The Spanish Civil War for NUTS!

Republican Forces:
1) Milicianos (Militia) - The primary fighting force for the Republic in the early war, the militias
were largely ineffective and unable to stop the advance of the Army of Africa (exception: Battle
of Madrid). However, they did tie up the Army of Africa's best units and bought some time for a
popular army to be trained. Later in the war, militia units not assimilated into the Popular Army
could be found acting as guerillas behind Nationalist lines.
* Militia units are treated as Green troops (REP 2). If they are defending their home village or
city, their morale level is boosted to Reliable (REP 4).
* When a militia unit breaks, all members must rout with bases touching. Fleeing militia units
were notorious for bunching up, making them easier for MGs and artillery to pick them off.
* Militia leaders must take a front line position within LOS of enemy units when possible. They
were supposed to lead their troops and expose themselves to danger, showing their machismo as
a qualification for leading. Obviously, many died.
* The communist organized 5th Regiment represents a special case in that, though they were a
militia unit, their troops were better organized and equipped. 5th Regiment troops are considered
Regular troops (REP 3). Their leaders, many purposely recruited from ex-Foreign Legion and the
regular army, need not take the suicidal front line stance.

2) Asaltos & Guardia Civil - The Asaltos were a paramilitary urban police force, similar to the
Guardia Civil, whose loyalties mostly lay with the Republic and were relied on to be a force
loyal to the government should there be an insurrection. Not as numerous as the Guardia Civil,
the Asaltos formed the best Republican troops of the early war and played a key factor in
suppressing army units attempting to rise in certain cities, thus keeping these areas loyal to the
Republic. Though a majority of Guardia Civil did declare for the Republic, the fact that so many
didn't kept the Republic suspicious of them and they were often dispersed to militia units, which
prevented their being utilized to their best capabilities. Asaltos personnel were drawn from ex-
Army of Africa and Foreign Legion and were considered better trained and equipped for street
fighting than army conscripts.
* Asaltos were trained for civil disturbances in urbanized areas, and were issued more SMGs
and LMGs than other troops. When fighting in a city environment, treat them as Reliable troops
(REP 4), otherwise they are Regular (REP 3).
* The Guardia Civil are considered Regular troops (REP 3).

3) Loyalist Army Loyalist regular army units could be found in the early stages of the war still in
formation, though they were bled from desertion either to the Nationalists, or to Militia bands
representing their local community and eventually were disbanded. Still, loyal army units fought
for the Republic in the early stages and can be represented by first line troops as in the 1st
Division of Madrid or by a mix of first and second line troops.
* Treat most Loyalist Army units as Regular troops (REP 3). Second line troops would be Green
(REP 2).
4) International Brigades - One of the major participants in the wartime Republican coalition
was the Spanish Communist Party and when the regular army revolted, Stalin decided that a
communist defense in Spain would bolster the communist image worldwide. Not willing to risk
the provocation of using Soviet troops, he ordered the Comintern to recruit and send volunteers
from all over the world to fight in Spain. These volunteers were highly motivated, though they
were often young and had little training. Most were communists, some later became communists,
others were adventurers or anti-fascists. They were initially organized along roughly national
lines and arrived just in time to take part in the crucial battles for Madrid. Since they were
communist organized, they tended to have a little better material support than other units (Russia
had become the principal supplier of aid to Republican Spain.). The International Brigades took
heavy casualties in the battle to save Madrid, but their timely arrival helped save the Republic.
Later, many of the brigades had their men transferred to other Spanish units to impart training
and battle sense to the undisciplined Spaniards. And as Spanish replacements filtered in, the
International Brigades became international in name only. Brigade volunteers came from all over
Europe, the Americas and even Asia. Some rare units actually contained a high number of WWI
veterans, hence the higher morale values. The German anti-fascist Edgar Andre and Ernst
Thaelmann battalions were among the best. Other units of note are the Italian Garibaldi's, who
ended up fighting Mussolini's Italians at Guadalajara, Franco-Belgian Andre Marty Battalion
which fought to the last before being wiped out, the British Saklatvala, which lost one third of its
men defending Suicide Hill, the American Abraham Lincoln Battalion, the Canadian Mackenzie-
Papineau, and Polish-Hungarian Dabrowsky.
* Early IB units are considered Reliable troops (REP 4). Later units are treated as Regular (REP
3).

5) Peoples Army (Ejrcito Popular de la Repblica or EPR) - As a proper training process

began to be implemented and take effect, the Republic was at last able to field a regular army.
However, except for certain elite communist units, material shortages were always endemic. The
highest quality troops would represent specially trained commandos, such as were used in some
parts of the Ebro offensive, and are therefore quite rare. As Russian training methods became
more pronounced over time, the regular use of commissars became an almost standard feature, as
with the International Brigades.
* The standard EPR unit would be considered Regular (REP 3). Early units may be viewed as
Green (REP 2) since training procedures were very basic in the beginning.
* Basque units would probably start with Regular troops (REP 3) as their most basic squad, since
though they lacked training and military experience, they were quite stubborn. Basques units
would not have commissars, but may have a priest to help inspire them. See the Priest rules
below for more information.

6) Dinamiteros - The dinamiteros were Asturian miners who were experts with the use of
dynamite from their jobs. They were men and boys who entered battle armed with dynamite and
nothing else. Because Asturia was largely Republican in sympathy, great numbers of these
miners flocked to the Loyalist cause. Accounts relate them being able to approach a machine gun
nest in a building from the building's blind side, drill mounting holes for the dynamite and figure
the charge to just the right amount to blow up the entire building and leave those alongside
untouched. Also, they were able to trim fuses so expertly that they could toss dynamite like a
grenade so that it would explode on impact, without the receiving troops having even a chance of
throwing it back. They would be considered a special troop type, having no firepower, but having
a reusable grenade capability.
* The Dinamiteros can be considered a specialized troop type. A small group of them (3-5 men)
were attached to platoons as AFV killer teams or bunker/pillbox busters.
* Determine before play the quantity of dynamite charges that each team member carries. Roll a
1d6 +2 for each member.
* Treat each charge as a grenade. A single dynamite charge may be thrown as a grenade (use the
normal grenade rules). However, since the Asturian miners were explosive experts, their
grenades may never be thrown back.
* Three sticks of dynamite may be bundled together to form a larger satchel charge. The
miners are allowed to close assault a bunker/pillbox/tank with this dynamite bundle.
* The only weapon an Asturian miner carried was dynamite.
* Dinamiteros are treated as Regular troops (REP 3). If defending their homeland, their morale is
boosted to Reliable (REP 4).
* At night, the Dinamiteros are at a disadvantage due to the lit wicks that they carried with them.
Spotting is much easier unless they are deployed hidden at the start of the game. Thus, the
enemy receive a +1 REP bonus to their In Sight checks.

7) Cavalry - Republican cavalry units acted as mounted infantry: they dismounted near the
frontline and fought on foot. Cavalry units use the standard rules, except for the following:
* Cannot initiate close combat while mounted (no cavalry charges).
* While mounted, they cannot enter buildings or fortifications, or cross barbed wire, and may not
go prone or use trenches.
* Cavalry are treated as Regular troops (REP 3).

8) AFVs - The Republican forces benefitted by being supplied with the latest Russian
equipment. The T-26B was considered the best tank during the conflict.
* Tank types were the French FT-17, Russian T-26B, and Russian BT-5. Spanish-made tanks
were also employed, such as the Basque Light Tank.
* Armored cars included the Russian BA-6, and a myriad of home-made vehicles based on
civilian trucks, buses, and tractors. These homebuilt vehicles usually had a number of gun ports
to allow the occupants to fire their pistols and rifles. Some of the more advanced ones had an
LMG installed in a turret.
* Vehicle commanders used flags/hand signals for coordinating their attacks. In order to do so,
the commanders must be unbuttoned (exposed to enemy fire). They may not use the Group
Movement rule in order to reflect their lack of radios and uncoordinated tactics.
* AFV crews are considered Regular (REP 3).

Nationalist Forces:
1) Moroccan Regulares (aka Fuerzas Regulares Indgenas) - Recruited in Morocco and led by
Spaniards, the Regulares were all volunteers, brave to the point of fearlessness, and represented
the best troops on the Nationalist side. Though recruitment in Morocco continued throughout the
war, the Regulares took heavy losses in the battles for Madrid (Oct-Nov 1936), decimating their
ranks.
* Noted for their stealthy capability in the countryside, they are treated as camouflaged when an
enemy unit tries to spot them (-1 REP to Spotting Check).
* Moroccan troops are considered Reliable (REP 4) when fighting in the country. However, due
to their disorientation and unfamiliarity with cities, they are Regular (REP 3) when fighting in an
urban environment.

2) Spanish Foreign Legion (Tercio de Extranjeros) - The Spanish Foreign Legion, whose battle
cry was Viva la Muerte (Long Live Death), was the elite portion of the Spanish Army, garrisoned
in Spanish Morocco and which formed some of the best units on the Nationalist side. Like the
Moroccan Regulares, the Spanish Foreign Legion took such heavy losses in the battles for
Madrid through the Jarama that it virtually ceased to exist thereafter as an elite unit. Recruitment
continued on the mainland, but troop quality declined.
* The Tercio are considered Reliable (REP 4) for early war scenarios. After the Battle of the
Jarama (Feb 1937), treat them as Regular (REP 3).

3) Guardia Civil & Asaltos - A large number of the paramilitary police, the Guardia Civil, and a
lesser number of Asaltos declared for the nationalists. The Guardia Civil were the main police
force in the countryside, towns and villages, whereas the Asaltos were the guards along Spains
borders. They were a confident force, well trained and armed.
* The Guardia Civil are considered Regular troops (REP 3).
* Asaltos were trained for civil disturbances in urbanized areas, and were issued more SMGs
and LMGs than other troops. When fighting in a city environment, treat them as Reliable troops
(REP 4), otherwise they are Regular (REP 3).

4) Carlists - The Carlist Requetes came mostly from Navarre and were highly religious, many
regarding the war as a holy crusade. They would often be accompanied by priests, who risked
their lives to perform last sacrament on the battlefield and who urged the men on.
* If a priest joins a unit, he must lead from the front.
* Normally they are Green troops (REP 2), but when accompanied by a priest, treat them as
Reliable (REP 4) due to religious fanaticism. See the Priest rules below for more information.
* For late war scenarios, they would be considered Regular troops (REP 3) due to battle
experience and training by the German Condor Legion.
5) Falangists (Nat.): 3-4-7/6; same rules regarding entrenchment and artillery as militia (see
below). - The Falange was a paramilitary, fascist orientated political organization which
contributed many volunteers to the Nationalist insurrection, but whose troops, though motivated,
had little training. Not as initially combat reliable as regular troops, Falangists were often used to
garrison conquered areas.
* Normally treated at Green troops (REP 2), Falangists would be considered Regular (REP 3) in
later war scenarios, reflecting both battle experience and training by the German Condor Legion.

6) Regular Army - The mainland regular army was considered to be a poorly trained and badly
led force of conscripts and would include a number of second line troops in its ranks.
* Treat Regular Army units as Green troops (REP 2).

7) Italian CTV (Corpo di Truppe Volontairie) - Mussolini's so called "volunteer" troops were
for the most part militia conscripts fighting in a war that they had no stake in and for which they
were poorly compensated for, given that 6000 were to die and many were to come home
disfigured from their wounds. Poor Italian troop performance was the first indicator that Italy's
grandstanding Duce was merely "a paper tiger brandishing a tin sword." Italians enjoyed success
against the poorly trained and equipped militias at the Battle of Mlaga but performed
disastrously at the Battle of Guadalajara, much to the enjoyment of both Republican and
Nationalist Spaniards. Later, they fought well enough against the Basques and in later campaigns.
* Black Shirt `God wills it', Black Arrows, Black Flames, and `23rd of March' Division troops
are Green troops, but due to their fascist doctrine, are treated as Regular (REP 3).
* The regular army Littorio Division should be viewed as Regular (REP 3).

8) Cavalry - Nationalist cavalry units acted as mounted infantry: they dismounted near the front
line and fought on foot. Cavalry units use the standard rules, except for the following:
* Cannot initiate close combat while mounted (no cavalry charges).
* While mounted, they cannot enter buildings or fortifications, or cross barbed wire, and may not
go prone or use trenches.
* Cavalry are treated as Regular troops (REP 3).

8) AFVs - The Nationalist forces were supplied with modern equipment from Germany and
Italy.
* Tank types were the French FT-17, Italian CV 35 (including flamethrower version), and
German PzKpfw I ausf B. They also used captured T-26Bs and BT-5's.
* Armored cars included the Italian 1ZII and a myriad of home-made vehicles based on civilian
trucks, buses, and tractors. These homebuilt vehicles usually had a number of gun ports to allow
the occupants to fire their pistols and rifles. Some of the more advanced ones had an LMG
installed in a turret. Captured BA-6's were put to use as well.
* Vehicle commanders used flags/hand signals for coordinating their attacks. In order to do so,
the commanders must be unbuttoned (exposed to enemy fire). They may not use the Group
Movement rule in order to reflect their lack of radios and uncoordinated tactics.
* AFV crews are considered Regular (REP 3).

Additional Leaders:
Priests - Represent the religious clergy serving with the Navarrese Carlist troops on the
Nationalist side, and Basque troops on the Republican side.
* Priests must take a front line position (to be ready to give last sacrament). They are considered
a Veteran leader type (REP 5) due to their religious zeal.
* His spiritual inspiration provides an additional 1D6 for Wanting To Charge checks.
* Priests were usually armed with a Bible.

Commissars - Once Russian advisors and aid began to take a paramount role in the Republican
effort, Commissars were actively used. They were a political indoctrination and training officers
who co-commanded with the actual unit commanders. One was concerned with the military
function of the unit, the other, the political reliability of the troops and commander. Later, the
wide use of conscript soldiers and battle fatigue amongst existing units brought about the use of
the commissar as he is notoriously known.
* He is treated as a Veteran leader (REP 5).
* A Commissar provides an additional 1D6 for rally check purposes to those figures that are in
base-to-base contact with him. If a figure under a Commissars control fails to rally, he is
eliminated (same as Obviously Dead). If more than one figure fails during the same activation,
then randomly determine one figure to be an example for the rest.

Special Notes:
Troop REP Level - The REP level for the troops and leaders are not to be considered set in
stone. Feel free to adjust them in accordance to the scenario. Also, since many of the troops are
REP 2 and 3, please use the Pitiful Shot rule so they have a chance.

Platoon Structure - Since LMGs were not in abundance during the SCW, I would give each
platoon one LMG for support purposes (this includes cavalry units). Two LMGs could be used
for the better trained platoons such as the International Brigades or Spanish Foreign Legion, but I
would make this pretty uncommon. Most troops went into battle with only pistols and bolt
action rifles.
Submachine guns were also very rare, and only show up in use with elite formations. I would
only allow up to 20% of a unit to have them, with the Asaltos being on the high end of the
percentage.
HMGs - Both sides employed HMGs (tripod or wheeled mounted MGs) on the front lines.
The 8mm Hotchkiss and 7.62mm Maxim are two good examples.

HMGs vs AFVs - AFV's in the SCW were lightly armored and their crews were easily scared
from repeated strikes on their vehicles. An HMG could penetrate the armor found on tanks and
armored cars, and it was not uncommon to see an AFV crew turn tail when under fire by HMG's.
* Add a -1 REP penalty to the Clank test if more than one HMG hits an AFV during the same
turn. This modifier would be cumulative for that particular turn!

Grenades - When available, grenades were issued to most troops. The militias usually relied
more on home-made devices like the Molotov cocktail.
* Grenades may be thrown back by a defender if the figure successfully passes a REP check
(rounded down).

Mortars - Use the optional Mortar Rules, but with the following changes.
* During the SCW, artillery on both sides were well known for their sporadic/hit-or-miss
bombardments (especially early in the war). To represent this in the game, a spotter is not
allowed to adjust incoming fire. This can be optional for late war scenarios as artillery training
became more thorough due to foreign advisors.
Example of mortars used:
Russian 50mm and 82mm mortars
Italian 45mm Brixia mortar
German 50mm and 81mm mortars

Anti-Tank Guns - The Germans, Italians, and Russians used the SCW as a testing ground for
their new weapon systems. It was here that the Germans discovered the deadly use of the 8.8cm
Flak gun against tanks.
* AT weapons should be used in a direct fire role using their LOS.
Example of guns used:
Russian 37mm, 45mm, and 76.2mm AT guns
German 37mm AT gun and 8.8cm Flak guns

Trucks - A wide variety of trucks existed in Spain prior to the war, most of which were pressed
into service by both sides desperate to mobilize their forces. After the intervention of foreign
powers, Russian and some French trucks passed into Republican hands while Italy and Germany
provided vehicles to the Nationalist side. Also, due to the sympathies of some American
industrialists to the Nationalist cause, General Franco was able to purchase American trucks and
oil on credit. Captured vehicles were readily pressed into service by both factions.
Further Reading:
Here is a short list of books on the SCW (the Osprey books are a great resource for painting):

1) The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 by Frances Lannon, Osprey Publishing

2) The Spanish Civil War 1936-39 by Patrick Turnbull, Osprey Publishing
3) International Brigades in Spain 1936-39 by Ken Bradley, Osprey Publishing
4) The Ebro 1938 by Chris Henry, Osprey Publishing
5) The Passionate War by Peter Wyden
6) The Spanish Civil War by Antony Beevor
7) The Spanish Civil War by Hugh Thomas
8) A Moment of War: A Memoir of the Spanish Civil War by Laurie Lee
9) Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
10) Miracle of November by Dan Kurzman