"Big Battle Nuts! -- Short review and AAR" Topic

Two Hour Wargames has recently published a new set of WW II rules based on their popular 'Chain Reaction' system: Big Battle Nuts!.

I've been looking for a system to replace 'Flames of War', and I was hoping this was it. The game uses many of the concepts of the 'CR' system, a system I enjoy…..

Here is the link to my blog review and AAR of two small battles played. I hope you enjoy.

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Thanks for posting. Strikes me this PEF system would be great for NW Frontier or late Boer War expeditions as solo games. Player would take Brit side, and then see what pops up as they try to complete their mission! Maybe also late war Brits in East Africa hunting to find Germans.

Cool post! I apparently can't help but be a bit dimwitted when it comes to stumbling through the THW reaction system, but I've always thought they're activation system was top notch!

Thanks for posting.

If you are not familiar with the way 'CR' works you (like me) will be overwhelmed at first, but as soon as the light comes on, everything will fall into place.

Great explanation of the system. Experienced IGOUGO players can have some confusion at first learning the flow of the game. This might help too. It's a step by step of the rules.
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Thanks again,
Ed

I always thought these rules were going to be for battalion-sized or at least company-sized battles. Was surprised to see so few participants in this AAR. My Chain Reaction games normally had about this many troops (Hi, Ed), and PEFs often resolved in a squad or two. Do the Big Battle rules help you scale up easily? Is a PEF ever a whole platoon, for example?

Your basic game has you in command of a Company and Battalions are easy to play once you get the hang of the rules.

As written the PEFs can be a Platoon, but if you're playing bigger games just substitute Platoon for Squad and Company for Platoon for Reinforcements and PEFs. It is only limited by how well you learn the rules. Battlaion battles are no big deal (3 companies – about 27 stands).

There's ten Missions in the Campaign with six for Companies or higher. Hope this helps,
Ed

When resolving a PEF during an Attack or Patrol mission there is a 1/3 chance of a Defensive position and a 2/3 chance of a Reinforcement. To be honest during my game, I continued to roll Defensive Positions!!

If the PEF comes up a Reinforcement, it can be a Squad (3 stands), a Squad with a Support Weapon (4 stands), Vehicles or possibly some type of Off Board Artillery or an Air Strike.

When a Defensive Position is spotted, two squads with a Support Weapon is the largest Enemy group.

In my game I didn't fudge and die rolls; even though I was doing an AAR, what I rolled is what I got. The only thing I fudged was that the final PEF was to be resolved in a Structure. I chose just to make it foxholes.

Remember, this game was played Solo, so all Enemy forces were determined by the die rolls. If playing Head to Head, Players can decide what forces to start with, any random Reinforcements would be chart driven.

Just seems odd that you'd be in command of a company but might only run into a couple of squads at a time. Am I missing something? Is it more challenging than that?

Just seems odd that you'd be in command of a company but might only run into a couple of squads at a time. Am I missing something? Is it more challenging than that?

That would occur if you are sweeping up a beaten enemy with a low Investment Level.

Depending upon the Investment Level of the Enemy you can run into a Platoon quite easily.

Enemy Investment Level starts at 4.
Roll 1d6 for reinforcements or resolving a PEF and score a 3+ and it's a Platoon, Platoon of Fighting Vehicles, Off Table Support (Artillery, Heavy Mortars or Air strike).
If you're on an Attack Mission it's 2+.

As your and/or the enemy's Investment Level goes down, so does the number of reinforcements. Keep winning and you keep getting stuff, start to lose and the high command limits what you will get.

It's challenging for sure. Plus if you want, to play a Battalion, just substitute Platoon for Squad and Company for Platoon on the Reinforcements Table. It depends upon the size of game you want to play.

The Patrol Mission starts with 1 Platoon so the player can learn the game.

Here's from page 37 in the rules.

BIG BATTLES

When you feel comfortable with the rules, you can play really Big Battles. Here's what we recommend:
 At the start of each game, substitute Company for Platoon.
 On the Reinforcements Table (page 54) substitute Platoon for Squad.
 On the Reinforcements Table (page 54) substitute Company for Platoon.
That's it.

My first game was a patrol. Hence, one platoon. For my second game I used a depleted company, 2 platoons. And as I said, for some reason, I kept rolling 1s and 2s for the PEF resolutions…..so I kept running into just squads. I possibly could have found 3 platoons……

Part of the "flow" of 2HW scenarios is that you typically start small but the battle can escalate out of control.

It's a very unique setup and it portrays some real-life situations that most rules don't do.

I see, thanks to all for explaining.

And Ed explicitly said, "As written the PEFs can be a platoon." Sorry for wasting your time!

josta59 – Wasting time, not at all.I always appreciate questions as it helps me work harder to clarify things. Ask any time.