Starts disguised as Infantry. Assassinates Commander from adjacent square (incl. diagonal). Moves 2 squares. Dies to any combat unit.
RULES
Rules
Examples
Overview
Front Lines is a simultaneous turn-based strategy game on an 8x10 grid. Two players deploy armies and take turns planning 3 actions each. Both players' actions resolve at the same time.
Combat Triangle
same type → both destroyed 1-for-1
All combat resolves simultaneously. Advantaged type destroys the disadvantaged type in equal numbers. Superior numbers can overcome type disadvantage — extra units survive. Same type cancels 1-for-1.
Commander Kill — Destroy the enemy Commander with any combat unit, or assassinate with Recon from an adjacent square (including diagonal).
Infantry Wipe — Eliminate all enemy Infantry (on board + spawn pool = 0).
Territory Hold — Hold more center squares than the enemy for 5 consecutive turns.
Turns & Actions
Each turn, both players simultaneously plan 3 actions (move or spawn). Actions resolve one step at a time. Units meeting enemies on the same square trigger combat.
Mobility
A unit can move forward (toward enemy) multiple times per turn, but can only move backward (toward own base) once per turn. Retreating is costly!
Spawning
Spend 1 action to spawn a reinforcement unit from your reserve pool on your back two rows. Reserve pool: 1 Armor, 2 Anti-Tank, 1 Recon.
Stacking
Up to 2 friendly combat units (Infantry, Armor, Anti-Tank) of different types can share a cell. Recon and Commander must always occupy a cell alone (no stacking).
Fog of War
The enemy back row is hidden. Recon units reveal hidden squares within Manhattan distance 3.
Special Units
Commander — Killed instantly by any combat unit. Losing your Commander means defeat.
Recon — Moves 2 squares. Killed by any combat unit. Reveals enemy backline. Recon vs Recon: both die. Assassinates the enemy Commander from any adjacent square (including diagonal).
Commander Skills
Click your Commander to access powerful one-use abilities. Each skill can only be used once per game. Skills resolve after all movement and combat.
Airstrike — Destroys all units on a target square. Can target your own half and up to 2 rows into enemy territory (center columns only).
Reinforce — Drops 1 Infantry onto a target square by helicopter. Same targeting range as Airstrike.
Land Mine — Places a hidden mine on a square. When any unit steps on it, all units on that cell are destroyed. The mine is invisible to the enemy.
Recon Disguise
Recon units start disguised — they appear as Infantry to the enemy. Moving more than 1 square reveals their true identity.
Timers
Online — Deployment: 2 minutes. Planning: 45 seconds per round. Hot-Seat — Deployment: 2 minutes. Planning: 60 seconds per round. If time runs out, your current actions are auto-submitted.
Draw Conditions
The game ends in a draw if: only Commanders remain with no spawns left, the same board position repeats 3 times, or 10 turns pass with no casualties.
Watch short scenarios showing how the game plays out.
Infantry
Armor
Anti-Tank
Recon
Commander