From Start to Finnish: ASLSK at Ten

In 2004, Multi-Man Publishing (MMP) had been the caretaker of Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) for five years.1 The small firm had breathed new life into the hobby. The Game had a future that promised, among other things, a completed core system. But hard-core ASL players would have to wait a little longer for the long-awaited armies of oblivion.2 Indeed, ten years on, the new and reproved Finns are still awaiting their place in the MMP sun. An upstart, ASLesque publication had jumped the queue. 

"So sorry, my island now."

The derivative game that started all the fuss is not, as some suggest, ASL for dummies. However, the sub-system that this “starter” game spawned is a far cry from the stepping stone it once claimed to be. In fact, this sub-system has grown so much over the past decade that it often bewilders the very people it is meant to attract. This, and the following posts in this series, are an attempt to shed some light on what has become an offshoot of the ASL tree.3

Back in the day, the most advanced technological device in my house was a 20-inch, black-and-white television. I took it on faith that Gilligan wore a red shirt, and that Ginger’s hair was, well, ginger—I thought it was blond. It was the late 70s, and the vivid black-and-orange Squad Leader box was a welcome contrast to the grey world of our cathode ray tube.4 Adjusted with care, our rabbit-ear antenna granted access to two channels, one with English programming, one with French. The board game from Baltimore had a different kind of programming, programming that unlocked a turbulent, technicolor world of the early 1940s. 

Second City TV brought lots of colour to my TV

Cross of Iron, 1978

I remember the excitement that accompanied my reading of each “module” in the Squad Leader rule booklet. Every teaching segment concluded with the memorable lines: “STOP! You have read all that is necessary to play...” a new scenario. Squad Leader was imposing. It was a far cry from Risk. Few games of the period approached its level of detail and complexity. Learning let alone mastering the game was a daunting proposition for a 14 year old. Programmed instruction made all the difference. When the sequel appeared a year later, my friends and I dove right in.5 

Chapter and verse

When the Avalon Hill Game Company (AH) released ASL in 1985, it introduced a really big rulebook (ASLRB) to the wargaming hobby. It was so big, and so exceptional, that it was sold separately. At the time, we took this in stride. In retrospect, it was a bold move. The ASLRB retailed for more than the base game! Rules were divided into colour-coded chapters complete with colour chapter dividers that doubled as player aids. The rules came in their own specialized binder, nestled inside a sturdy slipcase. The attention to detail was phenomenal. Absent, however, was anything approaching a tutorial, or a guide to learning the newfangled game.6 

Beyond belief: AH takes the wargaming market on faith

Although ASL was (and remains) a significant departure from Squad Leader, AH believed that it was similar enough to John Hill’s original creation that veterans of Squad Leader would make the transition without much fuss. Avalon Hill was counting on this. The company was also betting that the majority of their established player base would adopt the new game. It was a big ask.7 

Paratrooper

The “advanced” game was not so much advanced as it was different. It was a completely revamped game system. Avalon Hill belatedly acknowledged this with the release of Paratrooper the following year. This so-called “Introductory Module” was aimed at Squad Leader players “contemplating a switch to ASL.” Paratrooper was described as “an inexpensive medium” that would allow these prospective recruits “to sample the rich delights of the ASL game system.” I agree that the module gave players a taste of things to come. But an inexpensive introduction to ASL it was not.8 Nor was Paratrooper a particularly useful tool for introducing players to ASL, least of all players without prior experience of Squad Leader.

The text on the back of the Paratrooper box emphasized that there were few prerequisites needed to play the eight scenarios in the module. The blurb also reassured customers that the enclosed “Squad Leader Training Manual” would help them learn ASL. Despite its name, the manual—better known as Chapter K—was designed to teach the basics of ASL, not Squad Leader. 

The manual was broken down into six teaching sessions, or days. It took the form of an imaginary, military-training syllabus—some 30 pages long—replete with a cartoon-character, American Drill Sergeant. In order to get the most out of the exercise, trainees had to obey the sergeant’s commands and move pieces about on a map. On the first day, trainees were treated to a forced march across several boards, traversing along the way much of the terrain found in Chapter B of the ASLRB. One board has at least 20 different types of terrain! Subsequent training days used the same “boots-on-the-ground” method to explain lines of sight, fire principles (including the protection afforded by various types of cover), engaging the enemy in close combat, the physical and psychological effects of combat, and the importance of camouflage and concealment. The manual nevertheless falls short of the programmed instruction method that Squad Leader employed to great effect. Jim Stahler’s training syllabus is still helpful, if incomplete.9 Let me explain.

Killer Chapter K

Even the most basic scenarios in Paratrooper include ordnance weapons such as light mortars and bazookas. These weapons use rules found in Chapter C, which are not covered in Jim’s six days of basic training. In addition, three scenarios also feature Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV), thereby necessitating a careful read of Chapter D as well. To put this into perspective, the first two chapters of the ASLRB run to over 100 pages. Admittedly there is a great deal in these chapters that can be ignored when playing the scenarios in Paratrooper. However, to play any scenario in this module also requires a player to grasp a good deal of Chapter C, which runs to over 20 pages. The Training Manual included with Paratrooper only addresses the salient points of the first two chapters. Therefore, until training exercises for ordnance appeared more than a decade later, beginners were left to decipher Chapter C on their own. Once we factor in another 20 or so pages for Chapter D, we can begin to appreciate the daunting task faced by the budding squad leader. 

In a nutshell, Paratrooper did not provide a progressive introduction to ASL, because in spite of its allegedly introductory nature, Paratrooper contained no truly introductory scenarios. This may have worked for some ASL initiates with prior experience of Squad Leader—namely, the target audience. But for those with no previous exposure to ASL’s predecessor, the subject matter in Paratrooper could hardly be characterized as basic, or introductory. It would be another 18 years before newcomers would have access to a truly entry-level ASL publication.

Chapter why

In 2004, MMP released only one ASL game: ASL Starter Kit 1 (ASLSK1). The small, unassuming box is a marked departure from earlier publications. Until then, ASL had been a strictly, modular system. The ASLRB,  together with the indispensable module Beyond Valor, form the core around which the system expanded. The new Kit is self-contained. It may have been sired by ASL, but ASLSK owes its parent no allegiance. 

Starter Kits target new (and returning) ASL players. In keeping with this aim, the Kits require only a small investment of time and money. Ken Dunn, the lead developer, and MMP accomplished this frugal feat by dramatically reducing the complexity of the game. A simpler game means less components, and in turn, lower cost. Each Kit contains just enough material to play the scenarios enclosed in the box. With a bit of imagination, future scenarios can be designed within the limits imposed by the contents of a particular Kit. Although infrequent, new scenarios fitting the bill have appeared in later publications. 

Each Kit contains playing pieces, mapboards, charts and tables, a pair of dice, and an abridged rule booklet. The playing pieces are standard ASL counters.10 The mapboards, while compatible with ASL mapboards, differ in several respects. The terrain on many ASLSK boards lacks variety; they remind me of the earliest boards from Squad Leader. This is to be expected. Unexpected, however, is the small size of the buildings relative to the hexes. Personally, I think the buildings look more to scale than on many ASL boards. The downside is that the urban boards lack the claustrophobic feel of an ASL city board. There are far too many open Lines of Sight (LOS) due to the greater expanse between structures. 

Boarding school: ASLSK buildings teach newbs FFMO lesson

The other interesting thing about ASLSK mapboards is that they are printed on heavy card stock. Classic ASL mapboards are mounted the same as a Monopoly or Scrabble board. Not only are mounted boards costly to produce, but they also weigh almost four times as much as a card-stock board does.11 The light-weight “Starter-Kit style” boards, as the new boards came to be known, also pack better, because they take up half of the volume of a mounted board. The styling, new board format is tailor made for Starter Kits.12 

The unadorned, largely black-and-white, ASLSK Quick Reference Data Charts (QRDC) charts are functional. Again this keeps costs down. The tables on these QRDC are stripped down versions of the elaborate, colour-coded tables found on the chapter dividers of the ASLRB. In some cases, an ASLSK table bears only a superficial resemblance to an ASL table. The ASLSK To Hit (TH) table is one such beast. Closer inspection reveals that the “beginner” table is designed to simplify play. Each type of weapon has its own TH values, right down to the Final Dice Roll (DR) needed for a Critical Hit, and/or any Special Ammunition. Experienced ASL players may find these “slide-rule” tables awkward to use. But keep in mind that the tables are designed for people approaching the game with no preconceptions. That said, I have two reservations. 

ASLSK To Hit Tables lighten arithmetic

First, substantially different tables make it a bit tedious for an experienced player to teach someone at the ASLSK level. The old hand has to not only “remember to forget” some ASL rules—more on this in a moment—but also has to (re)learn how to calculate a successful hit using an unfamiliar table. (Alternatively, the teacher can dispense with the ASLSK TH table and have the student use the ASL TH table instead.) My second reservation is that a similar relearning process will invariably occur when a beginner transitions to ASL. Neither of these reservations are show stoppers, but one or both may lead to some unnecessary frustration.

No OPP Fire

The publication of a bare-bones version of ASL that captures the essence of The Game is a remarkable achievement. The ASLSK rule set is a distillation of the more fundamental aspects of ASL. On the one hand, ASLSK includes the core principles of Defensive First Fire (DFF): First Fire, Subsequent First Fire (SFF), and Final Protective Fire (FPF). On the other hand, ASLSK excludes less commonly used rules for Opportunity Fire and Spraying Fire.13 Infantry can Double Time in ASLSK, but only if declared at the beginning of a unit’s Movement Phase (MPh). Moreover, Infantry cannot dart across a street (Dash), or skirt the edge of an obstacle (Bypass). These are sensible compromises, as was the decision to make all buildings ground level only.14

No concealment

Culling specific rules keeps new players focused on the most important concepts of ASL fire and movement. Removing entire tracts of rules keeps the amount of reading (and rereading) to a minimum. Excluding the rules for cavalry was an easy decision. Ignoring the rules for concealment was more controversial. Still, it is easy to see why concealment did not make the cut. Even among veteran players, this area of the rules is prone to misunderstandings. Granted concealment adds more to the game than just fog of war. Nevertheless, this section of the ASLRB can be a lot to digest for a beginner.

To be fair, the ASLSK rule set does contain an element of concealment, namely Hidden Initial Placement (HIP). This particular form of concealment is such a fundamental part of how Guns work in ASL that it could not be trimmed. Indeed, concealment, in the form of HIP, has not been overlooked in a more general sense either. Through the artful use of Special Scenario Rules (SSR), ASLSK scenario designers have developed a workaround that allows all or part of a force to set up HIP at start. Even optional rules found in Chapter E of the ASLRB have appeared as SSR in ASLSK scenarios. I point out some of these SSR in later posts. Below is an example of a ASLSK board q (transformed on Virtual ASL per SSR) and used to depict a snowy environment.

Board q cropped and transformed into a winter landscape

There are two obvious advantages to the SSR approach. One, these occasional rules are not found in the ASLSK rule set, which keeps the size of the rule booklets manageable. And two, such SSR (usually) alert new and experienced players alike that a non-ASLSK rule (or variation thereof) is in play. In a similar vein, many scenario Victory Conditions (VC) in ASLSK are verbose by ASL standards. This is another consequence of keeping the rules overhead to a minimum. However, the net result is the same. Beginners get a taste of the fruit without having to splurge for the entire tree.

ASLSK versus ASL Victory Conditions (VC)

Careful pruning, and selective grafting (onto scenario cards, as circumstances demand), has kept the ASLSK rule booklet incredibly compact. Yet, in spite of Kenn Dunn’s horticulture, the booklets have colour illustrations aplenty. The example below is typical of the abundant diagrams that make light work of some concepts that may be hard to visualize. (I added the arrows and terrain descriptions. I encourage players to highlight or otherwise annotate their personal copies if it will aid in their comprehension and retention of the rules.) 

Interaction of hills and orchards in ASL

However, the tiny (by ASL standards) rule booklet included with the first Starter Kit is not without its problems. One thing that continues to confound experienced players—particularly those with a penchant for organization—is the lack of an index. Okay, there is a glossary under the heading “Definitions.” It even includes rule citations. However, these citations are of questionable value due to how the rules are organized. In contrast to the procedure-manual layout of the ASLRB, the bulk of the ASLSK rule set takes the form of a sequential narrative, organized by phase. The most problematic section is entitled “Sequence of Play” (SOP). The same section in the ASLRB runs to less than a page. In the first ASLSK rule booklet, Section 3 is a whopping seven pages long! 

The reason for the discrepancy is simple. In the ASLRB, the section dealing with SOP merely outlines how the game flows, and broadly describes what occurs during each phase. Not so in ASLSK. Section 3 is the heart of the ASLSK rule set. It introduces rules and game concepts in the same order that a player might encounter them in the course of play. Put another way, this section is an annotated SOP that doubles as a repository for roughly half of the ASLSK rule set. 

Sequence of Play

Imagine that you need to prove to your inexperienced opponent that you can recover, retrieve, gain possession of, or otherwise pick up a Demolition Charge (DC) during the MPh. You consult the glossary. But none of these terms is listed. You do find a listing for DC. However, after getting no joy from Subsection 4.3, you flip back through the pages until you find the subsection of Section 3 that deals with the MPh. A half-page of text later you find the reference, in the last paragraph of the subsection. There has got to be an easier way. There is, if you are clever enough to consult Section 4.0 instead. The answer lies in the last sentence of the first “run-on” paragraph. 

Starter Kit is designed ostensibly for beginners, not students articling for the legal profession. Were the ASLSK rules organized differently, a glossary might have sufficed. As it stands, the lack of an index is arguably the second biggest shortcoming of the Starter Kit series. Fortunately, Jonathan R. VanMechelen, a veteran ASL player from Pennsylvania, has compiled a superb INDEX for ASLSK.  

ASLSK Index for ASL Players

The absence of an index also makes it difficult for an ASL coach to quickly assess if a particular ASL rule is in force. Having played ASL for decades, a lot of rules become second nature. For instance, when it looks like the enemy is about to overwhelm a position, it can be prudent to break and run. However, the option to voluntarily break an Infantry unit does not exist in ASLSK. In fact, there are so many minor differences between the rule sets that keeping track of them during play can be tedious. What is needed is an index that cross references ASL and ASLSK rules. Happily, JRV, as he is commonly known on the ASL forums, did not rest on the seventh day. You can download a pdf of the “ASLSK Index for ASL Players” from his website.15 

The biggest beef that I have with ASLSK is that it is not a form of programmed instruction akin to Squad Leader. It undoubtedly helps that ASLSK rules are presented in three, modest bundles. However, a beginner is still required to read a small textbook before commencing play.16 The Starter Kits did not replace Chapter K either, because they are not tutorials. In fact, there is a great deal in Jim Stahler’s tutorials that is not present in the ASLSK rule set. But do not despair. Jay Richardson has produced a splendid series of illustrated tutorials. His most helpful tutorial was published in Operations 49, MMP’s former house magazine. Jay’s tutorials (and a host of player aids) are nonetheless accessible online.17  

For the most part, ASLSK is self-contained. This has certain advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps the biggest plus is the low cost. One can forgive a lot of trespasses for the bargain price that Starter Kit 1 retails for. Depending upon your perspective, we have Ken Dunn to thank or blame for the Starter Kit series. I have no hesitation in raising my hand to say thanks for making ASL affordable and approachable to a greater number of people, especially younger generations. Kenn has done yeoman work, and continues to devote a great deal of his spare time to the development of new ASLSK scenarios and publications. However, some are bound to blame him (and MMP) for taking ASL down a different path. For almost two decades Chapter K introduced new players to ASL. Ten years after the release of the first Starter Kit, many longtime ASL players have come to question the rationale behind the new kid on the block. Are they right to think that ASLSK has become a separate book rather than a new chapter in the growth of the hobby? Before you come to any hasty conclusions, I encourage you to read the remainder of my impressions, beginning with the next post in this eight-part series on ASLSK.

Specific scenario dependencies are addressed in later posts

Notes

1. Hasbro Inc. acquired the rights to ASL in 1998 (along with a host of other popular Avalon Hill titles).

2. The Axis Minor states are the black sheep of the system. As early as 1978, the Romanians made a guest appearance in Cross of Iron. Not until 2006, however, did these lesser powers finally have their just due. Armies of Oblivion, reputed to be the “last” core module, brought not only the Romanians, but also the Hungarians, Slovaks, Croats, and Bulgarians to the ASL game table.

3. My choice of metaphor is intentional. An offshoot, inviting unwelcome comparisons with a “sucker,” is a clone of the parent plant. Strictly speaking, ASLSK is not a clone of ASL. It has some unique elements such as its individual To Hit tables for various weapons. However, over 99 percent of the rules in the ASLSK rule booklets come directly from the orange tome. And many of the Scenario Special Rules that appear in ASLSK scenarios are in reality simplified versions of rules found in the second edition of the ASL Rulebook (ASLRB2). By way of contrast, Solitaire ASL (SASL) is more of a departure from ASL than ASLSK is.

4. In 2014, almost 12,000 UK households had yet to switch to colour televisions, largely due to the higher licence fees: £145.50 ($240.00 USD) for colour, £49.00 ($80.00 USD) for monochrome (i.e. black and white). 

The Big Brother Corporation (BBC) is watching you! A 1980s TV detector van used to locate unlicensed television sets.

5. The sequel, Cross of Iron, ended each teaching segment with the phrase: “STOP! You have read all that is necessary to play Scenario [X]. We advise you to play it at least once before advancing to the more complicated and realistic scenarios which follow.” Programmed instruction continued with each subsequent game in the series. While this helped players digest new rules incrementally, difficulties arose as earlier rules were replaced with new ones. By the time GI Anvil of Victory appeared, the rules had become a contradictory mess. Advanced Squad Leader was something of a reboot that incorporated a redesigned game engine. The new game rendered all Squad Leader materials save the boards (1-15) redundant. The hobby has not entirely recovered from the schism that the introduction of ASL created.

6. The first edition of the ASL Rulebook did not include the Chapter K series of tutorials that are now included with ASLRB2. 

7. Many owners of the four Squad Leader “modules” balked at having to purchase virtually everything from scratch. Although the first edition of Beyond Valor utilized boards 1 and 8, grognards were left with stacks of incompatible counters, and close to one hundred, redundant scenario cards (if one includes the scenario packs published separately). Most Squad Leader components were consigned to the trash. But almost all of the scenarios were later recycled by Jim Stahler, the author of Chapter K. The last batch of Jim’s Squad Leader conversions was published as Rivers to the Reich only eight months ago—29 years after the debut of ASL. The scenario pack also includes reprints of overlays originally released in GI Anvil of Victory, the last of the Squad Leader games.

8. The disclaimer on the back of the box made it clear that the first four boards from Squad Leader and “the ASL rules” were prerequisites for play. “All other components necessary to play the game,” were enclosed, and “absolutely no other purchase” was necessary. It sounded attractive enough. Paratrooper retailed for $15, roughly the same cost as one of the Squad Leader gamettes. It was misleading, however, to refer to the $45 ASL Rule Book in passing as “the ASL rules.” At three times the price of the ASL sampler, the rulebook was a hefty price to pay to sample the system. Moreover, some of those looking to test drive ASL also may have had to spend an additional $12 for boards 1-4. Even today, $72 is a lot of money to shell out for an introductory wargame.

9. Unfortunately, Sergeant Stahler went AWOL on Sunday. It would be more than a decade before he returned to the training depot. Day Seven: Light Mortars and Basic Ordnance of Chapter K was not published until 1997, some eleven years after the release of Paratrooper. Inexplicably, the new material first appeared in the historical module Pegasus Bridge. First Lieutenant Tom Huntington was the Drill Instructor for Day Eight: Guns and Advanced Ordnance Principles, which was published three years later in ASL Journal 2. Today, the eight-day Training Manual is included with ASLRB2.
Edit: I neglected to mention that Jim Stahler also published a very useful "Eight Steps to ASL: A Programmed Instruction Approach." The article first appeared in ASL Annual 90 (15-20). The article was reprinted in The General Vol. 30, No. 1 (1995): 19, 42-43, 47, 55-56. Thanks to Enrico Catanzaro of Italy for reminding me of this important article.

10. Admittedly there is some variation. In the ASL counter mix, for example, the flip side of a ½” concealment counter is used to indicate that an Infantry unit is Counter Exhausted (CX). Because there are no concealment counters in ASLSK, the CX status marker is found on the reverse of Desperation Morale status marker. I prefer this arrangement, in part, because when my half-squads Double Time, they invariably draw fire and break. At that point, I simply flip over both counters.

11. Board 16 (from the ASL module Yanks) is about 190 grams, whereas board z from Starter Kit 1 weighs about 50 grams.

12. The reduced weight of the card stock boards has enabled MMP to consolidate smaller modules into larger ones. For instance, in 2006, MMP released a third edition of Beyond Valor that contained six more boards than the previous addition, along with 14 extra scenarios that could now be played using only the contents of this base module (and the ASLRB2). The following year, MMP adopted the new board format for their Action Packs. Since then, all Action Packs have included three boards. (The forthcoming ASL Action Pack 10 is the first of its kind since 1999 to contain only two boards.) The lightweight and compact nature of the new boards has also led to their inclusion in periodicals. ASL Journal 7 was the first magazine to come with a mapboard. “Marders not Martyrs,” was the only scenario in the magazine that used the board. Board v was, in truth, an ASLSK board. It was included in order to promote the new style of board, and signal to ASL players that change was afoot. Board v would appear again in Starter Kit 3 a year later. Issue 5 of Special Ops—MMP’s new house magazine—contains ASL board 68.

13. Opportunity Fire (A7.25) is frequently declared by an attacker when the forces of the opposing side are concealed. Rather than fire during the PFPh at a concealed target using Area Fire (3.2/A7.23), a player may opt to declare Opportunity Fire instead. Should an enemy unit lose concealment during the intervening MPh and DFPh, the attacker can then fire on the enemy at full strength during the AFPh. Given that there is no concealment (EX: HIP) in ASLSK, Opportunity Fire is not a significant omission.

14. In my view, this is an improvement over the more abstract rule that Squad Leader initially employed. In “Guards Counterattack,” the granddaddy of all Squad Leader (and ASL) scenarios, units were considered to occupy all levels of a building simultaneously. The historical module Decision at Elst breaks with ASLSK tradition, but in an unusual manner. See Part 7 of this series for an explanation. 

15. JRV’s site also keeps win-loss records for all ASL and ASLSK scenarios. Players enter their results, and the program updates the win-loss statistics accordingly.  

16. In order to play all but one of the scenarios in ASLSK1, a player must read the accompanying twelve-page rule booklet in its entirety. The exception is the first scenario, which does not include any Support Weapons (SW), and therefore reduces the required reading by almost a page. Still, the first scenario in Squad Leader (see note 14 above) could be played after reading only six pages of rules. Later Kits include one or two scenarios featuring only Infantry and SW. However, these Kits also contain slightly more “advanced” types of terrain such as hills. Ordnance and vehicles add roughly six and ten pages, respectively, to the ASLSK rule set.

17. Such is the popularity of the Starter Kit series that various tutorials—not to mention rules, charts and numerous player aids—have been translated into French, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. For ease, I have collected a sampling of this material and made it available HERE. If you know where I might find a copy of the Japanese translation, please let me know. The one that used to be listed on the MMP website is currently unavailable. 

Sniper!

Sniper! The word has sent chills down the spines of millions of soldiers. In ASL, the word can have a similar—albeit usually non life-threatening—effect on players. Most of us naturally fear the worst, the death of our best leader, or the Recall of our most important armored fighting vehicle (AFV). However, these are just two of many possible effects that a sniper can have on play. As I am continually reminded each time that I make a rule book “dive,” there are some things that I have forgotten, or just plain never grasped. My intention here is not to explain how snipers work in ASL. That would require a more lengthy post. Instead, what I would like to do is provide an overview of what snipers are capable of doing to an enemy unit. In other words, once your sniper is activated, what affect will a die roll (dr) of “1,” or “2” have on the target of your attack. The answers may surprise you.

Multiple shots, and possibly one kill

When I was a teenager the appearance of sniper counters in the Squad Leader (SL) series of games generated quite a buzz among players. These “übercool” ½” counters debuted in Cross of Iron, the first gamette in the SL series. Each counter represented an individual sniper. The neat thing was that we got to direct the fire of each sharpshooter. 


Snipers would start the game hidden. If revealed by an enemy sniper check, they would appear onboard concealed. Each had a firepower of one, a normal range of eight, and a unique dice-roll modifier (DRM). The best had a -4 DRM. The DRM was halved for long-range fire, and doubled for point-blank fire (PBF)! Bye, bye 10-3 leader. It certainly was a hoot to KIA an enemy leader on a roll of eight or less (adjacent and in terrain with no positive modifiers). But the fact that we could select a particular leader from within a stack tended to give us a level of omniscience, or knowledge that even snipers with optical sights did not enjoy. Granted a sharpshooter could often identify the relative rank of an individual. However, it would have been extremely unlikely that he could have known which officer, or non-commissioned officer (NCO), was the more experienced or better leader.

Suffice it to say that these sniper counters were not very good at modelling the effects of snipers in combat operations. From a game perspective, the 1-8-8 counter gave players far too much control over this lethal asset. Occasionally, these units, especially the lower quality ones, were used for purposes never intended by the designers of the game.

Canadian Pte L.V. Hughes

Historically, snipers operated on their own, or with another sniper/observer. Commanders often used them to conduct reconnaissance, or to observe and monitor enemy activity. Sniping was conducted far less often in proportion to these other activities. Additionally, once a sniper made a kill, he (or in some cases, she) usually would reposition, and refrain from further sniping until enemy activity returned to normal. In SL there was no incentive for players to conserve their snipers for the next battle. We therefore fired them as often as opportunities to cause grief to our opponents appeared. 

Random rifleman

The pedigree of the ASL Sniper counter is evident. However, the mechanics by which a Sniper is activated and strikes in ASL bear no relation to the way SL employed snipers. The most striking difference is that the ASL counter is not a unit. It cannot deny control of a location, nor can it be used to claim Line of Sight (LOS). It has no impact on routing either. In spite of its specific nationality colour, it is best to treat the Sniper as a generic system counter. Until activated, the counter is merely a placeholder. It functions as the point of origin for determining which hexes are eligible for attack when the Sniper is activated. Until that moment, the counter is nothing more than a threat. Indeed, as Mark Nixon pointed out in his welcome “Hyper Sniper: a SANe Look at this Threat in ASL,” it is a manageable threat.

Snipers are manageable in ASL in so much as each player retains some control over where his or her Sniper counter is placed at the start of the scenario. A player may also forfeit a Sniper activation in favour of repositioning the Sniper counter. Admittedly there are restrictions on where a player may place the counter. However, these restrictions help mitigate unrealistic or “gamey” play brought about by a player’s ability to see virtually the entire battlefield. This cuts both ways, however, as players can use what Mark Nixon refers to as “Sniper abatement” tactics to minimize the risk of a Sniper targeting a key unit. Granted in certain cases a player will have some limited control over which target a Sniper attacks. But for the most part, the target of a Sniper attack is chosen randomly, not deliberately. 

The inSANity

In ASL, a Sniper attack may occur whenever a player rolls the Sniper Activation Number (SAN) of the opposing player. Scenarios include a SAN for each side, found in the order of battle portion of the scenario card. Occasionally scenarios—especially those featuring only AFV—may have a SAN of “0.” In all cases, however, the SAN is found inside a set of braces, for example: {SAN: 3}. An activation may occur during any fire phase, and at any time during the Movement Phase (MPh). The trigger is an Original dice roll (DR) equal to the enemy SAN. All Morale Checks (MC), Task Checks (TC), as well as To Hit (TH) and entrenching attempts qualify. Were that not enough, a DR resolved on the Infantry Fire Table (IFT) [EXC: offboard artillery] may also trigger an enemy Sniper activation.¹ The basic sequence is as follows:

• place Sniper counters, DEFENDER² first—conditions apply [A14.2]
• qualifying DR equal to SAN triggers Sniper activation
• player whose Sniper is activated (hereafter the Sniper player) rolls one die
• dr ≥ 3 is no effect
• dr ≤ 2 results in a Sniper attack
• Option A: forfeit attack and reposition Sniper—conditions apply [14.2]
• Option B: make a Random Location DR to determine target hex
• determine eligible target(s)—Random Selection [A.9] may apply [A14.21-.23]
• resolve attack, along with any subsequent attack(s) due to Random Selection [14.3]
• resolve any counter-sniper action: Sniper Check [14.4]

There is a lot going on in some of these steps, but I would like to focus on the actual resolution of a Sniper attack. I will, however, refer to the preceding steps as these pertain to a particular aspect of resolving the attack. 

The same dr that generated the attack is used to resolve it. This dr is not subject to modification. Hidden units are immune to Sniper attacks. Concealed units are not. Interestingly, concealed units do not derive any benefit from being concealed, and therefore suffer the same effects as unconcealed units. There is an upside, however. A concealed unit in a Location attacked by a Sniper retains concealment unless it is selected [A14.23] as the target. 

A Sniper attack may also effect enemy units in Melee with no risk to friendly units. In addition to the results in the table below, a Sniper attack always places any broken units in the target Location under Desperation Morale (DM).

Why are you picking on me?

The first thing that I would like to draw your attention is to what may happen if a SMC is eliminated. If the SMC is some form of hero [EX: A15.2, G1.42, or G1.424], elimination is straightforward. However, if a leader—including a heroic leader—is eliminated, his death may trigger a chain reaction, beginning with a Leader Loss Morale Check (LLMC) [A10.2]. All Personnel units stacked/ moving with leader at the moment of his elimination may have to take a LLMC. There are situations where LLMC do not apply, in Melee, for example. So check section A10.2, if you are unsure.³

A LLMC is compulsory for all units whose current Morale Level is lower than that of the eliminated leader. For example, if a 9-1 leader were to break, a broken SS 6-5-8 stacked with him would not be required to take a LLMC because the squad’s broken Morale Level is the same as the leader’s Morale Level. The same would not be true for an unbroken SS 6-5-8 because the Morale Level of this squad was one less at the moment the 9-1 leader was eliminated.

Things can get interesting if a LLMC results in Heat of Battle [15.1], or Bail Out [D6.24]. Things can get positively “insane” if a LLMC triggers another Sniper activation, another attack and yet more LLMC. As the rule book reminds us, a Sniper attack is not considered resolved until all sniper attacks generated due to Random Selection results, including all LLMC/Leader Loss Task Check (LLTC)/Heat-of-Battle/Bail-Out DR, etc. are complete.⁴

At first blush a wound result on a SMC may appear to be a relative blessing because there is no LLMC associated with a wound. However, remember that a SMC must still check for Wound Severity [A17.11]. Should a leader succumb to his wounds as a result of the Wound Severity dr, LLMC may apply after all. Furthermore, there is nothing in the rule book to suggest that the Morale Level of the leader at the time of his demise would be lowered due to being wounded. Put another way, do not try to “sleaze” your way out of a LLMC by telling me that your 9-1 leader in my previous example will not trigger a LLMC because he was “momentarily” an 8-0 leader before he succumbed to his wounds. This may work with other players, but until Perry “sez” otherwise, I am not budging.⁵ :-)

Dumdum bullets and shoot to kill

Let’s have a look at some of the other results. Because any sniper attack will eliminate a Dummy stack, snipers can provide valuable intelligence during the game by exposing dummy positions. In my view, this result elegantly models the reconnaissance function of a sniper team.⁶ 

Experimental ultra-light tank

In a similar fashion, the ASL Sniper rules are able to model counter-sniper activity. Although pinning an enemy Sniper may well seem like a booby prize, it can be important in large scenarios, especially those populated by weapons with a high rate of fire. A pinned enemy Sniper is also welcome when your opponent has a high SAN. But if you are lucky enough to get an elimination result on your opponent’s Sniper, then one of two things will occur. If the enemy SAN is greater than two, your opponent’s SAN is decreased by one. If your opponent’s SAN is two, the enemy Sniper is removed from play [A14.4].⁷

Stunning sniper

The first page of a Tiger tank owner’s manual ought to include a warning about opening a hatch when a Sniper is in the vicinity. Apart from anti-tank weapons, the deadliest anti-tank asset on an ASL battlefield is the humble Sniper. An attack by a Sniper will automatically Stun the crew of a fully-armored AFV. Close-Topped or Opened-Topped, if the crew is exposed (CE), they can be hit. The Morale Level of the crew—nine in the case of a Tiger tank—is irrelevant, as is the Morale Level of any Armor Leader present. Snipers treat the crews of all fully-armored AFV with equal indifference. More troubling, when faced with multiple possible targets in a particular Location, the Sniper player has the option to target the enemy sniper, a Vulnerable Inherent Crew, or an unarmored vehicle [A14.2]. Faced with an enemy Sniper—even one with a SAN of seven—a Tiger crew, and an Opel Blitz truck, I would go for the Tiger crew every time.

There are two grades of Stun. What I tend to refer to as a “baby” Stun occurs whenever a Sniper attacks with a dr “2.” When Stunned, an AFV must immediately close its hatches. The game term for this is: Button Up (BU). If moving or in-Motion at the time, the vehicle must also immediately stop. No Movement Point (MP) is expended; the AFV just stops. Once Stunned, an AFV may not fire or move for the remainder of that Player Turn. Thereafter, the crew suffers a permanent handicap in the form of a +1 DRM. The handicap is a game mechanism designed to reflect that fact that the crew is less efficient due to one or more crewman having been wounded.⁸ If the crew is small to begin with, then a Stun presents a far more serious problem. 

MR35 Renault in Italian service

Many early-war AFV such as the French Renault R35 were fitted with a one-man turret (1MT), normally occupied by the vehicle commander. Tankettes such as the Italian L3/35 were manned by just two crewmen. Naturally, if the commander of a 1MT, or a crewman of a tankette, were to become wounded or incapacitated, the fighting efficiency of the AFV would be degraded significantly. As you might expect, ASL has a solution for such situations. The game also has a mechanism for handling situations where an AFV is stunned a second time. In all cases, the crews of these AFV suffer the normal consequences of a Stun. In addition, the crews of AFV with a 1MT may not regain CE status for the remainder of their time onboard. 

A L3/35 tankette in German service

Some tankettes, as indicated on the back of their respective counters—the Italian L3/35 is a case in point—are likewise restricted. More importantly, because the crews of these AFV are no longer combat effective (including those who have been Stunned twice), they suffer an additional penalty. The official term for this combat result is Recall [D5.341], which brings me to my next point.

Whenever a Sniper attacks the crew of a fully-armored AFV with a dr “1,” the crew suffers what I like to call a “big” Stun. A big Stun works the same as a baby Stun. The difference is that, the vehicle is also Recalled from battle. Recall represents a state where the crew of an AFV has suffered too many casualties to continue even with a degraded combat ability. This explains why AFV with a 1MT, or a small crew, suffer a Recall result on a dr “2,” while standard AFV do not. ASL simulates this serious loss of combat effectiveness in a number of ways. First, any Armor Leader [D3.4] present in the AFV is eliminated, including any present in a 1MT, or a tankette such as the L3/35. Second, the AFV must attempt to exit the playing area along any Friendly Board Edge via the shortest route in MP.⁹ And third, if an AFV is bogged or immobilized at the time it suffers a Recall, the crew must Abandon [D5.4] the vehicle instead during its next MPh. Crews of these Abandoned AFV are not required to exit the playing area, but they are prohibited from re-manning their Abandoned AFV [D5.341].¹⁰

Multiple hits? Gimme a break

The effect of a Sniper attack on a MMC is fairly self-explanatory. But this being ASL, you would expect exceptions. And you would be right. Some MMC do not break; they suffer Reduction instead. There are two types of Reduction. The first type is the most common, and is associated with a unit that is in an altered state. For instance, a broken, berserk, or unarmed MMC will not break as long as it remains in its altered state. If it exceeds its Morale Level on a MC, it is Casualty Reduced [A7.302]. A squad that suffers Casualty Reduction is reduced to a half-squad (HS); a HS or crew is eliminated. Therefore, whenever a Sniper attacks a broken, berserk, or unarmed MMC with a dr of “1” the unit suffers Casualty Reduction.¹¹

The second type of Reduction is associated with MMC that Step-Reduce rather than break. At the moment, the only MMC that Reduce in this manner are the Japanese [G1.11] and the Chinese (CPVA) in scenarios set during the Korean War [W7.21], with Step-Reduction applying only to squads and Infantry crews. Therefore, a Sniper dr of “1” will eliminate (that is, Casualty Reduce) a Japanese HS or vehicle crew, but only Step Reduce (or “stripe”) a Japanese squad or Infantry crew [G1.11]. 

We have a similar issue where pinning is concerned. A Sniper dr of “2” will pin most MMC. However, there are a great deal of situations where a MMC is not subject to pinning. The list is lengthy, so I will mention only a couple of the more interesting ones here. Units undertaking particularly brave or foolish activity such as a berserk charge [A15.42], or a Human Wave (HW) are immune to pin results. Motorcycle Riders are also immune, although bicyclists are not. Interestingly, AFV Riders are particularly vulnerable to a pin result, and not just one caused by a Sniper. If pinned, an AFV Rider must Bail Out [D6.24]. Of course, if the former Rider fails its MC, it will no longer be pinned. But I hardly think that being broken and under Desperation Morale is much by way of compensation.¹²

Tin cans and pin cushions

Perhaps the most problematic Sniper results are those that affect the Inherent crew of an unarmored, or partially-armored vehicle [D1.21-.22]. There is nothing complicated about the effects of a Sniper attack on one of these targets. If selected, the Inherent crew of such a vehicle will either break or pin, depending on the Sniper dr. In case you are wondering, being BU will not spare the crew [A14.22].

The gunshield of the sIG IB 150mm assault gun provides its crew with a +3 CE DRM versus fire that enters through the vehicle's front Target Facing

The problem stems from players occasionally confusing a partially-armored vehicle with a fully-armored one. I am also certain that I have seen this played incorrectly in the classic scenario Le Hérisson, which stars the imposing sIG IB self-propelled artillery vehicle.¹³ (There appears to be a sIG IB at the beginning of the video below.) The vehicle sports a massive gun shield. While this shield affords the crew with above average protection from some fire, it provides no protection against fire emanating from the rear. More significantly, the upper superstructure Aspect [C3.9] of the rear Target Facing is unarmored. Therefore, for the purposes of a Sniper attack, the Inherent crew of a sIG IB will break or pin when attacked by a Sniper.

The same oversight can occur with a number of German tank destroyers, including the PzJg I, and certain models of the Marder (two glimpses of which, can be seen in the video above).¹⁴ Clearly, the absence of armor leaves the crew more vulnerable to fire than a fully-armored AFV. However, this “Achilles heel” also makes these vehicles more resilient to Sniper attack because they are never Stunned and/or Recalled—not a bad trade off in my view.

The FlaK/Pz IV fielded a 37mm anti-aircraft cannon

The 37 FlaK/Pz IV has a similar resilience, but only when in “Firing” mode. The armored shields of this self-propelled anti-aircraft gun must be lowered to provide the Main Armament with an unrestricted field of fire. But once the shields are lowered, the crew is no longer considered to be in a fully-armored vehicle. In fact, the crew is so exposed that they are treated as being in an unarmored vehicle.¹⁵ The outcome of a Sniper attack on this Flakpanzer therefore depends upon which mode the vehicle is in at the time of the attack. When the armored skirts are down, a dr “1” will only break the crew. When the armored skirts are up the same dr will Stun the crew, and Recall the vehicle. Given the severity of a Recall result, it pays to read the vehicles notes of your AFV before you begin play.

Flat out immobilized

The last point that I wanted to touch on was the ability of a Sniper to immobilize an unarmored vehicle. Only a dr “1” will do; a dr “2” has no effect. Moreover, a Sniper attack has no additional effect on an unarmored vehicle that is already immobilized. Happily, the Sniper player may ignore an unarmored vehicle that contains no Passengers, Riders or Crew (PRC), and opt for the next closest target. The other thing worth remembering is that the Sniper cannot attack an unarmored vehicle and its PRC with the same dr. But as I mentioned earlier, the Sniper player has the option to choose certain targets over others. Considering that a dr “2” will have no effect on an unarmored vehicle, the obvious choice is to pin the crew. Depending on the tactical situation, it may be better to immobilize the vehicle with a dr “1” and spare the crew. At other times, breaking the crew is paramount. The important thing to remember is that you have a choice. 

Partially-armored SdKfz 10/5 with 20mm cannon

Finally, always remember to consult the vehicle notes before play. Those nifty SdKfz 10/5 AA halftracks in Valor of the Guards are partially-armored. Unlike a SdKfz 10/4, a Sniper cannot immobilize a SdKfz 10/5. However, in both cases, a dr “1” will break the crews of these vehicles.

Score Card

I hope that this post has given you a better appreciation for what the trained marksmen is capable of in ASL.  Although we do not have as much control over our Snipers as we may like to have, we nevertheless retain more control than the average battlefield commander. Understanding what the Sniper is capable of is the first step in learning how to leverage this asset for maximum gain.

Memory aide

One-spot on Sniper die

Some years ago, I created a Sniper die that I can use whenever I get a Sniper activation. The precision die features designs on two faces. In lieu of the one-spot, is a grave marker (a helmet on a cross) representing a KIA, or elimination result. The image is framed by the four effects of a Sniper dr of “1.” “Elim” is short for elimination, and refers to the elimination of a SMC. To reinforce the fact that a dr “1” is a big Stun that Recalls the CE crew of a fully-armored vehicle, I wrote the word “Stun” in uppercase letters. The word “Break” represents the result suffered by a MMC or the Inherent crew of an unarmored or partially-armored vehicle. The term also does double duty for those MMC that Reduce rather than break. “Immob” is the ASL abbreviation for immobilized, the effect of a dr “1” Sniper attack on an unarmored vehicle. The abbreviation also serves to remind me that in a Location containing an unarmored vehicle, an enemy Sniper, or a Vulnerable Inherent Crew, I always have the option of selecting one of these targets to attack. In spite of the presence of other units in the same Location, I do not have to resort to Random Selection. I simply declare that my Sniper is attacking one of these targets types.

Two-spot on Sniper die

The two-spot of the Sniper die has no pips. Instead, there is a Red Cross symbol in the center of the face. Because a Sniper dr “2” has no effect on vehicles, the design displays only three effects. While I could have included “Elim” to represent the elimination of Dummy counters, I felt that this would only add clutter and confusion. The die therefore summarizes the other main effects of a dr “2.” They are: wounds a SMC; Stuns the CE crew of a fully armored vehicle; or pins a MMC (not immune to Pin results) or the crew of an unarmored or partially-armored vehicle. 

Roll a cross!

BattleSchool also carries a minimalist version of the Sniper die in 12.5mm. The 16mm version adds a Wound-Severity function. In doing so, it dispenses with the symbols on the ace and deuce (two-spot), and reincorporates pips into the design, pips that are important for determining the severity of a wound. To make the die more intuitive, colour pips remind players at a glance what the outcome is.

Click to enlarge

Further reading

Nixon, Mark C., “Hyper Sniper: a SANe Look at this Threat in ASL,” reprinted in Out of the Attic 2 (MMP: 2010), pp. 33-37, 43. 

Notes

1. A “DR that can yield no game result than a SAN is not made [EXC: the DR required for an attack negated by blocked LOS (A6.11) is made.] However, the effects DR of an Ordnance attack may also trigger a Sniper activation, provided the effects are resolve on the IFT. A To Kill (TK) DR never does. In this respect ordnance fire that is resolved on the IFT can be something of a double jeopardy. Because SAN applies to both the TH attempt DR and the IFT result DR, one runs the risk of activating the enemy Sniper twice with just one shot.

2. It was only when I read section A14.2 again today that I finally grasped the subtlety of “DEFENDER” in this context. Until now, I always had assumed that the defender in a scenario—the side charged with keeping an attacker from obtaining his objectives—was required to place his Sniper counter first. But this is not what the first sentence of A14.2 is telling me. It matters not who is defending or attacking in a particular scenario. Indeed, some scenarios have neither a Scenario Attacker nor Defender. (Look it up in the index if you have not already done so.) What does matter is who moves first in a scenario. The side moving first always places its Sniper last. It is the DEFENDER in the top half of Turn 1 who must always place his Sniper first.

3. As with everything ASL, there are always exceptions. Some Personnel units neither cause nor take LLMC [EX: Riders A13.52, D15.55, or Climbers B11.42]. While others, such as passengers of a vehicle, can only affect passengers of the same vehicle. I recommend that you review A10.2 for a more exhaustive list of exceptions.

4. In case, like me, you wondered when a Leader Loss Task Check (LLTC) might come into play, the short answer is not very often. One situation that could give rise to a LLTC is one where two leaders with different Morale Levels are stacked together. Should the leader with a higher morale be eliminated due to a sniper attack, the other leader would be required to take a LLMC. If this leader were to break as a result of the LLMC, any unbroken MMC stacked with him with a current lower morale would be required to take a LLTC. Like I said, I cannot see this happening very often.

5. For those who do not know, I am referring here to Perry Cocke, co-owner of Multi-Man Publishing. Perry is the reigning authority on the interpretation of ASL rules. Hence if something is so, it is because Perry sez so.

6. Granted players will frequently use Dummy counters as “sniper bait” in order to absorb or redirect a Sniper attack. However, when Dummy counters are used for this purpose, they provide another useful piece of intelligence. Such usage also diverts limited deception resources from elsewhere.

7. As rare as this may seem, it happens more than you might think. I recall a game earlier this year where my opponent’s SAN was three. Within the course of a turn or so, my Sniper struck twice, and the enemy Sniper was no more.

8. The DRM applies to all TH attempts, MC, Task Check (TC), IFT, CC, and Overrun (OVR) DR. Note that Carrier crews never BU; they are always considered CE [D6.84]. In addition to not being able to move or fire while Stunned, the crew of a Stunned AFV cannot attempt to repair any malfunctioned weapons. This seldom comes up during play, but is possible if, for example, an AFV is Stunned during a pre-game bombardment [C1.82]. 

9. The AFV may not stop, except to unload Riders/Passengers, which it must do as soon as possible after the Recall result. Otherwise, the AFV must remain in Motion (that is, use Motion Status [D2.4]) until it has exited. However, the AFV may not use Excessive Speed Breakdown (ESB) [D2.5], either to exit sooner, or in an attempt to deliberately immobilize the vehicle. As an aside, the Recall mechanism in ASL is in keeping with historical practice. An AFV was a valuable asset, and its crew required specialist training. Neither was easily replaced. Most commanders would hesitate to squander these resources. Moreover, armor would often retire from an engagement in spite of what the operational commander might prefer. While this may irk some players, I think that the Recall mechanism is a good representation of what occurred during combat.  

10. Technically, a crew that Abandons an AFV due to a Recall result could re-crew a different vehicle, but if  it did so, it would still suffer the effects of having been Stunned earlier, namely the +1 DRM in note 8 above.

11. Wading Infantry also suffer Casualty Reduction on a Sniper dr of “1” [G13.42]. In certain cases, Infantry entering a frigid Water Obstacle will suffer Casualty Reduction (EX: heroic or unarmed units) [B20.7], and Passengers of a boat will also Casualty Reduce instead of breaking [E5.54].

12. Others include: Calvary [A13.52], berserk MMC [A15.42], participants in a Banzai [G1.5], Climbing [A11.4], Fording [B21.41], or Wading Infantry [G13.42], Passengers of a boat [E5.54], and swimmers [E6.1]. Paratroops are immune from a Sniper attack of any kind while represented by a parachute counter [E9.32]. 

13. German vehicle note 78.

14. German vehicle notes 43, 46 and 47.

15. German vehicle note 85.

Personal Picks

In addition to Mark Nixon's ASL article above, you may be interested in some additional literature on snipers. The first title below provides an illustrated overview of snipers in the 20th century. Its chief value is that it is an inexpensive introduction to snipers of the period and provides a reading list if you want to explore the subject in more depth. It also contains brief biographies and photographs of some of the more famous snipers of WWII. 


The second work is a classic. My copy actually belongs to a friend I served with in Somalia. (Hunter, if you are reading this, email me, I have no current contact details for you.) If you have not read "One Shot, One Kill" yet, you are in for a rich and detailed look inside the world of snipers. The book chronicles the service experiences of a number of American snipers from WWII through to Beirut in the 1980s. 


"A Rifleman Went to War" is another classic, and a personal favourite. I picked up a brand new hardback copy in 1993. It is hard to find, but well worth the read. The rifleman of the book's title is an American officer who joined the Canadian Corps as a private during the Great War. He became a top sniper, repeatedly turning down a commission so that he could continue to do what he loved best. This is no gloomy Sassoon or Blunt memoir. McBride embraced his trade. His autobiography provides a wealth of detail with respect to sniping and life in the trenches. I cannot recommend this one enough. Amazon has a feature where you can browse portions of these books. Have a look.