What ASL Product Have You Bought Recently?

[Gunner Scott]

Well Honza, it is a pretty Penney indeed, Without the discount code from the mailor, the cost can be $450 for the annual and three expansions combined. With the discount code it comes out to 360 bucks. So, for me, anything Stalingrad or Vietnam related is a passion purchase regardless of publisher or cost. So if your passion is Kursk, then any module that comes out on that subject might be an auto buy for example.

I do not buy alot of ASL stuff, but looking over this recent purchase of Vietnam gear, I am really excited to give it a try, though I should warn you, it is CH so expect the usual warts and gaffs.

How much did that cost Scott? I'm thinking of buying.

 

[von Marwitz]

Hollow Legions in the latest edition finally arrived today.

I reckon, I'll have to start counter-clipping again.

(Honestly, have not even clipped Forgotten War, because the RAACO labels are not completed yet...
At least, I don't have to worry about storing the new Italians, because this requires no changes to the existing storage-system but merely the 'withdrawal from service' of the old counters.)

Edit:
I am mistaken... I forgot about the Eritreans etc. Hopefully, this will not trigger a 'storage-system' catastrophe...

Edit #2:
Just have had a first look into the box. Boy, there's a whole damn lot in there!
The counters are SO much better than the old ones - that alone made the module worth buying for me.
Then there is a LARGE number of scenarios in it, many of them tweaked or from otherwise OOP sources - 53 in all.
Next, I did not realize that the map artwork has been redone again compared to some map-bundle that I got years ago (at least for boards 25 and the new 25e).
Importantly, the numerous overlays now also all fit the new style of boards.

So overall, there's a lot more improved stuff in it than I realized and reflected upon.
It makes the buy very worthwhile.

von Marwitz

 

[Actionjick]

Hollow Legions in the latest edition finally arrived today.

I reckon, I'll have to start counter-clipping again.

(Honestly, have not even clipped Forgotten War, because the RAACO labels are not completed yet...
At least, I don't have to worry about storing the new Italians, because this requires no changes to the existing storage-system but merely the 'withdrawal from service' of the old counters.)

Edit:
I am mistaken... I forgot about the Eritreans etc. Hopefully, this will not trigger a 'storage-system' catastrophe...

von Marwitz

You can always adopt the GWAR Whacko storage system. I recall that a countryman of yours used a similar system.

 

[von Marwitz]

You can always adopt the GWAR Whacko storage system. I recall that a countryman of yours used a similar system.

Who can ever forget?

I mean, the guy was the uncontested KING when clearing up the boards after play - just ONE fell sweep to shove it all into the ONE 'universal' box for ALL counters...

However, setting up anything did - erm - not work just as quickly.

BTW, meanwhile, the guy has switched his system to something more normal.

von Marwitz

 

[Actionjick]

Who can ever forget?

I mean, the guy was the uncontested KING when clearing up the boards after play - just ONE fell sweep to shove it all into the ONE 'universal' box for ALL counters...

However, setting up anything did - erm - not work just as quickly.

BTW, meanwhile, the guy has switched his system to something more normal.

von Marwitz

I loved hearing that someone else used that method. Hilarious and I would have enjoyed seeing it.

 

[Paul_RS]

Hollow Legions in the latest edition finally arrived today.

I reckon, I'll have to start counter-clipping again.

(Honestly, have not even clipped Forgotten War, because the RAACO labels are not completed yet...
At least, I don't have to worry about storing the new Italians, because this requires no changes to the existing storage-system but merely the 'withdrawal from service' of the old counters.)

Edit:
I am mistaken... I forgot about the Eritreans etc. Hopefully, this will not trigger a 'storage-system' catastrophe...

Edit #2:
Just have had a first look into the box. Boy, there's a whole damn lot in there!
The counters are SO much better than the old ones - that alone made the module worth buying for me.
Then there is a LARGE number of scenarios in it, many of them tweaked or from otherwise OOP sources - 53 in all.
Next, I did not realize that the map artwork has been redone again compared to some map-bundle that I got years ago (at least for boards 25 and the new 25e).
Importantly, the numerous overlays now also all fit the new style of boards.

So overall, there's a lot more improved stuff in it than I realized and reflected upon.
It makes the buy very worthwhile.

von Marwitz

I had the old CH module so that wasn't a problem, but then had to accommodate the Italian counters from LFT.

 

[Kijug]

Heh...that was my first system. I cut up cereal boxes to make my own two trays of counters to put into the BV box. Worked great at the time. And all the AFVs went into one big section. Yea, it was a pain to find and setup. I wondered how others managed. Living in Alaska with no internet then, it was hard to connect with others. LOL! The good 'ol days. I kept that system up through WoA, then kids, family, etc. Fast forward now I just have travel trailer and 50,000 planos...or it seems like it.

 

[Actionjick]

Heh...that was my first system. I cut up cereal boxes to make my own two trays of counters to put into the BV box. Worked great at the time. And all the AFVs went into one big section. Yea, it was a pain to find and setup. I wondered how others managed. Living in Alaska with no internet then, it was hard to connect with others. LOL! The good 'ol days. I kept that system up through WoA, then kids, family, etc. Fast forward now I just have travel trailer and 50,000 planos...or it seems like it.

Wwwbitd there was a SL tournament at Kent State one year as part of a larger multi game event.

One attendee had his counters all neatly separated, alphabetically!!! All the " A's " in one bin, of everything and every nationality. I'd never seen anything like that before or since. To each his own.

 

[DVexile]

​

Speaking of counters...

7,818 counters to punch and trim round,
7,818 counters to punch,
Punch one out, trim corners round,
7,817 counters to punch and trim round...

That's all the counters from Beyond Valor, Yanks, For King and Country, Red Factories, and Hatten in Flames.

Yeah, I went a little crazy. I'm thoroughly enjoying SK at the moment, but have aspirational goals for full ASL. Of the above modules, some I'll be leaving unpunched on the shelf which I can sell later if I grow tired of ASL. I didn't want something like Red Factories to go out of print before I was ready to try it. BV and Y seemed like "must buys" from the start. FKaC is actually relatively recently reprinted, so I probably could have waited on that one. RF and HiF both seem like they'd go OoP before the others, and it is probably a good while until I'm ready for a campaign game.

Anyway, I have demonstrated the "when in stock, buy it" ASL mantra slightly to the extreme...

 

[Paul_RS]

View attachment 21393
​

Speaking of counters...

7,818 counters to punch and trim round,
7,818 counters to punch,
Punch one out, trim corners round,
7,817 counters to punch and trim round...

That's all the counters from Beyond Valor, Yanks, For King and Country, Red Factories, and Hatten in Flames.

Yeah, I went a little crazy. I'm thoroughly enjoying SK at the moment, but have aspirational goals for full ASL. Of the above modules, some I'll be leaving unpunched on the shelf which I can sell later if I grow tired of ASL. I didn't want something like Red Factories to go out of print before I was ready to try it. BV and Y seemed like "must buys" from the start. FKaC is actually relatively recently reprinted, so I probably could have waited on that one. RF and HiF both seem like they'd go OoP before the others, and it is probably a good while until I'm ready for a campaign game.

Anyway, I have demonstrated the "when in stock, buy it" ASL mantra slightly to the extreme...

Buying MMP ASL modules and packs when they come out actually makes sense. It’s not a big organisation and they soon drop out of print. Punch and clip as you need to, would be my advice. There are more unit counters than you will ever need in a single scenario or CG. Unless you are regularly playing FtF there is little need to punch and clip everything. Most of my games are played via VASL these days. I haven’t played a game with cardboard units for over 3 years.

Currently shedding my excess counters via eBay. Mainly CH. They were a big improvement over the original counters when they first came out because the graphics were sharper, but CH never produced a complete OB so you always needed counters from the core system, plus the levels of duplication from CH became ridiculous and there were some significant differences in base colour between print runs. Some very neat niche counters will be retained for specific modules but the rest are going. The graphical sharpness and quality of the counters in the more recent MMP modules is excellent. No need to retain the CH counters.

 

[von Marwitz]

Speaking of counters...

7,818 counters to punch and trim round,
7,818 counters to punch,
Punch one out, trim corners round,
7,817 counters to punch and trim round...

Hehe...

Be sure to follow the advice on how to correctly handle your counter-clipper to avoid tenosynovitis.

The crazy thing is (among us madmen), that this is actually not a joke.

von Marwitz

 

[von Marwitz]

Anyway, I have demonstrated the "when in stock, buy it" ASL mantra slightly to the extreme...

This is the best and cheapest way to do it.

Even if you'd never touch what you buy, you will be likely to sell it off with gain after a couple of years.

Some people follow the tactic to buy "two of each", keeping one and selling off the other again after they have gone OOP, effectively paying zero dollars in the end. It needs patience and would be too much fuss for me, but I have heard it being done that way.

von Marwitz

 

[Paul_RS]

Ordered, not yet received: Pocket Chapter H, and a new copy of the Pocket Rulebook - my first copy has seen much better days.

Don’t forget to spiral bind the rulebook. Makes a huge difference. Getting it done professionally is relatively cheap.

 

[von Marwitz]

Punch and clip as you need to, would be my advice. There are more unit counters than you will ever need in a single scenario or CG. Unless you are regularly playing FtF there is little need to punch and clip everything.

While this is basically true, I believe one is very well advised to develop the 'perfect storage' right from the start and then stick with it. It will save lots of money and time.

To effectively do so, however, you need to have an idea how much space for which type of counters and nationalities you need. Except, if you rely on existing 'published' storage systems, some of which can be found in the download section of the Texas ASL Club for example.

von Marwitz

 

[Honza]

Don’t forget to spiral bind the rulebook. Makes a huge difference. Getting it done professionally is relatively cheap.

Personally I do not like spiral bound books. It makes turning the pages much more difficult, and they can tear.

 

[Paul_RS]

Personally I do not like spiral bound books. It makes turning the pages much more difficult, and they can tear.

My experience with the pocket rule book is that due to the nature of the binding technique used you cannot just lay the book flat and leave it open without folding the spine back on itself ( not recommended due to the binding technique. Easier with second edition but not ideal) also some of the pages had started to work loose where the gluing was inconsistent during binding Process. Wire spiral binding solved both of those problems, and turning the pages (whilst neither is physically demanding)is actually easier. But each to his own.

 

[Paul_RS]

While this is basically true, I believe one is very well advised to develop the 'perfect storage' right from the start and then stick with it. It will save lots of money and time.

To effectively do so, however, you need to have an idea how much space for which type of counters and nationalities you need. Except, if you rely on existing 'published' storage systems, some of which can be found in the download section of the Texas ASL Club for example.

von Marwitz

Ah yes, but who could have predicted “Back in Day” just how many counters would eventually be produced for the system? My matchbox storage system was overwhelmed eventually. Plus how many people buy matches these days. the boxes are collectors items in their own right I have a mix of Raaco, matchboxes and GMT trays these days. Those new to the system know just how many modules they need to collect so as you say do it right, do it once.

 

[Paul_RS]

Hehe...

Be sure to follow the advice on how to correctly handle your counter-clipper to avoid tenosynovitis.

The crazy thing is (among us madmen), that this is actually not a joke.

von Marwitz

Very true. RSI is an occupational health risk for the counter clipping fraternity. We laugh about it but if you start to suffer from it it’s a very real and serious issue. Moderation is the key. I tend to clip one sheet at a time, no more than three a day. Tedious doesnt even begin to describe it, slipping into alpha mode is almost a prerequisite.

 

[Actionjick]

Very true. RSI is an occupational health risk for the counter clipping fraternity. We laugh about it but if you start to suffer from it it’s a very real and serious issue. Moderation is the key. I tend to clip one sheet at a time, no more than three a day. Tedious doesnt even begin to describe it, slipping into alpha mode is almost a prerequisite.

Counter clipping = Hazardous Movement? Is that in the charts? I can't find it.

 

[von Marwitz]

Ah yes, but who could have predicted “Back in Day” just how many counters would eventually be produced for the system?

This has been a valid argument.

Today, it does only apply in part - but could still have 'disasterous' results.

Back then, you could not know, how many more core modules would be released - or how many decades it would take for that matter. This made it impossible to come up with the 'perfect storage' up front.

Today, though, WW2 is (almost) entirely covered in terms of ASL counters (by MMP). So, if you start building your storage system today, you can use an existing plan that addresses (almost) everything - even if some of the core modules are currently out of print. In other words, you can do things 'right' from the start, since there won't be (almost) no new counters for 1939-1945, making the situation stable and plannable.

The (inevitable) EXCs are minor additions such as the Eritreans and Ethiopians now added in the most current version of 'Hollow Legions' that were not part of the previous version of the core module. If you don't have any 'spare room' in your existing storage system, this can really screw things up.

That said, things like the Korean War or the (upcoming) Spanish War core modules serve less of a problem - at least from my perspective. As they are not part of WW2, I keep them entirely separate from the other counters and thus they do not pose a 'grave danger' to my existing storage system.

Personally, I try to avoid using TPP counters if at all possible - no matter how well made or colorful they might be, I find extra counters not covered by MMP or alternate counters to those of MMP more a burden than a boon. This is also due to my preference of the 'classic' black/[nationality color] combination over any multicolored variants. If you take TPP counters into the equation, then any 'perfect storage' is not going to last, as there are too many of them, too many new ones, or too specific (like unit specific counters). Of course, each to his own - its a matter of taste, I acknowledge that.

von Marwitz