Nuts! 4th Edition – Pzrjager Goes on Patrol!
Today I’ll be doing a tank patrol as the Americans in Normandy using NUTS! 4th Edition and Tabletop Simulator. I’ll be using the rules for solo gaming.
Setup
I have a platoon of three M4 75mm Shermans, each with a tank commander (TC) Rep of 5, and the gunner, loader, driver, and bow gunner with Reps of 4. Rep represents things like skill, experience, and training and will determine how well our crews fight, drive, and react to certain situations. I won’t be playing with any “Star” rules, which give your “main character” many opportunities to escape damage or death.
To keep things simple all enemies will be a Panzer IV F1 platoon. Their TC will have a Rep of 4 and the rest of their crew will have a Rep of 3.
By: Pzrjager,
Nuts!
My platoon of Shermans arrive at the edge of the table.
Imagine the table divided into nine sections.
My objective is to spend at least one whole turn of activation in sections 1, 2, and 3, and leave on the side where I entered the table with at least one tank.
Since I’m on patrol my investment level is 2. The enemy is also on a patrol so theirs is the same. Investment level simulates how much the high command considers your sector important. In gameplay it determines how easy it is for either side to receive reinforcements during the mission.
I want to play a quick game though, so I won’t be playing with reinforcements.
I roll for PEFs (possible enemy forces). Two are in sectors 3 and one in 6. These may be nothing, or platoons of panzers!
The Game
Now I roll for activation.
The enemy goes first, but due to bad rolls the PEFs don’t move.
I move my Shermans with the goal of trying to sight the PEF in section 6.
After some turns of both sides moving, my Shermans and the closest PEF come into sight!
It turns out to be nothing! Maybe it was an animal rustling in the bocage.
The second PEF comes into sight, but that resolves as nothing too.
In this situation the last PEF always resolves as the enemy. A platoon of Panzer IVs arrive!
The first Panzer comes into sight of my Sherman and shoots first!
They miss! Their loader is slow and can shoot when next active.
I return fire and hit their turret. They are disabled! My tank is slow to reload and cannot fire until next active.
The other two panzers see the leader destroyed, but carry on with the battle.
The next panzer moves up and comes into sight of the unloaded Sherman.
The panzer misses. Since I cannot return fire, I duck back out of sight. The panzer can try to reload when it is next active.
The last panzer runs over the bocage toward my Sherman since the roads are blocked.
The ducked back Sherman recovers and drives between two hedgerows to ambush either of the remaining panzers.
I shoot at the panzer in the street with one of my Shermans still on the road. Bam! I penetrate their front hull and everyone inside is dead.
I move up the rest of my Shermans.
The panzer runs over the bocage to advance on my position. It comes into sight of my Sherman, who fires first.
Boom! I penetrate their hull and disable their vehicle.
Since I’m not playing with reinforcements, I assume my platoon recon sections 1, 2, and 3 then return home. Mission success!
Afterthoughts
I made this battle intentionally short and easy since this is sort of a “test run” tabletop wargaming AAR. Had I played with reinforcements and a higher rep for the enemies, things could have gone poorly for me very quickly. I could have been going up against a platoon of Panzer IVs, another platoon of Panthers, and another of Tigers!
I’m pretty sure I got most of the rules right, except for maybe some of the rules regarding turning and speed.
I used Tabletop Simulator for this AAR, but nothing beats the real tabletop. I’m currently playing with counters that come with Hell Hath No Fury.
Unfortunately, I don’t have much terrain at the moment. I’m considering getting some 6mm tanks for a more immersive experience. Hopefully when I get a nice setup I can do a more detailed AAR with real minis and terrain.
Overall, I quite enjoy the vehicle rules that come with the NUTS! ruleset. I like that each crew member is modeled and that there is some randomness to whether you hit the hull or turret, and whether your round penetrates or not. I recommend it to those interested.
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