Popular Front
Popular Front Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Set-Up
Place Units on the board, adjust the Victory Track, then draw Cards.
Units
There are six colors of units. The three red shades are for up to three Republic players, the blue for Nationalists. In a 2-player game, players may use all the shades of each color.
A random player begins the set-up. Set-up proceeds alternating armies-- if the first player is Nationalist, the next is Republic. In this order, each player places one of their units a city. This set-up ends when every city is occupied by one unit.
Victory Track
Begin each army's economic marker (blue for Nationalists, red for Republic) at their round flag 5 in from the end of the victory track. Count up the total value of cities controlled by each army, and move the economic marker of the army with greater city value in a distance equal to half the difference, rounded down. (For example, if the Nationalists have 37 and the Republic have 30, the Nationalists would start 3 spaces in towards the center of the victory track.) The political marker (the black disk) starts on one of the flagged positions in the center of the track, on the side favoring the army with more city value.
Optional For a longer game, begin the economic markers at the rectangular flags at the ends of the track instead of the round flags 5 in from the end.
Cards
Each player starts the game with a hand of four cards.
Each card shows a card name, a value, a combat reticle, and an effect.
Play!
The game is broken into rounds. Each round, the following phases occur:
- Determine Turn Order
- Player Turns
- Resolve Political
- Check Victory
Turn Order
Each round, turn order is determined at random. Shuffle one of each player's units together and place them blindly on the turn order track.
Note: It is possible for an army to have all their turns in a row at the end of one round and all in a row at the beginning of the next.
Player Turns
On a player's turn, that player draws two cards, performs any number of actions, and then draws more cards to end their turn. Actions consist of playing cards for different tasks: cards are played either for mustering, political commitment, or launching an attack. Players end their turns by drawing additional cards based on the number of cities captured on their turn (see Logistics on page 3).
Resolve Political
At the end of the round, total the values of cards each army has played for political commitment. The political marker moves one in favor of the army with the higher total (towards the end of the track where their economic marker started). It does not move if there is a tie. Each member of the winning army draws one card, representing foreign aid.
Check Victory
A round ends when all players have taken a turn and Political has been resolved. Check for victory conditions, and if neither army has won, re-randomize turn order and begin a new round. See Victory on page 6.
Logistics!
Cards
There are six identical decks of cards in the game; each player will choose one and never use cards from any other player's deck. At the beginning of a player's turn, the player draws two cards. At the end of the turn, the player draws one card plus one more for every city taken on their turn. If a defender does not play a card to defend a city, and that city is captured, the attacker immediately draws a card in addition to the extra card drawn at the end of the turn for capturing the city.
If a player has no cards, and it is not their turn, they draw a card.
Whenever a card has finished its effect, it is placed in a discard pile next to the deck it originally came from, face-up. Cards played for Muster are discarded immediately, for example, while political commitment cards are discarded at the end of the round after Political is resolved.
A player's discard pile is reshuffled to become a new deck as soon as a card needs to be drawn but none remain.
The number of cards in a player's hand is public knowledge to all players at all times. You cannot look through any other player's discard pile; only the top card is known. Players can look through their own discard piles.
Stacking
All cities must contain at least one unit at all times. Up to four units may occupy a city. If one player has two units in a city, their allies may only place a total of two more in that city. If four units occupy a city, no more can be placed in it by any means until its occupants have moved or been eliminated in combat.
Actions!
The three actions a player can take on their turn are Muster, Political, and Combat. Playing "5th Column" for its printed effect is also an action. Players can take as many actions as they want on their turns, so long as they have enough cards.
Muster
Make a number of Musters equal to the value of the card played. Each Muster can either Recruit one unit or Move one group of units from one city to an adjacent city. Units can be recruited and moved by the same card, though this costs multiple Musters.
Move One Muster allows any number of the player's units from one city to be moved to an adjacent, friendly city, except that no city can be left empty. Players can move their units into cities occupied by their allies. Keep the stacking limit of four units per city in mind, however.
Recruit New units can be recruited in a city controlled by your army-- you do not need to personally control a city to recruit there. New units may only be recruited in cities that have more friendly cities than enemy cities adjacent to them (connected by road or sea lane). These units come from the extra units not currently on the board. Newly recruited units may be moved on the same turn.
This diagram shows cities where Red can and cannot recruit. The effect of the "5th Column" card ignores these restrictions, recruiting two units in any city controlled by the player or the player's allies. "5th Column" can instead be used as a value 3 card for normal actions.
Political
Play the card face-down to the appropriate political box on the board, to be resolved at the end of the round. See Political, page 2.
Combat
Play the card face-down to initiate a combat, which follows this sequence:
Combat Sequence
- Combat Declaration
- Establish Power
- Card Play
- Deploy
- Combat Resolution
- Victory
Combat Declaration Attacks are declared by selecting one city occupied by your units and selecting an adjacent city controlled by the enemy. One card is played to your reserve as the first card of the battle. (see Card Play on page 5) You must have at least two of your army's units (both need not be your own) in a city to declare an attack on another city.
Establish Power Add up the initial value of each army's power. Units on the board count for 1 each. An attack made across a river or sea lane adds 1 to the defender's total. Only a player's own units count towards an attack; if an attack is being launched from a city an ally also occupies, the ally's units do not count towards the attack. All enemy units in the defending city count, however, regardless of player. All of the attacker's units in the city the attack comes from count, even the one that will need to be left behind in case of victory.
Example: Frank attacks Mannie in Madrid, from Algodor. Frank has four units in Algodor; Mannie has two units in Madrid. There is a river crossing the road between the cities, so Frank's initial value is four against Mannie's total value of three.
Card Play When a group of units controlled by multiple opponents is attacked, the attacker decides which defender will play cards in the combat.
Both players take turns playing a card face-down to their reserve, the attacker having begun this by playing the card to initiate the attack. As soon as one player passes, both players are finished, and the deployment phase begins. If the defender passes without playing any cards, the attacker immediately draws a card.
Example: Frank declares the attack on Madrid by playing his Armor card face-down to his reserve. Mannie, hoping to win, or at least lessen Frank's victory if he loses, plays his Withdrawal card to his reserve. Frank now has the option to play a second card, as Mannie did not pass. He decides to round out his attack with a Partisan card, so that one of his cards attacks Mannie's reserve and the other his deployed cards. Mannie responds with his own Partisan card, the last card in his hand, and therefore draws a new card. Frank has the option to play a third card, but decides that he is content with the two cards he has played, and that playing a third will only allow Mannie the chance to play an excellent card from the top of his deck. As Frank has passed, Mannie does not have the option to play a third card.
Deploy Each player takes turns deploying a card from their reserve. Cards in hands are never involved in battles-- only cards played to reserve are involved. Starting with the defender, each player reveals one card from their reserve at a time. Any Deploy effect (indicated by a reticle before the text) it has is resolved as the card is revealed. Cards destroyed by these effects are no longer involved in the battle. Deploy effects may not always apply: for example, if a Partisan is deployed but the opponent has no cards remaining in reserve, its Deploy effect does nothing. Once both players' reserves are empty, the Deployment Phase is over.
Example: Mannie deploys first. He deploys Partisan, forcing Frank to discard a card from his reserve. Frank almost discards his Partisan, as its 1 is much weaker than his 4 Armor, but then stops to think. If he discards the Armor, he will be able to play his own Partisan and discard Mannie's second card. In this situation, he will win, with his total of five (4 units + 1 Partisan) against Mannie's total of four (2 units + 1 river bonus + 1 Partisan). He discards his Armor and deploys his Partisan, forcing Mannie to discard his Withdrawal. The Deployment phase ends since both players' reserves are empty.
Combat Resolution Compare each player's total value, totaling the numerical value of surviving cards, units, and the defender's water bonus, if applicable. The higher value wins, with the defender winning ties.
Attacker Victory All of the defender's units are destroyed. The attacker must immediately move to occupy the conquered city. At least one unit must be left behind unless an ally also occupies the city the attack came from, and at least one must be moved in. Move the attacker's army's economic marker in a distance equal to the city's value (it never moves back). If the defender played no cards to defend, the attacker immediately draws a card, in addition to the card drawn at the end of the turn.
The effect of the Withdrawal card only occurs if the card has not been destroyed during the combat.
Tactical Tip: In single-card battles, Infantry and Armor are more effective on the attack, while Partisans, Artillery, and Aircraft are more effective on the defense (because the defender deploys first).
Example: Both of Mannie's units in Madrid are eliminated. Frank must leave one unit in Algodor, and move at least one unit into Madrid. He chooses to move three units into Madrid. He moves the Nationalist economic marker in four spaces on the victory track and draws an extra card at end of turn.
Defender Victory If the attacker was the only player occupying the city the attack was launched from, all but one of their units are destroyed. If any of their allies also occupied the city, all of the attacker's units are destroyed, while their allies' units remain. The defender's units are unaffected.
Supply If a city is completely isolated (no cities adjacent to it are friendly), a player controlling a force fighting there may not use any Deploy effects, on offense or defense. These cards can still be played for their value, but when deployed, they do not take their military Deploy effects. Partisans are the only exception to this; their Deploy effect is unaffected by supply.
Victory!
Victory is checked at the end of each round. If one army's economic marker has met or passed the current position of the political marker, that army has won. If both have met or passed it, the army that passed it by more is victorious. If this is a tie, check the position of the political marker: the army whose end of the track the marker is closer to wins. Victory can also be achieved by holding all six of the victory cities at the end of a round.
Example: The Republic and Nationalists have both passed the political marker by two spaces. The Nationalists win because the political marker is on their side of the track.
There are six victory cities marked by stars. If one army controls all six at the end of a round, they win immediately. If one army captures all six victory cities on the same turn that the other army achieves the track victory, the army that controls the victory cities wins.
Sample of Play!
Frank, blue, starts his turn with three cards, an Infantry, March, and Partisan. He draws two cards at the beginning of his turn, Election and Leader. He decides that his position isn't very secure and that March will not get him enough troops. He plays Leader for Muster, recruiting three units in Madrid (A) and two units in Badajoz (B). Since the enemy controls Brunete and Caceres, he cannot recruit in Merida, a town he wants to hold. He uses his last Muster to move two units from Badajoz to Merida (C).
Next, he decides to go on the offensive near Madrid. Even if he loses his attack, and the stack of units with it, he still has a March card with which he can rebuild his defense. He announces an attack on Brunete, where the enemy has only one unit (D). He plays Infantry face-down to his reserve as the first card of the battle. Mannie carefully observes the situation, noting that Frank has four units in Madrid against his one in Brunete. If he plays his Partisan card, even if it destroys whatever card Frank plays, he will still lose the battle (4 units+0 card value vs. 1 unit +1 card value). Instead, he chortles to himself as he plays his 3 Artillery, which will also destroy Frank's card but provide a better calculation.
Frank decides not to play any more cards, assuming that the Infantry gives him a decent chance of winning. Besides, he only has March, Election, and Partisan left. March and Election would not be very effective in the combat, and he'd rather keep Partisan to defend himself on the enemy's turn (F).
Since Frank has chosen not to play a card, the card play phase is over, and Mannie and Frank pick up their single-card reserves. Mannie, the defender, deploys his Artillery first, which destroys a random card in Frank's reserve. His Infantry is destroyed, and the battle is over, as there are no more cards in reserve left to be deployed. The end result is 4 for Frank's units against 4 for Mannie's 1 unit and 3 for his surviving Artillery card. Mannie is victorious as the defender in the tie, and Frank loses all but one of his units in Madrid.
Although the battle was lost, Frank now knows that Mannie will not be able to play an Artillery card again until his deck runs out, while he only lost a much more common Infantry card and a few measly soldiers. He plays his March card as Muster to reinforce Madrid as planned (E). He then plays Election to the Political pile and ends his turn (G), drawing only one card since he captured no cities.
Selected Bibliography
- Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain
- Eby, Cecil. Comrades and Commissars
- Kurzman, Dan. Miracle of November
- Orwell, George. Homage to Catalonia
- Wyden, Peter. The Passionate War
Artwork Acknowledgement
Art in the game comes from actual propaganda posters made during the Spanish Civil war. Credit goes to their unknown artists.
Credits
Design by: Patrick and Alex Stevens
Numbskull Games (c) 2010, all rights reserved.
5900 Meridian Street, Los Angeles CA. 90042
Printed in China.
Components: 181 wooden disks, 1 gameboard, 120 cards.