"Can someone give a small reveiw about NUTS?" Topic

The site dosn't say much about the game.

Can someone give some general info, how it playes ect.

Look at CR3. link

The games are similar but Nuts, of course, is WWII. There is a WWII specific campaign system where you fight with your squad vs an enemy squad and then the action can potentially escalate with nearby forces joining the fight for 1 side or the other.

I am speaking from the first version perspective. The second version is probably similar but I understand that it was updated to the latest version of the CR rules mechanics.

John

NUTS! is a squad-level WW2 skirmish game based on THW's "Chain Reaction" rule system, which eliminates many of the disadvantages of standard IGOUGO systems. In the game each player basically plays a squad leader, and starts the game with a core squad or vehicle that is "his" for the game or the campaign. Moral/training is represented by "Reputation" levels for each figure or unit, running from 1-6, which are the target numbers for dice rolls in the game. Each figure is an individual in the game, each vehicle is crewed by individual figures (TC, Driver, Gunner, etc.)that have a role in the operation of the vehicle and make relevant dice rolls for morale, shooting, crossing obstacles, and so on.

The leader figure has some special advantages, and each figure in the core squad has a special attribute like "Crack Shot" or "Poser" which helps or hurts in certain situations, so there's a light roleplaying element. The system scales well to platoon vs platoon level games, but like most skirmish games doesn't scale easily to company sized games.

The Chain Reaction system uses leadership rolls to determine who goes first (and certain dice combinations result in reinforcement rolls during the game), but during any given action phase figures will react to developments on the table based on the "Reaction" table system. Figures that see an enemy move into line of sight will take a "In Sight" test, for example to see what their reaction is – do they make aimed fire, do they take a snapshot, do they fail to react? Figures that come under fire make a "Received Fire" test to see if they shoot back, duck for cover, panic and run, etc.

Firefights are also conducted through resolution, until one side "wins" by killing the other side or forcing them to duck out of the fight. This means that figures engaged in combat *always* take some kind of action, there's never a time in the game where you're lined up to nail your opponent…but your card didn't come up in time and you stood there and got shot, or the guy playing the "leader" didn't have enough action points to let your unit move.

So there's always a good flow to the game, and you don't have total control over your figures. I recall one game, from the "Kampfgruppe Peiper" Battle of the Bulge campaign book in which I had a concealed US 57mm ATG, and a Panther tank was approaching down a road. As a player I planned to take the shot after the Panther turned to follow a bend in the road and take a flank shot…but the "In Sight" test for the unit meant they blew the ambush by firing on it frontally. Doh! They must have panicked and shot as soon as the scary tank approached.

Don't get me wrong, tanks *are* scary and get a good treatment in the rules as well. Believe me, you don't want to be on the receiving end of a tank assault!

The system also incorporates a campaign and mission builder system, so you can see your troops gain experience and raise their Reputation level up in the game (or they may lower their Rep if they run away!), replacements for lost figures, battle and mission builders to create a spontaneous game, etc.

Overall, NUTS! is a great skirmish rule system that lets you play fairly accurate WW2 skirmish battles, have a lot of fun and play your game to conclusion in a couple of hours.

Thanks for the info, sounds intresting, like the role playing part, gonna have to by the 2nd edition and try it out

THE tactical RPGing aspect is indeed a nice thing to have available. for instance, i started off playing with a small "play as i could "solo campaign game with a squad of dogfaces, popped their cherry, then used another squad of dogfaces in another small unit action.

and etc.

before y'all could say "#*$&%^#*@#!!!!!!!!" i found myself with a somewhat battered but much more experienced infantry platoon slogging through the bocage, with a wide range of REPS (the platoon began with just a core of REP-4 NCOs, everyone else including the LT were green as grass REP-3s).

at first the WEHRMACHT were a mix of HEER and LUFTWAFFE landsers (GERMANS, UKRAINIANS, etc) that were part of the ATALNTIC WALL/FORTRESS EUROPA garrison troops, then some rather" narsty" HEER, SS, and LUFTWAFFE combat vets, as well as some even "narstier" HEER and SS panzer forces. . .

i just played out the squad (and later platoon) games like a series of episodes from the 1960s premier WWII TV series "COMBAT!" (FRANCE) and the not quite as sterling but very good competing series "THE GALLANT MEN" (ITALY).

the games kinda took on a life of their own, just as if i was playing a living breathing opponent and not the THWG reaction system.

this is an excellent syste to use solo, player vs player, or all players vs the THWG reaction system!

highly recommended like al THWG rules!

DAWGIE

My only word of caution is that the "Reaction System" which is the core of THW games, is not for everyone.

Some people are not too keen that when they order Pvt Joe Coward to dash across the road and enter the house to take out that enemy MG, he decides the ditch is safer, and refuses to go.

If you like games where YOU are God, and every figure under your control does exactly what you want … these are not the rules you are looking for. Move along … move along.

But if you like the idea that unpredictable things might happen,a nd that games play out more like stories you read in books and less like games, then you are in luck.

First, you can download Chain Reaction 3.0 for FREE:
link

Chain Reeaction 1.0 was the core rules engine designed a few years back. It was not specific to any genre, and was designed to let you run a game in many different genres.

THW then started releasing rules based on CR, but altered to specifically target genres (like NUTS for WWII). As new genre-specific rules were released, the core mechanics were tweaked and improved upon.

Recently, Ed placed CR 3 on the free list.

So … if you want to find out if the Reaction System is for you, give CR3 a trial.

I play nearly all of my WWII gaming solo, and once I got my head around how the Reaction System works and the game flows (which was not an easy thing), I found myself turning to them over and over when I wanted to game.

Like Dawgie, I highly recommend NUTS. I haven't yet picked up the newest version, but will soon. Just trying to get a handle on what the current THW "special" is, so I can better plan my purchases.

Steve

DEFFO!

DOWNLOAD CR3.0 for free from the THWG site, and try out the system before you buty anything.

you_DO NOT_ have completely control over your soldiers when you play any THWG rules set, and, you had better use good, sound tactics, or your troops will die like flies in a RAID test tank.

DAWGIE