On Friday night, 6/18, we played a game of Invasion: America (SPI). Invasion: America is an all time favorite of mine and as it happens, Walt Brewer's as well. Walt is the fellow in the white shirt below with his back to the gaming cabinets and his arms spread as if he's claiming the entire map as belonging to him and him alone.

The 3 invading powers set up first in their respective boxes and then the US/Can forces set up. Walt is in the process of setting up above. The US/Canadian forces were played by Walt. Rand McGlaughlin (pictured to the right above) played the SAU. Steve Bucey played the PAL, and I was the ESC player.

Unfortunately for Walt (who taught me this trick), the US left Norfolk open and unprotected.

The way this works is that the US player has fortified the beach hexes, but left a port alone. The invader transports sail into the port that's open, and sit there. They can't use the port because they don't hold it. But there's nothing to prevent the invader's transports from idly waiting for the port to be captured, because the moment the port is occupied, it can be used. 

The far left flank where the blue units are, happens to be a pair of beach invasion hexes. The 8-6 armored unit is pictured in Norfolk proper. In the invasion, the defending US units were eliminated and the armored unit was able to move in the mechanized movement phase to occupy the port. The moment the port is occupied, the transports can offload the mechanized units sitting in their holds. 

With a second smaller invasion up on the coast outside Philadelphia, the ESC forces project a deep beachhead where the US/Can forces are not in a position to counter attack on turn 1, pretty much guaranteeing a deep incursion. The US/Can player has essentially already lost the east coast, with the ESC spearhead pointed already at the Midwest. By the time the second ESC invasion comes (probably around turn 3), the US/Can forces will be tied up so heavily that the flanking attack will break any new line.

Meanwhile the SAU has made a reasonable advance up Mexico, though certainly one the US/Can forces could assail had the blunder on the east coast not happened. The PAL forces landed near Seattle but made little if any headway.