A little humilityĪs you might imagine, a little humility when it comes to learning this system goes a long way. After all, we gather around the table (virtual or otherwise) to have fun and enjoy the company of someone that thinks moving cardboard around is the best thing going for their leisure entertainment. For others, that’s the single best argument against playing ASL. You might be thinking, “Yeah dude…that’s how ALL wargames work!” The difference here is that the sheer volume of details that must be committed to memory puts most games to shame. Success is as much about tactics as it is about understanding when and how things works. Forget to do these things and it may prove costly.
Advanced squad leader free#
For example, only on your player turn do you get a free self-rally of an eligible unit or gain concealment. Forget to do it, and there are no “backsies” in ASL. The when and why for each action a unit on the board can perform can be a mini-game all in and of itself. On the surface, the sequence of play isn’t intimidating:Įach phase, however, is meticulously crafted. The heart of the game, at least from my novice experience, is the sequence of play. This article is just a quick reflection on my experience as I prepare to attend Winter Offensive 2022 in order to play ASL with other hobbyists. It has a reputation for being overly complicated and for being a “lifestyle” game that people must play regularly in order to remain proficient in the detailed nuance of the rules. If you’re not familiar with ASL at this point, it’s a 1985 tactical wargame that covers armored and infantry combat from the Spanish Civil War through the Korean War. “Oh yeah! I forgot about inherent terrain there didn’t I?” I said, for the umpteenth time as my opponent graciously pointed out yet another detail I forgot during a recent Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) game.