Nuts AAR - No Way in Hell!

I've been away for a while after moving last year. And with a 1 br apartment being our only option, most of my games and figures went into storage, I had to wait until we upgraded this year. Now I can finally play games again, though with unpacking becoming a slow process, I had to make due.

This game I played is Nuts, a World War II wargame from Two Hour Wargames. Now in the base game, you get your choice to play as forces who are American, British, German, or Russian. However, the Compendium, which includes loads (and I mean LOADS) of options, allows you to play as other forces. For my game, I went with Norwegian forces, and my game is based on the Norwegian resistance.

Quick history lesson. When Germany began taking over countries all over Europe, very few just sat around and accepted their rulers with open arms. Most fought back in subtle fashions, making life miserable for their occupiers. And Norway was no exception. In fact, when you try and control the descendants of Vikings, don't expect a happy ending.

I went with a slightly alternate history here where the resistance was even more violent and vicious. In my game, the Germans not only landed on the southern coast but also the north-west region and are trying to move south. This means passing through the village of Hell. And while the name normally means something like 'cliff,' this time it's going to take on a less-than-innocent meaning.

Now games from THW require no Game Master, and in fact, everyone can play on the same side if they wish. I'm playing solo, and I'm playing the Chocolate and Cigarettes version of the game, which is more squad based and with more RPG elements.

My first game will be a Defend Encounter, since I felt it fit the story the best. The goal is to hold off enemy forces as long as possibly and, if possible, drive them off the board. You can use any board or figures for the game, so I found an old generic board to use and army men figure for my troops. Norwegians are Blue and Germans are Green.

I placed my squad at the bottom of the board and lined them up so I could remember which soldier was which. Each soldier has a Reputation (Basically functions as character level, hit points, combat ability, etc.), which foes from 3-5. In addition, soldiers have Skills (Fitness, Savvy, and People) and Attributes.

Here they are in order:
Boss: Rep 5; Fit 4, Sav 3, Pep 5; Self Rally, Charismatic; SMG.
Shaggy: Rep 4; Fit 2, Sav 4, Pep 3; Wussy, Dim; SMG.
Punt: Rep 3; Fit 3, Sav 1, Pep 2; Knifeman, Rage; Bolt-Action Rifle w/ bayonet.
Bull: Rep 4; Fit 4, Sav 4, Pep 2; Crack Shot; BAR.
Smiley: Rep 4; Fit 3, Sav 2, Pep 4; Plucky, Smooth; SMG.
Scrooge: Rep 3; Fit 1, Sav 2, Pep 3; Greedy, Logical; SMG.
(S) Vyper; Rep 3; Fit 2, Sav 3, Pep 1; Touch, SMG specialist, Fit; SMGs (x2).

Vyper is my Star, the character I control. Usually the highest Rep is your Star, but I decided to try something different. Also, I gave him dual SMGs, which means he has a 1 in 6 chance of scoring a hit. Hopefully firing 6 shots a turn will almost guarantee a hit each time. Hopefully.

The red d6 at the top are PEFs, which stands for Possible Enemy Force. These could be enemies, civilians, for nothing at all. And until we find out, they move around the table, just as if they were alive.

Now let's gets started!

Rolling for Activation (initiative), we go first. I'm using Green d6 for us and continuing to use Red for the enemy.

I split my forces into 2 groups: Boss, Shaggy, and Punt are the first group, while the rookies are in the second. Boss takes his group up the west side, hoping to flank the enemy. My group, meanwhile heads up the other side of the buildings.

Now it's their turn.
One PEF moves away from everyone. The other two move toward my rookie group, stopping in an alcove.

Group A continues north, inching along the outer walls of the buildings. Group B meanwhile rushes ahead, sopping behind a wall. PEF A inches forward, while PEF B retreats. PEF C though remains in place.

Finally, one of the PEFs emerges and it's 4 German troops, patrolling the road. Another PEF slips in behind it, but it's not a threat at the moment.

This immediately triggers an In Sight Test (sort of a Surprise check). We win, with Bull and Smiley dropping all 4 opponents.

Back to Group A, they spot 3 German troops through an alley and attempt to sneak up on them.

Success! My team wins its In Sight test and opens fire for 3 easy kills. By the way, the bottom trooper only fell out of sight; he was well within Shaggy's crosshairs before the shot.

Only 1 PEF left. And Group B is ready for anything.

Scratch that - they're ready for Almost anything. You see, in addition to enemies and civilians, sometimes PEFs resolve as Random Events. In this case, I rolled Artillery. And Bull and Smiley  are right in the LOS.

I rolled damage for all 4, since Shorty and Vyper, while behind cover, are still in the Blast circle. The d6 represent damage. If they're equal to or higher than Rep, you're Out of the Fight (meaning incapaciated but alive. If it's a 6, you're Dead. Bull takes two hits and gets knocked unconscious, but Smiley and Scrooge aren't as lucky. Vyper however gets singed but survives.

Vyper remains standing, and had this been an actual opponent, combat would continue. Fortunately, the Artillery is off the map so he is able to rescue Bull and reunite with the others.

That what the last PEF and my squad survived, so this Encounter is a success. The Germans were driven out of the village of Hell for the time being, but a group of them, with a really big gun, sit somewhere outside the village. We'll have to find them another time.

After the Encounter, I rolled to see who improved his Rep or Skills. Only Boss did though, moving up to Rep 6. At least our leader is still strong for the time being. But we're down two troops and the enemy is nearby. Will they take our beautiful village?

Hell no!

Nuts is available from Two Hour Wargames and can be found here, along with the Compendium:

https://twohourwargames.com/ww2.html

You can also find a number of scenario books covering battles from all over the war.

Returning to Nuts an AAR

I recently received the updated rules for Nuts! a World War II game from Two Hour Wargames.  In addition, I got the Compendium, with covers a number of optional rules, such as ski troops, mascots, weather, air strikes, and urban fights.

After playing the videogame Snipe Elite 4, in which you go through Italy during WWII, I decided to play my own sniper game.  I like this especially because the rules in Nuts allow for unlimited maps and missions.

This will be a Chocolate and Cigarettes game, meaning a game with smaller numbers of troops, as my entire 'team' consists of one lone sniper.  Since I wanted to be a good guy but still a cold-hearted, ruthless killer, I went with a Russian soldier.

Meet Dimitri Kozlov, a Rep 5 Russian Sniper.  Fitness 5, Mental 4, People 3.  Basically, his skills mean he's in incredible shape with above average intellect and average people skills.  Hopefully he won't have to do any negotiating.

For Attributes, I went with the Compendium rules, which allow for a wider variety.  I started with the Sniper Package, which is Sniper Expert and Stealthy.  I then randomly rolled Dim, which means he's a hell of a sneaky shooter, but he really, really doesn't play well with others.

The campaign starts with both sides at Morale 4 and Investment at 4.  As the first Encounter is a Patrol, Investment is a 3.  Using the Compendium rules, this will be a Sniper Patrol, meaning I not only have to reach the top of the map, but I must drop two major opponents, whether they're officers, enemy snipers, ect.

In case you're wondering, no Dimitri is not about to play Twister.  Using my living room as the board, I set Dimitri at Section 9 at the top of a hill.  The orange and green represent the forest at sections 1, 4, and 7.  The red circles are the three PEFs, starting in Sections 2, 4, and 5.

PEF #1 resolves as Nothing.  However, PEF #2 resolves as an NCO and a Rifleman ( I rolled at random because at the time, I wasn't sure how to resolve specific troops).  PEF #3 resolved as 3 Riflemen. 

Rolling Activation, the Germans move first.  This triggers and In Sight Check, with the winner basically getting a free turn.  I rolled Red d6 for Dimitri and Green d6 for the Germans, with 1, 2, and 3 being Successes.  The side with the most successes win In Sight.

Uh oh!  Even though they get a -1d6 penalty for my Stealthy Attribute, they still win and get to go first.  While the NCO has an SMG which doesn't have the range to hit me, the Rifleman has a Bolt-Action Rifle that can, even without a scope.  He's a Rep 4, but I'm at the top of a hill and prone so the chances of him scoring any kind of hit are-

Crap!!!!  Not only does he score a direct hit, but for damage I roll another 6, which is Obviously Dead!  He scored with a head shot to my soldier!

Wait, I still have Star Power!  That means my Star, the character I control, rolls a number of d6 equal to his Rep, and as long as he rolls, 1, 2, and/or 3, he can reduce and even ignore the damage completely.  All he needs are a couple of those rolls and he'll be completely in the clear-

Um, yeah . . .about that . . .

So ends the saga of Dimitri Kozlov.  In his first mission, a lone, lowly enemy soldier puts a single bullet right between his eyes and ends his adventures. 

Luckily, it's not over yet!  I rolled up a new character and the Russian platoon, upon learning of poor Dimitri's fate, has sent another sniper to take his place.  I'm keeping the campaign the same.  Luckily, the Campaign Morale remained the same.  However, since I lost the Patrol encounter, my new character will start his adventure with a Defend. 

But that's for another story.

For now, RIP Dimitri Kozlov.  Dropped before he ever fired a bullet.  And this will go down in history as my quickest RPG adventure yet.

Hopefully, my new character has better luck.

Mengal Night! Missions of Tomorrow Preview

Missions of Tomorrow, the first supplement to Future Tales, is coming very soon.  And in addition to the scenarios, you'll find rules for a little game called Mengal, a futuristic and slightly more violent version of hockey.

Tonight's Mengal game is between the visitors, the Wastelanders and the home team, the Stoic.

Fans are lined up outside the arena, awaiting this game between two fierce rivals!

The teams set up on the ice to face off.  Note that you do not need a game board or figures to play Mengal.  You don't even need full teams.  Each team has Team Stats which reflect the average skill of all players.  You can even use your own Stars.  Just be careful; Star Power will only help you to a point!  For this game, I'm playing both teams as Grunts.  The poker chip reflects the first Period.

The Wastlanders win the Face Off and play begins.  During game play, each team can also add their Brutality to their Skill.  Brutality Dice work like bonus dice and can improve your rolls.  However, as fitting their name, they can also be used to bring agony and suffering to your opponents!

Here, both teams roll Triples with their Brutality Dice, meaning someone possibly got hurt, badly.

Near the end of the first Period, a player from each team suffers a minor injury, and the official separates the two, believing they are both too hurt to inflict any entertaining amounts of damage to the other.  Both get sent to the bench with Failure to Injure minor Penalties.

No score in the first Period, and the second Period begins with both members of each team starting in the Penalty Box.  Teams with a Penalty suffer a -1 or worse to one of their stats.

Uh Oh, tempers are flaring.  Charon of the Wastelanders, swinging his stick (which is shaped like a club and covered with spikes) and catches Minos-C in the face and chest.  A roll on the Injury table, and the results are not pretty!

Robots sweep and mop the remains off the ice while Charon gets a Major penalty for Mutilation.

Losing their teammate in such a brutal fashion has pushed the Stoic out of their trademark emotionless state.  Minos-A, in a state of rage, floors Charon, only for Charon's teammate Salvo to jump in.  Throwing down their gloves, the two brawl, with Minos-A winning and knocking Salvo to the ice.  This gives the Stoic a quick bonus.

Taking advantage of the bonus, The Stoic manage to score, breaking the tie as the second Period closes.

Throughout the third Period, the Wastelanders are unable to tie the game.  With just seconds left on the clock, they pull their goalie and use the extra man to charge the goal.  Charon, Outlaw, and Spike breach the defense and triple team the goalie, Minos-X.  As the period closes, they fire shot after shot, but Minos-X denies all three men and stops the Wastelanders as the game ends.

Final score:  0-1 Stoic.

Injuries:  Charon (minor), Minos-A (minor), Minos-C (deceased).

Game play for Mengal is quick and easy, with lots of fun, action, and blood, though not necessarily in that order!  You can create your own players in seconds and team in minutes.  It functions both as an addition to your stories and as a diversion if you just want something different.

Keep watching for more previews of Missions of Tomorrow, coming very soon, from Two Hour Wargames.

CR 2015: Star Wars: First Battle of Kashyyk

(Note:  This adventure includes some minor spoilers from the book; Aftermath.)

"All right, listen up," Hathis said to her team, "We've been ordered by Command to join the fleet at Akiva for a major engagement against the Empire."

"We can handle it," Morano said.  "The rest of our squad is already en route."

Hathis nodded.  "That's true, but we may have another mission instead."  She looked to Roork, who brought up a hologram of another planet.  "This is Kashyyk, home of the Wookiees.  Now, the Empire had a blockade around the planet and numerous troops on the surface.  But since they've pulled most of their forces away to fight us at Akiva, the planet is lightly-defended at the moment.  Our contact has requested assistance in helping to free the wookiees and fight off the Imperials. "

She looked sternly at the others.  "This would not be an official mission.  In fact, if we took it, we'd be basically ignoring direct orders from Command.  Therefore, you're all free to say no."

"I've seen what the Imperials do to slaves," Morano said, "and I'm not good at following orders to begin with . . well, except for yours."

Rorrk thought for a moment.  "It would bring me one step closer to romancing a wookie."

All eyes turned to Rorrk, but Hathis merely shrugged.  "Whatever floats your freighter, my friend."  She then looked to the newcomer.  "Azra, while you're on loan from Fist Squadron, you're still under orders from them, I believe."

Azra nodded.  "Correct.  However, Azra prefers to follow greater order, which is to help those in need.  Azra believes that would be the natives of the planet Kashyyk."

"Then, we're in."  Hathis turned to her pilot.  "Morano, set course for Kashyyk."

"I'm not it."  Morano started for the door, then paused.  "One question; who's our contact and do you trust him?  Okay, technically two questions."

"I trust our contact," Hathis answered, "but at the moment, I'm not permitted to reveal any information on the person, at least for now."

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Hours later, the group landed in a forest and assembled inside the remains of one of the huts.

The team:

Hathis:  Rep 6 Rebel Leader; Sniper Pistol.

Rorrk:  Rep 5 Duro Tech Specialist; Pistol.

Morano:  Rep 4 Human Pilot; Heavy Pistol.

Azra:  Rep 4 Gand Findsman; Shotgun.

  "Here is a video of the Imperial base," Rorrk said, show them his computer pad.

"This stations serves to relay communications from the various bases.  If we were to assume control, we would deprive them of contact with each other."

"Sounds good," Morano said.  "But you didn't noticed we're slightly outnumbered, did you?"

Rorrk nodded.  "Actually I did notice, but our contact according to Commander Hathis has revealed possible allies for us."  He pressed a button, and the image changed.

Hathis stepped in.  "Our contact said these four were captured and are set to be executed as an example.  If we set them free and arm' em, we'll have a little help."

"But it's just four more," Morano said in disbelief.

"These four have a rep as trouble-makers," Hathis answered.  "They should be able to do enough damage to help us."

"According to this," Azra observed, "the wookies may express their anger in random directions.  Will you be safe?"

"Fortunately, I speak their language," Rorrk said.  "I'll let them know what we plan to do."

"Sounds good," Hathis said.  "You and Azra free the wookiees.  Morano and I'll try and distract the others."

(For this encounter, both teams must reach different locations and perform skill challenges to succeed.  For the first team, it will be a Mental Challenge to free the wookies.  For the second, it will simply be to keep the rest of the Imperials busy.)

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Azra and Rorrk approached the entrance of the base.  Finding a door, the paused and peeked through a window.

"They turned the operations pit into a detention center," Rorrk said.  "However, the moment we open the door, they will notice us."

"Understood," Azra said.  Lifting his shotgun, he aimed it at the window.

"Be careful," Rorrk said, "Between the tint and glare, firing through the window may prove more difficult than simply peering through it,"

Azra nodded.  "Agreed, but one moment."  He took a deep breath, then fired his weapon twice.  "Please proceed."

Rorrk entered to find two dead stormtroopers, along with four astonished wookiees behind a force field.

(Mental Challenge:  Rorrk passed 2d6).

Reaching the computer, Rorrk pressed some buttons and the force field dropped.  The four wookies lunged forward, but Rorrk managed to communicate to them that they were there to help.

He turned to Azra.  "They need their weapons, and they said they thought the Imperions placed them nearby."

Azra closed his eyes.  (Mental Challenge with the Force:  Pass 2d6).  Opening them, he pointed to a large cylinder.  "Their weapons are hidden beneath that."

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(Technically, the first few rounds of this scene happened at the same time as the above one.)

"Good job," Hathis said over her comlink.  "Are they still able to fight?"

"Correct," Rorrk answered.  "However, I believe on their leader, Arrilanna is a soldier.  She just recruited the rest because of their personal hatred for the Empire."

"You're kidding."

"I am not."  Rorrk continued.  "Gooron crafts quilts and blankets, Kalova likes to explore, and Geyynik apparently passes for what you humans call Comedians.  However, Arrilanna vouches for them, insisting she trained them to fight."

"Good enough," Hathis said.  "We're about to enter the base here.  Try to slip in a flank them"

"It appears our new allies will be joining you soon.  They thought it was the quicker path."

The wookiees:

Arrilanna:  Rep 4 Wookiee Warrior; Meteor Hammer, Rifle.
(The meteor hammer is a melee weapon that can strike opponents at short range.)
Geeynik:  Rep 4 Wookiee Scoundrel;  Rifle.
Gooron:  Rep 3 Wookiee Tech Specialist; Bowcaster.
Kalova:  Rep 3 Wookiee Scout; Bowcaster.

"Great," Hathis said, "we've got company, whether we want them or not."

Morano nodded.  "Until they get here, we'll need to distract the Imps."

"You're right."  Pulling out a thermal detonator, Hathis tossed it at the wall.  It exploded, and when the smoke cleared, the noticed several storm troopers and Imperial soldiers looking at them in shock, and one trooper on the ground, covered in debris.

"Well that worked!"

The two slipped back behind the wall as about a dozen troopers appeared from a side door, entering the grass.  The two groups exchanged fire until Hathis and Morano heard roaring behind them.  turning, they spotted the wookies rushing in, weapons blazing.  Arrilanna even swung her weapon out, decapitating one trooper.

The fight is on!

The rebels managed to down several troopers, and the wookiees pushed forward.  Suddenly, a second squad appeared from a hidden bunker and opened fire.  Geeynik got caught in the back and fell (OOF) while the remaining warriors continued on.  Hathis spun around and caught the shooter while Morano took out the others.

Meanwhile, they heard blaster fire inside and saw another trooper drop as Azra fired from inside.

The remaining troopers started to fall back as Azra appeared from the hallway.

A moment later, Rorrk joined them.  "I have blocked all communications into and out of this station so they cannot request assistance."

"Good," Hathis said, "let's finish this."

The wookiees meanwhile, rushed right and, continuing to drop troopers left and right.  They took out the remaining troopers, reducing them to piles of broken, bloody armor.

Racing in, Morano froze as he surveyed the damage.  "I hope you got all that out of your systems!"

Hathis, Azra, and Rorrk joined the group, and Arrilanna growled an inquiry to Rorrk.

"Those were the remaining forces located at this station," he answered.

Immediately, they turned and rushed outside to their fallen comrade.  Hathis and the rest joined them, with Rorrk doing his best to tend to Geyynik's wounds.

(Recovery Table:  Pass 2d6.)

"He will feel discomfort for some time," Rorrk said, "but he will recover."

Arrilanna growled a comment and Rorrk turned to Hathis.

"She thanks us for rescuing them and asks how they can help."

Hathis looked to the wookiee leader.  "Well, our contact asked us to take over this base and wait for orders..  No doubt, more troops will arrive to find out why they lost contact here, which is probably the plan.  Will you help us when they arrive?"

The tall leader nodded and rumbled a response.

"She says they'll be happy to mutilate more Imperials," Rorrk translated.

"Then let's scour this place and prepare for the next fight."

Arrilanna roared and raised her weapon in the air, indicating they were ready for anything.

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Elsewhere,

The Imperials, indeed knowing the rebels had taken control of their base, began assembling a squad to regain it.  And they stood tall and ready as their leader arrived.

(After Battle improvements:  Hathis advanced to Rep 7; Rorrk advanced to Rep 6; Azra advanced to Rep 5.)

Clownin' with Cowboys - a High Moon AAR

I ran this game mostly just to blow off steam, and to test out the Monster Clown for High Moon.  Rep 5.  Quick Reflxes for random Attribute.  1H Weapon.  

Here he is now:

Meet Risi

Risi (short for, 'Risible') has entered the town of Cactus Valley to rescue his buddy Pokes (a Mangler) from the clutches of the so-called innocent people of the town.  This is a Raid encounter, with his goal being the jail in Section 1.  Once again, I used the scale of 1 Section = 10."  And since Risi is armed only with a single jagged, rusty blade, subtly will probably be the best approach.

Time for some fun!

Risi entered the town early in the morning, when everyone was still recovering from a festival the night before.  He snuck around, searching for the nest way to the jail.  

(Note that I started with with 4 PEF's instead of 3 to make it a little more challenging.  Also, if Activation ends up as Doubles and 4 or less, then another PEF appears).

A lone cowboy appears, making a trip toward the outhouse.

(In Sights Check.  Pass!)

Good morning, sunshine!  And good night!

His buddy then heard the noise and rushed out.

Let's just say it wasn't pretty!

(The last PEF didn't resolve so Risi eventually made it to the jail.)

Violets are blue, blood runs red.

(In Sights check - Pass)

I see you, my pretty, and now you're dead!

At that point, another PEF appeared and resolved as a cowboy.

I'll let Pokes handle this.

(Pokes, a Rep 3 Mangler, won Charge into Melee and Melee, and hacked the cowboy to pieces.)

As they left the jail, however, they encountered some trouble.

Gunman Rep 4

Cowboy Rep 3

Cowboy Rep 3

Towns persona Rep 4.

Wanna see a magic trick?  No?  Fine then, die, you spoil sport!

The rest of the group fled behind the general store, and Risi and Pokes followed.

Although Risi got another kill, the remaining cowboy dropped poor, misunderstood Pokes.

Risi snuck behind the duo, but then realized they were joined by the town's blacksmith.

I don't suppose we could talk this over a spot of tea?

Although Risi managed to remove the cowboy from the equation, the blacksmith pulled out two pistols and filled the poor monster clown with bullets.

So no on the tea then?

They buried Risi by nightfall and told the town that a maniac gunman had plowed through the town, but he was executed on sight.  No reason to scare anyone with stories about monster clowns, right?

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That night, they visited the grave and paid their final respects to Risi.

(Not Quite Dead test:  Passed!)

Apparently, though they weren't aware that the only way to truly kill a monster clown is to completely destroy its body.  Burying one is usually a no no.

I will be laughing,
you will be hurt,
and I'll be dancing,
while you breathe dirt!

Singing his little song, Risi sent the blacksmith face-first into the grave and then pulled out his knife, grinning wickedly.

As the bartender ran, he screamed for help, but the people knew the truth of that night and remained in their homes.  They were all too aware of the creature with metal on his face and blades on his hands.  And they knew all too well of the clown dancing around.  So no one emerged to help the poor man.

He managed to make to to his house before a large foot tripped him.  Risi then dragged him gleefully (Risi, not the bartender) to the pond.

Oh don't worry.  I promise you'll float . . . unless of course, I tie rocks to your feet and jump up and down on your chest!

(Since Risi failed in his mission, and well technically, he did not receive any Increasing d6.)

The next morning, the people found the bodies and faced the terror for the first time.  And no one saw Risi the clown or the body of his friend.  But sometimes at night, people claimed to hear cackling in the wind.  

Did you hear it?  Was it the wind or something else?  Hopefully he doesn't know you're listening.  And he's probably not real anyway.  

But just in case, look over your shoulder.

No, your other shoulder . . .