Desperation Morale - The BLOG!

Mr. Mark Pitcavage, proprietor of desperationmorale.com, has started a blog! Welcome to the ASL blogosphere (all three of us or so... haha!). Great first post is a review of 2009 for ASLers.

Go now:
http://desperationmorale.blogspot.com/

World of ASL - Updated August 2009

Just caught this on CSW here. Mr. Mark Pitcavage has once again updated his World of ASL resource on his Desperation Morale website. Go check it out:

http://www.desperationmorale.com/worldofasl/worldrecent.html

Here's what he says about the update:

I have uploaded a major update to the Desperation Morale Website's World of ASL Compendium, adding the more than 20 ASL related products that have come out between May-August 2009, including the longest review of an ASL product in the compendium, of the travesty "One Wild Ride."

World of ASL Updated!

Mr. Mark Pitcavage has updated his extremely useful World of ASL resource on his Desperation Morale website. Go check it out:

http://www.desperationmorale.com/worldofasl/worldrecent.html

Good work sir!

Prep Fire! Getting Set Up Part 2

Player Aids

Last post I talked about the binders and counter storage solutions I had for my ASL Starter Kits. In this post I'll just finish off talking about other handy gear to have if you're going to be a "serious" ASLer... or at least a serious ASL-newbie.

If you have a single Starter Kit it's a good idea to check the errata on your particular version. SK1 errata is here, and (unofficial) SK2 errata is here, SK3 is here. Print these out asap and leave the printouts with your rulebook.

If you have multiple Starter Kits use the latest one and just print out the latest errata. For example, I have all three SKs and just use the rulebook from SK3 as it has the latest incorporated errata and all the rules from SK1 and 2.

Along with the rulebook you'll want to also keep the QRDC and To-Hit Player Aid Charts handy -- page protectors again. Of course there are amazingly useful non-official player aids out there and I'd recommend:

• A good Sequence of Play chart which breaks down the exact timing of the game turn elements. My personal favourite is the ASLSK3 SOP at BGG here. Just ignore the bits that do not apply if you are playing SK1 or SK2-only scenarios.

• The official QRDC not good enough? Try these QRDCs for the full ASL on Ole Bøe's website here. Desperation Morale also has a big set of player aids and "cheat" sheets here.

I keep all of this stuff organized by SK level with the most recent stuff I use repeatedly on top and stored in the SK1 box (the other boxes fit maps and other ASL stuff) so if I need to play I'll just grab the one box, counters and my map condom and go!

Map Protection/Storage

Everyone has their own preference in this regard, almost to the degree of fanaticism that counter storage ellicits. Some people prefer getting a piece of plexiglass or Lexan and getting it chamfered and cut to the size of their regular gaming table or space. I've been told that heading down to your local Home Depot or the like should be the most economical option -- just get them to cut you a piece to size.

My current means of map protection is a "map condom" of sorts. Here's what it looks like in action:



The map condom is basically a poster/art display sleeve that is of archival quality. I purchased it in an art supply store where they had differing sizes. Notice that I've put two geomorphic maps side by side here (the most common configuration) with dice for scale comparison. I also bought a larger one for my other wargame maps and when you need to place ASL maps lengthwise. I really prefer this method as the sleeve itself is very portable, relatively inexpensive and was made primarily to show off and protect art and maps. Some ASLers and wargamers use poster frames and these I found are cheap but best only for games where you won't be switching out the maps often.

What Else?

There are a couple of things I didn't talk about like dice rolling mechanisms, clipping and maintaining counters. These things become a concern when you get a little more "into" the hobby. You'll eventually find that rolling dice into your little cardboard piles gets a little tedious and the boxtop of your SK a little cumbersome -- check out dice towers or use a fancypants dice cup (it's a cup...). Later you might find your counters themselves are getting a bit ragged or catching each other on the corners as you push them around. Perhaps it's time for a "counter-clipper"?

Where do you find this stuff if you can't make it yourself? Check out Cabela's or Walmart for the tackle boxes. Home Depot or Lowe's for the plexiglass/Lexan. An art supply store for your map condoms and eBay for your dice towers. And finally, Staples/Business Depot for your umpteen page protectors and binders. Look at it this way, you're doing your part to stimulate our flagging global economy.

Buying ASL for the Newbie

So you wanna get into the hobby or at least get a taste of the "greatest" tactical WWII game out there? The problem, of course, is that Advanced Squad Leader is a niche within a niche within a niche and you aren't likely to find the game conveniently sitting at your local convenience store.

If you are lucky, your Friendly Local Gaming Store (FLGS!) has a boardgaming section nestled between the Magic cards and the RPG/Dungeons and Dragons stuff. If you're even luckier the boardgaming section has some wargames in it. Of course the final piece of luck is that the store has ordered and has in stock ASL (probably Starter Kits) within that wargaming section. That's a lotta "ifs".

Let's assume that you want to start small first of all. MMP and the powers that be that control the ASL brand realized that an introductory product for those who wanted to play the game was the best way to proceed and a few years ago produced the ASL Starter Kits. The three kits were released a few years apart (I think, I wasn't active in ASL at the time) and today form the basis for quite a few new people joining the hobby -- like yours truly.

What the Starter Kits enabled was a neophyte to sample the core and basic ruleset for a fraction of the price of buying into full ASL. A Starter Kit runs from about $25 to $35 (Kits 1 to 3) which is a pittance compared to the outlay for the full Second Edition ASL Rulebook (new!) and the first module Beyond Valor (that contains the system/informational counters, and the almost full orders of battle for the Russians and Germans) -- these two cost about $65 and $95 respectively. The Starter Kits' contents are all compatible with full ASL so the investment is practically a no-brainer.

If you are interested in ASL GET THE STARTER KITS!

The subset of rules in the kits reputably contains the vast majority of the rules you'll need most of the time in full ASL. Some have even remarked that this subset of SK rules is a full-fledged game system unto itself and I'm not inclined to disagree with them. For those who want a more thorough breakdown of the SK contents I point you to Desperation Morale's World of ASL page on the kits and to MMP itself.

I would only advise a new player to pick up full ASL in lieu of the Starter Kits if, and only if, they were very sure they'd be playing it full on with an experienced player.

Of course if it was this easy I don't think I'd be making a post about it...

The problem is that MMP's Starter Kit #1 is no longer widely available, even through online resellers. Your best bet these days are FLGS websites or the stores themselves or ASL on eBay. For those not well versed in the advanced search on eBay try this link.

["Wait a second scrub," you say, "how can MMP possibly not have Starter Kit #1 in stock?!" -- ah, that's a rant for another time my friend...]

Due to the fact that the production lead times and various other logistical issues are compounded with the relatively small print runs that MMP uses to keep ASL in print and in stock, it has basically become an unspoken rule amongst ASL players that you should ALWAYS buy ASL stuff while you can because the next window of opportunity to acquire that product without facing the exorbitant mark-ups on eBay may be YEARS away. Let's put it this way, though I have yet to pick up full ASL, I am still buying the Valor of the Guards Historical module and the Normandy Action Pack in the full expectation that by the time I want to sit down and play them in the next year or so I may be SOL due to their being OOS!

Time for some good news though. You really only need one of the Starter Kits. All of them are basically standalone. If you could only pick up one I'd choose #3 since that has the full Starter Kit ruleset for infantry, guns, and armoured fighting vehicles. However, completists and anal ones at that, like me, will want all three for the maps and counters and scenarios.

So where can you get this stuff?

If you aren't willing to wait for MMP to reprint and restock, Starter Kit #1 is basically eBay-only or other after-market territory like Boardgamegeek's Marketplace forum or Consimworld's or Gamesquad's. As long as you're patient you should be able to get it for a reasonable, near-retail price.

Starter Kit #2 and #3 are all still available from MMP itself or online resellers like Wargame Depot or Gamer's Armory. I have purchased ASL and non-ASL stuff from both of these sites and can vouch for their speedy and reliable service. Being Canadian I've had the Sentry Box recommended to me and may try it next to get around the silly customs I've had to occasionally pay.

The only other newbie purchase of ASL-related product I would recommend (I'm saving chatting about counter storage and gaming paraphenalia for the next post) is picking up Operations magazines from MMP that have ASLSK scenarios in them (around $8 a pop for single scenarios -- I recommend this only if you are dying for more official SK-level product or are a wargamer with other MMP/Gamers product). Here is a link to the almost complete list of official ASLSK scenarios and where to find them on BGG.

Finally there is also a little scenario pack called Rally Point #2 by Schwerpunkt -- a so-called "Third Party Publisher" (TPP). Here is the Desperation Morale write-up on it and the here is the website for the Schwerpunkt guys. I actually picked this scenario pack up because of the reputation of the Schwerpunkt group who publish a yearly eponymously-named scenario pack. I'm itching to try it out soon by mixing them in with the official scenarios. Rally Point #2 is the pack you'd want as it is not only made for ASLSK but upwards-compatible to full ASL should you graduate there one day.

Whew, another massive post! So here's the summary:

1. Check out Desperation Morale's World of ASL pages to see what is what. This is the "get edumacated" step.
2. Check MMP to see what they have in stock. Cross your fingers.
3. Order from MMP or a reputable online retailer or support your FLGS by ordering through them!
4. Post "wanted-to-buy" messages on forums like Gamesquad, BGG or Consimworld. Sometimes fellow gamers have good quality product they'd happily sell at great prices to their peers to grow the hobby.
5. Check eBay (use the linky on the upper right). Cross your toes.

Hope this helps you out. As for paying off your credit card, that's your problem!

Next up, what to buy/find/steal to help you maximize your enjoyment of ASL...

Starting Up - Web Resources Part Two

So here is part two of Web Resources... I'd like to thank the Wiggles for coming to Toronto and delaying this post! I've tried to put the links up in a nice progression so that the further down you go from number one, the more complicated the content will be to newbs:

8. ASLOK - This is the official website of the ASL Oktoberfest "convention". It's basically considered the World Championship of ASL and hosts a week-long series of ASL events and tournaments. Though I haven't had the pleasure of attending (yet!) the tournament organizers run a mini-workshop/tournament for newbies called "Maneuvers" that is Starter Kit friendly. I suppose that learning ASL from the experts at ASLOK would be the best option around. More likely though us newbies will get a bigger benefit from their fairly up-to-date links page. The page has links to clubs, third-party publishers and miscellaneous resources.

9. Desperation Morale - Early on in my research on ASL before picking up the Starter Kits I ran across Desperation Morale which is a website dedicated to the wargame by one of the hobby's well-known scenario designers Mark Pitcavage. The actual first attraction to me was the ASL Museum that hosts a wide variety of photos of ASL-related objects -- things like dice towers, 3D-maps, miniatures, storage methods etc. It's nothing short of fascinating. The website has an attached forum, downloadable (FREE!) scenarios, play-aids and an advertisement to buy Mr. Pitcavage's ASL scenario design guide. What is probably most useful to the newbie however, is the "World of ASL" pages which are a virtually comprehensive guide to every ASL product ever published (by Avalon Hill, MMP or third parties). Practically every publication gets a rundown by Mr. Pitcavage of its contents and a small evaluation as to its usefulness. There is no question that a newbie without any idea of what to buy (or even figure out what is what) to get into the hobby would find the website invaluable.

10. Miscellaneous blogs/club websites: TPBF is not the first blog to focus on the experiences of an ASL player or the hobby. There are quite a few club and individual websites out there that are current and "living". Check out the links page on the ASLOK site (above) and the clubs listed. Here are a highlighted few:

• http://countzeroscorner.blogspot.com/ - Right here on blogspot there is at least one other ASL player blogging his experiences. "Josh" runs countzeroscorner.blogspot.com which also doubles as the Spokane ASL club's website. Josh was kind enough to comment on TPBF's first post and we'll see if we can't all make a concerted effort to sell others on this fine wargame and hobby.
  
• http://banzaipipeline.blogspot.com/ - Ostensibly the most current form of the Texas ASL club whose Banzai magazine has run for years and years. The Banzai Pipeline is updated quite frequently with AARs (after action reports -- short comprehensize debriefings of playings of ASL scenarios). Some of the Banzai back issues contain interesting strategy articles. The Pipeline AARs are great for newbies to see what full rule ASL is like.
  
• http://aslok.blogspot.com/ - (not to be confused with ASLOK above) Another ASL blog run by Todd Wiley from Michigan. His tournament AARs are great for newbies who are curious about the more competitive world of tournament ASL.
  
• http://www.winhaven.net/TRAC/ - The Tri-State ASL Club's website which is not on the ASLOK links page probably due to the fact that it doesn't seem to be very active anymore, has a few interesting links for newbies, especially on their ASL Basics web pages.

Those are only a small sampling of the clubs and blogs out there or even aware of.

11. http://www.vasl.org/ - The VASSAL Engine is an open-sourced Java-based software application designed by one Rodney McKinney that allows users to import boards and game pieces into its format and play boardgames over the Internet remotely. It leverages the advantages of the computer like easy set-up, takedown, saving games, chat capability, match-making etc. VASL is the module that allows VASSAL to simulate the boards and pieces of ASL. It has, reputably, led to a major upswing in the ASL hobby as being "face-to-face" is no longer a requirement to play. Most major boardgame publishers, especially the wargaming ones, see VASSAL as an extension and competitive advantage to their products. Best of all VASSAL and VASL are free. How is this possible? As mentioned, the project is open-sourced and Mr. McKinney derives no commercial benefit outside of the donations he receives and the engine itself does not have an Artificial Intelligence or programmed opponent. It merely hosts a method of display of boards in a virtual manner for opponents to manipulate via mouse and keyboard -- in other words, you still have to buy the rulebooks and know how to play, VASSAL just let's you do it with someone across the world at the same time. VASL is worthy of a series of posts all by itself so I'll leave it there. Newbies can find the best use of it immediately by finding players who are willing to teach them in the game lobbies and saving board set-ups while learning.

12. ConsimWorld - This website is famous for its hosting of very old school chat forums dedicated to wargames (CONflict SIMulations). More web savvy users may find that ConsimWorld's unusual conventions of having a continuous discussion per topic rather than threaded posts archaic and user-unfriendly. For example, contrast ConsimWorld's forums to BoardgameGeek's -- it seems that the "divide" between new Euro-gamers and wargamers of the past is alive and well in this communication methodology. That being said, newbies who are unafraid (or just want to lurk like me) should check out the MMP folder, the ASLSK folder and the ASL-proper folder. It takes a bit of effort over a few days and then you'll be able to follow the conversations a little more easily. Be aware of course that in-jokes, personal familiarity and occasional snobbery make for an intimidating community to break into for some. I've found however, that CSW's greatest strength is its unparalleled involvement of wargame designers in the various discussion folders. If you want to get closer to the people who make wargames and ASL, go to CSW.

Well there you have it. Some of the most useful websites out there for aspiring ASL players. I hope it was useful.