Phantom Leader -- A Light Review

[Gerald]

I just finished an exciting campaign of Phantom Leader.  I played the medium length campaign of the War in the South, 1965 scenario.  A very exciting game that saw me bomb the roof of an Ammunition Depot in Ho Chi Minh, an AAA Site in Dong Hoi, provide Close Air Support in Quang Tri and pummel Enemy Troops in Da Nang.

The War in the South, 1965 scenario is the most basic (IMHO) and fastest playing campaign in the game, so my medium length campaign only went on for missions and I was able to finish everything (set-up to pack up) in about an hour. 

So far, Phantom Leader is proving to be a nice, quick, solitaire wargame that even I (a relative newbie) can play solidly.  The gameplay is intuitive and there is alot of planning involved before the planes take-off (which pilots to send, what type of weapons to bring, etc.), but once they do its action in every corner!  Its probably not as good as D-Day at Omaha Beach or Where There is Discord or other famous solitaire titles, but I'm glad to have it as it fills a niche in my collection (a game that I can play even on a weeknight that's only semi-fiddly once you get the hang of it, and when you're done, you still have time for the kids).  The components are also above average... and, well, who can resist the thrill of being Maverick (now where can I find my Goose)?  Thumbs up.

[Rolf]

That sounds really interesting, is this it?

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41490/phantom-leader

[Gerald]

Yup Rolf, that's it. 

[Talismanic (Mark)]

I was able to play this during the weekend. Its relatively easy to pick up so i managed to play a Short Campaign and a Medium one in succession, both were USN and both were 4 missions apiece. The USN Campaign "War in the South" is challenging even without bandits and SA-2's present in the target sites considering that you have to use 2 less aircraft per mission.

Also managing your SO points is important as they can give you Priority R&R which is a game saver, as well as use of the better weapon systems (gotta love smart-bombs). Moreover, dealing with the politics track is interesting as it limits the type of missions you can undertake thus making the decision of what the first mission is a crucial one.

Further, pilot stress is another factor that needs attention as it influences who is reasonably available for missions and what aircraft can be deployed.

Overall, I enjoyed this a lot, and I will probably play it to death in the next few weeks.