Games - Patrol

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	Games - Patrol

Patrol was a board wargame released in the early 1970s as a companion to Sniper! in 1974 by Simulations Publications, Inc. It billed itself as "Man to Man Combat in the 20th Century" and simulated combat from the First World War to the (then) present day.

From an online review by Francois Charton:

As in Sniper!
, each player controls the equivalent of a squad of 5 to 15 men depending on the period, the scenario, and whether you attack or defend. One scenario corresponds to a few (one to five) minutes of real time action. The scale is a little larger than in Sniper!
(5 meters/hex, 5 seconds/turn vs 3 and 3 in Sniper!
), and there is no facing. The game system (though rated 7.1, ie pretty high, on SPI's complexity scale), is quite straightforward and easy to learn. In the beginning of each turn, players secretly "buy" actions for all of their men. A normal man has 10 Movement Points to expend per turn. Fire, direct or opportunity, consumes all MP, as reloading one's weapon, or rearming (ie readying to use it after throwing a grenade or shooting a rifle grenade). Standing up, preparing a grenade, throwing it, cost 5MP. And movement costs MP depending on terrain...

After all actions have been plotted, players check for panic: a certain percentage of all your men, depending on their hex number, have their actions cancelled, or move randomly. (although very annoying, this rule does wonders at simulating low level control problems). Then, all remaining actions are performed: combat, movement, and finally grenade and artillery impacts. Rules cover a large variety of equipement: weapons like rifles, machine pistols, machine guns, rocket launchers, grenade launchers and flamethrowers, but also barbed wire, pillboxes, artillery, mines, and up to one vehicle (APC or tank) per side. Five kinds of combat situations are covered: patrol, reconnaissance, ambush, raid and assault. Some lend themselves quite well to solitaire play. A large number of scenarios (from WWI to modern) are provided, and you can easily design your own. A standard scenario plays in a couple of hours. Altogether, I think the system is pretty good for such a man to man combat situation. However, be warned that this very detailed scale has a peculiar feeling, which not all "tactical" game players (ie players used to ASL
or Gamers Tactical Combat System, which focus on company/battalion level units) will like.

When the updated 2nd edition of Sniper!' was released, elements of Patrol were merged into it, and Sniper! may also be properly considered a 2nd Edition of Patrol'', despite the name.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Patrol (board game) ]

Games - Patrol

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