Four of a kind

Dice have no memory. Players do. 

I bet you can recall uncanny dice rolls that have cost you a game. Have you encountered an opponent with unbelievably charmed dice? I am not talking about crooked dice, or dubious rolling techniques. I am referring to a player who always seems to get the ideal dice roll, at the most opportune time. Have you ever stared in horror as your opponent’s rocket salvo is directed to the margins of the battlefield? Watched as the rockets are drawn like magnets to the steel plate of your half-tracks cleverly moving out of sight? When these rare events occur a second or a third time, we tend to question the odds. How can this happen? 

Dice have no memory. Only players do.

So it is with the winner of our year-end contest. He is a previous raffle winner, having won an earlier raffle before with the lowest roll of seven dice. Almost 300 Squad Leaders participated in our last draw of 2014. I used four dice, and rolled once for each person following Sitrep. A pair of boxcars were not among the results. Nevertheless, four contestants had four of a kind, including our winner. Before I get to this august individual, I would like to introduce the runners up in our “random-selection” process. And before I do that, I would like to congratulate three Squad Leaders who tied with low rolls of five.

Three Squad Leaders tied for second with a sum of five

Chris van Wyk of Cape Town, South Africa, and Reg Plummer and John Carrington of Ottawa and Toronto, Ontario, respectively, have each won a pair of dice. It is a timely coincidence that a South African should win a pair of 12.5mm Crown Jewels, which include a South African die with a Springbok on the ace. The other die sports a Star of India, the insignia of the Order of the Star of India. The star features prominently on the Ensign of the British Raj. The die is used to represent the British Indian Army (1903-1947). Both dice were released last October.

No offence to the Canadians who also won, but it would have been sweet if one of our Spanish Squad Leaders had won a pair of Los (Inter) Nacionales. This pair of dice is designed for the Spanish Civil War (SCW). A disproportionate number of SCW scenarios published to date include elements of the International Brigades. These foreign, primarily communist, volunteers adopted the three-pointed star of the Popular Front, hence the red star on the Internacionales die. The Nationals (Nacionales)—better known outside Spain as the Nationalists—adopted the Cruz de San Andrés (St. Andrew’s Cross) as a generic symbol. I will let Reg and John decide which of these new pairs they prefer to have. 

Panzerkampfwagen IA 20mm Breda variant - Spain c. 1938 

Binary Stars and Bypass

Two hundred and ninety-odd dice rolls notwithstanding, I was surprised that four of a kind appeared as often as it did. Robert Hynes, an Associate Professor at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, yahtzeed with fives. I know little about Rob, other than that he is a physicist intrigued by the interaction of Low Mass X-ray Binaries—LMXB for the astrophysicists among you. These binaries consist of a low-mass star (the companion) feeding an accretion disc around a neutron star, or a black hole. An accretion disc is a collection of gas, dust, and asteroid-size chunks of matter that has accumulated in orbit around a star. A neutron star—the product of a massive star that has undergone a gravitational collapse during a supernova event—is a tiny, dense stellar remnant smaller than Manhattan, but with a mass greater than our sun. Accretion discs orbiting neutron stars and black holes are not visible to the naked eye, but can be detected in the X-ray part of the spectrum, hence the LMXB designation. Why some of these accretion discs emit jets along their polar axes remains a mystery. Our universe is awash with mysterious, unseen forces. So apparently is ASL.

ASL force fields and Vehicular Bypass

Ultraviolet (UV) light is another form of electromagnetic radiation normally invisible to humans. Closer to the visible spectrum than X-rays, a segment of UV light can be seen by birds, insects, and young humans, which pretty much excludes most ASL players, including Dr. Hynes. Never mind, the vivid green and red pips on our newest specialty die are hard to miss, even in the visible spectrum. The pips do, moreover, fluoresce. They glow under black light (Ultraviolet A). As a token of our appreciation for following Sitrep, Rob has won a colourful, 16mm Wound-Severity and Sniper-Effects die.

16mm Wound-Severity and Sniper-Effects Die

Beach Bum

Nadir Elfarra likes to get his feet wet. Most weekends, he hits the beach. Although a resident of southern California, Nadir is not your typical beach bum. I have no doubt that he is as gung ho and fanatic as any of the neoprene-clad surfers who populate SoCal’s coastline, but this marine animal prefers to come to ashore in a landing craft.

Nadir may not have worn an eagle, globe, and anchor, but he is a littoral creature of habit. If his name sounds familiar, it is because Nadir has been involved with The Game for decades. In 1996, for example, he and Brian Abela produced an impressive historical pack called Baraque de Fraiture: The Battle for Parker’s Crossroads. Front Line Productions proved to be a short-lived enterprise, and BdF, its only publication.¹ But Nadir is probably best known for designing the Edson's Ridge campaign game included in Operation Watchtower (2003). He is also credited with designing several of the scenarios in this out-of-print historical study.²

In 2012, Nadir provided feedback on the designs for a pair of 16mm USMC dice. As a small gesture of our appreciation, we provided him with a complimentary set from our initial production run. We were disappointed by the stamping of these dice, however, and were reluctant to produce more. Others felt differently. Suffice it to say that when our second, much improved batch arrived at the end of that year, we sent Nadir a replacement pair. The dice arrived in time for the West Coast Melee, an annual ASL tournament hosted by the SoCal ASL Club. Nadir brought his new dice with him to Irvine, California, where the tourney takes place. He never used the dice though. Instead, he gifted them to a fellow club member Scott Thompson, a Marine turned school teacher. Scott had to leave early in order to grade papers. Before he did, he took time to admire the big, three-dimensional map of Gavutu-Tanambogo that Nadir and five, fellow PTO fanatics were playing on. Check it out in the spread below!

Sand and Blood: Gavutu and Tanambogo CG

Nadir is a class act. His result in our raffle was classic ASL. He yahtzeed with four fours. 

Anyone who plays the Japanese knows how brittle their leaders can be. It is probably fair to say that no leader in ASL takes more Wound-Severity Checks than a Japanese leader. Nadir has won a Wound-Severity and Sniper-Effects die. I am certain that he will find it useful. I am even more certain that he will readily lend it to the opposing Japanese team whenever the need arises.           

Budapest Bill

On 2 December 2014, I learned that MMP had sold its last copy of Festung Budapest (FB). I was surprised, and dismayed. Had MMP printed fewer copies than I had assumed? Or had György Gattyán suddenly taken an interest in this historic siege of his hometown?

It made no sense. The historical module debuted at Winter Offensive in 2012. Less than three years later it was out of print. The news was a wake-up call. 

I have played three games from the module, and thoroughly enjoyed them. I played both sides in FB11 “Boy Soldier.” So really, I have played only two scenarios, all with the same opponent. Nor have I had much success encouraging other local players to purchase the game, let alone test drive it. It is a shame. Bill Cirillo, the designer, has created a HASL environment unlike any “official” publication to date. The counter density is never such that the game bogs down into a push-and-shove match dominated by high-firepower attacks and Assault Movement. The scenarios in FB are fluid affairs, with plenty of opportunities to display your tactical acumen, or not.

Snippet from the second version of the FB Player Aid

Bill continues to support his offspring with new scenarios. For example, ASL Journal 10 included FB18 “Red Banner Days,” along with a (very) handy player aid. Another scenario, FB19 “Waffenbrüderschaft,” will likely appear in the next Journal. Work also continues on a Campaign Game (CG) designed to utilize all four mapsheets at once. If you are a CG grognard with heaps of free time on your hands, Bill could use your help playtesting the quintessential, urban campaign.

In our contest, Bill had four threes. It is tempting to give him a black Panzerknackern die as a prize. It is in keeping with the back-in-black theme that I will get to in a moment. However, a Wound die is a better fit. I will consider it payback for a Sniper-inflicted, mortal wound that my best leader suffered in FB10 “The Return of the Black Company.” 

For those who have not played this scenario—and an awesome scenario it is—a Scenario Special Rule (SSR) treats all Sniper attack die rolls of “1” as either a normal “2” result, or as a Heat of Battle (HOB) result, at the option of the player who made the “attack.” The ingenious part of this SSR gave my opponent an opportunity to select one of his own units—using the A14.2 Target Selection process—to undergo HOB. During the course of our game, the Axis created three heroes. One hero was born of a Hungarian squad that Battle Hardened for bonus style points. The other heroes sprung from a pair of SS squads that, unhappy with the sudden discrepancy in Morale Levels, instantly became Fanatic. When at last my opponent’s dice appeared to cool, he rolled an Original “2” result. Crack, went the rifle, and down went my 9-2 leader. His death was an omen. The Black Company was determined to fight to my last man.

FB 10 "The Return of the Black Company"

The HOB SSR made for a thrilling match. However, this is but one aspect of a scenario that has tremendous replay value. The Rubble (and Debris) Generation Check that precedes play invariably creates a different cityscape to fight in. But it is the interplay of the variable orders of battle (on each side), and the three ways in which the scenario can be won, or lost, that make FB10 so much fun to play time and again. I played it last December, as part of the scenario-selection process for the Canadian ASL Open (CASLO), which brings me to the winner of our year-end raffle.

Boots and Braces

You may recall seeing our two-time winner before. He won a Sitrep raffle in 2012. Still, I doubt that many have seen him like this. Gone are the trademark braces. (Or are the suspenders Cloaked beneath the suit.) The disarming aw-shucks image has been traded for that of an elder statesman.³

Last summer, I stopped by a mutual friend’s place to catch up. When our talk eventually turned to ASL, Mark’s name came up. My friend said that he had pitched in to help with Mark’s communication plan, and that, well, Mark was running for the New Hampshire State Senate. Mr. Evans came up short on election day. He did, however, garner about 40 percent of the vote, which is a darn sight better than what my ASL record was for a very long time.

After graduating from Plymouth State University, Mark headed west. He worked in Denver for a number of years, and befriended many local ASL players. If I recall correctly, he participated in ASL events as far west as Portland, Oregon. Mark moved back to his hometown of Berlin, NH seven or eight years ago. He started a natural-heath practice, and from 2008 to 2012, he served as a city councilor. Those who know Mark will agree that he likes to get involved, be it with his local community, or with the gaming community. He is in a consistent contributor to BoardGameGeek, for example.⁴

In addition to his unabashed online presence in gaming forums, Mark is a familiar sight at tournaments throughout New England. Last year, Mark took on a leadership role with the Tussle in the Tundra. Despite the name, the tournament is only an hour’s drive north of Boston. Each summer a regular contingent of gamers gather in Manchester, NH for a weekend of ASL.⁵ 

Which way to Manchester?

The convivial, low-key atmosphere is one of the charms of the Tussle. Sure, there is a competitive aspect to the event. But my wife and I found it to be more like a reunion of old friends. Another Tussle is planned for this July, and Mark will undoubtedly be there.

Muncipal Man of Mystery - World famous in NH

Mark not only had the lowest sum in our raffle, but he also had four aces. I had considered giving the winner of our year-end raffle a selection of our newest BattleDice. However, when I told my wife who had won, she asked if Mark was coming to the Canadian ASL Open. Good question, I thought. When the CASLO is held in Montreal or Ottawa, Mark frequently attends. So what better way to reward him than by covering his registration fees for the tournament? Let's just say to say that if Mark claims his Sitrep prize, we have his registration fees covered for CASLO XIX, compliments of BattleSchool. And given Mark’s fondness for his dayglow pink “dice cup,” we will include a couple of dice with glow spots. That ought to brighten his random-selection rolls. 

The Canadian ASL Open XIX ~ Ottawa 15-17 May 2015

Congratulations to all! And good luck to everyone in our next contest! 

Speaking of contests, it is never too late to become a Squad Leader. Join Sitrep today and be in to win when the next raffle comes around. 

Sitrep turns four on Canada Day. Sounds like an excuse for another contest. 

Thanks for reading.

How to claim your prize

It’s easy.

1. leave a comment at the end of this post

2. email us at: battleschool at rogers dot com

Notes

1. The battle for Parker’s Crossroads is not to be confused with a battle of the same name that occurred during the American Civil War. The ASL battle brings to cardboard the desperate defence of an important crossroad in the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge. From 20 December to 23 December 1944, a mixed bag of roughly 300 Americans faced repeated attacks by 560. Volksgrenadiere-Division, and 2. SS Panzer-Division “Das Reich.” Major Arthur C. Parker III, acting commanding officer of the 589th Field Artillery Battalion, decided to make a stand at the junction of the main road that connects Bastogne to the south with Liège, some 50 kilometres to the north, and a second paved road running east-west. Together with remnants of the smashed 106th Infantry Division, and small detachments from the 3rd Armored Division, and the 82nd Airborne Division, Parker’s command made a historic stand. The mapsheet that came with Baraque de Fraiture replicated the immediate area of this vital intersection. Two of the scenarios in the pack require geomorphic boards, however. 

A second edition of the pack was released by Critical Hit! a number of years ago. The pair of scenarios that do not use the historical map were included in the first issue of Out of the Attic. The first, OA13 “Brief Breakfast” (BdF4), occurs in the village of Fraiture—about a kilometre northeast of the crossroads—on 23 December. The second scenario, OA14 “Across the Ainse and into Frieneux” (BdF9), takes place the next day in Frieneux (Freyneux), some seven or eight kilometres west of Parker’s crossroad. Nadir is credited with the design of both scenarios.

2. Nadir also designed three of the five scenarios played on the “Hell’s Corner” map. This map depicts the area around the mouth of the Matanikau River on Guadalcanal. It was developed as part of the Operation Watchtower Historical Study. However, as Perry Cocke reflected in January 2013, MMP had always liked the HC map but “didn’t want to burden Operation Watchtower with the additional cost for only a few scenarios.” Instead, the HC scenarios and map appeared in Operations Special Issue No. 3 seven years later.

Nadir's "affection for the USMC stems from two uncles." One saw combat in WW2 and Korea. The other taught Nadir how to shoot. Nadir regrets not having served in the Marines, although he tried twice to join, once while in college. However, the intensity of his university program was a poor fit with the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). When he tried later to join the USMC Reserve, he learned that active duty was a prerequisite. The upside is that Nadir has been able to dedicate a lot of his spare time to the design and development of wargames, many of which star the USMC.

A few years ago, Nadir created an interactive map that display’s the location of ASL players around the world. Players are encouraged to pin their names to the map. Each additional player added increases the usefulness of this unique ASL resource.

3. At a pre-tourney get-together a few years back, Mark entertained us with his rendition of the Yankee “(you) can’t get they-ahh (there) from hee-yahhhh (here)” schtick. Although a staple of Maine humour, “Which way to Millinocket?” could apply to any number of out-of-the-way places in New England (or the Maritimes, for that matter.).

4. Check out Mark’s video of Festung Budapest, or one of his other unpretentious, out-of-the-box reviews.

5. Chuck Tewksbury has been running the Tussle since Steve Anderson stepped down as Tournament Director several years ago. When my wife and I were at the Tussle in 2013, there was some discussion between Chuck and Mark regarding the future of the tourney. Attendance is usually modest, seldom more than 20 participants. It takes a lot of work to plan and run an event, and Chuck was beginning to wonder if it was worth the trouble. Mark and other participants assured Chuck that it was indeed worth it.

CASLO Toolkit

If this is your first tournament, you may be wondering what to bring with you. A pleasant manner and a sense of humour is always appreciated. In fact, you can get a fair bit of mileage out of just being good company. However, most players appreciate it when their opponents make a reasonable attempt to bring their own ASL kit, or gear. 

Your personal kit falls into three broad categories: game components, player aids, and personal items. How much kit you bring is usually a function of distance and means of travel. For instance, if you are travelling less than a couple of hours by car, most people would expect you to bring enough ASL kit to be self sufficient. Naturally, if you do not own certain components, you can only bring what you do have. In contrast, if you are flying to a tournament, you will have to decide what ASL kit is the most important, and leave the bulk of your gear at home. Because counters are usually the heaviest part of your kit, they are often the first to be culled. However, if you must cut back on counters, do try to bring your system counters with you, as sharing system counters is not very practical. 

System counters are not the only essentials. Let’s have a look at what many players would like to see you bring to the table. 

The big bad book

With regard to the rule book, the most important bits are chapters A-E, and chapter H (vehicle and ordnance notes). Among other things, chapter E is required for the scenarios that take place in the winter and at night, as well as for Air Drop [E9]. Therefore, if you only plan to play the scenarios in the Purple Heart Mini Tournament, the basic rule book (A-D) will suffice. If, however, you intend to play one or more scenarios in the CASLO (main) tournament, you will also need chapters G, J and O. 

Chapter G, which deals with the Pacific Theatre of Operations (PTO), is required for almost a third of the scenarios in the CASLO. But I should point out that we structured each round so that there is never any requirement for a player to select a PTO scenario, or a scenario starring Japanese, for that matter. This is due to the fact that each player can ignore two scenarios in each round of the CASLO when selecting his or her three choices—more on this a little later.

A couple scenarios in the CASLO also permit Chapter J Hand-to-Hand combat [J2.31] by SSR, so make sure that you have page J1 in your rule book. In AP54 800 Heroes, all brush is Debris (O1). This rule can be found in Red Barricades. Pages O1-O6 were also reprinted and included with Valor of the Guards. If you need a copy of the Debris rules, please email me at: battleschool@rogers.com. 

Finally, for those itching to play “Mexico and Morocco,” from the Swedish Volunteers pack, there are no complicated rules to read beforehand. Swedish units have no nationality modifier for the purposes of Leader Creation, or Heat of Battle. Should a First Line Swedish MMC Battle Harden, it becomes Fanatic. If you do not own the pack, I recommend substituting German units for the Swedish Infantry (EXC: the 5-4-8 squads have no Smoke exponent and are considered First Line). The French LMG (in German-blue ) that came with Pegasus Bridge work well for the LMG in the Swedish order of battle (OB).

Dice and other small bits

Always bring dice. Dice are a personal item. In a pinch, some one will lend you some. But do not expect everyone to share their dice mojo with you. At the very least, you should bring a pair, but four is better, and the more the merrier. For the most part, you will only need a couple of six-sided dice: one white, and one in any other colour that strikes your fancy. 

The CASLO tournament rules require that the dice rolled during the game must be no smaller than the dice that come with Beyond Valor (11 mm), and no larger than 16 mm (⅝”). You are not required to use precision dice. However, if your dice appear to be misshapen, chipped, or weighted unevenly, you may be asked to use a different set. Use your common sense when choosing which dice to bring to the table. Fair play and a good time go hand in hand.

When rolling dice, please use a tower or a cup. The banks inside a tower, and the ribs inside leather backgammon dice cups are designed to randomize each roll. If you decide to use a glass, please ensure that your opponent can easily view your rolls. A clear, non-frosted tumbler is best. Unless you have a lot of space on the table, a tray, especially a box cover, is not very practical. In any case, the tournament rules specify the use of a cup or tower.

When rolling, take care that your dice do not strike the playing area. Toppling your opponents concealed stacks with your dice is bad form. This type of “intelligence gathering” is not covered under E2 Interrogation. If I use a glass, I tend to cover it with my hand after I drop the dice inside. Aside from preventing a “jump out,” this method also helps soften the noise.

It is also good practice to ensure that the dice get a lot of “action” by rolling and tumbling inside the tower or cup. Releasing your dice an inch from the bottom of the glass with your finger tips, even if giving them a slight twist, may be frowned upon by some players. At the same time, throwing your dice into a cup and then slamming your palm on the rim may be fine in the comfort of your own home. But in a tournament environment, the noise may disturb your neighbours, not to mention the counters on your not-so-sturdy folding table.

ASL is a dice-driven game. So please try to refrain from doing anything that would bring into question the randomness of your rolls. In truth, dice and the way that they are rolled, are seldom an issue at tournaments. Let’s keep it that way. 

Another die that I find useful is a 30-sided, or 20-sided die. I use these to keep track of vehicle Movement Points (MP). I prefer my large d20 because it is sequentially numbered. The die works well for tracked vehicles. I use a two d20 dice to track the MP of wheeled vehicles.

A string for checking Line of Sight (LOS) is another essential piece of kit. The small retractable lanyards used with ID badges work well. A bit of fine sewing thread is more precise. However, you are free to use whatever type of string you like. But if you have raided granny’s knitting basket, it would probably be a good idea to seek agreement from your opponent in advance. 

One of the things that people frequently forget to bring is a pencil, pen and paper. Bring an extra pen. You will need to record your details on your tournament play sheet. You will also need to record the location of your hidden units, and so forth. A small pad is good for recording this information, as well as taking notes during play.

Speaking of hidden units, I used to hide these in a small container. However, I have found a Hidden Initial Placement (HIP) cupboard much more useful. Like a Scrabble rack, the HIP cupboard allows you to see all of your hidden pieces at a glance. I also have a similar cupboard that I use instead of a cloaking box. In my view, these cupboards are superior to any other method I have encountered. One can even write small notes (EX: the covered arc of a Gun), and place the notes under the appropriate unit.

My set of cloaking cupboards crafted by Steva Pleva

If you are keen on “Halfhearted Hiwis,” be sure to bring some playing cards for the Off-board Artillery (OBA) draw pile. Chits are okay, but most players prefer playing cards. And of course, a cloaking box and night system counters are essential if you plan to play “A Midnight Clear.” For what it is worth, I enjoyed playing these scenarios.

There are three other essential game components: mapboards, overlays, and counters. Fortunately, you do not need to bring your entire ASL collection with you. Let’s look at the boards first.

Mapboards and overlays

There is no need to cart all of your boards with you to the CASLO. If you intend only to play the scenarios in the Purple Heart Mini, you will need just 14 boards. If you plan to “open game,” then you can bring whatever you need to play the scenarios that you are interested in. The same goes for the CASLO tourney. If you have no intention of playing in the Mini, the maximum number of boards you could possibly need is 29, less if you eliminate the boards required for scenarios that are not among your top-three picks for each round. You can also reduce the number of boards that you need to bring if you have no intention of playing in the Mini. I have hightlighted these "extraneous" boards in green on the table below.

Those participating in the Mini will be happy to learn that none of the scenarios require overlays. Even in the main CASLO tourney, there are only nine overlays. I have summarized which boards and overlays that you will need in the tables above and below.

It never hurts to bring something to protect your map boards. Some players use Plexiglas, the brand name of the first transparent thermoplastic. (It is also marketed as Lucite and Perspex). I like to use a large transparent desk pad instead, partly because it can be rolled up for ease of transport. The pad is perfect for marking perimeters, start lines, or roadblocks. I use a marker for writing on over-head projector slides. This method reduces counter clutter, and cleans up easily afterwards. Staples, a large office-supply store, carries different sizes and thicknesses of pads. I have two mats. The larger one is 20” x 36,” and costs about $30.00. The pad will protect two standard geomorphic boards, or two of the newer boards found in Action Pack 6.

To help prevent boards from sliding about under the mat, I use a rubberized material used for lining kitchen drawers and cupboards. It can be found at stores such as Canadian Tire and Walmart. A roll large enough for most applications will run you less than $10.00.

Nationality counters

The Mini tournament makes use of six “nationality” sets. To play all of the scenarios in the Mini, you will need your German, Russian, American, Commonwealth (British, Canadian, and Indian), Allied Minor (Belgian, Dutch, and Polish), and Axis Minor (Bulgarian and Iranian) counter sets. With the exception of the Bulgarians, the Axis Minor counters in Partisan! will meet the requirements of the Iranian order of battle (OB). Likewise, the Allied Minor counters in The Last Hurrah are all you need for the Belgian, Dutch, and Polish OB. In other words, if you do not own Armies of Oblivion or Doomed Battalions, you can get by just fine in the first two rounds of the Mini. There should be no shortage of components should you be fortunate enough to make it to the Sergeant Round.

The CASLO requires four additional counter sets: Chinese, French, Italian, and Japanese. In case you do not store your partisans with your Russians, you may want to bring them because two scenarios feature these irregulars. Lastly, as I pointed out above, Swedish counters are optional. German counters will do just fine in scenario SV9, which takes place in Russia during the spring of 1942. The table below summarizes the components required for each tournament.

If you have any questions, or would like a pdf copy of the above lists, please email: battleschool@rogers.com. 

Optional items

Seeing is believing

If you have difficulty reading the fine print on a counter or scenario card, a magnifying glass can help. The Map Store in Westboro (Ottawa) carries a very good selection of magnifying devices. I have several, but my favourite is an acrylic magnifying dome sold under the brand name Magnabrite. Admittedly, it is pricey. The advantage is that the design helps intensify ambient light. Batteries are not required, and there are no moving parts. Moreover, the magnification is ideal for ASL. I find the dome handy for checking LOS when light is low and the string close to the obstacle. After connecting the dots, I simply place the dome on top of the LOS string.

Lighting and other player aids

Generally speaking, our venue is well lit. One entire wall has windows. However, during the evening you may find that a desk lamp will reduce eye strain. Rechargeable, cordless lamps are best because they can be positioned anywhere in the room. 

I prefer an Ottlite lamp. The lamp uses a special bulb that provides light in the same spectrum as natural light. The lamp at the start of this post is an Ottlite. But to be frank, our venue is better lit than most venues. More significantly, I do not recall anyone using a lamp last year.

Not everyone agrees, but I find tweezers handy for adjusting stacks and removing counters, especially from trays. Some players also stick a bit of putty-like, reusable adhesive on the end of their tweezers. The adhesive is produced by Bostick, and is sold under the brand name Blu Tack. The adhesive is used to lift the top counter off of a stack. I am not a fan of this method, as the adhesive tends to become soiled quickly. A better option for this task is a suction pen. I have seen a few people using these at tournaments. I recently ordered some for KitShop.

While I am on the subject of adhesives, I suggest using a removable tape, such as the Scotch brand manufactured by 3M to secure your overlays to your mapboards. Years ago, I used a putty similar to Blu Tack. Unlike the putty, which occasionally tore the overlay or board, I have yet to have any problems with this particular type of tape. The tape is designed for use by graphic artists. It is not supposed to leave any residue when removed. Nor is it supposed to tear the surface of anything that it is applied to. I am pleased with the ease and speed with which one can apply, adjust, or remove an overlay using this tape. As an added bonus, the tape can be used more than once.

Packing list

To summarize then, there are a number of items that you should endeavour to bring, provided that you own them. There are also several standard items that everyone would prefer you to bring to the table. And finally, there are those items that are deemed optional. Here they are in list form:

The basics

• rule book
• system counters
• dice
• dicetower or cup
• LOS string
• paper and pencil

Preferred

• nationality counters
• mapboards
• overlays

Optional

• speciality dice
• tweezers/suction pen
• tape/putty
• board covering/mats
• desk lamp
• water bottle

Food and drink

There is nothing prohibiting you from taking a (short) break during your game in order to have a snack or a drink. I tend to have a bottle of water at my table. If you do the same, please remember to recap the bottle in order to prevent an embarrassing spill. Eating while playing is another matter altogether. Much depends on what you are eating, but it is best to avoid greasy or messy foods while playing. Leaving the table and eating elsewhere is an option too. If you are not sure, ask your opponent beforehand. Provided you are both okay with it, you are welcome to eat a box of Timbits while you play, just not at my table. :) 

Because eating and drinking while playing is part of tournament etiquette, a few words on the subject may help players attending a tournament for the first time.

Etiquette

I suppose that the over arching principle is fairly obvious. At bottom, a tournament is a social gathering. Everyone has come with the intention of having fun. So like any other social gathering, it makes sense to treat everyone with respect and courtesy. If you are not sure about something, ask. No one will pillory you for asking permission to do something. On the contrary, folks will appreciate your courteous approach. 

Granted some players will know each other and interact casually from the moment they meet. However, you should never assume that what is occurring at one table is necessarily acceptable at your table. The following gems of advice were drawn from a post on the GameSquad ASL forums:

kibitz

1. to chat; to gossip; to make small talk or idle chatter

2. to give unsolicited or unwanted advice; make unhelpful or idle comments, especially to someone playing a game.

Refrain from kibitzing! This includes offering advice to a player during a game that you are not involved in. Unless someone directly asks for your opinion—on a rule interpretation—for example, do not offer unsolicited advice. It is also not kosher to assist a person with set-up. You may offer advice with regard to rules, and answer general questions, but you should not otherwise interfere with another game.

Board 62

Help each other. Discuss the scenario victory conditions, orders of battle, scenario special rules, and so on before you begin set up. Help to pull counters, and later, to put them away. If you are using your opponent’s counters, try to keep them organized and away from the table edges. You do not necessarily have to place them back into the appropriate trays, but you should attempt to keep them grouped by type, as this will help make short work at clean up time. Avoid mixing counters from different owners. (It was almost two years before I finally returned a troop of Shermans to an opponent of mine, all because I neglected to sort his tanks from the rest of my counters when we tidied up our game.) Furthermore, if you are not sure where to put a counter, or take one from, ask. Everyone organizes their counters differently. Please respect this.

One advantage of staying to help tidy up after a game is that you will have a chance to conduct a post-mortem of the scenario. This is a golden opportunity for players to learn from each other by reviewing the tactics and methods employed by each side. If you absolutely must “cut and run” on your opponent, politely ask to leave, and apologize for not being able to help. 

Be considerate. There are a great many ways to accomplish this. Here are a few. Be punctual. If you are late, apologize and offer to make amends. In the CASLO tournaments, players are penalized for showing up late for their rounds. Penalties range from loss of scenario choice to forfeit. Due to especially slow service at breakfast last year, I arrived late for my first round of the day. My opponent got the scenario and side of his choosing. And no, I did not get the balance. So please take care to arrive on time.

Players who are not present in the gaming area at the start of the current Round will forfeit their choice of scenario 10 minutes after the Round has begun. The late player will forfeit choice of side as well after 20 minutes and will forfeit the game itself after 30 minutes. CASLA Charter Appendix I

Unless the scenario requires otherwise, leave the table when your opponent is setting up. It is perfectly acceptable to observe another game while your opponent is setting up, or on a break. However, take your cue from the people playing. If they are staring intently at the game, and appear to be ignoring you, do not take offence. If they appear agitated by your presence, quietly leave them to their game. In most cases, people will acknowledge you with a nod or a hello. Do not interpret this as an invitation to start a conversation, however. Speak when spoken to is usually a good rule of thumb.

X25 overlay

Wash your hands, especially after eating, and do not use equipment that may damage counters or boards. Also take care not to “nibble” on your opponent’s counters. In other words, treat your opponent’s property with the same respect that you would expect in return. For instance, do not presume that it is okay to place your things on top of your opponent’s gear. Nor should you presume that is okay to remove your opponent’s kit, or place it on the floor. Ask first. Most people will appreciate the consideration.

Roll your dice where your opponent can see them easily. If you have to strain to see each roll, it will make for a long game. Resist the urge to pick your dice up immediately, especially after rolling a To Hit roll. Let your opponent confirm the roll. It may have triggered a Sniper Activation, or perhaps you maintained rate of fire. Try hard not to complain about dice rolls, yours and your opponent’s. By the same token, do not make a big deal out of every good roll that you have, particularly if you do not know your opponent very well. Enjoy your game, but let your opponent do the same. Ultimately, come with the intention of having fun and meeting some new people.

Board 3a

During play, avoid contentious debates over rules. If you cannot resolve how to play a particular rule either ignore it, roll a die, or consult the tournament staff. But before you spend too much time debating a rule, consider how important it is to the outcome of the game. Unless it will have a major impact on the game, or you have plenty of time to spare, resolve the impasse with a roll of a die. You came to play, not to article for law. Incidents such as these may leave you feeling a bit uptight. If so, take a short “bathroom” break. The better players take these type of breaks whenever they suffer a major setback, or are at risk of becoming too emotionally involved with the game. I do not do this enough.

Try to keep a steady pace. If you are taking more than 30 minutes to play your turn during a tournament, you are going to run out of time. You also run the risk of boring your opponent. At the same time, if your opponent is moving units too quickly during the Movement Phase, politely ask him or her to slow down a tad. 

Aim to give your opponent your best game. Play to win, but not to the detriment of good sportsmanship and fair play. If your opponent misses a Sniper Activation or “rate” shot, point it out. A win will be that much sweeter when you best your opponent in a chivalrous manner. But whatever the outcome, be as gracious in defeat as you would be in victory.

Labelling

ASL players are an extremely good bunch and will usually go out of their way to see that kit is returned to its proper owner. Labelling speeds up the process. I label most of my kit. Not because I am worried about theft, but because it is the easiest way to tell who to return a component to. If you have the time, label your kit and avoid mix ups.

Pre-tourney planning

There are a number of things that I like to do before I attend a tournament. One of the most important is to select which scenarios I am most interested in playing. The importance of deciding upon these scenarios ahead of time is two-fold. 

J129 Mountain Hunters from ASL Journal 9

First, your prep work will shorten the bidding process, and leave more time for play. In each round of the tournament, you are required to rank and record your three preferences. These preferences are used to determine which scenario that you and your opponent will play. Upon revealing your preferences, scenario matches are determined, based on what you and your opponent picked. In the case of the CASLO tournament, ignore any scenarios that are not a match. Of the scenarios that are matches, the one with the lower Rank Average (RA)—closest to the first choice of each player—is the scenario to be played. In case of a tie, both players will make a dice roll (DR). The player with the lowest DR has the choice of the scenarios that tied.

EX: Player A picks scenarios X1, X2 and X3 as his 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices respectively. Player B picks X3, X4 and X2 as his choices respectively. X4 and X1 are not considered since they are not a match. X3 has a lower RA of 2 [ (1+3/2=2] as opposed to X2 which has a RA of 2.5 [ (2+3)/2=2.5]. X3 is the scenario that these players will play in this round.

Once you decide upon a scenario, both players secretly choose sides. You may (secretly) decline to pick a side and thereby negate any Play Balance provisions. If you and your opponent pick the same side, you each make a DR. If you have the lowest DR, you may choose sides. In return, your opponent receives the Player Balance, as noted on the scenario card. Should neither you nor your opponent choose a side, you will each make a DR. The player with the lower DR will get to choose sides, but in this case no Player Balance is surrendered. 

The second rationale for choosing scenarios in advance is that it allows you an opportunity to prepare a defence for each scenario, or at the very least, a rough idea of how you would defend. Once you have a defence in mind, you can come up with a general plan of attack. Having a defence prepared in advance will save a lot of time and anguish on the day. This is especially important for the more complex scenarios in the main tourney. During each round of the CASLO and the Mini, you will have 15 minutes to set up your attack or defence. Reading the applicable chapter H notes beforehand will also save time (and minimize surprises). Be a good Boy Scout, be prepared.

Sum up, already!

Hopefully the foregoing has answered many lingering questions about CASLO XV, and how to prepare for it. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

At last count, there were 21 people confirmed to attend. Let’s make it an enjoyable and memorable event for everyone.

See you next weekend!

The Canadian ASL Open Prize Table

CASLO XV is only a few weeks away. The prize table is not big enough to do justice to all of the ASL candy on hand. The tournament runs 16-18 September in the Nation’s Capital (Ottawa). This post provides 30 compelling reasons to attend.

We are still waiting on a number of prizes from our sponsors, but I did not want to delay publishing a photograph of the prize table any longer. At last count there were four plaques (not shown), 26 prizes and a number of certificates (not shown) up for grabs.

Nine door prizes give everyone a chance to take something home. In addition, there are four sponsored raffles, and two special raffles. The prizes are also quite varied. We have everything from counter sheets and precision dice to a cool new historical module from Le Franc Tireur (LFT). In between these extremes are a host of scenario packs from five publishers. Multi-Man Publishing (MMP) has provided three prizes, including Action Pack 7. In addition to KGS: the Shield of Cholm, LFT has donated a fine selection of scenario packs, and their latest 80-page magazine.

The CASLO

The top-three finishers in the CASLO, or main event, will receive some terrific prize packages. 

The CASLO: First Place Prize Package

The winner of the CASLO will be a happy fellow. The grand prize is a copy of Kampgruppe Scherer: the Shield of Cholm, donated by the publisher, Le Franc Tireur. You can read more about this awesome module—designed by Andrew Hershey—in my earlier posts: KGS, and DHL. Were this not enough, the first-place finisher will also walk away with a plaque, a $25.00 gift certificate from Gamer’s Armory, and a set of precision ASL Anniversary BattleDice.

The CASLO: Second Place Prize Package

The second-place finisher also takes home some “wood.” In addition to a plaque, the CASLO runner-up will receive a copy of MMP’s Out of the Attic 2, a scenario pack from Bounding Fire Productions (BFP), a $15.00 gift certificate from Gamer’s Armory, and a set of precision ASL Anniversary BattleDice. I cannot say which pack BFP is donating, but all of their scenario packs contain cool map boards.

The CASLO: Third Place Prize Package

The third-place finisher will receive a plaque, and three prizes. The main prize is issue 12 of LFT magazine. The magazine comes with a semi-geomorphic mapboard, and ten scenarios, the latter on A4 cardstock. Complimenting the magazine is a set of two counter sheets from Countersmith Workshop, and precision BattleDice from BattleSchool. The sheets contain turret counters for every turreted vehicle in the American and Commonwealth orders of battle (as found in chapter H of the ASL Rule Book). The BattleDice will differ from those shown in the photograph because I intend to supply some cool, new dice that I designed in June. If received in time, one of these will be the new sniper die.

Sponsored Rounds

New for this year are sponsored rounds. Four sponsors have kindly provided prizes for rounds two through five. The idea is simple. If you play one of the sponsor’s scenarios in the appropriate round, you are eligible to win the sponsor’s prize. The winner of each prize is determined by raffle. It does not matter if you win or lose the scenario. Of the five scenarios in a sponsored round, three are published by the sponsor. Although the tournament staff encouraged the sponsors to recommend scenarios, we ultimately selected the scenarios based on merit, interest, perceived balance, and “fun-factor.”

Round I Free-for-all

The photograph above is of a gift certificate provided by Key’s Games and Hobbies. Alex Key has once again provided an attractive keepsake. If you win this certificate, you may keep it. We will contact Alex on your behalf and advise him that you have a $25.00 credit. Unlike the remainder of the rounds in the CASLO, everyone who participates in the first round is eligible to win the raffle for this gift certificate.

Round II Le Franc Tireur

From the Cellar 6 is the latest scenario pack from LFT. It contains ten scenarios, all of which play fast and furious. In addition to this round, one of the scenarios in this pack—"The Price of Persia"—is featured in the second round of the Mini tournament. I have played several of the scenarios already. They are perfect for playing in the evening, especially during the work-week, when time is limited.

Round III Lone Canuck

George Kelln of Lone Canuck Publishing does not sell Panzer Aces. You can only win the pack at a tournament. Here is your chance. Panzers, as the title suggests, are to be found in each of the six scenarios in the pack. There is also no shortage of armor leaders. To be fair, two of the scenarios in this pack were published recently in MMP’s Out of the Attic 2. I have played both of these more than once. So all is not lost if you come up short in the raffle.

Round IV Friendly Fire

We are hoping to receive the latest pack from Friendly Fire in time for the tournament. If not, we will substitute a copy of Friendly Fire Pack 6. This explains the lack of a picture for the Friendly Fire Round. However, Pack 6 is hardly a consolation prize. The pack contains eight scenarios and a geomorphic mapboard. Board FrFA is used in several scenarios in the pack. “One Last Mighty Hew” in this round, and “Totensonntag” in the Mini use this board. I have played every scenario in this pack at least once since its release last October. I highly recommend the pack. Friendly Fire is a popular Swedish producer of scenario packs with an international cast of designers.

Round V Multi-Man Publishing

The latest Action Pack from MMP includes ten new scenarios and three new boards to play them on. I am particularly fond of board 60. I have only had time to play three of the scenarios in this pack. I even managed to win a couple. The boards alone make this pack a priority purchase.

The Purple Heart Mini

Lone Canuck Publishing has sponsored the Mini this year. The single-elimination format has only enough spots for eight players. We selected the scenarios with newer or less experienced players in mind. Two of the scenarios in the first and second rounds do not involve vehicles. None of the scenarios require knowledge outside of the first four chapters of the ASL Rule Book (exception: chapter H notes for the scenarios with ordnance and vehicles). The Mini starts Saturday morning and runs until Sunday afternoon. 

The winner of the Mini will receive a customized plaque, a copy of George Kelln’s Battle of the Hedgerows:  Purple Heart Draw, and a set of precision BattleDice (the actual dice will differ from the ones shown in the photograph). Purple Heart Draw consists of a well-rendered historical colour mapsheet, five scenarios, and a campaign game with all the necessary rules pages.

Mini raffle prize

Lone Canuck has also provided a scenario pack entitled The Battle for the Abbaye des Ardennes. With one exception, all of the scenarios feature Canadian troops battling 12. SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend. Any one who plays at least one round of the Mini is eligible to win the raffle for this unique scenario pack. And before you ask, no, George does not sell this pack. Good luck in the draw!

Door prizes

Everyone who registers and attends the Canadian ASL Open is eligible to win a door prize. To date, five producers have supplied prizes.

Le Franc Tireur

Xavier Vitry, the editor of Le Franc Tireur, has been very generous in providing prizes for our event. Along with providing three desirable prizes for the CASLO, Xavier has donated two scenario packs as door prizes. From the Cellar 4 is a themed pack that focuses on the Russian Civil War. The pack is bursting with 20 scenarios, a historical booklet, and a small counter sheet with commissars for various factions, hasty roadblocks, ice sangars, Taczanka, and more. The scenarios feature American Marines, Bolshevik Partisans, British, Czech Legion, Japanese, Magyar (Communist Hungarians), Manchu Chinese, Mongolians, Red Russians, Social-Revolutionary Party, and White Russians. There are even nationality characteristics for Red Koreans. From the Cellar 5 is only slightly less grand. It has a couple of articles on the Battle of La Horgne (France, 1940), 14 scenarios, and a reprint of mapboard LFT2. One of the scenarios, “Avanti!,” is featured in the LFT round of the CASLO. The author of one of the articles, and designer of the scenario, “La Horgne,” is the late Ian Daglish.

Countersmith Workshop

Countersmith Workshop is a new start-up based in Hong Kong. Not surprisingly, Countersmith specializes in counter sheets. They have kindly donated several sets of counter sheets. Four sets are door prizes. Two consist of German and Russian turrets, and two consist of American and British (Commonwealth) turrets. The German and Russian sets include three sheets, enough to provide a minimum of six turrets for each turreted vehicle in the German and Russian sections of the chapter H notes. The sheets in the second set are identical. There are enough turrets in these sets to provide a minimum of four turrets per vehicle type.¹

Multi-Man Publishing

MMP has provided a great little scenario pack called Out of the Bunker. The “bunker” of the title refers to the long-running newsletter Dispatches from the Bunker. Vic Provost and the rest of the “Bunker Crew” have been delivering quality ASL scenarios and articles since 1997. The pack has 14 scenarios that originally appeared in Dispatches. All of the scenario cards have been updated/amended and laid out in accordance with MMP standards. I cannot recall how many of these scenarios that I have played. I do know that I have played at least two within the past year. What I like most about this pack is the variety, including a couple of rare “desert” scenarios. “First Clash in Tunisia” is a must play.

Lone Canuck Publishing

Included with one of the scenario packs from George was a small set of scenarios originally published in the Maple Leaf Route (MLR). Canada at War is a collection of six scenarios designed by the late Jim McLeod, the editor of the MLR. For those who are not aware, Jim was largely responsible for creating the Canadian ASL Association (CASLA) and the Canadian ASL Open (CASLO). I thought that someone would appreciate owning this piece of Canadian ASL history.

BattleSchool

One lucky attendee will go home with some nifty, new BattleDice. I will post pictures of these new dice when they arrive (hopefully) later this month.

Play options

I have had a few questions regarding how the CASLO will work this year, specifically what events and activities are available to attendees. There are four.

1. Open play

2. Mini + Open play

3. CASLO + Mini

4. CASLO

Here is how it works. The first option is to play whatever you like, including scenarios from the tournament lists. However, you do not actually participate in a tournament. This is referred to as “open play.” You remain eligible for all door prizes. Because you are not scored on your performance, you are ineligible for the prizes specific to each tournament. This includes the raffles for the sponsored rounds of the CASLO, and the Purple Heart Mini raffle.

The second option is to participate in the Purple Heart Mini tournament and engage in open play. What this means in practice is that you would engage in open play on Friday. On Saturday, you would enter the first round of the Mini. If eliminated in either the first or second round, you would return to the open play format thereafter. In this case, you are eligible for all door prizes, as well the two prizes associated with the Mini.

The third option is to participate in both of the tournaments. If you opt to do so, however, you are requested not to engage in open play for the duration of the weekend. Instead, you would play two rounds of the CASLO on Friday before entering the Mini on Saturday. If you are eliminated from the Mini, you would return to the CASLO for the following round. If you chose this option, you will have an opportunity to win prizes associated with each tournament, in addition to the door prizes. Note, however, that a handicap may apply to higher-seeded players while playing in the Mini.

The fourth option is to play in only the CASLO, or main tournament. In this case, the only prizes that you will not be eligible for will be those associated with the Mini. Players registered for the CASLO are requested to commit to playing all five rounds. That said, players posting two losses on Friday, retain the option to enter the Mini on Saturday. One advantage of this option is that you will likely accrue more points toward winning the CASLO, as you (usually) will be facing tougher opponents in the later rounds.

Who is coming?

The treasurer of the Canadian ASL Association is currently away on vacation, but the last I heard, about 15 players had paid their registration fees. About a half dozen local players, who are expected to attend, have yet to register. I also have received word that a number of players from Montreal, and possibly New Brunswick, are planning to attend. There is a western contingent flying in for the weekend, including the current President of the CASLA, Steffen Knippel. The usual suspects from south of the 49th parallel have already registered, but we hope to see a few more. When all is said and done, we could have as many as 24 players this year. 

The Rideau Canal in September

Our downtown venue is about 100 metres from the Rideau Canal and a short stroll from the Parliament Buildings and many other Ottawa landmarks. Come help us set a new attendance record.

Notes

1. I took the liberty of removing one sheet from each pack and creating a third pack. The third pack forms part of the third-place prize package for the CASLO. In my experience, players will rarely require six turrets during a scenario employing American or Commonwealth vehicles. So I thought this was a good way to spread the wealth. In any case, individual sheets of these counters are available from KitShop, as are modest of the prizes discussed in this post.