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Author Topic: FOCUS ON.....Advanced Squad Leader (ASL)  (Read 14647 times)

bbmike

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Reply #45 on: August 05, 2021, 01:29:35 PM
My SK counters are in the gmt trays but my asl is still sadly in baggies. Trail runners setup is epic!

Trailrunner's picture is impressive. This picture on BGG is epic:  ;D


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Bison

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Reply #46 on: August 05, 2021, 01:31:52 PM
Glorious!



Barthheart

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Reply #47 on: August 05, 2021, 03:03:34 PM
Of course my mixed counters have been properly trimmed to have rounded corners. :)
….

 :face:

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bayonetbrant

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Reply #48 on: August 18, 2021, 09:55:47 PM
So how much do the SK's actually nerf back from the main rules?  Are they the equivalent of what the 'original' SL game was compared to ASL?  Or are they some other subset of the game?

Is there enough support around the SK's that they can stand alone as their own game system without taking the full ASL plunge?

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Bison

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Reply #49 on: August 18, 2021, 10:52:59 PM
Yes the SK series can stand on its own as a game system. The comprehensive rulebook after four sets is like 30 pages or so. It is a significantly trimmed back ruleset. There are also two expansion packs, a historical campaign, and two small 4 scenario bonus packs. I am not sure how many total scenarios there are but enough that local tourneys also support SK events. I hope MMP produces some more historical campaign packs without adding more rules bloat.

I like the full ASL game but SK is without question much more streamlined and easy to learn/teach.



trailrunner

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Reply #50 on: August 19, 2021, 06:38:23 AM
By my count, there are 93 SK scenarios from MMP, and a few other scenarios from other publishers.  MMP just released a bonus pack so they are continuing to support SK.

The SK game system definitely stands on its own.  I like to say it is 80 percent of the fun of the full game requiring only 50 percent of the rules.  Those aren't exact, numbers but you get the idea.  I know plenty of people who only intend to play SK.  If they play one scenario a month, that's something like 8 years.  I also know some players who only want to play infantry-only scenarios.  More power to them.

The big concepts missing from SK are bypass movement, snipers, multi-level buildings, and concealment in all scenarios (in SK, concealment is only in PTO).  There are some other important things missing, such as MG fire lanes, berserk units, heroes, deployment, and lots of other rules that are used less often.  Most of the key concepts are in SK, such as the phases (including defensive fire), the to hit process, and breaking, routing, and rallying.  Moving from SK to the full game isn't too hard.  IMO the difficulty is learning a new set of exceptions, but that's the way ASL is.

By my count, I've played at least 1/3 of the SK scenarios face to face, and 1/2 if not 2/3 of the scenarios solo.  When I first started I had played all the SK scenarios from SK 1-3 at least solo, but I haven't kept up with all the expansion and bonus packs.  There are some very good scenarios in SK that have stood the test of time.

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bob48

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Reply #51 on: August 19, 2021, 06:48:23 AM
The sheer number and variety of available scenario's must, I assume, be one of the features that has fuelled  ASL for so many years?

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trailrunner

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Reply #52 on: August 19, 2021, 06:49:00 AM
Here is the end game of the SK scenario I played last weekend.  The scenario came from the latest bonus pack, and recreated a raid by British commandos on a Kriegsmarine HQ to capture documents a few weeks after D Day.  The game came down to the last die roll of the last turn and was tense until the end.



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trailrunner

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Reply #53 on: August 19, 2021, 06:55:40 AM
The sheer number and variety of available scenario's must, I assume, be one of the features that has fuelled  ASL for so many years?

Definitely.  It adds lots of variety.  There are something like a thousand scenarios for the full game, each with a story.  Playing one a week would take 40 years to play them all.

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Bison

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Reply #54 on: August 19, 2021, 11:12:58 AM
By my count, there are 93 SK scenarios from MMP, and a few other scenarios from other publishers.  MMP just released a bonus pack so they are continuing to support SK.

I did not realize there where that many scenarios. The lack of multistory buildings is the one rule I miss from full ASL to SK but it does streamline line of sight and combat rulings.



Rekim

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Reply #55 on: August 19, 2021, 10:04:56 PM
The upcoming PROKHOROVKA HASL from 3rd party publisher Advancing Fire includes some love for SK players. Only a couple of SK scenarios are included, but should be enticing for players planning to move on to full ASL at some point.

http://advancingfire.com/index.php/prokho



bayonetbrant

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Reply #56 on: August 19, 2021, 10:11:56 PM
The upcoming PROKHOROVKA HASL from 3rd party publisher Advancing Fire includes some love for SK players. Only a couple of SK scenarios are included, but should be enticing for players planning to move on to full ASL at some point.

http://advancingfire.com/index.php/prokho

we had that in Tuesday Newsday 2 weeks ago
https://www.armchairdragoons.com/news/its-the-news-tuesdaynewsday-8-3-21/

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Bison

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Reply #57 on: August 20, 2021, 08:28:34 AM
The upcoming PROKHOROVKA HASL from 3rd party publisher Advancing Fire includes some love for SK players. Only a couple of SK scenarios are included, but should be enticing for players planning to move on to full ASL at some point.

http://advancingfire.com/index.php/prokho

Thanks for sharing!



Rekim

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Reply #58 on: February 05, 2022, 05:48:31 AM
Some quick pics of the newest addition to the collection. My preorder of Hollow Legions has arrived. Hollow Legions is an updated re-release of the long out of print ASL core module with the Italian order of battle. 








Rekim

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Reply #59 on: February 05, 2022, 05:54:02 AM
The box art for the latest edition of ASL modules from MMP is fantastic IMO



The 3rd edition of Hollow Legions now includes all of the kit for desert settings.