Remembering Nuts And Bolts

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  • Last Post 27 September 2023
Thunder posted this 18 November 2022

Ok, What does anyone remember about how Nuts and Bolts was run?

I mostly remember being set up in lance sized teams.  Build a level 1 mech.  Get points. Upgrade your mechs.  Move on to the next weight class.

I Dont remember how points were awarded, or the cost of upgrades.

Also dont remember missions types/objectives.

Asking because I'm being asked to set up a campaign.  Figure the nuts and bolts framework was fun.

There was another tournament involving using points to buy more tonnage and tech.  Dont remember what it was called.  Do remember preforming fairly well using a 25 ton ER Small laser boat.  Mostly looking for the point costs for Ideas.

And now to wait 2 weeks for someone to see this 

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Thunder posted this 27 September 2023

North
Top
East
Right

West
Left

Still need to figure out south.

 

Thunder posted this 27 September 2023

Next game.  Players had:

A 13 Medium laser Hunchback with a 2/4 pilot.
A 60 ton 3 cLPL C3master unit.
A Phoenix hawk.

They downed an Osprey, and 2 Blitzkriegs before retiring from the field.

Osprey did ok and put in damage, but just got flashbulbed to death by the hunchback.  Blitzkreig's also put in good work, even managing to land a double tap into the back of the 3cLPL unit.  Who survived.  Admittedly I wasn't focusing fire as strongly as I could of since I dont actually want to just wipe out a player.

Of course once they got too close to the base they're attacking the extra defenders came out to play, helping to prompt them towards withdrawing.

Question is,  What should I do differently next time to surprise them.

Attached Files

Thunder posted this 22 September 2023

At this point, the question phase is over.  System was developed and is being used.  Problem I'm finding is power creep.  Players stuff is getting better and with out the different rounds created by the original Nuts and Bolts going from one weight class to the next, nothing is resetting the system.

But on the other hand, the potential for strange Ideas is getting there.  Just added a ruling to allow protomechs to be constructed using the point system.  Though its mostly a bad Idea unless you have a decent chunk of points to put into the project.

Next game is this coming tuesday.  Players are assaulting the weapon suppliers base.  This campaign is a bit more persistent in that the NPC's only have a limited number of forces to use.  Admittedly its a battalion so it will take awhile,  but the plan is that once they clear out the surface forces the battle goes underground into the ishiyama maps.

Captain posted this 09 September 2023

Hallelujah! Our Lord has returned!

Lord Cain posted this 07 September 2023

My family and I carried out the huge undertaking that was Nuts and Bolts.  If you gots questions, ask away.  We loved the game and our sons grew up on the big stompy mech fun.  Now...now my GRANDCHILDREN are playing the game.  

4 year old Granddaughter:  "Papa...I am mad and I am out of ammo.  I will make my "Princess Crab run up and kick the Clam mech."

Clan...Clam...its all the same.  Ever wonder what a kick from a King Crab Painted Pink and driven by a 4 year old middle sister of two looney brothers will do to a Loki?  Well, wonder no more.

 

Dustinlcat@gmail.com

Thunder posted this 27 March 2023

Mission 3. Spider trap. Tomorrow.

Easier to put together since its the same map as last time, but the players are defending this time.

Opforce waves are:

First:  Represents the new toys the pirates have been upgraded with.
4 light infantry transports, 4 squads of battle armor.

Switching the rules up, whenver 4 units are destroyed the next wave shows up.  This helps keep the pressure up since there are currently 6 players expected, and they're getting into clan tech weapons now.

Second wave:
Normally mediums, this time I"m throwing the units that didn't get used in the last game when half the players couldn't make it.
J Edgar, Brigand, Rommel, Hawk Wolf.

Third wave:  More new toys for the pirates plus a Supplier Escort.
Catapult, Avatar, Avatar, Vulture.

Fourth wave:  Supplier Contract Enforcers
Due to the point values of other waves being off the normal rates this one is a bit reduced.
2 assaults, 2 lights.   Higher tech then I've been throwing at the players so far.

Main goal is to defeat everything.  I'll toss in one time 5 bonus points for downing a supplier unit without killing the pilot. And 1 bonus point for each player mech still standing.

Meanwhile, a lot of the fancy If/then roll off stuff has fallen to the way side.  The one thing I might keep this round is a "Did a warning get off" check.  Players killed the command  center in turn 8 last game.  So on an 8 plus the enemy will come in fat and happy initially.  with the odds of them noticing something is wrong going up by 2 each turn.  By the 4rth turn if the players have let them into the kill basket that deeply they'll know that something is wrong no matter what.  Or maybe not.  Infantry are going to do better if they have a chance to get out of their transports....

Ok.  Wave 2, and half of wave 1 becomes the first wave.  Then the other half of wave 1 comes into play to replace losses.

Thunder posted this 01 March 2023

Mission 2 battle report.

3 of 6 players were able to make it.

Tinylamaswithhats - a 13 Medium laser hunchback with 18 DHS.
Fwee - a 2 LL 2 ML 4/6 Ostroc
J'NOCH - Assassin with 2 ML and an ecm.

NPC's were:

J Edgar
Scimitar LRM variant
Locust
Commando

Hetzer AC-20
Hetzer SRM
Vindicator
Marshal

Rommel
Rommel
Catapult MRM variant
Axman

Ontos
Partisan
Hawkwolf
Zeus

Because half the expected players were absent  A unit from each weight class was eliminated randomly.  The J Edgar, Marshal, Rommel, and Hawkwolf were no longer available.  I should really throw them in as a wave in the next mission.

Light units were assigned a starting edge randomly.
Medium and Heavy units were assigned a foxhole they would start in randomly, no doubling up, mechs start out prone.
Assault units would emerge from the hanger entrance.

If a unit was discovered in its foxhole it would become active, but still need to start up.   I chose to house rule they would have to roll on the consciousness check starting at 11, and working their way down. start rolling at the end of the turn they were discovered.  Until then they're shutdown.

Discovered units did not count as part of the active force.  Whenever a unit of the active force was destroyed a unit from the next wave would be activated at random.

Foxholes.  There were depth 1 hexes covered in camo netting.  I gave the netting a CF of 15.  The players did not know they were depth 1 holes when they started out.   When the first player to try and go through one did so I asked for a PSR.  As the case was they failed so I used accidental falls from above to resolve what happened to the player and the shutdown unit they landed on.  maybe got it right.  Don't know what I would of done if they didn't fall.  Probably let them pass through.  A shutdown unit really shouldn't block movement.

Due to lack of players mission objective went from secure the base (aka kill all enemy forces) to destroy the communications dish and cause any additional damage you can to enemy forces.

Points where the usual 1,2,3,4 for unit kills,  and 5 points was awarded for completing the objective.  Players earned 18 points total.

First initiative was not used, because I never filled out the table, and because making the game more complicated seemed a bad idea.  To be fair, the use of random placement for the defenders did add the right amount of chaos to the mission so I think it worked out.

Heh... This time I took notes.  Also have pictures.  Might get around to posting those on facebook and leaving a link.

Or I might post and caption everything on facebook, and then post the link here.  BRB.


Thunder posted this 01 March 2023

Megamek, Map editor.

Its ok for planning a map, but I am endlessly frustrated by how hard it is to determine where the border between hexes is.

Captain posted this 28 February 2023

What software are you using to make the map?

Thunder posted this 25 February 2023

Personal notes:

Buildings 1: 2 fuel tanks. maintenance bay, housing, warehouses. housing admin.

Still need. Mech hangers, Control tower, hospital?, 16 bunkers.

Thunder posted this 23 February 2023

Heh.  Picture got squished.

Lower Left corner.  warehouse area.

middle right.  mech bays and maintance area.

Upper right corner.  Housing.

Random buildings scattered about not on pavement.  Ready units.  They are depth 1 sinkholes with camo tent over them.  They may or may not contain a hostile unit on active standby.

Plan is to have light units out in the open patrolling.

Medium and heavy units prone in their holes

Assault mechs will come from the hangers.

Need to print out:

Warhouses 7 hex and 2 x 4 hex sizes.
Comms tower 1 hex size.
Dropship maintenance 2 hex area
Maintenance bay: 4 hex area
mech Hanger 4 hex area
Housing 6 x 1 hex area
Foxholes 16 x 1 hex area.
Landing strip. "Fuck" sized. (aka  will need to be printed in pieces.)

Thunder posted this 23 February 2023

Open Terrain 2 and City Ruins.  Both rotated.  Gives a nice 20 hex path through the open terrain that ends at a paved hex on the city ruins map.   Now to add details.  May as well upgrade to buildings.  Not that it changes much of anything.

map

Attached Files

Thunder posted this 20 February 2023

Landing pad/runway  -  Map needs at least 20 clear hexes in a row.
Warehousing -  need tents.  1 hex radius
Garages/hanger - more tents.  lots of single hexes spread about.
Maintenance area - tents.  Big tent again.

Housing - many tents. Area of smaller tents
Mess hall - tents? A bigger tent next to smaller tents.  Still not enough to fill an entire hex.
Power - Engineering vehicle upgrade with fusion engine.  Park near maintance.
Communications - Mobile HQ or something.  Park near housing.

Overall, I need a lot of building markers of some form.

Perimeter towers.
Fence
Bunkers?

Thunder posted this 20 February 2023

Generic "First Initiative roll" template.

-10 Its a trap.  Even more enemy units show up.
-7 to -9 Veteran units. Extra points for kills.
-4 to -6 Significant events.  Ambush's, faster response times, time critical deadlines for the players.
-1 to -3  Minor events that give flavor or set the scenario.  Head starts, better initial positioning, lack of intel.
0 Reroll
1 to 3 Preparing an ambush, intel, enemy out of position.
4 to 6.  Delays in reinforcements, Poor maintenance, sabotage, mines
7 to 9.  Green units.  critical maintenance failures, Extra time for objectives.
10.  Total surprise against an unprepared enemy.  Should probably look up the morale rules and see who just try's to run.

Thunder posted this 05 February 2023

Scenario 2:
Attack the Pirate Base.

A: I really want to keep this simpler.  Classic Nuts and Bolts. 4 waves lights through assaults.   Estimating 5 to 6 players showing up.
B:  Pirate base.  Most effort will go here I think.  Need to list all the features the base should have.  Have asked Facebook what should be in a pirate base.  Some answers are good.  Others make sense as a trope, but not as a "Pirates are here to make money" sort of way.  A forgotten crashed dropship in the middle of the wastes does not a good place to get rid of l loot make.
C:  Scenerio 3 is the Spider trap.  So the base, and anything that happens to it get copied into the next scenario too.

Things I think a base needs:

Landing pad/runway
Warehousing
Garages/hanger
Maintenance area

Housing
Mess hall
Power
Communications

Perimeter towers.
Fence
Bunkers?

Roads.  Should be at least 1 going towards the "City"   Possibly another leading out into the country/second landing field.

Thinking 3x3 maps. Put main base in the center.  Gives the players the opportunity to pick their attack direction.  Then drop the far 5 maps leaving a 2x2 map.

Table.  Base should get better defenses on the MOF side.  Poor defenses and worse reaction times on MOS side.
MOF 10 should probably be a defending dropship.  Because why not.

Lights, Walking perimeter at game start.
Initial thoughts is locust locust wasp brigand.

Medium.  "Fast reaction force"  deploys from buildings closer to the fence.
Still pirates mechs are not that common,  Hetzer, light SRM carrier, Vindicator, phoenix hawk.
Heavy's:  Deploy for main garage/maintance area.
Rommel Rommel, Axeman, Catapult
Assaults.  Could have them deploy from a dropship.  Might make that a MOF event.
Hawk Wolf, Hawk Wolf, cyclops, demolisher

MajorTom posted this 01 February 2023

Great stuff! Glad to see you having fun!

Thunder posted this 01 February 2023

But in going for the back stab the Jenner made a technical blunder.  It was in short range of the 2 rommels with their heavy PPC's and the light SRM carrier.  It did not survive the experience.

 

Meanwhile by this point the heavy recovery vehicle and the normal recovery vehicle had sprinted for their map edge and were gone.  The goblin was also working on extricating itself, doing its best to get off the hill that was slowing it down.

The Hawkwolf was firmly in the opinion that it was an assault mech and was going to kick these upstart mechs apart.  It continued to follow Josh's 25 ton mech.  Cameron took the opportunity to get behind the hawkwolf going for its exposed rear torso.

Thor had diverted his targeting to the man battle tanks for the moment, using his MML's LRM ammo to get some plinks in.  The Rommels were not impressed.  Jon had begun to move up to engage more closely.

The Hawkwolf fell to an ammo explosion.  Josh survived yet again and proceeded to find a nice hill to hide behind.  Cameron dirrected his attention to the SRM carrier, killing it also.  He was taking substanial damage to do it though.  Thor had moved to engage the goblin at long range trying to prevent it's escape.  He failed.

Cameron's final act was to attack the rear of one of the Rommels.  Between him and other fire he got a turret locked to the rear. and reduced it's mobility to 1/2.  The other rommel went from pristine to Almost pristine but immobile.  Mobility hits suck.  Cameron died to multiple Engine crits, though he did manage to keep both side torso's.

effectively leaving only Jon and Thor to face 2 mobility impared rommels,  A final turn of fire ripped off Jon's non gun arm as the last notable bit of damage in the game.

The rommels surrendered when it was pointed out that Jon could just bounce out of range and snipe them to death with his ERLPL and they didnt have the range or mobility to do anything about it.

Game took about 5 hours.  I was exhausted from so much batlemath.  Also I didnt think to keep records.  So the exact timing of things in the story are probably off.

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Thunder posted this 01 February 2023

In our next turn the combat tanks pushed up onto a ridge freeing up their line of sight. The jenner retreated briefly. The gallion's crew abandoned their useless tank. The goblin started moving towards them to pick them up.

And a battlemech recovery vehicle was vaporized by an ERLPL killing the infantry along with it.

With the tanks for support the brigand went to engage the assassins. Shots traded, on the next turn, The brigand would get behind the second assassin shooting it in the back and getting a mace hit. The assassins responded with a medium vibro sword cleaving through the side torso killing the xl engine.

About this time the hawk wolf was entering range launching flights of 60 mrms. The first Salvo did almost nothing but the second strongly connected on Josh's 25 tonner. Which didn't die.

Suffering from overheating the players converged on the hawk wolf.

The jenner positioned itself in the rear while Cameron's assassin took the more dirrect approach.

But let's back up a bit.

Remember the Goblin that was going to pick up the gallion crew? It got them. Only for that jenner to strip the right side armor and get a critical hit.... infantry bay.

The hetzer meanwhile taken a mobility kill. Either from that erlpl or a stray missile. Don't remember. Occasionally it would get a shot off when someone strayed in its Los, but for the most part it was being taken apart by large laser fire. A rommel had also taken minor mobility damage.

Back to the present.

The jenner did a good job of ripping the back out of the hawk wolf. Cameron and Josh added to the damage a bit.

Thunder posted this 01 February 2023

Jon set up a hill on the btech map nearer the main mat.

Carter and Josh rushed the center. The assassins trailed a bit behind.

Contact began with the Brigand. Jumping on top of a level 4 hill the pirates discovered they were not alone. Both from the erlpl shot and the jenner hitting it with 3 lasers.

The tanks moved up to their nearest ridge. He brigand backed up to be supported by the hetzer and srm carrier the gallion went into reverse and backed up along the edge of the hill.

The jenner was having none of that and pushed onto the gallion. The jenner took a few shots and ripped the engine out of the gallion.

Meanwhile the assassins where coming around their left flank.

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