Nuts! Blood upon the Risers - Flash and Thunder

March 12, 2024

Nuts! Blood upon the Risers - Flash and Thunder

Game: Nuts! By Two Hour Wargames (v4)

Scenario: Blood Upon the Risers: Flash & Thunder (scenario #1)

Goal: Gather forces and equipment for upcoming scenarios. Destroy AA gun if you can.

Although this set of rules has been around for almost 20 years, I just recently discovered it. I played a few scenarios of this campaign in attempt to learn the rules and tactics of the game. I have since decided to start over and run the campaign from the beginning.

Part of the reason is because I made some mistakes and learned some things and part of the reason is I wanted to tweak some minor things to suit my tastes. I also decided I wanted to start adding my various wargames to a blog I started last year when I went to Normandy.

Usually, I do my writeups in storybook form as I rather enjoy that. It works particularly well with this particular set of rules as there is a ‘role-playing’ aspect to it. However, this time, I think I’ll do a bit less of that and instead talk a bit about some of the rules questions I had and the solutions I came up with. I should note that some of these solutions are as a result of conversations on the Web and Facebook page and some are my own conclusions. Also, typing these things up helps me revisit the game and learn the rules better by seeing my mistakes.

On to the game

Pre-game notes:

“Reputation” is an important game concept. It ranges from three to six depending on nationality and troop types. For American paratroopers the range is 4-6; for regular German Infantry the range is 3-5. Rather than use a die roll each time, I decided to do my whole army based on the percentages of the die roll. So for the Americans, 1/3 are Rep4, 1/2 are Rep5 and 1/6 are Rep6. I did it once for leaders and once for privates, as I didn’t want all my leaders to be rep6 and only privates be Rep4, or visa-versa. The Germans are 1/6 Rep3, 1/2 Rep4 and 1/3 Rep5. I also did this once for leaders and once for privates.

I have given names to all the men from both sides. The Germans are named after various movie characters. For the most part, the named figure is carrying the same weapon he did in the movie or TV show, if not always the same rank.

The US Paratroopers are named after men in my dad’s section (HQ/1/507/82) or after the men in his stick. The sergeants and officers have the correct rank, but many of the others do not. The “Star” is modeled after my father, a staff sergeant in 1^st Battalion HQ company.

The type of mission (attack, defend, Patrol) has a bearing on reinforcements and the like. Unfortunately, some of the time the scenario brief doesn’t come right out and specify. I decided that this one would be a “Patrol” mission as there wasn’t any clearly defined lines for either side.

I rolled up two additional PEF (Possible Enemy Force). These markers move around the table somewhat randomly until identified. In this scenario, they could be a friendly force, an enemy force or an equipment bundle.

Turn #1:

SSG Rockstar (the main character) spends the turn searching for an equipment bundle and finds a bazooka and two rockets. Although difficult to operate by himself, he keeps it as it may come in handy later.

Turn #2:

SSG Rockstar spends the time collecting the bazooka.

One of the PEF comes into view while Rockstar is busy gathering the bazooka. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a relatively strong enemy force: 3 officers, 1 NCO, 1 radioman and two riflemen. Fortunately, Rockstar reacted first and threw his only hand grenade. The blast killed Lt von Witzland and Obergefreiter Dorfmann; the rest ducked back behind the hedgerow, out of sight for the moment.

At the end of the turn there is a reaction test if anyone on the squad has been killed. The results of the German test were that Lt Meyer, Sgt Steiner and Private Baumer “carried on” whereas Lt Bertinck and the RTO “dropped back” again behind a second hedgerow.

Note: This was a rules error on my part, they should have “hunkered down.”

Turn #3: Activation 4/3 Americans

When the initiative roll totals seven as it did here, there is a possibility of reinforcements.

Rules Note:

The scenario instructions describe how to deal with reinforcements when they are revealed PEFs, but doesn’t address what to do with them if they come from an initiative roll of seven as here. The normal chart for reinforcement placement is based on having a definitive side of the board. That really isn’t the case here.

Solution: I rolled for them using the same chart as if they were PEF and placed them in a random area based on D6.

Returning to the game…

The reinforcement turns out to be Sgt Kelly (Thompson). He arrives on the exact opposite of the board as Rockstar, about as far away as he can get.

Pressing his advantage, SSG Rockstar advances to the edge of the hedgerow, again winning the “In Sight” test (with a Reputation of 5 and “Quick Reflexes”, he will win most of these). A spread from his modified carbine wounds Lt Meyer and Sgt Steiner, knocking both out of the fight. Pvt Baumer returns fire but fails to hit; Rockstar turns his attention to Baumer and forces him to duck back again also.

This was enough for Bertink and he leads the survivors off the battlefield. Rockstar isn’t in a position to deal with prisoners, so he disarms Meyer and Steiner and leaves them where they lay. We may see them again in later scenarios.

Turn 4: Activation 5/3 Germans

No Germans in play at the moment, except the AA gun. I wasn’t really sure what to do with this. It’s immobile, so it can’t do much until Americans move within 12”. To add some uncertainty, I rolled a directional dice each turn and changed its facing accordingly.

SSG Rockstar spends the turn moving cautiously towards the nearest PEF.

Sgt Kelly searches for an equipment bundle but finds nothing.

The PEF comes into view of Sgt Kelly, it turns out to be a three-man squad: Sgt Baker (Thompson) and Privates Miller and Sonka (M1s). Baker, who is senior to Kelly, takes command of the group..

Turn 5: Activation 4/4 – doubles means a possible new PEF. However, in this scenario it only happens on “snake eyes.” Reroll = 5/3 Germans

Nothing much happens as the paratroopers maneuver out of sight of the AA gun.

Turn 6: Activation 6/4 Germans

Rockstar investigates a PEF. It turns out to be T4 Shivers (Carbine) & Private Stohler (M1).

Sgt Baker moves to search for an equipment bundle.

Turn 7: Activation 6/1 Americans

More reinforcements: Cpl Caracci (M1) and Privates Bisetti & Nocera (M1s). They appear behind the AA gun – fortunately there is a hedgerow between them so they cannot be seen.

Turn 8: Activation doubles (twice) but no PEF; 5/4 Germans

The Germans keep winning activation, but aside from the AA gun, which has no enemies in line-of-sight and cannot move, there are no Germans on the board.

SSG Rockstar moves closer to last PEF – but is just out of sight

Sgt Baker finds three tank mines in the equipment bundle

Cpl Caracci moves his team wide of the AA gun.

The PEF moves towards SSG Rockstar and turns out to be Private Guidas (M1) and a lost 101 trooper: Pvt Nelson (Carbine).

Turn 9: Activation 3/2 Americans

Just some maneuvering. SSG Rockstar does send T4 Shivers to look for an equipment bundle in sector 3.

Turn 10: Activation 6/1 Germans.

German reinforcement: Anti-tank team consisting of Privates Reiser & Volk (each with Stg 44 & panzerfaust). They appear in the same sector as Sgt Baker, but because of darkness are just out of sight.

With a rep of 4, the Germans cannot move on a DR of 6. Sgt Baker advances on them and due to his quick reflexes, just wins the “In Sight” test. The mass firepower of Baker & Kelly (Thompson) with Miller and Sonka (M1) knocks both Germans out of the fight.

Rockstar and Caracci continue to move around the AA gun.

T4 Shivers finds M1 and Carbine ammo.

Rules Note: I wasn’t really sure what to do with this, as the rules for ammo aren’t that strict. There is a special rule for airborne running out of supply faster than normal troops. I decided that his find counter acts that disability

Turn 11: Activation 4/1 Americans

SSG Rockstar and Sgt Baker move towards the AA gun from opposite directions. Both are currently under the cover of hedgerows. Pvt Nelson is sent to search for an equipment bundle.

T4 Shivers gathers his newfound ammo. Cpl Caracci and his team link up with Sgt Baker.

Turn 12: Activation 5/4 Americans

SSG Rockstar pops out of the hedgerow and fires his bazooka at the AA gun – and pretty much misses. Pvt Guidas lobs a hand grenade with much more success, killing two crewman and knocking a third out of the fight.

Rules Note: At this point I had a question as to how the “Outgun factor” (makes a difference as to whether the gun returns fire or the crew takes cover) of the AA gun worked. The AA gun isn’t listed on the chart. It didn’t make sense to call it “other ranged weapons” which would make it lose out to American small arms, so I elected to count it as an anti-tank gun in this regard.

Back to the game:

The return fire of the AA gun forced Guidas and Stoler (bazooka loader) to take cover. SSG Rockstar was hit, but used his “Star Power” (a game mechanic to make your main character harder to kill) to escape injury. He ducked behind the hedgerow as well.

Sgt Baker was up next. He led his squad around his hedgerow to get to the rear of the AA gun while the crew was concentrating on Rockstar’s group. However, only he, Sgt Kelly and Private Sonka could get within line-of-sight.

Rules note: An “In Sight” test is only triggered if you are in the enemy line-of-sight and if the enemy hasn’t been sighted this turn. In this case, the enemy did not have “LoS” (they were being approached from the rear) and had already been sighted this turn. I took this to mean that Sgt Baker and his boys got a free shot without taking the test.

As it turns out, Baker and company mowed them down, with only one survivor, who dropped prone (too far from cover), ending the fight. The survivor then failed the “Man Down” test and fled the battlefield.

Turn 13:

With the board cleared of enemy and the AA gun destroyed, nothing to do but search the last sector for equipment (nothing) and exit the battlefield.

Some photos from the game

View from SSG Rockstar's entry point. The AT gun in the left center is cleverly disguised as an AA gun