Charge! Or How to Play War Games

Originally published in 1967 in Britain, Charge! is one of two foundation texts establishing the modern miniatures war game hobby. Many of those who play miniatures began with this book and almost all existing rules systems can trace their lineage back to this book. The book is a detailed building up of rules for playing a war game. It contains detailed discussion of the rationale behind these rules, grounding them in military theory and history. The book contains two sets of rules: an elementary set for playing simple games and an advanced set of rules to provide a richer simulation. It also contains one scenario, a mythical 18th century battle, which is played out step by step in the book. These rules define the "Old School" of war gaming: individually based figures in large units with written orders to sub-commanders, etc. Despite its age, there are groups of gamers who continue to base their encounters on the spirit of this book if not its strict letter.