SASL Enemy Activation

mburskey

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I am confused with Table 1 Activation Check on each nationality chart in SASL.

German table states something like this "Friendly Infantry is in LOS within 12 hexes with a final drm < or = -2"

An example...an American 6-6-6 squad normal moves into a wood building (+2 TEM) within LOS 12 hexes
of a Suspect German enemy counter. (I assume no AC check.) This same squad continues normal move in open terrain for two
more hexes...now within 10 hexes of the same Suspect enemy counter (drm = -2).

Would the Suspect counter have to undergo an activation check?

If I read SASL rule 3.31 asterisk note...FFMO and FFNAM do not count towards this advancing unit's net IFT drm.

Thank you for any help!

Mike Burskey
 

A_T_Great

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I am confused with Table 1 Activation Check on each nationality chart in SASL.

German table states something like this "Friendly Infantry is in LOS within 12 hexes with a final drm < or = -2"

An example...an American 6-6-6 squad normal moves into a wood building (+2 TEM) within LOS 12 hexes
of a Suspect German enemy counter. (I assume no AC check.) This same squad continues normal move in open terrain for two
more hexes...now within 10 hexes of the same Suspect enemy counter (drm = -2).

Would the Suspect counter have to undergo an activation check?

If I read SASL rule 3.31 asterisk note...FFMO and FFNAM do not count towards this advancing unit's net IFT drm.

Thank you for any help!

Mike Burskey
Hi Mike,
That one confused me for a while too. What they are saying, is during the MPh, FFMO and FFNAM count toward the activation. During the APh they do not count.
 

mburskey

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Thank you for clearing this up! The wording on the chart and in the rules is confusing.

In my example, the American 6-6-6 in MPh moved into open terrain
within 10 hexes of a german suspect counter (drm = -2). I would think the german suspect
counter would undergo an activation check based on G1 table A). Am I wrong?
 
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Steed

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At 12 hexes you would have an IFT mod of +1 ( +2 Wood Building, -1 Non-Assault Movement), No Activation Roll
At 11 hexes you would have an IFT mod of -2 (-1 Non-Assault, -1 Movement in Open ), Yes Activation Roll.
At 10 hexes you also have -2 so you would have to roll. Although at 10 hex range the modifier might less for the activation ( <=-1 ) - I don't have the rules with me at the moment.

I'm also assuming there are no LOS hindrances.

Basically the final ITF modifier ( movement, terrain, LOS hindrances ) has to be equal to or less then what is on the chart for that particular range. And ofcourse a LOS.

For the Russians
@ 8 hexes mod <= -2
@ 6 hexes mod <=-1
@ 4 hexes mod <=0

So at 7 hexes the modifier has to <=-2, at 5 hexes <= -1.

Hope it helps.
 

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Thanks Steed! This is a big help. These rules can be confusing.

This may help you. Recently I've been playing SASL with a friend on VASL - yes 2 players playing Solitaire ASL. I have part of the company and he has the other part. It allows us to learn the rules and tactics quicker and I think better. I've been playing SASL for 3-4 years ( mostly during winter months ) and thought I was pretty good with the rules but I've been corrected several times by my friend who is just getting into SASL ( we've both had ASL for decades ). It's certainly not as competitive as head to head but it's been fun so far. Hopefully you can find someone else who's interested enough to give it a try.
 

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This may help you. Recently I've been playing SASL with a friend on VASL - yes 2 players playing Solitaire ASL. I have part of the company and he has the other part. It allows us to learn the rules and tactics quicker and I think better. I've been playing SASL for 3-4 years ( mostly during winter months ) and thought I was pretty good with the rules but I've been corrected several times by my friend who is just getting into SASL ( we've both had ASL for decades ). It's certainly not as competitive as head to head but it's been fun so far. Hopefully you can find someone else who's interested enough to give it a try.
Despite having SASL on the shelf for years, I'm only now giving it a serious go, and very much enjoying it, also hoping to play some cooperative games with my regular opponents. Question regarding activation - a friendly AFV would not be subject to FFNAM/FFMO, so could get closer to Suspect counters before triggering their activation than infantry, when crossing open ground?
 

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Despite having SASL on the shelf for years, I'm only now giving it a serious go, and very much enjoying it, also hoping to play some cooperative games with my regular opponents. Question regarding activation - a friendly AFV would not be subject to FFNAM/FFMO, so could get closer to Suspect counters before triggering their activation than infantry, when crossing open ground?
Vehicles have their own line on the activation check chart. As you can see below, they are only activated at close range.
13911
 

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Thanks @A_T_Great, not sure how I missed that when it's right there in black and white :oops:. So a buttoned up AFV can advance adjacent to suspect counters before activating, which seems reasonable if the suspect counter turns out to be infantry. Long-range activation against infantry automatically generates a HMG, seems like something similar that generates an AT gun against vehicles is missing?
 

The Purist

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I dunno. ? I think having a gun automatically appear every time a vehicle enters the solitaire mission would be over kill and presumes the unit (company sized) has access to the comparatively small number of guns available to lower formations in the direct fire role.

Most AT guns, for example, were deployed along likely avenues of approach and were grouped for density rather than parceled out individually. A 1944 German infantry regiment had just 3 AT guns (usually 50L, maybe 75L), while a US battalion had 3 57L per battalion and a British battalion had 6, later 4, guns per battalion. There were more guns available from higher HQs but expecting them to be exactly where needed when an RE calls up an AFV,.... not so much.
 

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Of course long range activation still requires a double 1 to achieve. I've just come to my first recon mission, and adjusting to the tactics of SASL (everyone says it's a different game from ASL), it struck me that if nothing on the board is revealed yet I can roll an AFV right up to the opposition safe in the knowledge I am not going to get taken out by a long range flank shot.
 

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Of course long range activation still requires a double 1 to achieve. I've just come to my first recon mission, and adjusting to the tactics of SASL (everyone says it's a different game from ASL), it struck me that if nothing on the board is revealed yet I can roll an AFV right up to the opposition safe in the knowledge I am not going to get taken out by a long range flank shot.
That is one shortcoming of the rules, however, the great thing about SASL, is you can change any rules you want to make it play better. I have cut out or changed multiple rules to allow for a more flavorful and better game. I added some rules like enemy cavalry activation as well.
 

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Aren't the system scenarios designed for a FRIENDLY infantry company only?... i didn't realize friendly vehicles came into play. I suppose some of the scenarios (recon?) i haven't tried, have them.
 

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Aren't the system scenarios designed for a FRIENDLY infantry company only?... i didn't realize friendly vehicles came into play. I suppose some of the scenarios (recon?) i haven't tried, have them.
They can come into play as Random events or they could be part of the beginning forces for certain scenarios.
 

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Both Friendly and Enemy REs that grant vehicles are somewhat rare but they do happen the more you play or if the RE #s are relatively high. That said, I have seen more Guns activated by the Enemy side than I have Friendly vehicles. But that's just my experience. With the Command Control rules those vehicles don't always do what you want.

More frightening is when an Enemy RE send tanks at your company,... your chances of getting Friendly vehicles do not go up just because a Stug III or two rumble on board. Best hope your Baz and PIAT teams are on the ball. ?
 
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Eagle4ty

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Both Friendly and Enemy REs that grant vehicles are somewhat rare but they do happen the more you play or if the RE #s are relatively high. That said, I have seen more Guns activated by the Enemy side than I have Friendly vehicles. But that's just my experience. With the Command Control rules those vehicles don't always do what you want.

More frightening is when an Enemy RE send tanks at your company,... your chances of getting Friendly vehicles do not go up just because a Stug III or two rumble on board. Best hope your Baz and PIAT teams are on the ball. ?
And heaven help you if you've only got ATRs and a KV is activated! :eek:?
 

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And heaven help you if you've only got ATRs and a KV is activated! :eek:?
We had this happen a few missions ago. After an "oh ****" moment, we found if we could keep it smoked in with a target ( lucky guys! ) you can control some of the damage ( they were under hold attitude so chance of moving is less likely ).
 

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We had this happen a few missions ago. After an "oh ****" moment, we found if we could keep it smoked in with a target ( lucky guys! ) you can control some of the damage ( they were under hold attitude so chance of moving is less likely ).
Just had the same happen along with another AFV (T-26) in the same turn in a non-AFV high probability mission, AND with an AC of 2 NO LESS!o_O?
 

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Just had the same happen along with another AFV (T-26) in the same turn in a non-AFV high probability mission, AND with an AC of 2 NO LESS!o_O?
In our current mission, the second activation rolled snakes - AFV. I believe it's a T-26 but I'm probably wrong. It is still alive and has worked it's way down the hill ( level 5 I believe ) through woods all the way - never bogging - to a road at the base of the hill and is in the process of circling around the hill to take back an objective that I just took. It's almost like it "knows".

Several activations later another snakes, this time a T-34 M41. Was able to get it to intensive fire during one our movement phases and thankfully malf it's gun - without losing any units. In the same turn I was able to advance a leader and squad into the hex with the T-34 and take it out in CC. Unfortunately for me there was a 4-2-6 squad adjacent to that hex and during the following PFP it broke the leader ( who latter boxed his rally and died ) and caused the squad to go beserk. I wouldn't mind losing the leader for taking out a T-34 but it was me. And it's the 2nd time I've died in this campaign.
 
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