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Battle Line
2007 reprint edition.
From the publisher's website:
Ancient Battles were fought in organized formations. The leaders of both sides directed their forces along the battle line to gain tactical advantage in order to overwhelm their opponent in the center, breakthrough one of his flanks, or hold their position until the time came for a decisive move. How will you muster your battle line? Your objective is to create powerful formations on your side of the nine Flags, in order to beat the formations on your opponent's side of the respective Flags. The first player to win three adjacent Flags (a Breakthrough) or any five Flags (an Envelopment) achieves victory. Based on Reiner Knizia's original design published in Germany as Schotten-Totten, Battle Line enhances and expands the game system to give players more tactical options and fun.
Battle Line is a two-player card game built around the theme of warfare during the age of Alexander the Great. Battle Line features 60 full-color Rodger MacGowan/Mark Simonitch cards depicting the prominent formations of the period (War Elephants, Heavy Cavalry, Phalanx, etc.) and 10 full-color tactics "wildcards" that give players extra flexibility and choices and help make each new battle wildly different from the last. Battle Line takes about 30 minutes to play. To win, you must create powerful formations along your side of the line of battle that are superior to those of your enemy. Victory goes to the player who wins 5 of the 9 battle flags (an envelopment) or three adjacent flags (a breakthrough). Based on Reiner Knizia's original design published in Germany as Shotten-Totten, Battle Line enhances and expands that game system to give players even more tactical options and gut-wrenching decisions. How will you muster your battle line? Will you use your elephants to trample a hole in the enemy front, or send Alexander to the front to win a critical flag? Maybe you'll dispatch the Companion cavalry to lead or reinforce a crucial point in the line, or perhaps you"ll rely on your spies to determine the enemy"s strengths and weaknesses before committing your best forces. You'll always have plenty of choices. With every card play, you'll determine the strength and direction of your attack while plotting to fend off your enemy's advances. In Battle Line, you and your opponent lead the combined arms of the greatest units of the era. Will you, like Alexander, reign supreme? Play Battle Line, and find out.
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Average Score
9.25
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9 "Great Light Strategy" by Alex
Battle Line is great. It is one of the few games
I've played with all types of people. This game
plays quickly after an introduction round.
The base idea (laying of the cards and scoring
poker hands) is easy to grasp for anyone. The
additional "Tactics" Cards add a certain flavour
of uncertainty to the game, which may not be for
sore losers :). While these tactics cards can sway
the outcome of a game, they are not as overpowered
as they first appear to be.
Overall, this game is great. It plays between 15 -
30 minutes and suites all types of players. Great
for Camping,Travelling trips.
9.5 "The Best Card Game of All Time!" by Andrew MacLeod
So (supposedly) the ancient Greeks and Persians
are duking it out in Battle Line. But, it's quite
possible you'll never actually know which side you
are in this very lightly themed game. But who
cares? Battle Line is fantastic, just as a game!
You're playing cards in order to claim flags, by
making ancient tactical formations with them
(i.e., poker-like hands!). Now I hate poker with a
passion, but Battle Line has tactical cards thrown
in, which can suddenly transform hands, add wild
cards out of the blue, remove cards from the
table, and just generally cause chaos. HOWEVER, a
player can only play a maximum of one more
tactical card than what his or her opponent has
played. This adds a considerable amount of
uncertainty (and frustration) into your plans,
which makes the tension level quite exquisite.
It's very frustrating to be sitting there, sensing
victory, because of that beautiful tactics card in
your hand....and yet you can't play it, since your
opponent is refusing to play any tactics! And when
he or she does, you suddenly find yourself snookered!
Many people have compared this game with Lost
Cities and/or Balloon Cup, but (strangely enough)
what it reminds me of the most is a MUCH shorter
and much simpler version of Twilight Struggle! If
you're familiar with TS, equate troop cards with
ops points, and tactical cards with events. And,
apart from the fact that you don't have to worry
about Battle Line abruptly ending in a nuclear
conflagration, the tension level is about equal.
"What does he got in his hand? Why isn't he
playing that yet? Should I just play my elephants
card, and stomp all over him....or can he REALLY
create a wedge?" A very tense and frustrating
delight! Rare have been the lightly themed games
that I have fallen madly in love with, but Battle
Line takes the prize!
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