SITUATION: The Republicans are losing the war! The Nationalists have steadily pushed them back. Now they have cut the Republic in two by pushing to the sea. The Anarchists in Catalonia are cut off from the Communists in Valencia. To reconnect the two, the Anarchists must attack across the Ebro and drive south. The only thing in their way are the elite corp of the Falangist army. It should be easy.
THE TERRAIN: The battle is fought in three phases, over the same ground, The battle field consists of a river with a bridge on either end of the table. There is a small hill on the Republican side of the river. On the other side of the river is a hill that dominates both bridges. If the players wish, there is a long ridge some distance to the south where the bulk of the Nationalist army is, but they are really not in the game.
PHASE ONE - THE REPUBLICAN ATTACK: One Nationalist battalion is dug in on the hill. They have a couple of machine guns and a staff car (used by the colonel to ferry his mistress around in). Off in the distance a Condor Squadron Stuka is circling, available for ground support if called by and argument. The Republicans have two battalions of infantry, each with a couple or machine guns and one artillery spotter. And a tank (a Russian one - pretty good by 1938 standards). The attackers start on their side of the river (probably right by the bridges). The Republicans move first.
PHASE TWO - THE COUNTER ATTACK: The Republicans who survive the first phase must beat off a counter attack. The Nationalist throw two battalions of infantry (with a couple of machine guns and an artillery spotter each) two tanks (German, not Italian) and two Stukas at the intruders. The Nationalists move first and come in from the far long side of the table.
PHASE THREE - THE REPUBLICANS SCREW UP: At this point the Republicans have probably been battered back across the river. If so then they get one more battalion to try to get back across. If they held on to the hill then they foolishly launch an attack on the fleeing Nationalists. In either case the Nationalists are reenforced with a new battalion of men and another tank (an Italian one, sorry).
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I RAN THIS AT THE LOCAL STORE
I got a yen to play a Spanish Civil War game after watching a documentary on the war. I can't say that I fancy either side. The Anarchists were fools, the Communists were Stalinist stooges, and the Fascists well ... were Fascists. So I didn't care who won.
I made the attackers Anarchists because they were the most interesting type of soldier in the war - I mean really, an army that can vote on whither to obey an order or not is a force that must be played in a Battle Matrix Game (where players make arguments why they are not dead when shot and where players can literally rewrite the rules of the game as the game is being played). I also did this because I expected that young kids would get these commands. They would be just right for Anarchists.
Two young teenage boys joined up - passing up the chance to play in FASA's new air game - and quickly launched their attack on me. They separated themselves, one battalion per bridge. Luck dice rolls got them over the bridges in two turns. One player swept up the hill rapidly rolling up my flank. While the other player held back and did not engage (thus preserving his command). I succeeded in knocking out the tank before my remaining two men surrendered and another one was shot while fleeing.
The now cocky defenders set up their defenses before the counter attack came. Fortunately for me, they set up in such a way that they could not support one another by fire. Each one of use got to make one matrix argument to accomplish one thing before the attack happened. My argument was the only one to succeed - I did aerial reconnaissance so I spotted the flaw in their defence.
My Fascists ran across the plain towards the battalion on the hill - the one commanded by the aggressive commander. The correct move as it turned out. The other Anarchist began pulling back as soon as I entered the board, leaving his friend in the lurch. My men overwhelmed the defenders while my tanks and aircraft crossed the river to pursue the retreating dogs. Revenge is sweet.
We were just about to start the third phase when my wife called and issued a command from the Generalissimo that I had to come home to take her out to eat. Typical! So ends another highly realistic game.
RECRUITING NEW GAMERS INTO MINIATURES
The two kids who played my game are not HMGS gamers. But they enjoyed the game and asked where they could get miniatures like mine. I of course told them to ask the store to order some. Which they will if enough players ask for something.
I remember when I was really hooked into historical miniatures. I'd done sailing ship games and WWI fighter pilot games but it wasn't until I played TSATF and system seven Napoleonics that I really was hooked. TSATF used few figures - so I could afford to get my own - and looked great. While system seven was cheap and allowed me to play Napleonics - which allowed me to learn that I am a good brigadier but a lousy division commander. I imagine that if I keep on running my kind of simple miniatures game I can bring these kids into the fold.
So all you would be recruiters - throw away your complicated games and bring out a Tea and Humus game - simple quick and approachable. And of course, let the kids win! Nothing better than success to cement a player in the hobby.
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© Copyright 1999 Hal Thinglum
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