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Title:
Phantom Leader: Deluxe Edition
Description:
Phantom Leader: Deluxe Edition is a solitaire Vietnam War air combat strategy board game from Dan Verssen Games. Subtitled ”The Vietnam Air War Solitaire Strategy Game,” it places you in command of a US Air Force or US Navy tactical fighter squadron operating over Vietnam between 1964 and 1972. In each campaign you choose aircraft such as F-4 Phantoms, F-105 Thunderchiefs, A-4 Skyhawks, A-6 Intruders, F-8 Crusaders, F-100s, F-104s, F-5s, A-7s and supporting aircraft, arm them with appropriate weapons, and plan strike missions against a variety of targets ranging from downtown Hanoi and SA-2 missile sites to infrastructure like cement factories and bridges.
As the squadron commander you must balance military effectiveness with political constraints; hitting targets too hard can cause political backlash and pause the air offensive, while being too cautious risks losing the war. Each pilot has individual skills, experience levels and stress or fatigue, and they improve or degrade over the course of a campaign. The Deluxe Edition upgrades and expands the original Phantom Leader by increasing the card count from 165 to 330, giving all pilots six experience levels, adding new aircraft types for both the Air Force and Navy, adding more pilots, targets and special event cards, and upgrading the tactical display to a mounted 11” x 17” board. It also adds new campaigns, including scenarios for the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, Rolling Thunder, War in the South, and Linebacker, each playable with either Air Force or Navy squadrons and in different lengths (Skirmish, Conflict, or War).
The game is designed as a true solitaire wargame experience, emphasizing planning, card-driven events, and dice resolution of missions. A typical mission takes about 30 minutes to plan and play, and a full campaign strings multiple missions together as you manage resources, pilots and political pressure. This Deluxe Edition box, copyrighted 2013 and featuring cover art by Wan Chiu, includes 330 full-color cards, full-color rulebook, counter sheets, campaign sheets, a mounted tactical display, a ten-sided die and player log sheets, all focused on recreating the tense operational and political challenges of the Vietnam air war.
As the squadron commander you must balance military effectiveness with political constraints; hitting targets too hard can cause political backlash and pause the air offensive, while being too cautious risks losing the war. Each pilot has individual skills, experience levels and stress or fatigue, and they improve or degrade over the course of a campaign. The Deluxe Edition upgrades and expands the original Phantom Leader by increasing the card count from 165 to 330, giving all pilots six experience levels, adding new aircraft types for both the Air Force and Navy, adding more pilots, targets and special event cards, and upgrading the tactical display to a mounted 11” x 17” board. It also adds new campaigns, including scenarios for the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, Rolling Thunder, War in the South, and Linebacker, each playable with either Air Force or Navy squadrons and in different lengths (Skirmish, Conflict, or War).
The game is designed as a true solitaire wargame experience, emphasizing planning, card-driven events, and dice resolution of missions. A typical mission takes about 30 minutes to plan and play, and a full campaign strings multiple missions together as you manage resources, pilots and political pressure. This Deluxe Edition box, copyrighted 2013 and featuring cover art by Wan Chiu, includes 330 full-color cards, full-color rulebook, counter sheets, campaign sheets, a mounted tactical display, a ten-sided die and player log sheets, all focused on recreating the tense operational and political challenges of the Vietnam air war.
Max Number of Players:
1
Barcode:
810003560728
Category:
Strategy
War
Aviation
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Publisher:
Dan Verssen Games (DVG)
Playing Time:
30
Year Published:
2013
Designer:
Dan Verssen
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Artist:
Wan Chiu
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Suggested Ages:
12 and up
Family:
Leader Series
Complexity:
3
Game Mode:
Solo
Date Added:
2025-11-30 15:27:52
Automatic Estimated Value:
~$74.06
Automatic Estimated Date:
2026-01-13
Date Added:
2025-11-30 15:27:52
