War Game

This latest version of Bin'Fa: The Tao of War has many changes from those familiar with its previous incarnations (Hexagony, Bin'Fa), such as the addition of the General; Vortexes that allow you to traverse the board in one move, appearing where east expected; rule changes governing the gathering of supplies, and the separation of the original hexagon shaped game board into six separate game board sections which offer almost limitless possibilities for new terrain each game.

In Bin-Fa, armies move over a landscape that is different each game. A player controls at least one but can control up to three armies per game. You can use the board sections to create inlets, peninsulas, isthmuses, lakes, and more. Adding vortex and terrain markers allows you even more control over the layout of the game board and how it will be traversed. Your ability to take advantage of the layout of the battlefield is crucial to victory and defeat.

Each army is made up of 12 Army Units, one General, and one Supply Pawn. At the start of your turn, you must decide if you are going for supplies or moving your army. On taking possession of the dice: first see if any of your Army Units are in danger and if so, respond defensively; second, see if any of your opponent's Army Units are vulnerable and, if possible, attack; third, if neither of these choices applies, go for supplies. Sun Tzu says: "Do not move without considering all the possibilities. Move always with a clear purpose."

The rules for movement of your army allow you to simulate many strategies from the ancient battlefield. Even “cavalry charges” are possible—where a unit dashes across the board to attack an enemy position. Your mission is to surround and eliminate enemy Army Units until only your Army is left, leaving you the victor.
Deals and alliances can be made in the open or in secret. But only one commander can emerge victorious: knowing when and with whom to form alliances and when to break them can sometimes determine who wins and who loses.

Game description from the publisher:

In Fortress America, the United States must defend itself from three deadly invading armies: the Asian People's Alliance from the West, the Central American Federation from the South, and the Euro-Socialist Pact from the East. Players take on either the role of the United States, struggling to protect itself from foreign threat, or the role of one or more of the invading armies, fighting battle after battle to acquire important territories.

If the invading forces claim enough U.S. cities, America's defense is broken and the nation falls. But if the United States can protect its cities for long enough, the invading forces fail to uproot America and their incursion is ended.

Fortress America is played over several rounds in which each player musters his forces, moves into enemy-controlled territories, and engages in fierce firefights. But depending on whether you're the U.S. player or one of the Invaders, your play experience and general strategy will be entirely different. The U.S. must efficiently wield its colossal lasers, the ultimate weapons of mass destruction, in its own defense. What's more, as U.S. hovertanks, helicopters, bombers, and infantry are destroyed and removed from the map, a steady supply of American guerilla fighters spring up to defend their homeland. The U.S. player is surrounded and alone, and must do his best to fend off advances on three fronts in a series of tense battles.

The Invaders, on the other hand, must remain constantly aggressive. Their objective is to collectively capture 18 of 30 major U.S. cities, and to do so, they must apply early pressure before the U.S. has a chance to react, and keep the pressure constant. To complicate the Invaders' mission, their armies do not receive additional reinforcements, so they must make optimal use of the forces at their disposal. Through a series of nail-biting battles that use a unique dice-based combat system, each player will maneuver his dwindling armies to secure his objective. But can America be stopped, or will a failed invasion only compel them to tighten their military grip on the world.

Changed in this edition:

Convenient custom dice obviate the need to consult charts during combat.
A ten-turn timer gives the U.S. player an additional path to victory: outlasting the invasion.
A "Captured City" track lets all players see, at a quick glance, how close they are to victory or defeat.
A small number of cities have been removed from the map, and others added, to create a more strategically satisfying experience.
A deck of cards for the Invader players has been added to use as a rules option.

Reimplements:

Fortress America (1986)