What was your "moment?"

[Khill]

Love At First Sight! I played a lot of Panzer Leader in college but it always left me wanting more. wandered into a local game shop early '90's and saw bright yellow and orange RB, Beyond Valor, and Paratrooper all lined up smartly on a shelf. I looked at the graphics and read the back of the boxes then I offered to buy the lot if the shop owner could get someone local to show me how to play. he did and I did. but the guy who showed me 'how to play' was no longer interested in ASL and we only played a couple of small infantry only scenarios before he gave it up completely, sold me all the kit he had (all official gear to that point), and went all in on miniatures. I'm not disciplined enough or smart enough to figure it all out on my own but I pushed counters around every now and again and read the good book in fits and starts. early/pre-internet days it was several years, late '90's, before i found a local player in the 'opponents wanted' section in an old General magazine. that connection led me to Ted Wilcox and Lee Neeman who finally led me to the Light

 

[Vic Provost]

Love At First Sight! I played a lot of Panzer Leader in college but it always left me wanting more. wandered into a local game shop early '90's and saw bright yellow and orange RB, Beyond Valor, and Paratrooper all lined up smartly on a shelf. I looked at the graphics and read the back of the boxes then I offered to buy the lot if the shop owner could get someone local to show me how to play. he did and I did. but the guy who showed me 'how to play' was no longer interested in ASL and we only played a couple of small infantry only scenarios before he gave it up completely, sold me all the kit he had (all official gear to that point), and went all in on miniatures. I'm not disciplined enough or smart enough to figure it all out on my own but I pushed counters around every now and again and read the good book in fits and starts. early/pre-internet days it was several years, late '90's, before i found a local player in the 'opponents wanted' section in an old General magazine. that connection led me to Ted Wilcox and Lee Neeman who finally led me to the Light

 

[Vic Provost]

For me Keith, it was seeing the old Squad Leader box next to the recently released Cross of Iron at long gone Johnson's Bookstore in Springfield, MA after me and Tom Morin had played most old Avalon Hill historical games including Panzer Blitz and Panzer Leader to death and I took the plunge and bought the new tactical WWII games.

I played all the original Squad Leader and Cross of Iron scenarios myself solitaire, using the old program method rulebooks and then when I bought both Crescendo of Doom and GI: Anvil of Victory I hooked Tom Morin into giving Traverse Right: Fire! a chance. One of my AFVs got stunned and in the old system drove off the road into a wooden building, rubble-ing it and wrecking the vehicle! We were laughing for 15 minutes afterward and he was instantly hooked, the transition to ASL was not long afterward and the rest is history.

You can't get more entertainment from a game system than I have had over the past 40 years and I hope for at least another 20 with ASL and all my hobby friends, Vic.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

then when I bought both Crescendo of Doom and GI: Anvil of Victory I hooked Tom Morin into giving Traverse Right: Fire! a chance.

Sounds like you bought the Rogue Scenarios as well....

 

[pensatl1962]

Love At First Sight! I played a lot of Panzer Leader in college but it always left me wanting more. wandered into a local game shop early '90's and saw bright yellow and orange RB, Beyond Valor, and Paratrooper all lined up smartly on a shelf. I looked at the graphics and read the back of the boxes then I offered to buy the lot if the shop owner could get someone local to show me how to play. he did and I did. but the guy who showed me 'how to play' was no longer interested in ASL and we only played a couple of small infantry only scenarios before he gave it up completely, sold me all the kit he had (all official gear to that point), and went all in on miniatures. I'm not disciplined enough or smart enough to figure it all out on my own but I pushed counters around every now and again and read the good book in fits and starts. early/pre-internet days it was several years, late '90's, before i found a local player in the 'opponents wanted' section in an old General magazine. that connection led me to Ted Wilcox and Lee Neeman who finally led me to the Light

Panzer Leader was the bomb. Then I discovered SL and "Katie Bar the Door".

 

[Vic Provost]

Sounds like you bought the Rogue Scenarios as well....

Yes indeed Michael, I have them here somewhere amongst my moved hobby material and played them all at one point back in the old days, I can remember a time when me and Tom had played all published scenarios back in the early 90s, a long time ago, and no longer a possibility, Vic.

 

[drchilds]

For me Keith, it was seeing the old Squad Leader box next to the recently released Cross of Iron at long gone Johnson's Bookstore in Springfield, MA after me and Tom Morin had played most old Avalon Hill historical games including Panzer Blitz and Panzer Leader to death and I took the plunge and bought the new tactical WWII games.

I played all the original Squad Leader and Cross of Iron scenarios myself solitaire, using the old program method rulebooks and then when I bought both Crescendo of Doom and GI: Anvil of Victory I hooked Tom Morin into giving Traverse Right: Fire! a chance. One of my AFVs got stunned and in the old system drove off the road into a wooden building, rubble-ing it and wrecking the vehicle! We were laughing for 15 minutes afterward and he was instantly hooked, the transition to ASL was not long afterward and the rest is history.

You can't get more entertainment from a game system than I have had over the past 40 years and I hope for at least another 20 with ASL and all my hobby friends, Vic.

And I would never be the player and enthusiast I am without the hospitality of you, Tom, and the rest of the Bunker crew! Cheers!

 

[ASLSARGE]

Was hooked the first time I played the old SL scenario, "Road to Wiltz". Never looked back after that.

 

[Vic Provost]

And I would never be the player and enthusiast I am without the hospitality of you, Tom, and the rest of the Bunker crew! Cheers!

Had some good times with you in the old days Dave, we had quite the group at one point with Kiri Naiman, Allen Loiselle, Bill Glasser, Tom Ruta, Bob Sistrunk, Paul Anderson amongst those who have past through the Bunker, with Tom, Ralph McDonald, Joe Gochinski, Chuck Tewksbury, Carl Nogueira, Steve Johns and many more I count among my active ASL Comrades who continue to make hobby memories with me.

Thank god for this hobby in these trying times, no matter what 'problems' we seem to encounter along the way, they seem to pale to the life and death issues of real life going on and I am so glad for days like yesterday when I got a chance to roll some dice with a couple of my friends, Vic.

 

[Vic Provost]

Had some good times with you in the old days Dave, we had quite the group at one point with Kiri Naiman, Allen Loiselle, Bill Glasser, Tom Ruta, Bob Sistrunk, Paul Anderson amongst those who have past through the Bunker, with Tom, Ralph McDonald, Joe Gochinski, Chuck Tewksbury, Carl Nogueira, Steve Johns and many more I count among my active ASL Comrades who continue to make hobby memories with me.

Thank god for this hobby in these trying times, no matter what 'problems' we seem to encounter along the way, they seem to pale to the life and death issues of real life going on and I am so glad for days like yesterday when I got a chance to roll some dice with a couple of my friends, Vic.

Almost forgot poor Dave Levine, who Kiri pretty much destroyed in a Red Barricades campaign when Dave's German infantry company was devastated by Kiri's HMG stack going on a ROF run. That and the Rocket OBA was a real bad day for the Germans but Dave took it in stride and we all had a good laugh and chalked it up to the ASL gods, Vic.

 

[ChappyNS]

Reading through the brochure that came in Luftwaffe, the first Avalon Hill game I ever bought, I saw Squad Leader and it was instant excitement.

Funny enough, I had the same experience with Luftwaffe! What are the chances of that?

 

[Brad M-V]

Funny enough, I had the same experience with Luftwaffe! What are the chances of that?

My mother worked at the Hudson Bay in the small northern BC town we lived then, and told me there was this game/book about war planes (she knew I loved WWII planes) that came in and no one at the store really knew whether it was a book or game. Long story longer, I stopped by the store's book section to have a look but was also confused because it said "Book Case Game" on the side of the box... Book case game, what the F does that meant!?! I took a chance and bought it for $16 bucks. That single brochure was responsible for selling a truckload of games after that because I took it into the local hobby shop and within a month there was a full shelf of AH games. Air Force, Speed Circuit, the list was long and the hobby store owner told me those games were selling so good I could have my next game for 50% off! <g>

 

[ChappyNS]

My mother worked at the Hudson Bay in the small northern BC town we lived then, and told me there was this game/book about war planes (she knew I loved WWII planes) that came in and no one at the store really knew whether it was a book or game. Long story longer, I stopped by the store's book section to have a look but was also confused because it said "Book Case Game" on the side of the box... Book case game, what the F does that meant!?! I took a chance and bought it for $16 bucks. That single brochure was responsible for selling a truckload of games after that because I took it into the local hobby shop and within a month there was a full shelf of AH games. Air Force, Speed Circuit, the list was long and the hobby store owner told me those games were selling so good I could have my next game for 50% off! <g>

Cool! I was a teenager in the late 70's and we had but one game store in Halifax (that I was aware of) that sold Avalon Hill games. My first game ever was "Kriegspiel", second was "Luftwaffe" and third was "Squad Leader"...etc etc etc You will note the complexity level increase in each of those three purchases!

 

[Pitman]

You will note the complexity level increase in each of those three purchases!

also quality level

 

[drchilds]

Almost forgot poor Dave Levine, who Kiri pretty much destroyed in a Red Barricades campaign when Dave's German infantry company was devastated by Kiri's HMG stack going on a ROF run. That and the Rocket OBA was a real bad day for the Germans but Dave took it in stride and we all had a good laugh and chalked it up to the ASL gods, Vic.

I actually was just reminiscing last week about one of my first games at the old Bunker against Kiri. Jon Messeck and I, being noobs were paired against Kiri. I don't remember the scenario, but it was very likely an Annual '90 playtest.

Kiri had a death star entrenched on a hill overlooking our entry area. We had the Germans and laid into him with a meatball thrower rate tear that just ruined his stack.

He was not amused.

 

[Vic Provost]

I actually was just reminiscing last week about one of my first games at the old Bunker against Kiri. Jon Messeck and I, being noobs were paired against Kiri. I don't remember the scenario, but it was very likely an Annual '90 playtest.

Kiri had a death star entrenched on a hill overlooking our entry area. We had the Germans and laid into him with a meatball thrower rate tear that just ruined his stack.

He was not amused.

Yeah, Kiri's fatal flaw that drove him away from ASL is he could not control the dice, he had perhaps the best understanding of the rulebook of anybody other than Allen Loiselle in our local group but just hated when the dice went against him. Eventually drove him away from ASL, which is a crying shame, Vic.

 

[Spencer Armstrong]

Yeah, Kiri's fatal flaw that drove him away from ASL is he could not control the dice, he had perhaps the best understanding of the rulebook of anybody other than Allen Loiselle in our local group but just hated when the dice went against him. Eventually drove him away from ASL, which is a crying shame, Vic.

It's killed ASL for more than a few good players. My regular opponent and playtest partner (and former denizen of these parts) Jerry Simmons gave up ASL for dice based reasons too. I understand it, but have come to terms.

 

[RobZagnut]

also quality level

I beg to differ. Kriegspiel was a much better game than Luftwaffe. We played it all the time and I loved not having to roll dice for combat results. Wish more games would have been based on a similar chart.

The only thing Luftwaffe had over Kriegspiel was cover art.

 

[Pitman]

I paid twenty-five cents for my copy of Kriegsspiel and I would say that was twenty-five cents too much!

 

[drchilds]

Yeah, Kiri's fatal flaw that drove him away from ASL is he could not control the dice, he had perhaps the best understanding of the rulebook of anybody other than Allen Loiselle in our local group but just hated when the dice went against him. Eventually drove him away from ASL, which is a crying shame, Vic.

Very sad to hear. I find that if I'm counting on the dice to save my bacon, I've screwed up somehow. But in the end, it's a game -- one of the greatest ever, to be sure -- but still a game. If he wasn't having fun anymore, then there's not much else left to do but hang up the cardboard boots. Sorry to have seen him go. Do you keep in touch at all?