Phantom Fury

This single player game simulates on a tactical scale the fighting conducted by US troops during November 2004 to secure the city of Fallujah and suppress armed resistance from the insurgents. It focuses in particular on the fighting conducted by the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division on the morning of 9 November in the Jolan district in the northwestern part of the city. The player controls the USMC troops and the system manages the actions of the insurgents. The design of this game is based primarily on the article "Infantry Tactics, Some Lessons Learned in MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Areas) during the Battle of Fallujah," published in the Marine Corps Gazette, September 2005.

The map shows part of the Jolan District, divided into 61 zones of approximately 50 metres by 50 metres and street sections of equivalent size. Each Zone is composed of several locations (open ground, courtyard, 1st Story, 2nd Story and rooftop) in the form of boxes that are used to manage movements. Several counters are placed at its periphery. The combatants on both sides are represented by 'unit' counters, each corresponding to a squad of Marines (6 to 12 men) or a group of insurgents (about half a dozen men). The total strength of USMC units is one reinforced company. A USMC squad is characterised by its combat factor, which is used for fire and assault resolution. Assigning a Combined Anti-Armor Team (CAAT) to a squad increases its combat factor in some cases. When a USMC squad takes a step loss in combat, its counter is flipped to its reverse side with a reduced combat factor. On the second step loss it is removed from play (the squad is no longer operational and casualties are evacuated to the rear).

Insurgent units appear in two distinct forms: guerrilla units and martyr units, also characterised by their combat factor. Guerrilla units fight USMC troops but constantly retreat to avoid their destruction and continue the fight later. Martyrs' units have vowed to die on the spot by killing as many of the enemy as possible. They stand still and wait for the USMC troops in fortified locations. In all cases, 'insurgent' units are eliminated after suffering a single step loss. Insurgent' units do not appear directly on the map. Initially, the player deploys 'suspect' markers that represent a potential danger not identified by USMC troops. Their placement in areas (locations) is partially random. Following a fire or assault, these 'suspect' markers are activated and their true nature (decoy, guerrilla or martyr unit, IED or sniper) revealed. In contrast, USMC troops can count on the support and firepower of a pair of M1A2 Abrams tanks. They also have a section of Iraqi soldiers from the Iraqi Intervention Force (IIF) whose mission is to take control of the area containing the mosque in this sector of Jolan (USMC troops are not allowed to enter).

The game takes place over a maximum of 16 turns, each of which is approximately 15 minutes of real time. Each turn begins with a variable cycle of support missions available to the USMC player. These missions are of 3 types (UAV reconnaissance, helicopter close air support and aerial bombardment). Each of these missions can only be executed a certain number of times during the game and their execution is not automatic. If a mission is cancelled/reported, the insurgents can take the initiative temporarily and react (reinforcements, withdrawal, counter-attack, etc.). Then, a reinforcement phase allows the player to bring in additional squads against the loss of victory points. Then, each squad has the opportunity to fire or move. At the end of the movements, the player resolves assaults against the 'insurgent' units adjacent to his squads. Before launching an assault, a squad can detach its security element in order to isolate the area where it is located and to prevent the insurgents from escaping. There are 3 types of assault in the game, depending on the location occupied by the belligerents: top-down, bottom-up and normal. Each has its advantages and disadvantages for the attacker and defender.

CAAT supports can use their incendiary explosives to eliminate insurgents who are too strongly entrenched. Finally, each assault can be the scene of a random event that will directly influence its outcome. The game turn concludes with a reorganisation phase during which the USMC forces are checked for control of areas and insurgent infiltration attempts. At the end of the maximum 16 game turns, the player will determine his victory level. If all areas of the map are not under USMC control, the player has lost the game. If at the end of any game turn all areas of the map are under USMC control, the player has won the game and the victory point count will qualify this victory (major, minor, bitter). A complete game can be completed in about 4 hours.