This two-player, medium-complexity, card-assisted block game allows you to command the opposing forces that battled over Spain’s future—the Carlists, defenders of tradition and monarchy, and the Liberals, champions of reform and progress. The game recreates the intense struggle for control, strategy, and survival that divided an entire nation.
The conflict began after the death of Ferdinand VII, whose succession crisis between his daughter Isabella II and his brother Don Carlos ignited years of warfare. What began as a dynastic dispute became a broader ideological clash between absolutism and liberalism. The Carlists found their stronghold in Navarre, the Basque Provinces, and neighboring regions, where rugged terrain and popular support gave them a distinct advantage. Under the leadership of Tomás de Zumalacárregui, the Carlist forces evolved into a disciplined army that repeatedly challenged the larger but less coordinated Liberal troops.
Despite early victories and daring campaigns, the Carlists never achieved their key objective—capturing a major city. Zumalacárregui’s death during the siege of Bilbao in 1835 dealt a severe blow to their cause. Expeditions led by Don Carlos himself pushed south toward Madrid, reaching the capital’s gates in 1837 but ultimately failing to take it. Meanwhile, Liberal forces, reinvigorated under Baldomero Espartero, launched relentless counterattacks that eroded Carlist control. By 1839, the Embrace of Vergara marked the end of major hostilities in the North, though resistance lingered in Catalonia until 1840.
An Impossible War recreates these decisive years with remarkable depth. Infantry and cavalry are represented by wooden blocks to simulate fog of war, while artillery, logistics, and fortifications are handled with dedicated counters. The main map focuses on the northern theater—Navarre, the Basque Country, La Rioja, Burgos, and Cantabria—while a secondary map covers the rest of Spain, allowing players to launch expeditions and trigger uprisings beyond the front lines.
The game’s structure combines traditional block mechanics with a card-assisted system. Each faction has its own deck of historical, operational, and tactical cards that introduce new events and dilemmas, ensuring that no two sessions are ever alike. These cards provide additional layers of realism and strategy, without turning the game into a purely card-driven system.
The asymmetric gameplay highlights each side’s distinct strengths and weaknesses. The Carlist player must use superior mobility, morale, and knowledge of the terrain to expand territorial control and pressure enemy positions. The Liberal player commands larger but less efficient armies, struggling with supply issues, political instability, and the need to contain uprisings across the country. Each side faces constant tension between aggression, consolidation, and the management of scarce resources.
Historical authenticity and strategic challenge merge as players navigate sieges, raids, and shifting alliances in a game that rewards both tactical insight and long-term planning. An Impossible War not only captures the military struggle but also reflects the broader social and political currents of 19th-century Spain, offering an experience that is both educational and deeply immersive.
Game Contents:
- 1 Mounted Main Map (Northern Theater)
- 1 Regional Map (Rest of Spain)
- 1 Battlefield Board
- 1 Rulebook and 1 Playbook
- 2 Player Aid Sheets
- 73 Wooden Blocks (48 Blue – Liberal, 25 Red – Carlist)
- 1 Sheet of 18 mm Stickers
- 2 Punchboards with 18 mm Tokens
- 72 Cards (36 Liberal, 36 Carlist)
- 10 Wooden Artillery Tokens
- 4 Six-sided Dice
- 2 Cloth Bags
Language: All components are in English.
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