Nuts! AAR

The scenario was simple enough, the British were to defend the two house "village" from theattacking Germans. Two 10 man squads a piece with 2 Brens for the British and 4 Mp-42's for the Germans.

I forgot to take photos of the setup and the first two turns but you can see below is the game as of turn three. A German squad with 2 MG-42 have moved into the woods in the top left of the photo and a team in the woods to the top right. Another team is about to come over the hill to the middle right.

Half of the first British squad on the left has already fallen to the MG42's in the treeline. The rectangles in the middle of the table are fields and the remaining British are making an attempt to come around them and get the LMG's within SMG range.



It didn't turn out too well.




No sooner than we would hit the gunner than another would take his place. There's no official rule in Nuts (at least that I could find in the rulebook) for someone to take over as the gunner of a LMG/MMG but we later found some in the Pieper At The Gates supplement.

This is what was left of the British after 3 LMG's and a squad came over the hill. The Bren gun stationed at the corner of the field did an excellent job outgunning and pushing most of the Germans back over the hill but the damage had already been done.

This team spent most of the game getting knocked down, standing up, knocked down, standi... you get the idea.

After this photo was taken the British laid down their weapons and waved the white flag.

Two hours of gaming (and chatting) from start to finish so the rules live up their companies name. To be fair we spent a little bit of time looking for rules (some that weren't actually in the book) and towards the end of the game we were referring to the QRS only sparingly.

A few things we learned from this game:

• LMG's have just as much potential in controlling the enemies movement than they do as outright killing machines.
• Terrain... you need lot's of it in a Nuts! game. Open areas like you see in the photos above are difficult if not impossible to cross without casualties.
• Anyone in cover is dang hard to take down by a Rep 3 with a rifle (read that as not possible), I'll believe the guys on the Yahoo group have addressed this so I'll have to look that up.
• You need a good scenario to keep things moving. In our battle it would have made no sense for the Germans to leave the saftey of the woods unless there was a strong motivation to do so. Eg take the town by tun 5. Simple scenarios like I'm defending and you're attacking isn't really enough. A quick flip through Peiper At The Gates just shows how a game can be enriched with a little background fluff and some key objectives.

I don't know if we'll play Peiper as is but we're going to use it as the watermark by which we play all our future games. Although it probably won't be too hard to just substitute US troops for British and play as is.

I'm very curious to see if the "Focus" test from Chain Reaction 3 makes it's way into the new Nuts! rulebook. Not being able to just pick the most tactically advantageous target every turn will make the games way more interesting and unpredictable. And let's face it: that's why we play Nuts! right? Otherwise we'd just play some *cough*hammer based system.

Going Nuts! Again Tonight

I've got a game or two of Nuts! lined up tonight at BADGA and I'm madly painting and building to get everything ready in time. I don't think the tanks will have much time but with the basecoat they look table ready (for our club at least).

I'll get some photos up of the freshly painted forces before I leave tonight and this time I'll remember to take some shots of the game in progress... maybe if I'm really organised (not likely) then I'll take notes for an AAR.

Going to borrow a few ideas from other games tonight, such as blinds in IABSM and TW&T. I think we'll also make sure there's at least one guy on each side with Rep6 to stop the whole army standstill, that cost the British dearly last game... that and the MP40's.

Bag The Hun AAR: Bob's Your Heinkel

Played my first non-solo of Bag the Hun last night and I have to day it was an absolute blast. We played the Bob's Your Heinkel scenario from the Too Fat Lardies Summer 2006 Special with one minor modification, we reduced the German Schwarms to 3 planes to give the Brits a fighting chance. Toby played the Luftwaffe while Brendan and I took turns playing the RAF.

The objective of the scenario for the Axis is to get the Heinkel off the south edge of the map while the Allies have to stop it from doing so.

Remember to click on the images for a bigger version.

Laid out on the table it all looks something like this:

It went slow at first as we spent a lot of time flipping back and forth through the rules. Pretty soon though things started to move along nicely and we got into some action. We learned pretty quickly that taking shots at long range only lead to wastng ammo. You really had the wait until you saw the whites of their eyes before firing.

Not too long into the game the Heinkel (played by a stand in He111) was getting dastardly close to the edge of the map. Something had to be done and so Red one piloted by Alan (Al) Deere broke formation and started chasing it down. One of the great things about playing historical games is that you learn things about the period, such as the fact the Alan Deere once survived a mid air crash with a German fighter (one of many such incidents throughout his long career).

Al Deere fired and hit the Heikel yet the biplane kept edging it's way off the map.

With only two seconds of ammo left things started to look desperate. Another hit and the pilot almost blacked out... but kept flying.

Out of ammo and on his own there was only one way that Al Deere could stop that Heinkel from leaving the map: colliding with it. Since we weren't using hexes and we couldn't have two planes in the same hex we used the ruling that if you were in base to base contact and on the same altitude band and moved through the base in which you are in contact with then the collision rule came into play. This was a desperate attempt at best but after executing a loop to slow down and then manevouring into position things started to fall into place. All we needed was for the 109's cards, move and then shoot in that order, not to come up before the Bombers Move card. Luck was on the Allies side that day as a few cards later the Heinkel had to move, now for a collision to occur all the conditions above had to be met and double six rolled on two dice. I mean you couldn't attempt something like is and actually expect it to work... right?

Well have a look at this.

Al's planes broke up with critical structural damage while the Heinkel lost it's pilot.

Just another day in the life of a Spitfire pilot.

Big Win for the Little Guys

Made it to BADGA this Saturday and got the Halflings on the table for their second game of the season. I play young Liam H and his human team the Couronne Cats (TR 149). I had a player out this game so my Team Rating was 108 which afforded me a nice 410,000gp of inducements. I took star player Deeproot Strongbrach (250k), the ever faithful Halfling Master Chef (50k) and the all important Wandering Apothecary (100k).

The perfect BB weather attracted 27,000 screaming fans to the stadium and the Cats opted to receive. The Halfings started with the now standard three treeman center line up and braced themselves for the pain.


What actuall happened next suprised everyone, the Cats were completley caught off guard by "Muscles" Manglepie who had worked quite hard in the off season and managed to bulk up considerably, some are actually claiming it to be a side effect of certain steroids found in fast food chickens however this in completley unsubstantiated, although most likely entirely correct.


A strong hit by Manglepie followed up with the "pile on the ball" tactic found the Halflings within scoring distance by the end of turn 3. The treemen quick went to work ensuring that as little of the Cats team were left standing on the field. Next turn Halfling #86 Fritz McMuffin scored his second career touchdown. The kickoff for the next drive broke out into a riot and after getting everyone back into the stands the referee set the clock back one turn. Two turns later the humans answered with their own score, touchdown to Cats #10.


The Halflings moved quickly (well you know what I mean) and within three turns the had retrieved the ball from the Cats, thanks in large to Deeproot for almost putting Cats player #11 into a pine box and to Foggwick Shakebelly who showed that all the time spent on the treadmill can make a difference. It's not often you see a Halfling run, let alone run the ball into the end zone. Running and shaking Foggwick made it look easy.

At the big break the scoreboard showed it was 2-1 the Haflings way and even more suprising was the casualty count of a low 1-0 to the Halflings.

Second half started with the Halflings to receive. The next quarter of the game was your typical I drop the ball and you pick it up, you then drop the ball and I pick it up type of affair. A mere two turns we went from this:


To this, thankfully the catcher failed his go for it roll and even more thankfully the mast chef ensured that by this point of the game the Cats had no team re-rolls left.


On turn 12 Halfling #17 Bagwise Oddfoot found himself with the ball and ran for dear life towards the end zone, touchdown to the Halflings. The last three turns were highlighted by a superb break out to the right and pass the ball long play which was promptly intercepted the Cats player #11. Who then failed to dodge past a treeman and turned over the ball. A quick pick up and hand off found the ball once again in the small hands of #17 Bagwise Oddfoot. Touchdown number four to the halflings on their last turn.

Post Match Comments
I'm pretty happy with how the Halflings handled themselves. I was really impressed with Liam and his handle on the rules, I can see him being a coach to be reckoned with in a few years. Although I think he needs to work on his constant, incessant chanting of "fail, fail, fail, fail" every time I went to roll a die. It was funny at first, then not so much.

Favourite Moment of the Game
This wasn't really a part of my game but the one going on next to me between Steve and Brad. Steve was having a bit of a bad run rolling 1 after 1 after 1. He eventually vented his frustration by throwing the die in question away. The die flew across the room, bounced off the wall and rolled all the way back to his chair. The result: a 1.

The League
I dunno where this puts us but it should get us a few points away from the bottom of the ladder. I have now no less than nine players, including both treemen, who need 4 SPP's or less for their first/next skill.

Player #86 Fritz McMuffin skilled up with a nice double 4 so he now has Block. A Blodger, I have a Blodger, mwahahahahahaha. I just have to keep him alive now.

Next game I get Samin Finefettle back from injury. I still havent decided wether to retire poor Chundwise Windblossom who suffered a broken neck (-1AG) a few games ago. Good for the line of scrimmage when things are going bad I guess, but the little guy only needs 2SPP's for a skill.

This Season (W/L/D): 1-1-0
All Games (W/L/D): 3/3/1

BloodBowl: Moortown Flinggers vs Hawk Eaters Photos

I was able to get my hands on some photos of the BloodBowl game played on Saturday night (thanks Gus and Brendan). What you're seeing here is the result of an Blitz! result on the kick-off table. Remember to click on the images for a larger version.

BloodBowl: Moortown Flinggers vs Hawk Eaters

I managed to make the trip down to Guildford on Saturday to play in the opening round of BloodBowl for the 2009 season. After the usual meet and greets it was settled that I would line up against Brad and his Orc team the Hawk Eaters. It was a spur of the moment decision to come to this session so I didn't have my Orc team ready. I also left my camera at home so I'll try to get some of the shots taken by the other guys and add them later.

Brad has a couple teams which are more of the "hitty" persausion and being an experienced coach also made him a more dangerous opponent. I needed a team that could either match him in strength or have the agility to run around his team.

I played neither. I played Halflings and for a couple of reasons.

1. They were in my case and they were painted. My new years resolution is not to play with minis unless they're painted and I intend to stick to it.
2. Halflings are a weak team but everyone underestimates them. You can use this to your advantage and if the dice gods are watching and they're in your favour...
3. The only way a team gets better in BloodBowl is to play BloodBowl.
4. I wanted to use my new Treemen minis.

The difference between the two teams (TR173 - TR111) allowed me a nice 620,000gp as inducements. My choices were simple enough:

• Star Player: Deeproot Strongbranch (250k). Three treemen on the field just made the line of scrimmage get that little more interesting.
• Halfling Master Chef (100k). Taking your opponents Re-Rolls is always a great way equalise things somewhat.
• Wandering Apothecary (100k). Umm we're playing Orcs, we're really going to need him. In fact I almost got two of them.
• I bought three Special Play Cards. Dirty Trick (50k): Gromskull's Exploding Runes, Speacial Play (50k): Going the Extra Mile and Misc Mayhem (50k) Fanatic Invasion.

The Game
The weather was fine and the Orc fans were there in fine voice giving their team the +1 FAME bonus. The coin was tossed and won by the Orcs who opted to receive.

The First Half
The Master Chef was in fine form taking 2 re-rolls from the Orcs but they managed to increase their two back up to three by winning the Cheering Fans kick off event.

The Halfling kick off was short and poorly aimed resulting in the ball going out of bounds. The ball came back into play in the hands of Black Orc #1, this was not good. They're slower than a Halfling but I'd need four of my guys to have a chance of taking him down. I needed my line of scrimmage to hold up this turn, alas it wasn't to be. Block after block from the Orcs resulted in Halflings getting knocked down or stunned. I started my turn with maybe three Halflings within running distance of the Black Orc. Two of them made their way to the Orc before the third failed his dodge roll and subsequent re-roll, faceplanting himself into the turf. It was a sign of things to come. The Black orc continued his slow lumber to the end zone while the remaining Orcs continued to pull apart my line of scrimmage.
My turn three started with only one real option: to use the "Going the Extra Mile" card and hope that the 4 successive Go For It rolls would come off, I only had to roll 2+, 2+, 3+ and 4+ right? Then a two dice Block his way? It was that or let the brute (the Orc, not Brad) get an easy touchdown. In pure Halfling fashion I failed the 3+ roll (and re-roll) with 1's. Wooo Halflings rule.... sigh.

Touchdown to the Hawk Eaters. Fast forward to my turn 6. I have the ball and the Hawk Eaters have deployed in a strong defending formation, read that as: 3 chumps on the line and everyone else in front of the End Zone. I'm almost flattered, but very worried. I need to equalise or the game will get away from me. I could throw a Halfling with the ball and then try to run it in but that's too risky when I still have time to run it in. While the Treemen deal with the Orcs on the line my most experienced player Neddy Crimpwit tucks the ball under his little arm and runs towards the rest of the Orcs. The plan is to use his Leap skill to bypass the wall of green, angry Orcs. Next turn I need to use one Go For It roll (2+) to start the leap, then it's a simple 4+ for the land. I fail the Go For It roll... twice. Neddy lands in the end zone face down and stunned. The Orcs start to move in one Neddy and things don't look good for the little guy. Within miniutes a bruised and battered Neddy Crumpwit is laying on a stretcher in the dugout awaiting his turn with the apothecary. The wandering apothecary manages to reduce a smashed ankle(or hip, can't recall which exactly) to a badly hurt (miss rest of game).

End of the half with the Hawk Eaters up 1-0 on the scoreboard.

The Second Half
The Flinggers came back from the half time break looking fresh, detemined and well fed. There was a glint in their eyes and a spring in their step. Things could only get better... right? I mean we've been through the worst of it... right?!? One look at the Orc lineup gave a simple answer: no. Turn two of the second half saw two events unfold. Firstly the Hawk Eaters were in scoring distance again and it didn't look like the Halflings were going to pull a draw from this one, let aone a win. Secondly the Halfings decided to try something a little unusual and brought the fight to the Orcs. Well it was more of a slapping really, with little hands. Imagine a 3 year old in a full tantrum and you're getting close, now multiply that by every player left standing on the field. Ok yes... stop laughing, please. The treemen continued to knock over (but not injure) the greenskins when Deeproot Strongbranch got his angry on and hit Orc Blitzer Jughead with enough force to plant him 2 feet into the soil (casualty roll 62 - Dead). The Orc apothecary tried his best but alas rolled a 63 - Dead(erer).

It seemed like the tide was changing in favour of the Halflings. What actually happended was we made the Orcs angry. Yeah I was suprised too. The details of the next 4-5 turns are kind of fuzzy. There was a lot of yellin' and screamin'. Have you ever seen 9 halflings all trying to climb and hide in the same treeman. It was so funny that it was sad, or is that the other way around? Anyway what we do know about what happened is that the Orcs scored again. Chundwise Windblossom walked off the flield with a broken neck (-1AG) which was only discovered when he complained that wearing his Carmen Miranda fruit hat made his head hurt and his legs go all wobbly.

The Result
At the final whistle the Orcs run out clear winners 3-0 on the scoreboard and won the casualty count 4-1.

The Moortown Flinggers
31 - Foggwick Shakebelly got the MVP and skilled up (rolled 10: +1MA/AV or skill).
7 - Chundwise Windblossom will miss his next game while nursing his broken neck. I would retire him but he's 2SPP away from skilling up.
78 - Samin Finefettle managed a completion but will also miss next game with a broken jaw. The poor guy cried himself to sleep... although I think it had more to do with the fact he couldn't have any of the post match pie.

The Hawk Eaters
1 - Black Orc Gort Morn had 1 casualty and 1 TD.
2 - Black Orc Orrrgh Stonehead caused 1 casualty.
3 - Blitzer Fourngit had 1 TD.
4 - Blitzer Kilboy had a completion.
5 - Thrower Throo'it recieved the MVP.
6 - Line Orc Duurgh had a casualty.
15 - Blitzer Jughead also got a TD but later died of massive bark poisoning.
Trogg the Troll caused a casualty.

Wrap Up
A great game that was a lot closer than the final score line shows. Yeah yeah I know everyone says that but I felt there were moments where the game could have turned my way but for a few crappy rolls. I think my tactics were sound and I wouldn't change much next time around. Maybe fouling a little more, I have the reserves to deal with a player (or three) being sent off. Also I could have done with the third apothecary and got less cards, lesson learnt there, poor little Windblossom. No point dwelling on it, now where did he leave that hat: Let's do the Copacabana... It's tropical people go to your feet and make you feel latin...