Miniatures in ASL

[Actionjick]

Not wanting to steer the What MMP Products thread totally off course but curious about the topic I thought I would seek some feedback here.

The miniatures always looked really cool but seemed like a hassle. If you just wanted to play cardboard was fine. The GHQ micro armor advertisement in the original Chapter J touted the advantages of playing with the micro armor. I don't see how that can be true but never having used micro armor my opinion is formed from speculation, not information.

Is there a market these days for ASL miniatures?

Can VASL use some kind of minature? Is VASL compatible with DASL? How does that work?

I wouldn't be interested in them as an ASL gamer. As an ASL enthusiast or collector maybe more so. Lol if your kit is big now imagine it with miniatures.

Any input is greatly appreciated. I am taking a small break from Civilization and ASL in any form is a great diversion for me and Gamesquad indulges that.

 

[Zakopious]

I did not answer the last two questions about playing with ASL miniatures (microarmor) because I have played in many microarmor games but never used microarmor on a DASL map.

 

[zgrose]

Haven’t played with minis but I do enjoy playing games with minis that also be played with cardboard (e.g. BattleTech). But I’d hazard a guess that the people that would get the most fun for their dollar are those that enjoy the painting and terrain creating as a hobby in and of itself. That doesn’t really float my boat anymore, but I’d play with someone else’s kit.

 

[Actionjick]

Haven’t played with minis but I do enjoy playing games with minis that also be played with cardboard (e.g. BattleTech). But I’d hazard a guess that the people that would get the most fun for their dollar are those that enjoy the painting and terrain creating as a hobby in and of itself. That doesn’t really float my boat anymore, but I’d play with someone else’s kit.

I think that is probably an accurate assessment. Fortunately ASL can accommodate all kinds of players and activities, it's a big tent.

 

[brunger]

Not wanting to steer the What MMP Products thread totally off course but curious about the topic I thought I would seek some feedback here.

The miniatures always looked really cool but seemed like a hassle. If you just wanted to play cardboard was fine. The GHQ micro armor advertisement in the original Chapter J touted the advantages of playing with the micro armor. I don't see how that can be true but never having used micro armor my opinion is formed from speculation, not information.

Is there a market these days for ASL miniatures?

Can VASL use some kind of minature? Is VASL compatible with DASL? How does that work?

I wouldn't be interested in them as an ASL gamer. As an ASL enthusiast or collector maybe more so. Lol if your kit is big now imagine it with miniatures.

Any input is greatly appreciated. I am taking a small break from Civilization and ASL in any form is a great diversion for me and Gamesquad indulges that.

I think that is probably an accurate assessment. Fortunately ASL can accommodate all kinds of players and activities, it's a big tent.

 

[brunger]

View attachment 23037

My miniatures voted against my leading them into battle

 

[Actionjick]

My miniatures voted against my leading them into battle

They must know something!

 

[brunger]

Probably more than me

 

[fenyan]

Yes they are a bit of hassle to bring onto the ASL board. And before that you've got to spend extra $$$ on the minis, paint them, and base them so they can be more easily stored, handled and transported.

Miniatures would take up two scarce resources at our weekly ASL gatherings: time and space. ASL is a top-notch playing experience already without miniatures. After playing a few times, for me I would miniaturize only the vehicles and leave everything else to cardboard counters, and only play on Deluxe boards. I have made some miniature foamcore replicas of some of the DASL boards. But I'd only bring these to a special event or maybe a smaller two-mapper that was a prearranged scenario. It's more of thing more easily played at home (if you have room).

Microarmor does look great but I don't like looking at reference cards for the data. After experimenting with a few different styles of microarmor bases, I think the most playable solution is to make slightly enlarged versions of the actual counters to base the microarmor on. Players are used to finding the vehicle info quickly with just a glance at the counter.

Miniatures are for simpler rules sets that allow people to bring out their whole enchilada of terrain and minis, with pre-bought painted figures or painting themselves. ASL is not vehicle-centric which makes it less predisposed to miniatures.

 

[Actionjick]

Yes they are a bit of hassle to bring onto the ASL board. And before that you've got to spend extra $$$ on the minis, paint them, and base them so they can be more easily stored, handled and transported.

Miniatures would take up two scarce resources at our weekly ASL gatherings: time and space. ASL is a top-notch playing experience already without miniatures. After playing a few times, for me I would miniaturize only the vehicles and leave everything else to cardboard counters, and only play on Deluxe boards. I have made some miniature foamcore replicas of some of the DASL boards. But I'd only bring these to a special event or maybe a smaller two-mapper that was a prearranged scenario. It's more of thing more easily played at home (if you have room).

Microarmor does look great but I don't like looking at reference cards for the data. After experimenting with a few different styles of microarmor bases, I think the most playable solution is to make slightly enlarged versions of the actual counters to base the microarmor on. Players are used to finding the vehicle info quickly with just a glance at the counter.

Miniatures are for simpler rules sets that allow people to bring out their whole enchilada of terrain and minis, with pre-bought painted figures or painting themselves. ASL is not vehicle-centric which makes it less predisposed to miniatures.

Thanks for the input. Interesting about mounting the vehicle on an enlarged counter.

 

[von Marwitz]

Too much fuss using miniatures. Total humbug for infantry, as with multi-level buildings - where to place infantry miniatures?

I theory only (reasonably) doable for vehicles. But I would not want to spend the time a) buying them / sinking money into them, b) painting them / sinking time into them instead of playing, c) limiting myself to DASL-size boards.

As a bottom-line:
IMHO miniatures are more a burden than a boon for purposes of ASL.

That said - each to his own.

von Marwitz

 

[Old Noob]

Not interested. It's all I can do to keep my hand steady when cutting out counters from countersheets
and cutting out overlays. I do not believe that I have enough reserve steadiness for painting an AFV
the size of a Peanut M&M.

 

[Gordon]

Time for 1/6th scale (i.e., GI Joe action figures) ASL.

 

[Actionjick]

It seems as though there is a niche market for miniatures but most players are just not that interested. Cool stuff but outweighed by the expense and hassle.

 

[brunger]

It’s a lot of trouble looking after your miniature privates on a complex battlefield

 

[Actionjick]

It’s a lot of trouble looking after your miniature privates on a complex battlefield

That gets funnier and more poignant each time I read it!

 

[Jwil2020]

Having played miniatures for many years, I believe part of the appeal is not simply the actual figures, despite how meticulously (and laboriously) one has painted them. The 3D effect of well-crafted terrain is also an important part of the attraction. You have to have a cool looking battlefield to go with all those historically accurate figures!

IMO, despite the excellent artwork of the Deluxe map boards, the flat, 2D, look was at least part of the reason the ASL in miniatures experiment never really took off. At least for me, having some nifty micro armor running around on a paper map just never lit my candle.

Today, I think part of the appeal of those mega-hexes is the space it allows one to spread out all the stuff and reduce the fiddle-factor of tall (and falling) stacks.

Besides, part of John Hill's original design was to intentionally give a miniatures 'feel' to the flat world of hex and counter games. Something I think he certainly succeeded at accomplishing.

 

[brunger]

Ahhh playing with miniatures is dangerous? “ I’m alright Bob it’s just a scratch?” Cried out by a leader when wounded has a whole new meaning to those who have spent hours painting every detail in fine relief. The art is ruined!!@££. 🥲ruined!

Do fine detail model painters on production lines get a day off to just paint blood 🩸 spatter?

I was never any good at model painting even when young? Before eyesight, concentration and age took its toll

 

[Actionjick]

Ahhh playing with miniatures is dangerous? “ I’m alright Bob it’s just a scratch?” Cried out by a leader when wounded has a whole new meaning to those who have spent hours painting every detail in fine relief. The art is ruined!!@££. 🥲ruined!

Do fine detail model painters on production lines get a day off to just paint blood 🩸 spatter?

I was never any good at model painting even when young? Before eyesight, concentration and age took its toll

I sucked at all that artistic stuff. I couldn't stay in the lines coloring, was horrible with scissors and painting models was a waste of time and paper route money. The models ended blown up with firecrackers or heaps of molten slag in the incinerator.

 

[Actionjick]

I sucked at all that artistic stuff. I couldn't stay in the lines coloring, was horrible with scissors and painting models was a waste of time and paper route money. The models ended blown up with firecrackers or heaps of molten slag in the incinerator.

I built the Bismarck with packets of lighter fluid in the hull. It's blazing end in the incinerator was quite a sight.