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.

World War II! CR 2015 Large-Scale battle.

For my next game, I decided to try a larger scale battle, with about 20-30 troops on each side.  Since I don't have enough Rebels or Imperials, I chose to use my WWII minis instead while using streamlined Nuts FV rules.

Here's the set-up.  Germans in Black and British in Blue.  Also, Squad leaders (with rubber bands around them) were Rep 5 (including my Star), while everyone else is Rep 4.  I also included Radio Operators, who act as squad leaders for their group when rolling for Activation and Reactions.

 This is a simple game with the objective simply being to eliminate all opponents.  In addition, all buildings are 1-story.  Snipers who duck back can move backward to another building as long as it's no more than a space away.

The first round began with everyone making a mad dash for the center.  Multiple In Sight tests took place, and bodies quickly littered the streets (which you can see by the figures beside the map).

This British Demolitions Officer and Radio Operator got cocky and tried to split German defenses.  Unfortunately, they failed the IS test against both groups and got slaughtered.

This is what happens when you roll Activation without an RO.

My Commando (with the red rubber band) lost his IS test.  While he managed to avoid both the enemy DO and RO, he got caught by the Sniper.  I rolled OD for damage, but I still had my Star Power to save me!

CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Luckily, those in range past their Crisis Test and continued on without their brave leader.

Inspired by their leader's loss, my troops continued on and quickly thinned out the enemy's ranks.  Pushing forward, they eliminated our foes . . .

 . . . one at a time.  This left the Germans with their Sniper/Squad Leader and an RO against, well, quite a few opponents.  Their brave leader may be gone, but my loyal and able troops have this fight in the bag!

Or not.  At least we still have 2 against 1.  

Make that 1 against 1.  But the sniper lacks movement.  My last remaining soldier passes 2d6 on Fast Move and attempts to flank the enemy.   We still hvae a chance!

Never mind!  and what's worse, the enemy Squad Leader would've advanced to Rep 6.

Overall it was a fun game, though at times, I forgot who had acted and whose turn it was.  when in doubt though, I just stopped and rerolled Activation.

Once again, this used CR 2015 rules from Two Hour Wargames, which made battles with this many troops easier, at least for me.  If you like games like these in the WWII genre, I highly reccommend Nuts Final Version.  This game covers multiple aspects of WWII, with armies, weapons, random encounters, and scenarios.  Also, you can pick up supplements that cover battles in Russia, France, Japan, and (in upcoming books) Italy and Norway.  You can even find a supplement covering experimental technology like lasers and robots.

Go to www.twohourwargames.com for more details.

Next time, I'm going to try for a smaller game, but everyone will only have pistols and grenades.  I also completed rules for Grenades vs. Buildings.  Let's see what happens when everyone is just trying to blow each other up!

M Squad tries to steal . . . I mean, borrow a boat!

The quest for a boat

The four members of M Squad arrived at the harbor to find a series of buildings on both sides of the dock (I used an old Cities of Mystery map from Dungeons and Dragons), with a few troops guarding it (1 PEF between us and the dock and the other 2 in buildings).

Objective: Scout the area and return to the Commander with info.

Vyper: "Hey, isn't that the guy who shot Grin?"

Bugs looked and sure enough, the man who had shot Grin dead and escaped in the last encounter was not promoted and leaving in one of the boats.

New Objective: Steal a boat and go after the ****!

The group (starting in Section 9) scouted those guarding the docks (Section 2) and saw three Rep 5's and three Rep 3's.

We won In Sight and Bugs used the opportunity to drop one of the Rep 5's dead, missing the other. Doc covered for him though, dropping the other two. Vyper took out one of the Rep 3's but missed the others.

Although they stood over their fallen teammates with bullets flying by their heads, the remaining troops held their ground (Passing 2d6 on both the Man Down and Received Fire tests). Returning fire (They won Activation), they shot Doc in the leg (OOF) while a series of bullets narrowly missed Bugs (Star Power).

Vyper and Bugs returning fire and took out the rest. After helping Doc recover (Passed 2d6 on Recovery test), they continued.

They then heard shouting in German and spun around, preparing for reinforcements (2nd PEF passed 1d6 after exiting the building to the dock's left). To the dock's right, two Rep 4 troops appeared (doubles in Activation became PEF #4), but again Bugs' group won In Sight and opened fire, taking out the opponents. The remaining PEF stayed in the building to the dock's right.
The group raced over to the dock and the boat without resistance (Again, no movement by the other PEF) and Doc got to work on getting the boat started.

(I rolled randomly to see how long it would take for doc to get the boating working and got a result of 5 successful Savvy rolls). Depending on the size of the PEF's and the chance for more to appear, this could be rather challenging.)

The PEF finally emerged from the building and revealed to be three Rep 3 troops. They won In Sight but missed all of their shots. Doc, Nerd, and Vyper stood their ground (passed 2d6 on RF) and fired back, though Bugs scored the only hits. Winning Activation, Bugs dropped the last guy.

3 Savvy rolls down, 2 to go. (No Sweat!)

Doc failed his next few rolls. (I know, I need to shut up!)

PEF #5 then appeared and immediately exited the building. Four Rep 5's and two Rep 4's.

Again, we won In Sight, and Vyper(who was using Grin's grenade launcher-attached shotgun) took out two of the Rep 5's (scoring knockdowns on the rest but nothing lethal), while Bugs shot another, along with Rep 4. The remaining two slipped behind the building (Pass 1d6 on Man Down) and returned fire from behind cover. Unfortunately, Nerd took a direct hit to the chest and was dead before he hit the ground (rolled 1 on damage). Bugs took a hit to the shoulder but rolled enough that it only grazed him (Star Power again). Both Vyper and Doc passed 2d6 on MD and continued.

Vyper then dropped the shotgun, pulled out his SMG's (I allowed that on the fly since he only moved 2") and opened fire, dropping all but the last Rep 5. He turned and disappeared completely (Hunker Down result).

Finally, Doc got the boat working and everyone jumped in, just as another PEF appeared at Section 6. The last guy then reappeared (having passed the HD test) and won In Sight. He opened fire but missed. Bugs returned fire but missed as well. Doc fired as well but struck the trooper (OOF).

(Yes, we're done! All we have to do is drive the boat away from the dock and we're clear.)

Then the last PEF was rolled. A Tank. Rep 5. And it won In Sight.

(You'd think I'd learn by now!)

Luckily, it missed by a mile. Vyper returned fire with his grenade launcher but missed as well. However, he must've done something to scare the driver because the tank then backed behind the building again (Passed 0d6 on Received Fire). M Squad then bolted out of the harbor.

After giving Nerd a burial at sea, the checked the radio to see if they could contact Base (Replacements Test). (Pass 1d6 American).

Doc: "Sorry, boss, I got nothing."

Bugs: "Great, we're on our own then."

Vyper: "So our squad, which is now down to three, is going in to German-occupied France with no one in our group who speaks either German or France?"

Bugs: "Or we could return to base, once we got past that tank, of course."

Vyper: "France, it is!"

(Afterward, Bugs failed his roll to improve, but Vyper improved to Rep 5, a scary thought since it now means he hits with all weapons on a 4, 5, or 6!)

The Adventures of M Squad! An AAR for Nuts.

ADVENTURES OF M SQUAD - An AAR for Nuts

This was my first time playing a THW game besides FNF and ATZ, so it was a new experience. Also since, in ATZ I only encountered zeds, this was the first time I used the In Sights test. Hopefully I did it correctly.

I used a Game Mastery plain map with objects representing trees, since I had randomly rolled a forest. Unfortunately, I don't have pics this time as I'm not sure where my camera is. I'll try and get some pics in the future. This is actually 2 encounters, with 2 different objectives.

Now, on with the game!

The members of M Company were on a plane to be dropped over Toulon, France in an attempt to flank German forces in the coastal cities. However, artillery fire forced the plane way off course, and the group was forced to jump early. Enemy fire also destroyed the plane before the entire group could jump, and the 4 who landed just outside a forest were the only members they could see.

Bugs: (Star) Rep 5, Fit 5, Pep 3, Sav 3, Marksman, Steely-eyed, Fit. SA Rifle w/ scope, Pistol. (Bugs got the nickname from his excellent eyesight and sneaky nature on the battlefield.)

Nerd: Rep 4, Fit 2, Pep 4, Sav 3, Nerves of Steel, Fluent. SA Rifle. (Nerd got his name from his love of reading, which is how he picked up several languages rather quickly.)

Grin: Rep 4, Fit 4, Pep 2, Sav 3, Stone Cold, Fit. Shotgun/grenade launcher. (Grin got his name from his habit of smirking in the face of danger.)

Vyper: Rep: 3, Fit 3, Pep 1, Sav 2. Marksman, Dim. x2 SMG's. (Vyper is the FNG and resident oddball of the group and is sometimes too brave for his own good.)

Objective: Figure out where the **** we are!

The group entered the forest, which quickly opened to a clearing (Section 8). Suddenly, they walked right into a mine. Everyone dove for cover, with Bugs getting the worst of the blast. Luckily, his Star Power saved him.

(Really, what kind of psycho just leaves a mine in the middle of a clearing, where there's absolutely no cover to dive behind and protect . . . On second thought, I think I see their point.)

Stepping back into the wooded area, the group hears yelling up ahead (1st PEF passed 1d6). Slipping behind some trees, the group waited and saw 2 old men (civilians) running their way PEF 2). Suddenly, 3 German soldiers appeared, apparently chasing the men.
Although the 2 seemed well trained, leaping from tree to tree so they weren't in the open (At least I'm guessing this since they were both Rep 5), Bugs dropped both with his rifle. They searched the bodies, but found nothing but ammo.

The two men were grateful and shook hands with Bugs' group, but they also spoke in a language the group didn't understand.

Bugs: "Nerd, I thought you knew multiple languages."

Nerd: "I don't this one, but it sounds like Italian to me."

Grin: "Italian? Ya mean we landed all the way in Italy?"

Nerd: "I doubt it. When we were hit, the plane veered south, not east."

Vyper: "Bummer, I'd love some pasta right now. Jumping from a plane makes me hungry."

Grin: "Vyp, eating makes you hungry. It's a wonder you're barely a buck ten!"

Bugs: "Well if those soldiers were here, there should be more. Let's take one and question him."

(At this point I decided that, since the group had already encountered all 3 PEF's so early, all rolls of doubles on Activation would generate more PEF's.)

Continuing through the forest, the group encountered 3 more German troops (Rep 4, Rep 3, Rep 3). One of them was busy preparing an anti-tank weapon while the other 2 watched.

M Squad won the In Sights and opened fire, with Nerd and Grin dropping 2 of them in seconds. The third, who had been arming the tank-killer, dropped his toy and took off into the woods.

Vyper: "Let's get him!"

Unfortunately, they ran right into a group of 6 more soldiers (Four Rep 4, two Rep 3). Fortunately, even though the group had been running, they won In Sights again. Nerd tried to talk with them, covering his flag insignia and pretending to be a fellow German soldier (Pep test), but they weren't buying it (Failed 0d6). Bugs quickly pulled his pistol out and shot 2 of the soldiers dead before they could react. Grin shot 2 more with his shotgun before they could raise their weapons. Nerd decided he was too close to shot one, so he lunged forward and slammed the butt of his rifle into the man's head. With a crack, the man fell to the ground, bleeding. The final one took off running. Nerd fired at him but missed.

Vyper stood to chase him, but Bugs stopped him.

Bugs: "Not this time. We're not walking into another ambush."

Grin: (Leaning over soldier that Nerd had killed). "Jeez, Nerd, how the ****'d you crak this guy's skull open? He's twice your size!"

Nerd: "I have no clue." (He searched through the soldier's pockets.) (Sav Test) "I found a map! And according to this map, we landed near the southern beaches of Sardinia."

Bugs: "Sardinia"

Vyper: "So what do we do now?"

Bugs: "Find a boat, I guess. Any harbors on that map?"

Nerd: "Not that I see, but there's a German camp about a few miles north of here. Maybe we can go there to get some more information."

Bugs: "Works for me."

Grin: "So we'll just march into a German camp and ask for directions to the nearest harbor. Wonderful plan! No possible way it could go wrong!"

New Objective: Enter the camp and gain info.

The group headed over a hill and into another (randomly-generated) forest (Does Sardinia really have this many?) Apparently the one soldier who had run away two encounters ago had found help because, upon entering the second forest, the group ran into a 5-soldier patrol (Rep 5, two Rep 4's, two Rep 3's).

Once again though, M Squad won In Sight (I'm really glad I rolled Steely Eyed for Bugs!). At first, the group opened fire, with Bugs and Nerd dropping the first two while the other three hid behind bushes. That's when everything went downhill!

Two of the three opened fire on Grin while he was switching to his grenade launcher. He was stunned by the first shot, but the second pierced his chest, and he was dead before he hit the ground. Furious, Vyper (Man Down Test: Pass 3d6) leaped forward, spinning around, and opened fire. He killed one soldier, but the other shot him from behind. Luckily, it had only grazed his shoulder. Nerd and Bugs then shot the last 2 dead.

Searching the troops, they found cigarettes, beer, food, and a map of an outpost in France. Hearing noise in the distance (Pass1d6 for PEF after a roll of doubles on Activation), they said a few words to honor Grin and continued.

After nearly an hour of searching (and reaching Section 1, just short of their goal), they found the camp. However, two groups of German soldiers converged from both sides (2 PEF's, rolled one after another): Two Rep 5's, one Rep 4, and seven Rep 3's.

Outnumbered in the worst way, the group used the trees for cover and opened fire, with Bugs attempting to drop the two commanders first. He got one, and Nerd got the other, but the rest opened fire, and Bugs fell to the ground. Rolling into some bushes (Thank whatever god's out there for Star Power!), he slipped out of sight and used the advantage to shoot a couple more soldiers. Nerd shot two more but took a bullet across his leg. He shook off the pain (Pass 2d6 on Recovery test) but missed any other shots.

Vyper, meanwhile, leaped into view, screaming like a madman, and took out the startled remaining troops.
Entering the camp, they found some civilian prisoners (PEF) and freed them. Nerd started to question the only one who spoke English about the location of the closest harbor, but the man refused to cooperate (Failed People test). Bugs had Nerd try to bribe him with cigarettes, beer, cheese, chocolate, a date on Saturday, tickets to a Bing Crosby concert, etc., but nothing worked.

Bugs: "Vyp, sing that song you like from that movie."

Vyper: (Nervously) "Do I have to?"

Bugs: "Should I make it an order?"

Vyper began singing, "Over the rainbow," in his slightly off-key (Okay, off the whole damn piano!) voice to the soldier. (People test: Pass!) The guard began blabbering like an auction worker.

Nerd: "He said they were using a harbor about 5 miles north-west of here, and it should still have some boats."

Eventually, more troops from M Company arrived, taking the lone soldier prisoner (Hey, I needed to do something with the guy!), and helping to retrieve Grin's body for services. Afterwards, the company took over the camp, and the commanding officer decided that the group worked best as a small squad, so they would continue as one. He claimed to officially call them, 'M Squad,' with the M being short for, 'Mental.'

The commander did replace Grin, though with a seasoned, but no-less-sane trooper (Replacements Table):

Doc: Rep 5, Fit 3, Pep 4, Sav 5, Hard as nails, Fixer. SA Rifle.

(I then rolled to raise Reps. Bugs increased to 6, Nerd to 5, and Vyper to 4. Considering they took on nearly 20 soldiers in an hour of game time, I think they earned the boosts.)