Yesterday I played my second game of NUTS! from THW and here is the following battle report. I stepped up the complexity of the game a notch and this game was going to include vehicles. I have made a slight change to the vehicles rules for simplicity, normally each vehicle has a number of crew and each crew can have a different Rep, so I have kept the number of crew but have just given them all the same Rep.
The tactics of the Russians change part way through the game as my kids were initially playing and then left so the Russians were then played by the system. Note to self though, next time the kids want to play, don’t make a report out of it to dramatically speed up play.
The table was set up as seen in the below picture.
The mission was going to be a squad of German Fallschirmjagers landing by glider, meeting up the remains of a Panzer 4 platoon (random number rolled)and performing recon on the table edge with the hills and fighting various Russian forces. I have used my coloured counters underneath the infantry to indicate the Rep of the figure and I have found that this really helped as I new just by looking at the miniature what it’s Rep was. Blue indicates 5, no counter represents 4 and green indicates 3.
The FJ setup around the glider, 1 Pzr 4 (Rep 3) had joined the battle and entered along the road on the same edge as the FJs and the 3 PEF (possible enemy forces) locations and their Reps are indicated by dice.
Before the first turn, the FJs had LOS to the vineyard, orchard, PEF 3 and the second hill and as per the mission rules, I needed to determine what each terrain piece had and as a result a SU76 appeared in the vineyard (Rep 5) and at PEF 3’s location (Rep 3). Both the Panzer 4 and SU76 on road were assumed to have moved on to the board. This was necessary as vehicles in NUTS!, if they don’t activate keep moving in the same direction and speed instead of not moving (like the infantry). The vineyard was treated as a woods (I did get the rules for wrong for the first few turns though, as you need to be on the edge of the wood to see out of). Hill 2 needed to be scouted again next turn.
Turn 1. G- 5 R-4
As both German squads were led by Rep 5 leaders (the NCO and Jnr NCO) both could activate. Both squads fast moved to get into the vineyard and squad 2 readied grenades to throw at the SU76 inside the vineyard. Unfortunately the Jnr NCO fumbled his throw (I rolled double 6) and in his haste managed to drop the grenade at his feet. With a quick and rather nervous yell, the squad members (all within 2.5” radius of Jnr) dove for cover and as luck would have it only two squad members were stunned. While this happened the Panzer 4 moved along the road.
The SU76 decided that as it was loaded anti-tank rounds, it would move out of the vineyard to take up a position in the village to shoot at the Panzer but again the Gods of War were cruel and it managed to get stuck and could not move. As it wasn’t loaded with HE it chose not to shoot at the German infantry (when you shoot or change ammunition, you need to reload and Declan didn’t trust his dice rolls, having just rolled the second double 6 of the game). While PEF 2 moved towards PEF 1 in the village.
Turn 2. G 6, R 5
Again the Panzer moved down the road (I had randomly determined its speed at the beginning and it so it moved another 6”).
The SU76 on the road makes an insight test, passes 2D6 and shoots at the Panzer but misses and is unable to reload as it passed 0D6 on the reload test. The Panzer returns fire and misses also but manages to reload. As the SU76 (road) cannot return fire, the SU 76 (vineyard) moves out and behind the house nearest to it. This then causes an insight test for the Panzer which then shoots and disables it. It only passes its reload test 1D6 so can only fire when it is next active.
Turn 3 G4, R 2
Squad 2 stays still to allow the stunned members of its squad recover while squad 1 moves further into the vineyard and had LOS to PEF 1 (this shouldn’t have happened as the squad weren’t on the edge yet). This resulted in a rest of platoon result and as no infantry were placed yet I decided that the rest of the SU&6 platoon would be placed. Using Flames of War as I guide to unit size (maybe not historically accurate, but I am after a fun game not a history lesson 
The Panzer moves along the road and fires at this new 76. I wasn’t sure if a tank could move and turn its turret or could only turn it if it was stationary, so decided it could but gave the 76 a cover modifier and then resulted in a miss, but did reload. As the gunner of the 76 had ducked back, no fire was returned.
At this point , Declan had left and Connor was still playing and so with the threat of the infantry behind it and the panzer to its front, the 76 decided to move through the village and move to gain cover from a building. It then proceeded to fire at the Panzer, missed and could not load as the loader had bailed out. Now Connor left so the last SU76 rolled on the NP Tank movement table and passed 1D6 so moved towards the other SU76 behind the building.
Because of not using my woods rules correctly, and rolling to scout hill 2 (needed to re-scouted when either LOS of moved on) and a squad of Russian infantry moved on the hill.
Turn 4 G2, R6
No Russian infantry could move and the tanks had to move if they moved the turn before. As a result, the SU76 that had not stopped to fire had to move in the same direction and speed. This placed it on the road facing the direction of the table edge so had obviously decided that it was leaving the battle.
The German squads rearranged and the new squad 1 fast moved (passed 2D6) in to the village and resolving PEF 2 discovered that there was nothing there. Squad 2 moved to the edge of the vineyard (remembered my woods rule now
Turn 5 G5, R4
Squad 1 moves on to hill 1 and scouts it out and discovers that there is nothing there. From here they are able to shoot at the 2 rep 5 troops in the above photo. As a result, 1 trooper goes down and the other ducks back dragging the casualty with him. The panzer does nothing.
The SU76 moves of the board as it had to move in the same direction and speed as it did not activate. While the other stays where it is.
Turn 6 G4/2 R4/3
After rerolling activation dice because of doubles, the remaining SU76 reverses as far as it can so as to try and link up with the infantry and finally manages to reload. The infantry stay behind the hill.
Squad 1 moves over the hill and prepares to scout out the table edge. Squad 2 remains where they are while the Panzer moves up to the corner of the building.
Turn 7 G5, R2
Squad 1 remains stationary and scout out the table edge. Squad 2 again remains stationary while the Panzer reverses so it can fire at the SU76, thinking that they have a side shot but discover that it is still actually in the front. Again they miss but do reload. The driver now manages to pass his received fire test 0D6 so the 76 retires behind the hill.
Now that the Russians can activate, the drive fails to rally and drives further around the hill and the infantry now join up with the tank.
Turn 8 G6, R1
No German movement.
The SU76 driver now rallies and so it move over the hill with the infantry behind it, with 1 infantryman left behind to look after the wounded.
Turn 9 G3, R5
There is no Russian movement (As I am typing this I realised that the tank should have moved even though it couldn’t activate)
Squad 1 fast moves back (passes 2d6) having now completed their objective while the Panzer finally manages to destroy the SU76 and as a result, the infantry then duck back behind the hill.
Turn 10 G1, R2
Rolling for the Russian infantry sees them stay behind the hill, obviously deciding that there is nothing they can do to stop the German FJs so why put themselves in a position for possible trouble.
Germans all fast move back towards their table edge.
Turn 11 G1, R5
No Russian movement.
Germans move off table.
Well it took most of yesterday to play the game but considering I was still learning rules, writing the batrep as well as for a period of time deal with 3 excited children (until they started dying then it wasn’t so fun. But you can’t expect them to stay focused for long when you have a 9, 7,& 6 yr old playing with you.)
Very enjoyable game and just thought I would include a final shot of my table. I was rather cramped for room as I needed to have my books open plus note book and then I remembered one of the reasons why I bought this particular table – The pull out shelves.
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