Little WarsA game for boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty

Wells's rules of 1913, kept as he wrote them. Distances are in inches: an infantry-man moves a foot, a cavalry-man two, and a gun wants four men within six inches of it or it will neither move nor fire.

The battle

You command Red Blue Your opponent A cadet — slow, and shoots at whatever looks impressive A veteran — sound, and gets most of his move done A general — shoots the man he can hit, and keeps his guns served

Put down the men Take up where I left off

Little Wars is in the public domain. The rules are Wells's; where he leaves a thing to the eye — what a shot knocks over — the shot is simulated rather than diced for.

The end of it

Wells scores a fought-out battle at 100 for the victory, 10 for every gun you hold or are in a position to take, 1½ for a cavalry-man, 1 for an infantry-man, and a half for every prisoner — whether you hold him or he is yours and held.

Look at the field

How it is played

• Guns first. Move or fire every gun you mean to use before you touch a man. To this rule there is to be no exception.
• A gun fires up to four shots in a move, or is moved, never both. It needs four men of its own side within six inches to do either. After firing, two of them stand at the end of the trail.
• Guns may not fire before the second move of the first player.
• A shot kills whatever it knocks over. Click the ground to lay the gun; the bolt is then fired and flies, bounces and rolls as it will.
• A melee is fought at the end of the move by everyone in contact and everyone within six inches of them. Equal numbers kill each other to a man. If the smaller body is supported, each of its men kills one of yours and dies. If it is isolated, the surplus takes prisoners.
• A gun is captured when no man of its own side is within six inches and four of yours have passed its wheel axis.

At the hand

• M with a gun chosen — move it instead of firing
• Space — end your move
• A — let the machine take your move for you
• Esc — choose nobody
• + − — step in and back; 0 shows the whole country
• Arrow keys, or drag the floor, to walk round the table. The wheel zooms where the pointer is; two fingers pinch.

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