ASL Starter Kit

Game facts. Solitaire - This is a two player game, though as with many wargames, it also gives a good a solitaire game. There is  only one specific non-solitaire rule in the starter kit. This is a special rule in one of the scenarios that allows one side to secretly designate two of its buildings as being fortified and frankly, this is not a show stopper. Game time - The back of the box suggests around 2 hours or more for a scenario and the ones that I have played have given a relaxed evening of gaming. Players that are totally new to the system will find the initial pace of play to be slow in their first couple of scenarios, as they will probably need to do a lot of rule referencing. This will not feel problematic as the rules are ordered in a way that follows the sequence of play. This was a good design choice as it helps the players consolidate the rules as they play through the first couple of scenarios. Once players have a couple of games under their belts and are used to the abbreviated terms used throughout the rules, their play will substantially speed up. Game size - The kit provides two 8" x 22" boards (stiff card), 280 half inch counters and 6 scenarios.  The rulebook is twelve pages long but only half of those pages are actual rules in the proper sense. The rest is given over to providing substantial examples of play which are supported with full colour game shots. A typical scenario will use one map board and perhaps around twenty unit counters per side. The actions generally cover a battalion sized action with each player having one or two infantry companies plus some support weapons at their disposal. The game does not require much room to play and can easily be stored part way through play.  Complexity - The presentation of this whole package is built around a central intent of introducing players to the world of ASL. The team that worked on this package did an amazing job in getting the nuts and bolts of the game into such a small rule format. A tight self discipline and sense of purpose  must have existed amonst the development team when deciding what to leave out and what to put in. The rules are obviously easier to digest on the first reading if the gamer has previously been exposed to either basic Squad Leader or Advanced Squad Leader.  Even so, the absolute new player will be able to work through their first ASL scenario after the first reading or so (because the rules follow the sequence of play). In fact, the main body of the rules can be thought of as one huge expanded sequence of play and I imagine that this was a deliberate design concept to encourage players to learn by actually playing. There is quite a lot of system packed into this ruleset but an average player with any enthusiasm for the subject, will have a good grasp of the infantry part of the ASL system after playing a couple of scenarios. The rating of 'medium complexity' shown on the back of the box is about right, with familiarity bringing this rating down to the lower end of that rating once a couple of games have been played.

Comments. I am a big fan of the basic Squad Leader game, since it occupied most of my gaming time 'in my 'early days' of wargaming. So I was particularly delighted to find such strong similarities between the ASL starter kit and that first Squad leader module. I am sure that many 'old timers' will have a similar sense of nostalgia when they open this game up and it is probably no accident that the game has been presented in this way.  Ex Squad Leader players must surely be a target audience for MMP.

Published by Multi-Man Publishing Developed by Ken Dunn and MMP Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) is a detailed WWII wargame system, covering tactical actions at a scale of 40 metres to the hex and with counters representing individual infantry squads, support weapons and vehicles. This starter kit introduces the basic aspects of the infantry rules, allowing new players a more gradual easing into the system.

Basic SL introduced the rules in small chucks, with each new scenario introducing a new portion of rules. This was known as programmed learning. The ASL kit takes a different approach. It's focus is narrower (the rules do not cover tanks, guns or artillery, no doubt to appear in a subsequent kit ). It delivers the core infantry system in a single go, using about six pages of rules. Having the rules follow the seqence of play and explaining each major rule concept with detailed examples of play, really helps to cut through the potential complexity of the subject. This picture (right)  represents about twenty five percent of one of the game shots used in the ruleset.

The two map boards (printed onto heavy card) have been very well thought out. The first is a city board, filled with one hex buildings and is the setting of two Russian front scenarios, Stalingrad 42 and Istra 41. The second board has a village / town, sitting amongst woodland, grain fields, orchards and open space. Walls and hedges are absent from both maps. Across its length, this board gives an interesting mix of terrains. It is used for three West front scenarios, Normandy 44, Luxembourg 44 and Vierville (France) 44. The sixth scenario combines the boards (though only half of each board is in play). The action covers Aachen 44. The German defenders get 12 squads and the U.S. forces get 14. This is the scenario that allows the Germans to have two fortified buildings and it looks to be a real tough firefight.

This kit comes with squads, leaders, machine guns, flamethrowers and demolition charges. American, Russian and German nationalities of varying combat quality are covered. This is a Russian 'conscript' squad (left) and a 1st line squad (right).

There is something for everyone here. The kit can be used as a stepping stone to get to grips with the full ASL system or if you are happy with it's level of detail, the kit can be enjoyed simply as a self contained game in it's own right. I am happy to play at the level offered by the kit but will probably buy some of the main modules to get new nationalities and maybe use any suitable scenarios or boards that they contain. I will most definitely buy any new kits that are published. This has been one of by best buys in a while, well done to MMP for bringing tactical gaming to a wider audience.

click for some notes and photos regarding scenario 1

click for some notes and photos regarding scenario 2