From: Roberto Chiavini <mumaye@libero.it> 
Subject: Two more reviews 

Arriba Espana ! (Microgame Co-op)

A strategical and political simulation of the Spanish Civil War, with
area map and units rated only for combat value, this proposal by
Microgame Co-op is a real winner.

Graphics are a little on the drab side, but are functional and the map
is not totally unpleasant to the eye. The game lasts a maximum of 14
bimestral turns (with three months turn for winter) and it's strongly
based on the political factors governing the conflicting sides. So, the
Rebel player must push the Political points level of the Government
forces below 0, or otherwise lose the game.

The sequence of play is interesting, with a random event phase, two
simultaneous phases (the one were both players try to get foreign
supports - used for gaining reinforcements and economic points, that you
may use to build your units - and the one were you expend the points
gained before to bring more units in the field), then a Rebel turn
(formed by a movement phase - movement is unlimited until you reach an
enemy occupied area - a combat phase (with a ratio CRT, plus several
modifiers, depending on terrain - mostly- , but also on troop quality,
winter and air, artillery and armor assets, that gives die roll
modifiers), a recovery phase (for recovering demoralized units - that
are halved in combat). Supply is taken in account very simply, but
effectively. The turn is ended through the region control determination
phase, which may vary from a turn to the other, giving strong variations
in the total political points avalaible for both sides.

The most peculiar, and interesting, aspect of the game is the political
phase, were the players may gain the support or the intervention of
seven different nations (two of them, Italy and Portugal, may bring
combat units to the Rebel player), through a very elegant system, that
seems to work very well and it's the core of the game, the place were
the war is won or lost.

The combat system is not so effective, and there are a few procedures
that could be streamlined and ameliorated to give a better feeling of
the period. But it works. 

I strongly recommend this game to all the wargamers who likes a
competitive strategical game without too much complexity in the rules, a
relatively fast game (you normally may play it to the end in a long
afternoon) and a very novel and creative approach to a much neglected
subject. 

A big thanks to both Brian Train (the designer) and Kerry Anderson (the
producer) for giving us such a nice little game.

I rate the game 7 1/2 in a 1-10 scale