Just got Avalon Hill 1985 ASL rules - recommended sources for additions?

[bprobst]

. I also understand that although the pocket edition may be easier to transport and to read in bed, the big binder edition is the safe bet for the full rules.

Well ... yes and no. You need the binder version to get all the charts and tables, and to get Chapter H. So in that respect it's essential. However, what you don't get with the binder version, but you do get with the pocket rulebook is: all the replacement pages issued for 2nd edition, current up to and including HP; and a convenient summary of all of the errata up to and including ASL Journal #10 (further errata has since been issued in Journals 11 & 12). (Most, but not all, of the replacement pages can be downloaded from the MMP web site.)

What you don't get with either is the up-to-date versions of the Chapter Dividers, which are only supplied in HP. Without those, you'll need to apply some (generally minor) errata to the charts provided in the binder.

The short answer is, the binder is essential, but don't rule out getting the pASLRB as well (as circumstances permit).

 

[JeffPreston]

Thanks again so much for all the information - there are certainly lots of details here that help anyone like me who is not necessarily just going to go ahead and buy both MMP rule books.

Was slogging away at 'Early Battles' ASLSK3 S25 solo last night... Love all the early war stuff! Interesting change from Tigers and Shermans.

 

[Russ Isaia]

This is a most interesting discussion - many thanks to all who have posted.


Ownership of the 1985 rules has been invaluable as I neither had the budget for, nor was prepared - without having seen them - to spend £57.00 on, the MMP rules.


I needed a good look at a version of the rules first. My concern was there would be so much extra material beyond ASLSK 3, or that its presentation would be so difficult to read, that I would simply reject it out of hand as being too much work for a wargame.


The 1985 rules were very cheap - so the budget has not been affected much.


At this point I understand that updating the 1985 rules with inserts, etc is not the way to go and the next step is simply getting the MMP product. I also understand that although the pocket edition may be easier to transport and to read in bed, the big binder edition is the safe bet for the full rules.

I kept my 1st ed. rules around only for the educational value. It sometimes helps to understand how the rules came to be. But the 2d ed. is indeed the way to go. You could try playing desert scenarios only initially while you wait for budget to allow -- that chapter has never (yet) being updated to 2nd ed. so what you have is exactly what anyone else would have, minus a few changes you can get from MMP. Of course, you still will not have an update of the basic chapters, but on the plus side, in the desert you won't have to deal with any version of the Bocage rules!

Consider also creating the budgetary room - sell your ASLSKs secondhand to someone else who wants to peek in. Besides, with (among other features) concealment or snipers that ASLSK lacks, ASL is a way more exciting game (you'll know what I mean by "exciting" when the 10-3 leader directing your kill stack gets picked off by a sniper triggered by some idiot 50mm mortar crew nibbling at concealed enemy units in a fortified stone building!).

 

[JeffPreston]

Thanks for the tips! I've been playing with some of the rules from full ASL but mainly enjoying getting my head around ASLSK rules. Looking forward to getting the 2nd edition MMP binder.

 

[Eagle4ty]

Thanks for the tips! I've been playing with some of the rules from full ASL but mainly enjoying getting my head around ASLSK rules. Looking forward to getting the 2nd edition MMP binder.

Another thing to pick up is small notebook to jot down rules or tidbits that you've picked up and annotate where they came from. I've been doing that for most of 30 years (on at least the 3rd notebook), doesn't make me any smarter, but is some interesting reading when I skim through them again.:study:

 

[JeffPreston]

Excellent! I've been doing the same with my iPhone's 'Notes' feature. Questions pop into my head at the strangest times (throughout the day) and I'll make a note of it and then make sure I find out the answer. Thanks for the tip!

 

[von Marwitz]

Another thing to pick up is small notebook to jot down rules or tidbits that you've picked up and annotate where they came from. I've been doing that for most of 30 years (on at least the 3rd notebook), doesn't make me any smarter, but is some interesting reading when I skim through them again.:study:

I like that! Basically, this seems to be a similar thing which brought us the nice Journal 12 article about some ASL Nuggets (or what was it called?).

In fact, I have been accumulating a similar file for some time now (much, much less than 30 years though) which I call 'Ye Big Blacke Booke of von Marwitz's Quillets.

It holds some interesting tricks that I have mostly picked up in the forum here, some explanations that of game mechanics which I find it hard to grok and things like that.

Maybe your notebooks could be a source for 'ASL Nuggets Part 2' when submitted to MMP or shared here?

von Marwitz