Pitman
Forum Guru
So, tell us about the first time you played ASL. What scenario? With whom? How'd it go? Were you hooked?
Your First ASL Experience
- Thread starter Pitman
- Start date
Roy
Living in Brownbackistan
Posted an "opponents wanted" sign for games such as Panzer Leader, WSIM, Starship Troopers, Squad Leader....etc... got a call wondering if I had ever tried ASL.....'nope'......'do you wanna?'.......sure..pitman said:
Fighting Withdrawl, of course.....
Mike Rose. He was the caller.
Took a looooong time....... ended in a draw.
No. But I was desperate to play something, so continued. Started playing every two weeks. I got hooked because I got tired of getting spanked every game. Finally beat him.... took 2 years, but I finally beat him playing "Retribution". Felt good. :devil:
He's still a very good friend, and fellow club member. If not for him, I would never have gotten started. I've still never played any of those other games.:crosseye:
zgrose
Elder Member
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S1 as American with my brother. American win (of course). I wanted to be hooked so we kept playing. First "full" ASL was Le Manoir at a local ASL club vs Rick (last name escapes me). I pulled out a victory (was ever so close to losing) and was immensely pleased with myself.
da priest
Member
Absolutely no idea. Either a SoCal "new" scenario, no VCs just how badly you lost or how well you won vs everyone else on your "side", or an OAF playtest scenario, with the same type VCs. Or it's all a blur and was a regular scenario...like I said, absolutely no idea.pitman said:
Again, no idea, some fellow ASLer from SoCal at one of the local tourneys.
Damifino.
Hooked by SL, this was just a continuation of that.
Legion
Member
Had played SL for YEARS... and then (in the OLD days) when games stores were huge and full of boxes, minatures and rule books i was there waiting for the first run of ASL to hit Oz... but never found a regular partner for years... so my first games were solo, struggling with the rules and the huge amount of extra info (compared to SL).
Finally hooked up with JP and we played Fighting Withdrawal (of course) - he did, and still does complain about the complexity of the rules compaired with SL, but for me there was not looking back.
:hurray: ASL
Finally hooked up with JP and we played Fighting Withdrawal (of course) - he did, and still does complain about the complexity of the rules compaired with SL, but for me there was not looking back.
:hurray: ASL
King Scott
Senior Member
My first ASL scenario was "The Poupeville Exit" against Dave "Fingers" Coleman with me as the Americans. I remember getting creamed, but I did flame his Kubbelwagen with a LMG!
I've been hooked ever since, DT's and everything...my wife has learned to accept it over the years and is actually pretty supportive now that the kids are a little older. She is now a proud ASL-Widow...not proud of me, but proud of *something*.
Semper Fi!
Scott
I've been hooked ever since, DT's and everything...my wife has learned to accept it over the years and is actually pretty supportive now that the kids are a little older. She is now a proud ASL-Widow...not proud of me, but proud of *something*.
Semper Fi!
Scott
Doughboy
Member
Sounds so true for most of us! :cheeky:King Scott said:She is now a proud ASL-Widow...not proud of me, but proud of *something*.
Semper Fi!
Scott
At least they don't threaten to sell your stuff on eBay while your at work :surprise:
King Scott
Senior Member
Quiet!!! Don't give her any ideas!!! I don't want her to know the value of some of my ASL gear...she knows how much I have invested in it (been buying/collecting since 1985 or '86...when did ASL come out again?), but I do not want her to know how much some of this stuff goes for on e-bay.Doughboy said:
She'd probably just use the money to buy more shoes...I'm married to friggin' Imelda Marcos!!!
Semper Fi!
Scott
mkirschenbaum
Member
Strictly speaking, the first ASL I ever played was last April, two solo run-throughs of a scenario I found off of the ASLWebdex called "Mala Zemlya" (or something like that). I can't seem to find it there now but it's a small infantry only East front scenario on half of one of the BV boards. I have no idea if it was balanced or not, and didn't care. I was learning the infantry game cold from the rulebook (hadn't yet bought the Starter Kit, didn't have Chapter K) and even the Guards Counterattack looked too scary (I was intimidated by the Human Wave stuff in the Repetti replay; plus it looked too much like Squad Leader--I wanted to use a "new" board). So, Mala Zemlya fit the bill.
My first F2F game was "Front in Flames" the following month, against a helluva nice guy named Alan Statham at a DC Conscripts meeting. Alan was new too, so we were pretty evenly matched. We played it twice, switching sides, and each eked out one win, both times as the Germans.
Were we hooked? I think we were already both hooked by that point anyway, in my case from a number of years with the old SL series.
One thing I did early on was to keep a game log (which is how I'm able to go back and look this stuff up). It's just a simple text file, but I record scenario, date, opponent, side played, and, of course, outcome. I've played a total of 13 unique scenarios, 8 of them F2F, with a 4/4 record.
My first F2F game was "Front in Flames" the following month, against a helluva nice guy named Alan Statham at a DC Conscripts meeting. Alan was new too, so we were pretty evenly matched. We played it twice, switching sides, and each eked out one win, both times as the Germans.
Were we hooked? I think we were already both hooked by that point anyway, in my case from a number of years with the old SL series.
One thing I did early on was to keep a game log (which is how I'm able to go back and look this stuff up). It's just a simple text file, but I record scenario, date, opponent, side played, and, of course, outcome. I've played a total of 13 unique scenarios, 8 of them F2F, with a 4/4 record.
Doughboy
Member
No Not Shoes!!!, 15 to 20 years of my life coveting these series for shoes?!!King Scott said:Quiet!!! Don't give her any ideas!!! I don't want her to know the value of some of my ASL gear...she knows how much I have invested in it (been buying/collecting since 1985 or '86...when did ASL come out again?), but I do not want her to know how much some of this stuff goes for on e-bay.
She'd probably just use the money to buy more shoes...I'm married to friggin' Imelda Marcos!!!
Semper Fi!
Scott
Hmmph, she can kill me but she can't touch my ASL Stuff...I hide it in the safety box...yeah thats it, thats the ticket!
:cheeky:
griffitz62
Member
Well this is easy since it was just a few months ago for me.
I picked up the ASLRB last Spring and tried to figure it out until I finally realized that I needed a module or something to actually play a game. So I got Paratrooper and tried out the Chapter K stuff. Then I got a hold of BV2, downloaded the Programmed Instruction article from MMP and started reading just the basics. I told a friend about it and he started reading along at the same time.
We played The Guards Counterattack with very basic rules (like the article recommended). I played the Russians and never made it across the street. (I was still figuring out what Prep Fire was all about).
Was I hooked? Maybe you should ask my wife. In the next 2-3 months I bought every core module (except WoA which I want but can't seem to find) plus a few other items.
I'm a true noob having never played SL, and have yet to find anyone around here that plays. So I read the article and my friend and I try out the next scenario. I can't wait to start learning about vehicles and big guns.
I picked up the ASLRB last Spring and tried to figure it out until I finally realized that I needed a module or something to actually play a game. So I got Paratrooper and tried out the Chapter K stuff. Then I got a hold of BV2, downloaded the Programmed Instruction article from MMP and started reading just the basics. I told a friend about it and he started reading along at the same time.
We played The Guards Counterattack with very basic rules (like the article recommended). I played the Russians and never made it across the street. (I was still figuring out what Prep Fire was all about).
Was I hooked? Maybe you should ask my wife. In the next 2-3 months I bought every core module (except WoA which I want but can't seem to find) plus a few other items.
I'm a true noob having never played SL, and have yet to find anyone around here that plays. So I read the article and my friend and I try out the next scenario. I can't wait to start learning about vehicles and big guns.
Mastadon61
Member
Wow, I'm old, but I do remember. It was with Cloyd Angel (or something like that, a great guy). We played 3 player A3 Decent Into Hell out of the then new ASL Annual 89. It was in Los Angeles at TRW, where gamers used to get together once a month. That was the first FTF I can remember. I think I played some pbem before that, but it's been too long ago to remember.
Don Hancock
Don Hancock
King Scott
Senior Member
Contact me off-list at kingscott420@netscape.net or sthompson@kumhotireusa.com regarding more people to play in your area. I don't want to use this as a troll for people to join our club, but check out www.socalasl.com when you get a chance...we have a number of players in the San Diego area who would be more than happy to get you and your buddy playing.griffitz62 said:
Semper Fi!
Scott
David Reinking
Elder Member
First ASL experience: I played my brother Larry in a game of "In Sight of the Volga". This goes back to 1985, so I am not sure who won. Having played SL-GI for 5 years, it was tough getting used to SAN and HOB. The toughest part was unlearning SL rules. However, I have definitely gotten my money's worth of the system.
Hubbs5
Member
Wow I didn't think I was as old as Da Priest but I guess I am. I got hooked on SL back in 1979 after playing many other wargames and my buddy and I were waitng for the SL Japanese. We thought ASL was a cheap marketing trick to get more of our money but once we finally tried it we were hooked.
I couldn't tell you what the first scenario was as that was too many years ago. Jim Sereff and Steve Cummings were the only opponents I played from 1979 to 1999. Then I joined the FRASL club and I realized how many things I was playing incorrectly, my game improved immensely. Still hooked and going strong after all these years, what a cool game.
I couldn't tell you what the first scenario was as that was too many years ago. Jim Sereff and Steve Cummings were the only opponents I played from 1979 to 1999. Then I joined the FRASL club and I realized how many things I was playing incorrectly, my game improved immensely. Still hooked and going strong after all these years, what a cool game.
sgtono
Member
I, too, got hooked on SL back in 1979 after playing many other wargames (1965). I, too, was waitng for the SL Japanese.
First scenario was a BV one but cannot remember which one. Chris and I have gaming with each other since the 1960's even when we had to use the stock market numbers in the newspaper for die results. Then came the BBS's and I played a guy in New Zealand, but never finished the game.
I still do not win a whole lot but I enjoy ASL. Of course, my first interest in wargames has been history and having fun with it.
Keith
First scenario was a BV one but cannot remember which one. Chris and I have gaming with each other since the 1960's even when we had to use the stock market numbers in the newspaper for die results. Then came the BBS's and I played a guy in New Zealand, but never finished the game.
I still do not win a whole lot but I enjoy ASL. Of course, my first interest in wargames has been history and having fun with it.
Keith
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Nat Mallet
Member
My first scenario was The Guards Counterattack against Adrian Earle. I was commading the German force, and got properly stomped. Learned my first tactical lesson of ASL: try to keep units together in small groups, but in different hexes, to form FGs and take out the enemy.
I was pretty much hooked at that point.
Nat
I was pretty much hooked at that point.
Nat
ross
Member
My first ASL Experience...
...twas Strayers Strays almost exactly fours years ago now. My American forces just didn't have enough units in position to exit enough VP, so this was a loss. But this first match certainly got me hooked as evidenced by some 120+ matches of ASL these past four years (though for the most part via VASL pbem due to time constraints).
I had studied the rulebook (and read thru the excellent XOPs by Repetti, et al.) in the months leading up to this live VASL match, so I somewhat understood the need for infantry SGs, but I think I overlooked the benefit of assault fire by those 747s paratroop squads. I do think Strayers Strays is a nice training scenario that MMP might want to make available again since it originally was published in some issue of the General.
...twas Strayers Strays almost exactly fours years ago now. My American forces just didn't have enough units in position to exit enough VP, so this was a loss. But this first match certainly got me hooked as evidenced by some 120+ matches of ASL these past four years (though for the most part via VASL pbem due to time constraints).
I had studied the rulebook (and read thru the excellent XOPs by Repetti, et al.) in the months leading up to this live VASL match, so I somewhat understood the need for infantry SGs, but I think I overlooked the benefit of assault fire by those 747s paratroop squads. I do think Strayers Strays is a nice training scenario that MMP might want to make available again since it originally was published in some issue of the General.
What? you expect me to remember that far back?
I guess my "first" ASL experience was the day I bought the manual.
Reading it and realising, good god, what have I done?
I think my first actual action was to put it down for most of a year and try to let the muddled Squad Leader CoI, CoD, GI morass of evolved in fits and spurts rules add ons leak out of my head
It took me a few months to find the funds for BV at any rate.
I still hate myself though, for getting rid of the SL genesis counters mix.
I guess my "first" ASL experience was the day I bought the manual.
Reading it and realising, good god, what have I done?
I think my first actual action was to put it down for most of a year and try to let the muddled Squad Leader CoI, CoD, GI morass of evolved in fits and spurts rules add ons leak out of my head
It took me a few months to find the funds for BV at any rate.
I still hate myself though, for getting rid of the SL genesis counters mix.
I played Hamlet's Demise as the French, and won! Aaron Schwoebel was my worthy opponent that day in November 1997, as we gathered at my first Austin ASL event.
I got hooked way back in 1979 or so, playing SL with my brother. We only played a few scenarios, but the hook was set deep. I played a few times after that, but finally took the plunge into ASL after finding such a wealth of information on the internet.
I got hooked way back in 1979 or so, playing SL with my brother. We only played a few scenarios, but the hook was set deep. I played a few times after that, but finally took the plunge into ASL after finding such a wealth of information on the internet.