Fortress America Question

[Pacific War]

Hey guys, I have a question for you.  I bought FA back in 1986 when it was new and played it many times over the years.  I recently bought the new edition figuring that I’d try it out.  While reading through the new manual I was struck by the fact that it seems you CAN move into vacant enemy city territories with only helicopters during Action Sequence 6 “Invasion” (originally simply called “second movement”) so long as the city territory in question:

• Was declared for battle during step 2.

• Is now vacant of enemy units of course.

• Is not a declared territory in which a battle occurred and only the attacker’s bombers survived.

In effect, you CAN capture a city using just helicopters that have moved in during “Invasion” movement.

I thought for sure that you had to move in either foot an/or mechanized units as well…at least that’s how we always played.  So, I went back to my old '86 manual and thumbed through it.  To my amazement, I couldn’t find anything stating that foot and/or mechanized units had to be present in order to move into an empty and declared enemy city territory during second movement!  Have I been playing the game wrong for over 20 years??  Or am I just missing the rule?

[hkytown1]

We had the same question when we played.  We agreed that this was a new rule for helicopters in the new version.  I haven’t played 1986 FA in about 10 years but I don’t remember taking city’s with helos.

[Hobbes]

Why would you use a single helo to take a city? Unless there’s a laser there, you’d be risking the losing the unit to an US counterattack and by retaking the city the US player draws an additional partisan card.

[Linkon]

I recall a long ago game of FA…

We as invaders used single units to take certain cities, that set up easy counter attacks, which gave then US player more partisan cards.

The martial law part of the game where you have to keep forces in each captured city was also a major burn on us since our offensives would usually wear off as we reached the interior to get the laser towers.  single units in the back cities would get picked off by a laser, which starts an automatic uprising and partisan card reinforcements.

Invader losses permanent, while the US player recycles losses from the box via the partisan cards. 
Invaders usu face rising tide of USA forces by turn 7 or 8 as their forces are exhausted.

Maybe we read the rules wrong back then , but my group gave up after 3 games of FA and decided AA was not so tilted.

[hkytown1]

That’s true.  The supply lines also make it difficult for the invader but challanging non the less.  Linkon, you played a rough game if you went into turns 7 and 8, the game is supposed to end after the 6th turn. :-D