Have you ever played a scenario from one of Critical Hit's GWASL World War One modules?

Have you ever played a scenario from one of Critical Hit's GWASL World War One modules?

  • Yes

    Votes: 8 6.1%
  • No

    Votes: 107 81.7%
  • Solitaire Only

    Votes: 2 1.5%
  • Never even heard of these

    Votes: 14 10.7%

  • Total voters
    131

Pitman

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Have you ever actually played a scenario from one of Critical Hit's GWASL (Great War ASL) World War One modules? Please take a moment to give your answer in this poll. I'm trying to understand what sort of user base, if any, these products have.
 

Gunner Scott

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Probably alot of collectors buy this stuff, but I have seen two or three people on facebook that play these. Personally not my cup o java.

Scott
 

Blackcloud6

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I saw a photo of him and Fred (iirc) playing once.
Yes, that was me. We have played several of these and have enjoyed them very much. Now we play these with the understanding that in many cases the attacker is going to get hosed, but still enjoy playing them. They work and there is not a lot of rules changes overhead to make it work. You do get the sense of the terrible fighting that WWI combat was like. And it is different from WWII ASL as it should be. Our last game was out of the Ottoman pack and was and ottoman attack on an ANZAC trench line at Gallipoli. Dave won with the Turks but it was close and one of the best ASL scenario we have played.

I do think, as we get more into playing GWASL, that we are learning that there are tactics to make the attackers more able to win in some of the situations where you are crossing no-man's land facing a trench line with MGs.

I also played one against another friend where I had gas and fired it and it covered most of the board. Where else do you get to do that? It makes for an interesting scenario.
 
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Gunner Scott

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I am tempted to buy the Greek vs Turk 1920-1922 module. That looks interesting. The stalingrad rubble bounce packs were riddled with editing problems but they were also very fun scenarios too play.
 

Pitman

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Do you have examples of the editing problems in the rubble bounce packs?
 

Dave Lamb

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They have their issues, but if you wish to recreate a different feel from WW2 ASL, this hits the spot. I really like the platoon movement rules, which force you to move in impulses. Tactics are different with avoiding stacking whenever possible. Big amoeba-like stacks to open fire on the enemy.

I've played a dozen of these scenarios so far, most of them with Blackcloud6 (i.e., Fred Schwarz), and as he says further up the thread, they have been fun. 'Balance' is questionable, but if you're not playing competitively, they are still a fun simulation, IMO. The attackers lose almost every time, but this is holding to most WW I attacks. Heavy losses are to be expected.

I hope to play many more of these scenarios.
 

footsteps

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They have their issues, but if you wish to recreate a different feel from WW2 ASL, this hits the spot. I really like the platoon movement rules, which force you to move in impulses. Tactics are different with avoiding stacking whenever possible. Big amoeba-like stacks to open fire on the enemy.

I've played a dozen of these scenarios so far, most of them with Blackcloud6 (i.e., Fred Schwarz), and as he says further up the thread, they have been fun. 'Balance' is questionable, but if you're not playing competitively, they are still a fun simulation, IMO. The attackers lose almost every time, but this is holding to most WW I attacks. Heavy losses are to be expected.

I hope to play many more of these scenarios.
I wonder how they would play using the "Honza Method" (doubled OOB). ?
 

Justiciar

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This would result in a lot of counter-clutter. I mean counter-splatter...

von Marwitz
But all neatly clipped, if using your set, and with their resting place neatly demarcated. [I played an Australian ASLer at WO 2019, and their saying when one has a piece KIAed or CR...is "back in the box." Use Ozzie accent.]
 

footsteps

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But all neatly clipped, if using your set, and with their resting place neatly demarcated. [I played an Australian ASLer at WO 2019, and their saying when one has a piece KIAed or CR...is "back in the box." Use Ozzie accent.]
Do we need poppy counters to mark a KIA hex?
 

Justiciar

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That would be all hexes...just place a little poppy icon alongside the coordinate marker...
 

lucamartini

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I have all modules and played extensively.
good stuff (especially GWASL 1 and 2 where you can see Ian’s influence). In general:
  • rules ok. Render the WWI very well
  • nationalities well depicted (exc: Americans probably too strong)
  • some scenarios are wholly unbalanced. A handful ill designed and unplayable. but most of them are quite cool!
  • historical modules are great (exc: long 40 turns campaign, often not fully tested or ill designed like the one in Hindenburg line)
  • OBA: use ASL chit allotment; nowhere is written. Hence Austrian are axis minor
all in all there is LOT of fun and I reckon this is one of the best innovation in ASL. Great fun!
Buy the first module and try. Worth it.
 
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jrv

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nationalities well depicted (exc: Americans too strong)
This may be accurate. The Americans were very new to the war and did not have the dread of combat that other nationalities had developed. They moved and fought boldly, and suffered casualties to match. One might say they were the "Japanese infantry" of WWI.

JR
 
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