España 1936, the great game about the Spanish Civil War, returns in a revised and expanded edition
Introduction
España 1936, designed by Antonio Catalán, returns to stores in a revised and expanded special edition. This strategy title for two people is set in the Spanish Civil War and puts players in control of one of the two factions that took major part in the conflict: the Republican side and the rebel side, which called itself National. The game proposes a realistic simulation of the conflict, in which the player's skill and the random factor of cards and dice allow the story to take different paths. And all this is designed to be affordable for all types of players.
This new edition has a renewed graphic section, by Meeple Foundry, and new illustrations by Joan Guardiet (artist behind great games such as The White Castle or Checkpoint Charlie). It also includes the “La Armada” expansion, the 1938 scenario and 8 cards, for optional use, that add depth to the game.
At the time of its original edition, more than 15 years ago, España 1936 received nominations for the CSR Awards, IGA and Origins Awards. Acclaimed by critics and players, this title scales very well according to the experience of the players, making it an ideal title to get started in historical simulation games.
The components
One of the most remarkable elements of the game is the central board, which shows a large map of Spain. The cities and areas that played a more prominent role during the conflict are connected to each other by lines of movement and are marked with boxes, where the pieces of each side will be placed. The board also includes a turn marker and an objective zone marker. All of this has a completely renewed and modernized graphic design compared to the original edition of the game.
In addition to the board, two other elements that have changed substantially compared to the original game are the tokens and the cards. The more than one hundred tokens that we find inside the box have a clear and intuitive design, with a useful color code (red for the Republican player and green and blue for the National player) that facilitate their deployment and recognition on the board. With a square format, they serve to represent armies (military infantry units, tanks, aviation...) and generals of each side.
On the other hand, each player has their own deck of 44 cards (plus 4 to use with advanced rules) that are used both to execute events and to add modifiers during a fight. All the events in the cards are based on real events that occurred during the Spanish Civil War, except for those indicated as “Historical Supposition”; In both cases, a brief explanation is offered with the relevant context. On both the tokens and the cards, Joan Guardiet's illustrations, inspired by the style of posters from the European 1930s, give these components a unique personality.
In addition to everything mentioned, Spain 1936 also includes a combat resolution board and wooden indicators, and each player has a set of 5 dice and a side board, with a summary of the game sequence. A whole array of components to put the full weight of History on the table.
How to play
A game in Spain 1936 is played over ten turns, each one divided into several phases. Throughout the game, players fight for control of the objective areas shown on the map, moving their troops around the board. There are several possible victory conditions, either because one side militarily dominates the other (leaving it without enough units to continue the war), or if some unexpected outcomes occur (such as the fall of Madrid before the end of the third turn or the conquest of Seville, Barcelona and Madrid by either side). However, the game is usually decided at the end of the last turn based on replacement points (which are obtained based on the controlled objective areas).
Each turn, players receive a series of cards, which they can use as events to achieve important benefits, or as modifiers of the results of the dice, which are rolled during combat. After drawing and reviewing cards, players move their troops around the map and deploy their generals. Wherever there is a general and tokens from both sides, a combat can break out. Depending on the power of the units and the support they receive, players will roll more or fewer dice, both to attack and defend. Once the combat phase is over, the events take place, representing events that occurred during the war or fictitious historical situations that could have happened. Finally, the maintenance and replacements phase takes place, where players can bring more units to the board or improve their power.
Built-in expansions
This edition of Spain 1936 includes the “La Armada” expansion, which is designed to give greater strategic depth to the base game. This supplement adds naval units for both sides, as well as new cards and tokens. Thus, in addition to infantry, tank and aviation combat, this module adds ships and naval operations, a whole set of resources at players’ disposal to develop new and ingenious strategies. In addition, 8 optional event cards (4 per player) and new game scenarios proposed in the rulebook are also included. In short, everything necessary to make Spain 1936 a complete and satisfactory experience.
Claim your copy!
Are you passionate about historical recreation games? Do you want to rediscover a classic strategy game in a renewed edition? Would you like to delve deeper into the Spanish Civil War, a key conflict that would mark the contemporary history of Spain? If so, do not miss this opportunity and reserve your copy of España 1936 at your trusted store. It's up to you to repeat the History or come up with an alternative ending.
