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sean johnson
United States
avon
Indiana
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Battle Line was one of the first games that helped us tip-toe into gaming. We borrowed the game from a "retired" wargamer. We played it some and liked it. Then after I went to Gen Con the first time in 2008, we really started to get into board games. Early in 2009, we placed our first big game order (of course we went up to the amount needed for free shipping). We included Battle Line in that order. Is Battle Line a game that we have moved on from or is it one we still enjoy?
Game Overview
Battle Line is a 2 player game played with a deck of 60 cards. In this deck there are six different colors with cards numbering one through ten. There are nine markers (I think the game calls them "flags"). On a player's turn they play one card from their hand at one of the nine flags. A player can only play three cards total at each flag. The goal is to play a stronger formation than the opponent. The strongest formation is three cards in numerical order and of the same color. Second strongest is three of the same number, then cards of the same color, next is cards in numerical order of different color, and finally cards with no real relation to each other. When a player's formation will clearly beat another player's formation then they claim the flag. There are optional tactics cards that can be used that have various abilities. If one player plays a tactics card, they can not play another one until after their opponent plays one. The game ends when one player captures three flags in a row or five flags total.
The Game We Played
We did not play with the tactics cards. I started off with a bad starting hand. My wife got off to a better start and she fairly quickly claimed two flags by getting the strongest formations (numerical order, same color). In both instances I had a low valued card (3 and 4 respectively), and the formation my wife played ended in a higher number than my potential formation could reach (6 and 7 respectively). These two flags she claimed had one flag in the middle. At that middle flag I played the Orange, 7-8-9. The game went on and I managed to get a flag. Then at the flag between the two she already had my wife managed to get the purple 8 and 9. This meant that if she drew the purple 10 she would win because she had three flags in a row. I managed to have two good turns in a row, where I captured back to back flags. One of these flags was at a place where my wife had not yet played anything but I won it because I played a red 10-9-8, which meant nothing could get higher. This put the flag count at 3-2. However, she could not draw the purple 10 and had to sacrifice one of her formations by dumping cards into there. This put her into a position where she only had a couple of places to play cards, and all she could do was dump another card and hope to draw the purple 10. It did not happen, and I was able to claim my last two flags.
Our Thoughts
My Rating: 4 (like it)
My Thoughts: Battle Line is a fantastic tactical game. Just about every turn offers an interesting decision or is the pay off to a previous decision. The draw of a new card always offers a moment of tenseness, in hopes to drawing that perfect card. The game plays very quickly and really lends itself to that "just one more" feeling.
Her Rating: 4 (like it)
Her Thoughts: As long as we do not play with the tactics cards, I like it.
Verdict
Combined Rating: 8
After we first got this game, we did not play it a lot because my wife really disliked the tactics cards. It sat on the shelf for a long while. When we brought it out again, we played without the tactic cards and the game really clicked. We like this game, and when we want a quick game it has been a go to game for us. It will probably continue to be so.
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