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Battle Line Game Rules
I want to talk about the rules of the Battle Line game. This game is a two-player strategy card game that involves skill and tactics. It’s not like any other card game you’ve played before. Let me explain how it works.
First, let’s talk about the objective of the game. The goal is to create powerful formations, called battle lines, using cards from your hand. You and your opponent take turns drawing cards, playing cards, and trying to outwit each other.
Each card in the game represents a unit from different military divisions. There are nine different divisions, each with its own unique abilities and strengths. For example, the Archers are great at long-range attacks, while the Elephants excel in brute force.
To create a battle line, you need to play cards from the same division, in ascending order, from left to right. The more cards you have in a battle line, the stronger it becomes. However, there is a catch! Each battle line can only have a maximum of three cards.
Now, this is where the real strategy comes into play. You can play cards in an attempt to capture flags, which are placed in the middle of the play area. Flags represent different regions that you are fighting to control. The player who controls the majority of flags in a region wins that region.
To capture a flag, you need to have a stronger battle line in that region than your opponent. The strength of a battle line is determined by the combination of the number and rank of the cards. However, your opponent can play cards to challenge your battle line and take control of the flags.
But don’t worry, you have some tricks up your sleeve as well. You can use tactic cards to turn the tides of battle in your favor. These cards allow you to manipulate the cards on the battlefield, gain advantages, or disrupt your opponent’s plans.
The game continues until one player has captured enough flags to win the game. It’s a constant back-and-forth battle of wits, where strategy and decision-making are crucial.
So, are you ready to embark on this epic strategic journey? With its unique mechanics and intense competition, Battle Line offers a gaming experience like no other. Gather your cards, come up with the perfect strategy, and prove your tactical prowess on the battlefield!
Ancient battles were intense clashes between organized armies. The commanding officers strategically positioned their troops on the battlefield, aiming to gain the upper hand. They could choose to overpower the enemy in the center, break through one of the flanks, or hold their ground until the perfect moment for a game-changing maneuver. How will you assemble your forces and plan your battle line?
The Elements
- A total of 60 Troop cards are available, each painted with one of six colors and bearing a value from 1 to 10. The colors and corresponding ranks are:
- 10 = Elephants
- 9 = Chariots
- 8 = Heavy Cavalry
- 7 = Light Cavalry
- 6 = Hypaspists
- 5 = Phalangists
- 4 = Hoplites
- 3 = Javelineers
- 2 = Peltasts
- 1 = Skirmishers
Getting Ready
To start the game, I need to arrange the nine Flags in a straight line between you and me. We should then shuffle the Troop deck and each draw a card. The player with the highest card will become the dealer and distribute seven Troop cards to each of us.
The leftover Troop cards will be placed face-down to form a deck at one end of the battle line. At the other end, we will shuffle the ten Tactics cards and create another face-down deck.
The Game’s Objective
I have one goal in this game: I want to create strong formations on my side of the Flags to defeat the formations on my opponent’s side of the Flags. It’s all about strategy and outsmarting my opponent. The first person to win three adjacent Flags, or any five Flags in total, will be the winner. It’s all about achieving Breakthrough or Envelopment.
How to Play
Here’s how the game works: first, the person who is not dealing the cards takes the first turn. After that, the turns alternate between players. On my turn, I get to choose one card from my hand. It can be either a Troop card or a Tactics card. I place the selected card face up on my side of the battle line.
Once my turn is over, I draw one card from either deck to refresh my hand. This way, I always have seven cards in my hand. But beware! When both decks run out of cards, you can’t draw any more. The game continues until someone wins.
In order to win the Flags, I need to play my Troop cards in formations adjacent to them. And to make things more interesting, I can use Tactics cards to influence these formations.
Troop Cards
When you play the game, you have the choice to pick one of your Troop cards and put it face up by a Flag on your side of the line. There are three different spots for cards next to each Flag.
During the game, you can put a total of three Troop cards next to each Flag. This lets you make formations. It doesn’t matter what order you play the cards in. If you run out of space, you can place new cards on top of the ones you already played at the same Flag.
When you can’t play any Troop card, you have two options: you can pass or play a Tactics card on your turn. But even if you pass, your opponent still gets to play until the game is over.
There are two situations where this might happen: either you’ve filled all the slots on your side of the battle line, or you only have Tactics cards in your hand.
Formations
The formations, ranked from highest to lowest, are:
- Wedge: Three cards of the same color with consecutive values.
- Phalanx: Three cards of the same value.
- Battalion Order: Three cards of the same color.
Let’s talk about the different formations in the game of Battle Line. There are two main types of formations: Skirmish Line and Host.
- Skirmish Line: This formation consists of three cards with consecutive values. Take a look at the image below:
- Host: Any other formation falls into this category. Check out the image below for an example:
When comparing two formations in the same category, the formation with the highest sum of all three card values wins. For example, if you have a Skirmish Line with a total value of 15, and your opponent has a Skirmish Line with a total value of 12, your formation is considered higher.
Let me give you another example. This Red Battahon 
can beat this Blue Battalion 
. If the sums of the formations are equal, then they are tied, and you can refer to the Flags section for how ties are resolved.
This game of mine is just as good as that game over there.
Flags
Before I draw my card from the deck, I can claim one or more Flags. But there’s a catch – I need to have a set of three cards on my side of the Flag, and I have to prove that the Troop cards on the opponent’s side won’t defeat my formation.
If the opponent also has three cards on their side, it’s pretty clear. But if they have less than three cards, I need to show that they won’t be able to create a winning formation, no matter what Troop cards they try to play.
When it comes to playing Battle Line, it’s important to remember that you can use the open information from the layout to determine which cards are no longer available. You can’t use any information from your own hand, though. Keep in mind that unplayed Tactics cards can’t be used to prevent a Flag claim.
If the formations on either side of a Flag are tied or could be tied, then the player who played (or would play) the last card into the formations loses the Flag. On the next turn, their opponent can claim it as their own.
- This Wedge beats this Phalanx to claim the Flag.
- This Phalanx
beats 
to claim the Flag.
When I play this , it can defeat this 
and capture the Flag, but only if the Blue 7 and Blue 10 have also been played.
If I manage to capture a Flag, I get to keep it and move it to my side. Once the Flag is on my side, neither of us can play any more cards next to it or use any Tactics cards on those cards.
Tactics Cards
Did you know that there are ten Tactics cards? They are pretty cool! Tactics cards are used instead of Troop cards to change up the formations. In the game, you can have as many Tactics cards as you want, but you can only hold up to seven in your hand. The rule is, you can’t play more Tactics cards than your opponent has played.
Now, let me tell you about the different types of Tactics cards. There are three categories they belong to, and the first one is Morale Tactics.
1. Morale Tactics
Morale Tactics are tricky cards that you can play just like Troop cards. They have special functions, and they can be really powerful. Let me explain one type called Leader cards. There are two Leader cards, Alexander and Darius. These leaders are like wild cards, meaning they can be any color or value you want! So, let’s say you have a Blue 8 in your layout. When the Flag is resolved, you can decide if the Blue 8 is actually an Alexander or a Darius. Pretty cool, right?
When you include a Leader, you have the choice of including a Blue 6, 7, 9, or 10 to create a Wedge, or an 8 to form a Phalanx. You can only have one Leader on your side of the battle line. If you draw a second Leader, you can’t play it until the game is over. 
I Am Your Loyal Companion Cavalry: Hey there! I’m a special card called the Companion Cavalry. You can think of me as a Troop card with a value of 8. The interesting thing about me is that I don’t have a fixed color. Instead, my color will be determined when the Flag is resolved.
When playing the Shield Bearers card, you treat it like any other Troop card. The difference is that when the Flag is resolved, you need to choose the color and value of the Shield Bearers card, making sure that the value is not larger than 3.
2. Environment Tactics
With Environment Tactics cards, you play them facing up on your side of an unclaimed Flag. Make sure there is enough space for the Troop cards to be placed next to the Flag.
Once you play the Tactics cards, they will stay in that position until the end of the game.
-
Fog: I’m here to tell you about the mysterious and captivating Fog card. This card has the power to render all formations useless, as if they were lost in a dense fog. It completely changes the game! Instead of using formations to determine the victor, the outcome is determined solely by comparing the total value of cards on each side. It adds an exciting element of uncertainty and keeps players on their toes. So, if you’re ready for a challenge, give the Fog card a try!
Mud: There are now four cards on each side to support the claim for this Flag, which means we have to come up with new strategies. Creating a Wedge or Phalanx formation has become especially challenging.
3. Clever Tricks
I play these cards face up on my own side, right next to the deck of Tactics cards. It’s important that all the cards I play there are clearly visible and stay there until the game ends.
-
Scout: When I scout, I get to draw three cards. Then, I have to make a tough decision. I can choose any two cards from my hand and place them face down on top of the deck or decks they came from. It’s like I’m sending them on a secret mission. So, in a way, I’m reshuffling my deck and potentially setting up a surprise for later. It’s a risky move, but it might just work in my favor.
Redeploy: You can choose any Troop or Tactics card from your side that is next to an unclaimed Flag. You have two choices: You can place the chosen card face up into another available slot, or you can discard it face up next to the Tactics card deck on your side. Just make sure you don’t cover any other discard when you do this.
Hey there! Let’s talk about a cool game move called “Deserter.”
So, here’s how it works: during a game, when I play the Deserter move, I have the power to choose any Troop or Tactics card that’s next to an unclaimed Flag on my opponent’s side. Then, I take that chosen card and put it face up next to the Tactics card deck on their side. But, hey, I can’t cover up any other cards that are already there!
What does this all mean? Well, basically, I get to snatch an opponent’s card and give it right back to them, but in a different spot. It’s kinda like a sneaky strategy to mess with their plans and change things up a bit.
So, when I’m playing this move, I gotta be careful which card I choose. It’s like a fun puzzle that I’m trying to solve. I need to think about what card will have the biggest impact when it’s sitting next to the Tactics card deck. Will it help me? Will it hurt my opponent? The choice is all mine!
Now that you know all about “Deserter,” go ahead and give it a try. It’s a cool move that can really shake things up in the game!
Hey there! Let me tell you about a cool game called “Traitor.” In this game, you have the power to make sneak moves and outsmart your opponent. One of the tricks you can use is called the “Traitor” move.
So, here’s how it works: you get to choose any Troop card from your opponent’s side next to an unclaimed Flag, and you can put it into an empty slot on your own side. Pretty sneaky, right?
End of the Game
The game ends when one player successfully claims three Flags that are next to each other, or when they claim any five Flags. Once that happens, the game is over and the player who achieved this wins! At that point, no other Flags can be claimed.
If you play multiple games, the winner always scores five points, while the loser scores points based on the number of Flags they have claimed.
And, guess what? The winner gets to start the next game! How exciting is that?