David Gómez Relloso
Spain
Dobro (Los Altos)
Burgos
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CRUSADE AND REVOLUTION
GAME SESSION REVIEW WITH HISTORICAL COMMENTS
Greetings!
In October 2006 my friend Sten and I played a nice complete game of Crusade and Revolution. I will tell you about the first moments of our game, and explain some historical aspects of the Spanish Civil War that appear in the game.
The failed military coup began on 18th July 1936, but the fronts weren't clear after two weeks later. During those frenzied days, many officers hesitated, without clearly giving their support to the rebels or the government. Finally, the circumstances in their territories forced them to choose one side, or in worst cases, they were imprisoned or shot.
There were some enemy resistance areas inside both zones that had to be reduced. Meanwhile, heartless people in both sides had started to commit terrible crimes against any person supposed to be an enemy.
Until the last days of July and the first days of August the front between both Spains was not definite. Then started the Civil War with the War of Columns Phase: few thousand men guarding precarious fronts (sometimes only hundreds), and few columns that tried to attack enemy territory, composed of a mixture of soldiers, police forces and civilians that had formed militias. Nationalist side conserved a much better military structure, but had not enough strength to defeat the other side.
Of course, both sides realized soon that the coup had failed but the Government could not destroy the rebellion. A Civil War had started, and a great effort would be necessary to win: mobilization of men, purchase and manufacture of arms, formation of soldiers and officers, creation of armies, economic reorganization, international diplomacy, propaganda...
The Government had some advantages: nearly two-thirds of the country were under his control, including the most important industrial zones, in the Basque Country and Catalonia. Most important, State's gold and silver reserves were in Government's hands (many times money has decided the course of wars). The rebellion in Madrid had failed, and the first expeditions sent against the capital from the Nationalist northern zone had also been stopped.
The situation seemed desperate for the rebels. They controlled the Army of Africa in Spanish Morocco: nearly 35,000 professional soldiers that could change the military deadlock in the Peninsula. But they had to cross Gibraltar's Strait, and the Republican fleet blocked sea movement (most warships were loyal to the Government).
In that critical moment, Nationalists started the first military air bridge of history. At first, using just three Spanish airplanes. But soon, Italy and Germany sent more airplanes that would transport the Army of Africa to the Peninsula along the following three months. The war was going to change.
INITIAL APPROACH
The Nationalist Player starts the game playing "Air Bridge" event. Thanks to a few Spanish airplanes, and with the decisive help of German and Italian airplanes, the Army of Africa started to be airlifted to the Peninsula. Only few hundreds men arrived to Sevilla (Southern Spain’s main city under Nationalist control) in the first weeks of August, but they were enough for reinforcing the Nationalist control of West Andalusia and forming the first offensive columns that marched to the north, towards Madrid.
The Nationalist Player has the initiative, but he also has MANY things to do:
- Connect his two main controlled zones (north and south).
- Connect with his two isolated areas (Granada in the south and Oviedo in the north).
- Try to liberate any or all of the Sieges: Nationalist few hundreds defenders in buildings used as fortresses surrounded by Republican territory and forces. There are three sieges in total.
- Attack and try to capture Madrid, Spain’s capital. This is his main military and political objective.
- Attack the Republican Northern Front, trying to reduce Republican territory.
- Defend his vulnerable fronts: Aragon (in the north-east) and even Mallorca island, in the Mediterranean Sea.
And apart from all those objectives, he should play some important political or military events. For example, it is very interesting to receive Italy’s and Germany’s political support and military aid. And propaganda is another arm in the diplomacy war.
The Republican Player is in a defensive position. He has more units than the Nationalist, but their military aptitude is lower. The Government discharged all the Spanish Army, trying to deactivate the coup. But the rebel forces did not obey the order, and nearly all the possible loyal military forces disappeared. After the distribution of arms to left political parties and trade unions, the defense of the Republic was in political militias’ hands, with the help of few police forces and military remnants.
The Republican Player controls two thirds of the Spanish territory, but divided in two zones (his main zone and the Northern Front, in the Bay of Biscay Coast), that hardly can help each other. The Government has lost the control over the Republican territory, because left political parties of different kinds (socialists, anarchists, communists, anti-Stalinists, regional nationalists...) control the arms and militias, and because different little governments control their zones and organize the war without taking into consideration the rest.
The Republican Player’s main objectives are:
- Slow down Nationalist Army of Africa’s advance to the north (easy to say).
- Fortify his lines, constructing positions.
- Try to defeat the Nationalist Sieges, specially the Alcazar, that gives 1 Victory Point to the Nationalist Player if he liberates it.
- Defend Madrid, being one of the main military and political objectives.
- Defend the Northern Front.
- Improve militias’ military aptitude, creating the Republican Popular Army (playing "Largo Caballero’s Government" and "Mixed Brigades" events).
- If circumstances allow it, launch some diversion attack against poorly defended Nationalist lines, or disembark in Mallorca.
And as the Nationalist, the Republican Player needs to receive foreign aid. Most important countries (leaded by Great Britain and France) created the Non Intervention Committee in the very first days of the war. They were afraid that the Spanish Civil War could provoke a World War, and they thought that strict neutrality would avoid the danger. Italy, Germany and the Soviet Union took part in the committee, but of course, they did not keep the treaty. After some minor French aid, the Republican side would only receive military aid from the Soviet Union.
WAR OF COLUMNS PHASE (First 5 Turns)
Let's comment what happened in the first five turns. Sten (playing Crusade and Revolution for the first time and leading the Nationalist side) had two objectives in his first turns: connect his southern and northern zones, and improve his position in the south-east (east Andalucía), trying to help Granada, a space isolated and surrounded by Republican units.
In the first two turns he received four units from the Army of Africa, apart from the one that starts the game in Sevilla. With that little but excellent force, he managed to achieve both objectives. The easiest (and historical) way to connect the Nationalist zones is the north-west, crossing the flat Extremadura, with the friendly Portuguese border covering the left flank. Sten followed that way, crushing any opposing unit and conquering Badajoz, a Victory Point and Supply Source space.
Of course, the advance supposed casualties, specially among the fierce African forces. Sten tried to be cautious or even conservative while using these valuable units. Meanwhile, I tried to slow down his progression and reinforce my weakest lines. The Republican Player knows that after the inevitable connection of both Nationalist zones, Madrid and spaces in the northern Spain will perish.
Both players put attention on the diplomatic aspects of the war, asking for military and political support from their respective allies. Supported by the spectacular advance of his African troops and the Italian and German aid, General Franco took command of all the Nationalist Forces as "Caudillo" and "Generalísimo".
The only serious Republican offensive was a disembark in the key Island of Mallorca. Control of Gibraltar Strait was in Republican hands, so the moment seemed appropriate. But Sten sent reinforcements, and the Republican militias’ attack was blocked after controlling a beachhead. The pressure of the Central Government (who saw the disembark as an independent war effort ordered by the Catalonian Government) forced the embark of the defeated expeditionary force back to the Peninsula. I also tried to capture the Alcázar, the most important Nationalist redoubts besieged, but I was not lucky with the dice rolls.
In the third and fourth turns, Sten gave attention to the Southern and Northern Fronts. In eastern Andalucía, with the help of the Italian reinforcements sent by Mussolini, he conquered the vulnerable city of Málaga, reducing the front length. In the north, he started to reduce the Republican zone, conquering San Sebastián and isolating it from the French border. He also attacked in the west, trying to liberate the surrounded city of Oviedo, but he did not send enough forces to that front.
The Republican Player was busy constructing Positions and reinforcing east Andalucía. Without a strong help, the southern front could collapse. Fortunately, I was able to play "Russian Tanks", and the first magnificent T-26 Soviet tanks arrived on time to stop the enemy advance and even menace him with a counterattack!
The fifth is a Winter turn, so the weather allowed less operations. Both players prepared themselves for the next war phase, playing some interesting events and preparing future offensives/defenses. It was curious that neither side had done anything in the north-eastern front (Aragón) during the first five game turns. It was a "forgotten front".
Balance of the War of Columns Phase (five turns):
The Nationalist Player accomplished some of his objectives, connecting his two separated main zones and improving his positions in the Southern Front. He also started to conquer of the Republican Northern Front, but without much success. He conquered three Victory Point spaces, without losing any.
After connecting south and north, he did little effort to approach to Madrid, and the capital was never in perish during the first phase. There is an important political penalization in Victory Points for not trying to conquer the capital. He also did not liberate any of the three Sieges.
As the Republican Player, I adopted a logical defensive position. I suffered a little crisis in the south, when Sten put pressure I that front, but finally I was able to create a strong line. I lost the most indefensible Victory Point spaces, but I achieved some "victories": Even if I did not conquer any Siege, Sten did not liberate any of them. Oviedo, in the Northern Front, was not liberated. And most important, Madrid was safe.
Any questions, comments or suggestions about the game? Thanks.
David Gómez Relloso
Designer of "Crusade and Revolution"
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Brian Sherry
Vienna
Virginia
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Sounds like an excellent game. Please post the results when you finish the game in question.
The map looks a bit intimidating, though. Ther are an enormous number of points for movement, perhaps more than there are in Hannibal, for example? I will be watching the development of this game with interest.
No pasaran!
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G D
United States
Minnesota
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Awesome! thanks for the English review! Where do I preorder?
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David Gómez Relloso
Spain
Dobro (Los Altos)
Burgos
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Black Knight wrote: Sounds like an excellent game. Please post the results when you finish the game in question.
Thanks! We played and finished the game nearly one year ago. I have game play notes, but I will need time to write the complete session and I am quite busy with other aspects of the game. Sorry!
Black Knight wrote: The map looks a bit intimidating, though. Ther are an enormous number of points for movement, perhaps more than there are in Hannibal, for example? I will be watching the development of this game with interest.
Yes, there are lots of spaces, and the front is VERY long (as it was historically, 2,000 kilometres). But the game system works fine with this map!
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David Gómez Relloso
Spain
Dobro (Los Altos)
Burgos
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gregd wrote: Awesome! thanks for the English review! Where do I preorder?
Sorry, but preorder is not yet available. The game will be published by MMP, but I do not know when will appear in its web for preordering.
Edit: I have just noticed that I did not update this thread! Of course the game is in pre-order since many months ago, we are now quite close to the needed number:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/tabid/59/ProductID/95/Defa...
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