Tag Archives: Advanced Squad Leader

Protecting Your New Advanced Squad Leader Rulebook

IMG_6108The Advanced Squad Leader Rulebook 2nd edition (“ASLRB”) is finally in print again!

I got mine from a tiny store in Mongkok two months ago.  The Advanced Squad Leader Rulebook is massive: it’s a big box-file full of instructions to the best simulation in the history of board wargaming.

I have been working hard at learning it.  The punch holes in some of the pages are already showing tear.

To protect my ASL bible, I have two options:

  • Plastic punch hole ring reinforcement stickers
  • Plastic page protectors

Plastic punch hole ring reinforcement stickers

Unfortunately, the punch holes on the pages are too big.  I can’t find ring stickers that are the proper size.

Plastic page protectors

This is the pricier option but this is what I ended up doing.  Not only are the holes protected from frequent reference, entire pages are now protected from food stains and beer spills!

Since each page is thicker with the plastic page protectors, I split the rulebook into two box-files.  (I found a problem: I couldn’t get the holes in the plastic page protectors to work with the 3 rings in the original Advanced Squad Leader Rulebook binder.)

There are less than 250 pages in the rulebook – the standard set of rulebook sections plus sections F, G, Solitaire and a couple of Zs from ASL Journals.  I bought 5 packs of A4-s size Kokuyo”Clear Book” refills that has 50 plastic page protectors each and I got two double ring box files.  I put sections A to E in one box file and the rest in the second one.

Now I feel a lot more comfortable flipping through the protected pages in the less congested box-files!

To make the box-files look more authoritative,  I scanned the Rulebook cover and spine.  I want to get the images printed on A4 size stickers and put them on the front and spine of my box-files.  They will look pretty nice when I’m done.

What do you do to protect your Advanced Squad Leader Rulebook?

Recommended Links:

Google

Which Advanced Squad Leader Module Is Which And Which To Get Before Which

English: Signpost.

English: Signpost. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There’s a particular “dependency” between the Advanced Squad Leader Core Modules that dictates the order in which you acquire them.

Firstly, it’s important to know that most of the rules are in the Advanced Squad Leader Rulebook (2nd ed).  The reason I said “most” is that some of the chapters are contained in the modules.  There are also updates and corrections (errata) published periodically.  That’s why the Rulebook is not bound but housed in a 3 ring binder.

Secondly, the Core Modules do NOT standalone like the Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kits.  They each contain:

  • Counter sheets that pertains to combatant countries in the Second World War.
  • Numbered maps depicting playable terrain that can be freely combined as each game scenario dictates.
  • Scenarios – situational setups with historical background, maps and counters involved, game turn limits that gives you three-hour games to campaigns that goes for days plus victory conditions. Quality of scenario design is a key element that makes Advanced Squad Leader fun.

Thirdly, this is where core module dependency comes in :

Scenarios contained in the modules, ASL magazines and 3rd party companies call for map combinations and combatant country counters that are sold in different modules.  

For example : You need at least the Japanese counters plus the US Marines and/or the British to play any PTO (Pacific theater of operations) scenarios.  That requires the ownership of a number of modules to play.

So here’s a brief description of the orders of battle provided by each Advanced Squad Leader Core Module:

  1. Beyond Valor : Russian & German units (“order of battle“) plus some Finnish units.  This is the first core module that anyone should get.  
  2. Yanks : US order of battle (European theater of operations)
  3. For King & Country : British order of battle.  This replaced West of Alamein as the provider of the British order of battle.
  4. Rising Sun (coming soon) : Japanese, Chinese and the US Marines.  This is the relaunched combination of Code of Bushido and Gung Ho.
  5. Croix de Guerre : French order of battle

Others :

  1. Doomed Battalions : Allied Minors
  2. Hollow Legions : Italian order of battle
  3. Armies of Oblivion : Axis Minors
  4. Partisans : well, partisans of various European countries

Top notched resources:

I hope this gives you a better idea of how to acquire your Advanced Squad Leader modules!  Please let me know if you have any questions!

How about coming home everyday to 30 mins of PBeM game over VASL?

Whether you are a fellow newbie who would like to learn together or an experienced ASLer who don’t mind helping me up the curve. I play to enjoy and to learn. Please message me at jackson-dot-kwan-at-gmail-dot-com!!

Related articles

Google

The Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kits Are A Great Way To Start!

Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit #1

If you have seen the Advanced Squad Leader Rulebook, it looks pretty daunting.  It is housed in a box file – yes, it is big and it is heavy (Shipping weight : 6 lb according to Amazon).  However, a lot of wargamers also think it’s the best simulation/game of all time!  Knowing, learning and seeing the rules manifesting themselves during gameplay is part of what the grognards enjoy as well.

Personally I don’t know of another game system whose rulebook is sold separately from the rest of the game.  So if you are looking for some assurance before plunging in, I can understand.  I had the same thoughts not too long ago.

Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kits offer a rulebook that is much more palatable and a self-contained game set that is much more economical so you can make an informed decision.  Unlike the full Advanced Squad Leader modules, the Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kits (ASLSK) stand alone, even from each other.

You do not need to buy all four.  

The rulebook for each builds on each other.  For example: the rulebook for ASLSK#3 is the rulebook for ASLSK#2 with more rules for tanks and armoured cars, with the additions highlighted in a different color.  So even though you probably won’t find ASLSK#1 and realise ASLSK#2 in short supply (although I just saw a copy selling at a bookstore in Kuala Lumpur last week), all you need is to get ASLSK#3.

Aids That Helped Me Get Started with ASLSK

There are of course a lot of tutorials on the internet as well, I rather enjoyed Eddy M. del Rio‘s (aka edelrio) ASLSK Tutorial Examples of Play which be found here.  There’s also Daniel F. Savarese’s ASL Starter Kit Explained.

There are actually a lot more top quality resources on the internet prepared by top notched wargamers.  I will tell you about more of them in my other posts.  The one thing you will find out about ASL wargamers is that they are a very sociable and helpful lot!

If you are an experienced ASL wargamer, please comment and let us know: what helped YOU?  Thanks!

Related articles

Google

Having just arrived in the outskirts of Stalingrad, this was his second attempt

English: German troops moving through the stre...

English: German troops moving through the streets of Stalingrad (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Corporal Gruber saw the German squad breaking into the stone structure to the right of the post office where the Russians dug themselves in.  He grabbed the demolition pack and dashed out into the street.  How he ran through the bullet storm and across the street was beyond anyone’s guess, but the German squad must be keeping the Russian distracted.  Some of the Russians saw the lone figure coming and got off a few shots nonetheless.  Jaws were dropping all around as Gruber, still unscathed,  managed to place the demolition pack.

The Russian squad, already being shot up by the Germans dropping in from the right, was looking to run.  The blinding explosion that ensured took out half the Russians and made a firm decision for the rest : run!

(The action while playing “Advanced Squad Leader Scenario S2 : War of the Rats“)

Related articles

Google

Key to the Advanced Squad Leader Modules Before You Buy Any

Advanced Squad Leader is also referred to as “ASL”.  You’ll notice a lot of different Advanced Squad Leader modules out there and it can get pretty confusing. It helps to know there are a few large categories:

  • Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit “ASLSK” : these are complete modules that provide low cost venues for new players to try and to learn the Advanced Squad Leader system.  
  • Advanced Squad Leader Core modules : these are modules, each containing all the counters (“orders of battle” or “OB”) for specific nationalities.  The modules are not complete games by themselves.  There are “dependencies” between modules which we will cover in another post and they require the purchase of the Advance Squad Leader Rulebook “ASLRB” (latest being 2nd edition 2nd print) to play.
  • Historical Advanced Squad Leader module “HASL” : these are modules that takes a deeper look at specific historical events.   Note that they too are not complete games and are dependent on ownership of specific Orders of Battle plus the Advanced Squad Leader Rulebook.
  • Advanced Squad Leader Action Packs “ASL Action Pack” : these are expansions to the ASL system that contains additional maps and scenarios that allow players to get right into the action.
  • Advanced Squad Leader Compatible “ASLCOMP” : these are Advanced Squad Leader variants and expansions published by companies other than Avalon Hill Game Company or Multi-Man Publishing.

I hope this provides a good framework from which you can plan your acquisitions.  Any thoughts, ideas or questions please feel free to comment!

Google

Why Do I Love Advanced Squad Leader?

Advanced Squad Leader

Advanced Squad Leader (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I see Advanced Squad Leader as a beautifully crafted set of rules that simulates World War 2 era combat.  It puts you in the boots of squad leaders of various nationalities, locations and situations, encapsulated by the use of well designed “scenarios”, played on beautiful sets of maps.

The first thing I learned from the game was that combat is certainly not about walking out into the courtyard with the biggest gun and blasting away on an endless belt of cartridges.  In fact, most times it’s not even about shooting.  It’s about moving.  It’s about the interplay of time and space.  It’s about getting into the right place at the right time.  It’s about achieving your objectives with limited time and resources.  It’s about looking your people, your leadership and your equipment, and figuring out how and where they can be the most effective in the given landscape.  It’s about reducing your opponent’s capacity to compete, and that doesn’t necessarily mean shooting all the time.

Some squads get shot at and ran but their leaders are quick to get them back into the game.  Other leaders panic at the worse moment and demoralise the people they are with as well.  Some leaders are great at making their people more effective, others are better off staying out of the way.

Machine guns might jam and tanks might get destroyed by lucky shots.  Winds might change and start to blow smoke in the other direction, making it now possible to cross the street.  Reinforcements might come, concealed enemies might appear behind your lines,and that one man might run through a hail of bullets unharmed and hand-deliver a demolition pack for his enemies.

Anything can happen.

This is why I love Advanced Squad Leader.

Google