when I was a kid I always played the king and 4 pawns vs army variant. Only rules were 1. white gets 2 moves for every 1 move for army. 2. The king can move in and out of check and can pass through check. 3. The king may capture the other king. The 4 pawns are setup at b2 d2 f2 h2 and king on his home.
I'm surprised I Never seen it here.