September 2013 Tournament and The Top Ten Squad Leader Scenarios
The Tournament
September of 2013 leaves the Tournament with 55 players and 111 games. Twenty-four of these players have returned for more than one game. They have 22 games in progress, have completed 70 games and 19 games have gone incomplete. The three months ended September 30, 2013 have seen 19 new games started and ten games completed.
Tournament Rankings as of September 30, 2013:
First Place - Brian (17 matches and 67 points)
Second Place - SL Tom (21 matches and 64 points)
Third Place - Barry (22 matches and 63 points)
We matching players in about 3 days so if you are interested in a game, sign up.
The Top Ten Squad Leader Scenarios
“Top” is subjective and for this list it sometimes means ‘innovative’ or ‘interesting’ or ‘contributive’ but more often than not it means ‘large’. After seeing 430+ scenarios over the last few months there were many memorable ones and this list includes a few of my favorites. I’m not saying they are balanced or playable but from a design perspective each is interesting in its own regard.
12. - ‘Tactical Training Series’ Anyone learning Squad Leader in the ‘90s probably used the TTS scenarios at some point. Alpha, Beta and Gamma introduced me to the tactics of fire and movement with programmed instruction and commentary in a way the confined streets of Stalingrad could not. In my opinion it remains the best tool for learning the Squad Leader system. Although Alan Y is no longer active, his site Advance Phase is up and content rich.
11 - ‘Chance Encounter’’ and ‘The Bowling Alley’ - They are the first and only solitaire scenarios for Squad Leader and among the last three pre-ASL scenarios published by OAF in February of 1992 and October of 1993, respectively.
10 - ‘Battle of Arrecourt’ and ‘The 82nd In Normandy’ - Tied. A five scenario campaign and a series of five related scenarios designed by Tim Taylor and Ted Bleck, respectively that were published by OAF mid-1986 and mid-1988. I like the time when Squad Leader was evolving, it was an innovative and creative period in the system with much community participation. It progressed from the enthusiasm of its contributors, not only Hill, Greenwood, Medrow, Mishcon but also Hock, Treadaway, Martuzas, Wilder and all the others who designed, created, contributed and played. It was the proverbial ‘Wild-West’ in a system that developed into the fully matured ASL. Here are two examples of designs from SL enthusiasts.
9.- ‘The Commando Campaign Game’ - Remember the Campaign Game in the back of the Squad Leader Rule book? Imagine doing that for a Brigade sized OB of Commandos over thirteen scenarios...without a computer. Manage attrition, replacement, promotion and advancement in addition to playing the scenarios. Oh-yeah, and each scenario has a maximum length of thirty turns!
8. - ‘The City’ - a Vietnam era scenario complete with Hueys, M-113, M-60’s and a village map. Some ‘Full Metal Jacket’ for the Squad Leader system.
7. - ‘Night Battle For Kharkov’ - I don’t like playing Scenario 4 as the Russians - you do all the work moving 32 squads and the German player just sits back and fires at you. This has that same frustration but with 60 counters...all AFVs...and in the dark. The German is battling the boxcars with a 24% probability of malfunctioning 3 or more MAs over 60 shots. The Russian is battling exhaustion from moving so many counters. If you like big east front armor scenarios then don’t miss this.
6 - ‘Otryad’ - More of a story than a campaign. You follow a German convoy as it fights its way through partisan infested country to deliver its supplies. The convoy must cross thirteen boards broken into seven scenarios with victory decided by how many units make it through.
5. - ‘Sevastopol’ - 1,432 counters (excluding 206 fortification counters and 460 mine factors.) 48 Turns. 28 Boards. 6 fortress overlays. Counters for Dora (820mm) and Thor (600mm). A giant Anti-Tank Ditch. The boards measure 7 feet by 5 feet. This is the opus of large scenario design and i’m not suggesting you play it but the scenario is impressive to see.. (Those interested in large scenarios for The Bulge should see “Across the River Ambleve”, although that only has 1,378 counters.)
4 - ‘Bloody Betio!’ - Blood and Sand brought the Pacific Theater to Squad Leader, including invasion, caves, tunnels, infiltration, dogs and more. Sure, the rules may not be to TAHGC standard but here is a player who wanted the PTO for Squad Leader and he made it happen - Rules, Boards, Counters & Published. Ooh-Rah!
3 - ‘Take Suribachi’ - Come on, is there anything more patriotic than planting the American Flag on Mt Suribachi? It even has a counter for Old Glory. I cry red, white and blue just reading the scenario card.
2 - ‘Hill 621’ - This one taught me the importance of combined arms. How can those 8 German squads hold off 48 Russian squads? The other perspective is worse - finding your 48 squads can’t beat 8 Germans. Its not easy but if the Germans get the artillery, armor and infantry working together they can pull it off. The Avalon Hill General published “Holding The Ridge, An Analysis of Scenario 5” by Martin Shaw in Vol22#6. There is also an After Action Report from a tourny game (remember to click download pics.)
1. - ______________________ ‘Top’ is subjective and for this list it sometimes means that any and all could fill the number one spot. I can still remember the first time i played Scenario 1 back in 1982 and seriously considered putting it here. However everyone has their own favorite and maybe its a memory of you and your buddies in the ‘80s beating hordes of germans in the Ardennes or you and your dad fighting in the rubble of Stalingrad. Which is the best and for whatever reason, only you can decide…
Want to find these scenarios easily? See the new ‘Anthology’ feature in the Scenario Archive. Click and search ‘Top Ten’ and the List and Map are updated (you must open a new map). Just for fun, click on Sevastopol or ATRA to see the counter breakdown in the details block. It barely fits the boards and the counter breakdowns are telling.
Enjoy,
Scott ‘2IFT +3’
links:
Tournament Page
https://sites.google.com/site/2012squadleadertourny/
Scenarios Page
https://sites.google.com/site/2012squadleadertourny/scenarios
Advance Phase
http://home.earthlink.net/~advancephase/
The General hill 621
http://www.vftt.co.uk/ah_general.asp
hill 621 aar
https://sites.google.com/site/2012squadleadertourny/squad-leader-after-acton-reports?place=msg/squad-leader-aars/QM1lNaTaBxo/KD8ICmcuD-wJ
blood and sand
http://forums.gamesquad.com/showthread.php?91367-Looking-for-P-16-mapboard-Scenario&p=1627469&viewfull=1#post1627469
