PTB-PATTON'S BEST

1. TITLE: Patton's Best
2. PUBLISHER: The Avalon Hill Game Company (TAHGC)
3. SCOPE: (World War II) Sherman Tank Solitaire Game
4. TAHGC CATALOG VERBAGE: Solitaire only, battle game based on legendary exploits of General George Patton; re-creates World War II warfare in a Sherman Tank.
5. GAME BOX VERBAGE: PATTON'S BEST The Avalon Hill Game Company's new solitaire game that puts you in the commander's seat of a Sherman tank in George Patton's best fighting division, the 4th Armored. You can play through a short engagement, a complete day of movement and battle, or follow the day-by-day European campaign of the 4th Armored Division. The success and survival of your tank depends on your decisions.
6. YEAR PUBLISHED (EDITIONS): 1987. Only one published edition.
7. CREDITS
   • Design and Development: Bruce C. Shelley
   • Graphics and Map Art: Charles Kibler
   • Box Art: George Parrish
   • Contributors: Bob McNamara, Neal Schlaffer, Craig Taylor, Gerry White, Don Greenwood
   • Prep Department Coordinator: Elaine M. Atkins
   • Typesetting: Colonial Composition
   • Printing: Monarch Services
   • Production:: Eastern Box
8. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1; solitaire
9. WGA COMPLEXITY SCALE (1-10): 4
10. TYPICAL PLAYING TIME (HOURS):
11. MAP SCALE: Several square miles per area.
12. UNIT SCALE: Individual tanks, vehicles and squads.
13. TIME SCALE PER TURN: 15 minutes
14. NUMBER OF GAME TURNS:
15. ARTICLE LISTING: Click here
16. GAME INVENTORY: 218 unit counters; 22" x 24" mounted mapboard; rules booklet, After Action Report pad, 17 tank charts, 3 charts and Table cards, 2 decimal dice.
17. WBC & AVALONCON HISTORY: Never made it as an Avaloncon event.
18. PBEM TOOLS:
• No Java application VASSAL module at this time.
19. PBEM OPPORTUNITES: As a solitaire game, doesn't seem an appropriate game title for PBEM play.
20. WARGAME ACADEMY COMMENTS: I don't have any play experience with this title so I defer to paraphrase a review found on Web Grognards (attributed to Peter Phelps). The single thing that I most like is the RPG aspect of the game - another great feature of AH's B-17. In PTB, however, not only the crew skills improve during the game, but you get the opportunity to upgrade to better models of the M4 Sherman as you go along (17 models in all!). The enhanced RPG element includes promotions and medals for valor in combat, based on a very clever battle points system. While it is a good quick game for a evening, the
    'hook' is that the RPG aspect of the Campaign Game REALLY is addictive, I felt like part of the action in PB.
21. WARGAME ACADEMY GAME TOOLS: One play copy.