A Military Game of Skill.
Year: 1899

page_text: A Military Game of Skill.
PHILIP GLEDSTANES BLYTH, 48, Clarendon Road, Notting Hill, W., Assistant
Master in Endowed School, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The game is played between two opposing sides on a board with pieces which
are moved on it.
The opponents play alternately, & at each time of play two moves may be
made, which must be with different pieces.
The board is designed as a large-scale map shewing hills & other physical
features, & is divided into squares. The hills confer certain advantages.
The pieces are of two kinds, (a) representations of guns (artillery), (b) represen-
tations of companies of infantry, each of which consists of a stand into which
fit a certain number of easily removable parts representing men. Every piece
has a " front."
Moves consist of changes of square, changes of front, shots, or certain com-
binations of these.
Any piece can shoot" (subject to rules) in direction of its own front at an
opposing infantry piece. This is done by removing one man from that opposing
piece for each shot.
An infantry piece thus weakened by having been shot at may be taken by
an opposing infantry piece on a consecutive square if this latter piece have
more men left in it, (subject to the advantage conferred by a hill). A gun may
be taken by any infantry piece in this way.
Tthi በዚ
1000
PHILIP G. BLYTH.
A Military Game or Skill.
I, PHILIP GLEDSTANES BLYTH, 48, Clarendon Road, Notting Hill. London,
Assistant Master, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The game is played between two opposing sides on a board with pieces which
are moved on it. The opponents play alternately and at each time of play two
moves may be made which must be with different pieces.
The board is designed as a large scale map showing hills and other physical
features, and is divided into squares, the hills confer certain advantages.

page_text: The pieces are of two kinds-(a) representations of guns (artillery), (b) repre-
sentations of companies of infantry, each of which consist of a stand into which
fit a certain number of easily displacable parts representing men.
Every piece has a front."
Moves consist of changes of square, changes of front, shots and certain com-
binations of these. Any piece can shoot" (subject to rules) in the direction of
its own front at an opposing infantry piece. This is done by displacing one
man from that opposing piece for each shot.
An infantry piece thus weakened by being shot at may be taken by an
opposing infantry piece on a consecutive square which has more men left in it,
(subject to the advantage conferred by a hill). A gun may be taken by any
infantry piece in this way.
For purposes of illustration, I will now refer to the annexed drawings in
which
Figure 1, is a plan view of a board upon which the game is played.
Figure 2, plan view of block carrying representations of soldiers.
Figure 3, end elevation of same.
Figure 4, plan view of block carrying gun. -
Figure 5, end elevation of same.
Figure 6, view of modification of block carrying soldiers in which the soldiers
are pivoted to pins.
The pieces are moved, and the game is played in accordance with the follow-
ing rules which are given for the purpose of illustration:
:―
The game is won when either player moves a piece into one of the camps of
his opponent.
At the commencement of the game the pieces must be placed behind the
"dotted lines, where they may be arranged as the player pleases.
The players play alternately, and at each time of playing two moves may be
made which must not be with the same piece.
The pieces are of two kinds--infantry (companies") and artillery ("guns.")
An infantry move may consist of: -A change of one square in any direction,
the front of the company not being changed, with (if player pleases) a shot
from one of the squares. A change of front in any direction with (or without)
a shot. A shot. A charge.
Shooting shall consist of removing or pivoting down one man from the
. opposing infantry piece fired at, which must be within range in a line parallel
to an edge of the board or in a diagonal line.
The range for infantry is 4 squares. The range for "guns" is 4 squares (not
including that on which firing piece stands).
A piece may only fire in the direction of its own front and there must be
no other piece in the line of fire.
An artillery move may consist of:-
A change of one square in any direction, without change of front and without
any shot.
A change of front with (or without) a shot. A shot.
Pieces behind hills are protected from shots from pieces on the other side of
the hill.
A piece on a hill may fire over the heads of a piece in front of it down in
the plain.
A piece on a hill shall be considered with regard to "charging" to have one
man more.
When two opposing piece of infantry are on consecutive squares (in any direc-
tion) and one of them is superior in numbers to the other, (a piece on the hill
counting one man extra), this superior piece may "charge" and take the other,
which shall then be removed from the board.
A charge need not be in the direction of the front of the company, but a piece
which charges may not shoot in the same move.

page_text: Any infantry piece may take a gun on a consecutive square (in any direction).
A gun moved so as to aim at an opposing gun within range shences" it, or
a gun moved into the line of fire (within range) of an opposing gun is itself
silenced.
A gun thus
covered.
silenced" cannot shoot or "silence" an opposing gun while thus
It may be moved to a different square.
A gun which is silencing an opponent may be itself silenced in which case
the opponent is released.
In the case of four players, the players shall take sides (two on each side).
Partners shall play respectively on the right and left halves of the board, and
be matched separately against the left and right of the opponents.
The contents on the two halves of the board shall be quite separate, but a
player may move any of his partner's pieces into his own hair (by consent) which
is on a square next to his own halt. The piece may charge in or shoot
from the square it is moved to.
Partners may consult together, may distribute the forces between them as
they like, and either wins the game for his side by reaching his opponent's camp.
If desired, it may be agreed that if neither side has captured a camp in a
certain time, that the side having most men left shall be winner, a gun for this
purpose counting as 10 men. This method may make the play unnecessarily
cautious and slow.
A screen may be held between the opponents during the preliminary arrange-
ment.
Ingenious players may vary the game by altering position of commencement,
distribution of forces, or position to be captured.
No piece can change square and charge front in one move, and that while
infantry can shoot when changing square or front, guns can only shoot when
changing front.
An infantry piece can take a gun, while it has any men left in it.
It will be seen that the plan of the attack is to weaken the enemy by shooting,
and then to charge the weakened pieces with stronger ones
27
Although I have shewn a block carrying representations of men, and a block
for carrying representations of guns, it will be readily seen that without depart-
ing from the spirit of my invention, I might make alterations in the objects
carried upon the block.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The new or improved game, substantially as described and illustrated herein
and for the purpose set forth.
2. The new or improved game, consisting of a board marked with squares,
and having representations thereon in combination with a block or blocks carry-
ing representations of soldiers, a block or blocks carrying representations of guns,
substantially as described and illustrated herein and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 21st day of April 1900.
E. EATON.
Agent for Applicant.