The other night I played my 3rd game of Nuts! using the Chocolate & Cigarettes rules, and the 10th game of Nuts! Final Version.
The picture speaks volumes:
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| No custard tarts today. |
Things got off to a bad start when the first PEF resolved as a squad with 6 members and Deacon was knocked out of the fight. That was on turn 1.
Although Hardcastle killed the German NCO, and managed to drive off the LMG crew (they passed 0 on Man Down test and left the battlefield), the Germans ended up receiving a reinforcement of another LMG crew on the next turn, so no gain there.
Both Peacock and Hardcastle were eventually dropped as Out of Fight as seen above. So, they aren't dead, but they are undoubtedly prisoners of war now.
Perhaps an escape scenario will occur at some point in the future?
****
As for Nuts! Final Version, this was the 10th game in the 10 game challenge. There is no doubt in my mind that the experiment proved its worth. I feel I know the game far better than I knew the previous edition and I've given it a genuinely fair shake.
I think the Chocolate & Cigarettes size games work quite well, although I had no chance to use any of the challenge rules for the additional character stats. This was a result of the scenario choices I made and not a function of the rules. Maybe if I play an escape scenario, they will see some use.
I won't be using Nuts! as my default squad to platoon rules, but will Nuts! Final Version : Chocolate & Cigarettes become a staple?
I recently acquired Five Men in Normandy, so, some day I'll be trying those out, but in the meantime, I think Nuts! FV: C&C is just about perfect for this type of game, providing lot's of action and drama with just a few figures per side.
I decided on an "escort the wounded" scenario for my second go at Chocolate & Cigarettes.
Operation: Hyacinth - Team BBC must escort a wounded army private out of enemy territory, i.e. across the table.
OOB (I left these details out last time. Oops.):
Lt. Corporal Hardcastle - Rep 5, Fit: 5, Pep: 3, Sav: 4, Tough, Steely Eyes, Exceptional Fixer, Smooth- Lance Cpl. Peacock - Rep 5, Fit 3, Pep: 5, Sav: 4, Initiative, Smooth, has a hunk of cheese
- Pvt. Deacon - Rep 5, Fit 3, Pep: 5, Sav:4, Hard as Nails, Attractive
- "The Walking Wounded" - Rep 3, temporarily Rep 2 per scenario setup
As part of the scenario, the wounded can only move a maximum of twice their Rep. So, yeah, FOUR INCHES.
Good lord.
Here's the table with Team BBC and enemy PEFs in place:
[Turn 1, Germans 6, Brits 3. German PEFs won't move.]
Our heroes move through some woods. Hardcastle and Peacock take the lead to make sure there aren't any surprises.
[Turn 2, Germans 2, Brits 1, PEFS all pass two dice and move 8" towards Team BBC]
A surprise was indeed making its way towards them: a single SS-Panzergrenadier armed with an assault rifle.
Peacock got the draw on the kraut and blasted away.
His aim wasn't good enough.
[Peacock won the In-Sight check 3-0, he fired and scored enough to hit, but when checking the result, the enemy ended up merely knocked down and able to carry on.]
The German fired at Peacock who ducked back into cover under the barrage of bullets.
[Peacock passed 1 on his crisis test, and, since he has a BA Rifle, he is outgunned and ducks back]
Hardcastle raced up to join the fracas, but the SS trooper was ready. Dodging bullets and unphased, Hardcastle unleashed a fury from his SMG that dropped the enemy.
[Hardcastle moved up and triggered another In-Sight. The German won 4 to 1, I held my breath and hoped for the best: he missed! Hardcastle took a crisis test for receiving fire and passed 2. Even though he was outgunned, as a star I could choose his reaction, so, he returned fire and dropped the dastardly German; Jean would be proud. ]
[Turn 3 the team advanced. The sides tied for initiative on turns 4 and 5 ]
Hardcastle crossed the crest of the hill and hit the dirt as movement from the hill to his right and front caught his eye. A tense few moments passed until he realized it was just his nerves and that his mind had drifted to custard tarts.
[A PEF moved over the top o the hill and passed 0 dice to resolve.Right about now I was starting to feel pretty good.
Turns 7 and 8, the team continued their advance, going prone immediately after moving. This costs half movement to stand the next activation but, as I finally learned, the benefit when receiving fire is totally worth it.
On Turn 8, the Brits scored a 4 for initiative and the Germans a 3. With a total of 7, I could have checked to see if the Brits got reinforcements, but like I said, I was feeling pretty good.
Never a good sign.]
Peacock had leap frogged past Hardcastle to the hill to their front and took up a position watching the forest to their right. Something was out there.
This time Lione's hunches weren't custard card dreams, but an SS LMG team. In his haste, Hardcastle opened fire but was wide of the mark. The LMG fired at Peacock and dropped him, wounded. Then they turned their gun on Hardcastle and by the luck of the gods, missed him.
[For the In-Sight, since Peacock and Hardcastle were two different groups for activation purposes, each of them took the test separately.
Hardcastle scored 3 successes
Peacock and the LMG team tied with 2. On their re-roll, the LMG team scored 2 successes, while Peacock only scored 1.
For the sake of activation it means that Hardcastle gets to act, then the LMG team, and then reactions are taken and the active side completes their activation if they can.
As noted on the last page of the rules, it's not about winning In-Sight, but about not losing it.]
In a hail of bullets, Hardcastle dropped the gunner. The loader, unable to return fire, ducked out of sight.
[The LMG team passed 1 for their crisis test for received fire, which resulted in a snap fire at Hardcastle. Their results: 444321. All miss because he is prone.
For Lionel, I put 2 dice on the gunner and 1 for the loader. Boom! Obviously Dead result for the gunner.
The loader passed his crisis test for man down with 2 dice, but he was outgunned, so ducked back.]
The firefight continued between Hardcastle and the loader, who, seizing initiative, grabbed the MG-42 and opened up on Our Hero.
[Three of the dice hit and one resulted in an OOF.
But, Lionel is the star and has Star Power. He scored three successes and shifted the OOF to knock down but carry on (he's already prone, so there's no knocking down) ]
Bullets whizzed by his helmet, one ripping a hole in his sleeve. Angered at the damage to his fastidiously maintained uniform, he dropped the loader cold in his tracks.
Even before the last gurgle of life left the German, Hardcastle ran to Peacock to ready to carry him out.
[On Turn 11, the initiative summed up to 7, in favor of the Germans. This led to a new PEF right next to Deacon and the wounded.
SON OF A &%#!@!*&%]
[Fortunately it only passed 1 die, and resolved to nothing. Thankfully, no additional PEFs appeared before the team made it across the table. ]
Mission : Success!
After the mission, I checked for Peacock's status (a rule I had missed on EVERY PREVIOUS GAME PLAYED) and he passed two dice, meaning he returns to the squad for the next mission.
Chocolate & Cigarettes is a system included with Nuts! Final Edition from THW. This is something new for this edition. It also happens to tap what I think is the sweet spot for THW systems: very small scale skirmish with 3-5 figures making up the entirety of the player's force.
Three skills are used to differentiate your characters beyond REP: Fitness, People and Savvy. There are two additional attribute tables to be used in addition to the attributes normally used during the generation of the player's force. Finally, characters have the possibility of carrying special items that may or may not be useful on the mission (chocolate and cigarettes among them).
Although the regular mechanisms are still used, there is a system for Opposed and Unopposed Challenges - something common to any number of RPGs, lite or otherwise. I like this as it shows that actions more typical of role-playing are expected in these missions.
For my first mission, I brought out my Conte British Paratroopers, hereafter referred to as Corporal Lionel Hardcastle, Lance Corporal Alistair Deacon and Pvt. Stephen Peacock aka Team BBC.
Intel had located a high ranking German officer enjoying a holiday on a remote farm in rural France. Hardcastle and his team were called on to parachute into the area under cover of dark, make their way to the farm and capture the officer. They would rendezvous with the transport team in a village some 3 miles away.
[Night scenarios limit visibility to 12"]
The drop went swimmingly and the team descended on the farm, approaching through a small patch of woods to the south.
Utilizing the hills to their right for additional cover, the team swept right over the crest of the hills, and moved unseen towards the buildings.
[The PEF on my right advanced towards us but was found to be nothing]
On Hardcastle's signal, Peacock and Deacon stormed towards the back of the yellow building, while Hardcastle himself covered the front.
[The building PEF resolved as nothing, meaning I'd roll 3d6 when entering the building.
The leftmost PEF advanced into range of Hardcastle. It revealed a lone guard on duty]
A lone guard tromped through the darkness, whistling a folk tune. He caught a glimpse of Hardcastle and brought his gun up to his shoulder, but he was too slow.
[Hardcastle won the In Sight and gunned the man down. ]
[Although it's not written anywhere, I really should have tested to see if anyone in the buildings reacted to this but I didn't. To my knowledge, as written, building PEFs don't leave the building (unless they're revealed to be troops]
Peacock and Deacon cleared out the building while Hardcastle kept watch for enemy reinforcements. The building was empty. With no welcoming party other than the lone guard, the team stormed the second building.
[Building PEF was nothing, so 3d6 when door opened. Rather than use the Ready the Grenade test, I used a Savvy challenge, and then did the same with kicking down the door, and putting the pin back IN the grenade after the first floor PEF turned out to be nothing. The upstairs PEF had to be the objective.]
With nowhere left to hide, the team rightly believed the officer must be on the upper floor and Hardcastle joined his men racing up the back stairs.
[I tested In Sight and the German Officer won. I decided to forgo the way the rules usually work and had him dash down the front stairs - that I didn't know existed until I rolled some dice: Does he engage them in a fire fight? 1- Yes and he's turned over a table so he has cover, 2-3 - yes but only until he can fight his way to the front stairs, 4-5 No, but he takes off running down the stairs, 6 No and he surrenders. I rolled a 4. ]
[He won the initiative for the next turn and took off running for the woods and out of sight.]
Team BBC raced down the steps behind the officer.
[Thankfully the Officer then rolled a 6 for initiative, which meant no action for him. This allowed the team to get within range.]
Unable to catch him, they opened fire and dropped him in his tracks.
Mission : Failed!
***
This is more like it.
A handful of figures makes it easy to keep track of everything, not too much dice rolling and a loose RPG-Lite feel. In fact, I imagine I could run a solo RPG using this system, and only break out the miniatures when combat necessitated it.
