I wish I could say more about Joseph, however, with China out for the count and the Free French with nary a Franc, it was difficult for him to shine. I am sure that he will amaze us in games to come.
Para
AIRBORNE