The War Game

The War Game by Charles Grant, published in 1971, presents a system for miniature wargaming during the 18th century. The book outlines rules for recreating battles with toy soldiers, focusing on battlefield tactics and military formations from 1750-1850. The text includes instructions for movement, combat, morale, and terrain effects that allow players to simulate historical warfare on tabletop battlefields. Grant provides diagrams, tables, and detailed examples to demonstrate proper game mechanics and historical accuracy in miniature warfare scenarios. The book establishes foundational concepts for organized wargaming and includes guidance on collecting and painting miniatures, creating terrain, and managing larger-scale battles. A series of sample scenarios helps readers understand the practical application of the rules. This influential work shaped the development of modern wargaming by bridging the gap between military history and tabletop gaming. The War Game remains relevant for its blend of historical authenticity and playable mechanics that emphasize command decisions and tactical challenges.

Readers highlight this 1971 book's impact on wargaming, with many noting how it helped them start the hobby. Multiple reviewers point to the clear writing style and practical approach to miniature wargaming rules. Liked: - Simple, adaptable rules that work for beginners - Photos and diagrams that demonstrate concepts - Focus on historical accuracy while maintaining playability - Detailed terrain-building instructions - Common sense approach to movement and combat Disliked: - Rules can feel dated compared to modern systems - Some find the unit sizes and scales impractical - Limited coverage of non-Napoleonic periods - Book is hard to find and expensive on secondary market Ratings: Goodreads: 4.17/5 (30 ratings) Amazon UK: 4.5/5 (11 reviews) LibraryThing: 4.3/5 (9 ratings) "This book taught me more about tactical thinking than any other wargaming text," notes one Amazon reviewer. Multiple readers cite it as their introduction to historical wargaming in the 1970s.

Charge! by Donald Featherstone This guide presents complete miniature wargaming rules for horse-and-musket era battles with detailed sections on movement, combat, and morale.

Battle Gaming by Donald Featherstone The book provides wargaming scenarios and rules for historical battles from ancient to modern times with emphasis on tactical decision-making.

Little Wars by H.G. Wells The first published set of rules for miniature wargaming establishes core concepts for moving troops and resolving combat on tabletop battlefields.

War Games by Donald F. Featherstone This foundational text covers the basics of miniature wargaming including terrain creation, army organization, and rule systems for multiple historical periods.

Setting Up a Wargames Campaign by Tony Bath The book presents systems for creating linked battles and managing territories in tabletop wargaming with focus on medieval-period conflicts.

🎲 Charles Grant wrote this influential 1971 book based on his extensive collection of nearly 1,500 toy soldiers and years of developing wargaming rules 🏰 The book pioneered many modern wargaming concepts, including the use of terrain effects on movement and combat, which are now standard in both tabletop and video games ⚔️ Grant's rules system introduced the revolutionary idea of using six-sided dice to determine combat outcomes, moving away from the more complex mathematical calculations used in earlier wargames 👑 The scenarios in the book were inspired by real 18th century battles, particularly those from the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), which Grant considered the perfect period for wargaming 📚 The War Game became so influential that it remained in print for over 30 years and helped establish wargaming as a serious hobby, inspiring future generations of game designers including Gary Gygax, creator of Dungeons & Dragons