So what Starter Kit Scenario have you played recently?

Der Fleischer

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I have not played any ASL SK games in a while and am getting the itch to play again on VASL. Is anyone interested in playing? I own all the ASL SK modules published by MMP (SK 1, SK2, SK3, SK4, Expansion Kit 1, Beyond the Beaches, and DaE). Please let me know.

Paul
 

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Catching Up...……..

( I try to report in all my ASLSK games on this thread, but realize that I haven't recorded an ASLSK game completed in nearly a year !! )

It's been a while since I've played a FtF game of ASLSK. It's not my fault; my regular Taiwanese opponents mostly want to play ASL these days. However, I did overlook 3 ASLSK logfile games, so let's quickly report those.

S-039 "Use Your Tanks And Shove" (finished 07/01/2018)

Tou Mu and I played this as a logfile game to help him learn about AFVs, with him as the Americans and myself as the Germans, with American balance (downgrade a Germans 9-1 to an 8-0) in effect. This scenario uses board q, and depicts a combined arms American assault on a German defended village. The Americans attack with 10 squads, 2 leaders, 3 SWs, and 2 tanks (M5A1, M4A1). The Germans defend with 7 squads, 2 leaders, 2 SWs, and a crewed flak gun. On turn 3, both the Americans and Germans get reinforcements. Americans get 2 squads, 1 leader, and either a SW or AFV, based on the number of buildings they currently control. The Germans get a PzIVF2. The Americans win at the end of 5.5 turns by controlling 12+ buildings from rows L - S.

Tou Mu played a good, cautious game of it, but the 8 morale of my 548s proved too tough to dislodge. Tou Mu tried to infiltrate with the M5A1, but the 37L gun wrecked it. From there, both sides exchanged squads and time and buildings, the PzIVF2 wrecked the M4A1 with a crafty LOS shot, and was in turn wrecked by a bazooka. But in the end, the Americans came up short of their required building total. A good scenario.

View attachment 8961

S-053 "Workers Unite!" (finished 01/28/2019)

Robin and I finished off this logfile game that we began a while back, with him as the Germans and myself as the Russians, with German balance (German reinforcements arrive 1 turn earlier) in effect. This scenario uses 2 half-boards (r, z), and depicts a German infantry assault on a Russian position in an urban environment. The Germans attack with 15 (467) squads, 4 leaders, and 6 SWs. The Russians defend with 9 (426) squads, 2 leaders, and 2 SWs. Both sides get reinforcements on turn 3. The Germans get 3 (468) squads, 1 leader, and 3 SWs. The Russians receive 9 (447) squads, 2 leaders, and 3 SW. The Germans at the end of 6.5 turns by controlling buildings rW8, zE4, and zI1.

Robin attacked aggressively and my Russians were having quite a hard time slowing him down. At one point, it looked like there might not be much left to reinforce. When my reinforcements did arrive, I only had only a few defenders hanging on to building rW8, with the Germans lining up on its flanks. My reinforcements were forced to run the gauntlet, but a few did make it to the last VC building. From there, it was simply survival, and I managed to hold on to the last building for an unexpected Russian win. I hear that this is a popular scenario, and its easy to see why.

View attachment 8960

Glad you liked S53. The design gives the Germans a big hammer but I think some players are a bit passive in attacking here. As you said you have to push hard and get to that last building before the Russians reinforce it. One of the buildings was the vodka distillery plant so you can see why the Russians fought so hard!





S-033 "Few And Far Between" (finished 05/01/2019)

Tou Mu and I played this as a logfile game to help him learn about AFVs, with him as the Germans and myself as the (Allied Minor) Dutch, with German balance in effect (upgrades the PzIIA to a PzIIF). This scenario uses 8 rows of 2 boards (u, y), so is roughly half a board in size, and depicts a German assault on a Dutch defended village. The Germans attack with 7.5 squads, 3 leaders, 3 SWs, and a PzIIA (upgraded to a PzIIF in our game). The Dutch defend with 6 squads, 2 leaders, and 2 SWs. The Dutch are reinforced on turn 2 with 1.5 squads and 1 leader. The Germans win at the end of 4.5 turns by controlling all 5 buildings within 2 hexes of yFF5.

Tou Mu played a good game of it, but very little went his way. My Dutch were able to completely stonewall the Germans for 4 turns, leaving them a final turn suicide charge, which saw the Dutch clinch the game when no MMC was able to reach yFF4. A case of a good scenario, but mostly bad luck to work with for the Germans.

View attachment 8962

Yesterday, I played a scenario from ASLSK #4, which I'll try and write about tomorrow.

John.
 

sunoftzu

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Now into the SK Jungle...….

( I haven't played David in an age, but last Saturday we played the first scenario from ASLSK#4 )

S-064 "Kawaguchi's Gamble"

David and I finally got back to playing some ASLSK after quite a break. The previous weekend, I got to watch KangYu and Robin playing S-069 "Stovepipe Funeral", but this would be my first playing of ASLSK#4. Without bothering to consider alternatives, David and I chose to play the first scenario out of the box, S-064 "Kawaguchi's Gamble". David played the defending (USMC) Americans, whist I played the attacking Japanese, with no balance in effect. This scenario uses half of board o and depicts a Japanese assault on a fixed American position. The Americans defend with 8 (558) squads, 2 leaders, 2 SWs, and a crewed (light) AA gun. The Japanese attack with 13 (447) squads, 2 crews, 3 leaders, and 5 SWs. The Japanese win at the end of 5.5 turns if there are no GO Americans at level 1. SSR4 also allows the Japanese to win if there is no more than 1 MMC if the AA gun is eliminated/captured.

There are a couple of SSRs that add spice to the scenario. SSR2 has it that American squads not stacked with leaders must pass a NMC or lose concealment (yes, concealment is added in ASLSK#4), and SSR 3 will freeze the Japanese 10-1 and any units with it for one game turn. Each SSR comes into play once and is then ended.

I suspect that SSR 3 might need a bit of re-wording; The way it is written, all units stacked with the Japanese 10-1 cannot take any action for the game turn, but the 10-1 itself is free to move. If he moves away, then the units that were previously stacked with him are then no longer stacked with him and from how I read it, they would be free to then move !!!! The way David and I played it was that the 10-1 and the units stack with him could take no actions outside of RPH/CCPh.

In the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO), there are big terrain changes:
Grain = Kunai, which functions like brush, but is also ambush terrain, and has FG restrictions.
Brush = Bamboo, which will CX any unit entering it (so CX units cannot advance in), has a TEM of +1 (-1 vs HE), a stacking limit of 2 squads, is ambush terrain, and has FG restrictions.
Roads = Paths, which allow infantry to pay 1MF to enter the other terrain.
Wooden buildings = Hut, which have a TEM of +1, hinder LOS by +1, and can be collapsed for a TEM of +0.
Woods = Jungle, which can be either Light Jungle (which functions as lvl 2 woods), or Dense Jungle (which functions as lvl 2 inherent woods, has a +2 TEM, a stacking limit of 2 squads, mortars cannot fire out of it, and has FG restrictions).
Orchards = Palm trees, which function as always in season Orchards.

Something that I constantly find myself forgetting is the inherent nature of Dense Jungle, so I photocopied an enlarged A3 sized map of the half-board, and colored in the Dense Jungle hexes with a green marker pen. A bit crude, but it does make play a lot easier and adds to the enjoyment factor (for me, at least).

David set up his USMC squads in a cordon across the woods line from G2 to I8, and I attempted to bring my Japanese units as far forward without getting any stacks shot at. Unfortunately, I made a mis-calculation, and David got a LOS to one stack and fired a 4-1 attack, which got a 1 KIA, wounding my 10-1, and eliminating another squad. Not a great start. My Japanese continued to attack in a cautious echelon fashion, in order to stretch the Marine line. When CC opportunities presented themselves, my units got cold dice, and were then dispatched by the Marines. My 9-1 rolled a 12 and died on its first MC, as did the crew it was supposed to be directing. I launched 2 Banzai attacks during the game, which worked quite well, but with the CCs going against me, David had survivors which then infiltrated south. Trying to overcome this crisis further depleted my already weakened front line, and in the end, I wasn't able to reach all of his positions. In the end, David hung on to 2 level 1 positions for a convincing USMC win.

(for photos, follow the FB link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1628719720726712/permalink/2281399592125385/ )

A fun scenario to play, hope that SSR 3 gets some errata attention before too long....

John.
 

Perry

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Now into the SK Jungle...….

( I haven't played David in an age, but last Saturday we played the first scenario from ASLSK#4 )

S-064 "Kawaguchi's Gamble"

I suspect that SSR 3 might need a bit of re-wording; The way it is written, all units stacked with the Japanese 10-1 cannot take any action for the game turn, but the 10-1 itself is free to move. If he moves away, then the units that were previously stacked with him are then no longer stacked with him and from how I read it, they would be free to then move !!!! The way David and I played it was that the 10-1 and the units stack with him could take no actions outside of RPH/CCPh.
The designer informs me that the 10-1 can move away, but that the MMC that start the turn stacked with him cannot.
 

Der Fleischer

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The designer informs me that the 10-1 can move away, but that the MMC that start the turn stacked with him cannot.
Since it says all units stacked with the Japanese 10-1 cannot take any action for the game turn, I suppose it is safe to assume (although assuming in ASL or ASL SK is generally not good) that the MMC cannot advance in the APh either.
 

klasmalmstrom

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Since it says all units stacked with the Japanese 10-1 cannot take any action for the game turn, I suppose it is safe to assume (although assuming in ASL or ASL SK is generally not good) that the MMC cannot advance in the APh either.
I am pretty sure that is a rather safe assumption - i.e., advancing would be a "action".

"If the result is < the current turn number, any Japanese unit stacked with the 10-1 leader may take no action during that Game Turn except routing or attacking/defending in CC."
 

62nd Army

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Gentlemen

Hope to get 1 or 2 of the French scenarios posted here: http://lm.polar.free.fr/aslsk.htm , played in the next few weeks. These have been on my radar for some time and
I plan to play a least a few of them before the summer is out.

Thanks and Happy Gaming!!
Joe
 

62nd Army

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Gentlemen

Slipped in a solo playing of Putot 2 from the French scenario above, nice scenario!
Canadians won by taking the 2nd required building on the last turn.

One thing I think that is needed is more city boards in ASLSK and some with more wooden buildings,
but that is for another thread :)

Have a nice weekend
Joe
 

xenovin

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Make a board with six cool scenarios and see what MMP says!
Gentlemen

Slipped in a solo playing of Putot 2 from the French scenario above, nice scenario!
Canadians won by taking the 2nd required building on the last turn.

One thing I think that is needed is more city boards in ASLSK and some with more wooden buildings,
but that is for another thread :)

Have a nice weekend
Joe
 

62nd Army

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Make a board with six cool scenarios and see what MMP says!

Was thinking along those lines, need to download some map making software and try it out. Scenario design easier
for me than map making. :)

Regards
Joe
 

xenovin

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Hexdraw is the bomb here. Unfortunately I don’t think it is supported anymore?

Was thinking along those lines, need to download some map making software and try it out. Scenario design easier
for me than map making. :)

Regards
Joe
 

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In the middle of ASL Scenario S21 Clash at Borisovka. Despite many hours on the internet I cannot figure out if two enemy tanks in the same hex can engage in CC. Maybe they shouldn't want to and should just attack from the neighbouring hex?
 

jrv

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In the middle of ASL Scenario S21 Clash at Borisovka. Despite many hours on the internet I cannot figure out if two enemy tanks in the same hex can engage in CC. Maybe they shouldn't want to and should just attack from the neighbouring hex?
Per 3.8 a vehicle can attack infantry. Because there is no mechanism for a vehicle to attack other vehicles (a vehicle has no CCV), it is not allowed using CC attacks. A Nahverteidigungswaffe might attack the CE crew of an enemy vehicle, but it would not attack the vehicle itself.

JR
 

BattleSchool

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Per 3.8 a vehicle can attack infantry. Because there is no mechanism for a vehicle to attack other vehicles (a vehicle has no CCV), it is not allowed using CC attacks. A Nahverteidigungswaffe might attack the CE crew of an enemy vehicle, but it would not attack the vehicle itself.

JR
Last line of 3.8:

AFVs may not attack each other in CCPh.
Note that this was added to the Rule Booklet in the ASLSK Expansion Pack, and is therefore absent from the rules that came with ASLSK3.
 

jrv

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Last line of 3.8:

Note that this was added to the Rule Booklet in the ASLSK Expansion Pack, and is therefore absent from the rules that came with ASLSK3.
Ok. I was looking at ASLSK#3 by chance. It's good they spelled it out, because it's always tricky to defend a position by the absence of a rule.

JR
 

62nd Army

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Plan to get a playing in of one of the new ASLSK scenarios from OPs#9 in the next week or so
they look like fun!!

Thanks and happy Gaming
Joe
 

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Vilis and I have played a couple of scenarios recently, mainly to consolidate our understanding of the armour rules.

S62 Reaper's Harvest
Vilis and I played S62 Reaper’s Harvest as a training scenario to consolidate Vilis’s understanding of the armour rules. He took the SS and I the mixed Canadian and British RM Cdo force with the panzer grenadiers set up in Rots in a linear forward defence. The Commonwealth attacked with one platoon in the west and two in the centre with both thrusts supported by a Sherman V. The initial assault saw a half squad killed and several others broken but the initial position for the assault across the road achieved. Turn 2 saw a highly successful pincer movement with the isolated western multihex building captured and the defending SS half squad eliminated, while the remaining platoon and a half secured a foothold in the centre of Rots capturing the multihex building in T5 and in doing so crucially breaking a 6-5-8 and its accompanying 9-1. In his efforts to halt the Commonwealth onrush Vilis revealed the location of his 75mm AT in building M6, arguably a little prematurely. In Turn 3 the Commonwealth assault, bolstered by reinforcements, ground forwarding securing the multihex building Q5 killing a 6-5-8 in close combat in doing so and isolating one remaining 4-4-7 in the western half of Rots. The loss of one Sherman V to the Panther of SS-Pz.Kp.4 seemed like a good return. In the German Turn 3 Prep fire across the N-S road in Rots achieved nothing and the Panther was forced to advance forward from its position in Q3 having previously been flanked by a Sherman V to the west and a Firefly to the east. This advance brought him into the sights of a PIAT in T5, which to everyone’s surprise (not least mine) achieved a critical hit. At that point, while the fresh wreck of the Panther gently smouldered in the street, Vilis gracefully conceded the game.
10331


S21 Clash at Borisovka
Vilis took the T-34s of 3rd Gds Tk Corps and advanced forward in two groups of five leaving his tanks in motion. GD's panzers adopted stationary defensive positions, four on board v and two PIVs on board t. The Russians continued their charge forward, losing only two tanks through a combination of poor shooting & failed penetrations. In desperation the panzers unwisely resorted to intensive fire, malf'ing three main guns, including one of the mission critical Tigers. At this point by the end of the Russian turn 2 things were looking distinctly grim for the Germans, not least as the two PIVs on board t were knocked out by close range bounding fire. However, in the German’s turn 2, through a combination of manoeuvre and better (or lucky depending on your perspective) shooting along with the critical repair of the Tiger's main armament, the Germans recovered the position to a degree knocking out a T-34 on each board. Vilis’s remaining T-34s destroyed one more PIV as they made a dash for the exit in the third turn, with three tanks making good their escape. However, in an incredibly tense finale good German shooting managed to destroy a further 3 T-34s leaving the score at 7-6 to the Germans for a very narrow win. It was a fast, furious and fun game.
10332
 

Eagle4ty

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Vilis and I have played a couple of scenarios recently, mainly to consolidate our understanding of the armour rules.

S62 Reaper's Harvest
Vilis and I played S62 Reaper’s Harvest as a training scenario to consolidate Vilis’s understanding of the armour rules. He took the SS and I the mixed Canadian and British RM Cdo force with the panzer grenadiers set up in Rots in a linear forward defence. The Commonwealth attacked with one platoon in the west and two in the centre with both thrusts supported by a Sherman V. The initial assault saw a half squad killed and several others broken but the initial position for the assault across the road achieved. Turn 2 saw a highly successful pincer movement with the isolated western multihex building captured and the defending SS half squad eliminated, while the remaining platoon and a half secured a foothold in the centre of Rots capturing the multihex building in T5 and in doing so crucially breaking a 6-5-8 and its accompanying 9-1. In his efforts to halt the Commonwealth onrush Vilis revealed the location of his 75mm AT in building M6, arguably a little prematurely. In Turn 3 the Commonwealth assault, bolstered by reinforcements, ground forwarding securing the multihex building Q5 killing a 6-5-8 in close combat in doing so and isolating one remaining 4-4-7 in the western half of Rots. The loss of one Sherman V to the Panther of SS-Pz.Kp.4 seemed like a good return. In the German Turn 3 Prep fire across the N-S road in Rots achieved nothing and the Panther was forced to advance forward from its position in Q3 having previously been flanked by a Sherman V to the west and a Firefly to the east. This advance brought him into the sights of a PIAT in T5, which to everyone’s surprise (not least mine) achieved a critical hit. At that point, while the fresh wreck of the Panther gently smouldered in the street, Vilis gracefully conceded the game.
View attachment 10331


S21 Clash at Borisovka
Vilis took the T-34s of 3rd Gds Tk Corps and advanced forward in two groups of five leaving his tanks in motion. GD's panzers adopted stationary defensive positions, four on board v and two PIVs on board t. The Russians continued their charge forward, losing only two tanks through a combination of poor shooting & failed penetrations. In desperation the panzers unwisely resorted to intensive fire, malf'ing three main guns, including one of the mission critical Tigers. At this point by the end of the Russian turn 2 things were looking distinctly grim for the Germans, not least as the two PIVs on board t were knocked out by close range bounding fire. However, in the German’s turn 2, through a combination of manoeuvre and better (or lucky depending on your perspective) shooting along with the critical repair of the Tiger's main armament, the Germans recovered the position to a degree knocking out a T-34 on each board. Vilis’s remaining T-34s destroyed one more PIV as they made a dash for the exit in the third turn, with three tanks making good their escape. However, in an incredibly tense finale good German shooting managed to destroy a further 3 T-34s leaving the score at 7-6 to the Germans for a very narrow win. It was a fast, furious and fun game.
View attachment 10332
Two comments here: #1. Are there panzerfausts in ASLSK? If there are PF, this would be an advantage to the German though it seems as if the Brits kept their distance (3+ hexes) from the German infantry.
#2. Yup, intensive fire is fickle and best left for absolutely necessary circumstances. Murphy's Laws of Combat most usually apply: Thing will go wrong in combat and it will most likely go wrong at the most critical time.
 

Perry

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Two comments here: #1. Are there panzerfausts in ASLSK? If there are PF, this would be an advantage to the German though it seems as if the Brits kept their distance (3+ hexes) from the German infantry.
#2. Yup, intensive fire is fickle and best left for absolutely necessary circumstances. Murphy's Laws of Combat most usually apply: Thing will go wrong in combat and it will most likely go wrong at the most critical time.
  1. There are PF in SK when there are AFV.
  2. Intensive Fire can be a very useful tool, but must be used judiciously.
 
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