My Year in ASL [2017]

[WuWei]

I have officially ended my ASL season for this year. Time for a recap!
I have finished 27 ASL games this year, bringing my total number up to 96. Still below 100, but I'm getting close!
Mostly thanks to the VASLeague, I played against eight different opponents. Thank you all! Every single one of you was a good opponent. My victories were fun, and my defeats educational.

My TOP 3 highlights of 2017:
3. Operation Veritable: I lost as the Canadian, and badly so, but it was my first campaign and I learned a lot. The rematch is coming next year!
2. ASL135 Hill 253.5: A really wild game with crits and mean snipers on all sides. I climbed a cliff for the first time, and it was even halfway sensible to do so!
1. ASL130 Debacle at Korosten: In that game, I had a cavalry charge succeed! I know that it is wrong to charge, and it wasn't the best tactical option. But sometimes it's just fun to take the high risk high reward path, and doubly so when the dice are on your side. Also in that game, I could interdict a routing unit with a well placed ATR on a hill. I'm still proud I came up with that myself.

So, how was your year in ASL?

 

[hongkongwargamer]

My ASL season is still going - but here's a RECAP anyway.

I have finished 24 games (CG dates + scenarios) - but I did take a 1.5 mths off. I am officially at 132 completed + 10 playtest completed. 10 in progress + 10 on hold/abandoned.

Highlight of the year is of course Siem Reap.

Interestingly I am wading more and more into CGs - 3 of my PT are CGs, plus I am doing Gavutu-Tanambogo & Suicide Creek, looking to get into Those Bloody Ragged Bastards. Thanks as always to Witchbottles for getting me started, he's a huge CG guy.

Other Highlights (that I can remember)

• I got involved in more design / production activities - specifically proof reading, playtesting, researching. This is such a privilege.
• My opponents are gems. Again and again since 2013 I keep running into the best of people, plus I acquire even more opponents this year - specifically from China & Taiwan. I am sorry that they have to learn from me but at least this will get them started.
• I am really settling into the highly visual style of my AARs. I also love the interactions that my blog brought about!
• What John Knowles kept teaching me is finally coming thru (no one ever accused me of being smart) - yesterday I found myself looking to
  
  • get a leader to grab an MG from a brokie
    
  • move another squad in
  • transfer the MG from the leader to the squad in AdvPh
  • advance the now MG armed squad out

Beautiful huh? But of course my leader rolled a 6 on the recovery .. brokies ain't handing it over easy ..

​

Rgds Jack

 

[Eagle4ty]

My ASL CY is also done and I was only able to get in 50 scenario playings this year. Six scenarios I had played two or more times, normally in preparation for a tourney and at the tournament itself. Of the 50 playings, I only rated one as a 10 out of 10 for playability, fun, balance and enjoyment of opponent: ASL119 Ancient Feud. Another 10 playings I had given a mark of 9 of 10 to: DB130 Tigers & Flames, AP119 Konev's Cross, J94 Kempf At Melikovo, J175 Bedburg Bite, SB6 Eviscerating Vienna, ASL186 L'Abbaye Blanche, ASL145 Shanghai In Flames, VotG14 Pavlov's House, SP259 Corridor To Extinction & J182 Belgian Blitzkreig. This is not to say that all were delicately balanced or that I won them (actually only 5 of the 11 were wins by me), but they certainly were fun games with a variety of opponents conducted in various venues. It's my hope that in the coming year I'll be able to get back into the swing and knock out 75+ games a year again and get into a few more venues and more opponents.

 

[von Marwitz]

In 2017, I have played 35 scenarios (23 wins / 12 losses), of which 22 were played via VASL and 13 FtF. Of the FtF games 8 were played during the 1 tournament I attended. There were 16 different opponents.

Among these scenarios, I ranked 2 with a 9 (J159 'Tropic Lighting' which is one of my all-time favorites, and good ol' A60 'Totsugeki!'). The most tense game of all was probably WO12 'Heart of Wilderness' where my Germans valiantly struggled to hold their castle yonder that gully against some frustrations, but in the end, it was not to be. This was followed by YASL#2 'Initial Skirmish' where my Germans by the barest of margins managed to edge in a win. Great games!

I believe that this year I might pretty surely have played my 500th scenario, but as I never systematically kept track of my playings before 2010, this will never be safely established.

Currently, 1 scenario is running, 1 is set to start and 2 are awaiting my opponent's setups.

Besides actual playing, I finished the transition to my new RAACO storage at the start of the year (glad, that this s***load of work is finally done with...), created or updated roughly 40 nice VASL setup-files, and of course bought some stuff. A special thanks goes out to Philippe Briaux, who brought me some booty over from ASLOK despite his accident there. I hope you are recovering well!

Grenadier Tournament was the highlight this year, with 8 games played there and tons of fun had at the gaming tables and chatting with the crowd. Dank und Anerkennung an Herrn Koch für die ausgezeichnete Ausrichtung. Wir sehen uns in Biarritz!

Last but not least, I spent considerable time in this here forum coming close to my 8000th post, hopefully adding constructively to what's going on here. My special thanks go out to JRV, Klas Malmström, Eagle4ty, and Mr.Weir among others for their continued support and input.

Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Peace,
von Marwitz

 

[Roy]

I stopped playing ASL for almost a year after the June tournament we played in Texas, summer 2016. I played 1 scenario immediately prior to our next outing to the same tournament in 2017. After returning home that June, I resolved that I was either going to have to play ASL regularly or find something else to do.

I dove back into ASL. I will either improve or all my cardboard soldiers will suffer the consequences at the hands of my opponents, but I will not abandon the game.

Since then, I have picked up several games, and started an ASL journey from January to the end of the war in which I will probably die of old age before completing.

I also restarted my blog Cardboardwarrior.blog after growing tired of the hassles of the old site.

I am re-reading all of my annuals and journals and need to re-read the rulebook. Journal 2 has inspired me to look for an opponent to play a Pegasus Bridge campaign with as soon as I free up a couple of spots.

Not much, but better than before last summer.

Roy

 

[Tuomo]

I don't think I played a single scenario all year. That said, it was a great year in terms of map productivity. So, thumbs up

 

[von Marwitz]

I dove back into ASL. I will either improve or all my cardboard soldiers will suffer the consequences at the hands of my opponents, but I will not abandon the game.

How about if you do not abandon ASL but 'Abandon Ship' (WCW5) instead?
It is supposed to be a good one...

von Marwitz

 

[kcole4001]

Finished off SK2, played through SK3, and am 1 scenario from finishing the SK expansion pack. Could've done more, but not bad overall.
I also filled in the gaps in APs and WO packs that I didn't have, got a few more choice TPP products, and started a collection of BattleDice.
I only need one map (68: came ot in Spec Ops 5, don't know if I'll get the mag or not) to complete the set, then await Red October and some more choice TPP and more BattleDice.

Really, a great ASL year all in all!

 

[lionelc62]

According to ROAR I have played 45 games this year. May be also 20 playtests of LFT scenarios
Most games were played using PBEM (only 10 games ftf).

Twelve scenarios published also (2 MMP / 10 LFT)!

highlights:
- playing my first game with caves on Kakazu ridge
- playing 80 % of the scenarios of STN : operation chariot

Thanks to all my opponents in 2017!
Lionel

 

[buser333]

I have played 103 games this year and hope to sneak in a few more yet. Played with river crossings, LC, and seaborne invasions for the first time and going to be tackling caves next (though now that I have read those rules for the first time I am starting to think that was a mistake!) Next year hopefully I will finally play some desert.

 

[olli]

Well this year has probably been about the best for games played in the last 10!

 

[kcole4001]

According to ROAR I have played 45 games this year. May be also 20 playtests of LFT scenarios
Most games were played using PBEM (only 10 games ftf).

Twelve scenarios published also (2 MMP / 10 LFT)!

highlights:
- playing my first game with caves on Kakazu ridge
- playing 80 % of the scenarios of STN : operation chariot

Thanks to all my opponents in 2017!
Lionel

How is Op. Chariot?
That is full bore ASL!

 

[chris_olden]

I don't think I played a single scenario all year. That said, it was a great year in terms of map productivity. So, thumbs up

Well, I played a few published scenarios, and a bunch of playtest scenarios, so it was a decent year ASL-wise.

 

[Michael R]

I played 78 games and won 47 of them. They were quite a mix of FtF, VASL and PBEM. I was fortunate to be able to go to the West Coast Melee, the Canadian ASL Open, Tussle in the Tundra, ASLOK (for eight days) and the New York State ASL Championship. I helped (along with several others) Magnus Rimvall of Sweden get back into ASL with weekly sessions. I did proof-reading for MMP and a bit of work on Ortona.

 

[Paul M. Weir]

Mine has been the worst ASL year for quite a time. While I have kept up with releases from MMP, BFP, LCP and SP, I haven't even kept up with scanning in the scenarios and boards. Other than reading stuff and posting here I have done nothing ASL.

 

[lionelc62]

How is Op. Chariot?
That is full bore ASL!

Immersive !

 

[Thunderchief]

At the start of the year I was 43 years old and had played 532 scenarios since starting in 1993, so set myself the goal of reaching 1000 games by the time I am 50 (December 2023).

This year I played 43 scenarios (20 wins, 23 losses), a mix of FTF, VASL and VASL PBEM. So I am about 20 behind my goal, so far.......

At the moment I have some VASL PBEM games going and setups for live VASL games to be started in the New Year.

It has been a good year for ASL - a trip to Normandy, Saumur and St Nazaire with an ASL buddy, playing some Pegasus Bridge scenarios during our stay in Caen, catching up on some missed purchases, reuniting with some players I had not played against for years, and finding new opponents also.

Next year will be my return to ASLOK - I last attended in 2010. Things are looking up!

 

[dur]

In this, my first full year in the hobby, I managed to complete about 45 scenarios, half of which were Starter Kit with my Face to Face buddy. My full ASL scenarios were a mixed bag, ranging from third party stuff (Rally Point, Schwerpunkt and others) to scenarios from Yanks 2, including 1 DTO scenario (Rachi Ridge). I played through SKs 1-3 including bonus scenarios from Operations and we are currently working through more bonus scenarios and making our way towards SKEP1. I playtested a bit for MMP for an upcoming AP. Kept up with all the incremental ASL product from this year and I am eagerly awaiting Forgotten War in the next few weeks.

 

[MAS01]

I stopped playing ASL for almost a year after the June tournament we played in in Texas, summer 2016. I played 1 scenario immediately prior to our next outing to the same tournament in 2017. After returning home that June, I resolved that I was either going to have to play ASL regularly or find something else to do.

I dove back into ASL. I will either improve or all my cardboard soldiers will suffer the consequences at the hands of my opponents, but I will not abandon the game.

Since then, I have picked up several games, and started an ASL journey from January to the end of the war in which I will probably die of old age before completing.

I also restarted my blog Cardboardwarrior.blog after growing tired of the hassles of the old site.

I am re-reading all of my annuals and journals and need to re-read the rulebook. Journal 2 has inspired me to look for an opponent to play a Pegasus Bridge campaign with as soon as I free up a couple of spots.

Not much, but better than before last summer.

Roy

Hey Roy!

Contact me when you want to get this started. I'd be good with either campaign.

Cheers,


Mark

 

[Yokowermland]

This Year i played 26 games and is one third in to Pegasus Bridge CGIII. Won 16 and lost 10. Attended my first Tournament (Supporting Fire) and had the time of my life. Won two out of 5 there but the learning experience was immense. Special thanks to Andreas Carlsson and his crew for the friendly atmosphere. About half of my games was by PBEM and the rest split between VASL live and FtF.

All this despite taking care of 3 three kids and a wife (and i been a working man dang near all my life - Merle Haggard) and my mother being on her deathbed. Next year i plan on going to two tourney and play even more.

Merry Christmas