Hello i'm usually on the 40k and anima forums.
I saw a couple guys in my local game store playing this i think they were arguing over invasion markers over whether or not they could invade a certain place.

This game looks amazing and i really want to pick this up. Can anyone explain something about gameplay or point my to a review that does?

Thank you in advance

Hi Guards!

There are several (7) reviews of Fortress America at BGG ( here ). I strongly recommend you to read Pete Belli's review; it's very critical, and interesting.

Hope this helps

JULIA

A bit late to reply, and you likely know this already....but... you can download the rules for an overview on the FFG Fortress America Site.

Here is the official trailer by FFG on YouTube, you'll be able to find additional videos.

I'm on the fence about this game since it's first day on shelves...

It look awesome and I really like the 1 vs many aspect of it...

But I don't know if my group have the guts or the will to play such game...

Thanks Julia for the reviews link, i'll go take a look at those.

Late response. I'm a player of the original back in 86, so there is plenty of nostalgia that factors into my love for it. When some of us were children, we would set up our generic army men on opposite sides of the room and shoot rubber bands at each other's forces trying to knock them down. This was "playing army men". Obviously, Fortress America is more elaborate than that, but that is the heart and soul of it: a grownup version of army men. There is strategy, but for the most part you are hurling forces at each other, hurling dice at each, and having a barrel of fun for all the laughs, sound-effects, crying "Wolverines!" when your partisans take out an armor column, and everyone getting out of their chair for that decisive battle resolution that either makes or breaks an offensive.

Writing about it here makes me want to break it out right now, so see ya.

Back again for a quick P.S.: Fortress America is the game that defined a genre. In '87, it won the Origin award for best 20th century game. This infuriated players of traditional hex-and-counter wargames so much so that the awards splintered into the Origin Awards and the Charles S. Roberts Awards. And thus, the "Ameritrash" genre was born.

I don't think the remake has been a hit for FFG. They had it at a deep discount (70%? 80%?) around Christmastime. Made me sorry I picked up a gift copy right when it was released, but, you win some, you lose some. I suspect the nostalgia players missed seeing Saddam on the cover. They tried to modernize it a bit, but I think the overall appeal was lost with the real-life wars of our recent past- the prospect of warfare on US soil doesn't seem like pure fantasy anymore. There was also a contoversy on this site when an FFG employee wrote some creative flavor test for the previews of the game suggesting that in the near future the US had become a megolomaniacal superpower and they might be viewed as the bad guy in the game scenario. I'd bet that poor soul lost his job - the political climate at the time it was released was just too volatile to make such a suggestion (probably still is). The game also brings out some ugly commentary about Canada from people, for some reason, which is not a selling point for me.

Haing played it a few times, I find the biggest drawback is once the invading forces have built up a bit, it's near impossible to keep track of which units you've moved, and which ones you haven't. The board can get very crowded on 2 of the 3 fronts pretty easily, and it becomes a real headache after you've been playing for an hour or more (or, at least, I don't have the concentration or patience to keep track after a while). Admittedly, I've only played it 2-player, and there's a real burden on managing the invading forces with that many. I'd probably enjoy it more if my brother could get a larger group to play it when we get together.

It definitely shines the most with 4 players. With 2 players, the Invader player has to work very hard, especially since there is no downtime during another player's Invader Turn to think about your next moves.

This was a great game in the 80's before the release of the Euro-style games. FFG modernised the design a bit but left pretty much most of the original game intact. In practice, the downtime can get quite high if you are playing the game with too many people prone to analysis paralysis.

I don't think any of the old Milton Bradly games hold up particularly well anymore even with the various edition driven streamlining done.

You had Ikusa (Shogun aka Samurai Swords) which I recall personally as being awesome, but after picking it up and playing it today with all the experiences of the last couple of decades I have to say.. it was kind of a sh*tty game.

Axis and Allies is the same, its really kind of a dull and excruciatingly long game. I know this one has maintained some modern popularity with the various alternative scenarios to the classic world war II (world map) version. Tried playing it myself last year and again.. it was quite a crappy experience, the game just doesn't hold up.

Listening to some of the comments here I think the case is the same with Fortress America.

I have that sort of nostalgic wish to recapture the experiences of some of these old school games like Shogun, Axis and Allies and Fortress America. Even D&D ... but so far as an adult going back to these games I just find them to be kind of bleh.