Greetings!
I was a big fan of "Ambush!" and played a lot in the mid to late '80s. I was always tempted by ASL (which was pretty new at that time), but the rulebook scared me away. I stopped playing board games for a while during college, etc. In the late '90s, I got interested again and decided to take another shot at learning ASL. I bought BV, Paratrooper and Yanks, but even with Jim Stahler's Programmed Instructions, I couldn't cram all those rules in my head, and was too shy to try to find an opponent that would be willing to teach me.
Fast forward to 2007 - I still can't get this game out of my head so I decided to give the system another try (third time's the charm, right?). I've had ASL Starter Kits 1 & 2 for a while, and I somehow managed to convince my wife to play a few scenarios with me. We've played about 7 ASLSK games, and are pretty comfortable with the starter kit rules. I'm learning the ordnance, guns rules from ASLSK#2 now, and having a blast! I'm still hesitant to delve into the ASLRB, but I've definitely built up some confidence now that I'm learning and playing with the starter kit rules.
This is a fantastic game, but I'm always amazed to find other people who have mastered the rulebook. I think part of my problem is that I hate the idea of playing the game "wrong" by neglecting a rule, but I'm starting to accept the fact that rules errors are just part of the game.
Anyway, this forum is clearly a great tool for a newbie like me. Looking forward to feeding my new addiction, and hopefully taking the plunge into ASL in the near future!
-Bryant