Anybody have a tutorial for ASL Tactics

Servius

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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.
General Magazines are available here: http://www.vftt.co.uk/ah_mags.asp?ProdID=PDF_Gen
That's alot of reading material.
 

Megaloman

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bendizoid

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As attacker: try to use the Defensive FF like it was Prepfire. If you break them in Dfire they will be DMed in your rally phase so you can move instead of prepfire.
Bring all your guys out at once in the advance phase, then break them in DFire.

Defender: try to use 1/2 squads, broke guys and even leaders to 'stuff' the attack for a turn. Lots of times even one lousy broken 1/2 squad can hold the attack for a turn.

*IMPORTANT*
Learn to calculate the midpoint of any LOS, it is usually the center of a hexside. This simple ability will improve your game dramatically because it breaks down tricky LOSs into discernible parts.

Oh, don't stack and rarely use foxholes (they are deathtraps).

One more thing, don't use dice with skulls on them or any other bulls**t.
 
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jrv

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Defender: try to use 1/2 squads, broke guys and even leaders to 'stuff' the attack for a turn. Lots of times even one lousy broken 1/2 squad can hold the attack for a turn.
Sound advice but more useful for ASL than for ASLSK, where deploying is not part of the rules.

JR
 

kcole4001

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"Don't stack" is usually the first lesson learned by noobs the hard way.
It sure was for me. (three 8-3-8s and a 10-2 leader KIA'd and I never did recover that FT)

Also, the tip that it's a game of movement rather than fire is extremely important.
Scenarios can be won with very little firing sometimes.
Prep fire is not meant for every unit to fire that can see the enemy, it's easier to destroy enemies by cutting their rout paths.

Which brings us to routing: learning to keep your rout paths clear is extremely important, probably one of the toughest parts of the game to master.
Always be thinking about where your unit could rout if it breaks where you want to move it.
Because it will break, trust me.
Maybe not this time, but it will sooner or later, and if you're prepared that's a good start to recovering.

Read as many tactics articles as you can find, and always have fun whether you win or lose.
I'd rather lose a good, close game than win a walk over.

My son is also doing quite well playing through the SKs.
 

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Always have a plan but never discount sheer dumb luck. :D Last night, me and shirlfactor were playing WCW07 Eye of the Tiger. I had placed a 9-1, 4-5-8 and the HMG too close to his entry area using WA. He flanked my position which I left unprotected and the HMG botched every shot I took with it. I finally decided to get them out of there and advanced back into a woods hex, not realizing that his HMG still had LOS to me. In his next PFPh, he broke the squad and then moved a ldr and 6-5-8 adjacent to me. He also turned a 4-4-7 berserk that only had LOS to a HS about 5 hexes away. I was forced to drop the HMG and rout away and he advanced into the hex becoming my new Berserk target, hoping to pick up the HMG and cut me to pieces. I had routed the leader into a building 2 hexes away and in that subsequent RPh, the 9-1 was able to rally a HS. He botched the pickup attempt with a 6, but he was still going to get a leader direct 12 -2 shot on me on my first MF and then a 9 flat shot on me when I entered the hex, plus has a 3:2 advantage in CC if he didn't kill me first. With no other options, I took that 2 flat shot on him in PFPh and rolled a 3. Both of his units failed the 1MC and the Berserk was able to waltz in there unmolested and eliminate them in CC, return to normal and hopefully will be picking up the HMG in the upcoming RPh. Total luck.
 

c600g

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One I have learned the hard way - always think about what happens if this unit breaks? Where do I want to rout the unit to? Who will rally it?

Alan
 

von Marwitz

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With no other options, I took that 2 flat shot on him in PFPh and rolled a 3. Both of his units failed the 1MC and the Berserk was able to waltz in there unmolested and eliminate them in CC, return to normal and hopefully will be picking up the HMG in the upcoming RPh. Total luck.
The Berserker would have entered the hex of the brokies but most likely, he would not have been able to kill them in CC. As there was no Melee yet after the entry of the Berserkers, the brokies were not "held" and could have just routed away in their Regular Rout Phase (terrain and situation permitting otherwise) without the Berserkers being able to do anything about it. Thus, it might not even have come to CC during the CCPh. However, even before the RtPh, the Berserkers had the opportunity to fire at the brokies in-hex during AFPh (Triple-Point-Blank for in-hex, and halved for Advancing Fire).

However, once "held" in Melee (i.e. after surviving a first round of CC), the prospects of broken units are sobering - they cannot any longer Rout during the RtPh but instead during the CCPh must attempt to withdraw (-2 CC DRM for attacks against them), they are broken (another cumulative -2 CC DRM for attacks against them), and they cannot attack themselves because they are broken.

von Marwitz
 
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clubby

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In any case, looking over the board, they were eliminated for FTR.
 

bprobst

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In any case, looking over the board, they were eliminated for FTR.
Fine, but in that case Mr Berserker would still be looking for someone to kill, and won't be picking up the HMG any time soon.

Returning to the thread topic:

These points have already been discussed, but it never hurts to reiterate the basics:

Regarding Prep Fire -- quoting the estimable Jamie Westlake, "if you're not moving, you're losing".

Don't stack, except where you want/need to.

Smoke, smoke, smoke, smoke. Not sure on the concept? Repeat as necessary: smoke, smoke, smoke, smoke.

Never attack the enemy where he is strong. That's what he wants you to do. He doesn't have your best interests at heart!

Always present your opponents with choices -- ideally, difficult choices. If he's confused about what his next best move is, you're doing your job.

Remember that every rule has an exception. Be flexible!

And most importantly: roll low!
 
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Carln0130

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As others have mentioned, in ASL, the rule of thumb, is that there is no rule of thumb. Good tips articles inform you of your options. It is up to you, once you have been made aware of your full range of options, to apply it correctly to your particular situation. How do you fully discover your options? You can do this through a combination of play and rules reading. A healthy dose of analysis post game, that takes the individual DR's out of the equation and asks what could I have done differently, win or lose, is also very helpful. Even after a severe dicing, try not to focus on that aspect of what transpired, but rather, what could I have done to improve my probabilities. Also look at if you could have reached some locations, without the dice being rolled. That is the best tactic of all.
 

von Marwitz

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As others have mentioned, in ASL, the rule of thumb, is that there is no rule of thumb.
I wouldn't say that. In fact, I believe that there are a good number of rules of thumb. However, you can be pretty darn sure, that they will not always apply due to particular circumstances or one of those EXCs that seem to lurk under any stone you turn.

You might say that the difference between a novice player and a normal player is that the latter has a reasonable grasp on those rules of thumb and standard procedures. The difference of a regular player and an expert player would be that the latter is aware of those EXCs, rules interdependencies and particular circumstances, in which the rules of thumb will not apply.

von Marwitz
 

Carln0130

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I wouldn't say that. In fact, I believe that there are a good number of rules of thumb. However, you can be pretty darn sure, that they will not always apply due to particular circumstances or one of those EXCs that seem to lurk under any stone you turn.

You might say that the difference between a novice player and a normal player is that the latter has a reasonable grasp on those rules of thumb and standard procedures. The difference of a regular player and an expert player would be that the latter is aware of those EXCs, rules interdependencies and particular circumstances, in which the rules of thumb will not apply.
Two different ways of saying the same thing basically, but if you can think of a rule of thumb, there is always a situation where ignoring is actually advantageous. So in that regard, you can't have a mentality of marrying yourself to the rules of thumb, rather, marry yourself to the situation, rules of thumb be damned. We are somewhat saying the same things in different ways. I say it the way I do, because I see so many new players fall into the trap of believing a rule of thumb will apply in all cases, when it doesn't. There is a real need to remain flexible in your tactical thinking with this game.
 

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Pssssst .. the guy above writes THE "book" on tactics .. he has an article on the back of (almost) every issue of Dispatches from the Bunker since AGGGEEES ago.

Rgds Jack
 

Carln0130

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Pssssst .. the guy above writes THE "book" on tactics .. he has an article on the back of (almost) every issue of Dispatches from the Bunker since AGGGEEES ago.

Rgds Jack
The preceding ad paid for by.......................................................;-)
 

Servius

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Thank's guys,

Between your suggestions and getting my butt kicked on the defense by someone who knew what he was doing, I've learned how to conduct a plausible attack.

It was especially eye opening when my opponent last week at the TCASL meeting counter exhausted his troops, ran them up to my defensive line and then advanced them adjacent to my troops in advance phase. I had more targets to shoot at than I could deal with and he overwhelmed the position.

I was able to win on the offensive in S4: Welcome Back and demonstrate the offensive technique.

I think we had been allowing subsequent defensive fire against units that were not the closest to the firing unit. That really changes the offense/defense dynamic of a scenario.
 

clubby

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Pssssst .. the guy above writes THE "book" on tactics .. he has an article on the back of (almost) every issue of Dispatches from the Bunker since AGGGEEES ago.

Rgds Jack
He's the cat's pajamas.
 

von Marwitz

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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.
Looking at this thread, I just remembered that I have put up a list of tips in the resource section that have once been compiled by "Jim" (unfortunately, I do not know more about him, so as to give him full credit). Link is here:

http://www.gamesquad.com/forums/index.php?resources/finer-points-some-things-to-keep-in-mind-to-better-your-play.11/

von Marwitz
 

ThePrimeMover

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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.
Sorry about the long winded answers here. I've tried to keep it as succinct as possible:

I guess you are getting tanked by PBF? You can't really use HS to draw fire so a few methods;

1. use smoke if you have it. Remember it's 2 MF to throw it into an adjacent hex. It's 2 MF to advance into an open ground hex with smoke so you can't assault move without a leader. But another squad can assault move in if not with a leader.

2. Do not go through open ground ESPECIALLY with a flamethrower (it's neg 3 - not pretty!) try to move through buildings.

3. If you must cross a street then it's a bit trickier especially if you have no smoke. Look at hooking at the top or bottom end of the street (Z N4/N8). Get a squad you won't miss and assault move next to the enemy - it will probably break/be eliminated. En First fire. Now that unit can't Subsequent First Fire at further range so you can blow raspberries as you run past.

4. As defender learn to Skulk

5. Lastly work out if you need to go into CC or just advance adjacent. Don't forget the enemy will get to Prep next turn!
 
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