diff --git a/inventory/group_vars/nuancier-stg b/inventory/group_vars/nuancier-stg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d7c03eb6a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/inventory/group_vars/nuancier-stg
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+---
+# Define resources for this group of hosts here. 
+lvm_size: 20000
+mem_size: 1024
+num_cpus: 2
+
+# for systems that do not match the above - specify the same parameter in
+# the host_vars/$hostname file
+
+tcp_ports: [ 80, 443,
+    # These 16 ports are used by fedmsg.  One for each wsgi thread.
+    3000, 3001, 3002, 3003, 3004, 3005, 3006, 3007,
+    3008, 3009, 3010, 3011, 3012, 3013, 3014, 3015]
+
+fas_client_groups: sysadmin-noc,sysadmin-web
+
+# TODO -- we'll need fedmsg certs for nuancier nodes
+# These are consumed by a task in tasks/fedmsg_base.yml
+#fedmsg_certs:
+#- service: shell
+#  owner: root
+#  group: sysadmin
+#- service: tahrir
+#  owner: root
+#  group: apache
diff --git a/inventory/host_vars/nuancier01.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org b/inventory/host_vars/nuancier01.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..903f19b324
--- /dev/null
+++ b/inventory/host_vars/nuancier01.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+nm: 255.255.255.0
+gw: 10.5.126.254
+dns: 10.5.126.21
+ks_url: http://10.5.126.23/repo/rhel/ks/kvm-rhel-6
+ks_repo: http://10.5.126.23/repo/rhel/RHEL6-x86_64/
+volgroup: /dev/vg_guests
+eth0_ip: 10.5.126.202
+vmhost: virthost12.phx2.fedoraproject.org
+datacenter: phx2
diff --git a/inventory/host_vars/nuancier02.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org b/inventory/host_vars/nuancier02.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..58d98a12e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/inventory/host_vars/nuancier02.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+nm: 255.255.255.0
+gw: 10.5.126.254
+dns: 10.5.126.21
+ks_url: http://10.5.126.23/repo/rhel/ks/kvm-rhel-6
+ks_repo: http://10.5.126.23/repo/rhel/RHEL6-x86_64/
+volgroup: /dev/vg_guests
+eth0_ip: 10.5.126.203
+vmhost: virthost12.phx2.fedoraproject.org
+datacenter: phx2
diff --git a/inventory/inventory b/inventory/inventory
index 3f9ca27ff6..2b42a3f357 100644
--- a/inventory/inventory
+++ b/inventory/inventory
@@ -246,6 +246,10 @@ noc02.fedoraproject.org
 noc01.phx2.fedoraproject.org
 noc02.fedoraproject.org
 
+[nuancier-stg]
+nuancier01.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org
+nuancier02.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org
+
 [memcached]
 memcached03.phx2.fedoraproject.org
 memcached04.phx2.fedoraproject.org
@@ -339,6 +343,7 @@ value01.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org
 openid01.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org
 badges-backend01.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org
 badges-web01.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org
+nuancier01.stg.phx2.fedoraproject.org
 
 [taskbot]
 taskbot01.qa.fedoraproject.org
diff --git a/playbooks/groups/nuancier.yml b/playbooks/groups/nuancier.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d2246f9813
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/groups/nuancier.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# create a new nuancier server
+# NOTE: should be used with --limit most of the time
+# NOTE: make sure there is room/space for this server on the vmhost
+# NOTE: most of these vars come from group_vars/badges-web* or from hostvars
+
+- name: make nuancier
+  # TODO -- add the nuancier production group when its ready
+  hosts: nuancier-stg
+  user: root
+  gather_facts: False
+
+  vars_files: 
+   - /srv/web/infra/ansible/vars/global.yml
+   - ${private}/vars.yml
+   - ${vars}/${ansible_distribution}.yml
+
+  tasks:
+  - include: $tasks/virt_instance_create.yml
+
+  handlers:
+  - include: $handlers/restart_services.yml
+
+- name: make the box be real
+  # TODO -- add the nuancier production group when its ready
+  hosts: nuancier-stg
+  user: root
+  gather_facts: True
+
+  vars_files: 
+   - /srv/web/infra/ansible/vars/global.yml
+   - ${private}/vars.yml
+   - ${vars}/${ansible_distribution}.yml
+
+  roles:
+  - /srv/web/infra/ansible/roles/base
+  - /srv/web/infra/ansible/roles/rkhunter
+  - /srv/web/infra/ansible/roles/denyhosts
+  - /srv/web/infra/ansible/roles/nagios_client
+  - /srv/web/infra/ansible/roles/fas_client
+  #- /srv/web/infra/ansible/roles/nuancier
+
+  tasks:
+  - include: $tasks/hosts.yml
+  - include: $tasks/yumrepos.yml
+  - include: $tasks/2fa_client.yml
+  - include: $tasks/motd.yml
+  - include: $tasks/sudo.yml
+  - include: $tasks/openvpn_client.yml
+    only_if: "'$env' != 'staging'"
+  - include: $tasks/fedmsg_base.yml
+  - include: $tasks/apache.yml
+  - include: $tasks/mod_wsgi.yml
+
+  handlers:
+  - include: $handlers/restart_services.yml