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You have now read through most, but not all, of the ASL
rulebook. What remains, you ask? Oh, the few odds and ends, as well as a few
more modules, some offering additional specialized rules: YANKS, PARTISAN!,
WEST OF ALAMEIN, THE LAST HURRAH, HOLLOW LEGIONS and RED
BARRICADES. And don't forget the two Deluxe modules, STREETS OF FIRE1 and HEDGEROW HELL. There are also plenty of new
and of updated scenarios published in The GENERAL and in the ASL Annuals,
many of which you can play with just the rules you have studied here. YANKS
offers the new rules dealing with a host of special features that were in the original SQUAD
LEADER system, but were not included initially in ASL: Night,
Weather, Aircraft, Paratroop Drops, Gliders, Boats and much more. WEST OF
ALAMEIN introduces the desert environment and rules to play therein, which was never
seen in SQUAD LEADER. HOLLOW LEGIONS brings us a new nationality,
the Italians. RED BARRICADES features more urban combat and brings the
first campaign games (and rules). And we will soon see the warfare in the Pacific
and Asian theaters, with the Japanese, Chinese, Marines, jungle fighting, pack animals,
amphibious landings, and so much more. The system can truly be all things to all who
may be interested in World War 2 tactical combat. A lot of rules that we have
skipped over or lightly touched upon in these lessons will become important in these later
modules. A brief listing might suffice:
A2.7
Overlays were introduced in GI. They become very important in the desert
scenarios found in WEST OF ALAMEIN and HOLLOW LEGIONS, and will figure
prominently in the Pacific/Asian scenarios.
A4.132; B13.31-13.32
Woods-road hexes appear only on Board 5 (used in several of the updated scenarios) and on
Board 32 (which is used in several scenarios in PARTISAN!).
A13.
Cavalry rides again in Scenario 33 and in three scenarios in THE LAST HURRAH.
A22.612
Molotov Cocktails find their best use against AFVs in STREETS OF FIRE, Scenarios
A7 and A11 (ASL Annual '89), and in RED BARRICADES. You'll
probably want to review the rules when you next see them in a scenario. Then there's
the Molotov-Projector (O10.) that is featured in RED BARRICADES.
A25.3-25.34
You will likely want to review this section when you meet the full American Order of
Battle in Yanks.
A25.4-25.46
The British debut in WEST OF ALAMEIN and figure in several HOLLOW LEGIONS
scenarios, as well as some scenarios published in the pages of The GENERAL and
the ASL Annual.
A25.5-25.65
We haven't seen the French yet, but they are on their way. Look for them in the not
too-distant future.
A25.6-25.65
The Italians are the stars in HOLLOW LEGIONS. They take on the British, the
Americans, the Russians, the Germans and anyone else they can find. Just look at the
scenarios in this issue of the ASL Annual.
A25.8-25.82
The Axis Minors, representing the Rumanians and Bulgarians, first appear in PARTISAN!
A25.9-25.92
The Allied Minors are introduced in THE LAST HURRAH. They include the
Poles, Norwegians, Dutch, Belgians, Yugoslavs and Greeks.
B1.12; B7.
Scenarios A2 and A3 from the '89 ASL Annual include the runway on Board 14;
Scenario 22 from YANKS turned the canal on Board 22 into a wide boulevard.
B4.
Sunken roads appear on DASL Boards e, f and g in HEDGEROW HELL and on
Board 32, which is used in several PARTISAN! scenarios.
B5.
Thus far, only the first scenario in this year's ASL Annual makes use of the
elevated roads. An elevated road may also show up in Scenario A19 during the FSSF
mini-campaign.
B6.41-6.42; B6.431-6.45
These rules refer to special bridge types that are rarely found. We have the rules
for them, to be able to cross that river when we come to it.
B8.6-8.62
Tunnels can be very important in many of the RED BARRICADES scenarios, if the
defender is imaginative. Also review the sewer rules (B8.1-8.5) when you are ready
to play RED BARRICADES.
B10.211
This is an optional rule that can be used in any scenario that includes hills.
Warning: this has a severe impact upon the play of the scenario.
B10.5-10.52
This is very important in any scenario making use of Boards 9, 15 or 25. Board 25 is
featured in several scenarios in WEST OF ALAMEIN and HOLLOW LEGIONS.
B13.7
Forest rules have yet to appear in any ASL scenario published to date. But
you'll see a variation of them with the jungle scenarios in the next module.
B16.42-16.8
These are rarely used variations on the Marsh rules.
B20.7-20.82
Now we have some rarely used variations on the Stream rules.
B21.14; B21.21; B21.41-21.6
These are the variations on Water Obstacles in general. Fording (B21.41) actually
plays a role in one HOLLOW LEGIONS scenario (#54).
B23.424
You'll need this if you take the German role in the scenario "Contest in the
Clouds" (#A23) in this issue of the ASL Annual. |
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B23.73
The marketplace only exists on Board 12 (hex R7). In ASL it makes its
appearance with Scenario #55.B23.74-23.9
When you play RED BARRICADES, be sure to review the rules for Factories, Rooftops
and Fortified Buildings. They get a lot of use in that module.
B27.55-27.56
Trenches and vehicles mix in WEST OF ALAMEIN. And we finally see the effect
of AT Ditches with play of RED BARRICADES.
B28.
Mines make a sudden appearance in HEDGEROW HELL and WEST OF ALAMEIN, as
well as a number of GENERAL and ASL Annual scenarios.
B30.8
The Bunker rule is used in Scenario 49 of THE LAST HURRAH, and trenches can
connect to all sorts of interesting things in RED BARRICADES.
C1.23
A Field Phone is first used in DASL Scenario 4 in STREETS OF FIRE, and then shows
up occasionally in scenarios in the later modules.
C1.63
Offboard Observers appear in at least three unpublished scenarios I have playtested.
One does appear in WEST OF ALAMEIN (Scenario 41) and one in HOLLOW
LEGIONS (Scenario 58).
C1.73
Pre-registered Fire can be called in by that field phone in DASL Scenario 4; it is used
occasionally in later scenarios as well.
C1.8
The Germans are victims of a Bombardment in DASL Scenario 10 of STREETS OF FIRE,
a fate they share with others in later scenarios.
C6.55; D11.1
American tanks have Gyrostabilizers in YANKS and in HEDGEROW HELL.
A most useful tool at times.
C8.4
Cannister is used by several U.S. AFVs, including the Stuart (M5A1). It is also
available for several British vehicles, primarily those built in the States. Stuarts
appear in a few scenarios (HEDGEROW HELL and WEST OF ALAMEIN).
C8.7
Illuminating Rounds are only relevant during night scenarios (but then, you knew that).
Night rules are first introduced in YANKS and are used in several
scenarios thereafter.
C10.24
Limbered Fire is allowed for several German guns (mainly the AA guns and the 88LL AT gun),
but they rarely appear in the same scenario as their transport. This rule is first
used in WEST OF ALAMEIN (Scenario 37) for a British 40L AT gun. It could
play a part for the towed German 88 AA gun in Scenario M (which appeared in The GENERAL).
C10.25-10.26
These rules apply only to very large ordnance, which rarely show up in ASL's
tactical scenarios. Nevertheless, you have the rules for them if you ever do see
these RFNM/NM weapons in play.
C10.4
Trailers also are fairly unusual to see in play. A SdKfz 6/2 shows up in Scenario 26
in YANKS; a L3 appears in Scenario 58 in HOLLOW LEGIONS; and Crocodiles
appear in Scenario A25 in this issue of the ASL Annual.
C12.
You have the rules and counters for Recoilless Rifles. Maybe some day they will
appear in a scenario.
C13.2
ATRs are used extensively in STREETS OF FIRE, early in the war in THE LAST
HURRAH, and in the deserts of WEST OF ALAMEIN.
C13.6
The PIAT was used by the British later in the war (from April 1943). Play with it in
"Cold Crocodiles" and "The Island" in this ASL Annual.
D.2; D12.
All but the American and British armies in World War 2 were primarily horse-drawn, but
wagons rarely appear in the front lines. The Poles have wagons in THE LAST
HURRAH scenarios, and the Germans have them in Scenario G7 in The GENERAL.
A wagon is also used by the Russians in Scenario A12, and the Finns have sledges
pulled by reindeer in Scenario A11 – both found in last year's ASL Annual.
D.5; D8.23
A Secret DR is required only in Mud or Deep Snow. These inconvenient ground
conditions do not occur in any published ASL scenarios yet.
D3.45
This is a very little used rule. It can be found as a Balance Provision in Scenario
A7 in th4e '89 ASL Annual if you want to try it.
D3.6
Luckily for the infantry, you don't see flamethrowing vehicles very often; but every major
nationality had at least one type. This rule will apply to the Italian L3 Lf
(Scenario 58), the German Pz III(Fl) (DASL Scenario 7), the German SPW 251/16 (Scenario A9
in last year's Annual), and the British Crocodiles (Scenario A25 in this year's).
D6.8
You don't need to read up about Carriers until you play WEST OF ALAMEIN, since
these are unique to the British army.
D13.32-13.33
Smoke Mortars were common on U.S. and UK-built tanks. The Axis don't have them, and
the Russians only had them on the lend-lease vehicles. Some American vehicles have
Smoke Pots. You will use these rules in various scenarios, beginning with those in YANKS.
You can see that there is a lot left to experience in the world of ASL still,
and plenty to look forward to in the future. Between the scenarios published in the
modules, in the magazines, and elsewhere, there is enough to keep you gaming for a long
time once you have mastered the basics in these eight lessons above. How many games
offer such endless variety? And, should there be some rule that you are just itching
to try (bicycles maybe, or DD tanks), you can always craft your own DYO actions.
With such flexibility, I am sure that ADVANCED SQUAD LEADER will be played for
many years to come. |
