ASLOK XXXVI - Official TD AAR

[Bret Hildebran]

Stopped by the hotel yesterday to check on how things were going under Wild Bill's watchful eye. The World Cup was all tied up at 2 apiece. 20-some were already through the door by Saturday afternoon. I counted 22 but probably missed a few in that count. Pre-Reg list has pushed to 97 and I expect will continue to creep upwards to match or exceed last year's 113.

Today Dave Ginnard hosts the ASLOK Picnic at his place starting at 2PM and running until whenever. Hope to see you there...

 

[Actionjick]

Good luck and good gunnin to all!!

 

[Bret Hildebran]

USA Forces entered today with a 4-3 World Cup lead. Unfortunately Andy Rogers tied it up 4-4 when I was last at the hotel. There were 4-5 World Cup games ongoing, but all but 1 were suspended for the picnic. Derek Ritter was playing John Garlic in something relatively meaty being the only Cup action I witnessed ongoing. Suprisingly there were only 2 games going on total - definitely a low for my Sunday drive-by. Seemingly everyone was at the picnic. The other game was Wild Bill playing John Gorkowski in AP49 Retrained and Rearmed.

As usual the picnic was a top notch gathering hosted by Dave Ginnard and his better half Diane. I counted at least 38 through the door already, and I'm confident that is a bit of an under count as there were a few folks I recognized but wasn't placing with a name offhand. Mea culpa - call the picnic attendance ~35-40 which is fairly astounding this early in the week.

Official attendance hit exactly 100 so far...

 

[Bret Hildebran]

The US exited Sunday only down 7-6, but Monday was not kind to the US forces as the World went 6-2 with the only wins for the US being Mike McGrath (over Magnus Rimvald) and Kevin Killeen (over Michael Rodgers). And oddly this was all done with 2 of the better World players sidelined fighting a Euro-Aussie battle as George Tournemire and Andy Rogers squared off in a non-WC game. The World leads 13-8 entering the final day of Cup Competition, can the American forces rally today?

Official attendance up to 105. Believe 53 through the door by Monday night...

On the disconcerting front, the elevator to the Skyline Ballroom rolled boxcars yesterday and we are anxiously awaiting the repair dr today...

 

[Bret Hildebran]

In the World Cup MVP race for the US, Kevin Killeen leads at 2-0 while Chuck Payne, Gary Bartlett & Alan Wayne Saltzman are all sitting at 1-0 and +1. For the World, Philippe Briaux & Derek Ritter are both +3, Philippe at 4-1 and Derek a perfect 3-0. Andy Rogers is lurking at +2 and 3-1.

The most amusing game might have been when Mike McGrath's alarm went off last night at 8:10 and he immediately conceded as it was time for Monday Night Football. Gotta' have priorities...

 

[Ray Woloszyn]

ASL'er trapped on 6th floor...."The Elevator Man". 11:05 Monday night ASL Player RW was trapped for 90 minutes in the elevator to the Skyline ballroom despite two (one successful) rescue attempts by the Cleveland fire department. Despite a warning the elevator was not working in 8 font hand scratched note that the elevator was not working the door opened and trapped the hapless gamer for 90 minutes but has luck to have his cell phone "handy" called the front desk which cause the Cleveland fire department giving them wrong information of which of the three elevators were not working. A fourth panicked call got the stalwart firemen to come out again and rescue the obviously panicked ASL'er. The elevator is still out of commission so good luck to those who have to portage their gear to the 6th floor from the fifth floor assuming that elevator still works. Like John Merrick yelled, this ASL player yelled "I'm an ASLer, not a ton of ASL gear ."

 

[Fort]

In the World Cup MVP race for the US, Kevin Killeen leads at 2-0 while Chuck Payne, Gary Bartlett & Alan Wayne Saltzman are all sitting at 1-0 and +1. For the World, Philippe Briaux & Derek Ritter are both +3, Philippe at 4-1 and Derek a perfect 3-0. Andy Rogers is lurking at +2 and 3-1.

The most amusing game might have been when Mike McGrath's alarm went off last night at 8:10 and he immediately conceded as it was time for Monday Night Football. Gotta' have priorities...

LA and SF. Who concedes for those guys?

 

[Zakopious]

I called the Sheraton at 8:35am, Wednesday morning.
The elevator repair service is there now working on the elevator.

 

[Zakopious]

11:50am, Front Desk says that elevator repair service is still working on the 6th floor elevator.

 

[pwashington]

Working now. One of the regular elevators was also out. Not should about that one.

 

[Bret Hildebran]

Official attendance has creeped up to 108. 52 hardy souls got up at 8AM to join a mini this morning. Bill Lauter was the first to win a mini as he triumphed already in From Russia with Love #2.

The World triumphed yet again in the World Cup, although we will always have 2018, 23-9. They pulled away to a 5 game lead on Monday and then curb stomped the US forces on Tuesday with a gaudy 10-1 mark on the final day of cup action.

Kevin Killeen took home MVP honors for the US at +2, 2-0. Bob Bendis, Chuck Payne & Alan Saltzman all went 1-0 for the US to garner honorable mention choices.

Derek Ritter takes home the World MVP at +5 (5-0) winning a strength of schedule tie-breaker over Philippe Briaux (6-1). Andy Rogers officially ended at +4 (5-1) - if only he had overcome Mike McGrath faster he could have joined the tie-breaker but alas they adjourned overnight and didn't finish until Wednesday.

 

[Stephen Frum]

Absent from ASLOK since 2017, I was hoping to make this my year to return. Unfortunately, life got in the way. My 4 year old has been mildly sick for 4 days. I expect she will be fine, and her mother said I should go to ASLOK, but I don’t want to leave them.

I also love you all too much, my ASL comrades, to attend ASLOK and infect you.

So stay safe, have fun, and look for me next year.

In the meantime, on my behalf, you should pre-register for Human Wave 2023 (July 7-9) to indicate your interest in attending. We need a healthy summer tournament in the DC area, you should do your part.

 

[Thunderchief]

Congrats to "The World".

I hope to be back in 2023, so lets hope The World Top Guns return to make up for me.

 

[Actionjick]

Absent from ASLOK since 2017, I was hoping to make this my year to return. Unfortunately, life got in the way. My 4 year old has been mildly sick for 4 days. I expect she will be fine, and her mother said I should go to ASLOK, but I don’t want to leave them.

I also love you all too much, my ASL comrades, to attend ASLOK and infect you.

So stay safe, have fun, and look for me next year.

In the meantime, on my behalf, you should pre-register for Human Wave 2023 (July 7-9) to indicate your interest in attending. We need a healthy summer tournament in the DC area, you should do your part.

FFE. Family First Everytime. Good Man Stephen!

Here's hoping that she feels better soon.

 

[Bret Hildebran]

Official attendance has snuck up to 110 with the arrival of Cliff Smith & Jim Aikens last night.

Thursday morning sees 60 ASL Grognards battling in minis this morning. 7 full minis and the venerable Night mini with only 4 for some reason although all 4 are top notch night savants in Kevin Meyer, Wes Vaughn, Randy Rossi & JR VanMechlen.

Mini Results - Bonus Mini & Wednesday:

• Pont Grande Bridge (Bonus Mini) - Jim Svette knocked off Mike Cassaro in the final of Mike Faulkner's playtest mini of an Italian Bridge action.
• Godzilla King of the Monsters - John Garlic & Brian Wiersma made it to the finals and are dueling in Texas Flood today for plaque supremacy. Brian has the Germans.
• From Russia with Love - Bob Bendis knocked off Jack Daniels in the finals.
• From Russia with Love #2 - Bill Lauter won the first plaque of the day knocking off Jeff Talor.
• Gor-Gor Heretical Variant Mini - Wes Vaughn overcomes Chuck Payne to win the Pleva variant festival.
• Bushido: Way of the Warrior - Stan Jackson reasserts reasserts his PTO supremacy with a finals win over Jim Hunter.
• AARP ASLers - Randy Rossi takes home the wood with a win over John Haughey in the finals.
• Gunned Up in the Desert - John Gorkowski's British hung on in the final CC against Desert Maven Doug Sheppard's Germans in Khamsin. John wisely stayed concealed as Doug's Germans needed a clean win to take the last hex and his 1:2(-1) just missed due to the concealment.
• Twilight of the Reich (F&R Playtest) - George Tournemire will be facing off with Rob Loper in the final later this week as the playtest mini scenarios were probably a touch oversized.

 

[Bret Hildebran]

54 Avid ASLers braved the 8AM start time and made it into 9 different minis on Friday morning. Both Grofaz minis are full and Grofaz play outside of the minis is a tad sparse which will open up the chances that a 6-0 mark could be enough to be crowned Grofaz this year although it may vary depending on how well the TDs can deploy the spoilers...

Action Burk Thursday Theme Mini Results:

• Night - Randy Rossi regains his Night crown with a hard fought win over Wes Vaughn in the Finals.
• Pacific - Andy Rogers reigned supreme in the PTO with a win over Mike Faulkner as Mike's dice betrayed him at crunch time.
• Deluxe - Mike Zeimentz and Paul Chamberland are paired in the finals, but are Grofaz'ing now and have a date to finish on Saturday evening.
• Tincans & Popguns - John Gorkowski & Bob Bendis are currently in cardboard combat in a double jeopardy mini final & Grofaz 3rd round matchup.
• It's Like Being There! - Chuck Payne triumphed over Rodney Callen in the HASL mini final.
• From the Old Country - Jim Aikens & Bill Cirillo are currently engaged in a double jeopardy duel to decide the wood.
• Action Burk - JR Tracy & Steve Pleva have a date to decide the mini winner in the future. The best idea so far had them playing on the return trip to greater NYC while they made their 3rd party drive and they diced...
• Colonel Klink - Pete Shelling takes home the wood over Trent Dobbs in a hard fought battle - although I never heard a single "Ho-Gan!!!" uttered for the duration of the mini...

 

[Bret Hildebran]

And in perhaps the biggest news of ASLOK, Perry Cocke is actually playing in a non-play test game for the first time in who knows how many years? Don't tell anyone at MMP he's slacking on the playtest front. Perry is playing Erik Spurlock (son of Keith) in FT311 "Five-Oh Sink".

Grofaz Update - Friday Morning:

Best of the Best Grofaz Mini:

• Andy Rogers and John Garlic are facing off in AP40 Head of the Mace. Andy has the Brits. Note that everyone EXCEPT the scenario designer in this mini is playing The Beasts Have Arrived.
• Chuck Payne and Mike Zeimentz in AP169 The Beasts Have Arrived. Chuck has the Germans.
• Bill Cirillo and Jim Aikens are playing Beasts as well with Bill having the attacking Germans.
• JR Tracy and Trent Dobbs are also playing Beasts with JR having the Germans.

Best of 2022 Grofaz Mini:

• Brian Wiersma and Rodney Callen are playing Hazmo25 The Trial. Rodney has the Russians.
• Paul Chamberland and Steve Pleva are also playing the Trial. Steve has the Russians and had already gacked his tank FT.
• Bob Bendis and John Gorkowski also played the Trial with Bob winning as the Russians.
• Pete Shelling and Alan Saltzman went off list and played Rocket's Red Glare (195/G6) where Pete let Al have the Airborne! Al ended up winning ending Pete's Grofaz bid.

Grofaz Open Play:

• John McDiarmid is dueling David Nicholas in BoF7 The Fields of Black Gold. John has the attacking Germans.

 

[Michael R]

Friday morning photos

 

[Michael R]

More Friday morning photos.

 

[Michael R]

The board at 12:30 PM Friday