
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,890
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Hamburger Hill
- 2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 1990

1990
Rules assistance for Operation Solace
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Operation Solace is a board game released in 1990 for 2 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Ty Bomba, Chris Perello, and James Meldrum and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Grid Movement.
"Operation Solace is a 'what-if' game based on the preliminary Pentagon plans drawn up for a large raid (2-3 divisions) into the Hanoi area of North Vietnam in 1971. The objective of the operation was to have been the liberation of all the POWs being held in that area and the capture of as many North Vietnamese government officials as possible. These latter were then to be traded for any POWs still held." Scale: 6 mile hexes, one day turns, units vary from company sized task forces to full divisions. --- Published in Command magazine issue 5 with Hamburger Hill.
Operation Solace supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Operation Solace is 120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Operation Solace for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Operation Solace has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Operation Solace belongs to these categories: Wargame and Vietnam War. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Grid Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Operation Solace are: Ty Bomba, Chris Perello, and James Meldrum. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Operation Solace as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.