An old favourite

"You know your government is in trouble when the Communists are it's most conservative element." I'm not sure where I read this comment, but it is a apt summary of the politics of the Spanish Republic at the time of the Spanish Civil War. (1936-1939) It has been a personal favourite period to game for a while now. I started collecting troops to game on the battalion/brigade level with the "Command Decision" rules. Now I  use Iron Ivan's "Disposable Heroes" and "Primera Battala" (which carries the SCW specific rules.) When I play I add a small rule for flavour: if an Anarchist unit comes into contact with a para-military police unit, morale must be rolled. If it fails, the units begin to fire at each other - even if they are nominally on the same side! It makes it interesting,
     I use 15mm figures and models - Minifigs, Peter Pig, old Citadel 'Traveller' figs, Essex, Flames of War, and unknowns. They can be quite colourful. Here are some photos of at least two different games.


Two sections of Anarchist infantry (FAI) supported by an armoured car for the Assault Guards. (Yes, they both passed morale!) The Anarchist figs are Boers, ACW, Napoleonics, and Mexicans from a Wild West range as well as an SCW fig here and there.

 

Moroccan Regulares exit their transports and prepare to attack. I remember that the assault didn't go well for the Nationalists. I love the white canvas shoes.



The mighty FT-17 controls the battlefield... or at least one small piece of it. At a speedy 3 mph and one MG, it is a titian!

 

A Republican "fast firing" 75mm field piece. I mount the units in sections/batteries/teams on large washers from Canadian Tire. (Yes, the crew was French Foreign Legion in another life.)

 

The Tercio! The Spanish Foreign Legion takes the streets. Bugles and flags and canvas shoes.

More Nationalist infantry.

 

Republican infantry of the "Popular Army."
I don't have any photos of International Brigade troops although the blurry stand in the foreground might be some. 

Some of the houses shown are wood, some cardboard downloaded from either a "Warmaster" website or a Danish gaming club's site, some are resin, and others hydrocal castings. As I said the figs are from various manufacturers as are the tanks and trucks. I didn't show cavalry, various Republican militias, the para-militaries, MG crews, or the REALLY odd armoured vehicles. A very interesting period of history to game, but a vicious piece of human history to endure.