The Republic's Struggle
The Republic's Struggle Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
2. Game Components
- 1 game board
- 2 player aids
- 46 cards for Phase 1-The Republic
- 44 cards for Phase 2-In Arms
- 20 cards for Phase 3-In Ruins
- 1 Military Uprising card
- 1 Proletarian Revolution card
- 2 six-sided dice
- 2 Diplomatic Relations markers
- 1 European Status Quo marker
- 2 Armed Actions markers
- 1 Victory Points marker
- 1 Initiative marker
- 3 Reminder markers (!)
- 18 combatant cubes
- 28 armed roadblocks discs
- 320 Popularity markers
Added elements for the optional module "Faction Scoring":
- 1 Faction Scoring card
- 20 Faction tokens
3. Game Board
The game board represents the map of the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, and the archipelagos of the Balearic and Canary Islands. It also includes a series of tracks: The Victory Point (VP) track, the Turn track, the Action Rounds track, the European Status Quo track, and the Diplomatic Relations track.
All Fronts of the map are associated to a Battlefront, which is represented by circular spaces whose outline match the color of the Front to which they belong.
Battlefronts: The purpose of these spaces is to contain in an abstract way the military and militia units present in the set of Locations that conform the Regions that, in turn, make up a Front. These military units are represented in the game by wooden cubes, called combatants (see page 10).
3.1 Map
It contains the Fronts and Regions, as well as the Locations and the Connections that link them.
Fronts are zones of the map composed of a variable number of adjacent Regions. They are the following:
- Northern Front, consisting of the Regions of Galicia, Asturias, the Basque Provinces, Navarre, and the Location of Santander.
- Western Front, consisting of the Regions of León and Extremadura.
- Central Front, consisting of the Regions of Old Castile (excluding the Location of Santander) and New Castile.
- Aragonese Front, consisting of the Regions of Aragon and Catalonia.
- Levante Front, consisting of the Regions of Valencia and Murcia.
- Southern Front, consisting of the Regions of Western Andalusia and Eastern Andalusia.
- Non-peninsular Front, consisting of the Regions of the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, and the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco.
3.2 Regions
Regions depicted on the map correspond to the historical regions of the time. The name of each Region is displayed on the board in white letters. Each Region has a variable number of Locations.
3.3 Locations
These are the Spanish towns and cities included in the map. They are represented by rectangular squares intended to house the Popularity points of the two opposing factions. These squares are divided into 2 lower cells and an upper strip. This strip contains the name of the Location, as well as the rest of its characteristics:
- A crossed rifles icon means it is a Recruitment Location.
- An anchor icon means it is a Naval Base Location.
- An airplane icon means it is an Air Base Location.
- A number, indicating the political control value of the Location.
- A red box, indicating that it is a strategic Location.
- A green box, indicating that it is a non-strategic Location.
3.4 Connections
Connections are routes that link Locations to each other. They indicate that two Locations are connected by land, sea, or air; allowing the expansion of Popularity points from a Location in which you already have your own popularity to a Location connected to it.
The map contains 2 different types of Connections: terrestrial Connections and maritime or aerial Connections.
- Terrestrial Connections: This type of Connection is represented by black lines, and it communicates two nearby Locations by land. Terrestrial Connections that connect two Locations belonging to different Fronts have in their intermediate section a black circular space, called Blockade area.
-
Blockade areas: These circular spaces located in some terrestrial Connections can house small armed groups destined to control the roads and highways. These groups are represented by wooden discs, and are called armed roadblocks (see page 8). When an armed roadblock is placed on one of these spaces, the existing communication between the two Locations linked by the terrestrial Connection is cancelled in terms of Popularity points movement and placement. If the same Blockade area is occupied by armed roadblocks of both sides, the communication between the two Locations is not considered cancelled.
If all existing Blockade areas in terrestrial Connections that link Locations belonging to two different Fronts are only occupied by armed roadblocks of one faction, the other faction cannot move combatants between Battlefronts of both Fronts. At the end of each of the 3 phases in which the game is divided (The Republic, In Arms and In Ruins) players will check this circumstance. If happening, an Encirclement will take place (see page 14).
-
- Maritime or aerial Connections: This type of Connections is represented by blue lines, and communicate two Locations separated by the Sea. For the purpose of placing Popularity points, two Fronts are considered adjacent only if the player has political control of at least one of the Locations connected by the blue line. To move combatants between Battlefronts, two Fronts are considered adjacent only if the player has political control of both Locations connected by one of the blue lines.
3.5 Victory Point (VP) Track
This track records the Victory Points achieved by each side over the course of a game. This is indicated by a Victory Points marker shared by both players which, starting from the square marked zero (0), will move in one direction or the other. If either player has reached the square marked with a twenty (20) at the end of an Action round, that player wins immediately and the game ends.
3.6 Turn Track
This track, consisting of ten squares, allows you to keep track of the turns played, as well as the three phases in which the game is structured: The first phase is The Republic; which comprises the first four turns, In Arms; consisting of the next three turns, and In Ruins; comprising the last 3 turns. Players will move the Turn marker from left to right on the track to indicate the current turn.
3.7 Action Rounds Track
This track helps checking the seven Action rounds that each player has during a turn. Both players will use a single Action Round marker, which they will flip over to indicate who is currently playing his Action round. The track includes an eighth square to be used in case either player achieves an upgrade available in the Diplomatic Relations track, which allows them to play an eighth Action round each turn.
3.8 European Status Quo and Armed Actions Tracks
These tracks allow you to follow the state of the European Status Quo, as well as the number of Armed Actions carried out by each player during a turn. At the end of each turn, if the number of Armed Actions carried out by a player equals or exceed the level achieved by the European Status Quo during that turn, that player scores 3 VPs.
As long as the European Status Quo is set on level 2, players cannot carry out any action using the Operation points of cards played to advance in the Diplomatic Relations track; while if it is set on level 1, no cards can be played to advance in the Diplomatic Relations track.
3.9 Diplomatic Relations Track
This track represents the political agreements and alliances reached by each faction with the surrounding countries. This track consists of nine (9) squares composed of an upper and a lower space, some of which are linked to different bonuses. Players will move their Diplomatic Relations marker across the track following the direction of the arrows.
Division of the squares. All squares are divided into 2 spaces; an upper and a lower one. Some of these spaces are associated with different bonuses, from which the player can benefit until the opponent's marker enter the other space of the said square.
4. Cards
All cards in The Republic's Struggle belong to one of the three phases in which the 10 turns of the game are divided. There are 3 types of cards: Operation cards, Special cards and Scoring cards.
4.1 Operation Cards
Operation cards allow the players to perform an action during their Action round, and include a numerical value located in the upper left corner, called Operation points value; an event in the central part, and a series of icons located below the Operation points value (see page 12).
4.1.1 Operation Points
The number of Operation points a card has determines how powerful an action the player will perform that Action round. The Operation points of a card can be used and are considered for: adding popularity, making political propaganda rolls, initiating a combat, and performing an aerial bombing (see pages 12 to 14).
4.1.2 Events
Operation cards can have events common to both sides or exclusive to one side or the other. The faction to which the event of a card belongs is determined by the color of the box where the Operation points are located: The red box means it is an event of the Republican side, while the blue box corresponds to the Nationalist side. Events common to both sides have a two-color box.
The name of the event is indicated in the middle strip of the card, under the phase of the game to which the card belongs. The effect of the event is described in the text below the title. There are three types of events:
- Single-use events, which means that the card must be removed from the game once the event has been applied. These events have an 'X' icon in the upper right corner.
- Permanent events, whose effects last for a certain period. They are represented by a 'lock' icon.
- Repeatable events, whose effects can be repeated during the game, as many times as the event of the card is played during Action rounds. They are represented by a 'spinning arrows' icon.
Cards whose event's effect last after being played must be kept next to the player of the side to which the card belongs, so that the opponent can always see all of them. A player can keep a maximum of 4 active cards with permanent events. In case you want to activate a fifth card, you must previously discard another one.
When the name of an event is accompanied by an asterisk, it indicates that the event interacts with other events of the game, which means that it either allows, cancel, prevents, or enhances the effect of another card's event. An icon indicates that the event is explained in the Game Book.
4.1.3 Icons
Some of the cards have 'cube' and/or 'bomb' icons on the upper left side. The presence of a cube icon indicates that the card can be used to deploy or move combatants (according to the number shown in the icon), while the bomb icon means that the card allows aerial bombing.
The color of the icons indicates the side to which they are applicable: blue for the Nationalist side, red for the Republican side.
4.2 Special Cards
Two of the cards belonging to Phase 1-The Republic are considered special cards, and are given to each player at the beginning of the game, who must place them in their corresponding playing area. These cards do not count towards the maximum number of cards that each player can have in their hand at the beginning of the turn:
- Military Uprising, which is given to the player on the Nationalist side.
- Proletarian Revolution, which is given to the player on the Republican side.
These two cards are single-use event cards and can only be used during the first 4 turns of the game, i.e., during Phase 1-The Republic. If, after this phase, any of the cards has not yet been played, they must be removed from the game.
Both players can decide to use their special card in an Action round, instead of using one of the cards from their hand. These cards are played like the rest of the Operation cards, either using their Operation value or applying the effects of their event. Once played, the card will be removed from the game, allowing the player who uses it to end the turn with more than one card in their hand.
4.3 Scoring Cards
Just like the rest of the cards, each Scoring card belongs to one of the three phases of the game, and can be played by whoever has it in their hand during the current turn. Scoring cards cannot be kept in hand between turns.
When either player uses a Scoring card, both players score, regardless of who played it. After both factions score their VP, the card is placed in the discard pile.
If one of the players has not scored any point when resolving a Scoring card and the card itself indicates so, add the card to the deck of Phase 3-In Ruins.
There are 2 types of Scoring cards:
-
Fronts Scoring cards: These cards reward the presence that each side has on the depicted Front (popularity or combatants). Of the 3 conditions that grant Victory Points (VP) indicated on the cards, each faction scores only the conditions with the highest VP value:
- Control: control a Location in the Front.
- Majority: control more strategic and non-strategic Locations than the opponent.
- Hegemony: control all strategic Locations of the Front.
Additionally, if a player has any combatant in the Battlefront, it will grant an extra Victory Point (+1 VP) when scoring the card.
-
Military Bases Scoring card: Like the Fronts Scoring cards, the Military Bases Scoring card presents 3 conditions that grant Victory points. Players only score the condition they met that grants the most VP:
- Control: control 1 Naval base or 1 Air base
- Majority: control more Naval bases and more Air bases than the opponent.
- Hegemony: control all Naval bases or all Air bases
Additionally, each player will add an extra Victory Point (+1 VP) for each Front in which they control all Military bases.
5. Combatant and Armed Roadblock Tokens
Both types of tokens are abstract representation of the troops or armed militias existing in a Front. The combatants are the main armed unit (troops or militias), which are represented by cubes, and are deployed in the circular spaces, called Battlefronts. The armed roadblocks are small groups detached from them, represented by discs, that are deployed in the Blockade areas existing in the different land Connections. The opponent's combatants and armed roadblocks can be eliminated through combat and aerial bombing (see page 13).
5.1 Combatants
Players can deploy and move combatants on the board by playing cards with a cube icon. The color of the cube indicates the side to which the card allows to deploy or move combatants: blue for the Nationalist player and red for the Republican player. These icons also show a number, which indicates how many combatants the card allows to deploy or move.
5.1.1 Deployment of Combatants
Combatants must be deployed on Battlefronts. To deploy a combatant, you must previously control one of the recruitment Locations of the Front. The total number of combatants that can be deployed at the same time during the game is limited by the number of cubes available for each faction (10 for the Nationalist player and 8 for the Republican player).
5.1.2 Movement of Combatants
Each combatant can make only one movement per Action round. A combatant located on a Battlefront can move to an adjacent Battlefront as long as one of the land connections that communicate both Fronts is not blocked by an armed roadblock of the opponent. A combatant cannot move more than once per round, nor leave a Battlefront where the opponent has more combatants. Combatants cannot move during the same Action round in which they have been deployed, nor can they do so if all the Blockade areas between the origin and destination Front are blocked.
5.2 Armed Roadblocks
The deployment and movement of armed roadblocks is directly related to that of the combatants.
5.2.1 Deployment of Armed Roadblocks
Whenever a player deploys a combatant on a Battlefront, they can place up to 2 armed roadblocks in Blockade areas adjacent to the Front where the combatant is deployed. The number of armed roadblocks that can be deployed during a game is limited by the number of available wooden discs (14 for each side).
5.2.2 Movement of Armed Roadblocks
Each time a player moves a combatant from one Battlefront to an adjacent Battlefront, they can move up to 2 armed roadblocks from the Blockade areas adjacent to the initial Battlefront to Blockade areas adjacent to the Battlefront of destination.
6. Markers
6.1 Victory Points Marker
This marker is placed on the Victory Points track to indicate the Victory Points earned by each side.
6.2 Turn Marker
This marker moves across the Turn track to indicate the current game turn.
6.3 Action Round Marker
Each side of this marker shows the color and symbol of one of the factions (red and blue), and is placed in the Action Round track to indicate the Action rounds played by each side during a turn. To track this, the marker must be flipped over each time one of the sides finishes an Action round.
6.4 European Status Quo Marker
This marker is used on the European Status Quo track, and will move in either direction of the track as the circumstances of the game require.
6.5 Armed Actions Markers
These two markers, each of them in the color of one of the factions, are used in the Armed Actions track to indicate the number of Armed Actions performed by each player (combat and aerial bombing) during the turn.
6.6 Diplomatic Relations Markers
These markers are placed in the Diplomatic Relations track to indicate the position each faction occupies on this track.
6.7 Reminder Markers
Players can use these markers as a reminder to keep track of various effects of the game.
7. Setup
7.1 Game Board
Place the game board in the center of the table. After that, place the markers in the following places on the board:
- The Victory Points marker on the zero space of the VICTORY POINTS track.
- The European Status Quo marker on the 5th space of the EUROPEAN STATUS QUO track.
- The Turn marker on the 1st space of the TURN track.
- One marker of each side in the initial square of the DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS track.
- One marker of each side on the zero space of the ARMED ACTIONS track.
- The Initiative marker next to the ACTION ROUNDS track.
7.2 Popularity Markers
Each player takes the Popularity markers of their side: the red ones for the Republican player and the blue ones for the Nationalist player. Next, perform the initial popularity display on the board.
7.2.1 Initial Popularity Display
Each player places the Popularity points of their side on the board, on the spaces indicated below. To help you find them quickly, the Locations where the initial popularity of each player must be displayed are outlined by the color of the corresponding faction. The spaces show the number of Popularity points that must be displayed there.
The 6 Popularity points of free distribution available to each side will be placed first by the Republican player and secondly by the Nationalist player:
Republican Side
- 5 points in the Location of Barcelona.
- 1 point in the Location of Huesca.
- 1 point in the Location of Oviedo.
- 4 points in the Location of Madrid.
- 1 point in the Location of Valencia.
- 1 point in the Location of Cartagena.
- 1 point in the Location of Palma de Mallorca.
- 1 point in the Location of Málaga.
- 3 points of free distribution in the Region of New Castile.
- 3 points of free distribution in any Front other than the Central Front.
Nationalist Side
- 3 points in the Location of Ceuta.
- 1 point in the Location of Melilla.
- 1 point in the Location of Las Palmas.
- 2 points in the Location of Seville.
- 1 point in the Location of Granada.
- 1 point in the Location of San Javier.
- 1 point in the Location of Burgos.
- 1 point in the Location of Toledo.
- 1 point in the Location of Pamplona.
- 1 point in the Location of Zaragoza.
- 3 points of free distribution in the region of Old Castile.
- 3 points of free distribution in any Front other than the Central Front.
7.3 Initial Display of Combatants and Armed Roadblocks
Each player takes the combatants and armed roadblocks of their side and perform the initial display on the board.
Republican Side
- 1 combatant on the Central Front.
- 1 combatant on the Aragonese Front.
- 1 combatant on the Levante Front.
- 2 armed roadblocks of free distribution in the Blockade areas of these 3 Fronts.
Nationalist Side
- 1 Combatant on the Southern Front.
- 2 combatants on the Non-peninsular Front.
- 2 armed roadblocks of free distribution in the Blockade areas of the Southern Front.
The deployment of the armed roadblocks must be carried out first by the Republican player and secondly by the Nationalist player.
7.4 Special Cards
The Nationalist player takes the Military Uprising card and the Republican player takes the Proletarian Revolution card. Both players place their special card face up, next to them, as they are not part of their hands.
7.5 Operations and Scoring Cards
Split the Operations and Scoring cards into three decks, based on the phase to which they belong. Then, shuffle each deck separately and place them next to the board. Finally, deal nine (9) cards from the phase 1 deck to each player.
8. Game Sequence
Once both players have been dealt the nine cards that comprise their starting hands, each player must play an Operation card as an event. This card is called the initiative card. Next, each player will play seven (7) Action rounds, each of which consists of playing one card. The turn ends when both players have played the seven Action rounds.
Ordinarily, each player will keep one card unplayed in hand for the next turn, but some effects may result in ending the turn with more than one card or none at all. Scoring cards must be played during an Action round within the turn in which they were dealt to the player, and are not allowed to be kept for a subsequent turn.
8.1 Deal Cards
Each player is dealt new cards from the deck corresponding to the phase in progress. If the deck runs out during the deal, the discarded cards from previous turns are shuffled and dealt again. At the start of the first turn of each phase of the game (turn 1 for Phase 1-The Republic, turn 5 for Phase 2-In Arms, and turn 8 for Phase 3-In Ruins), the deck corresponding to the starting phase is added to the current deck.
Cards whose events are NOT repeatable and were applied during any Action round must be removed from the game.
8.2 Initiative Card
At the start of each turn, both players will play a card face down from their hand to determine which player has the initiative for that turn. After flipping them both over at the same time, the card with the highest Operation points will determine the player who gets the initiative. This player will decide the order in which the events on both cards will be resolved, as well as determining which player will begin their Action round first.
In case of a tie (both cards have the same Operation Points), from turn 1 to 4, the Republican side will win the initiative; while from turn 5 to 10, initiative will be won by the Nationalist side.
The Operation value of the card played will determine the Defense value in each combat or aerial bombing suffered throughout the turn. To remember this value, players should place a Popularity marker in the corresponding section of the board.
8.3 Action Rounds
Alternately, each player must play one card in each of the seven Action rounds that conform the turn. Players may play a Scoring card, an Operation card, or their special card.
8.3.1 Playing a Card
If the card you play has an event associated with your faction or an event common to both sides, you must decide and indicate how you play the card. You may use the Operation points, resolve the event or apply any of the icons on the card. However, if the card you play is associated with the opposing faction, you may only use the Operation points, although doing so will trigger the opponent's event. In this case, you will decide the order in which to do so: you can use the Operation points first and then let your opponent resolve the event, or the other way round.
8.3.2 Using the Operation Points
Operation points on a card may be used by both players, regardless of which faction the event is associated with. Operation points can be used to perform any of the following actions:
- Increase popularity: Use the Operation value to add Popularity points to Locations.
- Conduct political propaganda: Use the Operation value to remove opponent's Popularity points and add your own Popularity points to Locations.
- Initiate a combat: Use the Operation value to remove 1 combatant, up to 2 armed roadblocks and up to 3 Popularity points of your opponent on a Front.
- Perform an aerial bombing (only if the card has a 'bomb' icon): Use the card to eliminate an unspecified number of your opponent's combatants, as well as 2 armed roadblocks for each combatant eliminated. To perform this action, the card you play must include a bomb icon of your faction's color.
8.3.3 Increase Popularity
For each Operation point on the card you play, you may add one Popularity point to a Location where you already have at least one Popularity point, or to a Location that is connected to another location where you already have Popularity points (unless the popularity placement is determined by an event).
When the Popularity point value added to a Location by a single side equals or exceeds the political control value of that Location, that faction is considered to have the political control of the Location and the Popularity marker is flipped to its colored side. If the political control value is not matched, the popularity marker must be placed with the uncolored side facing up.
For political control of a location to be effective, and for the marker to be flipped to its colored side, it is essential that you have a combatant on the Battlefront of the Front to which the Location belongs — except in Recruitment locations, where political control is effective without needing combatants on the Battlefront.
When both players have popularity in the same Location and the difference between one side's Popularity points and the opponent's equals or exceeds the political control value of the Location, that side will get the political control there, and their Popularity marker will be flipped to its colored side.
If you want to add popularity to a Location where your opponent already has effective political control, the cost of placing each Popularity point will be doubled, but only until your opponent no longer controls the Location.
It is not allowed to use Operation points to add popularity in Locations that only have adjacent Locations with popularity that was added in the same Action round.
8.3.4 Conduct Political Propaganda
This action allows you to remove your opponent's popularity and add your own Popularity points in a Location. You may make a Propaganda roll for each Operation point on the card you played. To perform a Propaganda roll, each player rolls a die and modify their die roll according to the following table.
Political Propaganda
| Active Player | Passive Player |
|---|---|
| Result of the die roll | Result of the die roll |
| +1 per adjacent Location controlled | +1 per adjacent Location controlled |
| +1 if the player has more popularity in the Location |
To perform this action in a Location, your opponent must have popularity there, and you must have more popularity that your rival in that Location or in an adjacent Location.
If, after making one or more propaganda rolls during your action, you have removed all your opponent's Popularity points from a Location, you can use the exceeding Operation points to add your own Popularity points in that Location.
8.3.5 Initiate Combat
This action aims to eliminate 1 combatant and up to 3 Popularity points of your opponent. Each card allows only one combat, regardless of the number of Operation points it has.
To initiate combat on a Battlefront, both factions must have at least one combatant there. To resolve a combat, each player rolls a die and modify their die roll according to the following table.
Combat
| Attacking Player | Defending Player |
|---|---|
| Points of the played card | Defense value of the turn |
| Result of the die roll | Result of the die roll |
| +1 per combatant present on the Battlefront | +1 per combatant present on the Battlefront |
The attacker adds the Operation points of the card played, the result of the die roll, and +1 point for each combatant on the Battlefront. The attacked side defends with the Defense value of the turn, the result of the die roll, and +1 point for each combatant on the Battlefront. If the attack overcomes the defender's result, the attacking player eliminates 1 of the defender's combatants. If the difference is greater than 1, the attacker can remove 1 Popularity point of the opponent in any Location for each excess point (up to a maximum of 3 Locations). If removing the opponent's popularity causes them to lose political control of a Location, the European Status Quo degrades 1 level for each Location in which control is lost due to the combat.
If, as an attacker, you fail to overcome the defender's total result, you may choose to make an extra roll, but if you fail to beat the defender's result in your second die roll, you will lose 1 combatant.
The attacking side advances on the Armed Actions track as many spaces as the number of Operation points on the card used to initiate combat.
8.3.6 Perform an Aerial Bombing
The purpose of an aerial bombing is to eliminate an undetermined number of enemy combatants. To perform this action, you must control an Air Base Location on the Front you want to bomb, or on a Front adjacent to it. You can only use the Operation points in cards with the 'bomb' icon of your color to perform an aerial bombing.
To perform an aerial bombing, add the Operation points of the card you play to those obtained in a die roll. The opponent rolls a die and adds the Defense value of the turn, +1 point for each combatant in the Battlefront. If the defender controls an Air Base Location on the Front, they will add the result of a die roll.
Aerial Bombing
| Attacking Player | Defending Player |
|---|---|
| Points of the played card | Defense value of the turn |
| Result of the die roll | Result of the die roll (only if the defending player controls an Air Base Location on that Front) |
| +1 per combatant present at the Battlefront |
If the attacking player scores more points than the defending player, the latter loses as many combatants as the difference between both players.
Then, the European Status Quo will degrade 1 level for each combatant eliminated and the attacker will advance their marker on the Armed Actions track as many spaces as the number of Operation points on the card used to carry out the aerial bombing.
8.3.7 Playing the Event
The Operation cards that have an event associated with your side can be played as events to resolve its effects. Some cards require that certain conditions are previously met to be played as events. This is indicated by an asterisk next to the name of the event and a red note, located at the bottom of the card.
8.3.8 Using the Icons
Some cards have a series of icons at the bottom of the card. The 'cube' icon allows you to deploy and/or move combatants, while the 'bomb' icon lets you perform an aerial bombing. You can only use the icons of the color of your side.
If the 'bomb' icon appears in two colors, both players may use it to perform an aerial bombing.
8.3.9 Using a Card to Reduce the European Status Quo
During your Action round, you can discard a card associated with your side from your hand to increase the European Status Quo track by 1 level. If the discarded card also has a combatant icon, you can increase it by 2 levels instead of 1.
The discarded card is placed in the discard pile and not removed from the game.
8.3.10 Using a Card to Advance in the Diplomatic Relations Track
To advance your marker on the Diplomatic Relations track, you must play a card from your hand with Operation value equal to or greater than the number depicted on the board, as well as exceed the value indicated in a die roll. Each player cannot play more than one card per turn to advance on the Diplomatic Relations track. The limit of one card per turn may be altered by other conditions or events that specify it.
Both the required Operation points and the value that you must exceed in the die roll are indicated at the bottom of the track:
- 2 Operation points and a die roll higher than 3 in spaces 2 to 6.
- 3 Operation points and a die roll higher than 3 in spaces 6 to 8.
- 3 Operation points and a die roll higher than 4 in spaces 8 and 9.
Some squares have two numerical values in the center. The first number indicates the VPs obtained by the player who reaches the square first, and the second number indicates the VPs obtained by the player who reaches the square second.
Regardless of whether you successfully advance your marker or not, the card played can be used to carry out a maximum of 2 actions:
- Use the Operation points to add popularity, conduct political propaganda or initiate a combat, if the card's event is associated to the opponent's side.
- If the card's event is associated to your side, in addition to the above, you can use any of the icons of your side at the bottom to deploy and/or move combatants or to perform an aerial bombing.
Advancing in the Diplomatic Relations track: When reaching certain squares, it will be necessary to decide which space you want to occupy: the upper or the lower one. This is indicated by a central bifurcating arrow, located in the center of the square.
Vertical movement in the track: In no case the markers of both players are allowed to coincide in one of the two spaces of the same square. If you advance your marker to a space where the opponent's marker is already located, you will move your opponent's marker to the lower or upper space of the same square.
8.4 End of Turn
When both players have completed all their 7 Action rounds, the turn is over. The Armed Actions are then scored, both players' markers are reset to zero and the European Status Quo is improved by 1 level.
8.5 End of Phase
After finishing the last turn of each phase (turns 4, 7 and 10), you must not only perform the actions described in the previous paragraph, but also check for Encirclement.
8.5.1 Encirclement
It represents the isolation of troops or armed militias of the opponent within a Front, and their capitulation due to the impossibility of receiving any aid. If all the Blockade areas adjacent to the same Front are occupied by armed roadblocks of a single side, the opposing side must eliminate their combatants from the corresponding Battlefront, as well as the necessary popularity of all the Front Locations until their popularity is 1 point below the political control value of these Locations.
8.6 End of the Game
The game ends if any of the following circumstances occurs:
- A player resolves the special card of their faction before the end of turn 4 and fulfils the objectives marked on it. That player wins the game.
- After both players finish an Action round, the Victory Points marker is on the 20th square of one of the sides on the Victory Point track. The player of that faction wins the game.
- During a player's Action round, the European Status Quo marker is located on the zero square of the track. The passive player during that Action round wins the game.
- At the end of turn 10 without any player having scored 20 VP, all Scoring cards are played and, according to the map at that moment, the points are added to the Victory Point track. The player whose side has scored the most VP after this step wins the game.
9. 4 Players Variant
This game variant allows 4 players to enjoy The Republic's Struggle. The players compete in teams of 2 members, sharing the Round, Score, Defense, Armed Actions and Diplomatic Relations markers.
Within each team, one of the players will represent the political power of the side, while the other will manage the military power. Each of them will be able to perform different actions, depending on the power they lead:
- The player in charge of the political power will be able to use cards to conduct political propaganda and play one card per turn in Diplomatic Relations.
- The player in charge of the military power will be able to use cards to initiate combats, perform aerial bombing and to deploy or move combatants and armed roadblocks.
Both players may add Popularity points in the Locations and resolve the events described on the cards of their side, regardless of whether these effects involve performing any of the actions reserved to their teammate. All these actions will be carried out in the same way as in the standard rules. When any event mentions the 'opposing player', or if any effect requires drawing a card from the opposing player hand, the Active player will interact with the opposing player in charge of the same power.
9.1 Sequence of Play
After dealing 4 cards to each player, the players in charge of the political power of both sides give to their teammates the cards associated to their shared faction that have 'cube' icons, 'bomb' icons or any other card they wish to trade. Next, the players in charge of the military power of both sides give to their teammates an equal number of cards in exchange.
If, after this, any player in charge of the political power still has cards with icons of their side, they can keep the cards, but will not be able to use their icons during their Action rounds.
After that, each player can exchange their hand of cards with their teammate for a minute, so that they know what cards their teammate has (including the Scoring cards). All cards must be given back before the start of the first Action round.
At the beginning of the Action rounds, the four players place at the same time, face down, the Operation card they wish to play as their first event (a Scoring card cannot be played for this). Then, the card with the highest Operation value will determine which side has the initiative during the entire turn. If there is a tie between players of both sides, the Republican side will get the initiative during Phase 1-The Republic, while the Nationalist side will do so during Phase 2-In Arms and Phase 3-In Ruins.
In addition, the card with the highest Operation points of each side will determine the Defense value of the team for the entire turn.
After the initiative has been determined, the player in charge of the political power of the team that has the initiative will decide which player plays their event first. However, once this has been established, the next event to be resolved must be that of the player in charge of the same power of the opposing team.
Once both events have been resolved, the players of one team will alternate with those of the rival team, starting with the player of the political power on the side that has the initiative.
When all four players have played their cards, the turn is over. The players in charge of the political power, before playing their last card, will have the option to discard it and draw a new card from the deck, which must be played.
At the end of the turn, all four players must have played all their cards, unless some effect allowed them to keep a card in their hand.
10. Faction Scoring
This optional module, consisting on the components listed below, adds a new way of scoring to the game:
- 1 Faction Scoring card
- 20 Faction tokens
10.1 Module Setup
At the start of the game, add the Faction Scoring card to the deck of Phase 3-In Ruins and place the Faction tokens near the game board, within reach of both players.
10.2 Additional Rules
Some cards show, on the left side of the middle strip, a flag that represents the faction to which the card belongs. This flag corresponds to one of the Faction tokens.
When the event of a card with a faction flag is resolved, the side to which the event belongs receives the corresponding Faction token (regardless of who the active player is).
If the opposing player already controls the corresponding Faction token when resolving the event, they automatically lose it and give it to the other player.
As with the rest of the Scoring cards, whenever the Faction Scoring card is played, each player will score the VP indicated on the card, according to the number of Faction tokens they have when resolving the card.
If you added this card at the beginning of the game, and turn 10 ends without any side having scored 20 VP, this card will also be scored together with the rest of the Scoring cards to determine the winner.