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Hard Line

If you already know the game and require support, you'll find the answers right here. If you have a question that is not answered here, please use the "contact" link above to ask us.

HARD LINE HELP TOPICS:

I have a question about the rules

I would like some advice about strategy and tactics

Game Variations

I have lost my copy of the rules

Quick Help

  I have a question about the rules

These are the answers to the questions we are most frequently asked by Hard Line players.

* The game is best played with two people. It is possible to involve more people by dividing into two teams or by taking individual turns.

* Some people presume that one player should use the black dice and the other white - this is not so. You can play any color at any time.

I would like some advice about strategy and tactics

Here are the tips that players have found most helpful:

* As a general rule you are much more likely to win if you play aggressively (as opposed to playing defensively).

* Keep a close eye on the numbers towards the end of the game - there is often a shortage of a certain kind of number and you can use this knowledge to set a trap for your opponent

* A popular strategy is to set up a trap involving lines of all one color and "matching color" lines. This can be very effective if planned well but can backfire on you if you don't think it through properly beforehand!

I have lost my copy of the rules

Here are the full rules for Hard Line:

Deciding who will start:
Each player rolls a die, the person with the higher score starts.

Playing:
Roll all of the dice at once and leave them beside the board. (None of the dice will be rolled again during the game).

Players take turns to choose a single dice (of either color) from the pile and place it on an empty space on the board. You may not change the number shown on the top face of the dice and once a dice has been placed on the board, it cannot be moved. The objective is to create a winning line of four dice in a row, (horizontally, vertically or diagonally). The first player to do so wins.

The following are winning lines:
"Odds & Evens": Four odd numbers in a row or four even numbers in a row.
"Straights": Four numbers in a row that make a straight (i.e. 1,2,3,4 or 2,3,4,5 or 3,4,5,6)
"Simple Colors": Four black dice in a row or four white dice in a row.
"Matching Colors": Four dice in a row, each matching the color of the space on the board that it occupies.
(The winning lines are also shown graphically in the corners of the board).

 Game Variations:

The most common requests for game variations relate to making the game accessible for younger children.

There are several ways to simplify the game, we recommend that you start real simple, then introduce various elements when you feel ready. Here's a suggested route, disregard everything you have read about the winning lines and....

Start by saying so that a winning line is a line of black dice or a line of white dice. Disregard everything else.

When this has been mastered, introduce an additional winning line combination: That you can make a winning line by having four dice in a row where each dice matches that color of the space that it is on.

Once this has been mastered, introduce the odds and evens rule specified in the rules sheet.

And finally, introduce the rule about straights and you're there! The kids are playing the game as it was intended!