Phoenix Command

Phoenix Command is a combat-oriented role-playing game system published by Leading Edge Games in 1986. Variations of its rules system have also been used in other military games such as Morning Star Missions, Living Steel, and Aliens Adventure Game.

Description
Although Phoenix Command is ostensibly a role-playing game, and does have character generation and skills resolution systems, the extremely detailed rules for small arms combat are the central focus of the game. The game utilizes lookup tables which resolve injuries to specific digits, organs, and bones, and simulates the physics of different attacks, such as bullets with different velocities.

Publication history
Phoenix Command was designed by Barry Nakazono and David McKenzie, and was published by Leading Edge Games in 1986 as a boxed set containing a 56-page spiral bound rule book, 32 page modern military weapon data supplement, reference tables, blank character sheets and one ten-sided die.

Additional supplements were subsequently published, including Hand to Hand Combat System (1988), World War 2 Weapon Data Supplement (1988), Wild West Weapon Data Supplement (1989), Civilian Weapon Data Supplement (1987), Living Steel Power Armour Sourcebook (1991), Advanced Damage Tables (1987), High Tech Weapon Data Supplement (1987), Phoenix Command Advanced Rules for Small Arms Combat (1986), Phoenix Command Damage Tables: Small Arms (1986), and Phoenix Command Small Arms Combat System (1989).

Reception
In his 1990 book The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games, game critic Rick Swan called this "Less of an RPG than a meticulous combat system" and noted that it was made for "role-players who relish every smack and slash of a combat encounter." Although Swan found the combat system quite complex, he noted that it "plays quite well and produces astonishingly realistic results." Swan found the role-playing rules "merely adequate" and the scenarios "fairly routine", and suggested the game would be more useful as a supplement and reference to other military role-playing games such as Top Secret/S.I. or Twilight 2000. He concluded by giving the game a solid rating of 3 out of 4, saying, "as a combat system, Phoenix Command is top of the line, rivaling the best tactical wargames in detail and sophistication."

Other reviews and commentary

 * Different Worlds #47
 * Gizmodo