USE ME means 'Ultra Simple Engine for Miniature Engagements' and this system delivers just that. Tactically challenging, easy to learn and for any age of wargamer interested in a World War Two setting.. From skirmish to full battles, games last from five minutes to an hour. Play in your lunch break or in the evening when the idea of a really complex system with a long set up time really does not appeal. Pick up any of your miniatures and get playing in minutes. This complete rules system is printed in A6 format which is a booklet which will fit in your pocket (110mm by 180mm) making it truly portable as well as fantastic value for your money. USE ME is just that...its for you!
The writer of the adapted WW2 version of USE ME is O.G.Joel who is an avid fan of wargaming in across the battlefields of the second world war from the earliest starts in the Spanish Civil War right through the fall of Stalingrad and then the Invasion of Europe and the destruction of Berlin. Between him and all of us we decided that the popular USE ME game system was ideally suited to fast play WW2 in 15mm to 20mm scale; from a few figures a side to squad level and also battle. The game can do all of this and in every theatre of the biggest war in human history. It will work with any collection of WW2 miniatures and vehicles.
The USE ME game system. You will need some miniatures, some terrain and a few six sided dice (D6's) to play the game. This is not much and indeed most of the time everything in play needs only 1D6 roll to make a decision. In the game all miniatures and vehicles are de-marked into of CHARACTERS (from Infantry to Vehicles and everything else) and these into TYPES which allow you to create anything you want from this period with a few tables of TYPES with points costs attached.
The Turn Sequence of the game follows a simple path of firstly the Initiative Phase where all players roll 1D6 and the highest roll wins the initiative for the turn (important later on!). Then the main part of the turn, the In Play Phase where all characters in the game are activated not by the side upon which they fight but by their Elan Rating. This means better troops and vehicles move and fight before poorer quality troops and vehicles and within each Elan banding from 6 to 1 activation begins with the initiative holding player. When activated each character can choose TWO actions, these include move, ranged fire, melee, hunker down, special action, unique action. The character may choose two different actions OR the same one twice with a modifier; very flexible in battle. Ranged fire and melee are based on opposed single D6 rolls with modifiers for troop type and weapon ratings. This super fast system results in targets being Killed, Struck or Winged by attacks. Killed removes them from play while the other two results negatively effect their further performance in the game. The hunker down action allows characters to take cover against attack while special actions cover those things detailed in the USE ME Advanced Rules and unique actions are created when needed for a scenario.
In small games of USE ME every character acts on its own, this is a skirmish, but in larger games a simple mechanic allows you to combine three to ten characters into one SQUAD which then acts under its leader in play. All actions for squads are no more complex than for single characters. In this fashion you can go from ten miniatures a side to one hundred in ten squads and have a battle that takes only a fraction more time to play.
The USE ME advanced rules. The central tenant of the USE ME World War Two system is simplicity and in that regard it performs very well but sometimes players will want to add some advanced rules that, while adding complexity, also add to the period feel of the second world war. An Off Table Action Phase adds abstract high level air and artillery support while the option of inserting further forces once the game begins is also covered. For WW2 in detail the Special Actions place additions to characters for 'Anti-Aircraft', 'Anti-Tank', 'Commissar', 'Communications Specialist', 'Flamethrower', 'Medic' and 'Partizan' among other bolt on specialisations. This is followed by Special Character Types allowing 'Cavalry', 'Aircraft' and 'Dog Mines' along with 'Trains' and 'Wagons' for more unique scenarios on the table.
Following on from the advanced rules and additional character types are the unique WW2 mechanics for the game system including 'Firing for Suppression and Advanced Machine Gun Rules'. Then a random movement and action system for including panicked Civilians in your games of USE ME.
After the USE ME game finishes. Most of the time you will want to play a quick game, cause some carnage and send a lot of little metal men to their dooms. But it need not be the end if you want to carry on. USE ME has mechanics in it for updating your Force Roster (with your troops on it from the game just finished) to see what happened to those characters who were Struck or Winged in play to see if they recover in time for the next encounter. This makes rolling those dice nail biting and really important for the next scenario. Plus you can make a second lot of rolls for any characters Killed in play to see if a slim chance of them rejoining your forces for the next game.
THE LARGEST INCLUSION IN THIS VERSION OF USE ME IS THE HIGHLY DETAILED ARMY LISTS FOR THE PRIMARY NATIONS IN WW2. THE GERMAN ARMY, THE USA, GREAT BRITAIN, RUSSIA, ITALY AND THE JAPANESE IMPERIAL FORCES ARE ALL LISTED BY HISTORICAL UNIT TYPE AND THEN USE ME EQUIVALENT SO THAT YOU CAN PLACE ANY UNIT ACCURATELY INTO BALANCED PLAY.
Solo Play in USE ME. This booklet contains a solo play system which means that when no human opponent is present or if you want a practise you are able to do this alone and at a time of your choosing. The solo play addition allows forces to be fielded and statures chosen to determine their behaviours against your actions in game.
USE ME is a pocket rule system that does not pretend to be anything else. Its fast, its fun and its affordable. With many rule systems these days taking themselves far too seriously and with some being priced at an amount that makes purchasing them a long term goal for most of us USE ME gives you what it promises and in a format that will make you smile. Try it, you might want to USE ME yourself!
—description from the publisher
Book, Miniatures, Wargame, World War II · Dice Rolling, Line of Sight, Measurement Movement, Solo / Solitaire Game
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