My Year in ASL [2017]

[pensatl1962]

This year I played 26 games (won 16, lost 9, and 1 is in progress) along with a half-complete Operation Turnscrew CG.
Highlights of the year (in no particular order):
1) Journal 12 - not a bad scenario in the lot.
2) Already played 4 scenarios from the new Friendly Fire 11 pack - hard to believe, but these guys just keep getting better and better. Thank you for some early war scenarios, too.
3) Spreading Blaze Tournament in Atlanta in August. A great time. This is a well-run tournament due to the efforts of Gary Bartlett and Brent Crawford. Plus we had a lot of out-of-area attendees this year, which was great to see - and to meet new opponents.
4) Finally got all my counters clipped, satisfying OCD urges. No further explanation needed.
5) Met a new Atlanta area opponent, Steve Dedier, who has really started strong.
6) BFP Operation Schmidt almost here...
7) Rumors of The Forgotten War almost here as well...
8) So, more counter clipping ahead!
Merry Christmas, everyone. Roll low!

 

[Doug Kirk]

Pretty average year for me. I got in 46 scenarios, all ftf, the only way I play. I went 26-20. I made it to three tourneys, Kansas City, Chicago, and St Louis. My favorite and most memorable scenarios, in no particular order, for year were:
WO22 The Cost of Non-Compliance
DB130 Tigers and Flames
SP254 Propitious Arrival
SP259 Corridor to Extinction
FrF87 Mormal Forest
I have played all the above twice, except Mormal Forest, but I am sure it will be played again in 2018 on the tourney circuit.

 

[djohannsen]

The year 2017 was my first in ASL. I solitaire played SK #1 in the Fall of 2016, and then reached out to my local club when I decided that I wanted to try face-to-face play. Andy Hershey was kind enough to invite me to WO in January, at which point he spent something like five or more hours with me, first explaining the differences between SK and ASL and then walking me through a playing of "Going to Church."

My first year of ASL has been a blast. First, I've enjoyed learning the basics of the game. Second, and more importantly, I've met some great people through the game and made some good friends. Andy Hershey and Mike Balis have been infinitely patient in helping me to learn the game, and I am privileged to count these gentlemen among my friends. The rest of the Fredericksburg ASL gang (principally Jack Daniels, Paul Washington, and John Stadick) have also been incredibly welcoming and proven to be a most excellent collection of chaps.

In the coming year, I hope to branch out beyond Chapters A-D. In particular, as a Marine, I hope to amble into Chapter G at some point during 2018. I am also hoping to dip my toes into the tournament waters, maybe even dragging myself to Cleveland in October for the opportunity to meet more of the people who (through Gamesquad and Facebook) have given me so much help during this past year (in particular, Chris Brackney, who has shown incredible kindness and generosity to me through Gamesquad).

Best of luck to all for 2018. May your MA never malf, unless you're playing me.

 

[Tuomo]

Marines amble?

 

[djohannsen]

Marines amble?

We old ones do, though we amble with a purpose. ;^)

 

[ReggieRed]

My highlight of 2017 was getting 29 games in, up considerably from my 2016 total of 12 (which was the first year of my "Great Reawakening" in which I picked up ASL again after a 15-year hiatus). Went 8-21 in those 29 games, of which 20 were via VASL live/Skype, 5 FtF and 4 VASL PBEM. One thing that I am particular proud of is the 5 FtF games as they were all against a 20-something co-worker of mine who was interested in board games so I introduced him to ASLSK. We played through four SK scenarios during our lunch breaks and he seemed really interested so last game we took the plunge into full ASL and played a SK#1 scenario (Released from the East) that I tweaked to full ASL rules. I think he is hooked now, so I'm ready for more lunchtime ASL in 2018! I don't know if I should feel bad about my playing skills or good about my teaching skills in the fact that I went 2-3 vs this newbie, but we would often talk through moves/options as we went and it was more of a joint effort rather than a true "competition". That, and my dice sucked...

Other highlights included tackling river crossings and seaborne assaults with my regular VASL live opponent Jeff Buser. If you have asked me back in 1995-2001 when I was playing ASL the first time around that I would eventually get around to doing seaborne assaults, I would have called you crazy. Now, I'm loving it and we're ready to tackling caves in Sea of Tranquility. Woo-hoo!

 

[RandyT0001]

This month last year, I had just recieved my first ASL order. I already had a 1st ed RB and 1st ed BV bought in the 1980's.

Over the year I have bought the following:
Pocket Rulebook 2nd Ed.
Rulebook 2nd Ed.

Modules
Beyond Valor 3rd Ed.
Yanks 3rd Ed. (American)
Yanks 3rd Ed.
Partisan! (Axis Minor Inf. / SW)
Hollow Legions (Italian)
For King and Country 2nd Ed. (British)
Croix de Guerre (French)
Doomed Battalions 3rd Ed. (Allied Minors)
Rising Sun (PTO-Japanese, Chinese, USMC)
Hakkaa Paalla (Finnish)

Scenario Packs
Action Pack 3 Few Returned (No maps – scenarios (Italian) only)
Action Pack 4 (Errata for 2nd Ed. Rulebook, boards 53, 54, 55)
Action Pack 5 (Maps 56, 57, 58)
Action Pack 6 (Maps 1a/b, 2a/b, 3a/b)
Action Pack 7 (Boards 60, 61, 62)
Action Pack 8 (Maps 4a/b, 5a/b, 6a/b)
Action Pack 9 (Maps 7a/b, 8a/b, 9a/b)
Action Pack 10 (Boards 69, 70)
Action Pack 11 (Boards 71, 72)
Action Pack 12 (Board 73)
Action Pack 13
Winter Offensive Bonus Pack 1 (Board 59)
Winter Offensive Bonus Pack 2 (Board 63)
Winter Offensive Bonus Pack 3 (Boards 64, 65)
Winter Offensive Bonus Pack 4 (Board 66)
Winter Offensive Bonus Pack 5 (Board 67)
Winter Offensive Bonus Pack 6 (Boards 10z, 17z)
Winter Offensive Bonus Pack 7 (Boards 74, 75)
Winter Offensive Bonus Pack 8 (Board 76)

Miscellaneous
ASL Journal #2 REPRINT
ASL Journal #3
ASL Journal #9
ASL Journal #10
ASL Journal #11
ASL Journal #12
ASL Journal #13
ASL Map Bundle (Maps 1-52, t-z)
Out of the Attic 2
Special Ops #1
Special Ops #2
Special Ops #3
Special Ops #4
Special Ops #5 (Map board 68)
Special Ops #6
Special Ops #7
Scenario Designers Guide
Scenario Designer’s Handbook

HASL
Kampfgruppe Peiper I
Pegasus Bridge

Dispatches From the Bunker
All back issues and subscription for next four

Lone Canuck Publishing
Battle of the Hedgerows: The Storm Broke
Purple Heart Draw
Winpack #2
Leibstandarte Pack 1: Blitzkrieg!
Leibstandarte Pack 2: Barbarossa
Leibstandarte Pack 3: Clash at Kharkov
Leibstandarte Pack 4: Turning the tide
Leibstandarte Pack 5: Scorched Earth
Wacht Am Rhein
Plus others not listed yet

Schwerpunkt/Sherry Enterprises
Schwerpunkt 1
Schwerpunkt 2
Schwerpunkt 3
Schwerpunkt 4
Schwerpunkt 7
Schwerpunkt 8
Schwerpunkt 9
Schwerpunkt 12
Schwerpunkt 14
Schwerpunkt 15
Schwerpunkt 16
Schwerpunkt 18
Schwerpunkt 19
Schwerpunkt 20
Schwerpunkt 21

Rally Point #13 The Yanks are Coming!

Critical Hit
ASLComp Warriors of the Negus
Black SS counter sheet
Russia Lend Lease counter sheet

Various
East Side Gamers’ Dezign Pak 2
SoCal Melee Pack 1
Friendly Fire Pack #2

Bounding Fire Productions
Crucible of Steel 2d ed.

I started a Facebook Group for scenario design and development for ASL and SL scenarios.

I have created a few maps and some overlay sheets using Hexdraw and posted them on GameSquad, Classic Squad Leader FB group, Advanced Squad Leader FB group, and the my Scenario Design FB group free to the community.

I have started friendships with some great people.

I played one ASL teacher-student game with Clubby on GS. After my formal retirement next year I plan to finish learning ASL then attend one or two tournaments if fiscally possible.

 

[kcole4001]

Wow!
Have you got a lot or reading/punching/clipping/sorting/storage organizing to do!

 

[Evan Sherry]

2017 was the most difficult for the Tampa ASL Group. We missed ASLOK and I was not sure we would finish production before the year ended. But, we made it and I think there may even be a few copies of Schwerpunkt #23 and Rally Point #14 waiting under some Christmas trees.

 

[Bill Cirillo]

2017 was the most difficult for the Tampa ASL Group. We missed ASLOK and I was not sure we would finish production before the year ended. But, we made it and I think there may even be a few copies of Schwerpunkt #23 and Rally Point #14 waiting under some Christmas trees.

Evan,

I'm pretty sure there is a set under my Christmas tree, especially given that I wrapped the package from the Gamer's Armory myself.

As always, looking forward to another great pair of Schwerpunkt products! Thank you for all you and the rest of the guys have done for the hobby these past 23 years!

Happy Holidays!

Bill

 

[Philippe D.]

I only managed to finish between 15 and 20 games this year (not completely sure - ROAR says 15, but there are definitely some that don't appear there), almost all of them VASL, but I also did learn a lot, so I'm pretty happy with it.

These last few weeks, I've been getting much more familiar with the Bocage rules - and looking forward to making an unsuspecting opponent wince when I spring on him all the nasty tricks that have been done to me!

 

[Jacometti]

2017 was a good ASL year for me.

I spent the first 6 months in Nigeria, during which I thoroughly enjoyed my two hours per week of VASL "personal time" with Chris Mazzei. We mostly playtested, completing Belgian Tigers and Moonlight Drive. Both were later published by Friendly Fire, alongside Red Tears Shed on Gray, which was already completed late 2016.

The new Journal saw the publication of my first ASL article (on VBM freeze), which was a fun project and made me proud, thanks to the support from Chas, Klas and Perry in finalising it. Our "In Deadly Combat" scenario was also published here and seems to get a good bit of play, even though many Russian players find it difficult to harness the large force for maximum effect.

At home in Halifax I started playing regularly with a (more or less) new opponent, who is learning ASL well - we have completed around 5 good games.

ASLOK was a blast this year - 10 days in Cleveland with my dear friends - although a 3-6 competitive record was fairly disgraceful. However, I also played 3 or 4 great playtest scenarios for our Death To Fascism pack, which was super. So as always ASLOK was a thoroughly enjoyed event, the highlight of my ASL year.

I managed to play in the Albany tournament again (for the third time), with six excellent opponents and some really great scenarios.

Finally, Chris and I are working very hard on our Death To Fascism scenario pack, which we are convinced will be a success late next year.

Wishing you all a great New Year!

Peter

 

[Ray Woloszyn]

I was able to play 72 games of ASL (face-to-face only) this year, a quantity garnered at the following ASL venues: Winter Offensive, West Coast Melee, Ritterkrieg's local Cross of Iron event, Bitter Ender, Texas Team Tournament, ASLOK and Grenadier. Locally I played mostly Dave Stephens, my erstwhile opponent since 1986. Being retired makes running up such a total quite easy and if I were truly a glutton, could have played more but with marital consequences.

Looking forward to 2018 I will once again pick up the TD duties at our North Carolina Bitter Ender, an event held since 1979 and originally named Winds of War. The deluge of scenarios makes it difficult to become an expert at any one scenario which is good for the hobby. It will be interesting to see if the Korean module generates a proportional amount of scenarios over time.

Happy New (ASL) Year when you record begins at 0 and 0!

 

[kcole4001]

I'd venture to say that this is solid evidence that the hobby is not diminishing, but growing.
Perhaps not as fast as it did in the 1970s and '80s, but growing nevertheless.

 

[Hovned31]

2017 saw me with 18 playings (and a game of Red Star, Red Sun still in progress).
I went a dismal 6-12 which included a brutal 8 game losing streak which is a record for me. Had fun with them all though. Wasn't able to attend any tourneys this year (hope for ASLOK in 2018).

Highlights were:

The First Bid. Finally got to play this one. It took up the big table in my game room for 11 months of the year. Had fun with this and would do it again. Won as the Russians, hope to play as the Germans at some point.

Badenov's Boy's-Played this twice. First experience with the Squad Bleeder scenarios.

Chepai Chockblock-I didn't have a single Chinese unit left on the map at the end. Still had a great time.

 

[Ray Woloszyn]

2017 was the most difficult for the Tampa ASL Group. We missed ASLOK and I was not sure we would finish production before the year ended. But, we made it and I think there may even be a few copies of Schwerpunkt #23 and Rally Point #14 waiting under some Christmas trees.

Exactly and if I do not get them to my hobby room they'll go out with the tree if my wife has anything to say.

 

[Joe Moro]

2017 has been a very happy ASL Year for me

Played 22 scenarios in total. (5 FtF, the rest by VASL - mostly Pbem). This is a great improvement from previous years were i averaged approx 6 games a year
11 wins - 11 lost. Does that make an average player?

The highlight was my 3 wins out of the five games played at Cancon 2017 - my best result so far. I will try and go one better next month!

Happy 2018 guys and roll low (unless playing against me!)

Cheers

 

[Danno]

In a flurry of last minute games, I played 7 games in the last three days of the year to finish with 101 games in 2017. My first time in 35 years of being in the triple numbers. I won 42 of the games. Since my life time average is about 42% I had a average year.

I went to 4 tournaments. One as the Tournament Director. 2017 was a great year of ASL. Looking forward to 2018.

 

[Jeff Sewall]

Good ASL year for me. Returned to the hobby after a 18-month hiatus. Bought a bunch of stuff I missed. Bought a counter clipper. Made it to ASLOK for the 1st time. Had a blast. Hoping to be there longer next year. Got a bunch of pbem games going. Looking for more. Broke my counter clipper.

 

[JR Brackin]

I did not get in as many ASL games this year, only 31. Of these 9 were were playtest and 1 was an ill-fated CG. Otherwise I went 9-12 for the year.

I played only 7 different opponents and and playtested against 1 person I had not played previously.

Best scenarios of 2017 for me were (in no particular order):

J-183 a Real Barn Burner - I lost this one due to a long range shot from a unit that was able to escape from CC.

J-182 Belgian Blitzkrieg - lost this when I blew a three squad 3:1 advantage in CC - all three were lost with no advantage gained

FrF 91 Moonlight Drive - it has to be good with a Doors song title as the name - see JRV's AAR, this was nip and tuck all the way through, maybe if my FT's did anything it would have gone my way

ITR-12 Sosabowski Slapdown - this was a good infantry city battle with various options for entering in the Polish reinforcements - in my game my opponent could have entered them in better positions to hit my left flank which would have caused me significant issues

At present I have 2 scenarios that are carrying over to the new year and if all works out well I will be at WO from Thursday to Saturday morning so hopefully I can get off to strong start.

Happy New Year!