H.G. Wells, Original Wargamer :)
This reminds me of a similar game called Lego Wars that my friends and I used to play in middle school (I downloaded the rules off of GEnie):
This reminds me of a similar game called Lego Wars that my friends and I used to play in middle school (I downloaded the rules off of GEnie):
The Prussians used it as part of training in 1812: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriegsspiel_(war-game)
Also it also appears in 'The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman' from 1759 (and the Steve Coogan film).