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Patrol (board game)

October 19, 2023

Patrol, subtitled "Man to Man Combat in the 20th Century", is a skirmish-level board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1974 as a sequel to Sniper!, which had been released the previous year. Whereas Sniper! was set in urban environments during the Second World War, Patrol is set in a non-urban environment, in various conflicts ranging from 1914 to 1970.

Box cover, SPI edition, 1974

Description Edit

Patrol is a two-player game that aims to simulate small-scale non-urban combat at the individual soldier level, set in various time periods from World War I to 1970. The players each control 5–15 soldiers in scenarios representing real-time combat encounters of 1–5 minutes, with each game turn representing between 5 seconds and 5 minutes.[1]

Components Edit

The game includes:[1]

  • six 9 in × 9 in (230 mm × 230 mm) geomorphic paper maps, scaled at 5 meters (5.4 yards) per hex
  • 400 double-sided die-cut counters
  • 32-page rulebook
  • four player aid cards
  • two 6-sided dice

Gameplay Edit

Movement Points Edit

Each counter, usually representing an individual soldier, has 10 Movement Points (MP) per turn. At the start of each turn, each player secretly "buys" actions for each counter up to the 10 MP limit. Moving a unit uses 1 MP per hex of plain terrain; other terrain has a higher MP cost. Actions such as standing up or throwing a grenade each use 5 MP. Firing a weapon or reloading a weapon uses all 10 MP.[1]

Panic Edit

After the actions for each counter have been purchased, each player checks units for panic. Those that are panicked will do nothing or move randomly.[1]

Actions Edit

All remaining actions are performed simultaneously in three phases: combat, movement, and finally grenades and artillery.[1]

Publication history Edit

In 1973, SPI game designer Jim Dunnigan created a small-scale "man-to-man" wargame set in World War II that was published as Sniper!. The game was significant for being the first commercial tactical board wargaming treatment of man-to-man combat in the Second World War.[2]

The following year, Dunnigan designed a companion game using the same basic rules titled Patrol that expanded the timeline of scenarios to include the period of World War I to 1970, and introduced rules for the arms and transportation used at various times during that period. Dunnigan called it a "rural version of Sniper!".[3]

Following TSR's purchase of SPI in 1982, TSR assigned game designer Steve Winter to combine the two games into a single product. This was released in 1986 as Sniper!, subtitled "Second Edition: Game of Man-to-Man Combat, 1941-90". The expanded game removes the pre-World War II scenarios that had been published in Patrol, but extends the modern-day scenarios from 1970 to 1990. The new boxed set features artwork and cartography by Linda Bakk, Doug Chaffee, Tom Darden, Kim Lindau, Rodger B. MacGowan, and Colleen O'Malley.[4]

Game components of this combined edition include:

  • two 22 in × 34 in (560 mm × 860 mm) paper maps (double sided, with urban terrain on one side and rural terrain on the other, to allow for "double-blind" play with an umpire)
  • 32-page rulebook divided into Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Optional rules
  • cardstock sheet of vehicles
  • two six-sided dice
  • plastic counter tray
  • 600 die-cut counters.

In an article in May-June 1988 edition of The Wargamer about the development of the game, designer Steve Winter commented, "When I first started revising the Sniper! and Patrol games in 1985, there were only two other wargames (that I am aware of) that covered modern combat at man-to-man scale. Since then, at least three more have been published (two of which, like the Sniper! game, were based heavily on previously published games). Yet, despite this surge of man-to-man games, very few articles have been published about any of them."[5]

Reception Edit

In his 1977 book The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming, Nicholas Palmer highlighted the "Brisk scenarios, with the flavour of man-to-man fighting quite well reflected, as the players agonize over whether to try and pin the enemy down or make a rush for it, whether to concentrate the squad or spread them out, and over the possible enemy plans."[6]

In Issue #21 of Phoenix, Geoff Barnard noted that both Sniper! and Patrol are "primarily concerned with technology" rather than playability. Barnard liked the detailed maps that are used in Sniper!, but felt the move to non-urban settings in Patrol negated this advantage, saying, "unfortunately in doing so the idea of a detailed map was lost." He also felt that the "panic rule" introduced too much of a random factor, commenting, "the weird panic/preservation rules cause aberrant as well as logical things to happen — as the random dice rolls decree."[7]

Rodger MacGowan for Fire & Movement said "Since combat in Vietnam was so personalized, Patrol! helps one visualize the horror of being caught in a lush, green hell, not knowing who or what is behind the next bush or tree. It should be in your Vietnam War game library."[8]

In Issue 28 of Moves, Jon-Dane Lukas recalled that Squad Tactical Training had been his favorite course during his time in the U.S. Army, calling it "the highest expression of the infantryman's art." He went on to say that "Patrol! [...] seems to express that art in a clear and precise manner, as well as being quite realistic."[9]

Eric Lawson for The Wargamer said "Patrol! does well generally as a game of man-to-man level combat in the 20th century. The variety of situations described from a Cossack raid in the Russian Civil War to an Ambush in Vietnam make it well worthwhile. Unfortunately, the choices of scenarios for World War I are weak and unimaginative, but the tools are there for creating something more interesting."[10]

In The Guide to Simulations/Games for Education and Training, Martin Campion commented, "Like Sniper, this is a convincing and gripping simulation of situations that are often simulated in the cinemas and on television."[11]

Other reviews Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Patrol!: Man-to-Man Combat in the 20th Century (1974)". BoardGameGeek. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  2. ^ "Sniper! House to House Fighting In World War II". The Tactical Wargamer. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  3. ^ Jim Dunnigan (1980). The Complete Wargames Handbook (PDF). p. 272.
  4. ^ "Sniper! (Second Edition)(1986)". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  5. ^ Winter, Steve (May–June 1988). "Review of Sniper! Second Edition". The Wargamer. 2 (6).
  6. ^ Palmer, Nicholas (1977). The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming. London: Sphere Books. p. 167.
  7. ^ Barnard, Geoff (September–October 1979). "World War II Tactical Games Review". Phoenix. No. 21. p. 18.
  8. ^ MacGowan, Rodger. "Panorama: Sympathy for the Devil, Viet Nam Wars, 1965-1975". Fire & Movement. No. 18. p. 33.
  9. ^ Lukas, John-Dane (August–September 1976). "Operational Analysis: Tactics in the Raw". Moves. No. 28. p. 12.
  10. ^ Lawson, Eric. "The Grandfather of Modern War: The Great War, 1914-1918: World War One Games Anthology: Part 2 - Land Games". The Wargamer. Vol. 2, no. 23. p. 26.
  11. ^ Campion, Martin (1980). "Patrol!". In Horn, Robert E.; Cleaves, Ann (eds.). The Guide to Simulations/Games for Education and Training. Beverly Hills CA: Sage Publications. p. 507. ISBN 0-8039-1375-3.

October 19, 2023
patrol, board, game, patrol, subtitled, combat, 20th, century, skirmish, level, board, wargame, published, simulations, publications, 1974, sequel, sniper, which, been, released, previous, year, whereas, sniper, urban, environments, during, second, world, patr. Patrol subtitled Man to Man Combat in the 20th Century is a skirmish level board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc SPI in 1974 as a sequel to Sniper which had been released the previous year Whereas Sniper was set in urban environments during the Second World War Patrol is set in a non urban environment in various conflicts ranging from 1914 to 1970 Box cover SPI edition 1974 Contents 1 Description 1 1 Components 1 2 Gameplay 1 2 1 Movement Points 1 2 2 Panic 1 2 3 Actions 2 Publication history 3 Reception 4 Other reviews 5 ReferencesDescription EditPatrol is a two player game that aims to simulate small scale non urban combat at the individual soldier level set in various time periods from World War I to 1970 The players each control 5 15 soldiers in scenarios representing real time combat encounters of 1 5 minutes with each game turn representing between 5 seconds and 5 minutes 1 Components Edit The game includes 1 six 9 in 9 in 230 mm 230 mm geomorphic paper maps scaled at 5 meters 5 4 yards per hex 400 double sided die cut counters 32 page rulebook four player aid cards two 6 sided diceGameplay Edit Movement Points Edit Each counter usually representing an individual soldier has 10 Movement Points MP per turn At the start of each turn each player secretly buys actions for each counter up to the 10 MP limit Moving a unit uses 1 MP per hex of plain terrain other terrain has a higher MP cost Actions such as standing up or throwing a grenade each use 5 MP Firing a weapon or reloading a weapon uses all 10 MP 1 Panic Edit After the actions for each counter have been purchased each player checks units for panic Those that are panicked will do nothing or move randomly 1 Actions Edit All remaining actions are performed simultaneously in three phases combat movement and finally grenades and artillery 1 Publication history EditIn 1973 SPI game designer Jim Dunnigan created a small scale man to man wargame set in World War II that was published as Sniper The game was significant for being the first commercial tactical board wargaming treatment of man to man combat in the Second World War 2 The following year Dunnigan designed a companion game using the same basic rules titled Patrol that expanded the timeline of scenarios to include the period of World War I to 1970 and introduced rules for the arms and transportation used at various times during that period Dunnigan called it a rural version of Sniper 3 Following TSR s purchase of SPI in 1982 TSR assigned game designer Steve Winter to combine the two games into a single product This was released in 1986 as Sniper subtitled Second Edition Game of Man to Man Combat 1941 90 The expanded game removes the pre World War II scenarios that had been published in Patrol but extends the modern day scenarios from 1970 to 1990 The new boxed set features artwork and cartography by Linda Bakk Doug Chaffee Tom Darden Kim Lindau Rodger B MacGowan and Colleen O Malley 4 Game components of this combined edition include two 22 in 34 in 560 mm 860 mm paper maps double sided with urban terrain on one side and rural terrain on the other to allow for double blind play with an umpire 32 page rulebook divided into Basic Intermediate Advanced and Optional rules cardstock sheet of vehicles two six sided dice plastic counter tray 600 die cut counters In an article in May June 1988 edition of The Wargamer about the development of the game designer Steve Winter commented When I first started revising the Sniper and Patrol games in 1985 there were only two other wargames that I am aware of that covered modern combat at man to man scale Since then at least three more have been published two of which like the Sniper game were based heavily on previously published games Yet despite this surge of man to man games very few articles have been published about any of them 5 Reception EditIn his 1977 book The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming Nicholas Palmer highlighted the Brisk scenarios with the flavour of man to man fighting quite well reflected as the players agonize over whether to try and pin the enemy down or make a rush for it whether to concentrate the squad or spread them out and over the possible enemy plans 6 In Issue 21 of Phoenix Geoff Barnard noted that both Sniper and Patrol are primarily concerned with technology rather than playability Barnard liked the detailed maps that are used in Sniper but felt the move to non urban settings in Patrol negated this advantage saying unfortunately in doing so the idea of a detailed map was lost He also felt that the panic rule introduced too much of a random factor commenting the weird panic preservation rules cause aberrant as well as logical things to happen as the random dice rolls decree 7 Rodger MacGowan for Fire amp Movement said Since combat in Vietnam was so personalized Patrol helps one visualize the horror of being caught in a lush green hell not knowing who or what is behind the next bush or tree It should be in your Vietnam War game library 8 In Issue 28 of Moves Jon Dane Lukas recalled that Squad Tactical Training had been his favorite course during his time in the U S Army calling it the highest expression of the infantryman s art He went on to say that Patrol seems to express that art in a clear and precise manner as well as being quite realistic 9 Eric Lawson for The Wargamer said Patrol does well generally as a game of man to man level combat in the 20th century The variety of situations described from a Cossack raid in the Russian Civil War to an Ambush in Vietnam make it well worthwhile Unfortunately the choices of scenarios for World War I are weak and unimaginative but the tools are there for creating something more interesting 10 In The Guide to Simulations Games for Education and Training Martin Campion commented Like Sniper this is a convincing and gripping simulation of situations that are often simulated in the cinemas and on television 11 Other reviews EditStrategy amp Tactics 45References Edit a b c d e Patrol Man to Man Combat in the 20th Century 1974 BoardGameGeek Retrieved 2021 05 14 Sniper House to House Fighting In World War II The Tactical Wargamer Retrieved 2021 05 20 Jim Dunnigan 1980 The Complete Wargames Handbook PDF p 272 Sniper Second Edition 1986 boardgamegeek com Retrieved 2020 11 12 Winter Steve May June 1988 Review of Sniper Second Edition The Wargamer 2 6 Palmer Nicholas 1977 The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming London Sphere Books p 167 Barnard Geoff September October 1979 World War II Tactical Games Review Phoenix No 21 p 18 MacGowan Rodger Panorama Sympathy for the Devil Viet Nam Wars 1965 1975 Fire amp Movement No 18 p 33 Lukas John Dane August September 1976 Operational Analysis Tactics in the Raw Moves No 28 p 12 Lawson Eric The Grandfather of Modern War The Great War 1914 1918 World War One Games Anthology Part 2 Land Games The Wargamer Vol 2 no 23 p 26 Campion Martin 1980 Patrol In Horn Robert E Cleaves Ann eds The Guide to Simulations Games for Education and Training Beverly Hills CA Sage Publications p 507 ISBN 0 8039 1375 3 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Patrol board game amp oldid 1176590291, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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