US3831944A

US3831944A - Board game apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3831944A
Application number: US00347131A
Authority: US
Inventors: K Upton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-04-02
Filing date: 1973-04-02
Publication date: 1974-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-27

Abstract

A war game which is played on a pair of boards, each having a grid thereon, the board being divided into three regions, the first region being designated a ''''friendly island'''', the second region being characterized as an ''''enemy island'''', and the third region, in between said first two regions, being characterized as a ''''body of water''''; the game being played with a plurality of markers having different movement and capture characteristics, said markers being characterized as ''''tanks'''', ''''headquarters'''', ''''P. T. Boats'''', ''''barges'''', ''''carriers'''', ''''pill boxes'''', ''''destroyer'''', ''''battleship'''', ''''big gun'''', ''''airplane''''; each side having three ''''headquarters'''' markers, and each of the markers having, in addition to a predetermined moving ability or disability and a destroying ability, a point value; the objective of the game being to destroy all three of the opponent''s headquarters markers or to exceed the opponent''s score by more than a predetermined number of points; each player having a separate game board which is kept where his opponent cannot see it and upon which all friendly markers are placed and moved, the players taking turns, each getting a predetermined number of marker moves and a predetermined number of ''''shots'''' or attempts to destroy opposing markers per turn.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Upton BOARD GAME APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Kurtis D. Upton, PO. Box 506,

Sacramento, Calif. 93610 [22] Filed: Apr. 2, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 347,131

Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ernest L. Brown 57 ABSTRACT A war game which is played on a pair of boards, each having a grid thereon, the board being divided into [451 Aug. 27, 1974 three regions, the first region being designated a friendly island, the second region being characterized as an enemy island, and the third region, in between said first two regions, being characterized as a body of water; the game being played with a plurality of markers having different movement and capture characteristics, said markers being characterized as tanks, headquarters, P. T. Boats, barges, carriers, pill boxes, destroyer, battleship, big gun, airplane; each side having three headquarters markers, and each of the markers having, in addition to a predetermined moving ability or disability and a destroying ability, a point value; the objective of the game being to destroy all three of the opponents headquarters markers or to exceed the opponents score by more than a predetermined number of points; each player having a separate game board which is kept where his opponent cannot see it and upon which all friendly markers are placed and moved, the players taking turns, each getting a predetermined number of marker moves and a predetermined number of shots or attempts to destroy opposing markers per turn.

6 Claims, 24 Drawing Figures l2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9|Ol11213l415|6l718 192321 222324252627288303 323334 II, II

FIG .35

'PB FIG.2D i PT FIG.2H

PATENTED 7 3.831 944 RANGE 35 F|G,3F

TANKS p.12 BOATS FIG.3E 3 AIRPLANES 3 0R BARGES OR HDQTRS.

PILL BOXES FIG.3D r T CARRIERS OR DESTROYERS BATTLE BIG GUNS SHIPS FIG.3A

FIG .26

BOARD GAME APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The apparatus of this invention is an improvement upon the types of war games described in, for example, the following United States Patents which are briefly described to show the state of the art.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,053,598 pertains to a type of game called Battleship" in which various immovable markers are fixed in place on a grid, and the opponent then tries to guess where the markers are placed. The players take turns firing at the other players grid, and as the targets are destroyed the number of shots available to the player whose markers have been destroyed is reduced.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,058,079 is directed to a particular variation of the game board used in the Battleship game of U.S. Pat. No. 2,053,598.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,794,641 pertains to a particular game, suggested by the strategy and tactics of World War II, and it is directed to a specific war game using a specific game board.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,343,841 is directed to a game board having three grids of different spacing, one for land vehicles, a second for sea vehicles, and a third for air vehicles. The various pieces have different movement and destructive power.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,110 is directed toward particular markers and game board used for keeping track of a conventional game of Battleship."

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The game of this invention utilizes three gridded regions, one designated a friendly island, a second designated an enemy island, and a third designated a body of water. The borders of the regions either coincide with the borders of the grid spaces or form a diagonal of the grid spaces. When the border is on a diagonal, that particular space has the characteristics of both the island region and the water region. That is, markers which operate only in the water region may operate in that kind of a space. The space having a diagonal border therein will be called a hybrid space because of its dual character. Although the two island regions may be differently shaped, they have an identical number of full playing spaces and hybrid spaces therein. Each player initially has an equal number of markers. In a preferred embodiment, each player has three headquarters markers, one for air, one for land, and one for water; 22 pill box markers; six big gun markers; 12 tank markers; five destroyer markers; one carrier marker; two battleship markers. The pill box, headquarters, and big gun markers must be on a friendly land region or island. The airplane markers must initially be either on land or on a carrier marker. All markers designated as ships or boats must initially be in the water region adjacent to a firendly land region. Each barge marker may carry one tank marker. Each destroyer marker may carry one tank marker and one barge marker. Each carrier marker may carry four tank markers and four barge markers, four airplane markers, or a combination thereof such as two plane markers plus two barge and two tank markers. Each battleship marker may carry two tank markers and two barge markers. The pill box, big gun, and headquarters markers are not moveable. The tank and destroyer markers each may move up to two squares. The airplane and P.T. boat markers may move up to three squares. The barge, carrier, and battleship markers may each move one square. Tank markers must be on barge markers when transferred on and off destroyer, carrier, or battleship markers. When a tank marker is put onto a barge marker, it equals one move. When the barge marker joins the destroyer, carrier or battleship marker, it equals one move. When the barge marker leaves the destroyer, carrier or battleship marker to transport the tank marker to shore, it equals one move. When a tank leaves a barge, it equals one move. A barge marker may not travel in open sea; it must stay in the water region adjoining a land region.

No two markers of the same player can occupy the same space except: a destroyer, carrier or battleship marker carrying tank markers and/or barge markers, plane markers on a carrier marker, or a tank marker on a barge marker.

The markers have varying destructive ranges. The barge and P.T. boat markers may only destroy enemy markers which are in the space they occupy. The carrier, headquarters, airplane and tank markers each have a range of one square. Barge, airplane and tank markers are incapacitated when being transported, and they may not destroy an enemy marker. The pill box and destroyer markers each have a range of two squares. The battleship markers each have a range of three squares. Each of the big gun markers has a range of four squares.

Each of the markers has a different point value. The object of the game is to destroy all three of the opponents headquarters markers or exceed his score by more than sixty points. Typical point values are: barges two, P.T. boats three, pill boxes four, tanks seven, big guns and air planes ten, headquarters five, destroyers thirteen, carriers fifteen, and battleships nineteen.

The headquarters markers are designated, typically, as air headquarters", land headquarters, and water headquarters". When the air headquarters marker is destroyed, the defending player must also remove one of this airplane markers from the board, thereby decreasing his destructive capability and giving him a total of a 15 point loss. The player may remove any single airplane marker that he desires, and he does not need to tell the opposing player the location of the marker he removed. When the land headquarters marker is destroyed, the defending player is required to remove one big gun marker for a total loss of 15 points and a decreased destructive capability. The defending player does not need to tell his opponent the location of the big gun he removed. When the water headquarters marker is destroyed, the defending player must remove one destroyer or carrier or battleship, and he is penalized the appropriate number of points depending upon the kind of ship he removes from the board. He also loses the striking power represented by that ship marker. If the ship he removes from the board is carrying planes, barges, or tanks, he must also remove them from the board and take his corresponding point penalty and decrease in destructive capability. If, when the headquarters marker is destroyed, the defending player has no more remaining planes, big guns, or ships, as the case may be, he merely loses his headquarters and has a point penalty of five points.

Battleship and carrier markers each occupy two spaces. To destroy a battleship or a carrier marker, one must hit the marker twice. The two hits must be one hit on each one-half if both hits are on one turn. If only one-half of a battleship or a carrier is hit on a turn, then another hit anywhere during the remainder of the game destroys the marker and all other markers it carries at the time of total destruction. If the battleship or carrier marker is transporting tank, barge, or plane markers when it is hit, those markers are also lost if they occupy the same space as the half of the ship that is hit. If the other one-half is then hit, the rest of the carried markers are lost.

If a destroyer marker which is transporting a tank and a barge marker is hit, the destroyer, tank and barge markers are all lost.

Each player plays in turn, and each player gets up to eight moves and then up to eight shots. Each object can only move once and only shoot once per turn. A player may only shoot five of his eight shots into a nine square area per turn. If an enemy marker is in the space shot at, the enemy marker, or portion thereof, in that space is destroyed. If he desires, a player may take less than his eight moves and shots.

The war is over when one player destroys all three of his opponents headquarters markers or exceeds his opponents score by more than 60 points. If the losing player was second to move at the beginning of the game, he gets his final shots. If on his final shot he can reduce the difference of scores to 60 or less (assuming that he has not lost all three headquarters markers) the game continues. If the second player loses all three headquarters markers, he still gets his final eight moves and shots. If on his final shots he destroys his opponents last remaining headquarters markers, the player having the larger number of points wins. If the points of the players are the same, the game is extended until one player has accumulated more points than his opponent. The second moving player gets his final shots.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new kind of war game and game board for two teams or players.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a typical game board used in the invention;

FIG. 2a is a typical battleship marker; FIG. 2b is a typical destroyer" marker;

. 2c is a typical carrier marker; 2d is a typical P.T. boat marker; 2e is a tank marker; 2f is a barge marker; 2g is an airplane marker;

FIG. 2h is a headquarters marker, the letter A indicating that it is the air headquarters marker;

FIG. 21 is a big gun" marker;

FIG. 2j is a pill box" marker FIG. 3a shows the destroying capability of a big gun" marker;

FIG. 3b shows the destroying capability of a battleship marker;

FIG. 30 shows the destroying capability of a pill box or destroyer marker;

FIG. 3a shows the destroying capability of a carrier marker;

FIG. 3e shows the destroying capabilities of tank, airplane or headquarters markers;

FIG. 3f shows the destroying capability of a RT. boat or barge marker;

FIG. 4a shows a typical marker used by a player on his own board to signify the position where he destroyed an enemy big gun marker;

FIG. 4b shows a typical marker used by a player on his own board to signify the position where he destroyed an enemy P.T. boat marker;

FIG. 40 shows a typical marker used by a player on his own board to signify the position where he destroyed an enemy pill box marker;

FIG. 4d shows a typical marker used by a player on his own board to signify the position where he destroyed an enemy tank marker;

FIG. 4e shows a typical marker used by a player on his own board to signify the position where he destroyed an enemy battleship marker;

FIG. 4f shows a typical marker used by a player on his own board to signify a position on the board where the friendly player had already shot;

FIG. 4g shows a typical marker used by a player on his own board to signify a position on the board where the opposing player has already shot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This is a war game which is played by two persons or two teams. It will be described as played by two persons. Each person receives a playing board such as that shown in FIG. 1. The shapes of the

areas

10, 12 and 14 need not be exactly as shown. The shapes are exemplary. The

regions

10 and 12 are designated land regions, and the region 14 is designated as a water region. The playing board may be thought of as two islands in an ocean. One of the players is assigned one of the

regions

10 or 12 as his friendly island region, and the other player is assigned the

other land region

10 or 12 as his friendly island region. The friendly island region of one player is the enemy island region of the other player. The water region 14 is neither friendly nor enemy. Each island region has an equal number of land squares and an equal number of diagonally divided, or hybrid, squares. The diagonally divided squares, as shown at 11, have a dual characteristic in that they may be considered to be both in the island region and in the adjacent water region, whereby any marker may be placed on such hybrid square.

Typically the playing board is divided into a grid of squares, as shown, which may be given an alphabeticnumeric designation as shown. Alternatively, an alphabetic-alphabetic or numericnumeric designation may be used. In a preferred embodiment all squares, including the hybrid squares, are numbered.

Each player initially has an equal number of markers. Each player secretly places his markers on his own board either on his friendly island region or in the water region immediately adjacent the friendly island region.

In a preferred embodiment, each player has three headquarters markers, one for air, one for land, and one for water; 22 pill box markers; six big gun markers; 12 tank markers; 10 airplane markers; 10 barge markers; three P.T. boat markers; five destroyer markers; one carrier marker; and two battleship markers. The pill box, headquarters, and big gun markers are placed on a friendly island or land region. The airplane markers must, at the beginning of the game, be either on a friendly land region or on a carrier marker. The tank markers must be either on a barge marker or on a friendly land region at the beginning of the game. A barge marker must be either on a carrier, destroyer, or battleship marker or in a water region square adjacent its friendly land region at the beginning of the game. The RT. boat markers, destroyer markers, carrier marker, and battleship markers must be in the water region adjacent their friendly land region at the beginning of the game.

No two markers of the same player can occupy the same space except: a destroyer, carrier or battleship marker carrying tank or barge markers, plane markers on a carrier marker, and a tank marker on a barge marker.

Each barge marker may carry one tank marker. Each destroyer marker may carry one barge marker with or without one tank marker. Each carrier marker may carry four barge markers with or without tank markers, or four airplane markers, or a mixture thereof. Each battleship marker may carry two barge markers, with or without tank markers.

The pill box, big gun, and headquarters markers are not moveable. The tank and destroyer markers have a capability of moving in any direction up to two squares. The airplane and RT. boat markers'have a capability of moving up to three squares, but the PT boats must stay in the water region. The barge, carrier, and battleship markers may each move one square in any direction within the water region. Tank markers must be on barge markers when the tank markers are transferred on and off destroyer, carrier or battleship markers. When a tank marker is put onto a barge marker, it is one move. When the barge marker joins a destroyer, carrier or battleship marker, it is one move. When the barge marker leaves a destroyer, carrier or battleship marker, it is one move. When a tank marker leaves or joins a barge, it is one move. A barge marker may not travel in open sea, except when on a destroyer, carrier or battleship marker, but must stay in the water region adjoining a land region.

Typical friendly markers are shown in FIGS. 2a through 2]. The markers may be models of the described war-like objects or may, if desired, merely be cards. If desired, a set of markers such as those shown in FIGS. 2a through 2.! may be used for friendly forces, and markers such as those shown, for example, in FIGS. 4a through 4e may be used to indicate the positions upon the board where hits occur on enemy markers. Colored blanks such as those in FIGS. 4f and 4g may be used, one color to keep track of a players own shots and the other color to keep track of his opponents shots.

The destructive capability of each of the markers is shown in FIGS. 3a through 3f. Any marker may destroy or shoot" at and opponents marker which is on the square of the destroying marker.

A big gun marker has a destructive range up to four spaces in any direction as shown in FIG. 3a. The big gun marker occupies only one space as shown at 25, and any enemy target marker within the distance shown in FIG. 3a is in danger of being hit.

The battleship markers each have a capability of destruction within three squares of the battleship markers. Because the battleship marker occupies two squares, as shown at 27 and 28, the effective destructive range of the battleship marker is a rectangle which is 8 by 7 squares or 56 squares.

The pill box or destroyer markers have a destructive range of two squares from their position 30 as shown in FIG. 30.

The carrier marker has a destructive range of one square as shown in FIG. 3a. The carrier marker occupies two

squares

32, 33, whereby the destructive area of a carrier marker is a rectangle which 5 four squares by three squares or a total of 12 squares as shown in FIG. 3a.

A tank, an airplane, or a headquarters marker has a destructive range of one square from its position 35. The tank, airplane, or headquarters marker occupies one square.

A P.T. boat or barge marker may destroy only an enemy marker which is on its own square as shown in FIG. 3f.

Each of the markers has a different point value. One of the objects of the game is to destroy all three of the opponents headquarters markers. Alternatively, the game may be won by exceeding the enemys score, for example, by more than sixty points. Typical point values for the markers are: barges two, P.T. boats three, pill boxes four, tanks seven, big guns and airplanes ten, headquarters five, destroyers thirteen, carriers fifteen, and battleships nineteen. It is understood, of course, that these assigned point values are arbitrary. but the mentioned point values have been determined, by experiment, to be those which produce an energetic and interesting game.

The headquarters markers are designated, typically, as air headquarters, land headquarters", and water headquarters. When the air headquarters marker is destroyed, the defending player must also remove one of this airplane markers from the board, thereby decreasing his destructive capability and giving him a total of a fifteen point loss. The player may remove any single airplane marker that he desires, and he does not need to tell the opposing; player the location of the marker he removed. When the land headquarters marker is destroyed, the defending player is required to remove one big gun marker for a total loss of fifteen points and a decreased destructive: capability. The defending player does not need to tell his opponent the location of the big gun he removed. When the water headquarters marker is destroyed, the defending player must remove one destroyer or carrier or battleship, and

he is penalized the appropriate number of points depending upon the kind of ship he removes from the board. He also loses the striking power represented by that ship marker. If the ship he removes from the board is carrying planes, barges, or tanks, he must also remove them from the board and take his corresponding point penalty and decrease in destructive capability. If, when the headquarters marker is destroyed, the defending player has no more remaining planes, big guns, or ships, as the case may be, he merely loses his headquarters and has a point penalty of five points.

To destroy a battleship or a carrier marker, one must hit the marker twice. The two hits must be one hit on each one'half of the battleship or carrier marker if both hits are on one turn. If only one-half of a battleship or carrier marker is hit on a turn, then another hit anywhere on that marker during the remainder of the war destroys the marker. That is, the same one-half of the battleship or carrier marker may be hit again upon another turn to destroy the battleship or carrier and all it carries. If the battleship or carrier is transporting other markers such as tanks, barges, or planes, those markers are also lost if they occupy the same space as the half of the ship that is hit. If the other half of the marker is then hit, the rest of the markers carried by the battleship or carrier are lost.

If a destroyer marker is transporting a barge marker with or without a tank marker when the destroyer marker is hit, the destroyer, barge, and tank markers are all lost.

After the friendly markers are placed, in secret, at the beginning of the game, each player, in turn, then receives eight moves, then eight shots. The spacing in the water region 14 between the

islands

10 and 12 is such that it should be possible, after the first move, for a player to reach at least some of the enemy targets. Each marker can shoot once and can only move once per turn. Obviously, if each player gets only eight moves, and then eight shots per turn, and he has a larger number of markers, some of the markers will not be moved nor shot during each turn. A player is restricted in that he may shoot only five of his eight shots into a nine square area per turn. This prevents saturating a particular region and gives the opposing player an opportunity to move his markers out of that region if they are missed.

At each turn the moves are first made in secret by the player (if desired, a referee may observe the players to prevent cheating.) The player then announces, one at a time, the designation of the squares of the grid where his shots are to land. As he announces the squares of his shots, the opposing player must state whether or not one of the opposing players markers is on that square and, if so, the type of marker.

Each playerr, when it is his turn to move and shoot may take fewer than eight moves and eight shots, depending upon his strategy. For example, he may decide that shooting might give away his position.

The first move is decided by lot.

The game is over when one player destroys all three of his opponents headquarters markers, or, altematively, exceeds his opponents score by more than 60 points. If the losing player was second to move at the beginning of the game, he gets his final shots. If on his final shots he can reduce the difference of scores to 60 or less (assuming that he has not lost all three headquarters markers) the game continues. If the second player loses all three headquarters, he still gets his final eight moves and shots. If on his final shots he destroys all of his opponents headquarters, the player having the larger number of points wins. If the points are the same, the game is then extended until one player has accumulated more points than his opponent. The second player gets his final shots.

The game of this invention is a more complex game than the conventional game of battleship. The following description is intended to be broad, but the items in parentheses are added to help the reader follow this broad redescription in parallel with the description set forth above. The names of the regions and markers in parentheses are merely a specific embodiment of the game.

Each person receives a playing board such as that shown in FIG. 1. The shape of the

regions

10, 12 and 14 need not be exactly as shown.

One of the players is assigned one of the regions of a first kind (land regions) 10 or 12 as his friendly region of the first kind, and the other player is assigned the other region of the first kind (land region) 10 or 12 as his friendly region of the first kind. The friendly region of the first kind of one player is the enemy region of the first kind of the other player. The region of the second kind (water region) 14 is neither friendly nor enemy.

Typically the playing board is divided into a grid of squares, and half squares, as shown, which may be given an alphabeticnumeric designation, as shown, or an alphabetic-alphabetic or numeric-numeric designation. The half squares are designated hybrid squares, and they take on the characteristics of the regions of both the first and second kinds. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the squares has a separate numeral.

Each player has an equal number of markers. Each player secretly places his markers on his own board either on his friendly region of the fist kind (land region) or in the region of the second kind (water region) immediately adjacent the region of the first kind.

In a preferred embodiment, each player has a first predetermined number of markers of a first kind (headquarters markers); a second predetermined number of markers of the second kind (pill boxes); a third predetermined number of markers of a third kind (big guns); a fourth predetermined number of markers of a fourth kind (tanks); a fifth predetermined number of markers of a fifth kind (airplanes); a sixth predetermined number of markers of a sixth kind (barges); a seventh predetermined number of markers of a seventh kind (P.T.

boats); an eighth predetermined number of markers of an eighth kind (destroyers); a ninth predetermined number of markers of a ninth kind (carriers); and a tenth predetermined number of markers of a tenth kind (battleships).

The markers of the first kind (headquarters), the second kind (pill boxes), and the third kind (big guns) are placed on a friendly region of the first kind (land region) or in a hybrid square. The markers of the fifth kind (airplanes) must, at the beginning of the game, be either on a friendly region of the first kind (land region) or on a hybrid square, or on a marker of the ninth kind (carrier). The markers of the fourth kind (tanks) must be either on a marker of the sixth kind (barge) or on a region of the first kind (land region) or on a hybrid square at the beginning of the game. A marker of the sixth kind (barge) must be either on a marker of the eighth kind (destroyer), ninth kind (carrier), or tenth kind (battleship), or in a square of the region of the second kind or on a hybrid square adjacent a friendly region of the first kind (land region) at the beginning of the game. The markers of the seventh kind (P.T. boats), eighth kind (destroyers), ninth kind (carriers), and tenth kind (battleships) must be in the region of the second kind (water region) or on a hybrid square adjacent the friendly region of the first kind (land region) at the beginning of the game.

No two markers of one player can occupy the same space, or hybrid square, except: markers of the eighth, ninth and tenth kind (destroyers, carriers, battleships) carrying markers of the fourth and sixth kind (tanks or barges), markers of the fifth kind (airplanes) on a marker of the ninth kind (carriers), and markers of the fourth kind (tanks) on markers of the sixth kind (barges).

Each marker of the sixth kind (barge) may carry one marker of the fourth kind (tank). Each marker of the eighth kind (destroyer) may carry one marker of the sixth kind (barge) with one marker of the fourth kind (tank) on that one marker of the sixth kind. Each marker of the ninth kind (carrier) may carry four markers of the sixth kind (barges), with or without markers of the fourth kind (tanks), or four markers of the fifth kind (airplanes). Each marker of the tenth kind (battleship) may carry two markers of the sixth kind (barges), with or without markers of the fourth kind (tanks).

Markers of the first, second, and third kinds (headquarters, pill boxes and big guns) are not moveable. Markers of the fourth and eighth kinds (tanks and destroyers) have a capability of moving in any direction up to two squares. The markers of the fourth kind must remain in regions of the first kind, and the markers of the eighth kind must remain in regions of the second kind. The markers of the fifth and seventh kinds (airplanes and RT. boats) have a capability of moving up to three squares, but the markers of the seventh kind (PT. boats) must stay in the region of the second kind (water region). Markers of the sixth, ninth and tenth kinds (barges, carriers and battleships) may each move one square in any direction within the region of the second kind (water region). Markers of the fourth kind (tanks) must be on markers of the sixth kind (barges) when the markers of the fourth kind are transferred on and off markers of the eighth, ninth and tenth kinds (destroyers, carriers or battleships). When a marker of the fourth kind is put on a marker of the sixth kind, it is one move. When a marker of the sixth kind joins markers of the eighth, ninth or tenth kind, it is one move. When a marker of the sixth kind leaves a marker of the eighth, ninth or tenth kind, it is one move. When a marker of the fourth kind (tank) leaves a marker of the sixth kind (barge), it is one move. A marker of the sixth kind (barge) must stay in the region of the second kind (water region) adjoining a region of the first kind (land region) when it is not being carried on a marker of the eighth, ninth or tenth kinds.

The destructive capability of the markers is, typically, as follows:

A marker of the third kind (big gun) has a destructive range up to four spaces in any direction, as shown in FIG. 3a. The marker occupies only one space as shown at 25, and any enemy target within the distance shown in FIG. 3a is in danger of being hit.

Markers of the tenth kind (battleship) each have a capability of destruction within three squares of the marker. Because the marker of the tenth kind occupies two squares, as shown at 27 and 28, the effective destructive range of the marker is a rectangle which is 8 by 7 squares.

Markers of the second and eighth kinds (pill boxes and destroyers) have a destructive range of two squares from the center position 30, as shown in FIG. 3c.

The marker of the ninth kind (carrier) has a destructive range of one square, as shown in FIG. 3a. This marker occupies two squares, whereby the destructive area is a rectangle which is four squares by three squares.

Markers of the first, fourth, or fifth kind (headquarters, tanks or airplanes) have a destructive range of one square from their center position 35. The marker occupies one square or one-half square. A marker of the sixth or seventh kind (barge or P.T. boat) may destroy only an enemy marker which is on its own square or one-half square as shown in FlG. 3f.

Each of the markers has a different point value. One of the objects of the game is to destroy all three of the opponents markers of the first kind (headquarters). Alternatively, the game may be won by exceeding the enemys score by a predetermined point margin. Point values are assigned to each of the markers, and points are obtained by destroying the opponents markers.

When a marker of the first kind (headquarters) is destroyed, the player losing that marker may be required to remove one or more other of his markers of predetermined kinds. The markers of the first kind may be further differentiated such that each marker of the first kind, when it is destroyed, requires removal of a different otherkind of marker.

To destroy a marker of the ninth or tenth kind (carrier or battleship), one must hit the marker twice. That is, the opponent must guess the position of his opponents marker twice when he is shooting. The two hits must be one hit on each one-half of the marker if both hits are on one turn. If only one-half of a marker is hit on a turn, then another hit anywhere during the remainder of the game, even on that same onehalf, destroys the marker. That is, the same one-half of the marker may be hit again upon another turn to destroy it. If the marker is transporting other markers such as markers of the fourth, fifth or sixth kinds (tanks, planes or barges), those markers are also lost if they occupy the same space as the one-half of the marker that is hit. If the other one-half of the marker is than hit, the rest of the markers carried by the marker of the ninth or tenth kind are lost.

If a marker of the eighth kind (destroyer) is transporting a marker of the sixth kind (barge), with or without a marker of the fourth kind (tank), when the marker of the eighth kind is hit, the markers of the fourth, sixth and eighth kinds are all lost.

After the friendly markers are placed, in secret, at the beginning of the game, each player then receives a predetermined number of moves and then a predetermined number of shots. Each player may take less than said predetermined number of moves or shots. The spacing in the second region (water region) 14 between the first regions (land regions) 10 and 12 is such that it should be possible, after the first move, for a player to reach at least some of the enemy targets. Each marker can shoot once and only move once per turn. Obviously if each player gets only a small number of moves and a small number of shots per turn, and he has a larger number of markers, some of the markers will not be moved or shot during each turn. A player is restricted to shooting no more than a predetermined number, such as five of eight shots, into a predetermined area, such as a nine square area, per turn. This prevents saturating a particular region and gi tes the opposing player an opportunity to move his markers out of that region if they are missed.

At each turn the moves are first made in secret by the player. (If desired, a referee may observe to prevent cheating). The layer then announces, one at a time, the designation of the squares of the grid where his shots are to land. As he announces the squares of his shots, the opposing player must state whether or not one of the opposing players markers is on that square and, if so, the type of marker.

The first move is decided by lot.

The first game is over when one player destroys all of his opponents markers of the first kind (headquarters) or, alternatively, exceeds his opponents score by more than a predetermined margin of points. If the losing player was second to move at the beginning of the game, he gets his final shots. If on his final shots he can reduce the difference of scores to the predetermined winning difference margin or less (assuming that he has not lost all markers of the first kind) the game continues. If the second player loses all markers of the first kind, he still gets his final moves and shots. If on his final shots he destroys all of his opponents markers of the first kind, the player having the larger number of points wins. If the points are the same, the game then continues until a player wins.

The game of this invention has been described in detail above, but the invention is to be limited not by that description but by that description taken in combination with the appended claims:

I claim:

1. A game comprising a pair of identical game boards, each divided into three regions overlaid with a grid, the boundaries between said regions being upon said grid, and predetermined squares of said grid at the boundaries between said regions being uniquely identified, the first and third regions each being surrounded by the second region, and said first and third regions enclosing equal numbers of squares and having equal numbers of said uniquely identified squares on their boundaries.

2. A game as recited in claim 1 in which said uniquely identified squares on the boundaries between said first and second and between said second and third regions have diagonal marks.

3. A game as recited in claim 2 in which said first and third regions represent islands, and said second region represents water between said islands.

4. A game as recited in claim 2 and further comprising markers positioned upon said game boards, said markers being of three genera.

5. A game as recited in claim 4 in which there are four species of markers of said first genera, five species of markers of said second genera, and one species of markers of said third genera.

6. A game as recited in claim 5 in which one sub species of one species of said first genera are three in number.