After a six-year absence, the Canadian ASL Open (CASLO) returns to the nation’s capital. In May 2019, when CASLO was last in Ottawa, I was pre-occupied with work on our new home. (I can say with confidence that after 40 years I’m truly done and dusted with drywalling.) This time around I’ve been able to play a more active part, helping Tournament Director (TD) Doug Rimmer with some of the preparations. Avid readers of Sitrep may recall that Doug was at the helm in 2015 and 2019. I had a role in the earlier of the two. However, my involvement with the CASLO predates these events, indeed, Ottawa itself.
CASLO XXIX will be held over the Victoria Day weekend, specifically 16-18 May 2025.1 When I organized CASLO in 2011, it was still held in September, when it happened to coincide with the Canadian Army Run. Our venue was directly behind city hall and the Cartier Square Drill Hall. At one point we were beseiged by thousands of runners.
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| Cartier Square Drill Hall Downtown Ottawa Armouries |
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| Scottish and Canadian Whiskies |
I had no experience as a TD in 2011,3 but as luck would have it Michael Rogers attended and kindly lent a hand. In fact, Michael was the TD when, in 2008, I attended my first CASLO a couple hours east of the capital in downtown Montreal.4 CASLO 2025 will be held in the same venue as in 2015 and 2019, namely in the Best Western Plus Ottawa/Kanata Hotel and Conference Centre in Bells Corners. The hotel is less than 20 kilometres west of the parliament buildings. Closer still to the Canadian War Museum, which is worthy of a full-day visit, at a minimum.5
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| Welcome to Hotel CASLO! |
The CASLO, or main tournament,6 consists of five rounds. The first round begins immediately after the opening ceremonies on Friday afternoon. Following a brief meal break, Round 2 commences that evening. Saturday features two rounds of play, with Sunday reserved for the finals. Each round has a theme.
The opening round gives players a chance to command a force of Canadians, as all five scenario options feature the host nation. My unabashed favourite is WO48 “Last Assault on the Steelworks,” a Deluxe ASL scenario released last year in Winter Offensive Bonus Pack 15. I have yet to play it. However, the appeal of new DASL boards—ten since 2018—is hard to resist.7 Another highlight of Round 1 is the inclusion of a yet-to-be published scenario by Don Petros. The scenario is one of several centred on the battle for Capriquet, France in 1944. Multi-Man Publishing will publish the pack, which will come with a new board modelled after the airfield at Capriquet. The latter board isn’t needed to play “Boys Town.” But the scenario does require some effort to set up. Therefore, prospective players are cautioned to have a defence prepared in advance.
The second round is a twist on the initial theme. It consists exclusively of scenarios designed by Canadians. That said, two designs actually involve Canadian troops. The round is also unusual in having three unpublished scenario cards in the mix. The late Jim McLeod’s “Dead Horse Square” uses a portion of a historical ASL map that will be provided to participants. The action revolves around the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the adjoining hospital. Both buildings front onto the Piazza San Francesco, a large public square in Ortona. I have no clue when this HASL module will be published. But here’s your chance to visit Little Stalingrad in advance of that day.
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| Ortona Little Stalingrad - Jim McLeod's wee orphan |
Two of my forthcoming designs are likewise available to sample in this round. “Tag Team” is an early-war engagement in Belgium, while “Rubber Hussars” takes place during Operation Barbarossa. The remaining scenarios were designed by George Kelln. They are taken from a couple of his Quick 6 packs. Coincidentally, or not, his “To the Cider Crossroads” covers an action north of San Leonardo, Italy ten days before the battle for Ortona began. All five offerings play fast enough to permit a night cap. If you’re anything like me, your mind will be racing into the earlier hours as you replay your dumb moves and worse luck. A little downtime before you hit the sack can work wonders.
Inclement weather awaits players on Saturday morning. In this round belligerents battle the elements as much as the enemy. Expect showers, General mud, and other unpleasantness. Round 3 is the first round with a card that invokes Pacific Theatre of Operations (PTO) Terrain (G.1). “Buckley’s Block” differs in assigning the Americans the printed balance provision from the get go. Don’t despair. The TD has an extra balance provision should both players bid Japanese. Not a fan of PTO? No problem. The CASLO bidding process allows you to eliminate two scenarios from consideration in each round. Should you also be mudflat-phobic, you can ignore “Dying Breed” too. Of course, I’d prefer it be one of your picks. Mudflats aren’t that complicated. Moreover, the Polish order of battle (OB) is multifaceted, with Cavalry (A13.), tin cans, and artillery working together to achieve multiple objectives. Too much homework? I get it, which is why each of my scenarios has a dedicated Game Planner, similar to that shown in my 23 June 2024 post.
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| Close Combat Game Planner - Your guide to faster play. |
Round 4 picks up the pace, literally. Dubbed “Start the Car!,” each scenario in this round puts you behind the wheel (or levers) of an Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV). And if vehicles are your thing, then “Aufklärungs Attack” and “Day of the Jackals” are made for you. In the former, 13 AFV—five of which are halftracks—battle it out in Hungary, while in the latter 16 AFV go head-to-head in Syria. With the exception of the Romanians in “A Negative Object,” whose TACAM T-60(r) are unopposed, each side in Round 4 gets to command two or more AFV.
The last round occurs on Sunday. For those wanting to end the tournament on a patriotic note, there is “Finders Keepers.” Elements of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, the North Shore Regiment and a Sherman V of the Fort Garry Horse defend Capriquet against another onslaught by men of the 1st SS Panzer Division who bring three of their own tanks to town. Want something with more of a track record? Sorry, but you’ve come to the wrong place. In line with the theme of Round 5, all of the scenarios are new, published within the last twelve months, the Capriquet card excepted. Still, there is “Death Box.” Although it takes place in January 1945, it features an odd cast of characters, not least a troop of Ansaldo death boxes crewed by Hungarian police! To date this scenario is almost 50-50 after 27 recorded plays on the Remote On-line Automated Record (ROAR).
For the more adventurous there are a couple of scenarios featuring the Chinese, one in Burma, the other in Korea. As with the other scenarios from Hazardous Movement Pack 5 in the CASLO, “Heart and Seoul” is beholden to six additional special rules. The sixth allows a unit to exit an entrenchment without being fired upon in its current Location, provided it uses Assault Movement. A foxhole fix you can get behind?
Below is a complete list of scenarios in the main event. Unfortunately, I was unable to convince the powers that be to include a scenario from Bounding Fire’s Mannerheim Cross, awaiting shipment as I write. Bounding Fire is one of several longtime sponsors of the CASLO. Should you be one of those diehard fans of the feisty Finns, fear not, BattleSchool KitShop intends to have copies available for purchase at the CASLO.
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| The CASLO 2025 Scenario List |
Were one to bring all of the gear needed to play every scenario on the above list, you’d have to cart a two-four worth of boards and a baker’s dozen of nationality sets with you to Ottawa. You needn’t bother. By eliminating two scenarios from each round in advance, you can cull your kit considerably. For instance, if the Pacific Theatre and the Korean War doesn’t interest you, you can cut the counter sets by half. For obvious reasons, you’ll need to bring your feldgrau and tan-coloured counters. Round 1 can’t be played without them. That said, I’m not trying to dissuade you from bringing all your stuff. But for those with Carlin-like baggage limits, decisions may have to be made well before your departure date.
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| Scenario requirements for the CASLO |
Now before you get ahead of yourself, you’ll need to consider what other stuff you’ll need to bring.
Nail clippers to trim those new Polish counters you haven’t gotten around to punching? Lest you forget something, I compiled a list in 2011. My CASLO Toolkit is admittedly a little out of date. There were no pocket ASL rule books at the time. Today players not only have access to these space savers but also to official electronic rules. Even my treasured Raaco-Tanos storage system can be improved upon by augmenting it with 3D-printed inserts. A primary benefit of Raaco nonetheless remains. Regardless of their origin, inserts can be removed and rearranged according to need, allowing customization of each case based on need for a given event or even a round. Lastly, be sure to leave space in your kitbag for more stuff like CASLO merch or that ASL pub you’ve been eager to buy.
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| Raaco Handy Box - A premier storage solution for ASL |
Registrants receive a Tournament Information Package or TIP. Pioneered at CASLO 2015, the TIP guides players through the scenario-selection process and explains how to bid for scenarios and sides. It also contains the tournament rules. Attendees receive scans of all scenarios included in the tournament, along with any associated special rules, not to mention the Ortona map I referred to earlier. Register for CASLO 2025 today and start planning your trip to the nation’s capital!
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Notes
1. Named after Queen Victoria, you’ll struggle to find mention of the monarch on Ottawa’s tourism site.
2. It was -23 Celcius when I began writing this post at the beginning of February, that’s without factoring in the wind chill. We’ve been known to get snow in May, rarely in June. In one sense, there’s some truth in that apocryphal tale of American tourists, downhill skis strapped to the roof of their car, in summer!
3. I had run a small event at Beau’s Brewery the year before. It was a casual affair where the first pairs of BattleDice were rolled for the first time in ASL history.
4. In 2008, CASLO was held in downtown Montreal. Subsequently it’s shifted to a much improved venue in the western suburbs. The main downside of the new location is that I miss having access to the core’s restaurants.
5. For those arriving the day before CASLO begins, it’s worth noting that the museum is open until 1900 on Thursdays. The gift shop has a substantial stock of books on military history, not all of it strictly to do with Canada. The museum website makes much of the building’s “accessibility,” but good luck finding information specific to veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces. Insider tip: if you have a military ID card, whether retired or not, bring it with you. Not only are you entitled to free admission, your parking (underground) is complimentary, as is a meal voucher for the cafeteria! For everyone else, last time I checked, admission on Thursdays is free to the general public. A reason, if you needed one, to book an extra day in the nation’s capital.
6. There is some talk of a round-robin tournament for Starter Kit players. If we get at least four players, it will run on Saturday and Sunday, concurrently with the rounds for the CASLA Charter mandated single-elimination mini tourney and the main event, or the CASLO.
7. My scenario CC05 “Fog of War” utitilizes two of these new boards, but none of the four boards in WO48. Unlike WO48, CC05 didn’t make the cut for the CASLO, as Doug already had a Greek-vs-Italian title for Round 3. That doesn’t preclude you from testing it outside the tourney though. So I encourage you to have a look my preview post and decide whether it’s something you’d like to try.
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