Battle Line
To win you capture any five flags or three adjacent flags (breakthrough). Setup by placing the 9 flags in a line so there is adequate room for cards to be placed next to each one. Shuffle the troop cards and the ten tactic cards and place in separate piles to draw from. Each flag is fought for across the battle line with a maximum of 3 cards on each side of a flag.
Play the most powerful formations to defeat the other side and capture the flag. Wedge (cards need not be play in consecutive order) is the most powerful formation, 2nd most powerful is a Phalanx, 3rd is Battalion, 4th is Skirmish, and the 5th and weakest formation is HOST.
If there were two battalions fighting the one with the highest sum wins. If there were two Phalanxs 5,5,5 and 5,5,5 for instance then the player to add the last 5 to his Phalanx is defeated.
Both players are dealt seven troop cards each to start.
On a your turn you must play a troop card or tactic card, claim any flags if possible and then draw either a tactic or troop card to replenish your hand back up to seven.
Bottom player played a tactic card DESERTER (pick an any opponet's troop or tactic card and discard it on their side face up) to remove the 2 orange card to wipe out the possible formation of a Wedge (1,2,3 orange) see top right. Now bottom player plays 6 yellow to form a Phalanx (3 of a kind) which defeats the top player's Battalion (3 of same color).
Now bottom player can claim the flag and puts it on his side. Before claiming a flag you must prove the other player can't still beat your formation. Explanation below.
Bottom player claims flag in middle with his Phalanx (3 of a kind). Why? The top player has a 1 and 3 blue. The 2 blue is already played on the top left. Thus it's impossible to form a Wedge (straight flush). Best formation possible would be a Battalion (3 of same color) which is defeated by a Phalanx. Only way would be a tactic card Alexander (choose any value and color). But since a tactic card can't prevent a flag from being claimed it's best to claim it right away.
Bottom player claims another flag with a Battalion (3 of same color - 10, 9, 7 yellow) which defeats the top players Host (3 of any - 8 blue, 9 and 10 green).
Bottom player wins by claiming three adjacent flags (breakthrough). Plays Alexander tactic card (choose any color and any value...say 9 green) and forms a Phalanx which is up against another Phalanx but since (9+9+9 is greater than 5+5+5) the bottom player claims the flag for victory.
You can have as many tactic cards in your hand as you wish but may ONLY play one more tactic card than your opponent. So if you play one tactic card you must wait till your opponent plays a tactic card otherwise you'll be stuck playing only one tactic card.
Updated Nov 8, 2005
