One for the Road

Advanced Squad Leader legend Bill “Fish” Conner passed away at home on Friday, 17 February 2012. He was 59. 

Darryl “Action Burk” Burk learned of Bill’s passing on Sunday. He had spoken to his long-time friend earlier in the week. Bill had admitted to not feeling well. Darryl posted the following on the GameSquad ASL Forums:

I don’t know what else to say as I’m still in shock. The world has lost a great gamer and I’ve lost a great friend and gaming buddy. Play a scenario in his memory and use Sgt. Conner, I know he’d appreciate it, Hope to see you at ASLOK but it won’t be the same for me. Sorry, the tears are flowing freely now,

Darryl Burk

My condolences to Bill’s family and friends, especially Darryl.

Bill and Darryl go back a long way. They cut their teeth on Squad Leader (SL) during the 70s and 80s. As part of Bob McNamara’s group in Youngstown, Ohio, the pair also did a fair bit of play-testing during the development of the SL gamettes. 

Bill attended the Origins ‘85 tournament where ASL made its historic debut. Upon his return, Bill and Darryl immersed themselves in the new system. When Red Barricades—the first historical ASL module—appeared, the pair practically lived in the streets of Stalingrad, playing one Campaign Game after another. Top players in their day, the pair also gained some notoriety for their “Series Replay” articles—essentially play-by-play narratives of scenarios—published in The General magazine. 

Bill and Darryl continued to support the hobby by play-testing scenarios. But as they later confessed, it was too much, and the pace eventually wore them out. Their last hurrah was with the “desert module” West of Alamein, published in 1988.1 Bob McNamara was the lead developer for ASL at the time. Perhaps Bill and Darryl felt compelled to lend a hand. Whatever the case, other commitments were demanding more and more of their attention. 

This scenario from In Contact has a novel board layout 

In 1989, Bill and Darryl rolled out In Contact. Although this short-lived publication (1989-1990) contained articles and scenarios,2 its original intent was simply to put ASL players in contact with each other. Disillusioned with the direction that the magazine had taken, Bill and Darryl returned to what they loved most: playing ASL. 

Oktoberfest

It was the launch of a modest tournament in 1986 that cemented the pair’s reputation in the ASL world. The first ASL Oktoberfest (ASLOK) was held in October 1986, only a year after the release of the ASL Rule Book. It ran over the Columbus Day holiday weekend—the second Monday in October.3 Bill worked for the United States Postal Service and always had Columbus Day off.4 It was a good fit. The inaugural event attracted 17 players. Attendance almost tripled the following year, and since 1990 has never fallen below 100. 

For the better part of a decade, Bill and Darryl ran the tournament in Youngstown (actually, in nearby Austintown), a small city of 67,000 situated on the Mahoning River, in the county of the same name.5 Youngstown lies in eastern Ohio, ten miles the Pennsylvania State line, and midway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh. It is also midway between New York City and Chicago. So in certain respects, Youngstown and ASLOK were “in the heart of it all.”

Mark Nixon took over the reigns in the mid 90s, and moved ASLOK to its current home in Cleveland. The current Tournament Director, Bret Hildebran, has been running the Oktoberfest for almost 10 years. Today, ASL Oktoberfest is the most prestigious, largest, and longest running ASL gaming event anywhere. It is an event where players of all calibres can meet, play, collaborate on future ASL projects, and most importantly, have fun. 

In a 2010 interview with Dave Kleinschmidt and Jeff Hallett (The 2 Half-Squads), Bill and Darryl explained the rational for their tournament. Their goal was simple. They wanted to ensure that players actually got to play ASL. The pair adopted a round-robin format so that participants would not be eliminated after the first, or even the second round of play. The popularity of their event grew rapidly. Some players began to arrive a day early, then a couple days early. Worried at the increasing numbers of “early birds,” Bill and Darryl added single-elimination, three-round, mini-tournaments. But still they came, earlier and earlier. 

Perry Cocke of MMP

Today, ASLOK is a week-long festival commencing ten days before Columbus Day. The first four days are dedicated to “open gaming.” There are no formal tournaments until the “minis” start on Wednesday.  Players are free to choose opponents and scenarios. Some come prepared to play huge scenarios, and/or campaign games. Most participate in the World Cup by playing someone from the opposite team. The World Cup pits US players against non-US players. Such is the success of ASLOK that Perry Cocke of Multi-Man Publishing (MMP), publicly complimented Bill and Darryl on their legacy. Perry went on to say that ASLOK had been an inspiration for MMP's tournament Winter Offensive. Perry counted Bill among his friends. Like many who knew Bill, he has difficulty expressing how much Bill meant to him and the hobby.

The Gröfaz

As a result of his association with ASLOK, Bill became known affectionately as the Gröfaz, the title awarded annually to the top player at ASLOK. Truth be told, Bill appropriated the title. His friend Darryl had been reading John Ellis’s book Brute Force. Darryl pointed the term out to Bill, and the rest was, as they say, history.  

Gröfaz is a German acronym coined to mock Adolf Hitler: Größter Feldherr aller Zeiten, or Greatest Field Commander of all Time.6  In the context of ASL, the term is both an acknowledgement of the skill required to win the ASLOK championship, and the recognition that ASL is just game where even the most accomplished remain arm-chair generals. Bill never won the title, but he helped people like eight-time champ Mike McGrath get there. 

Gröfaz has come to symbolize some of the best people within our hobby. In Bill’s case, Gröfaz came to represent something greater. Bill “Fish” Connor was and remains an enduring reminder of all that is good within our hobby. The volunteer spirit, the enthusiasm, the generosity, the sportsmanship, the desire to share the simple joys of gaming and the socializing that goes along with it, not to mention the life-long friendships that come of all this. Bill wanted to put ASL players in contact with each other. He and Darryl have done so much more than that.

A personal recollection

I did not meet Bill until 2007. Until then he was a familiar name from The General magazine. How could anyone forget a nickname like “Fish?”7 Like so many other ASLOK neophytes, I was struck by how easy going and approachable Bill was. He put me immediately at ease.

Apart from SL/ASL, we had a couple of other things in common. Like our fathers before us, we both served in the army. And coincidentally, his father William took a German wife (Wilhemina Baumgartener) while serving in Europe, just as mine did a couple of decades later. But there the similarities ended. 

Bill was born William F. Conner in Denver, Colorado on 10 September 1952. But Ohio would become his home. He completed high school in Youngstown, and spent most of his working life as a postman with the Post Office in nearby Austintown. Bill was a veteran. He served in Europe during the Cold War, and he kept in touch with old friends through the Akron, OH Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association. 

Bill had other interests and talents. For instance, he was a big Strat-O-Matic Basefall fan. I am certain that some of his friends have fond memories of playing this game with Bill. 

I know for a fact that many ASL players shared his love of music. For years Bill would show up at ASLOK, not play to ASL, but to socialize and jam late into the night. He played guitar, but had a soft spot for the harmonica.

One for the road

I recall shaking Bill’s hand again at ASLOK in 2010. We chatted a bit, and I watched Darryl and him play Guards Counterattack. It was a special moment, their first game in 15 years.

However, this past October I was rushing about so much that Bill and I only exchanged smiles and brief hellos. I had intended to check in with him later, but missed my chance. It is hard not to feel regret. I can nevertheless count myself among the fortunate few who have met Bill. I was not his friend. Nor was I one of his gaming buddies, or a fellow musician. I was just another ASL player. But like everyone he met at ASLOK, he treated me like I was a friend.

An ASL, elder statesman has passed. But his vision lives on.

Below is an extract of a Series Replay published in The General 25 years ago. I was only 24 when I first read it. Time passes so terribly fast. Be sure to spend some of it with your friends.

SERIES REPLAY7

Streets of Fire, Scenario 1 “Guryev’s Headquarters”

German Player—Darryl Burk

Russian Player—Bill Conner

Neutral Commentator—Mark C. Nixon

Bill Conner has long been a familiar figure in the final rounds of tournament play, winning a healthy share of Squad Leader and Advanced Squad Leader events not only at Origins, but at a number of other conventions. He first became involved with SL through playtesting with Bob McNamara’s group in Ohio, and most recently Bill has organized his own SL/ASL tournament-the Oktoberfest, which makes its second annual showing this fall. 

Darryl Burk was also involved in the McNamara playtest group. He has always been a tenacious opponent and can lay claim to having beaten Bill more times than everyone else in the world combined. 

Mark Nixon is readily recognizable to our long-term readership, having crafted a number of articles on G.I. [Ed. G.I. Anvil of Victory, the last SL gamette] some issues back. Though he has won many ASL events, he is quick to point out that none have required him to face either Bill or Darryl, making him content to look over their shoulders on this meeting.

Opening Comments

Russian: Since meeting through The General’s “Opponents Wanted” column early in 1982, Darryl and I have been each other’s principal and toughest opponent, teaching one another the game system along with many valuable lessons. Having played hundreds of scenarios—published and in playtest—we are well accustomed to each other’s style of play. Darryl is not afraid to try the unorthodox, and will seldom use the same plan even if previously successful. His greatest weakness is in feeling sorry for me while destroying my forces. He takes his lumps better than I and deserves much of the credit for my tournament successes.

We chose to play “Guryev’s Headquarters” because it is our favorite Streets of Fire scenario, maybe even our favorite of all those for ASL. It is the quick-play piece of Deluxe ASL, much as the SL classic “The Guards Counterattack” was for the original game. It is a simple, small-area action utilizing only basic infantry; only this time it is the German line infantry attacking the Russian elite forces instead of vice-versa. This replay should be easily followed by experienced ASL-ers, SL-ers, and maybe even the uninitiated. We highly recommend playing it several times because it is extremely enjoyable as a training scenario for those new to the gaming pleasures of the ASL system. insert pic of dice

Each ASL scenario has a balance provision, which is influenced by our choice of sides. It tends to make for some very interesting variations while also keeping players from being overly greedy. Usually, this is some kind of relaxed Victory Condition, terrain or troop alteration, or even some special restriction on the enemy player. It all boils down to one thing: if each player wants the same side, a die is rolled with the winner getting to play that side and the loser getting the balance provision in his favor.

Although I would rather play as the German in this scenario, in order to be on the attack, I chose the Russians. My reasoning is that if “Action Burk” also chooses to play the Germans, one of us will get the Russians and the HQ fortified. This doesn’t sit too well with me, unless I were to get that fortified building, because I feel that it makes the Russians a little too tough, whereas the reinforcement restriction by both of us choosing the Russians is much less dramatic. Besides, the Russians have been winning a lot lately.

German: I consider “Fish” [Bill Conner] to be the ideal opponent, not just for ASL but for any game. The traits that have made him a master of the SL/ASL system apply to any game he plays. First and foremost, he is an outstanding gamesman and good sport. Over the course of hundreds of games I’ve never known him to lose his temper because of an unfavorable result, lost game, or for any other reason. His gaming ethics are matched in quality by his skill in actual play.

My choice to play the Germans in “Guryev’s Headquarters” was based mainly on the results of our previous experiences with it. While it appears an easy scenario for the Germans to win, the Russians have won whenever building bEl was strongly defended (which is most of the time). Though I have lost several times as the German player, I have a plan for the Germans to take that building and I am eager to try it out. 

Also, I don’t want the balance provisions to come into effect if Fish and I both chose the same side. Here I’ve tried to outguess Conner. If he should choose the Germans to play, thus giving the Russians fortification of building dL1 on the ground level, I feel my plan for the Germans would still work if I win the die roll for sides and get the Germans. The fortified building would not hamper my plans that much. However, if I lost the dice roll, the fortified building would be a nice refuge to weather the fury of Fish’s attack.

Neutral Commentator: I first met “Fish” Conner and “Action Burk” when they entered the G. I. tournament at Origins ‘83. In a field of 28, I had them ranked #I and #6 respectively, based on a short questionnaire I used to seed the tourney. Today I would change only one thing: I would now rank Darryl higher than I did then. 

They have played each other hundreds (yes, literally hundreds) of times. This is their eighth confrontation at “Guryev’s Headquarters”, so I expect this replay to reflect their familiarity with one another’s style of play as well as the general situation. They have previously tried several tactics, including an end sweep across the south side of the battlefield, the “north board edge creep,” and the “up front defense” in building bE1 with remote firebases (such as dH3, second level).

As luck would have it, this game is something of a special occasion for our antagonists. This playing marks their 100th ASL confrontation. Their caliber of play is very high, so expect a clean, crisp game.

[Ed. If you have not played this classic scenario, I urge you to do so. I have played it perhaps a dozen times. It is always a treat to play.]


On 5 March 2012 Mark Nixon wrote:

I am deeply saddened with the passing of Bill Conner. All my sympathy goes out to his family and friends and of course most of all to Action Darryl. What a serious loss to the ASL community. This is a guy we cannot replace; we can only accept the loss and remember him, honor him and carry onward as he would want us to do. Gamer #1 is down. ASL would not be the same today without Bill Conner; he made things happen which would not otherwise have taken place, and I think it is most appropriate that some are planning to find the right way to venerate him at ASLOk. Bill was always a tremendous friend and a talented player, mentor, thinker, competitor and set a high standard everywhere he engaged his tremendous energies. The guy was simply brilliant and I will miss him as long as I live. GROFAZ!

Notes

1. Bill is also credited with helping play-test the scenarios in The Last Hurrah. Published in 1988, this module contained a partial order of battle for the Allied Minors. It was superseded by the module Doomed Battalions, released in 1998. Darryl advised me on 25 February that Fish was playing Squad Leader during the 1970s, but that he did not pick up the game until 1980. Bill was part of Bob McNamara's play test group for Crescendo of Doom. Darryl joined the group for the play testing of GI Anvil of Victory. The pair later play tested ASL for "Mac" and Rex Martin. The last module that Darryl recalls play testing with Bill was West of Alamein. 

2. Of the dozen scenarios published by In Contact, eleven were reprinted by Multi-Man Publishing in their “retro” ‘zine Out of the Attic 1. The scenarios featured the work of at least nine designers. Although they may have had a hand in testing some of the scenarios, to my knowledge neither Bill nor Darryl designed any of them.

3. Coincidently, Colorado—where Bill was born—was the first US state to declare Columbus Day an official holiday in 1906.

4. Before becoming a letter carrier, Bill had served with the 82nd Airborne Division. There was a time in the 1980s when he was hooked on the card-based variant of Squad Leader called Up Front! So keen was he to get home to play that he would occasionally do the “airborne shuffle,” a kind of slow jog, for his entire route.

5. In point of fact, the tournament was run in Austintown, some 10 kilometres west of downtown Youngstown, for eight years. As Darryl clarified on 25 February, he and Bill also ran ASLOK in Brookpark, a city adjacent to Cleveland and the Cleveland International Airport. I attended my first ASLOK (2007) in Brookpark. The new venue in Cleveland is not far from the old one, but the new one is miles ahead of its predecessor in so many respects.

6. The term is attributed to Field Marshall Wilhelm Keitel. Although no fan of Hitler, Keitel had given up trying to argue with the Führer. Incredibly, Hitler took the comment at face value, oblivious to the fact that Keitel was far from sincere. The term persisted. Indeed, General Heinz Guderian once showed his scorn for Hitler’s amateur prosecution of the war by referring to him as the Gröfaz.

7. For those interested in such things, Bill’s nickname predated his involvement in ASL. The monicker is actually a contraction of a longer nickname: Fish L. Pou, pronounced like the Pepe le Pew of Looney Toons fame. Bill acquired his nickname while working in a grocery store. One of his jobs involved putting up signs for fish, veal and poultry. The signs tended to overlap. When they did, they spelled “FISH L POU.” Overtime, this was shortened to Fish. But I much prefer the fanciful tale below, posted by “Psycho” on the GameSquad ASL Forums.

Back when I had my falling out with Mark Nixon I decided to look up another ASL stud, Bill Conner. I went to the Cleveland area but couldn’t find him. I got word that he was in Spooner, Wisconsin so I went there. When I got there I hear that he just left for Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. I followed him there only to find he was ducking me by running all over the country.  I finally tracked him down in a little shack outside Lincoln, Montana. He was living there with a guy named Ted who kept to himself. 

I sat him down and forced him to play ASL with me while Ted sat at his typewriter and mumbled to himself. I thrashed him soundly and taught him a thing or two about real ASL and not that bastardized version he played. He didn’t even own the rulebook!  

We stayed there and played for a few months. I tried to teach him properly but he kept walking into every trap I laid for him. His roomie, in one of his few moments of clarity, said it was like shooting monkeys in a barrel and started calling him “chimp.” I told him it was fish and that’s where he got the name. He didn’t like his new nickname and Ted mocked him endlessly with it. 

I finally got tired of the beatings I was dishing out and felt it was time to move on. On my way out Ted asked me to mail a package for him. Sure, what could it hurt?

7. The General, Vol. 24, No. 1, p.10-18 (Avalon Hill Game Company: 1987).

For King and Country Once More

It has been eight years since Multi-Man Publishing (MMP) first released For King and Country (FKaC). On 19 August, MMP began shipping the long awaited reprint of this module. For those of you who have yet to add the “British” order of battle (OB) to your ASL collection, this is welcome news. For those of you who have stood by your copy of West of Alamein (WoA),¹ the time may have come for you to consider replacing your dusty Commonwealth counters. But before you set your expectations too high, you may want to know what you are getting for your money.

So exactly what can you expect for four score dollars and a seven-year-plus wait? Quite a lot, in my view, but there are some important qualifiers to consider when making your purchase. 

Oh deir, oh deir, no dunes

A reader from Florida was ecstatic to hear that his copy of FKaC was being processed at MMP. But he was disappointed to learn that it did not include the counters needed to play the desert scenarios that were at the core of the WoA module. He was aware that the module would not contain chapter F, which provides rules for playing scenarios that take place (primarily) in North Africa. He also understood that he would have to purchase the desert boards (25-29), and the desert-specific overlays separately.² However, he had assumed that MMP was reprinting the counter sheets as they appeared WoA. This is not the case. Considering that FKaC does not include the scenario cards that came with WoA either, a would-be ASL “Monty” will have to postpone plans for a desert dust up.

Out of the box and on to the game table

Enough of what FKaC lacks. Time to look at what is tucked inside that big box. 

For starters, the module includes the equivalent of five full counter sheets. Given its size, it is not surprising that the Commonwealth fielded a hodgepodge—dare I say a veritable dog’s breakfast—of vehicles. In game terms, the only “nationality” with a larger ASL OB is the Germans. Three counter sheets are therefore devoted to vehicles.³

The counters are a vast improvement over those that came with WoA. The colours of the new counters are also much closer to that of the counters found in the ASL Starter Kits, making the counters suitable for use with either rule set.⁴ The counters are also punched to industry-standard. Unlike the old Avalon Hill (AH) counters in WoA, there is no need to trim the sides of the counters. Each FKaC counter is attached only at its corners. The font sizes on the FKaC counters are also larger than those found on the WoA counters—a boon for those of us who can no longer read the fine print on a soup tin. 

Da King is in da house

In deference to the distinguished crowd who have been playing ASL for decades, the chapter H pages likewise use a larger typeface.⁵ This helps explain why this section of chapter H is four pages longer than the original section included with WoA. In order to avoid pagination problems, the last five pages are numbered 76A-76E. Some players will also appreciate the design-your-own (DYO) scenario tables following the vehicle and ordnance notes.

As with the first printing of FKaC, the second printing includes 20 scenarios. All of these scenarios take place in Europe. Nine occur in France. Three of these deal with the Fall of France in 1940. A six-pack of scenarios are concerned with the invasion of Crete in 1941. Another scenario takes place in Italy, and the final four depict actions in the Netherlands during Operation Market-Garden (September 1944). 

All of the scenarios were published prior to the release of FKaC in 2003.⁶ Many have been updated to include errata. A handful were tweaked in an effort to improve balance. I will discuss the scenarios further in a moment. But for now, bear in mind that the updates on the table below represent changes that have been incorporated into the scenario cards that come with FKaC. There is no need to annotate or modify these cards. Rather, the list of updates is provided for general interest. The list also may prove useful for those who wish to update their original versions of these cards, that is, as these appeared in previous publications.

Click to enlarge

The biggest and most important change in this printing of FKaC is that it contains eight cardstock mapboards instead of four classic, mounted boards. The first printing of the module came with boards 1, 7, 8, and 12.⁷ Because the third edition of Beyond Valor (BV3) includes boards 1 and 8, these boards are no longer included with FKaC. 

Instead, you now get the following boards: 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 32. Boards 6 and 7 are old Squad Leader (SL) era boards that originally came with Crescendo of Doom. Boards 10, 12, 13, 14, and 15 also predate ASL. The latter four debuted in GI Anvil of Victory, the last “gamette” of the SL series.

Board 10

Board 10 was one of the so-called rogue SL boards. Until the release of the ASL module Partisan! in 1987, this wayward board had no gamette or module to call home. Partisan! also included board 32, along with a limited set of Axis Minor Infantry and Support Weapon (SW) counters. With the release of the Axis Minor module Armies of Oblivion (AoO) in 2006, Partisan! became redundant. However, the boards from Partisan! were not included in AoO. MMP has thoughtfully made them available again, albeit as part of FKaC. Only one scenario, “Point of the Sword,” uses board 10. No scenario in FKaC requires board 32. 

Missing in Action

Due to the interdependence of the ASL system, it is not surprising that many of the scenarios in FKaC require components from other modules. This fact of ASL life is exacerbated, however, by the fact that none of the  scenarios in FKaC were designed specifically to accompany the module. For example, with one exception, all of the scenarios in WoA used only the boards that came with the module. Similarly, the 24 scenarios in BV3 were selected so that everything (boards and counters) that a player needed to play them was included in the module. FKaC is a mishmash, a useful mishmash, but a mishmash nonetheless.

This becomes readily apparent when one analyses the scenario list. All of the scenarios were published when AH still held the reins of ASL. Only one scenario does not require at least one board from another module. Fully half require some component of the out-of-print American module Yanks. Admittedly, the boards that came with Yanks are readily available for purchase in cardstock form. Moreover, MMP thoughtfully included chapter E—which originally came inside Yanks—with the second edition of the ASL rule book (ASLRB2). So provided you are willing to shell out an extra $20.00 for boards 16, 17, 18, and 19, ownership of Yanks is not a requirement. Good news, given that we will likely have to wait a few years before the second edition of Yanks is available. But if the boards from the American module were the extent of the interdependence issue, I would not have bothered to create the table below.

Click to enlarge

It goes without saying that you will need to own BV3. Even if you ignore the scenarios that require boards from this core of core modules, you will need to have access to the system counters, not to mention the “Jerries” who co-star in every FKaC scenario. That said, eight scenarios require ownership of the latest edition of Doomed Battalions (DB3). Or rather, these scenarios require three of the boards that are included with DB3. Boards 9 and 11 are two more rogue boards from the days of SL, while board 33 was originally included in the now redundant The Last Hurrah (Allied Minors). Budget considerations aside, frankly I cannot imagine why one would not purchase, or already own DB3.⁸ However, if funds are limited, one can purchase boards 9, 11 and 33 separately from MMP for $15.00. 

The last point is a minor one. The scenario “Probing Layforce” provides the Australians and British with five sangars. FKaC does not include sangar counters. According to Wikipedia:

A sangar is a small temporary fortified position with a breastwork of stone. The term was originally used by the British Indian Army to describe small temporary fortified positions on the North West Frontier and in Afghanistan, during the 19th century. The word was adopted from Hindi and Pashto and probably derives originally from the Persian word “sang,” which means “stone.”

In a pinch, a 1S Foxhole counter will suffice, at least until such time as the Allies are able to entrench. Due to a special scenario rule (SSR), this is unlikely to occur often. But it is something to keep in mind.

All this is to say that you should not expect too much from FKaC as a stand-alone product. The Commonwealth OB is too important to leave out of print for an extended period. MMP sensibly decided to focus on the most important parts of WoA, leaving the North African portion for a latter module. FKaC therefore contains what the average ASL player needs most: Commonwealth counters, vehicle and ordnance notes, and to a lesser extent, more map boards. Consequently, the module remains an essential component of the ASL system. Anyone serious about ASL, ought to own FKaC. 

Balance sheet

In some respects, I am a bit envious. Having purchased the first printing of FKaC at a premium four years ago, I could get a lot more for less money today. In my biased opinion, FKaC represents good value for the price, especially if you had the foresight to pre-order it for $63.00. The mapboards, if purchased separately, cost $40.00. At one time, MMP charged $15.00 or $20.00 for a set of the British chapter H notes, and the FKaC scenario cards. The boards, chapter H notes, and scenario cards alone are valued at about $55.00. If I add the cost of the counter sheets, I am looking at a module with a value of at least $80.00. To put this in perspective, consider that the cost of a typical third-party counter sheet is roughly $10.00. Inexpensive FKaC is not. But the module does offer some great value, particularly for those just getting into, or back into, the hobby.

Notes

1. The original Commonwealth OB was included in WoA, published by Avalon Hill (AH) in 1988. MMP first published FKaC 15 years later, in 2003.

2. The desert boards remain widely available in the WoA mounted format. (See, for example, Key’s Game and Hobbies, and Gamer’s Armory.) However, players can purchase the these boards as part of the ASL Map Bundle, or separately. MMP is selling individual boards for $5.00 each. Note that these boards are in the new card-stock format. (The BattleSchool KitShop also carries a selection of mounted and card-stock boards, including the Map Bundle.) The overlays will likely be available as part of the ASL Overlay Bundle that MMP is currently working on. The desert-specific counters are supposed to be included in the (expanded) reprint of Hollow Legions. Apart from the Italian OB, this module will include the rule pages for chapter F—presumably with all known errata incorporated, and in a larger font size.

3. There are six counter sheets in all. Three 8½” x 11” sheets contain ⅝” counters. One 8½” x 11” sheet, contain ½” counters. There are also two approximately 8½” x 5½” sheets. One contains ⅝” counters; the other contains ½” counters. The fascine counters originally included with WoA [were] supposed to reappear in the second edition of Yanks. (UPDATE: It now appears that the fascine counters will be rolled into the next edition of Hollow Legions.)

4. In fact, the colours will be identical to those in the soon to be reprinted ASL Starter Kit 3, as the counter sheets for these games were printed at the same time.

5. For a stark contrast, place a vehicle note page from another module such as Yanks or Croix de Guerre alongside a page from FKaC.

6. A few scenarios were previously published by MMP in their magazine Backblast. See my post “The State of the Game: ASL at 25,” for some background on Backblast.

7. I have always been partial to board 12. Unfortunately, none of the scenarios in the module utilize the board. Not to worry, as there are plenty of recent, and not so recent scenarios that do. See for example, scenarios OA25 “Side by Side,” OA31 “With Friends Like These,” and OA32 “The Riley Shuffle,” from Out of the Attic 2. I have played all of these scenarios at least once, and enjoyed them. If you have not picked up this magazine yet, I recommend that you do so.

8. In North America, there [were] a number of retailers offering DB3 for 15-25 percent less than the MMP retail price. (UPDATE: But that was before the module went out of print in 2015, followed soon after by FKaC.)

6th Guards Tank Brigade

For King and Country artwork

The box cover artwork is part of a painting by David Pentland. The painting depicts a Churchill Mk IV tank of the 6^th Guards Tank Brigade (comprised of the 3^rd Battalion [Bn] Scots Guards, the 4^th Bn Grenadier Guards, and the 4^th Bn Coldstream Guards), dusting the infantry of the 2^nd Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders near Caumont-sur-Orne, France.

Available here!

The State of The Game: ASL at 25

Advanced Squad Leader turned 25 in 2010. There was surprisingly little fanfare in the ASL community. I nevertheless thought that the milestone was worth commemorating. 

An Uncertain Future

For those who may not be aware, there was a period in the late 1990s when the future of ASL looked grim. In 1998, Hasbro purchased the rights to the Avalon Hill (AH) game line for $6 million. What, if anything, would the toy giant do with a niche product like ASL? Probably nothing, at least if it were not for the timely intervention of an enthusiastic and relatively unknown publisher. 

During the so-called Dark Ages of ASL—1993-96, according to ASL commentator Mark Pitcavage—the management of AH dithered, and ASL withered. Most of the principals who had been involved with the design and development of the game system had left. Significantly, AH did not publish an ASL Annual in 1994. It was during this dry period that many third-party publishers/producers (TPP) appeared. The thinking was that if AH could not meet the demand, gamers would pick up the slack by publishing their own ASL material.

One of these TPP published a magazine called Backblast. By most accounts, this black-and-white magazine had good production values, especially for an amateur effort. Backblast included well-written articles, and a bevy of new scenarios, some of which remain classics to this day. The magazine ran to only two issues, but for understandable reasons.

Most of the content in Backblast was later published in MMP's "retro" magazine Out of the Attic 1.

After some mixed success with a new hire in 1995, AH decided to contract its ASL line out to the publishers of Backblast. The results were perhaps the finest quality ASL Annuals (1996 and 1997) ever produced, a new historical module: Pegasus Bridge (1997), the first Action Pack, and in the dying months of AH, a hastily released Doomed Battalions (1998). The gentlemen primarily responsible for this turn around were Brian Youse, Perry Cocke, Steve Petersen, Chuck Goetz, Curt Schilling, Carl Fago, Russ Bunten, and J.D. Frazer. What all of these gentlemen had in common was that at some point they were part of a small enterprise known as Multi-Man Publishing (MMP). Fortunately for our hobby, MMP was there when Hasbro came to town.

Pegasus Bridge was the first Historical ASL module developed by MMP.

A New Age Dawns

Suffice it to say that in January 1999—after some protracted negotiations—MMP acquired a licence from Hasbro to produce the ASL line, along with other several other AH titles. Curt Schilling was a successful, Major League Baseball player. His ability to finance the deal was clearly important. However, I suspect that MMP’s track record with AH was a major factor, as was the enthusiasm of Messrs. Schilling, Youse, and Cocke. MMP was also able to reach agreements with Heat of Battle (HOB), another TPP. This likely gave MMP some added credibility, as it was able to show Hasbro that it had new products in the pipeline. 

Indeed, MMP was able to publish two historical modules only a year after taking over the reins of ASL. A Bridge Too Far was a revamped and much expanded version of HOB’s God Save the King (1994). Blood Reef Tarawa (BRT) was likewise an improved version of another HOB title: Blood Reef. The publication of BRT was noteworthy for a couple of other reasons. HOB had offered the game to AH when it was still under development, but AH passed on the opportunity. HOB subsequently decided to produce a limited print run of 250 copies in 1996. After AH took MMP onboard, MMP approached HOB on behalf of AH with the intention of acquiring the rights to the game. With the turmoil inside AH, it would take MMP two years to obtain the rights, by which time Hasbro was on the scene. 

This appeared to confirm what many already suspected, namely that AH had lost interest in ASL, and was content to let amateurs satisfy any lingering demand for such material. A decade was a good run for any niche board game, let alone a game system as expansive as ASL. Besides, computer chips, not cardboard chits, were deemed the future of gaming. Had not many of the ASL faithful already been shuffled off to the AH’s computer game department, or worse, left for the more promising pastures of software game companies like Talonsoft? Perhaps the sale of AH was the best thing that could have happened to our hobby. For if AH had continued to control the production of ASL material, it may well have suspended development altogether and sent MMP on its way.

The first edition of Doomed Battalions was published in a small print run just before AH closed shop. 

Happily, it did not turn out that way. Instead, MMP got right to work and began producing new material, as well as reprinting some older modules. Here is a break down of what MMP had published since becoming the official producer of ASL in January 1999:

1999

Doomed Battalions (2nd ed.)

Action Pack 2 

Blood Reef Tarawa

A Bridge Too Far

ASL Journal 1

2000

ASL Rule Book (2nd ed.)

ASL Journal 2 (incl. “Kakazu Ridge” CG)

GI’s Dozen (SL scenarios updated for ASL)

2001

Beyond Valor (2nd ed. incl. Red Barricades)

Operation Watchtower (Edson’s Ridge)

ASL Journal 3

Solitaire ASL (2nd ed.)

2002

ASL Journal 4

2003

For King and Country 

Operation Veritable (Riley’s Road)

ASL Journal 5

Out of the Attic 1

2004

ASL Starter Kit 1

2005

ASL Journal 6 (incl. “Primasole Bridge” CG)

ASL Starter Kit 2

2006

Armies of Oblivion

Beyond Valor (3rd ed., incl. extra maps and scenarios)

ASL Journal 7 (incl. mapboard v)

2007 

Action Pack 3

ASL Starter Kit 3 

2008

Valor of the Guards

Action Pack 4 

“Singling” CG (in Operations Special Issue 1)

2009

Action Pack 5

ASL Journal 8

ASL Starter Kit: Beyond the Beaches

Turning the Tide (SL scenarios updated for ASL)

2010

Doomed Battalions (3rd ed., incl. The Last Hurrah)

Action Pack 6

Out of the Attic 2

Winter Offensive 1

ASL Journal 2 (reprint)

Out of the Bunker

“Hell’s Corner” (in Operations Special Issue 3)
Blood Reef Tarawa Gamer's Guide 

2011

Action Pack 7

ASL Journal 9 (incl. “Suicide Creek” CG)

ASL Map Bundle

Winter Offensive 2

ASL Starter Kit Expansion Pack

ASL Journal 9 includes a Campaign Game: Suicide Creek, which depicts some of the fighting on the pacific island of New Britain in January 1944. The Journal also comes with a sheet of Japanese and USMC counters.

The above list does not include the second editions of Paratrooper, The Last Hurrah, and Hollow Legions that MMP also published. Nor does it include reprints of the ASL Rule Book (ASLRB), and the ASL Starter Kits (ASLSK).

There appears to be a dry patch in 2002, but this was likely due to a number of major releases before and after 2002. However, it is hard to deny that there was a general decline in the number of publications from 2003 onward. In September 2009, MMP hired a full-time employee to handle the development of its ASL line. Since that time there has been a precipitous increase in the number of new ASL releases. Clearly the addition of Chas Argent to the MMP team is having a major impact on both the rate of new releases, and the quality. In 1999, MMP released five publications. We are only midway through 2011, and we have already seen four new publications, not to mention an enormous map bundle. All well and fine you might say, but how does MMP’s track record hold up to AH’s? Pretty darn good from where I am sitting.

The Balance Sheet

I charted the major publications of each publisher. In spite of a comparative slump in the later half of the naughts, MMP appears to be punching above its weight. AH was owned by Monarch Printing. I will not go into details except to say that AH had a number of advantages over its competitors because of this. AH also had the services of a full-time design and development staff. In contrast, MMP is a small firm that has traditionally relied on volunteers and its owners (all of whom have regular day jobs elsewhere) to design and develop new products on a part-time basis. However, it is remarkable how much the two firms have in common with regard to the quantity and the type of publications.

Bear in mind that while some modules and magazines above were published by AH, they were actually developed by MMP.

Both firms have been stewards of ASL for over a decade—AH for roughly 14 years, and MMP for about a dozen. Both published house organs. AH’s The General often had some ASL content, and usually included a scenario or two. MMP’s Operations magazine likewise has ASL content, but usually of the ASLSK variety. Some of the Operations Special Editions have proved to be a major departure from the norm. Two issues have included historical ASL (HASL) scenarios, map sheets, and in one case a campaign game. Both firms also saw a need for a dedicated ASL magazine. Where AH had the ASL Annual, MMP has the ASL Journal. 

Most of the so-called core modules were published by AH, but MMP has published a couple of its own: For King and Country, a Commonwealth module less the desert bits found in West of Alamein, and Armies of Oblivion. Moreover, MMP has released second editions of the main core modules and plans to continue this until all are updated with new artwork, larger fonts and the ASLSK-style mapboards. 

Armies of Oblivion is a substantial module in its own right. The time required to research the various weapon systems and vehicles must have been considerable. Another factor contributing to its size and cost is the inclusion of a complete Hungarian order of battle represented by "Axis Minor" green counters with a border in "German" blue. This was necessary in order to distinguish Hungarians from other Axis Minors such as the Romanians with whom they later fought.

Both publishers have produced HASL modules. And both have supported Solitaire ASL (SASL), with MMP publishing an expanded second edition in 2001, only a year after publishing an amended second edition rule book (ASLRB2). Although MMP has not produced any Deluxe ASL (DASL) modules, it has published new DASL scenarios. It is looking at publishing an expanded DASL module that incorporates the AH modules with new maps, scenarios, and overlays. With so much in common, where do these firms differ?

What have you done for me lately?

I would contend that where AH was understandably pre-occupied with completing the game system—at least until 1992—MMP is looking ahead to the future of the hobby. With an ageing demographic and the prospect of a dwindling consumer base, MMP has taken the bold step of developing a new ASL product line. The first Starter Kit was clearly intended as a means of introducing new players to the game.

MMP introduced its regular ASL customers to the new starter kit-style boards in 2006. ASL Journal 7 included board v, normally found only in Starter Kit 3. The Journal included the scenario "Marders, not Martyrs," which used this board. Significantly, MMP later released some copies of Armies of Oblivion with cardstock mapboards instead of the traditional mounted mapboards. The company has also announced that the new Finnish module will not include a mounted board 52.

The ASLSK rule set is an abridged version of the ASLRB2. It provides new players with just enough rules to get them playing and having fun. The ASLSK line has also proven attractive to former SL and ASL players who are returning to the hobby, especially those with less time to dedicate to learning a larger rule set. The new product line is controversial and has its detractors. However, the recent release of the ASLSK Expansion Pack suggests that MMP are on to something.

When MMP developed the ASLSK line, it dispensed with the traditional mounted mapboard in favour of a heavy cardstock version. This led to significant cost savings and made possible the publication of inexpensive “bonus packs” containing a single mapboard and a handful of scenarios. The first pack of its kind was the ASLSK Bonus Pack 1: Beyond the Beaches. The pack contains three scenarios, ASLSK rules for hedges and walls, and mapboard p.

The first "Bonus Pack" published by MMP was a Starter Kit pack featuring a board with hedges and abridged rules for walls and hedges. The pack is designed to be used with ASL Starter Kit 1.

MMP has not forgotten its core customers either. The company has taken to producing Winter Offensive Bonus Packs, so-called, because they are released at MMP’s annual ASL tournament of the same name in January. Like the ASLSK bonus pack, each WO pack contains a new mapboard and two or three scenarios. Moreover, all profits from the sales of these packs are donated to charity. 

The first WO Bonus Pack published in 2010 contained a pair of scenarios and a new mapboard. All profits derived from the sale of the pack were donated to Curt Schilling's favourite charity ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

MMP also pioneered the popular Action Pack in 1997, when working for AH. It has published six more packs, with another due out later this year. In a delightful departure from the norm, the sixth Action Pack contained a new type of geomorphic mapboard designed by Gary Fortenberry. Gary had briefly worked for AH in the mid 1990s—he was the Managing Editor of the ASL Annual ‘95, for instance. His attempts to interest AH in this novel format were nevertheless unsuccessful. Fans of the mapboard will be pleased to learn that Action Pack 8 will feature three more of Gary’s mapboards. The great thing about these maps is that they can be used in tandem with regular geomorphic mapboards to create a less linear battlespace. Even when used on their own, the mapboards provide more room for manoeuvre than the standard mapboard. The mapboards also lend themselves well to the creation of river bends and larger hill masses.

Mapboard 3a from Action Pack 6 is shown here with mapboards from Croix de Guerre and WO Pack 2.

The switch to cardstock mapboards has also allowed MMP to reprint all of the older mounted mapboards, up to and including board 52, as a Map Bundle. Many of these boards were long sold out and no longer available, even in the much expanded Beyond Valor 3rd edition. Some dated back to the Squad Leader line (EX: board 6 from Crescendo of Doom). Others were only available in an out-of-print Action Pack (EX: boards 46 and 47 from AP2), or core module (EX: boards 25-29 in West of Alamein). This massive and unprecedented reprint provides all of the mapboards required to play every scenario in the core modules, and in every ASL Journal save Journal 9. The anticipated publication of a complementary Overlay Bundle bodes well for the future of ASL topography.

Mapboard 25 from the ASL Map Bundle. It is much easier to distinguish scrub from hammada on these new boards.

But what about all those out-of-print core modules? Is MMP doing enough to get them reprinted? Until recently, the answer would likely have been no. However, of late, the pace of production appears to have increased. The 3rd edition of Doomed Battalions appeared in 2010, and a reprint of For King and Country is due out later this year. Work appears to be progressing well on Rising Sun. This hefty core module will incorporate Code of Bushido, Gung Ho and several other goodies for the Pacific Theatre of Operations (PTO). Other modules such as Yanks and Hollow Legions are in the pipeline too. 

In the shorter term, I suspect that we will see a new core module, the understated Hakkaa Päälle! This Finnish module will include a more human (and much expanded) order of battle for the Finns. Not a fan of winter warfare? No problem, many of the battles in this module take place after the snow melts. This is due to the fact that the module boasts a more representative selection of scenarios than heretofore seen. The scenarios cover the three wars fought by this tiny state: the Winter War (1939-40), the Continuation War (1941-44), and the Lapland War (1944-45). The latter conflict pits the Finns against their erstwhile German allies. Hakkaa Päälle! will also expand the Finnish and Russian orders of battle. We get heaps of new vehicles and ordnance for the Finns and the Russians, including aerosleds. That is a lot of new counters to punch and clip, and arguably more than enough to keep us content until the release of Rising Sun.

Some of the new, and not so new, vehicles that will appear in the new Finnish core module.

I had the pleasure of play testing many of the scenarios for Hakkaa Päälle! What I enjoyed the most was the subtle changes to game play brought about by the addition of Light Woods and Prepared Fire Zones (PFZ). Not only do these elegantly simple rules open up new possibilities for scenario designers, but they also create a refreshing and new game dynamic. More importantly for our hobby, I think that the addition of these rules underlines the philosophy of MMP as stewards of our hobby. While MMP is open to new ideas and innovation, it takes pains to ensure that any modifications to the game provide a far greater return than any time required to learn and incorporate them into play. In my view, this shows maturity and wisdom befitting a game that stayed the course for 25 years. 

With a new HASL (Festung Budapest) also due out later this year, and more on the horizon, I think it is safe to say that our hobby is in good hands. MMP has had its ups and downs, but the trend as of today is clearly onwards and upwards. Three cheers for ASL!

Happy 26th!

Further reading

"Happy (Belated) Birthday!" View from the Trenches Issue 82, May-Aug 2011 pp. 18-24

Desperation Morale

The 2 Half-Squads: Interview with Perry Cocke
Russian version (русский перевод)