Subject: Fw: Knizia's Battle Line from GMT Rich Shipley wrote in message news:<398C7E03.9C1A5165@rtgames.com>... I picked up Battle Line at WBC and it is pretty neat two player game. It includes a deck of 70 cards (60 troop and 10 tactics cards) and nine pawns in a Titan: The Arena sized box for $20. The troop cards are 1-10 in six colors with pictures of ancient troops (peltasts, phalangists, elephants, etc.) on them. You line the pawns (flags) up between the players and play in either side of them. Players play one card a turn on their side and replace the card from either draw pile (troops or tactics cards). You can play three cards on your side of each flag to create a formation. Formations are equivalent to mini poker hands and are ranked like this: Wedge (straight flush) Phalanx (three of a kind) Battalion Order (flush) Skirmish Line (straight) Host (other) Flags are captured when there are three cards on each side or three cards on one side and there is no way for the other side to beat it based on the cards played on other flags. Tactics cards come in three varieties: Morale cards that act as wild cards, Environment cards that change the rules for capturing flags, and Guile cards that allow manipulating cards in play or in the draw decks. You can only play one more tactics card that your opponent has played. The game is won when one player captures 3 flags in a row (breakthrough) or any 5 flags (envelopment). The decisions to be made are difficult because you must play a card to your side each turn. Both players jockey for position for various flags trying to figure out what the other player is going for. The dual winning conditions allow for a comeback victory. I find that Battle Line is a bit like an "Advanced Lost Cities" with more head-to-head conflict and no tedious score figuring at the end. I'm not sure I'll be pulling Lost Cities out as much with this one around. Very nice game. Rich Subject: Fw: Knizia's Battle Line from GMT Larry Welborn wrote in message news:<398C8D12.9DFFEC7E@NOThome.com>... > Joe Schlimgen wrote: > > On Sat, 05 Aug 2000 20:51:35 GMT, Rich Shipley > wrote: > > >I picked up Battle Line at WBC and it is pretty neat two player game. > > [detailed description of game snipped] > > Sounds like Schotten-Totten with a different theme and a few extra > rules. Kind of like what was done to Grand National Derby to make > Titan: The Arena. > Joe, You are correct. Battle Line is based on Schotten-Totten. Larry -- Note: To Reply remove "Not" from the e-mail address