Imagine it is 1793 and you are a member of the Board of Ordnance in London. Your country faces war with Revolutionary France. There is an army, of course, but the number of muskets in stock is deplorable. It is the task of the Board to equip both the army and the navy with small arms and ammunition. Are you up to the challenge?

The strength of the British army is only 44,432 men – no match for the enemy on the Continent. It must be massively enlarged. At the peak time in 1813, the army will contain about 250,000 men.

Another problem is the number of muskets: There are only about 60,000 in armouries. French regiments hold more than 700,000 muskets already.

The Board of Ordnance is in charge of running the business of manufacturing armaments. As a member of the Board, you can choose one of the following strategies:

• Developing new channels of supply

• Standardising and improving existing munition

• Encouraging production in striving areas outside of London