Nuts! Batrep - Nick Goes Nuts! Conclusion

Jil (Herrodadog), Nick, and myself got a chance to finish up our Patton "what if" scenario this afternoon.  Once again, Nick was the German re-armed contingent, I was my beloved Yanks, and Jil played his Russkies.  The end of the last game saw the Russian and Allied forces locked in a stalemate at the bridge.  The Russian infantry was pretty much on it's last legs but the Russians still had armor superiority.  We randomly generated the next page in the story.  During the night, the Russians received reinforcements and reorganized.  A section of T-34/85's made the scene along with another infantry squad not far behind and due to arrive shortly.  On the Allied side the news is grim.  They didn't receive any help during the night.  The German contingent claims that a re-armed Panther is on the way but who really knows for sure.  It looks like it is going to be a very rough morning for the Allies.

During the night both sides reorganized and deployed.  The Allies are very nervous as they heard the sound of several tank engines in the night.  They are expecting the worst.  We set out pennies for PEF markers with lots of dummies to keep each other guessing until the ball starts.  Once activations started, the PEFs were revealed unless they were completely out of sight of any enemy PEF.

The worst is confirmed!  At first light the Russians activate and the 34/85's come screaming over the bridge.  Nick's battle hardened Panzer Grenadiers know just what to do however and score a side shot kill on the lead 34/85.  The other Russian tankers are no sissies either and engage as cool as you like.  The German hunter team pays for it's victory immediately with both men OD.  I'll still take that trade any day.

The other 34/85 breaks left and spies some American GI's in the distance.  The tank opens fire and the GI's start to drop.

After the Russian armor secures the bridge a German MG-42 section spots an approaching target they can finally handle. 

They open up on an M3 while it attempts to cross the bridge and they kill the gunner.  The driver chickens out and retires back from where he came.

The second Russian attempt to bring up infantry support for the 34/85's is likewise thwarted.  They come under heavy MG fire also.  No doubt about it, that MG-42 will have to go.

They duck back on their side of the river.  The Tanks are still the only Russian forces to cross the river.

Now a T-70 crosses the river and sets up camp.  A Yank BAR gunner takes a whack at the exposed commander of a BA-64 but the armored car wins the exchange and the BAR is out of action.

Heavy MG fire erupts from the buildings on the Russian side and the MG-42 gunner goes down, the assistant ducks back.  Maybe now the Russians can get some infantry support over that bridge!  The Russians have done a pretty good job of probing and eliminating threats.  It's just the loss of that 34/85 that hurts.

Here's a shot of the Maxim who silenced that pesky MG-42 section.  The M3 is still back there licking it's wounds.

More heavy fire erupts from the Russian left as they spot and open fire on another German MG-42 section.  Miraculously the gunner is only stunned.

But these tough German veterans are not easily stopped.  A hunter team is lurking in the village and manages to sneak in a side shot on the unsupported Russian tanks.  Another 34/85 goes up in smoke.  Wow, that's some nice shooting Nicko me laddie. 

The active Germans continue their trouble making on their right.  The gunner's assistant takes over the MG-42 and sprays away.  He doesn't hit anyone but he's got their heads down at least.

With all the distractions at the front, I bring up my M5 Stuart for his opening debut.  Don't worry!  I'm keeping a very close eye on that remaining 34/85.

The T-70 is ineffective and my M5 returns fire and immobilizes it.  The crew bails out.  That dangerous T-34/85 is lurking nearby.

My M5's commander is so proud.

With several of my GI's and Nick's Germans down, the Russian infantry finally starts to make their way over the bridge.  One of my boys is a great marksman and keeps them at bay and bogged down behind the tanks and buildings.  He must be a country boy from Texas.

He's finally forced to duck back into the house.  I said he's from Texas, not stupid.  I know some of you think that's the same thing.  Well it's not!

Now the BA-64 goes to work on that MG-42 section on our right and OOF's one of the lads.  One thing I love about Nuts! is that some of the little tanks and armored cars can actually be useful!  So much fun :)

Back in the center everything is in chaos and bogged down.  Jil decides that he needs to do something about my M5 Stuart but he is wary of the hunter team just ahead.  He decides to pivot to move away for a better field of view but he busts a track!  What a lucky break for my Yank tankers.

Nick's surviving MG crewman decides to pull a fast one.  Too bad for him as the Russian infantry NCO makes an in sight and drops him cold.

Nick's hunter teams have been so successful that they are now feeling invincible.  He decides to make an all or nothing Panzerfaust attack against the remaining 34/85.  The 34/85 fires the coaxial and misses!  Then Nick misses!  Then the Russian tanker OOF's him.  It was really exciting as it happened..

Back across the river it has been pretty quiet until WHAM!  The BA-64 is immobilized and the crew bails out.  My M5 Stuart is still back there causing trouble.

This little skirmish has turned into an all out gutter brawl.  Jil starts sending more infantry across the bridge to feed the monster.

The Russian infantry starts to advance rapidly.  They take the remaining German hunter prisoner.  Note that even though the last 34/85 is immobile, it is controlling a very large field of fire.  It is still extremely dangerous, and besides, he's really pissed off!

The last surviving German tank killer being marched off past some of his handiwork as POW.

 Russians advancing through the village.

Russian infantry swarms the church where the last MG-42 gunner's assistant is hiding out.  Through some freakish luck of the dice, Nick not only manages to survive the attack, but he even manages to make the Russkies duck back!

More Russian infantry going for the final push.  The M3 Halftrack is re-crewed and rolling up to support.  Add to that the 34/85's nice field of fire and the Russians are looking like they are going to carry the day.

What the heck!?!?!?  Nick's hunter has overpowered his lone guard!  Maybe we've been playing too much ATZ but when Nick yelled out that he was going to try to jump the guard we decided "why not"?

We had the Russian do an in sight test to see if he was alert.  He was only able to melee, with a weapon advantage, and he got beat by 1D6.  So now Jil has some nutty kid loose in his rear area and he now has a SMG!  I told you these Krauts were damned tough.

While the Russians are bogged down at the church, my M5 Stuart rolls up and starts to spray them with the coax MG.

Then Nick decides to bring his 251 out of hiding and add to the destruction.  The infantry are feeling some heat now.

Now my GI's on the left pop up to add to the carnage at the church but Jil's M3 with a .50 caliber gun is in the right place at the right time.  He makes his insight and fires.  I am very lucky and don't lose anyone but I am ducked back again and the Russian infantry is safe.  Nice support job there for the Russians.

Even some of my GI's are chiming in now and adding to the destruction of that poor infantry squad.  By the way, Nicks gunner is still in the church with a primed grenade.  Best not to shoot him now :)

Nick's escaped convict now opens fire on the 34/85's tank commander.  But he misses!  The tanker drives him away and ducked back with a hail of MG fire.

Nick's little escapades in the enemy rear is just what I have been waiting for.  The M5 scoots out while the 34/85 is faced away and I try to eliminate that darned M3.

I don't get him, but I do manage to get him to retire.  I'll take what I can get in this action.

My M5 keeps rolling to a spot where he is out of LOS of the 34/85, but in good position to cover any Russian infantry attack against the farm houses.  It's starting to look like another stalemate.  At this point Jil had to leave and we were all pretty bummed out.  This was a very fun game.

The part where Nick overpowers the guard may be a little much but these kind of things add a lot of fun and flavor to the game.  In this particular case it turned out to be kind of critical because it allowed my Stuart to reposition in relative safety.  On the flip side it was very unlikely that he would succeed so I don't feel too bad about it.  What do the readers think?  Keep the little ATZ challenges or stick to pure Nuts! ?

Happy gaming!  And if your not gaming, get off your arse and do it.