5 great iPhone war games for under $5

My big combined December birthday/Christmas present from my wife and kids this year was an XBox 360, complete with Live account and games. For two weeks, while the rest of the house slept, I played Fallout 3, saving the residents of a post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. from super mutants, feral ghouls, human slavers and fascist genetic purists posing as American patriots. But since then, Gears of War II has hardly been touched and Bioshock remains unopened in its case. Sadly this isn't due to any new-found willpower or productivity (the Christmas tree is coming down soon, I promise!). Instead, I've discovered that I've been carrying around a fantastic gaming console all along—my iPhone. Sure, some of the free games are mildly entertaining (especially Topple). But the first app that I plopped $5 for, Reign of Kings, has me completely addicted. Here are five great war game iPhone apps for less than a Lincoln:

1. Reign of Swords (Mobile Battles) - $4.99
This is the game that's turned my iPhone into some kind of heroin needle. My character has already proved victorious in lands from Sangsokil to Bordavia and leads an army that includes heroes, cannons, a wizard and a griffin rider. This turn-based strategy war game lets you control your army in battles against the computer or set up the battlefield for skirmishes against rival players. I'm Dkter of the family Valeria if you're up to the challenge.



2. Field Runners (Subatomic Studios) - $4.99
It's a simple concept: Build artillery towers throughout a field and prevent series of raiders from crossing into your fortress. But the little buggers are fast, and they swarm. When 20 runners breach your defenses, the game is over. It's an ideal game for the iPhone—the controls are simple, but the strategy is anything but.



3. Crazy Tanks (bootant) - $0.99
Crazy Tanks uses the iPod's accelerometer for steering you're tank through different arenas and a simple screen tap for blowing up enemies with cannonballs that bounce off the walls. Nothing fancy about it, but a better way to spend a dollar than something off anybody's fast-food menu.



4. Warfare Incorporated (Spiffcode) - $4.99
There's nothing noble about your quest: You're a junior executive of the ACME mining company trying to establish operations on the planet Icarus, which means wiping out representatives of your rival megacorporation OMNI Industries. A real-time strategy (RTS) game like Starcraft or Age of Empires, the action is fast-paced as you try to optimize your mining activities and direct your security forces. You've got to keep on top of everything. Your soulless career is at stake!



5. Chopper (Majic Jungle) - $0.99
After all the bloodshed above, here's a war game you can feel good about. You're the pilot of a rescue helicopter, saving civilians trapped among the violence. You're not even equipped with weapons—just your piloting skills to avoid the many missles getting thrown at your chopper as you try to whisk them all to safety. This is another simple, but addictive game that uses nothing but the accelerometer. Just tilt your phone to fly.