Lesson 2

Lesson 4

The first two lessons have introduced the fundamental ASL infantry rules, which are needed to play nearly every ASL scenario.  This third lesson presents a number of rules that apply only to particular scenarios.  Adding these to what you have learned from the first two lessons, you will have enough knowledge to play five more scenario:  ASL Scenario B from The General, and ASL Scenarios 1-4 from BEYOND VALOR.  Taken together, these scenarios include more types of troops – Combat Engineers, SS, Partisans, Finns – and many more types of terrain, and some additional infantry weaponry.

You can read all these rules and then play the five new scenarios; but it is easier to pick one of the scenarios and then read just the new rules that apply to that scenario.   The new weapons, troop types and scenario-specific rules are covered in Chapter A of the rulebook:

A.6
This applies to Gullies in ASL Scenarios 2-4.

A.16
SMOKE, including Smoke (yes, there is a difference), is important in ASL Scenario B.

A.1.123
Crews show up in ASL Scenario 3.  The weapons that require crews will appear later.

A2.5-2.52
Mapboard entry is necessary for the SS in ASL Scenario 2.  This rule clears up some of the confusion found in the original SQUAD LEADER method.

A2.6
Mapboard Exit is the key to victory in ASL Scenario 1.

A4.131
Hexside movement costs apply to walls and hedges found on most mapboards, and in ASL Scenarios 1-4.

A4.132
This rule applies to the road entering the building in hex 1X6 and to the road passing through the orchard on Board 20.  It is important in the play of Scenario B and 2-4.   Its most significant application occurs in woods-road hexes (found on Boards 5, 19, 32 and 33).

A4.133
Elevation change applies when leaving a Gully (which a unit may wish to do in Scenarios 2-4), as well as when going up a hill.

A4.62
Hazardous Movement applies to stomping out fires (which a unit might attempt in Scenario 1) and to Sewer Movement (which is a distinct possibility in Scenarios 2-4).

A5.6
Location restrictions to stacking apply to units in the Sewers and Trenches found in Scenarios 2-4.

A6.21
Half-level Obstacles include walls, hedges and rubble (found in Scenarios 1-4).

A6.3
Depressions include gullies (found on Board 20).

A6.7
LOS Hindrance is an innovation in ASL that consolidates a lot of terrain rules found in SQUAD LEADER.  It applies to the orchards, factories, graveyards, brush and Smoke found in all five of these scenarios.

A8.26
Note the effect of LOS Hindrance on Residual Fire.

A9.22
Note the effect of LOS Hindrances on Fire Lanes.

A10.8
Fanaticism will apply in ASL Scenarios B and 2.  This is essentially the same rule as found in SQUAD LEADER.

A12.3-12.32
Hidden Initial Placement is little changed from SQUAD LEADER.  It is used in the first four scenarios of BEYOND VALOR.

A12.33
Trenches may be set up Hidden in Scenario 4.

A16.
Battlefield Integrity is an optional rule very different in method from the corresponding rule in COI.  Use it if you like, but it does complicate matters.

A19.131
Ammunition Shortage is new with ASL.  It is used in Scenarios 1-3.

A19.132
This rule applies to the SS in Scenario 2.

A22.1-22.5
The deadly flamethrower is little changed in usage from SQUAD LEADER.  It first appears in Scenario B and 4.  Skip A22.34, since there are no AFVs on the same battlefield as flamethrowers (yet).

A22.6-22.62
The Molotov Cocktail counters of COI have been replaced with this method.   They are used in Scenarios 2 and 3.  Skip A26.612 until you have some vehicles to play with.

A23.
Demolition Charges blast their way into ASL in Scenarios B and 4.  These rules have some significant differences from those of SQUAD LEADER, with a few new options introduced.  Skip A23.5 until vehicles are present.

A24.1-24.2; A24.4-24.8
The infantry Smoke placement rules of GI have been generalized and now apply to all nationalities.  These rules can, theoretically, come into play in Scenario A, but smoke grenades are not very important in the play of that scenario.  They are, however, very important in Scenarios B and 4.  Smoke from a Blaze is present in Scenario 1, and can play a role in Scenarios B and 4 if a Blaze results from a flamethrower attack.

A25.1-25.12
This section presents more details on German infantry.  The SS are found in Scenario 2, and the Combat Engineers appear in Scenarios B and 4.

A25.24-25.242
Partisans appear in Scenarios 2 and 3.

A25.7-25.73
The Finns make their debut in Scenario 1.

A26.2-26.3
Casualty Points and Exit Points determine victory in Scenarios 1 and 3.  The concepts are unique to ASL.

A26.5
The Balance Provisions are another ASL innovation.  If you and your opponent feel that one side in a scenario has a decisive edge, or that one of you is a better player, and you wish to even up the game some, use the Balance Provision that comes with every scenario to help one nationality.

B.2
Cost of Terrain is important when moving in Smoke, or onto hills, or across walls and hedges.  It will play a role in all five of these scenarios.

B.5
Continuous Slope applies to the hills on Board 8 (used in Scenario 3), as well as to many of the boards you will use later.

B.6
Inherent Terrain includes orchards and graveyards, found in Scenarios 1-4.

B.8
Random Direction; required by a few rules.

B.9
Artificial Terrain applies to Smoke.  It is most important in Scenarios B, 1 and 4, but it can appear in any scenario now.

B.10
It isn't likely that LOS will be blocked in this group of scenarios – but it can happen (especially with the smoke from the fires in Scenario 1).

B1.15-1.17
Bridges, walls and hedges, and smoke can negate Open Ground.

B3.5
This rule applies to the trenches in ASL Scenario 4.

B6.1-6.31; B6.4; B6.5
Bridges cross the gully on Board 20 and the canal on Board 23, but stone bridges don't burn. Bridges are found in Scenarios 2-4.

B8.1-8.5
Sewers can be used in Scenarios 2-4.  They can also be used with the Balance Provision instituted in Scenarios A and B.

B9.1-9.4
Walls and hedges are very similar in effect to those in SQUAD LEADER; but pay careful attention to the Wall Advantage rule.  These appear on nearly all the boards (and here in Scenarios 1-4).

B10.31
Height Advantage applies to fire from that gully (Scenarios 2-4).  The hills on Board 8 can be ignored in Scenario 3.

B12.
Brush appears on Board 21, used in Scenario 1.

B13.5
Kindling woods is not too common a tactic (especially in these urban fights) but here is the rule for it.

B14.
Orchards appear in Scenarios 1-4, and there is even an orchard-road on Board 20.

B18.
If you have just been dying to fight in a graveyard (sorry), ASL Scenario 1, set on Board 21, is for you.

B19.1-19.4
There is a gully on Board 20, used in Scenarios 2-4.

B20.9-20.98
Units in the gully on Board 20 can be in Crest status.

B21.1-21.122; B21.2; B21.3-21.4
There is a river and a canal to deal with in Scenario 3.

B23.5
No trenches are allowed in the house.  This applies to Scenario 4, the only one with trenches thus far.

B23.6
Now you can be a real "barnburner".  This rule is especially important for play of Scenario 1.

B23.7-23.711
Rowhouses are found on Boards 20, 21 and 23.  They figure prominently in Scenario 2, but they have a role in Scenarios 1, 3 and 4, too.

B23.74-23.742
The factory makes Scenario B very interesting, and very different form the original Scenario 2 in SQUAD LEADER.  It is a new innovation with ASL.

B23.8-23.86
Rooftops may be used in Scenario 2.

B23.9-23.94
Fortified buildings are crucial in Scenarios 2 and 4.

B24.1-24.6
Rubble is a distinct possibility whenever there are Demo Charges and buildings in the same scenario.  Examples are found n Scenarios B and 3.  Rubble also exists, by decree, in Scenario 3 and 4.

B24.7-24.721; B24.75; B24.8
The Clearance rules apply to rubble, fire, and set Demo Charges.  Labor status is a innovation new with ASL.  This rule can be important in Scenarios B, 1, 3 and 4.

B25.
The elementals enter ASL in this section, which introduces fire and wind.   This meshes well with the Smoke rules in Chapter A.  The Wind DR should be made in every ASL scenario.  It is extremely important whenever there are flamethrowers (as in Scenarios B and 4).  Buildings start the game ablaze in Scenario 1.

B27.1-27.54
Foxholes and Trenches are similar in play to those in SQUAD LEADER.   Foxholes can be dug in nearly every scenario (but are not likely in these urban ones).  Trenches appear in Scenario 4.  The foxhole rules will become very important later on (the PARATROOPER scenarios and the updated ASL Scenarios D and E).

Now play the scenarios;  maybe even play Scenario A again.  (If you wish to add the Balance Provisions to Scenario A but have only the original version, these are –

    Russians:  Allow Sewer Movement by Russian units.
    Germans:  Add one Hero to any German group.

Also, Environmental Conditions for Scenario A are "Moderate with no Wind at start.")

SQUAD LEADER Scenario 2 has been converted to Scenario B as follows.  The Environmental Conditions, Balance Provisions, ELR and SAN are the same as those for Scenario A.  Delete the Smoke counters from Company A (these are replaced by the squad inherent smoke capability).  Remove two LMGs from "Kampfgruppe Stahler".  Replace the three LMGs of "Kampfgruppe Tienham" with one MMG.  Replace those 27 Russian 4-4-7 squads of the 295th Infantry Division with 26 5-2-7 ones.  Also, the Tractor Factory (Building X3) is considered a Factory (B23.74) now.

Enjoy these five scenarios to their fullest.  When you feel ready to tackle something new, move on to Lesson 4.

Lesson 4:
      The Offboard Artillery System