Breaking Teeth - The Battle of Teruel, December 15, 1937

The Republican cause was in serious jeopardy after a year-and-a-half of bloody fighting. Many felt it would take a miracle to rejuvenate an army that was barely hanging on in Madrid, and reeling from repeated Nationalists blows elsewhere in Spain. As winter settled in, the need for some sort of victory in the field was increasingly necessary as France and the Soviet Union began wavering in their support, and Great Britain stepped up its “blockade” that in reality only helped the Nationalists. One of the most direct threats to Republican survival was the salient to the south of Madrid. Any further Nationalist gains in that sector could cut-off the capital’s link to the rest of Republican-controlled Spain. With little to lose and much to win, General Enrique Lister’s 11th Division was placed in the vanguard of the Republican counter-attack. Their goal was to take the key defensive position of La Muela de Teruel—Teruel’s Tooth. The game has 7 Turns, each with many Rounds. Both players reveal top cards from their decks at the start of each round of play. The side with the highest Card Draw (CD) wins the Round. If the winning player’s CD is odd, that side can do 3 Activations (ACTs) or pass. If the winning CD is even, that side can do up to 2 ACTs or pass. On ties, the side that did not get to perform any ACT(s) in the previous round can perform 1 ACT. The side drawing the first joker gets no ACTS that Round and instead that player rolls a die to determine if a Random Event is in effect (see the Random Effects Chart). When the second joker is drawn, the turn ends immediately (with no ACTs performed). If this is not the last turn of the game move the Turn Record marker up 1 Space on the Game Record Track. Both players then reshuffle their decks.