An Impossible War: The First Carlist War in the North, 1834-1838

Publisher: Bellica 3G
Designer: David Gómez Relloso
Language: English
Period: First Carlist War (1834-1838)
Type: Strategic block wargame with card assistance
Players: 2

Game Overview

An Impossible War: The First Carlist War in the North, 1834-1838 is a strategic wargame depicting the decisive years of the First Carlist War in northern Spain. The conflict erupted after the death of Ferdinand VII and pitted the liberal supporters of Queen Isabella II against the traditionalist followers of Don Carlos.

The game focuses on the main theater of operations in Navarre, the Basque Provinces, and nearby regions, where the Carlist movement gained its strongest foothold thanks to geography and local support.

Players command the opposing sides in an asymmetric conflict. The Carlist player relies on mobility and high-quality troops to dominate the countryside and threaten cities, while the Liberal player must use superior numbers to contain the rebellion and suppress uprisings throughout Spain.

The system combines wooden blocks, counters, and event cards. Blocks create fog-of-war effects, while the card decks introduce historical, operational, and tactical events that add variability and tension to each session.

The design emphasizes the historical nature of the war, which involved frequent skirmishes, significant siege warfare, and relatively few large battles.

Game Scale & System

• Players: 2
• Complexity: Medium
• Playing Time: about 180–420 minutes
• Scale: Strategic
• System: Point-to-point movement with block units and card assistance

The game includes three scenarios representing different stages of the conflict:

• Zumalacárregui’s War (1834–1836)
• Espartero’s War (1836–1838)
• Full War (1834–1838).

A large map depicts northern Spain, while a secondary map handles uprisings and expeditions across the rest of the peninsula.

Box Contents

• 1 main Northern theater map
• 1 regional map of the rest of Spain
• 1 battlefield board
• 1 rulebook
• 1 playbook
• 2 player aid sheets
• 73 wooden blocks (48 blue, 25 red)
• 1 sheet of block stickers
• 2 punchboards with counters
• 72 cards (36 Liberal, 36 Carlist)
• 10 wooden artillery tokens
• 4 six-sided dice
• 2 cloth bags