I also love playing NUTS in co-op mode, where all the players are on the same side cooperating against the paper & pencil "AI" - can't do that with any other game system.
Thanks for the review, guys, much appreciated. Just a few catch ups - books are now coil bound and also available through Amazon to help with the crazy international postage. Optional, easier rules are added into the back of the book. Same results, less dice rolling and tables. Thanks again, Ed
Great tip on the Amazon shipping note, Ed! We will add a link to Amazon in the video description. The price is hard to beat--just $10 for the Kindle or $20 for the print copy....
Hi Guys thanks very much for the shout out for the video of what is a really fantastic game. Glad you had a “plot twist” because NUTS! is really worth it! Thanks Greg
Thanks for making the tutorial! It was your video that broke the logjam here and got me excited to run NUTS at the club and actually feel like I was running it correctly. The tutorial was really, really useful and basically a "must watch" for anyone looking to get into this system. And it is a worthy system if you learn it.
Thanks, Scott. We know there's a big audience of solo gamers out there, and our channel doesn't do much to cater to them. When we were playing NUTS it occurred to several of us here that this is a really well suited game for solo play....
You aren't wrong! The Chocolate and Cigarettes chapter at the back is basically a RPG add on for players who want to develop a squad. And that alone should intrigue a lot of players.
I picked up the Kindle version on Amazon specifically because you mentioned the solo option for a cinematic movie style game. I figure use some Bolt action squads, give them some names, build them up ... and I may have a dynamic Ambush! system in minis. Definitely worth a shot.
While solo gaming is clearly not as popular in this club, we HAVE talked to plenty of solo gamers online over the years who don't have access to local groups or clubs. And the universal consensus there was that NUTS is the best game in town for programmed solo play. And I can totally see why given the structure and the reaction table results.
I love the rules but your points on how they are laid out and presented are valid. The core reaction system once understood is very innovative and it is a diamond in the rough. i play Nuts, All things Zombie, 5150 and Colonial Adventures (Which I like as much as The Sword and The Flame).
1:06 - Just to clarify, that rule book is comb bound, not spiral bound. Spiral binds are just what they sound like; a spiraled wire (usually) that twists through many small holes along the margin of the papers. Just like those college ruled notebooks from the school days.
The reaction system almost reminds me of the combat system in Pulp Alley. It's a cool change of pace to see more games embracing that concept of a more free-flowing brawl; it makes things far more dynamic and fun.
A few years back I asked on BGG for some decent solo rules. Nuts! was highly recommended. I hunted down the free version and gave it a try. The rules were a slog. While I understood the ‘big picture‘ of their intent, I couldn’t muster the energy to commit to learning the game thoroughly. I gave up. May need to give Nuts another chance. Love your channel guys! Thanks for the inspiring review
I played second edition solo many years ago. I was impressed by the community(on yahoo groups back then) and how friendly they were. It was fun if a little complex for my first minis wargame. I can see how the Two Hour Wargames style of semi RPG play has influenced more recent skirmish games like Frost Grave and Forbidden Psalm. That may owe just as much to Necromunda too, now that I think about it.
I actually swore off THW’s games for the very reasons you site up front: the rule books are so poorly organized and edited that after spending ridiculous amounts of time trying to grok the rules (All Things Zombie in my case), I decided I wasn’t going to try to teach it to my group. If THW would simply hire a good editor to restructure his rule books in a way that was more intuitive and understandable (and every THW game book is structured in the exact same terrible way), I may reconsider. He tends to release new editions of all of his titles, and I’ve bought multiple editions thinking he’s finally going to fix all of the horrible organization problems this time, but it’s always the same issues over and over again. There are just too many great games out there these days to have to work so damn hard to get THW games on the table.
I got stuck learning the 3rd edition because I was too pig-headed to follow the Programmed Instruction approach. I tried to learn it "all" and got lost. I will now do the Programmed Instruction and expect it to be easier.* The "co-op" option where two gamers play against the ruleset's AI has 4 potential benefits: 1) Gamers who are less competitive may be more apt to play; 2) If you are playing a campaign, your buddy can miss a game, but you can still continue playing the game and update your buddy on where the campaign went while he was "in the hospital" presumably; 3) An *occasional* extra gamer buddy could drop in to take the place of the AI perhaps; 4) As a convention game this *may* be easier to set up and get gamers to try it. *Once learned, my next project is to bolt on Tractics' Direct Fire Mode and maybe Artillery to make a rules-bash of Tractics and Nuts! Ed agreed for Tractics' author, Mike Reese, to use bits of Nuts! for our Tractics gamers in our free Duckbills newsletter.
I love this game so much. The fact that you can play co-op against an AI enemy is just superb. It is one of those games that writes its own story as you play it and you become so invested in your soldiers and their equipment that you are devastated if a favourite soldier is killed or a tank brews up.
Have so many rules sets for WWII. Though many others can be played solo and I usually have a preference for them (Fireball Forward, Arc of Fire, Battlefront WWII (Fire and Fury) being my top three), otherwise this is a great game for solo play . I found the scenario books to be excellent. 'Blood on the Risers' is the best representation of both the difficulty of the operation and the cinematic effect of all those movies we have watched and I have always liked the linked algorithm scenario concept where success or failure leads to a different scenario. I would also like to highlight the small figure and SPACE issues that this game gives you. If you have limited space this is an excellent game. I think the largest table in 'Blood on the Risers' is a 5x3 IIRC. Usually 3x3. I did have to watch those, and Ed's, videos a few times to understand the flow of the game though. Maybe that should be a requirement before you start reading - First page of the book - HUGE link to Ed's explanatory videos and a health warning that you cannot proceed until you watch them.
Played it once with the author GMing at a little convention. Had a great time with it. Have also played a few games of the old west game in the series solo and with friends and enjoyed that. Have and like All Things Zombie, but assembly, painting, and terrain for that is a very backlogged project.
Bought ATZ from Ed years ago at Origins. I faced the same issues as you in trying to get it to the table as a solo game. It never occured to me that youtube would be the answer. I am going to pull out my old copies of THW books and give them another try!
Guys, great video as usual. However, as I "review" your review, I would oppose any further use of "soundtrack" music interspersed through your discussions. It doesn't add anything and it is a bit distracting. To borrow from what is said about live music played at a restaurant, it is an insult to both the chef and the musicians. Silence - except for the discussion - is golden. Otherwise, really enjoyed your takes.
I have been playing THW rules for years, I think my NUTS copy is first edition. I couldn't agree more to the pro's and cons. It has one of the most innovative systems to simulate simultaneous movement but is very chart heavy and difficult to read out the box. After playing veteran players do only reference the charts when they have something unusual. The best way to learn is to be taught by someone or use the tutorials. As for large games, we have run Various THW rule sets in large setting. The trick is the players only command small groups (Squad) and you have to have a game master. At the heart, the reaction system shines for those that do not want a chess game. Never know who will duck first.
The optional rules in the back are much smoother and will be in the updated version coming up this year. All the comments have been a benefit as we can address production and layout concerns. Thanks again
It's a great system, and a great shock to players of other games used to moving their full move with impunity and only getting shot at in the 'other players' turn. We played it and as soon as the other guys figures came in to view I opened fire and he had to duck back. He tried again - same result. Well these rules are boring, he complained. No I replied, they are more realsitic as you are trying to run across an open field at an MG42, what do you expect? By the end of the game, ALL the movement was crawling along under cover using ditches, walls, etc. Much more realistic. The other advantage to these rules is that the same system is used in other variants - we very much enjoy ATZ (All Things Zombie) as well.
great review. I agree with your complaints about the layout etc. It's pretty bad, but the good thing is that there's forums and Facebook groups for the games and the company and Ed the author/owner of 2hr wargamers will answer all your questions quickly. He even included a new flowchart for shooting which really clears up the order of operations.
The back and forth nature of the rules, as you describe them, makes me think of the board game Storm over Arnhem. Different rules, but gives a similar feel. Neat game.
My game group is also spoiled by usually playing our games with 6-8 players. When we first started playing NUTS! we were using 54s. A friend and I had bought hundreds of vehicles and figures. We had to adjust the scale so essentially doubled everything and played on a large table with handcrafted buildings. We played with each player in charge of a squad, a couple of sections or a vehicle. So with essentially a reinforced platoon on a side. But it takes awhile to teach players. Normal miniature wargamers have trouble accepting some simple ideas. Like a unit can fire more than once during a turn.
I recommend any interested parties check out the free rules available from Ed at THW. The core mechanics are universal for the THW rule sets. Also check out the UA-cam videos where Ed demonstrates the rules.
Quick question for folks here on content presentation. What kind of layout or structure would make the rules more clear for you? If you could get THW to restructure the book, what would that look like? I'm a content writer for them (NUTS Stalingrad book, NUTS Compendium), so any feedback would be appreciated. Cheers!
Good review lads. I’d love to see you guys review TooFatLardies Sharp Practice 2nd Ed. I find it an amazing skirmish level game for playing in the black powder era. Plus, you can easily find it going further than just commanding the standard groups they give you, I’ve ran large scale engagements of several company’s (each with there own officers, men, cards and force morale sheet) and while it can take longer it’s not to bad either if you throw a few extra tiffin cards in or you and your friends are wishing a bigger and longer game. Plus you can do interesting scenarios too - from large scale skirmish engagements in the forests of Northern America during the 7 Years War, Sharpe based scenarios of mixed formations of the Napoleonic wars, to large line engagements during the War of Independence or skirmish/cavalry formations facing off large formations of line attempting to capture objectives during the civil war (and you can switch these eras up to fulfill any era) Plus the support is grand from not only them having dozens of free era/army’s to download and select from (I.e. they have the Russian and Prussian army of the Napoleonic wars) but also the Sharpulator that allows you to use the same system they used to create there own groups (I’ve used it to create Austrian formations, Sudan War formations and ACW ones) and that doesn’t include the Facebook community that creates its own ones to download and the scenarios and army selectors found in there magazines.
When it comes to solo wargaming, the only experience I’ve had has been with 5 Parsecs from Home, which is a sci-fi war game where you have a crew that fights missions around the galaxy. It’s not really designed for multiplayer gameplay, which is interesting, but it is a ton of fun if anyone’s interested
Played the first edition several years ago and yes it is a skirmish game for only a few figures,we used a section each of British versus germans and although problematic at first picking up the concept once you enter into the cinematic style of the game its fun,plus it gave me an oputinity to dig out my britains 54mm detail figures and could swap out figures to represent running,standing kneeling etc which made it more visual.
Ive purchased the rules before but have never played due the rulebook appearing incomprehensible :/ Would love someone else to take a crack at the layout and presentation.
I recently bought Warrior Heroes from the same author and after giving it a flip-through it seems to be very similar (layout, wording and all). Could not agree more with trying to learn the game by reading!
All their rules are similar in terms of mechanics and layout, even when the subject matter is wildly different. If you can get comfortable using one game's rules, it helps a lot with all the rest - but even with that, I always struggle to learn a new 2HW rule set from just reading. Never run into a family of rules that really, really requires some actual practice play to get used to.
2HW rules always give me a headache trying to learn, and I've played them on and off for close to two decades now. Doesn't seem to matter how many different games I've read by them, there's just always something about them that it's hard to grasp from a dry read. They play fine and the reaction system is innovative, but until you push figs around for a while it's just weirdly difficult to envision actual gameplay from the rules alone.
Honestly, I still don't know why we struggled so much reading them. We play A LOT of different rules around here! But this was a tough read. And yet...as you said...the game is pretty darn cool once you get into it. Wargaming World's UA-cam tutorial was a breakthrough for us.
@@LittleWarsTV It's baffling, isn't it? I've owned and played over a dozen rules sets from this range, everything from fantasy mass battles to historical skirmish to scifi starship combat, and I've bounced off every one until I actually played a few games. I can't even identify what it is about the writing or layout that does it, but man, they're tough to learn by reading.
Picked Nuts! (and the Nuts! Compendium) a week ago, and have gotten in three solo games in that time. Fun, solid game. Presentation may hold it back, but the game in / as played is a ton of fun.
Would love a review on computer aided/assisted war games where the computer knows the rules and computes the results while you move minis and make decisions. I am looking at Computer Strategies (from Australia) range of computer aided/assisted war games that cover a whole host of eras.
NUTS! Is the best ww2 skirmish game out there ( in my opinion). I rarely have a game feed me with as many creative ideas as this one does ( because of how the Reputation + Tables works, you can create something for yourself without breaking the game). But do yourself a favour and get the NUTS! compendium. This book has more Army lists and optional Rules for almost everything . Want do create a Infiltration mission and need some Rules for k9 for the Guards? CHECK! Want rules for taking prisoners and looting them after they surrender? CHECK!, are you pissed because your foe is hiding in a forest and you dont really know how to get them out? Well take some " Tree Burst" rules and bomb the heck out of that forest and look how your enemy is getting killed by wooden shrapnel! Rules for booby traps? Check! And so on and so on... Are you more of a big battle game guy? No Problem get NUTS! Big battles. Are you more of a Tank nerd and dont need infantry at all? Get the Hell has no Fury book from two hour wargames ... There is also some campaign books in the making right now( eastern & western Front,and also pacifik)
Under "Presentation", is it just me or has the trend to introduce more 'eye candy' to rules really have cluttered up rules? I can see when illustrations are used to explain a particular rule element but the eye-candy stuff, while great to look at in the 'Loo is fine but it does bog down finding rules on the table and adds little IMHO to the rules-set ("Squirrel!!!"). While I am at it what is it with the trend towards color pages? It would be nice if the text were a contrasting color but black text on dark brown or olive drab pages in a dim bunker/basement is tough on 'mature' eyes. Then, there is the issue of printing rules peppered with eye-candy on a printer burning through cartridges like the 24th at Isluawanna, Islandluh, you know, "Zulu Dawn"? Do rules folks get a kickback from the ink companies? "Style Points" really need to value 'usability' vs. "Pretty Pictures Pretty Colors"".
An excellent observation. Cluttered layouts have always been a problem in wargames (going back into the 1980s). But nowadays, cluttered layouts often include colored background pages with lots of photos and graphics smashed all over the place. There's definitely something to be said for clean designs that allow the reader to follow through the concepts quickly. The Osprey "blue book" series are all pretty good examples of this. Their layouts are surprisingly boring and uninspired, BUT they are also very clean, lots of white space around the page, and easy to follow.
Perhaps when the rules said can be played as a platoon it means each player plays a squad/section and two to four players combined make up the platoon.
Many years ago, I was drawn into All Things Zombie (Two Hour Wargames) out of curiosity. I found the rules very difficult to grasp and ambiguous, in fact I still return to the game from time to time to try and disentangle the principles. I am curious to know if the NUTS rules are relatively clear, given the intervening years.
One of the better sets of rules that can be adapted for solo play are Peter Pig's Square Bashing (for WW1). For me, one of the downsides is that it is grid based. On the plus side, that also helps in deciding movement & targets, etc., for the solo gamer. The game mechanics even make it possible to lose, although you may potentially be favouring one side more than the other !😒 The pre-game mechanics also bring a lot of interesting factors in to play before kick-off & the random end-of-game finish, along with the balancing final points scoring system, delivers different levels of victory for the winner. Perhaps specific rules may have needed further clarification in their editing especially if you are not a user of other Peter Pig rule sets, but the layout seems better than you showed in the Nuts review (although also in black & white, it has photos) & the cost won't break the bank. They do require the second volume of army lists to make things easier, though.
Interesting you mention Peter Pig games. This Nuts! review reminded me I once tried to decipher Poor Bloody Infantry, P.Pig's gridded WW2 company game. We stumbled through an enjoyable first session, but never returned to it. I thought that PBI was - in a way similar to this NUTS review - a very innovative and cool game, let down by its...ahem...'rustic'...editing & some truly baffling rules. I also found that the 'pre-game' of Poor Bloody Infantry was incredibly overloaded with overly complicated roll offs, charts, rules & exceptions...just so that certain units could be removed before play...onerous processes that could have been streamlined. It was disappointing, considering the core game of PBI (I *love* gridded & measureless systems) is so good.
We read all comments and always listen to suggestions. That doesn't mean we can promise to review a specific game, but it's nice to know what games other players are interested in learning more about, so bring it on!
I tried to get into some THW games, but just like you I found it really hard to grok it and just bounced back. I really like the ideas behind it, but the game is really poorly explained in the book. I will give video you recommended a try to see how it goes, but a 40min how-to video is a little daunting. Would love to see a more condensed tutorial... maybe by you guys (hint, hint)? Right now, I'm leaning more and more towards just grabbing some ideas from it and rolling with my own rules.
I keep being pointed to this set of rules for small, solo games. The rules themselves look nice but I can't say I like the pseudo-RPG elements that are thrown in and the whole Star/Grunt sort of PC/NPC stuff.
Need the optional rules. They can be download for free. Here's how to do it. Go to the THW site. Go to the WW2 section. Go to scenarios. Scroll down to the lower right and it's there. Have tried linking directly but won't take.
I've purchased these rules, sometime ago, and I totally agree, it's hard to learn the game, especially if english is not yor main language. Tryed to learn the game for a couple of times and quit. Came back to Bolt Action.
I bought the books in pdf, I tried to read through them ... I just couldn't. While I admit I'm not a native English speaker I do pride myself of having a decent grasp of the language. However even after three reads I still don't know how to play this game. I watched the other video, but he plays immediately with three or so squads and his table isn't the right size and it feels like he is just throwing dices in a tray ... you get a quick display where in the book you need to lookup the rules and it is just one big mess. Is there any way you guys could consider doing a simple video on how to play this, with everything been spoken through slow and clearly ? Just from how to setup a squad vs squad game, over to a gameplay loop, and a conclusion ? Cause right now ... I just don't get this game :(
Thanks for the video. It sounds like the Reaction rule is similar in concept to Overwatch/Opportunity Fire rules. How does turn play compare to using Bolt Action activation dice?
Never played Bolt Action so I can't help. I'm sure someone with familiarity will step up. Reaction is different than Opportunity/Overwatch as there is a chance either side can fire.
I won't argue with that list (we play all three). But I'll add an older game (much older, in fact)....Volley & Bayonet. It's brilliant in its simplicity.
@@Stumptonian1 Yeah, the way it started back up about 75% through the vid had me closing other open windows to try and figure out where that annoying music was coming from :)
Nope, we filmed a bunch of stuff all in one day & as an old fat guy with the attention span on a toddler I was nearing my limit. I drink whiskey & water so it looks a lot in the glass.
@@tonymarano913 No probs Tony, as another old fat guy with an attention span of a todler ( mates say a gnat) I also like a drink or 2 - great show by the way
Bushwah. It's almost the antithesis of a GW product. Black and white, minimal artwork, old-fashioned graphic design, not full of typos - and it's a whopping $25 for pdf versus hardcover for $70 with an added requirement of buying your army lists for $55 each.
Haha yea, when I think of NUTS, I do not think of Games Workshop. NUTS is an old school rule book, with all the good and bad that entails--affordable and not flashy.
Hah if you've been watching the channel then you know it takes us THIS LONG to review most games. A lot of the rules we play are decades old, and NUTS has certainly been around for quite awhile.
Certainly if you're looking for a fast-play, platoon sized plus wargames, NUTS probably won't fit the bill for you. But that said, there ARE players out there looking for something crunchier, with more detail, geared for smaller games. And if you want to run a squad or two, getting down into man-to-man tactics, NUTS is a pretty solid option for that. There's a game we play here in the club for modern combat called Skirmish Sangin that even more complicated and detail-oriented than NUTS, where players command just a few models!
@@LittleWarsTV Thanks for your response Little Wars,. I was referring to the same thing you were referring to. The odd way of presenting the rules. Could have done a better job with that. Might be offsetting to some. In my excitement however, I forgot to Thank Little Wars for another great review.. So, Thank You.
@@moedean3342 I just looked at my copy, maybe I'm too familiar with it, but the layout seems OK. What kind of layout or structure would make the rules more clear for you?
I also love playing NUTS in co-op mode, where all the players are on the same side cooperating against the paper & pencil "AI" - can't do that with any other game system.
That's an awesome idea and something we have not yet tried. Love that notion.
Oh, good idea! Stealing. Thanks for the neat idea.
Actually most other solo wargames can also be played as co-op and there's dozens of them right now.
Thanks for the review, guys, much appreciated. Just a few catch ups - books are now coil bound and also available through Amazon to help with the crazy international postage. Optional, easier rules are added into the back of the book. Same results, less dice rolling and tables. Thanks again,
Ed
Great tip on the Amazon shipping note, Ed! We will add a link to Amazon in the video description. The price is hard to beat--just $10 for the Kindle or $20 for the print copy....
Hi Guys thanks very much for the shout out for the video of what is a really fantastic game. Glad you had a “plot twist” because NUTS! is really worth it! Thanks Greg
Thanks for making the tutorial! It was your video that broke the logjam here and got me excited to run NUTS at the club and actually feel like I was running it correctly. The tutorial was really, really useful and basically a "must watch" for anyone looking to get into this system. And it is a worthy system if you learn it.
Glad to see a new rules review video.
As a primarily solo player I also really appreciated the reference to these rules in that light.
Thanks, Scott. We know there's a big audience of solo gamers out there, and our channel doesn't do much to cater to them. When we were playing NUTS it occurred to several of us here that this is a really well suited game for solo play....
Campaigns, character progression - - - This sounds dangerously close to an historical RPG game!!😜😂.
You aren't wrong! The Chocolate and Cigarettes chapter at the back is basically a RPG add on for players who want to develop a squad. And that alone should intrigue a lot of players.
That would be an awesome experience, developing your own Dirty Dozen.
Fascinating to see a solo option. That alone makes it interesting to me
FYI - All THW games are designed for solo play and not "can be played solo". Co-op and head-to-head as well.
@@edthethwguy True that. It's a significant selling point for all your games.
I picked up the Kindle version on Amazon specifically because you mentioned the solo option for a cinematic movie style game. I figure use some Bolt action squads, give them some names, build them up ... and I may have a dynamic Ambush! system in minis. Definitely worth a shot.
While solo gaming is clearly not as popular in this club, we HAVE talked to plenty of solo gamers online over the years who don't have access to local groups or clubs. And the universal consensus there was that NUTS is the best game in town for programmed solo play. And I can totally see why given the structure and the reaction table results.
I love the rules but your points on how they are laid out and presented are valid. The core reaction system once understood is very innovative and it is a diamond in the rough. i play Nuts, All things Zombie, 5150 and Colonial Adventures (Which I like as much as The Sword and The Flame).
I've played All Things Zombie and immediately saw some of the same design principles overlapping.
1:06 - Just to clarify, that rule book is comb bound, not spiral bound. Spiral binds are just what they sound like; a spiraled wire (usually) that twists through many small holes along the margin of the papers. Just like those college ruled notebooks from the school days.
The reaction system almost reminds me of the combat system in Pulp Alley. It's a cool change of pace to see more games embracing that concept of a more free-flowing brawl; it makes things far more dynamic and fun.
A few years back I asked on BGG for some decent solo rules. Nuts! was highly recommended. I hunted down the free version and gave it a try. The rules were a slog. While I understood the ‘big picture‘ of their intent, I couldn’t muster the energy to commit to learning the game thoroughly. I gave up. May need to give Nuts another chance. Love your channel guys! Thanks for the inspiring review
I played second edition solo many years ago. I was impressed by the community(on yahoo groups back then) and how friendly they were. It was fun if a little complex for my first minis wargame. I can see how the Two Hour Wargames style of semi RPG play has influenced more recent skirmish games like Frost Grave and Forbidden Psalm. That may owe just as much to Necromunda too, now that I think about it.
Gasp! You didn't mention Cross of Iron. Great movie.
I actually swore off THW’s games for the very reasons you site up front: the rule books are so poorly organized and edited that after spending ridiculous amounts of time trying to grok the rules (All Things Zombie in my case), I decided I wasn’t going to try to teach it to my group. If THW would simply hire a good editor to restructure his rule books in a way that was more intuitive and understandable (and every THW game book is structured in the exact same terrible way), I may reconsider. He tends to release new editions of all of his titles, and I’ve bought multiple editions thinking he’s finally going to fix all of the horrible organization problems this time, but it’s always the same issues over and over again. There are just too many great games out there these days to have to work so damn hard to get THW games on the table.
I got stuck learning the 3rd edition because I was too pig-headed to follow the Programmed Instruction approach. I tried to learn it "all" and got lost. I will now do the Programmed Instruction and expect it to be easier.*
The "co-op" option where two gamers play against the ruleset's AI has 4 potential benefits: 1) Gamers who are less competitive may be more apt to play; 2) If you are playing a campaign, your buddy can miss a game, but you can still continue playing the game and update your buddy on where the campaign went while he was "in the hospital" presumably; 3) An *occasional* extra gamer buddy could drop in to take the place of the AI perhaps; 4) As a convention game this *may* be easier to set up and get gamers to try it.
*Once learned, my next project is to bolt on Tractics' Direct Fire Mode and maybe Artillery to make a rules-bash of Tractics and Nuts! Ed agreed for Tractics' author, Mike Reese, to use bits of Nuts! for our Tractics gamers in our free Duckbills newsletter.
Love it when you review rules! Keep up the good work and I hope to see some of you in the U.K. at the Joy of 6 show this year.
I love this game so much. The fact that you can play co-op against an AI enemy is just superb. It is one of those games that writes its own story as you play it and you become so invested in your soldiers and their equipment that you are devastated if a favourite soldier is killed or a tank brews up.
I love that you use a scoring system. I believe you are the first reviewers I have seen who use a scoring system. Well Done.
Have so many rules sets for WWII. Though many others can be played solo and I usually have a preference for them (Fireball Forward, Arc of Fire, Battlefront WWII (Fire and Fury) being my top three), otherwise this is a great game for solo play . I found the scenario books to be excellent. 'Blood on the Risers' is the best representation of both the difficulty of the operation and the cinematic effect of all those movies we have watched and I have always liked the linked algorithm scenario concept where success or failure leads to a different scenario. I would also like to highlight the small figure and SPACE issues that this game gives you. If you have limited space this is an excellent game. I think the largest table in 'Blood on the Risers' is a 5x3 IIRC. Usually 3x3. I did have to watch those, and Ed's, videos a few times to understand the flow of the game though. Maybe that should be a requirement before you start reading - First page of the book - HUGE link to Ed's explanatory videos and a health warning that you cannot proceed until you watch them.
Played it once with the author GMing at a little convention. Had a great time with it. Have also played a few games of the old west game in the series solo and with friends and enjoyed that. Have and like All Things Zombie, but assembly, painting, and terrain for that is a very backlogged project.
Bought ATZ from Ed years ago at Origins. I faced the same issues as you in trying to get it to the table as a solo game. It never occured to me that youtube would be the answer. I am going to pull out my old copies of THW books and give them another try!
Yay! Glad you're back to more content!
Guys, great video as usual. However, as I "review" your review, I would oppose any further use of "soundtrack" music interspersed through your discussions. It doesn't add anything and it is a bit distracting. To borrow from what is said about live music played at a restaurant, it is an insult to both the chef and the musicians. Silence - except for the discussion - is golden. Otherwise, really enjoyed your takes.
Seconded.
I have been playing THW rules for years, I think my NUTS copy is first edition. I couldn't agree more to the pro's and cons. It has one of the most innovative systems to simulate simultaneous movement but is very chart heavy and difficult to read out the box. After playing veteran players do only reference the charts when they have something unusual. The best way to learn is to be taught by someone or use the tutorials. As for large games, we have run Various THW rule sets in large setting. The trick is the players only command small groups (Squad) and you have to have a game master. At the heart, the reaction system shines for those that do not want a chess game. Never know who will duck first.
The optional rules in the back are much smoother and will be in the updated version coming up this year. All the comments have been a benefit as we can address production and layout concerns. Thanks again
It's a great system, and a great shock to players of other games used to moving their full move with impunity and only getting shot at in the 'other players' turn.
We played it and as soon as the other guys figures came in to view I opened fire and he had to duck back. He tried again - same result. Well these rules are boring, he complained. No I replied, they are more realsitic as you are trying to run across an open field at an MG42, what do you expect?
By the end of the game, ALL the movement was crawling along under cover using ditches, walls, etc. Much more realistic.
The other advantage to these rules is that the same system is used in other variants - we very much enjoy ATZ (All Things Zombie) as well.
great review. I agree with your complaints about the layout etc. It's pretty bad, but the good thing is that there's forums and Facebook groups for the games and the company and Ed the author/owner of 2hr wargamers will answer all your questions quickly. He even included a new flowchart for shooting which really clears up the order of operations.
The back and forth nature of the rules, as you describe them, makes me think of the board game Storm over Arnhem. Different rules, but gives a similar feel. Neat game.
My game group is also spoiled by usually playing our games with 6-8 players. When we first started playing NUTS! we were using 54s. A friend and I had bought hundreds of vehicles and figures. We had to adjust the scale so essentially doubled everything and played on a large table with handcrafted buildings. We played with each player in charge of a squad, a couple of sections or a vehicle. So with essentially a reinforced platoon on a side. But it takes awhile to teach players. Normal miniature wargamers have trouble accepting some simple ideas. Like a unit can fire more than once during a turn.
I recommend any interested parties check out the free rules available from Ed at THW. The core mechanics are universal for the THW rule sets. Also check out the UA-cam videos where Ed demonstrates the rules.
Quick question for folks here on content presentation. What kind of layout or structure would make the rules more clear for you? If you could get THW to restructure the book, what would that look like? I'm a content writer for them (NUTS Stalingrad book, NUTS Compendium), so any feedback would be appreciated. Cheers!
Good review lads.
I’d love to see you guys review TooFatLardies Sharp Practice 2nd Ed.
I find it an amazing skirmish level game for playing in the black powder era.
Plus, you can easily find it going further than just commanding the standard groups they give you, I’ve ran large scale engagements of several company’s (each with there own officers, men, cards and force morale sheet) and while it can take longer it’s not to bad either if you throw a few extra tiffin cards in or you and your friends are wishing a bigger and longer game.
Plus you can do interesting scenarios too - from large scale skirmish engagements in the forests of Northern America during the 7 Years War, Sharpe based scenarios of mixed formations of the Napoleonic wars, to large line engagements during the War of Independence or skirmish/cavalry formations facing off large formations of line attempting to capture objectives during the civil war (and you can switch these eras up to fulfill any era)
Plus the support is grand from not only them having dozens of free era/army’s to download and select from (I.e. they have the Russian and Prussian army of the Napoleonic wars) but also the Sharpulator that allows you to use the same system they used to create there own groups (I’ve used it to create Austrian formations, Sudan War formations and ACW ones) and that doesn’t include the Facebook community that creates its own ones to download and the scenarios and army selectors found in there magazines.
When it comes to solo wargaming, the only experience I’ve had has been with 5 Parsecs from Home, which is a sci-fi war game where you have a crew that fights missions around the galaxy. It’s not really designed for multiplayer gameplay, which is interesting, but it is a ton of fun if anyone’s interested
Played the first edition several years ago and yes it is a skirmish game for only a few figures,we used a section each of British versus germans and although problematic at first picking up the concept once you enter into the cinematic style of the game its fun,plus it gave me an oputinity to dig out my britains 54mm detail figures and could swap out figures to represent running,standing kneeling etc which made it more visual.
Ive purchased the rules before but have never played due the rulebook appearing incomprehensible :/ Would love someone else to take a crack at the layout and presentation.
I recently bought Warrior Heroes from the same author and after giving it a flip-through it seems to be very similar (layout, wording and all). Could not agree more with trying to learn the game by reading!
All their rules are similar in terms of mechanics and layout, even when the subject matter is wildly different. If you can get comfortable using one game's rules, it helps a lot with all the rest - but even with that, I always struggle to learn a new 2HW rule set from just reading. Never run into a family of rules that really, really requires some actual practice play to get used to.
@@richmcgee434 This is precisely what I love about 2HWG. Once you are familiar with one game the gate opens to all the others.
Really like your reviews and game plays.😊
2HW rules always give me a headache trying to learn, and I've played them on and off for close to two decades now. Doesn't seem to matter how many different games I've read by them, there's just always something about them that it's hard to grasp from a dry read. They play fine and the reaction system is innovative, but until you push figs around for a while it's just weirdly difficult to envision actual gameplay from the rules alone.
Honestly, I still don't know why we struggled so much reading them. We play A LOT of different rules around here! But this was a tough read. And yet...as you said...the game is pretty darn cool once you get into it. Wargaming World's UA-cam tutorial was a breakthrough for us.
@@LittleWarsTV It's baffling, isn't it? I've owned and played over a dozen rules sets from this range, everything from fantasy mass battles to historical skirmish to scifi starship combat, and I've bounced off every one until I actually played a few games. I can't even identify what it is about the writing or layout that does it, but man, they're tough to learn by reading.
Nice and solid review with the usual wink. Great. By the way, I liked the miniatures. Nice German camo scheme!
Trying “Rally Round the King” for Medieval might be interesting as well. Also printed by rebel minis.
Picked Nuts! (and the Nuts! Compendium) a week ago, and have gotten in three solo games in that time. Fun, solid game. Presentation may hold it back, but the game in / as played is a ton of fun.
Totally agree with the rules layout and understanding the rules had exactly the same with THW 5150
Would love a review on computer aided/assisted war games where the computer knows the rules and computes the results while you move minis and make decisions. I am looking at Computer Strategies (from Australia) range of computer aided/assisted war games that cover a whole host of eras.
I love THW rules but Im a solo player and their rules work really well for solo.
Nice Grateful Dead shirt!!! :)
reactions mechanic made me remember crsosfire - i believe the rulebook was realeased monthly(?) in a magazine in UK
Crossfire is a favorite--love that game. We might play it on the channel soon!
Very interesting review. How about filming a "Kelly's Heroes" or "Saving Private Ryan" game?👍🤞
Yeyyy new review vid!!!!!
NUTS! Is the best ww2 skirmish game out there ( in my opinion).
I rarely have a game feed me with as many creative ideas as this one does ( because of how the Reputation + Tables works, you can create something for yourself without breaking the game).
But do yourself a favour and get the NUTS! compendium. This book has more Army lists and optional Rules for almost everything . Want do create a Infiltration mission and need some Rules for k9 for the Guards? CHECK!
Want rules for taking prisoners and looting them after they surrender? CHECK!, are you pissed because your foe is hiding in a forest and you dont really know how to get them out? Well take some " Tree Burst" rules and bomb the heck out of that forest and look how your enemy is getting killed by wooden shrapnel! Rules for booby traps? Check! And so on and so on... Are you more of a big battle game guy? No Problem get NUTS! Big battles. Are you more of a Tank nerd and dont need infantry at all? Get the Hell has no Fury book from two hour wargames ... There is also some campaign books in the making right now( eastern & western Front,and also pacifik)
Under "Presentation", is it just me or has the trend to introduce more 'eye candy' to rules really have cluttered up rules? I can see when illustrations are used to explain a particular rule element but the eye-candy stuff, while great to look at in the 'Loo is fine but it does bog down finding rules on the table and adds little IMHO to the rules-set ("Squirrel!!!"). While I am at it what is it with the trend towards color pages? It would be nice if the text were a contrasting color but black text on dark brown or olive drab pages in a dim bunker/basement is tough on 'mature' eyes. Then, there is the issue of printing rules peppered with eye-candy on a printer burning through cartridges like the 24th at Isluawanna, Islandluh, you know, "Zulu Dawn"? Do rules folks get a kickback from the ink companies? "Style Points" really need to value 'usability' vs. "Pretty Pictures Pretty Colors"".
An excellent observation. Cluttered layouts have always been a problem in wargames (going back into the 1980s). But nowadays, cluttered layouts often include colored background pages with lots of photos and graphics smashed all over the place. There's definitely something to be said for clean designs that allow the reader to follow through the concepts quickly. The Osprey "blue book" series are all pretty good examples of this. Their layouts are surprisingly boring and uninspired, BUT they are also very clean, lots of white space around the page, and easy to follow.
Perhaps when the rules said can be played as a platoon it means each player plays a squad/section and two to four players combined make up the platoon.
Really interesting; thanks, guys!
Many years ago, I was drawn into All Things Zombie (Two Hour Wargames) out of curiosity. I found the rules very difficult to grasp and ambiguous, in fact I still return to the game from time to time to try and disentangle the principles. I am curious to know if the NUTS rules are relatively clear, given the intervening years.
One of the better sets of rules that can be adapted for solo play are Peter Pig's Square Bashing (for WW1). For me, one of the downsides is that it is grid based. On the plus side, that also helps in deciding movement & targets, etc., for the solo gamer. The game mechanics even make it possible to lose, although you may potentially be favouring one side more than the other !😒
The pre-game mechanics also bring a lot of interesting factors in to play before kick-off & the random end-of-game finish, along with the balancing final points scoring system, delivers different levels of victory for the winner.
Perhaps specific rules may have needed further clarification in their editing especially if you are not a user of other Peter Pig rule sets, but the layout seems better than you showed in the Nuts review (although also in black & white, it has photos) & the cost won't break the bank. They do require the second volume of army lists to make things easier, though.
Funny you mention Square Bashing--we are playing that at the club TONIGHT for the first time!
Interesting you mention Peter Pig games. This Nuts! review reminded me I once tried to decipher Poor Bloody Infantry, P.Pig's gridded WW2 company game. We stumbled through an enjoyable first session, but never returned to it. I thought that PBI was - in a way similar to this NUTS review - a very innovative and cool game, let down by its...ahem...'rustic'...editing & some truly baffling rules.
I also found that the 'pre-game' of Poor Bloody Infantry was incredibly overloaded with overly complicated roll offs, charts, rules & exceptions...just so that certain units could be removed before play...onerous processes that could have been streamlined.
It was disappointing, considering the core game of PBI (I *love* gridded & measureless systems) is so good.
I love you guys' content and especially enjoy your rules reviews. Do you accept suggestions for rulesets to review?
We read all comments and always listen to suggestions. That doesn't mean we can promise to review a specific game, but it's nice to know what games other players are interested in learning more about, so bring it on!
@@LittleWarsTV OK. I'd like to hear your thoughts on Beneath the Lily Banners 3rd Ed by League of Augsburg.
I tried to get into some THW games, but just like you I found it really hard to grok it and just bounced back. I really like the ideas behind it, but the game is really poorly explained in the book. I will give video you recommended a try to see how it goes, but a 40min how-to video is a little daunting. Would love to see a more condensed tutorial... maybe by you guys (hint, hint)?
Right now, I'm leaning more and more towards just grabbing some ideas from it and rolling with my own rules.
I keep being pointed to this set of rules for small, solo games. The rules themselves look nice but I can't say I like the pseudo-RPG elements that are thrown in and the whole Star/Grunt sort of PC/NPC stuff.
Need the optional rules. They can be download for free. Here's how to do it.
Go to the THW site.
Go to the WW2 section.
Go to scenarios.
Scroll down to the lower right and it's there.
Have tried linking directly but won't take.
Thanks for sharing this!
Listening to the review it sounds like the basic engine would work well for a Wild West cowboy game.
It would be hilarious if they released 4th edition a day after "the final edition".
wich is exactly what they have do...... oooh I see what you did
I've purchased these rules, sometime ago, and I totally agree, it's hard to learn the game, especially if english is not yor main language. Tryed to learn the game for a couple of times and quit. Came back to Bolt Action.
I'd love to see what you guys think about Operation Squad: Evolution
nice review! you guys should check out Operation Squad WW2 Evolution, its the best ww2 skirmish level wargame ive ever played.
Fast question. How does the Core Nuts! compare to the Quick Play version?? Have you looked at the quick play version?
They had a weird war 2 version, whose name escapes me.
Aiko Aiko, Tony
The fez is different
You should try, Two Fat Lardies, “ Troops, Weapons & Tactics.”
Thanks for the suggestion Rick! We've played a lot of TFL games but I don't believe we've tried this one....
I bought the books in pdf, I tried to read through them ... I just couldn't. While I admit I'm not a native English speaker I do pride myself of having a decent grasp of the language. However even after three reads I still don't know how to play this game. I watched the other video, but he plays immediately with three or so squads and his table isn't the right size and it feels like he is just throwing dices in a tray ... you get a quick display where in the book you need to lookup the rules and it is just one big mess. Is there any way you guys could consider doing a simple video on how to play this, with everything been spoken through slow and clearly ? Just from how to setup a squad vs squad game, over to a gameplay loop, and a conclusion ? Cause right now ... I just don't get this game :(
Gonna try these for 'Sahara!' I have to be Sgt. Joe Gunn at least once. ;^)
Thanks for the video. It sounds like the Reaction rule is similar in concept to Overwatch/Opportunity Fire rules. How does turn play compare to using Bolt Action activation dice?
Never played Bolt Action so I can't help. I'm sure someone with familiarity will step up. Reaction is different than Opportunity/Overwatch as there is a chance either side can fire.
@@edthethwguy Thanks for your response.
Sweet Fez!
As true field marshals, what are your favorite rulesets? Mine are, in random order, Blucher, Altar of Freedom and Fistful of Tows3.
I won't argue with that list (we play all three). But I'll add an older game (much older, in fact)....Volley & Bayonet. It's brilliant in its simplicity.
I have V&B in my collection but never played it. Will give it a good look after this recommendation.
@@LittleWarsTV V&B is our group's go to rules for 18th & 19th century gaming. Although we are very much enjoying Live Free or Die for AWI.
Fistful of TOWs, Volley & Bayonet, Fire & Fury in no particular order
CROSSFIRE review?
I suspect there will be a Crossfire game and review in our future! I'm a big Crossfire fan.
Eagle has landed!
Background music is annoying.
Noted. Thanks for the feedback!
Agreed. Thought it was a 'bleed' or someone's phone at first.
@@Stumptonian1 Yeah, the way it started back up about 75% through the vid had me closing other open windows to try and figure out where that annoying music was coming from :)
Yessss!
When did you guys film this?
End of last year, over the holidays.
Did you guys just..... GuP this episode?!
👍
That's a bit glass of whisky
bit....????big!
Is Tony pissed?
Good job it was only a 21 minute review otherwise Tony would have collapsed drunk on the floor!
Nope, we filmed a bunch of stuff all in one day & as an old fat guy with the attention span on a toddler I was nearing my limit. I drink whiskey & water so it looks a lot in the glass.
@@tonymarano913 No probs Tony, as another old fat guy with an attention span of a todler ( mates say a gnat) I also like a drink or 2 - great show by the way
The layout of this book sounds like a Games-Workshop product. 🙄
Bushwah. It's almost the antithesis of a GW product. Black and white, minimal artwork, old-fashioned graphic design, not full of typos - and it's a whopping $25 for pdf versus hardcover for $70 with an added requirement of buying your army lists for $55 each.
Haha yea, when I think of NUTS, I do not think of Games Workshop. NUTS is an old school rule book, with all the good and bad that entails--affordable and not flashy.
Did it really take you THIS LONG to review this game?
Hah if you've been watching the channel then you know it takes us THIS LONG to review most games. A lot of the rules we play are decades old, and NUTS has certainly been around for quite awhile.
Too complicated for nothing. This isn't a real war. Nuts, two thumbs down.
Certainly if you're looking for a fast-play, platoon sized plus wargames, NUTS probably won't fit the bill for you. But that said, there ARE players out there looking for something crunchier, with more detail, geared for smaller games. And if you want to run a squad or two, getting down into man-to-man tactics, NUTS is a pretty solid option for that. There's a game we play here in the club for modern combat called Skirmish Sangin that even more complicated and detail-oriented than NUTS, where players command just a few models!
@@LittleWarsTV Thanks for your response Little Wars,. I was referring to the same thing you were referring to. The odd way of presenting the rules. Could have done a better job with that. Might be offsetting to some. In my excitement however, I forgot to Thank Little Wars for another great review.. So, Thank You.
@@moedean3342 I just looked at my copy, maybe I'm too familiar with it, but the layout seems OK. What kind of layout or structure would make the rules more clear for you?
So great to see hard core feminists like yourselves give such a great review. Thanks, girls.