When playing NBB, you can choose whether to play at Platoon,
Company or even Battalion Level. So far, we’ve focused on Platoons, but we can form
them into larger Bodies if we like. NBB is after all a Company Level game (it says
so on the cover), so let’s have a closer look at a Company as an example of a larger Body.
For all nations, an infantry Company is composed of three
Platoons (with their own Support Weapons) and a Company Commander (CC), represented by his own stand of 3-5
figures. In addition, you’ll also get a Company
Support Weapon team of your choice .
Here’s a typical US Infantry Company:
 |
| US Infantry Company, ready for action. |
We’ve attached the CSW
(in this case a Machine Gun unit) to 1st Platoon (top left) to lend
them a little extra firepower (note that they now have two Support Weapons
attached – the Company Machine Guns and their own Bazooka team).
When building Platoons, we roll to randomly determine the
Platoon Leader’s Rep. When playing at Company
Level, your CC will automatically be Rep
5. This matters, because the entire Company
can activate on the CC’s Rep, provided that the Chain of Command is intact.
What is Chain of
Command? Think of each unit in a Body
as a link in a chain – as long as each unit remains within 2” of another unit and the Leader (in this case the CC) is in Carry On status,
the Chain of Command is intact
and the Body can activate as one.
This doesn’t mean that it must, though; as with Groups in Nuts!FE,
you can break up and reform your Bodies at will (Chain of Command permitting). Want to split off 2nd Platoon
to outflank the enemy whilst 1st and 3rd
lay down a base of fire? No
problem – 2nd Platoon will just activate on its own Rep until it
rejoins the Company Body.
Forming a larger Body is a great way to provide strong
leadership to inexperienced troops, to help get a lot of units across the
board quickly, and to allow you to coordinate their actions to greater effect.
Now, if you really
want to go Big with Nuts! Big Battles, you can form three Companies into a Battalion. Same rules apply as above, but you’ll have a Battallion Commander on the board to kick
butts and make it all happen.
Next up: what’s a big battle without Tanks? Stay tuned for Sneak Peek #6 – Vehicles.
Hi, how do you represent de lmg teams included in each squad? Or you count only the MG support teams attached to a platoon? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSquad firepower including their LMGs are built in. Like you said, the MG support teams for Platoon, etc. are attached.
DeleteThanks Ed!
DeleteHistorically, some Companies may have an MG or Weapons platoon, and the like, depending on nationality or type of troops. Will there be an option to break the unit up to attach to other units (which was done), or detach some weapon stands to other platoons? Could this then be done from Battalion level if running a large enough game?
ReplyDeleteA Support Weapon unit can be re-attached to a different Platoon - for example if the parent Platoon is destroyed but the SW survives; then the SW must find another unit to attach itself to.
ReplyDeleteThe Company Commander can order a SW to detach in order to change which Platoon it is attached to, but both Platoons and the CC must be in the Chain of Command and the SW cannot fire until it is re-attached.
Growing up and playing games I was struck how dictatorial games were, concentrating one what you couldn't do. I decried early on to make THW user friendly where you could tweak the rules to for your ideas of what the game should be.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Ed - if it makes sense to do it, then do it.
ReplyDelete