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Description
Two opponents face off across a 'battle line' and attempt to win the battle by taking 5 of 9 flags or 3 adjacent flags. Flags are decided by placing cards into 3 card poker-type hands on either side of the flag (similar to straight flush, 3 of a kind, straight, flush, etc). The side with the highest 'formation' of cards wins the flag.
This is a rethemed version of Schotten Totten with different graphics and wooden flag bits in place of the boundary stone cards. Game play is identical, except the cards run from 1 to 10 (not 9), you hold seven cards in your hand (not 6), and the rule that stones may only be claimed at the start of your turn is presented as an "advanced variant". Also the tactics cards were introduced by Battle Line; these cards were only added to later editions of Schotten-Totten.
Some have reported that the production quality of the cards is inferior to the Schotten Totten cards, however, for most readers Battle Line will be much easier to find in stores. In the second edition of GMT's Battle Line the card quality is higher.
Year Published
2000
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 10
This page: 10
Sentiment:
pos 9 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–10 of 10
Video 2YOEVwKri_o
Chairman of the Board top_10_list at 0:37 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9850 · mention_pk 29013
Click to watch at 0:37
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- tight and elegant hand-management
- clear tension between gambles and safe plays
- direct interaction and pressure to read opponents
Cons
- thematic flavor is fairly abstract for some players
- two-player suitability may limit group dynamics (though not a flaw per se)
Thematic elements
- hand-management and flag control via card poker hands
- antiquity/medieval flag skirmish
- abstract
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area_control — Win by majority control of nine flags or by controlling three adjacent flags.
- hand_management — You maintain a seven-card hand, play a card each turn, and replenish, forcing you to balance aggression and safety as information unfolds.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game puts you under a bit of pressure by forcing you sometimes to bite off more than you can chew
- this game was very much at the Forefront of these kind of lightweight eurocentric games and it did introduce me to the worker placement mechanism
- it's a timeless evergreen of a design is a simple auction style game as you're bidding for these properties having a very fixed amount of cash
- I love the master builder mechanism here
- the idea of working with my friends to overcome these scenarios was a really cool novel concept to me
- mindblown... the feeling that the initial plays of the resistance Avalon had on me
- this one opened the floodgates in terms of me wanting to explore more intricate game design
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video GIMmaM_fP-A
Adam's Board Game Wales top_10_list at 7:16 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9203 · mention_pk 27132
Click to watch at 7:16
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fast, elegant
- encourages strategic thinking
Cons
- can feel simplistic
- interaction limited
Thematic elements
- area control
- Two-player card-placement battle
- abstract, strategic
Comparison games
- Lost Cities
- Schotten-Totten
- Nautilus
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area_majority — players place cards to control adjacent spaces and score by majority.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Two-player only games tend to lend themselves to deduction games
- I could play deduction games like Mr Jack all day
- plenty of scope for new stuff
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video BpPv6huSZBg
Chairman of the Board top_10_list at 10:48 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8685 · mention_pk 25572
Click to watch at 10:48
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- modern take on poker concepts
- tight, tense head-to-head play
Cons
- requires some familiarity with poker logic
Thematic elements
- poker-meets-battlefield strategy
- military flags; duel-style combat
- clever, fast-paced
Comparison games
- Torres
- Medina
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- deck-sharing tension — A shared deck creates strategic uncertainty about the opponent's needs.
- poker-hand mechanics — Two players compare three-card poker hands to claim flags on a board.
- race to five flags or three adjacent flags — Victory comes from a compact, escalating conquest.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- my top 10 board games that are pure and trendproof
- these games have a timeless quality to them where it almost feels like they could have been played 100 years ago as well as still be played like 100 years in the future
- these games are not necessarily in order of what is more timeless and what isn't because I obviously feel like they either fit that category or they don't
- they all fit that category of feeling trendproof
- these are evergreen games that will weather the storm and stand the test of time
- Push your luck games have a timeless feel to them because… staying in one more round or dropping out and keeping what you've got is kind of a real visceral emotion
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video zJqdKED3NmM
Board Games Hitting My Table general_discussion at 13:56 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8380 · mention_pk 24683
Click to watch at 13:56
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Tight, classic feel
- Evergreen design
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Warfare/gilded flags
- Pitched battle with multi-hand poker-esque play
- Classic, tactical
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- multi-hand poker — Concurrently build multiple hands to claim flags
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- one of the coolest initiative mechanisms that I've ever seen
- this is like an essential because it is that good
- an absolute blast playing these couple of games
- the two-player card game on the market
- Mandala is absolutely smooth as silk
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video AC0OZsvhWXg
Foster the Meepolo top_10_list at 11:30 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 8303 · mention_pk 24363
Click to watch at 11:30
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Development
- Civilization
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Balance management — Develop your civilization through balancing between time, wealth and consumption
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- We love trick taking games
- This game is so much freaking fun
- I adore GMT games, they are becoming one of my favorite game publishers
- If you remember Vast Crystal Caverns is in my top five games of all time
- We bloody love it
- We can't stop playing
- It's a blimp game not a train game
- That's just work
- I don't think I want to play it
- I'll get it eventually
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video vMNtRQ43W00
Unknown Channel top_10_list at 6:51 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8189 · mention_pk 24058
Click to watch at 6:51
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- classic, lean two-player strategy
- accessible yet strategically rich
Cons
- some players may prefer more thematic weight
Thematic elements
- line-based battle with tactical cards
- historical battle field
- classic battlefield abstraction
Comparison games
- Shot on Titan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- tactic cards — special cards alter scoring and rules mid-battle
- three cards per side, line battle — play cards to form a battle line and win by majority
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's absolutely stunning on the table
- I've always got this image of Samuel Jackson in my head for some reason
- something about this game opens up in your mind it's like a light bulb comes on
- one of the most simplest games you could possibly want to play for two players
- this game has been really really popular over the last couple of years
- it's basically a carbon copy reprint of a game called shot on titan
- it's absolutely fantastic for two players
- the greatest two-player ball game ever made
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video VF2_KIaKRaI
Chairman of the Board top_10_list at 12:49 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7640 · mention_pk 22629
Click to watch at 12:49
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Tense, highly playable hand management
- Timely pressure and strong crowd-pleasing mechanics
- Many variants (Battle Line, Battle Line Medieval, etc.)
Cons
- Can feel repetitive if played too often
Thematic elements
- strategy, bluff, and resource management via card hands
- Historical warfare framing with military formations
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Bluff and tempo — Decisions about when to commit to a flag while potentially letting the opponent gain an advantage
- Poker-style hand management — Nine flags at center; form three-card hands to control flags and win
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the tension from start to finish is fantastic
- i love the plate spinning aspect
- one player is going to be the editor of the kind of free press and one person is going to be president nixon
- the split you choose mechanism as you take cards from your hand
- loads of different ways you can win this game
- the thing i love the most about this game on top of all that really cool manipulation and card play
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video mZ7RMmW4Rrs
Chairman of the Board top_10_list at 1:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7469 · mention_pk 22131
Click to watch at 1:13
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- clean, elegant design
- tight tension and decision depth
- timeless appeal
Cons
- can feel dry or dry to some players
- potential swinginess due to card draws
Thematic elements
- two-player tug-of-war themed card battle
- Ancient/battlefield context with flags to win
- abstract, clean, deduction-forward
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hand management — players form and optimize poker-like hands from a shared pool to win flags
- pattern matching — aim to build the best run or group of cards by color or number
- Tug-of-war scoring — winning a flag depends on relative strength of hands; control can swing between players
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's one of the best filler games out there. It's absolutely evergreen.
- El Grande... the best area control game of all time.
- Resistance Avalon, this was actually my number one in my top 50.
- I can't quite actually answer why I don't play Age of War as regularly as I should because whenever I do play it, I thoroughly enjoy it.
- This is actually the original version of a party game which is now called Good Critters.
- This is one of the best filler games that you will play.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 470Zk9TcmZM
Actualol top_10_list at 3:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3346 · mention_pk 9892
Click to watch at 3:42
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Quick to learn, highly replayable
- Head-to-head but low aggression
- Tension from random draws and future cards
Cons
- Luck of the draw can dominate in some runs
- Can feel binary at times
Thematic elements
- Military strategy with card play
- Ancient battlefield
- clean, abstract
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card play and poker-style hands — nine flags lined up; players try to win with strong poker hands
- set collection / hand management — manage a seven-card hand to win flags and deny opponents
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a great short one to play with your partner
- the aim is to get rid of all of your cards
- This isn't a board game there isn't a board there are no cards there are no plastic or wooden pieces
- the feeling you get from solving a case it's even better than beating pandemic
- it's such a satisfying two-player game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video IszlYvzL5TI
Board Games Hitting My Table game_review at 4:54 sentiment: positive
video_pk 111 · mention_pk 269
Click to watch at 4:54
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- classic tense hand management with a poker twist
- tight, purposeful decisions in a short playtime
Cons
- older design may feel dated to some players
- can be unforgiving if misread opponent intentions
Thematic elements
- poker-style hand management and battlefield formation
- historical battlefield card game
- tense, classic war-game vibe
Comparison games
- practical poker variant (Rhino Canitia)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hand management — manage a hand of cards to form line-ups and win battles
- poker-style bluff/strength comparison — cards form strength in a classic, minimalist war-simulation
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's such a wonderfully implemented tug-of-war game, and I love the way you do not have to focus 100% on the tug-of-war
- the replayability and just the elegance of this brilliant dice-driven Euro
- this is Mandala, the original one here
- it's so quick and it's just a delight to play
- Captain Flip, evergreen family style game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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