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n3ddy

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Crikey! I remember the day, rather than the date but it was back in 1984. I hardly dared touch the counters, it all just seemed too good to be true!
 

Psycho

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Thirty-one years ago today, I played my first Squad Leader Scenario, The Guards Counterattack(Oct. 6, 1942).
:smoke:

When did you start?
I was too busy pleasuring your mom to play wargames, twit. :p

I got in much later, just before ASL hit the shelves. :thumup:
 

prymus

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Sept. 19 1978, for my birthday, with money sent to me by dear Grandmama. Still remember the smell cracking open the box when I brought it home from Toys'R'Us. Great stuff, but too much reading to play that day. But did get to Guards Counterattack the next day.Wish I could capture the thrill of that day again.Still have the game too, in great shape.
 

jwb3

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Thirty-one years ago today, I played my first Squad Leader Scenario, The Guards Counterattack(Oct. 6, 1942).
:smoke:

When did you start?
Good grief. You want me to remember the date? I have enough trouble remembering the year! :hmmm:

Probably 1978 sometime. Mine was not bought for any special occasion that would help me narrow down the date...

Oddly enough, The Guards Counterattack was the first scenario I played, too! What are the odds? :crosseye:

:clown:


John
 

chucknra

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I played sometime back in late '77. I was lucky enough to buy one of the purple box editions (see classified ads for selling information). I was in the 8th grade when I bought it. That was my first AH game. I remember my neighbor's older brother playing SPI games and watching him...I was hooked! I had played Foxbat and Phantom but wanted a "ground" wargame so I bought SQL.
 

Kevin Kenneally

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Funny thing about this date as well.

It was my relase date from the Ireland Army Hospital at Fort Knox Ky. I spent 27 days in the hospital with 1st - 3rd degree burns on my hands, right arm and face. An artillery simulator malfunctioned while I was supporting a tank platoon of Armor Lts in the Armor School. All told, seven soldiers were admitted into the hospital within 4 days of each other from the same simulator. The investigation discovered a bad batch with very short fuzes. Instead of the 15 second fuze, they all had 3 second fuzes.

As for SL, I was not introduced into the SL game until June 1980.
 

custardpie

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1984 for me 25th December to be exact. Again spooky it was Guards Counterattck. March 18th 1985 and I had all four parts to the system and have never looked back. My copy half worn out from play, especially board 1 and the Germans. Moved to ASL and have survived the shall I sell it stage after the second child was born. Now play almost every day via PBEM
 

macrobo

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Hi All

Down Under I took till I was in Grade 10 and then on the final months of 1982
Saw it and bought it - Purple Box
Then Played my Dad till he died a few years later as well as a chap who turned into my regular opponent for the next 2 decades till I went OS and he likely died from his heavy smoking - I reckon I have smokers lung from the amount he smoked

Rob
 

Eric Westfere

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christmas 1978, and thirty some years later I have the 4th edition open on my gaming table as I write this, setting up the guards counter attack, I do not know what it is about the original squad leader, but I find myself still playing the darn thing atleast once a month. Love asl and always will, but the ole game still brings a smile to my face. Merry christmas everybody...
 

Red2112

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Totally new to SQL and ASL, but have played a bit with ASLSK #1-3, and Tigers on the Hunt, a PC wargame which uses the ASLSK rules. Other then that, I have played other wargames...

Cheers.
 

jbulloug

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I discovered Squad Leader in late March 2020 just as the pandemic kicked in. My son and I had just previously started playing Tactics II after ordering a copy on Ebay, and soon learned about Squad Leader. Previous gaming experience was D&D and Chainmail, a precursor battle system for fantasy characters. SL has been a great way for me to bond with my son! And so far he seems to enjoy it. I have picked up a couple ASL starter kits and the full ASL rule book, but find those interesting to read but difficult for us to learn. Can't beat the programmed instruction of original SL. John Hill was truly an inspired genius!
 

Actionjick

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SL is a good place to begin although many would advocate the Starter Kit. I liked the programmed instruction. Not ASL but fun. It's where I started. Good luck and roll low.
 

jbulloug

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SL is a good place to begin although many would advocate the Starter Kit. I liked the programmed instruction. Not ASL but fun. It's where I started. Good luck and roll low.
We've found even the SKs to be a little difficult to penetrate. Maybe if I had a longer wargame history I'd find it easier to bend my mind to the ASL/SK way of thinking. I also would love to read John Hill's first draft of the SL game, which apparently was much "chattier" than Don Greenwood made the published SL to be.
 

Faded 8-1

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I don't think Don wrote the original SL rulebook. He wrote the ASLRB A through D. Maybe E too, not sure about that. Mac wrote F and I think G.

The original ASLRB (A through D) was basically SL with all of Don's own house rules and additions he used himself over the years. He came up with the best set of wargame house rules ever devised and from them wrote the best, most comprehensive wargame rulebook ever written. IMO.

Yeah, I got a lot of respect for the brain of Don Greenwood.
 
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Peter J

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Hi All

Down Under I took till I was in Grade 10 and then on the final months of 1982
Saw it and bought it - Purple Box
Then Played my Dad till he died a few years later as well as a chap who turned into my regular opponent for the next 2 decades till I went OS and he likely died from his heavy smoking - I reckon I have smokers lung from the amount he smoked

Rob
Rob, I think we all suffered a bit of passive smoking after a game with Paul.
 

RandyT0001

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We've found even the SKs to be a little difficult to penetrate. Maybe if I had a longer wargame history I'd find it easier to bend my mind to the ASL/SK way of thinking. I also would love to read John Hill's first draft of the SL game, which apparently was much "chattier" than Don Greenwood made the published SL to be.
For help with ASLSK, I suggest a copy of Jay Richardson's 'ASLSK Tutorial' found at Texas ASL website.
http://www.texas-asl.com/download/ASLSKTutorial.v1.0.pdf

There you will also find Jim Stahler's SL to ASL Tutorials in the download section.

And the entire Texas ASL website has many resources.
 
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