
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,359
- BGG rating
- 7.1
B-17: Queen of the Skies
- 1–2 players
- 20–60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 1981

1987
Rules assistance for Patton's Best
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Patton's Best is a board game released in 1987 for 1 player, 30–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Bruce Shelley and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence.
This is a solitaire game involving tank command-- that is you control a Sherman tank (17 variations) and command a crew assigned to the 4th Armored Division as you move out of the "Cobra Breakout" following the Normandy invasion. You and your tank move into a new territory and deal with German defenses situated in northern France and, as the campaign game goes on, across the Rhine and into Germany. You will need to make life and death decisions in managing your crew's actions, your tank's facing, and attempt to take out enemy forces without losing your tank (which is extremely challenging). The combat system utilizes an "area map" for the larger scale movement of your "task force" but then cleverly switches to an abstracted "Battle Board" when contact is made with the enemy. Many time you are ambushed. Sometimes you are the "lead tank" and draw the enemies fire. Other times you may actually have some High Velocity Armor Piercing loaded in your gun when you meet up with that Tiger lurking over the hill... For those of you who like to roll percentile dice --this game's for you!
Patton's Best supports 1 player according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Patton's Best is 30–120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Patton's Best for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Patton's Best has a complexity rating of 3.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Patton's Best belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Patton's Best are: Bruce Shelley. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Patton's Best as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.