US2310686A - Game - Google Patents

Description

4 Feb. 9, 1943. L. w. FREER GAME Filed Oct. 25, 1940 deiifimm Patented Feb. 9, 1943 FFICE GAME The object of my invention is to provide the public with an amusing and exciting game for pastime, requiring a certain amount of skill in the strategic manipulation of military forces.

The annexed drawing of a map is an illustration of the board on which the game is played and includes the following: five countries; Troddonia, Marsland, Bombardy, Cannonade, and No Mans Land 2, highways 3, and fortifications in No Mans Land 9, four oceans 4, two fortified harbors 8 in each country with the exception of No Mans Land, four prison camps 6, and the small figures in each country showing where to place the units.

THE GAME OF WAR-Z-ON Brief idea of the game The goal of each player is to conquer his opponent by capturing the individual units or force him to surrender by placing a flag in each of the squares I at the base of his opponents country. Starting from the designated spaces, move forces out of their home country into No Mans Land 2, with the exception of the sea force or navy which must be moved from its home port but may be moved into the fortified harbors 8 of their own or those of their ally. Units are moved according to throw of the dice. When one of the players tokens or units land on a fortification not yet taken, he may put up his own flag, showing that it is his own fort; and no player can take it as long as it is on this fortification. This is an exciting game involving clever and. amusing manipulation of forces.

Equipment War-Z-On equipment consist of a navy, army, air force, and flags, in miniature, the board, or other surface marked off as shown in the annexed drawing, showing countries, highways, oceans, fortifications, prison camps, etc., and two dice.

Preparation Starting with any one of the players, each player in turn throws the dice. The player with the highest total starts the play or declares war. He throws the dice and may move any one of his forces away from his country the number of spaces indicated by the dice, where it must re-. main until all the rest of his tokens have left his country, after which he is allowed to move any units he desires. After he completes his play the turn passes to the left.

Land forces Sea forces The sea forces move on any of the squares marked off in the area representing water and may move at any angle. The sea force provides the only means of getting back captured units. If a sea unit stops in the space between the dotted lines 1, connecting the different countries with No Mans Land 2, enemy land units can not pass through this area. A sea unit however may be captured by any opponent who is able to land one of their sea units on this area, and the air force may fly around this space in order to reach their destination.

The air force Th air force is of great military value and may travel on any of the spaces at any angle, including land, sea, and highways providing they stop on land.

Fortifications The fortified spaces 9 are those marked off as such on the highways, and may be fortified by any player by landing on them and putting up his own flag. This being done, any of his air or land forces setting in this space can not be captured. Only one unit can be in a fortified area at one time. Once you have fortified a space it remains your fortification until such time as your opponent is able to land directly on it when it is unoccupied. This is called bombing a fortification, and it can not be refortified thereafter by either side.

Prison camps When a unit is captured it is taken 01f the playing board and placed in the area marked prison camp. For example, if you take one of your opponents units, place it in the area marked prison camp with the same color combination as that of your opponents, it can only be put back in service by means of a battleship. This is done by going to the area marked prison camp with a battleship and loading it with any one of the captured units and getting back to your land or that of your ally without being captured. The squares or portions of squares touching this area are called safe loading zones and a ship can not be captured while in this area, but once a ship leaves this area it can not come back until it has reached its country or its allys. Land and air forces may be unloaded at any point of the country or that of its ally, but ships may be unloaded only in the fortified harbors. The token brought back starts play from the point where landed.

Fortified harbors The fortified harbors 8 are the two large bay-s in each country. A player's sea force can not be captured while in the square of his harbor or that of his ally. Enemy planes can not fly over these areas when occupied by a battleship.

Moving and capturing units One unit can not pass another, unless it be one of his own or his allys. Boats and airplanes, however, may move around occupied squares. A unit can not pass over or through an enemy fortification in No Mans Land even though it is unoccupied. In order to take a unit, your unit I must end its move on the same square occupied by the enemy unit that is to be taken. One of the two ways of winning a game is to capture all the units of your opponents. After losing his forces, a player is automatically out of the game unless his ally is able to deliver one of his units before it is his turn to play. The only way a unit can be captured in its own land it is to be out-numbered by its opponents, however, a unit in its home land or that of its ally can capture an opponent at any time.

. Capturing countries where you have placed flags in order to take them down. When you have completed putting your flags in each one of these squares, the owner of that country must surrender and you and your ally have the privilege of trading units with your defeated opponent. The units gained against the other in this manner must be started from any of the designated places in your country.

Number of players Two, three, four, v.or six people may play War-Z-On. When two people play, only two countries across from each other are used and the remaining two are the same as No Mans Land. With three people playing, the one remaining country is the same as No Man's Land, with each person playing for himself. When four people are playing, two play as allies against the other two, allies being seated next to each other. When six play, three play as allies three, with every other man an ally. A man from each side, designated before starting the game, is allowed to move the forces of either of his allies.

I claim:

1. In a game board for cooperative use with a plurality of groups of playing units representative of war instrumentalities, characterized by having a central circular area designated as nomans-land wholly surrounded by a single irregularly shaped area designated as water and separating same from a plurality of other individual land areas about said central area and further characterized by said central area having radially disposed restricted passageways extending towards each of said individual land areas and through said water area defining passageways for certain of said playing units enroute from said outer land areas to said central area.

2. To the combination set forth in claim 1, add; said restrictive passageways passing through the narrowest portion of Water area existing intermediate of said central and each individual land area.

3. In a geometric map-like war game board, a central circular land area wholly surrounded by a Greek cross-shaped water area, the arms of which are relatively wide, and the angularly shaped areas between said arms being designated as land areas characterized by each of said angular land areas, extending toward said circular area forming narrower water area and having a pair of spaced safety harbors projected from said first mentioned Water area, radially extending restricting passageways upon said central circular area, one leading from each of said outer land areas through said narrow portion of 'water area between said adjacent land areas and intermediate of said harbors and a prison area at the outermost terminus of each larger water area, whereby an interesting-war game may be played with a plurality of playing pieces repreientative of the instrumentalities of modern warare.

LLOYD WATSON FREER;

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