Off the Line - Man-to-Man Combat During World War II: Fortress Europe

From Blue Panther:

Off the Line is a 1-2 player strategy game set during World War II. From Mike Nagel, the creator of Dawn of Battle.

At the beginning of an operation, the commanding officer determines the point from which the mission will begin. This is referred to as the line of departure. In this game, players discover what happens once the soldiers under their command move ... Off the Line.

Off the Line is a wargame of low-to-moderate complexity that depicts man-to-man combat during World War II. Each combat unit represents a single soldier. Games are won through the completion of mission objectives such as the control of locations on the map board, exiting soldiers from the map through specific points, or the simple elimination of enemy soldiers. Although players are open to maneuver their forces as they wish, they’ll soon find that traditional tactics for units at the game’s scale are the best bet to achieve goals and to keep their forces intact.

Game play is managed through the use of a shared deck of action cards, each of which is used to determine how many soldiers might be activated during a turn, the resolution of random outcomes such as combat and morale checks, as well as random events. Being able to manage limited resources is a key to victory.

The twelve double-sided maps (one side depicts warm weather while the other depicts winter conditions) are geomorphic, allowing the configuration of hundreds of different terrain combinations.

Each soldier is individually named and rated for morale (which determines a soldier’s effectiveness under fire), melee, weapon, and in some instances, command. Terrain is represented through the use of twelve geomorphic map panels that can create hundreds of different battlefield configurations.

Also included with the game is a solitaire assistance system that allows players to play a challenging game without the availability of a human opponent.

This volume, Fortress Europe, includes soldiers from the United States and Germany facing off through twelve individual scenarios, plus instructions on how to define your own battles. Plans are in place to add additional nationalities, more maps, and lots more scenarios!

Are you ready to lead your squad to victory? Now’s your chance to find out after stepping Off the Line!

Players: 1-2

Time to Play: 2-3 hours

Age Range: 14 and up

Components:

264 Counters

12 Double-Sided Map (11 x 17" inch)

1 Rule Book

3 Player Aid Cards

6 Double-Sided Scenario Cards

120 Action Cards

(C) 2025 by Mike Nagel and Relative Range.

Printed under license by Blue Panther LLC.