Anybody have a tutorial for ASL Tactics

[Servius]

We're playing through SK#1 and #1 son is killing me. While I'm thrilled, I have to beat him soon.

I seem to have trouble assaulting positions.

I think we're doing OK with the rules, but the tutorials I find are the basic rules videos.

Thanks.

 

[bendizoid]

Don't stack

 

[Eagle4ty]

The 4 F's: Find 'em, Fix 'em, Flank 'em, the last F I'll leave to you (Fight 'em I guess). But seriously, the key to any successful assault is to unmask the enemy as much as possible; Use your supporting weapons to suppress or hinder the enemy's ability to react; Use the most covered & concealed route to get as close to the enemy as possible (your assault position), hopefully against the weakest position (normally on a flank); Make your assault as rapidly and with as much violence as possible (there's no such thing as a fair fight), bring friends with guns & have them bring friends with bigger guns if possible; Don't go half hearted, if it takes time to build your assault element and time is available, bring all but your supporting fires, and then have them ready to reinforce your gains.

 

[jrv]

I am not aware of a good article on tactics. Part of the problem with writing such an article is that different players need to do different things. Some players are not aggressive enough and end up short at the end of the game. Some are too aggressive and run out of steam. Finding that right balance is the trick, and to make it even more fun, the right balance can vary with the scenario. Giving your opponent difficult choices is one element. If your opponent has a defending unit, as your first move send an attacking unit adjacent to it. He can either fire at that unit, which will prevent him from firing at other units that move past (because a defender can fire at a range longer than to the closest enemy unit when already marked with a first fire counter), or he can hold his fire for other targets, allowing you to get in close. "Don't stack" is probably safe advice, although sometimes you can.

JR

 

[Servius]

So if he has multiple defending units, you need to send enough troops to draw the fire and have some left over to reach an objective?

Obviously you want to suppress his guns with your guns.(i.e. Prep Fire to make them break even a pin is no guarantee of safety.) But I seem to wind up using many of my troops for PrepFire, breaking far too few and have few left to advance.

 

[jrv]

So if he has multiple defending units, you need to send enough troops to draw the fire and have some left over to reach an objective?

Obviously you want to suppress his guns with your guns.(i.e. Prep Fire to make them break even a pin is no guarantee of safety.) But I seem to wind up using many of my troops for PrepFire, breaking far too few and have few left to advance.

In most scenarios the name of the game is time. The defender wants to hold the attacker at one line until the attacker gets enough forces in place to overwhelm the defender. If the defender has planned well, he falls back at just the right time to the next defensible line. Defensible lines are usually open terrain of some kind, streets being the obvious example. The defender needs to be sure that there is a way out of his defensive position; lone woods or buildings are usually death traps. If the defender works this right the attacker runs out of time to achieve the victory conditions. On the other side the attacker usually wants to get behind the defender and/or break the defenders units in a place they can't rout from easily. Once the defender is broken the attacker needs to keep that unit DM. If possible move so that the broken unit is eliminated for failure to rout.

In general for the attacker Prep Fire should be your second option. Your first should be movement. There are times when Prep is the right call but favor movement. Prep fire when there is a powerful unit that you can't maneuver around. Fire in the AFPh with large firegroups of unstacked units that moved. This is where forcing your opponent to make a hard choice comes in. If you send a squad up adjacent to one of his defenders, he now has to choose whether to shoot it, which will allow others to swing around beyond and behind, or hold his fire, leaving him vulnerable to fire in the AFPh.

Generally the attacker does not have guns except on tanks. If he has one he should see if it has smoke/WP. Smoke and WP are very valuable for opening holes in the defense. Tanks should also favor movement. Using them to move up for point-blank fire during the MPh is one use. The other is to get behind defenders to prevent them from routing.

JR

 

[macrobo]

Hi
have you seen these

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGAQwByEwdoidlhNglaRvH6fq1aZC5sI4

ROb

 

[jrv]

Regarding timing, one quick way to judge how to play a particular scenario is to count the distance to the victory condition (assuming it's a piece of terrain) then divide that distance by the number of turns. That gives a rough number of hexes per turn that you have to move. For victory conditions like building control, it usually takes an extra turn or two to control the building as there are ways to slow it down, so you need to factor that in. Some turns you will move faster than others, but the number will give you some start in thinking how aggressively you have to move. In most scenarios you will find that you can only sit around Prep firing a turn or possibly two.

JR

 

[clubby]

Tactics are unfortunately one of those things you learn the hard way.

 

[Thomas Marshall]

Advice: Don't take as gospel any advice that states an absolute such as "Don't Stack."

There are no absolutes in ASL. More useful advice with regard to stacking is "Don't stack, unless it is the right time (often early in the scenario...and then later to exploit an opening) and right circumstance (out of LOS or with significant Hindrance between the stack and potential attackers) to do so."

 

[Servius]

Advice: Don't take as gospel any advice that states an absolute such as "Don't Stack."

There are no absolutes in ASL. More useful advice with regard to stacking is "Don't stack, unless it is the right time (often early in the scenario...and then later to exploit an opening) and right circumstance (out of LOS or with significant Hindrance between the stack and potential attackers) to do so."

Or a situation where you want to get a bunch of guys up the road in a hurry and use the officer movement bonus. They can move into individual hexes in the advance phase.

 

[Servius]

Hi
have you seen these

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGAQwByEwdoidlhNglaRvH6fq1aZC5sI4

ROb

I had seen those but they looked like rule / how to play videos. I'll take a closer look now.

 

[Servius]

In most scenarios the name of the game is time. The defender wants to hold the attacker at one line until the attacker gets enough forces in place to overwhelm the defender. If the defender has planned well, he falls back at just the right time to the next defensible line. Defensible lines are usually open terrain of some kind, streets being the obvious example. The defender needs to be sure that there is a way out of his defensive position; lone woods or buildings are usually death traps. If the defender works this right the attacker runs out of time to achieve the victory conditions. On the other side the attacker usually wants to get behind the defender and/or break the defenders units in a place they can't rout from easily. Once the defender is broken the attacker needs to keep that unit DM. If possible move so that the broken unit is eliminated for failure to rout.

In general for the attacker Prep Fire should be your second option. Your first should be movement. There are times when Prep is the right call but favor movement. Prep fire when there is a powerful unit that you can't maneuver around. Fire in the AFPh with large firegroups of unstacked units that moved. This is where forcing your opponent to make a hard choice comes in. If you send a squad up adjacent to one of his defenders, he now has to choose whether to shoot it, which will allow others to swing around beyond and behind, or hold his fire, leaving him vulnerable to fire in the AFPh.

Generally the attacker does not have guns except on tanks. If he has one he should see if it has smoke/WP. Smoke and WP are very valuable for opening holes in the defense. Tanks should also favor movement. Using them to move up for point-blank fire during the MPh is one use. The other is to get behind defenders to prevent them from routing.

JR

Thank you. This is very helpful.

I had never considered making PrepFire my second option. It should completely change my approach to a scenario.

 

[jrv]

I had never considered making PrepFire my second option. It should completely change my approach to a scenario.

One of the problems with writing a good tactics article is that it is very situational. If your opponent gives you a great Prep Fire opportunity (e.g. a large stack), by all means take it. If you can't move anywhere without being shot to pieces, then prep fire is probably better. In ASLSK you don't have concealment so there will be more opportunities for good shots, but even so, movement will force the defender into bad situations more often than fire. Sometimes you will take one shot at a particularly threatening defender then move the rest. If you have smoke of any kind using that in prep fire will also allow a lot of movement opportunities.

JR

 

[Eagle4ty]

When moving to contact, it is always a good rule of thumb to make contact with the smallest element initially (read that as a HS or two). If you can force a defender to fire at a HS or more it will usually open up a wealth of opportunities for other movement. As for the overwatch (support elements) this usually only consists of MMGs/HMGs directed by the 2nd/3rd best leaders you have along with Lt Mtrs & other less mobile support assets. The Assault element usually consists of the recon boys (HSs), the best infantry types & LMGs, and your best leader (and possibly your 4th best Ldr to be in the rear with the gear to round up brokies), this may be augmented with vehicles. Always remember, Smoke is your friend. Like actual combat, the intent is to displace and disorient your enemy, his destruction will be caused by manoeuvre more often than by sheer firepower, this is certainly even more true in ASL.

 

[tugais]

Did you read these articles hosted on BBG ? They helped me a lot to understand the basics.

 

[von Marwitz]

One of the most true ASL wisdoms that that has been taught to me many years ago by the late Christian Koppmeyer was this:

ASL is a game of movement.

And another one, which is not an easy help for a beginner but worth always to keep in mind nevertheless:

Always try to put tough decisions on your opponent.

To make it three:

ASL is a game of chances.

The little things seem not to be of great importance and by themselves they might not be. But they add up to make a difference. So keep the probabilities in mind and have a basic understanding of them.


von Marwitz

 

[Caise]

Don't know if you've seen it, but in the old General Magazine Vol 30 No. 1 on page 53 is an article titled Tactics 101 in which Mike McGrath lays out some pretty valuable advice (at least to me).

Good luck. My son has been kicking my butt since he was 12!
Caise

edit: I think the Generals are available online somewhere.

 

[Paul Schorfheide]

There was a similar thread on GameSquad a while ago, someone helpfully collected the articles (and links where available) together here:

https://hongkongwargamer.com/2013/07/21/grognards-speaks-advanced-squad-leader-articles-that-change-their-lives/

 

[Servius]

There was a similar thread on GameSquad a while ago, someone helpfully collected the articles (and links where available) together here:

https://hongkongwargamer.com/2013/07/21/grognards-speaks-advanced-squad-leader-articles-that-change-their-lives/

Nice, I bookmarked that one.