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The Third World War: Designer Signature Edition
- 1–8 players
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Phase Line Smash
1992
Rules assistance for Phase Line Smash
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1 player
- 90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 4.3/5
Rules assistant for Phase Line Smash
For 1 player
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Phase Line Smash is a board game released in 1992 for 1 player, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Frank Chadwick and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
A solitaire game based on the Gulf War. While the Iraqi unit's reactions are programmed, it is still possible to lose by taking careless chances that cause an excessive amount of friendly casualties. To win, you must do as well as the actual campaign. What makes this difficult is the need to explicitly manage the flow of supplies to allied combat units. The difficulty of the game adds to its play and replay value. Phase Line Smash handles a number of aspects of the Gulf War in a realistic and sensitive manner. Fratricide is one such issue that is included in the game mechanics and discussed in the historical notes included with the game. The game box is rather heavy because of the historical notes included with the game. Other extras include optional rules for up to eleven players. This adds the complexity of having to coordinate with other players for use of limited supply routes and coordinating attacks.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Game Designers' Workshop (GDW Games)
Questions and answers
Phase Line Smash supports 1 player 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 Phase Line Smash is 90 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 Phase Line Smash 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.
Phase Line Smash has a complexity rating of 4.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
Phase Line Smash belongs to these categories: Wargame and Modern Warfare. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid. 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 Phase Line Smash are: Frank Chadwick. 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 Phase Line Smash 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.