One evening in February 2013, I chanced upon a copy of the ASLRB in a dingy little bookstore. That book opened to a new world of amazing friends and experiences. Ten years afterwards, it’s still the only game I play & you are still the best people I know! Thank YOU!
Author: Jim Bishop
Recently, players have posted questions surrounding Moving, Motion, Starting, Stopping and how these interact with C6 Target-Based To Hit DRM. These questions appear cyclically and I can recall answering them for as long as I have played ASL. Much of the information in this article appeared in Ole Boe’s Stop and Go Traffic article which originally appeared in the ‘96 ASL Annual. These old Annuals are available as PDF files or can be picked up used, through all the usual outlets. I highly recommend you read the original as it is still informative but for those who can’t, I offer this summary of that article here.
Moving and Vehicular Target:
To properly apply all the DRM it is important to first understand the difference between Moving and Moving Vehicular Target. Moving Vehicular Target, sometimes referred to as Moving Target, is defined in C.8. Any vehicle currently in Motion is a Moving Vehicular Target. In addition, any vehicle which starts ITS MPh in Motion, has entered a new hex, or bypassed a new hexside in its current hex during ITS MPh is a Moving Vehicular Target during Defensive First Fire or Final Fire. The key here is the vehicle either started in Motion or has moved to some new position on the board.
Moving is slightly harder. Not only is it not defined in the Index, it is never well defined in the ASLRB. In ASL, Moving means the unit is currently conducting ITS MPh. There can only ever be ONE moving thing. That thing can be a single unit, multiple units moving as a stack, a Human Wave or some other Impulse-based movement, etc. The unit or units actively spending MFs/MPs are Moving regardless of how many units are doing it or if they successfully use the MF/MP(e.g., failed Smoke Attempt DR/dr). Even though Moving, a unit which doesn’t spend MP/MF’s cannot be fired upon unless they actually spend the MP/MF. The closest the ASLRB comes to stating this is in A8.1: “… The portion occurring during the enemy MPh is called Defensive First Fire and can be used only vs a moving unit(s)…” It would eliminate a lot of player confusion if such a key concept was in the Index.
Stopped and Non-Stopped:
The Index defines a Non-Stopped vehicle as one which has not expended a Stop Movement Point (MP) since its last Start MP expenditure during ITS MPh. This should sound a lot like the earlier definition of Moving. That’s because it is. A vehicle can only ever be Stopped or Non-Stopped while it is conducting ITS MPh, i.e., Moving as defined earlier. Knowing what Non-Stopped is, we can surmise a Stopped vehicle is one which has spent a Stop MP or somehow become Immobilized/Bogged while Moving. This is covered in C.8.
Motion Status:
A Moving vehicle, i.e., one conducting ITS MPh, cannot be in Motion status. It is either Stopped or Non-Stopped. A vehicle which ends ITS MPh without spending a Stop MP is covered with a Motion counter to reflect its Motion status and is treated as a Moving Vehicular Target. A vehicle which begins ITS MPh covered with a Motion counter has the counter removed and the begins ITS MPh as a Non-Stopped, Moving Vehicular Target. A vehicle not covered with a Motion counter begins ITS MPh as a Stopped, non-Moving Vehicular Target.
From all of this, it should be clear a vehicle can be Stopped but still qualify as a Moving Vehicular Target. Conversely, it is possible a vehicle can be Non-Stopped and not qualify as a Moving Vehicular Target. A vehicle under a Motion counter is ALWAYS a Moving Vehicular Target. In all cases, Moving, Moving Vehicular Target, Motion, and Stopped/Non-Stopped represent different states. Understanding those states along with a careful perusal of the various charts will make it easier to correctly apply DRM when the time comes.
With this as background, we are ready to explore how all these rules interact and how they are properly applied. Knowing the correct application of these DRM is among the first steps to better combined arms and AFV play. Onward.
EX 1: An AFV begins ITS MPh NOT in Motion and spends 1 MP to Start. This AFV is now conducting ITS MPh (i.e., it is Moving). Since it spent a Start MP it is now Non-Stopped but not yet a Moving Vehicular Target. Looking at the C6 Target-Based TH DRM Table, we see Case L would be NA (the AFV is a Non-Stopped target). Additionally, Case J would be NA (the AFV does not qualify as a Moving Vehicular Target). For the purposes of CC Reaction Fire or CC, the AFV is Non-Stopped so a +2 DRM would apply (A11.51). If the AFV survives all in-coming fire on the Start MP, it may enter a new hex or bypass a new hexside. Once it has done this, it qualifies as a Moving Vehicular Target, but not before. This has some serious implications. If you start for 1 MP and change the VCA 2 hexspines before entering a new hex or hexside, that would be three potential shots before Case J DRM applied.
EX 2: An AFV begins ITS MPh in Motion. As it is conducting ITS MPh, the Motion counter would come off and the AFV is considered Non-Stopped and Moving (i.e., conducting \ITS MPh). All fire against it during Defensive First Fire and Final Fire suffer Case J DRM. If it spends 1 MP to Stop, it becomes a Stopped vehicle but would still be considered a Moving Vehicular Target. As such, Case J DRMs would still apply but Case L could now also apply making it possible for an AFV to be both Point Blank and a Moving Vehicular Target. Also, once the AFV becomes Stopped, there is no +2 DRM in CC/CC Reaction Fire against that AFV even though it is still considered a Moving Vehicular Target.
EX 3: An AFV is covered by a Motion Counter outside ITS MPh. Case J would apply to all shots as the AFV is a Moving Vehicular Target. Case L would be NA as the AFV is In Motion. All CC would suffer a +2 DRM for attacking an AFV in Motion. The AFV is Non-Stopped.
EX 4: This is an extension of EX 2. The AFV survives all fire on the Start MP and moves 3 MP to a hex adjacent to an enemy AFV. Surviving all incoming fire, the AFV Stops for 1 MP. The enemy AFV could shoot at the Moving AFV. If it does so, it would pay +2 Case J but also qualify for a -2 Case L since the Moving AFV is now Stopped having spent a Stop MP.
EX 5: An AFV starts adjacent to an enemy AFV. The Moving AFV spends 1 MP to Start. The enemy AFV elects to shoot. It would not qualify for Case L (the target is Non-Stopped) but it would also not be hampered by Case J as the target does not qualify as a Moving Vehicular Target yet.
I have not covered Motion attempts in this briefing but from the last few examples you should be able to extrapolate how powerful it can be to save your AFV. If an AFV is being attacked by an enemy, making a successful Motion attempt instantly qualifies your AFV for Case J and negates any potential for Case L, a +4 DRM in favor of survival. Combine this with a free CA change as part of the Motion Attempt and you can point your thickest armor to the threat. In your friendly fire phase, freely change your VCA to point in a direction where cover is hopefully available, saving the AFV from destruction.
I hope this brief article is useful and if you find any errors, please let me know and I will correct them. Thanks and go read Stop and Go Traffic. It’s worth your time. — jim
(Carried with Jim Bishop’s permission)
Original posted here : https://jekl.com/2021/09/09/stop-and-go-traffic-a-synopsis/
This is April 1 1945, the Americans win by kicking all Germans from buildings south of the road market with little circle & “#” symbols.
The German defenders at the “Alamo” got casualty reduced in CC and the game drew to a close at the end of American Turn 5 (out of 6.5).
PS I think my tank destroyers were too close to the action. Best put them on the hills, in bypass if necessary, north of the road – next time!!
In this scenario, the US Paras win if they exited 1 or more squad equivalent and more Leader out hex Q10, which is where the road exits in the middle of the map. Any German exits increase the exit requirements for the US.
I am the German defenders. While I believe in bringing all my guns up front, I am not backing up fast enough. I am not happy about exchanging casualties with the Russians at the present ratio (slight more than 1:1) since there are twice as many Russians as the Germans! Even though the Russians are spread out, they have 5 leaders in this scenario (these are the Guards Para!).
The ASL fanatics in New England got together two years ago and started building a scenario pack to commemorate 20 years of their involvement with ASL and more importantly, 20 years of their friendship via ASL.
This is truly a pack built by ASL fanatics, for fanatics. As such, standards are very high as these folks are well know players and scenario designers themselves.
One of the first ones that interests me is YASL#1 Full Immersion Baptism (Designer : Carl Nogueira). I was involved in its playtesting. This is the Spanish Civil War, replete with the Republican, the Nationalists, the Condor Legions and Moors with their ability to seek cover in the folds of the ground. 
YASL#4 The Twin Pimples (Designer : Andy Howard), it’s British regulars and commandos pitted against Italians in the desert and at night. We are talking about 21 Italians & toys against 10 British squads and 9 commandos.
My first game out of this pack will most likely to be YASL#5 Patrols on the Trail to Hell (Designer Vic Provost) perhaps for no other reason than that I have been a huge fan of Vic Provost’s & the Bunker crew’s PTO design. This is a 5 turn USMC vs IJA jungle action that looks to be a good introduction for newer folks to the PTO terrain.
Oh hey, gritty Ground Snow at Dusk, ’44 Eastern front action in YASL#6 Hein Olshana (Designer : Robert “Kedge” Johnson). I know, you never get tired of ETO. StuGs (with no radios) vs SU76Ms!
YASL#8 Ass Backwards (Bob Tufano & Tom Morin) is the only other scenario in existence (according to ASL Scenario Archive) that features the British Archer. The Archer is a tank destroyer with a 76LL gun pointing BACKWARDS. This is a 6.5 turner that puts Panthers on the German side and plays on the Riley’s Road Map (from ASL Operation Veritable Historical Study).
Tanks ONLY action? You should take a look at YASL#9 Rack’em Up! (Designer : Ted Wilcox). This is German vs American (9 on 9), Jan 1945, Falling Snow and burnt out buildings (read : Open Ground). It’s a fast one with 4 turns.
Paratroopers on the IJA? YASL#10 Dropping Topside (Designer : Michael J “Pooch” Puccio). Two German tank destroyers vs SIXTEEN T-34s? YASL#11 Ja, Bix (Designer : Brian “Dr Death” Sullivan). It’s a 5.5 turn where both parties can vary their OB.
YASL13 Die to the Last Man (Designer : Joe Gochinski) features the CG style OB purchases that I was hooked onto since St Louis’s China-Burma-India The Lost Theater pack. The IJA may run or they may fight. It’s up to the British to figure out. 
Joe Gochinski is also the designer of one of my favorite scenarios – DB099 The Gin Drinkers’ Line, featuring Hong Kong.
By the way, when I call them fanatics, they are real fanatics. I don’t just mean they play like there’s no tomorrow. This pack features some of the best ASL scenario designers. Carl Nogueira is the designer for CH Dien Bien Phu and for the upcoming Dinant CG, Tom Morin is the designer for Valor of the Guards, Vic Provost (OB14 Pursuing Kobayashi), Stephen Johns, Ted Wilcox, Michael Puccio, Ralph McDonald and Joe Gochinski & the others have long lists of published scenarios in Dispatches from the Bunker, the New England ASL newsletter.
Vic Provost – SSR: All Occupants of the Bunker Location are considered Fanatic [A10.8]
The Nor’easter ASL Tourney XX Anniversary Pack is truly a scenario pack designed by fanatics, for fanatics. It’s product that these group of friends can all be proud of. I am actually quite happy about the production (PDF) and the delivery (free & instantaneous). I know a good number of these folks personally, out of which Carl Nogueira spent the most time teaching me how to play properly. I just KNOW I am getting a top notched product. I also wish to show my support and therefore encourage more of these publishing efforts from other ASL groups around the world.
Who knows? We might even see a couple starting to come out of Asia!!
To get your own copy of Nor’easter ASL Tourney XX Anniversary Pack:
The cost of the Pack is $15.00. Please forward your payments to the PayPal account of Carl Nogueira if paying by PayPal or to:
Carl Nogueira
7 Green Street
New Bedford MA 02740
If paying by check/money order, please make payable to Carl H. Nogueira.
If you have any questions regarding any aspect of the scenario pack, please contact Carl at chnogueira@aol.com, or here on facebook.
To get our own subscription to Dispatches from the Bunker:
Contact Vic Provost at aslbunker@aol.com
(I backordered all copies apart from keeping a subscription going forward, it IS that good.)
PP08 No Simple Victory is from the ASL March Madness Partisan Pack , produced by the Kansas City Irregular ASL Club for the March 13-15 2009 March Madness tournament. According to Mark Pitcavage’s Desperation Morale site, only 75 copies were made. I am lucky to have access to one and let me tell you, the storylines therein FASCINATE me.
An NKVD badge replica
A number of anti-communist partisan groups sprung up. One such group was the National Military Alliance or the “NZW” and one of their biggest battles happened here. The NZW prevailed, but the NKVD returned the next day and burned the village of Kurylowka to the ground.
Introduction and Setup : The NKVD officers are all Commissars. The Poles on the other hand have 5 MPs instead of the usual 4. The NKVD enters from the right and a trench in the middle of the village square is the “Victory Condition” hex. I was the Partisans and Carl Nogueira the NKVD (Carl’s analysis of the scenario is at the bottom of this post). I made a number of mistakes in this scenario. One of which was putting my SSR given Set DC in the VC hex. Since the NKVD wins immediately upon seizing that hex, blowing them up subsequently really doesn’t help. I elected to exchange my 2 Fortified Location into 2 tunnels : one leading to the pillbox that oversee the VC hex and another leading from small clump of buildings to the right of the village so that units could rout back.
There are two approaches to the village. One is to take the long way through the Forest on the bottom of the map. That burns a lot of time. The other way is to move through the open ground from the right to the left. That carries a much higher risk of casualties which the NKVD player has to mindful of. One of the SSRs states that the NKVD is subjected to BATTLEFIELD INTEGRITY (A16). There’s a number on the broken side of each counter. The NKVD starts up with a Battlefield Integrity score of 260. When the NKVD takes casualties a running total of the number on the back of the counters is taken. The NKVD is then subjected to an Integrity Check every 10% (or 26 in this case) of the starting score. Fail it once, and the NKVD has their ELR reduced. Fail it twice and the NKVD pack up and go home.
I assumed Carl would take a frontal approach through the scant cover the open ground offers (the NKVD had no smoke). The Partisans had Molotovs though. I tried to use Molotovs frequently early game (couldn’t be used inside the forest though) in the hope of setting something on fire “accidentally” but I completely forgot to use it late game when it really counted.
Turn 1 Russian : The Russians, I mean ALL the Russians headed for the forest! I started thinking about how I could redeploy to a completely different angle of attack.
Turn 1 Partisans : The Partisans had to redeploy to a very possible attack through the forest and from the bottom of the village! My tunnels and my pillbox were rendered useless. A few units had to come out of HIP to redeploy. Anyway, it was what it was – a new game. Good thing our Partisans had 5 MF instead of 4!
Turn 2 Russian : The Partisans in the forest had to do the best they could now. I didn’t move far enough from the NKVD and therefore got my units surrounded a few times. The NKVD was of course deadly at close range. Concealment didn’t offer enough protection.
Turn 2 Partisans : The three Partisan squads in the forest were of course completely outnumbered. I hope to delay the NVKD as much as possible by using brokies to block the way as they rout. I moved an LMG squad out to the clump of trees to help protect the “heavies” in case the Soviets change their mind and decide to skip long the edge of the forest instead.
Turn 3 Russians : The Russians came in strong. The Partisans were quickly surrounded and destroyed. The Russians tested the scene at the edge of the forest. The Partisan HMG appeared to convince them otherwise.
Turn 3 Partisans : The NKVD needed to be contained in the forest. A few more Partisan squads were sent in there to rack up more casualties if they could. At this point, I was a little reluctant to send even these folks. The NKVD had an advantage up close while the Partisans were better in open area because of their enhanced mobility and longer range. Molotovs couldn’t be used in forests either. Kindling is NA for this scenario but I certainly hoped to set a few structures on fire “accidentally”.
Here’s also where I realised my next stupid move : I got my mortar (ideal against folks trying to come out of the forest, no?) in a trench BEHIND a hedge. They couldn’t see anything. The gun crew had to scramble to re-situate the mortar now. Could they do it in time?
Turn 4 Russian : This was an epic turn. The NKVD studiously picked a spot to come out of the woods that avoided the HMG. So an LMG unconcealed to plug the gap. Did it ever! That residual where the path open up from the forest saw a good number of casualties. A few came forth nonetheless, led by a 9-0 Commissar, and rushed the mortar crew. One of the partisan squads was met by a number of NKVD and was presented with a DC pack as well ..
Turn 4 Russian still : Our partisan squad survived all Advance Fire AND a DC blast!! NKVD fixed bayonets and looked to move in ..
Turn 4 Russian Close Combat : The NKVD squads moved in and even managed to ambush our partisan squad! Fortunately they rolled infiltration for our brave partisan squad. While the partisans were pinned and couldn’t move, the NKVD squads thought better of it and moved off.
On the far side of the open ground, the Russians wrestled with a partisan squad sent to mess with them. The partisans got the ambush here and decided to move off to the Russian rear.
Turn 4 Partisan : Our brave partisan squad moved off to another position where the NKVD might decide to emerge. The other partisan decided to back off to get some distance between them and the short range Russian bear. On the other hand, the HMG crew grabbed their toy and ran off to the woods to get a better angle at the emerging NKVD.
The mortar crew couldn’t get away with their toy unfortunately, they were broken by fire from pursing NKVD.
Turn 5 Russian : At this point the NKVD had already breezed right through their first Battle Integrity check. Two partisan squads fought hard at the edge of the forest the best they could.
Russians on the far right decided to rush the HMG in the woods as well. Thank goodness to mutually supporting positions they would all eventually be broken.
Turn 5 Partisans : The partisans sent another squad to the far right to go after the broken NKVD squads. Who knows? May be they will force another Battle Integrity check!
Partisans were trying hard to back off into the clearing before the roads lead into the village – but it was hard.
Turn 6 Russian : The Russians tried the captured Polish mortar, hoping to get smoke for the final attack. Fortunately it melted in their hands rather patriotically
The Poles kept backing off and putting residual on open ground. I was also starting to think that I should bring the partisan squads on the far right back into the village for the final fight.
Turn 6 Partisan : I saw the left side of the village as being particularly vulnerable. I moved a few more squads up from the back to cover that. The HMG and 2 LMGs were moved to the open so they could take advantage of their range. The Russians would have to decide whether to divert squads to them or let them be.
Turn 7 Russians : The BPV was now at 88. The Russian passed the last 3 Battle Integrity Check without breaking a sweat. The next one’s going to be 16 BPV off – which meant 3 or 4 squads, depending on what they were.
Fire lanes were deployed where possible to wear the NKVD down – but they kept coming. When they got adjacent, the Partisans knew they wouldn’t last much longer. An MMG deployed on the left opened up as well. Unfortunately it broke down almost immediately.
Turn 7 Partisans : We ran out of room to back off now. The front row of NKVDs got too close and the Partisans got blown away, firing squad style.
Getting folks in their final position ..
Turn 8 Russian : So this is just a shot of the start of the final turn. There’s still an MMG that remained “HIP” on the (hopefully) more vulnerable looking side.
Turn 8 Russian, after the Movement Phase : Carnage! The Russian kept running squads though the gauntlet, even tried to place a DC on the squad in the target hex. After they got a few in for the ensuring Close Combat phase, they ran the rest of the NKVD away from village to avoid more casualties!
Turn 8 Russians – the end : Then it happened – the Russians fired into the concealed partisan squad in the target hex. They got a morale check even with the +2 TEM.
Box cars.
The partisan squad reduced and broke. The Russians were therefore in a position to advance in.
The Russians won.
Here’s the Analysis from Carl Nogueira :
It was a pretty intense game. I looked for opportunities to launch a human wave, to try and close up the ground needed to be crossed faster. However, that was of course not possible in the woods. Once out of the woods, I had a chance to do it, but I was not happy with the preparation of the defense. I had been unable to soften him up/draw off enough shots with the non-human wave crowd. It looked like the boys would be heading into a meat grinder and these guys don’t do meat grinder with the BPV rules. Not to mention the last sentence of A9.222. This makes human waves suicidal if the opponent has the ability to lay down several firelanes. Jackson had that opportunity. Human wave called off. Of course with these clowns, it was more of a sub-human wave anyway.
As Jackson alluded to, I initially went through the forest on the bottom board. It appeared to be lightly defended and it afforded me the ability to shoot back at his forces. Something my short range and lack of long range SW didn’t afford in the open. That combined with the Battlefield Integrity made my NKVD boys “vulnerable” in the open. (I always wanted to use NKVD and integrity in the same sentence. It’s a lot tougher than it looks.) The forest looked lightly defended to boot, so I was hoping to blow through there as fast as possible.
In the even, it took about turns, using my best Tampa style tactics to whip Igor forward. The attempt to put pressure on the Koresh compound and use those forces to be a diversion against the center, failed spectacularly. Fortunately, they graced me by not dying in the process. If there is one lesson that Jackson will take with im from this game, it is entrenched units behind a wall/hedge only see adjacent to the wall/hedge. No farther. His mortar was positioned under a foxhole thusly. As was a flanking squad and the VC hex guard. It didn’t cost him the game, but it did cost some opportunities.
I popped out of the woods and headed up the road, mostly to the right of the road, straight for the VC hex. Jackson’s units are quite fleet of foot by ssr in this, so they easily repositioned and got in front of us. Their mf base of 5 for MMC making that easily possible. After some early success heading up the road, I determined I was a turn behind. As a result I really took some chances. Even running some units into hexes I knew they couldn’t rout out of to try and force the pace. I was soon dissuaded. However, Jackson did decline a surrender which enforced NQ for my boys surrendering. That was more blessing than curse for me as I was able to have more liberal rout routes after that, FTR not withstanding.
I had to change the axis of attack to straddle the road more, as he had too many fire lanes to the right of the road. I was able to ooze out over the road and get enough fire down to open a path through the stone building that guarded the VC buildings left flank, but only on the next to last turn. That meant running through the open to try to get to the last VC hex.
It had looked really grim since Jackson had a 4.35 average DR over 7 key shots to start Russian turn 7. As a result, I had to take two tests for BI. I passed the first but failed the second. If it happened one more time, he gets the win. Fortunately, as is wont to happen, the dice turned back the other way. My boys discovered their meat sacks and my morale check DR improved drastically at just the right time. One 5-2-7 went berserk and tied up a key piece on the approach march. We were able to survive a nice fire lane Jackson laid from a HIP unit leading to the VC hex. Finally, I was able to get a G/O 5-2-7 and two 3-2-8 HS, one of which had a DC, ADJACENT to the VC hex. The 5-2-7 fired at his concealed unit in the trench, a 4+2, to try and strip him of concealment. The thought being it would make the thrown DC that much more effective done in that order. I lucked out with a 3-1 for a NMC. Jackson boxed the NMC and that was the game.
We discussed later and both felt the scenario is rough on the Russians. That said, the ROAR record now has it 3-2, pro-Russian. Still, I think the Russians have the longer road. That low ELR and short range for their force are real handicaps. Combined with needing to keep an eye out for the battlefield integrity makes it tough. As for the Partisans, they have typical partisan issues. The 5 mf rule for the MMC is a real nice touch. One thing the scenario is though is fun. All in all, it was a very enjoyable time and game.
Map of Poland from 1944
Art by Rodger MacGowan, Photo by Jackson Kwan
Mr. Patrick LeBeau sent a beautiful message to the “Squad Leader PreASL” YahooGroup to remember John Hill. I asked and he kindly gave his permission to republish it here, for all of us whose memories Lt. Hill will forever be a part of.
Farewell fearless leader
The original John Hill Squad Leader counter: Lt. Hill, a modest 9-1 leader.
When I purchased the famous purple edition of John Hill’s 1977 Avalon Hill game, Squad Leader, at the Origins held in Ann Arbor, Michigan that same year, I and many others were immediately hooked on the game system and ease-of-play. We attended all of John’s lectures and in a day or so mastered the game. By the end of the convention many of us were combining our game boards and units to play monster self-designed scenarios after having played all 12 scenarios in one long weekend.
Squad Leader would also win the title of Best Tactical/Operational Game of 1977
This was not my first encounter with John or his many excellent board and miniature games. Most notably in the mid 1970s was Johnny Reb, now known as Johnny Reb One. I still have the original mimeographed legal size cheat sheet printed on both sides, which was all you needed to play the first iteration of the Johnny Reb system. In that playtest addition, resolution used a single 12-sided die.
I mention these two games and I call them systems because they have an incredible longevity through continuous reprints, revisions and new editions, including new games derivative of earlier manifestations. Although the 1977 edition of Squad Leader is my all time favorite, the game would generate many supplements, which would lead to the development of Advanced Squad Leader. The whole Squad Leader family of games has sparked a gamer following that keeps the game alive (SL or ASL) to this day after almost all of the SL and ASL games are long out of print. ASL is directly responsible, I believe, to the development of the online VASSAL game engine for playing board/miniature games virtually.
Johnny Reb would lead to JRII and JRIII. From my perspective, I see Across the Deadly Field as John’s Opus Majus and final version of the Johnny Reb system. From my point of view, I believe ADF is his finest version and I hope it will emerge as his most popular American Civil War gaming system. I spent the entirety of 2014, from Fall In 2013 to Historicon 2014, and all those conventions in between, promoting ADF.
This brings me back to Lt. Hill, the U.S. 9-1 leader counter of the original Squad Leader. Many of us literally wore out our original counters due to continuous game play and finger handling. We of course replaced them by purchasing new games. This is not true with 99% of the board games I own. Further, in 1977, we understood the game as cardboard version of a miniatures game. Today I play the game using 15mm figures and terrain. My point is that as long as gamers continue to play John’s games he lives on.
In untold thousands of games, his old Lt. Hill counter has often suffered a KIA result or has broken under fire. At times it has conducted heroic acts, or has rallied squads at critical times. Whatever the outcome, Lt. Hill reemerges game after game to fight on and on to the enjoyment of the table top gamer whose only purpose is to have fun, learn history, study tactics, engage in competitive play and build friendships.
John was a good friend and his games build many life-long friendships.
I will miss him. We will miss him. However, as Lt. Hill, he will always be in our games, not only as a counter, a figure, a GM, a moderator, a game designer, a human, a man, and as one of the greatest game designers of all time.
Patrick LeBeau
January 13, 2015
Mostly Stories about American Marines
Blogging Advanced Squad Leader AAR After Action Reports since 2013
Advanced Squad Leader Scenario After Action Reports
Blogging Advanced Squad Leader AAR After Action Reports since 2013
History and Hardware of Warfare
ASL & The Path To Redemption
Comprehensive Resource for Advanced Squad Leader
Washington DC Area Advanced Squad Leader Game Club
Blogging Advanced Squad Leader AAR After Action Reports since 2013
Blogging Advanced Squad Leader AAR After Action Reports since 2013
Blogging Advanced Squad Leader AAR After Action Reports since 2013
Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) Tournament 12-14 July 2024
Blogging Advanced Squad Leader AAR After Action Reports since 2013
Blogging Advanced Squad Leader AAR After Action Reports since 2013
RitterKrieg Home
"A15.1 The cauldron of battle, which destroyed so many units that failed the test of arms, could also forge better soldiers and/or acts of desperation borne of heroism or despair."
An ASL Tournament held in West Dover, VT August 1st through 4th, 2024
Advanced Squad Leader AAR Blog / Advanced Squad Leader After Action Reports 