It arrived in the mail yesterday.

It was an elaborate game; the box, board, and pieces even more so than the rules. Once you got the hang of it, it’s rather very simple. The rules: Protect Homebase. Destroy all else.

As I do in every game, I chose my address for Homebase and picked my usual battery of characters; engineers, soldiers, scientists, and marines. I used my first move to occupy Seattle, WA. They didn’t have a chance. It was almost as though that player hadn’t setup yet.

Once I had overtaken Seattle, I set my pieces on the board; two engineers – to rebuild.

Next, I moved down the Pacific coast and claimed Oregon and Northern California; again, they made no stand against me. They simply dissolved beneath my invading power. It wasn’t long before I had taken the whole Western US.

After that, I ran into a bit of a snag – skip a turn.

That was when things got strange.

It started as a low rumble in the distance. Before long, the sound had begun shaking picture frames and trophies off my walls. I ran to my window to see the Brown’s dog blown out of the yard. With Yappers went the white picket fence Mr. Brown and my dad built last summer to separate their gardenias from our roses. Neither rose nor gardenia remained.

As I stared out my window, I saw the Howitzer bulldozing down my suburban street. It brought with it a fleet of bombers overhead and a marching army behind.

That was when the Sergeant burst trough the door.

He reached down and lifted a single card from the board game’s  surface. Without saying a word, he handed it to me.

It read, “Homebase is under attack!”