NCO: The FREE Squad Level WW2 Skirmish Ruleset (HtP videos on page 2)

[Burma44]

Excited to introduce to LAF my squad level ruleset for WW2 Skirmishes: NCO

Part RTS, Part RPG, NCO is a balanced and sleek ruleset for creating squad level firefights set in WW2. Fully customizable squads, with realistic weapon, item and skill options (EVERY NATION IS PLAYABLE AND REPRESENTED). Simple and efficient D6 mechanics for shooting and wounding, with  Health AND Psyche effects. Order Dice mechanic for initiative and actions (very VERY BA player friendly!), but also includes a special actions phase for particularly courageous soldiers. Random turn "Events" also impact the battle in colorful ways, adding to the strategic and realistic flavor of the game!

Best of all!? It's COMPLETELY FREE to play! So what do you have to lose there, yeah!? Read and download the full rules and supplements at https://elijahkellogg.wixsite.com/ncogame

You can also join us in our FB group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1270021263092127/

If you check out the system and give it a play, I'd love to hear your thoughts and see your battle reports below! Thank you and enjoy!

[Gibby]

This looks brilliant, and very generous of you to offer it for free. I shall give it a read and, hopefully, a play through in the near future!

[commissarmoody]

Thanks for sharing!

[lou passejaire]

i'll give a try soon, be usefull as part of a BA campaign ...

[Daeothar]

As a former NCO, this appeals to me, so I will be checking it out...

[Daeothar]

Having just read the rules, I think this will be a very enjoyable game. But (obviously), I do have some remarks/suggestions.

One is; you claim all beligerents are represented, but I am missing both the Dutch and Belgians here (while the Danish are included). There may be more; I haven't checked, but you might want to include those, if only for completeness sake.

A second one; in the addendum regarding nation specific weapons, only the larger nations have any. Maybe make it so that each nation has a 'signature' weapon that was, if not exclusively, then at least used by it in a remarkable way. As there obviously is quite a bit of generalization required when dealing with weapons (a rifle, is a rifle, is a rifle after all), I would suggest expanding this category to include both other equipment and traits.

So a Finnish squad could have, as its signature element, snow/camouflage cloaks, making them harder to hit when prone/taking cover, the Dutch could have access to a Solothurn Anti tank rifle to take on vehicles, or the French could get a movement bonus when retreating (just kidding on that one; no offense meant )

The point is to make those things not too overpowering. Heck; you could even use this to dial down some nations' capabilities, such as machine guns jamming more often, or a restriction on using certain weapons or equipment (the Dutch again; they had no access to SMGs for instance).

It might be a lot of work, but perhaps giving each nation a plus and a minus might make them more interesting to use, while at the same time still capable enough.

And finally, my third point would be to add unarmored vehicles and/or motorcycles to the list, and maybe remove heavy tanks. Because squads of infantry could be mounted in a truck, or other commandeered vehicle, but encountering a heavy tank as an infantry squad generally spells doom (I was, with my dug in infantry squad, on the receiving end of a (faux) tank-shock by an M60 once. Had that been real, we'd all have been quite dead, without anything we could have done to prevent it. And that was without it even using its guns...).

Concluding though, I'm going to give this rules set a go, as I quite like it (you can tell I do, because I'm actively thinking about the rules ).

[Burma44]

This looks brilliant, and very generous of you to offer it for free. I shall give it a read and, hopefully, a play through in the near future!

Thanks Gibby! I really appreciate you checking it out, and I do hope you give NCO a play and battlereport soon. Cheers!

[Burma44]

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for checking it out! Hope you find the ruleset enjoyable! Let me know what ya think!

[lou passejaire]

for exemple the French VB grenade launcher is specific at the beginning of the war 

[Burma44]

i'll give a try soon, be usefull as part of a BA campaign ...

Yes! I hope you enjoy the extra flavor to your campaigns with NCO! Enjoy and let me know if/when you get a game in!

[Burma44]

As a former NCO, this appeals to me, so I will be checking it out...

Thank you as always, Daeothar! I do hope you get a few games in and let me know how it goes! I’ve read all your additional insight as well and I think it’s all great ideas. Definitely some solid things to be thinking about in future updates. Cheers!

[Burma44]

New "How to Play NCO" videos coming soon! Hope you are all enjoying the ruleset!

Just want to clear-up something VERY IMPORTANT well in advance before news starts to break and people have questions:

NCO Tabletop Game has been around since September 2017, nearly a year ago now. It is, of course, different than Bolt Action. However, I cannot deny that it was also very much so inspired by Bolt Action. In December, after I released the first version of the game into the world, I actually wrote to Warlord Games, sharing with them my free game system and how I think they would really appreciate seeing it (email screenshot attached). I got no reply, but that was kind of expected and I went on my jolly way continuing to develop NCO into the fantastic (and free) ruleset it is today.

It has been reported to me that Warlord Games is now currently developing their own squad-level action tabletop ruleset which also utilizes an order dice mechanic (their order dice, I'm presuming). The rules will be sold as a separate game from Bolt Action and apparently already has a name ("Raiders" or something to that effect). So here's my thoughts and conclusion moving forward:

1) Good for them. I am in no way accusing them of stealing ideas without giving credit. They may have never seen my email. Their skirmish game may be completely different than NCO as a final product. I simply cannot be angry about this situation, because there are a lot of variables at play that do not afford me any rights to be upset. This is especially true because in many ways, NCO was already quite inspired by Bolt Action (albeit, I have been always giving them credit for that), a game which I have supported and loved--and will continue to love--for the rest of my life.

2) NCO has always been a free, hobby rule set that is completely independent of Warlord Games, and will (especially now) forever be independent of Warlord Games. You don't need Warlord Games products to play NCO. You will never need Warlord products to play NCO. NCO is a game I made for free in my own leisure, and it will remain free for all to download and use forever. While I had maybe hoped/mused that NCO would someday have a common bond with Bolt Action as a game, the reality is clear that this will not happen in any official business sense. Thus, NCO will remain, as it has been, completely separate and independent from Bolt Action and any and all Warlord Games products and references.

3) NCO is free. NCO will always be free to download and free to play, and you should still play NCO if you find it fun and right for your group. I have no idea what Warlord Games is planning for their squad-level game and it matters not to me. They're gonna charge money for it, and they should, because they are a business. I am not a business, nor am I their competitor. I just hope you enjoy playing NCO as much as I do.

That's my words on the situation as best as I understand it, and I appreciate all of you who are supporting and loving for my game, NCO. Cheers to all!

[Burma44]

I just uploaded a hot-fix version for rules 2.3 (now 2.3.1) which mostly includes minor edits for grammar and inconsistencies, but does come with three slight adjustments:
1) "Mental Breakdown" is better defined for a number of different battlefield situations.
2) A couple of terrain rules have been further cleaned-up and clarified.
3) A few weapon descriptions have been slightly tweaked for balance and clarity.

You'll find the edits in red. Hope you're loving NCO! FREE AS ALWAYS HERE: https://elijahkellogg.wixsite.com/ncogame

How to play videos coming tomorrow!

[Daeothar]

Ok thanks; I'll get that one too.

I'm planning on a first quick game next week, so I can familiarize myself some more. Mind; we might end up playing something else altogether, but I'll try to push this through...

[Burma44]

Ok thanks; I'll get that one too.

I'm planning on a first quick game next week, so I can familiarize myself some more. Mind; we might end up playing something else altogether, but I'll try to push this through...

Glad to hear it! No need to push too hard. haha. If you guys do end up playing, definitely let me know how it goes! I hope you enjoy it!