tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76376778734158708712024-03-14T01:23:10.649-07:00Ramblings of the TechnovikingTechnovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-90919536247285095772021-05-06T17:12:00.008-07:002021-05-06T17:35:12.459-07:00Creating Memories in Advanced Squad Leader<p>Games that create memories are what we as wargamers strive for. Such games capture the imagination and immerse the player in the game. No longer are the players sitting by a table at home, but rather their imaginations have taken them to some far away battle! For my money, no other game captures the imagination like <a href="http://advancedsquadleader.net/index.php?title=Main_Page" target="_blank">Advanced Squad Leader</a>. This game, first released in 1985 by the now-defunct Avalon Hill (but perpetuated by <a href="https://www.mmpgamers.com/" target="_blank">Multiman Publications</a>), is a tactical wargame of the hex-and-counter variety. The battles are primarily from the Second World War; however, it has since expanded to include the Korean War. Each player manoeuvres his squads, crews and AFVs and guns across generic and historical battlefields in games that can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours or even days. Practically every game will end up with a narrative that will leave an indelible mark in the memories of the players involved. Allow me to illustrate.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Molotov.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-17381" height="217" src="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Molotov-400x217.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I foresee no negative outcome to my decision to use fire</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The date was 14 September, 1942, and as the German battalion commander, <a href="https://facingstalingrad.com/interviews/gerhard-munch/" target="_blank">Captain Gerhard Muench</a>, I was leading an initial attack in Stalingrad in the historical scenario "In Sight of the Volga". The simulated battle was noteworthy for several reasons. My opponent, Will, ended up being reluctant to try for his <em>Molotov Cocktails </em>(A 22.6).</p><p>The reason? He rolled 6 on his <em>colored die</em> in his attacks, voiding his attack, <em>breaking</em> his attackers and to add insult to injury, placing a <em>flame</em> in his location! This must have happened 3 times. On his fourth possible attempt, he declined to even try!</p><p>Poor Will! Alas, I haven't even gotten to the best part yet! To win the game, I had to <em>occupy</em> a building that had in them a series of <em>fortified locations</em>. I had pushed past this building to an assault position and then planned to hit its flank. I couldn't just move up to the building (under the cover of fire, of course) and enter. You see, with a <em>fortified location</em>, the only way to enter is if the force was less than a <em>squad equivalent</em>, was <em>pinned</em> or otherwise not in <em>good order</em>. Fortunately (for me), I had plenty of firepower, mainly in the form of two STuG III G Assault Guns. In addition, not only were some of my men <em>Assault Engineers</em>, but they brought with them some <em>Demolition Charges (DC)</em>. Without getting into too many details, this meant that they could place smoke rather easily and they could <em>breach</em> into the <em>fortified location</em> without having to <em>pin</em> or <em>break</em> the occupants.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Hero.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-17383" height="225" src="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Hero-400x225.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't you know that you're my hero?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>So my attack was set. I had a firebase isolating the objective. I brought forward a squad of <em>Assault Engineers, </em>placed <em>infantry smoke</em> and then used <em>assault move</em> to get up to the building. So far, so good. Now to place the DC. Now, Will wasn't born yesterday and he had anticipated this move. His <em>defensive first fire</em> was effective and caused my squad to undergo a <em>morale check</em>. With a <em>morale level</em> of 8, I felt confident that I would pass. As the dice settled, they indicated 1, 1. Snake eyes! This invoked <em>heat of battle</em> and a subsequent <em>Dice Roll (DR)</em>. The result couldn't have been better for me! My roll resulted in both <em>hero creation</em> and <em>battle hardening</em>! Now my squad was <em>fanatic</em> and a <em>single man counter</em> in the form of a <em>hero</em> was added to the hex.</p><p>Of course, I gave the DC to the hero! The attack was successful, I had created a <em>breach</em> and I then <em>advanced</em> into the location and entered into <em>close combat</em> with the hapless enemy! Even though it was an <em>NKVD Strongpoint, </em>I had the upper hand. I ended up rolling for <em>ambush</em> and eliminated the defenders. It was the beginning of the end for Will's defense, though it still had a ways to go and he ended up successfully using a Molotov Cocktail on one of my STuG III Gs, destroying it.</p><p>How does ASL do this? How do such narratives come out of a simple game using dice and cardboard counters? I've played many wargames, from the tactical to the strategic level and no other captures the imagination quite the same way as ASL does. In my opinion, it is due to the many random events that the game generates. I have already mentioned one, <em>heat of battle</em>. Although there are some exceptions, this is invoked following any original 2 on a <em>morale check </em>or <em>rally DR. </em>The results can be very good or very bad. The results include the previously mentioned <em>hero creation </em>and<em> battle hardening</em>. Other results include <em>berserk</em> and even <em>surrender</em>. There are modifiers to the roll following <em>heat of battle</em>, but suffice it to say that Russians and Japanese are more prone to go <em>berserk</em> than other nations.</p><p>Another random event is <em>field promotion</em>. This can create a leader in one of two ways. If you roll an original 2 on a <em>MMC Self-Rally</em> or on amy <em>MMC CC DR</em>, that player will then make a <em>die roll (dr)</em> and generate a leader immediately. As with all things ASL, there are exceptions, for example, <em>field promotion</em> is NA to both Japanese and Finns. A less common random event is the <em>wind change die roll</em> at the start of all player <em>rally phases</em>. An original 2 or 12 will result in possible wind changes, gusts, and the like. This may not sound significant, but consider that well-laid smoke screen suddenly being blown away by a gust of wind just as your forces are in the middle of the enemy's killing zone! (Yes, it has happened to me!)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Sniper.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-17387" height="224" src="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Sniper-400x224.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So, you thought you were going to win pretty easily, didn't you?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The most common random event is the <em>sniper activation</em>.</p><p>In every ASL scenario, snipers are inherent. Both sides will have a <em>Sniper Activation Number (SAN)</em>, which, if rolled in certain phases by your opponent, may trigger (pun intended) a sniper attack. Such an attack may <em>eliminate</em> or <em>wound</em> a leader. If this happens, especially if the leader dies outright or due to <em>wound severity</em>, then any troops with him will immediately undergo a <em>leader-loss morale check</em> <em>LLMC)</em>. Each <em>morale check</em> could invoke another <em>SAN or Heat of Battle</em>! All from one <em>DR </em>that ends up causing a major swing in a game. And yes, it happened to me! I had a <em>9-2</em> leader with some squads when they were hit by a <em>SAN</em>. <em>Random Selection</em> ended up killing my leader. The squads with him, who were busy manning some machine guns, all <em>failed</em> the <em>LLMC </em>and ending up <em>routing</em> to cover and didn't really contribute much to the battle afterwards. I ended up winning the game in the end; however, losing that leader was critical and it ended up being a much-closer affair thanks to that one attack.</p><p>"Advanced Squad Leader" is a complex game with a very comprehensive rule set. That said, not only are the possibilities for scenarios more than one could possibly play in a single life time (By my count, there are 694 officially released scenarios and 7,858 third-party scenarios, most of which are of top-quality). The player who uses his forces wisely, by attacking the enemy weakness and avoiding his strength, will more often than not win. That said, the greatest enjoyment, for me, comes from the rich narrative that the game creates. They are a result of the various random events, only some of which are mentioned above. There is also <em>interrogation</em> and of course one may have to watch out for <em>booby traps</em> and nighttime can cause forces to <em>jitter fire</em>. But don't worry, players, even if you lose, you'll remember the background story that your game will create!</p>Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com0Kentville, NS, Canada45.0769115 -64.494473516.766677663821156 -99.6507235 73.387145336178847 -29.338223499999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-33931303433347303942021-05-05T16:45:00.027-07:002021-05-06T17:10:41.672-07:00Advanced Squad Leader - The Next Generation<p>There is a perception among gamers that <a href="http://advancedsquadleader.net/index.php?title=Main_Page" target="_blank"><em>Advanced Squad Leader</em></a> (ASL) is for old people. There is some truth to that, given that the game has been around since 1985. Almost 36 years since it was released, someone who played it since the beginning would be in their mid to late 50s. And if they started with <a href="http://www.wargameacademy.org/sqla/" target="_blank"><em>Squad Leader</em></a> when it came out in 1977, then they would be in their 60s!<br />The surprising thing is that there is a significant population of ASL players who are younger than the game itself. I am talking Millennials and Zoomers, or those born after 1981, who are avid ASL players. These generations, Generation Y and Z, were the first to grow up in an information age. These generations have always lived in the age of the home computer. Their members were also the first to experience the internet at a young age. Gen Xers like myself learned to adapt to the internet, but for Gens Y and Z, it’s always been there.</p><p>I first noted the younger generation playing ASL when I was at <a href="https://mmpgamers.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=1" target="_blank"><em>Winter Offensive</em></a> in 2018. Two friends, both named Will, were playing. Both are Gen Y Millennials and both are avid ASL players. I decided to find out what motivated them to play ASL. I know for people like me, board games were all we had growing up and as such we were easily exposed to war games, such as <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2238/panzerblitz" target="_blank"><em>Panzerblitz</em></a>, <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1563/rise-and-decline-third-reich" target="_blank"><em>The Rise and Decline of the Third Reich</em></a> and of course S<em>quad Leader</em>. But I did not know what would motivate a child of the Internet to play a board-based game. I reached out to the greater ASL community, seeking people who were born after the release of ASL. I was surprised by the results and found a few commonalities among almost every respondent.</p><p>First up was David. David is now 27, and two years ago, at the tender age of 25, he participated in an ASL tournament hosted by the DC Conscripts. He played the into the finals of a mini tournament, losing to none other than Ken Dunn, a long-time player and designer of many scenario packs as well as, most notably, the <a href="https://mmpgamers.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_8" target="_blank"><em>Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit</em></a>. This is David’s Story:</p><p>When he was 14, he first came across ASL on the website <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/" target="_blank">Boardgame Geek</a>. Then 2 years later, he gave it a go and he got the first starter kit. He tried the first scenario, <em>Retaking Vierville</em>, but did not quite get it. He gave it up for a year or so, but it kept coming back to him. He found Jay Richardson’s <a href="http://texas-asl.com/download/ASLSKTutorial.v1.0.pdf" target="_blank">tutorials</a> online and he ended up spending hours reading and re-reading them. He then was able to learn the game to play solitaire, but then ended up teaching some of his high school friends. He eventually ended up playing full-rules ASL and has not looked back.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Mini-Runner-Up.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-16772" height="400" src="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Mini-Runner-Up-300x400.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David getting his prize at Human Wave 2019</td></tr></tbody></table><p>William, previously mentioned, was born in 1987, 2 years after ASL was first sold. In 2008, he did a Boardgame geek search about tactical warfare in world war 2. He saw ASL and decided to try it. He went to eBay and got a 1st edition of <em>Beyond Valor</em>, <a href="http://advancedsquadleader.net/index.php?title=Streets_of_Fire" target="_blank"><em>Streets of Fire</em></a>, <a href="http://advancedsquadleader.net/index.php?title=Paratrooper" target="_blank"><em>Paratrooper</em> </a>as well as a 1st Edition Rule book. It was all unpunched, however, there were no maps! He then went to <a href="http://gamesquad.com/" target="_blank"><em>Game Squad</em></a> and reached out and was able to find opponents. He loves the game, but it must be noted that he has a young family and is finishing up grad school, so there is little time to enjoy it.</p><p>Ross was born in 1985 and first heard of ASL around 2002. He admits he grew up on console and computer game, but first experienced board games with <a href="https://www.catan.com/#start" target="_blank"><em>Settlers of Catan</em></a>. He played it “hundreds of times” and sought more complex games. This led him to Boardgame Geek and he poked around and found what he was seeking: a complex and rich game he could enjoy.<br />His first experience of a hex and counter game was <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/10630/memoir-44" target="_blank"><em>Memoir ’44</em></a>. This intrigued him and he remembered “this other game” whilst poking about on BGG. He found <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/243/advanced-squad-leader" target="_blank">ASL</a> and loved poking around the photos and the posts. He was interested of course, but as a 19-year-old just getting ready to go to college, the price for the rule book was just beyond his means.<br />By 2007 he was in Boston and heading into graduate school. He found a group that met weekly (at a minimum) and in this group he ran into some hard-core ASL players. By 2011 he dipped his toe into ASL by playing ASL Scenario #181 – <a href="https://www.aslscenarioarchive.com/scenario.php?id=62792" target="_blank"><em>Gavin Take</em></a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ASL-Play-In-Person.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-16768" height="248" src="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ASL-Play-In-Person-400x248.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Gavin Take" in Progress</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It took him the better part of the day to get through this relatively small scenario and he does not remember who won, but he left the table with a buzz. He knew then and there that this was the game for him. He bought the rule book and Beyond Valor and started studying. For the next two years, he almost-exclusively played ASL. Looking back, the <a href="https://www.jrvdev.com/ROAR/VER1/default.asp" target="_blank">Remote On-line Automated Record</a> (ROAR) says that he won 15 and lost 23 of those matches. These games were all played in person with some of the members of the <a href="https://asl.yankeegamers.org/" target="_blank">Yankee ASL Group</a> out of Massachusetts. Ross says that though he still likes to win, he plays mostly because the game system creates some incredibly memorable narratives. As he says in his own words, “I vividly remember wild rolls and tactical missteps from a decade ago. No other game has done that for me.”</p><p>Now we go to Europe and we meet Lalus, who was born in 1989. He first ran into ASL in Brno, Czech Republic in 2013. He was at university and some local players were talking about it, all positively, in spite of its complexity. He played his first game then and there and has since played mostly Starter Kit but has moved up to full rules ASL. He plays mostly using the freeware program <a href="http://vasl.info/" target="_blank">Virtual ASL (VASL)</a> and has a few regular opponents.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/VASL-01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-16766 size-full" height="392" src="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/VASL-01.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Example of Play in Virtual Advanced Squad Leader (VASL)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Staying in Europe, we meet Azim, who was born in 1999 in Istanbul. Back in 2014, he saw a copy of Starter Kit 3 for sale in a Facebook group. That was the first time he had heard of ASL. He already was into historical gaming, so once he did his research on what ASL was, he was hooked. He went to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/advancedsquadleader" target="_blank">ASL Facebook group</a> for help and he found it. He and his mentor got through all three starter kits via VASL. Once gaining a good-enough understanding of the game, Azim started playing ASL with some local friends, guiding them through it. As he says, the way in which ASL conveys the tactics and strategy of battle at this level captivates him. “I love the rules, aesthetics of the counters and the maps and above all, the people. The community in which this game lives on is so kind and helpful, I simply adore all the people I come across.”</p><p>Let us now come to Andrew, born in 1985, a few months after Beyond Valor was released. He had played some board games growing up, including <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_(game)" target="_blank">Risk</a> </em>and <em><a href="https://www.axisandallies.org/" target="_blank">Axis and Allies</a></em>. His first exposure to the world of ASL was in 1999 or so when an uncle sent him a copy of the original Squad Leader. Upon seeing the game, his father talked about how he and his uncle would play Squad Leader, but gaming died off when things such as marriage started to compete with it. Andrew tried to learn the game on his own, but it was just a bit too much. He did play with some of his own rules, but by the end of the year, the game was shelved and started to collect dust.</p><p>By Christmas 2014, Andrew was married and they had a son. His wife got him a copy of Memoir ’44 so he and his son could play. This rekindled his love of wargaming and within a few months he had discovered Boardgame Geek. He started buying various games in the marketplace. By 2016 he remembered that dust-collecting box of his and pulled it out. He was no longer a 13-year-old boy, but a grown man by now and dived back into the rules. He was able to play it solo and he enjoyed it in spite of its dated artwork. He had heard of Advanced Squad Leader, perhaps on Boardgame Geek and soon learned that people were still playing ASL. He was under the impression that it was a long-dead game, buried with its creator, Avalon Hill.</p><p>He read more and more of it on Boardgame Geek and his interest grew. World War II is his favorite era to wargame and with his growing interest, he bought the pocket rule book and started reading. He did not get overwhelmed by the comprehensive rules, but instead he picked away at it, piece by piece. The itch never went away, but he did not have any opponents to play.</p><p>Over the next few years, he bought some modules and the starter kits, which only fueled his interest in the game that much more. Still without opponents, Andrew kept playing solo. But in 2018, his grandfather has passed away and he went to Michigan for the funeral. He stayed with his wargaming uncle and they played <a href="http://www.wargameacademy.org/sqla/Scenarios/ScenariosTAHGC/TAHGC-001-The%20Gaurds%20Counterattack.pdf" target="_blank"><em>Guards Counterattack</em></a> using the old Squad Leader rules. His uncle was not really into gaming anymore and Andrew found himself mixing up Squad Leader and ASL rules from time to time. That said, this face-to-face gaming experience with his uncle gave him something he had not experienced and to this day he says it is one of his most cherished gaming memories.</p><p>Later that year, he ended up on YouTube watching some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbgVZsMGneU" target="_blank">ASL Scenario playthroughs</a>. Reading the comments, he discovered that the video was made at a store not too far from him. He went and found himself joining the group now known as the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2482089425437814" target="_blank">Puget Sound ASL Club</a>. He had no idea there was such a strong ASL community!</p><p>ASL Players need no introduction to the name Sam Belcher. Sam took Andrew under his wing and donated plenty of ASL gear, from rules, counters to boards. This led to his first ever ASL match (face to face) in 2019. Most of his games have been via VASL but being a father with three children competes heavily for his time.</p><p>What keeps Andrew coming back to ASL and playing it is the narrative. As he says, it is unmatched. An ill-planned attack will be doomed to fail, just as in real life, but sometimes a perfect attack will also fail, due to the unexpected, such as a machine gun breaking at the wrong time, or a feat of individual heroism that saves the day for one side or the other.</p><p>There is a downside to ASL for Andrew, however. That is that it has ruined his taste for some other tactical game systems. He does play other games, but when he does, he finds that they pale in comparison to the rich narrative weaved in a playing of ASL. The game is indeed complex, admits Andrew; however, almost every conceivable situation seems to be accounted for. The layout of the rules, as well as its index and cross-referencing, makes it quite manageable. Though he does find himself diving into the rule book from time to time, he does not find this distracting from the enjoyment.</p><p>These stories are all compelling and they ought to serve a lesson for all who play wargames. These generations rely on the internet to seek knowledge about their interests. They all have experience in gaming online or with console games, but all of them seem to have sought out and found that which they were looking for with ASL. Boardgame Geek gave them an initial peek into the world of wargaming in general and ASL in particular. In every case, ASL gave the players the feedback they were seeking. Console games certainly have much to offer, but these players all seemed to want more.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Player-View.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-16771" height="225" src="https://nodicenoglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Player-View-400x225.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Player's Eye View<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>One common observation of ASL was its narrative that each game seems to create. It is through the comprehensive and exhaustive rules that the random events seem to generate the improbable. These random events range from failing weapons or tanks to heroic acts at just the right time. They all serve to deliver the gaming excitement that the Millennial player seems to be seeking.</p><p>Another component not found in online and console gaming is the interaction with your opponent. A constant feedback from players of all levels is the friendships found playing ASL. Azim mentions how a player from Canada had messaged him and said that he was going to be in Istanbul and offered a face-to-face match. The pandemic has somewhat restricted peoples’ ability to play in this method; however, with such freeware as VASL, there remains the possibility to play people remotely, but at least in real-time.</p><p>So there you have it. Six young players of ASL, five of whom grew up in the computer age as Millennials and one Zoomer who grew up in the post-911 world, all of whom found ASL, tried it and not only stayed with it, but have kept coming back to it as their game of choice. They all used the internet in general and Boardgame Geek in particular to learn about the game. But the digital age is not that which gives them the gaming pleasure, it is the rolling of the dice and the moving of the cardboard against their human opponent that entices them. They may not have been there when ASL was in its initial golden age, but they are here for its current golden age and with their continued enthusiasm, they are its future.</p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-2496363973486774032019-06-21T03:54:00.001-07:002019-06-21T15:57:44.025-07:00You are wrong, Vice; we do not Whitewash Nazis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In a recently published </span><a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/j5waqd/games-have-always-tried-to-whitewash-nazis-as-just-german-soldiers"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">article</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">, Rob Zacny of Vice.com
wrote that there is an “…ongoing affinity (that) white supremacist fascists
have for the symbolism of the Third Reich”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His article goes through a number of modern computer and board wargames
and points out how there is a glorification of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wehrmacht</i>, which was the armed forces of the Third Reich.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot comment on the wargames found
online, as I do not play the games he mentioned; however, he does talk about
Advanced Squad Leader and delves into what I consider <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my lane</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As such, I feel
compelled to respond.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The first thing that strikes
me is that Mr. Zacny appears to have a very superficial knowledge of the Second
World War. He suggests that some Wehrmacht units worked with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SS-Einsatzgruppen </i>on the Eastern Front
and he even provides a link in his article to back this claim up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately for him, however, the link
talks exclusively about the SS units that followed the various Army Groups into
the Soviet Union.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mr. Zacny almost gets things
right, but it was by accident. On July 17, 1941, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) </i>issued the so-called “Commissar
Order”, which stated that the Wehrmacht was to:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 107%;"><i>"Free itself from all elements among the prisoners of war considered Bolshevik driving forces. The special situation of the Eastern Campaign therefore demands special measures…which are to be carried out free from bureaucratic and administrative influence and with a willingness to accept responsibility. While so far the regulations and orders concerning prisoners of war were based solely on military considerations, now the political objective must be attained, which is to protect the German nation from Bolshevik inciters and forthwith take the occupied territory strictly in hand"</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span></span></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Though the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Einsatzgruppen</i> were indeed rounding up
targeted peoples in the occupied Soviet Union, the Wehrmacht was not working
with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to understand what
was happening, it is important to briefly consider the tangled web that was the
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Schutzstaffel</i>, or as they were better
known, the <i>SS</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The <i>SS </i>was an instrument of terror
in the Third Reich. Its roots were somewhat humble. In the confused political
climate of German immediately following its defeat in the Great War, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saal-Schutz </i>began as Nazi Party members
who volunteered to provide security at political party meetings. It grew as the
Nazi Party grew, getting its final name by 1925 and eventually consisted of two
major elements: the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Allgemeine SS </i>and
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A third component was the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SS-Totenkopfverbände</i>. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Allgemeine SS </i>enforced Nazi racial
policy and policing in general, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i>
consisted of combat units and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SS-Totnkopfverbände</i>
ran concentration camps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some well-known
sub elements of the SS include the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gestapo</i>
and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sicherheitsdienst</i> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SD</i>). All elements of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SS</i> were just different tools that the
Nazi party used to control both its people and the lands they conquered during
the 1930s and 1940s. Each tool was used in different ways and the SS in its
entirety was judged at Nuremberg to be criminal organizations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Getting back to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Einsatztruppen</i>, they were part of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Allgemeine SS.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As such, they worked independent of combat units, to include the elements of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they were conducting their pogroms in
occupied lands, they did so away from the combat units, usually well after the
battles had been fought and the front had moved on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All this to say that the Wehrmacht and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Einsatztruppen</i> may have been operating
in the same areas, but they each were committing their own atrocities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Next, Mr. Zacny suggests that
the German commanders refused to believe that they were never beaten in the
Second World War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. Zacny is quite
wrong in this regard and maybe he is thinking of the First World War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the Great War, the German Army was
losing on the Western Front and more importantly, Germany was beaten at home.
The war destroyed a generation of German men and the blockade starved many
millions of Germans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But because the
German Army itself was still intact on the 11<sup>th</sup> of November, 1918,
the myth arose post bellum that Germany itself wasn’t beaten.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">By the middle of May 1945, however, Germany was shattered. Many of its great cities lay in ruins and many millions
of Germans were dead. The blame for the catastrophe was often shifted to the
dead, namely Hitler. How Germany came to be destroyed is for another article. Mr.
Zacny suggests that Hitler’s interference in the conduct of the war was
amateurish. That may be up for debate; however, Hitler’s input into military decisions did result in
many stunning victories for Germany, especially early in the war. This is where
Mr. Zacny gets one thing wrong: he suggests that Hitler’s “stand fast” order in
late 1941 on the Eastern Front was wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I will dissect this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.dupuyinstitute.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Ostfront-6-December-1941.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Situation on the Eastern Front, 6 Dec 1941</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">By early December 1941, the
German drive on Russia had culminated just short of Moscow. Many German units were at the end of a very long and tenuous logistical chain that led
back to Germany itself. To put it another way, its neck was sticking out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Against this force the Soviets unleashed a very powerful
counterattack with fresh troops that sent the Wehrmacht reeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many German Generals pleaded to Hitler for
permission to withdraw in order to save itself. Instead, Hitler ordered the
units to stand, fight and die where they were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This resulted in many German units to be destroyed; however, it was the
right decision, no matter how heartless it may appear to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoCaption">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To conduct a withdrawal
against a superior enemy is a difficult operation and often leads to a retreat
and then a rout. Hitler understood this, as did his General Staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His order to stand fast sentenced many Germans
to death; however, it saved many more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His order forced the Soviets to hurl bloody and costly attacks against
desperate Germans who were now finding themselves on the receiving end of mass attacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two well-known pockets formed as a result:
one at Demyansk and one at Cholm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
became figurative flames that attracted the moths of the Soviet Armies for
months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As such, these pockets and others like them were key
in saving the Eastern Front, albeit at a cost of a great portion of Army Group
Center.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Later in his article, Mr.
Zacny suggests that cover art for games on the 2<sup>nd</sup> World War glorify
the Germans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He correctly states that
the cover for Avalon Hill’s game <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Squad
Leader</i> has German soldiers beginning an assault; however, he fails to note
that the next three games in that series have a Soviet soldier, British Soldier
and an American soldier respectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
narrative on the back of Squad Leader does capture the narrative of a German
squad in the Soviet Union; however, to suggest that this narrative glorifies
Nazis is insulting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the story
chosen to capture the imagination of the customer. The moral of this story is
that you, the player, will be the one making the decisions. The story works, it
captures the imagination and I know it worked for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And no, I am not a white supremacist fascist.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One side note, the article in
question suggests that the cover for a 1990s computer game, “Across the Rhine”,
shows “…triumphant panzers leaving fire and flames in their wake.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately for the author, he missed the
fact that the German Panzer V “Panther” is passing a burning Panzer IV H, a
German vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is hardly a moment
of triumph!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><img alt="Cover of Across the Rhine, an old wargame" height="400" src="https://video-images.vice.com/_uncategorized/1559942607174-Across-the-Rhine.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="340" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Panther passing a burning Panzer IV: not triumphant at all!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">All this to say that the
author is conveniently omitting many games that depict the victors of the
Second World War.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The first that comes
to mind is the already-mentioned Squad Leader and its successor games.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Three of Four covers have Allied soldiers.
The computer series “Close Combat” has a number of games in its still-publishing
series, the first five of which all depict Allied soldiers. In short, there are
some games that have Germans on the cover; however, to suggest that the
majority of them do is not accurate.</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />Before moving on, I must note
that when Squad Leader was released in 1977, the Second World War was a
relatively recent event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A mere 32 years
had passed since the Germans were defeated. Many teens had relatives who had
lived through the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>War stories then,
and now, capture the imagination of many young people, especially boys. As a
veteran of the war in Afghanistan, I have had kids in middle school ask me
question after question about my time “over there”. Looking back to 1977,
seeing a German on the cover of a war game would immediately capture the imagination
of a young teen. It wasn’t for the glory; it was the mystique of battle itself.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The next part of Mr. Zacny’s
article I find especially insulting, both personally and professionally. I’ll present
his words here and then dissect them:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>A curious debate unfolded around 2010 about whether the color of the counters in a new wargame expansion ended up glorifying the Waffen-SS, the specially-picked and equipped German units that reported directly to the Nazi leadership and which were notorious both for their fanatical Nazism and their inhumane conduct. The entire discussion occurred in one of the more niche communities in wargames (I've linked Mark Pitcavage’s blog, who is not an unbiased observer, but you can see traces of the debate in other forums). Advanced Squad Leader is an almost comically detailed wargaming system, and to be an ASL player is generally to embrace a lot of weird obsessions. But with the release of a module for the game called A Bridge Too Far, the game’s publisher Multi-Man, depicted Waffen-SS units on black cardboard counters with white icons and numbers. It was a throwback to an earlier edition of Squad Leader, before the series depicted the SS units in blue as opposed to black.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In a word, I reply thusly:
poppycock!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t even know where to begin,
but I shall do so nevertheless. As stated previously, the story of the SS is
rather complex. To suggest that the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i>
was “specially-picked” is ludicrous. They did not report directly to Nazi
Leadership and though some units were indeed notorious for their atrocities,
that label does not rightly belong to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i>
units as a blanket statement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i> had a number of divisions that fought in the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many were formed early in the war and
consisted of Germans who volunteered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many earlier-formed disivional recruits had to have certain physical and
moral characteristics and training was rigorous. Other Divisions were formed of
former police, former concentration camp guards and other thugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later in the war, as Germany conquered much
of Europe, there was a new potential pool of manpower from which they could
recruit. Having said this, the Wehrmacht was prevented by German law from
recruiting foreigners. There were exceptions to this, of course, such as the
Spanish “Blue” Division, but by and large, this pool was untapped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS </i>had no such restrictions and then began to recruit in the
occupied lands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was of course
tainted by race, so these new divisions were named accordingly. There were
divisions of ethnic Germans (“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Volksdeutsch</i>”),
Germanic divisions (such as from the Netherlands, Denmark, etc) and even
division of Bosnian Muslims. This is far from specially-picked units; it was an
opportunistic grab of manpower that the leadership of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i> exploited.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the field, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i> fought alongside and as part
of Wehrmacht corps and armies. Their record is mixed, with some units
performing as abject amateurs to others fighting with great skill and courage.
Some of these units were used in anti-partisan operations in occupied nations,
and other formed the very cutting edge of German offensives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As some would say, your mileage may
vary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS </i>was quite diverse in its structure, manning and
effectiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To suggest that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Advanced Squad Leader</i> is “almost
comically detailed” is ignorant, and to suggest that the typical <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ASL </i>player embraces weird obsessions is
personally insulting. The detail in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ASL</i>
is very well done and considering that it has withstood the test of time quite
well is a compliment to its design team, especially Mr. Don Greenwood. I’m not
sure about others, but for the majority of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ASL
</i>players I know and have played against, the one shared obsession we
generally share is our passion for military history, specifically of the Second
World War. We take pride in our knowledge of various battles and we treat our hobby
seriously, not as a mere game. This is why many players from around the world
spend thousands annually in order to travel the globe to pursue this hobby.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Finally, allow me to dissect
the myth of the glorification of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i>
by having their counters printed in black as of 1999. Firstly, I must note that
in game terms, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS </i>units are
separate and unique from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wehrmacht</i>
units. They do not fight as a single entity, and in some scenarios (the vast
majority of which are based on real battles, researched to the nth degree), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i> units fight against <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wehrmacht</i> units. So, knowing this, when
they were first depicted in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Squad
Leader</i> module <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cross of Iron,</i> not
only were they white ink on black backgrounds, but they also had unique
characteristics. When <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ASL</i> was
released in 1985, the first module, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beyond
Valor</i>, had the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i> in the
same color as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wehrmacht</i>
units.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coincidently, the units of
Finland were in the same color as the Germans. The reason for this? Most likely
due to printing costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And not noted by
the author of the article in question is that in order to show that these units
were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i>, there were the
double-lightning bolt runes in the top right of each unit counter. Of note,
when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Bridge Too Far</i> was released,
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i> units had no such
iconography. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ASL</i>, each nationality
has a unique color and this is important in game play. By 1999, printing costs
had lowered to the point that it was cost effective to produce the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i> units in a distinctive color.
Almost every wargame that I have has the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i>
in black, probably because of the color of their distinctive dress uniform. In
fact, most of the colors of the units in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ASL</i>
reflect a certain element of that nation’s uniform, but I digress. (Of note:
the original article shows a counter sheet of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waffen-SS</i> units, all of which have a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Totenkopf</i> device in the top right. These counters are not official
counters and are instead from a third-party producer of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ASL </i>products, “Heat of Battle”).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In conclusion, wargamers of
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ASL </i>variety, and of most for that
matter, do not glorify the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wehrmacht, the
Waffen-SS</i> or any other element of the Third Reich. We play our games mainly
for the enjoyment, but in so doing, we gain a much better understanding of the
greatest event in history, the Second World War. There may be some who do so,
but such people don’t have the patience to play any serious wargame. This
article is inflammatory at best and downright ignorant at worst. It is
insulting and any non-wargamer reading that article alone would walk away with
a grossly inaccurate understanding of what we wargamers, are like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-89713366146658039192018-08-12T15:07:00.001-07:002018-08-12T16:02:58.830-07:00Tussle in the Tundra 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>TUSSLE IN THE TUNDRA 2018</b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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It is that time of the year again: Advanced Squad Leader in Manchester, New Hampshire! My friend Chuck has been running this for a few years now, so I knew it was going to be a fun one! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What have I got myself into?</td></tr>
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For those who don't know, Advanced Squad Leader is a board wargame that pits players against each other in tactical battles of the Second World War. It was released in 1985 and is the successor to the 1978 smash hit Squad Leader, designed by the late John Hill. Squad Leader was a revolutionary game, but it had room for improvement. Don Greenwood came along and with a team of gamers took Squad Leader (and its expansions: Cross of Iron, Crescendo of Doom and GI: Anvil of Victory) and amalgamated and updated the system. Thus was born Advanced Squad Leader, aka ASL.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover of version 1 of the Rulebook, complete with artwork by Rodger MacGowan</td></tr>
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So, the Tussle in the Tundra: what is it? Well, put simply, it is the Northeast's best little ASL Tournament. Typically participation is around 20 to 25, but in spite of that size, the competition is tight. Players come from all over New England, New York and this year from as far away as Virginia and California! It starts on Friday and goes until Sunday, with the option for warm up games on Thursday.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Scenario from Hatten in Flames</td></tr>
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To kick things off, I got off to an early start playing my first-ever ASL opponent, Rob Loper of Vermont. He brought along his brand-new copy of Hatten in Flames, an historical ASL game-set based on battles in Alsace in early 1945. He played the US player and I the German. The game was a tight one, came to the end, but Rob was able to win one for the good guys! It was a great battle and the set, just released the week previous, was a beauty to behold. So, warmed up, the next day would see me fighting a battle set on the Eastern Front in Stalingrad<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Stalingrad</td></tr>
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I arranged things such that I would be facing off against Sean Deller, a fantastic player who has an impressive record as both a player and a scenario designer. Sean is a gentleman and I was looking forward to learning a thing or two from him in this game. For this one, I would be the Germans, attacking the Soviets with a view to capturing a divisional HQ. This is set in October, 1942 about a month before the Soviet counterattack that destroyed the German 6th Army. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPi8bW4I_KS_yMDJp3529H3E-eZUFX9d3xNLzB7vj-emEYhFxejAjpwT2tPEJedxB18E1JPfyyUYzSsht4yxBu4bHCETTItjukdskqkCLCZOoBCqKGzHz5E56AvbeFlXAS-rKtgIe52IQ/s1600/20180810_115950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPi8bW4I_KS_yMDJp3529H3E-eZUFX9d3xNLzB7vj-emEYhFxejAjpwT2tPEJedxB18E1JPfyyUYzSsht4yxBu4bHCETTItjukdskqkCLCZOoBCqKGzHz5E56AvbeFlXAS-rKtgIe52IQ/s400/20180810_115950.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting on the Pressure!</td></tr>
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My initial attack was successful and I was pressuring his HQ building on turn 2. Things were looking bleak for the Soviets, especially since I wounded one of his two leaders. As luck would have it, his initial reinforcements arrived in the nick of time! A Commissar got to the HQ and was able to cycle his broken man back forward into the battle time and time again. Now the pressure was starting to hit me!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglj95RnyEhNgiIIH6o-phK5jM59ioAgNv3WzrrBIpmJxm1wxG3b4xEldWbA9kDQND5ZO588B69Z70yKbHCrePHM5R4P-tnbZXYFxOcHrnF1WzF_MKUhI-m1fz6i-9ETMgAcTGA2040f1Tp/s1600/20180810_131325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglj95RnyEhNgiIIH6o-phK5jM59ioAgNv3WzrrBIpmJxm1wxG3b4xEldWbA9kDQND5ZO588B69Z70yKbHCrePHM5R4P-tnbZXYFxOcHrnF1WzF_MKUhI-m1fz6i-9ETMgAcTGA2040f1Tp/s400/20180810_131325.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too little, too late</td></tr>
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As it turned out, at game end I had four squads in that victory building, but so did Sean. I needed to have more in there than he, and in this I was just shy of the required amount. No matter, this was a fantastic game and I was able to make good account of myself. On to game two!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpBtEWLoJdM4rLUEfno2YSoJH-vzGGdIvO_6BjcGEDQRiAc9CLFIOjobxqpxiON8narK70faShlFg0ugNimPrACCVWzJBH530BTpF1lMDgLc62IZ6GlLXf_moc00V3RasQi-Jb4PslmCK/s1600/20180810_181044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpBtEWLoJdM4rLUEfno2YSoJH-vzGGdIvO_6BjcGEDQRiAc9CLFIOjobxqpxiON8narK70faShlFg0ugNimPrACCVWzJBH530BTpF1lMDgLc62IZ6GlLXf_moc00V3RasQi-Jb4PslmCK/s400/20180810_181044.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Operation Citadel</td></tr>
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For my next game, I was up against David Kuchta. I had never met David before and this is one of the highlights of ASL: getting to meet people from all over. Not only did we play our battle, set in the USSR in 1943, but we were able to talk and chat about our respective ASL histories. For this one, he would be attacking with the Soviets and I would attempt to defend as the Germans. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-gudjbFtR9QTcTB9AKiy8XlF6CX3dVuw9dzuF7LGIeoI0H7goswBEiXSVgmRfwH1vKceK8jJ31_HlesGAKt2kZ_tuOHv_U6_L-h5_3pC1oaM_DkwxKKYlS6Ntci2k9-KkmsdvJSZNFOD/s1600/20180810_203759+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-gudjbFtR9QTcTB9AKiy8XlF6CX3dVuw9dzuF7LGIeoI0H7goswBEiXSVgmRfwH1vKceK8jJ31_HlesGAKt2kZ_tuOHv_U6_L-h5_3pC1oaM_DkwxKKYlS6Ntci2k9-KkmsdvJSZNFOD/s400/20180810_203759+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German counterattack</td></tr>
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In the end, David was very aggressive and got into the objective area in good order and I was forced to try to get around his flank. I did my best, but his gunnery was just too much for me. I made some tactical errors along the way, but most of all, had fun. 0-2 and time to head to bed: Saturday would see me switching over to bolster the ranks of the mini tournament.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHCFG3SNMuJsyHbulY-UeTndijuO1sL2kmhyphenhyphenc9IAXsz2aL2hQOKXeIZNoKBXwKQtup-mQaMrOJQgYobSbYVhbgQy_JMnfIpB1Q2uNGoqmC7rnRrKBRjA9JxHaVFWV6-EqDC7mBhyphenhyphenjsuVd/s1600/20180811_091642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHCFG3SNMuJsyHbulY-UeTndijuO1sL2kmhyphenhyphenc9IAXsz2aL2hQOKXeIZNoKBXwKQtup-mQaMrOJQgYobSbYVhbgQy_JMnfIpB1Q2uNGoqmC7rnRrKBRjA9JxHaVFWV6-EqDC7mBhyphenhyphenjsuVd/s400/20180811_091642.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1 of the war: September First, 1939.</td></tr>
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Round one of the mini would see me in an epic see-saw battle vs Mike Allexenberg in a battle set on the very first day of the war as the Germans invaded Poland. My meager force of Poles would attempt to stop his attack using some very odd Armored Cars, the type that were so poorly protected that machine guns stood a better than average chance to knock them out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzh-tAxLccR4Rz1BJ7Il04u8sWNwWsJ6iSAvg_7ADa0u5Aqw2hlItgkUV57gkUc664bLwrlGVZKFa_Fq_J8qzsWSXW6y-2PtXUv_EZAhk1OgRx0rOXi3EOWFwIt-Jf8W4PQkSkG0QokdF/s1600/20180811_105535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzh-tAxLccR4Rz1BJ7Il04u8sWNwWsJ6iSAvg_7ADa0u5Aqw2hlItgkUV57gkUc664bLwrlGVZKFa_Fq_J8qzsWSXW6y-2PtXUv_EZAhk1OgRx0rOXi3EOWFwIt-Jf8W4PQkSkG0QokdF/s400/20180811_105535.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polish Counterattack</td></tr>
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This battle swung both ways. At first, Mike's forces were pushing me back further and further into the village I was defending. Then in an act of brilliance, I started rolling well. I knocked out a substantial portion of his force and it looked as if I would emerge victorious! But then Mike would really put the pressure on me and was able to take out my leader and machine gun nest with one of his pathetic armored cars. So, I was now 0-1 in the mini and 0-4 for the weekend. And as it would turn out, Mike would go on to win the tourney, and I was but a mere speedbump in his path!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtoKnRLY1JHYG4hTnmrmGAZgHZqUBL1nW1cgaZBIqCq10LrsM43muMQrjx-Lfwz41BSBmKMwfEbr8YaK7niHDP0xkVgLGpdAW5GZSwWPUS6qF_VncZHJIv4975gu1ToSy2h7S-DV1ECy-/s1600/20180811_133751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtoKnRLY1JHYG4hTnmrmGAZgHZqUBL1nW1cgaZBIqCq10LrsM43muMQrjx-Lfwz41BSBmKMwfEbr8YaK7niHDP0xkVgLGpdAW5GZSwWPUS6qF_VncZHJIv4975gu1ToSy2h7S-DV1ECy-/s400/20180811_133751.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Battle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6Fb-xNpK4MH_Xsatgvwl78MJuUm-4YuoM4MyUOroInPN1Nj0FNJk6DfRFew6JPZ8ozyBqa7LtgYMqAeL3F3TPbiCG0O1y7iaEOYLqFzpUDWmFCUbyGobXeR26jljAzKeM7JcFT0QqS-J/s1600/20180811_140548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6Fb-xNpK4MH_Xsatgvwl78MJuUm-4YuoM4MyUOroInPN1Nj0FNJk6DfRFew6JPZ8ozyBqa7LtgYMqAeL3F3TPbiCG0O1y7iaEOYLqFzpUDWmFCUbyGobXeR26jljAzKeM7JcFT0QqS-J/s400/20180811_140548.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here come the Germans</td></tr>
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For the next round of the mini, I was paired off against my old pal Keith Talbot. He and I first played against one another in 2015 when I attended my first-ever ASL tournament. This time I would be attacking his guys in Latvia. My force would have to get through machine-gun riddled streets to try to force the issue by capturing a building well to the rear. I was able to use cover and found myself in his building by the 4th turn. It was a see-saw battle in the building, but in the end, I was able to force his men out of the building. One thing I did was apply what I had learned in my 4 years of ASL play: take prisoners whenever possible! I had a half-squad in the back running around with 3 squads and a leader: the most he can guard at once!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Start spreading the news..."</td></tr>
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I had a long way to go, so I decided to head back to Virginia early. I head out that night around 5 pm and made it to New Jersey, passing through New York City along the way. I had a great weekend and a great time with so many friends along the way. Once again, I find myself at home on a Sunday with fond memories of the weekend past and its battles with tiny men of cardboard.<br />
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-20457230239306042382018-06-27T18:33:00.003-07:002018-06-27T18:33:43.551-07:00Human Wave 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of my first experiences with Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) was to play in a tournament. In fact, my very first full-rules ASL game was at a tournament. I lost 3 games and won one. But right then and there, I knew that I was hooked.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">I moved on up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once I moved to the Northern Virginia area, I discovered the DC Conscripts, a group of ASL players who got together about once a month. My first match was a disaster for me: I was destroyed. Completely. But I learned so much from that game. The bite was getting deeper and I was out playing in more tournaments. I went to Tussle in the Tundra, Huzzahcon (my first), Nor'Easter, NY State Championship and the ASL Oktoberfest.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoMLoyfr8cR1C5zBZXtdvvwMAJMt_F2SiW9iWrIdxfqzw-xGqoJsXnJp7Y4Vet3aWdr_Jd_nmSr4gnWXqxn-NWdPU2addaA6c4gmU3Mhk9Z_a3i6vhIcVq9HaFjmo_euJ39eHviK907g/s1600/Flying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoMLoyfr8cR1C5zBZXtdvvwMAJMt_F2SiW9iWrIdxfqzw-xGqoJsXnJp7Y4Vet3aWdr_Jd_nmSr4gnWXqxn-NWdPU2addaA6c4gmU3Mhk9Z_a3i6vhIcVq9HaFjmo_euJ39eHviK907g/s400/Flying.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">So much travel!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What I was missing was a local tournament. So I decided to take a leap of faith and organize one locally. I had met some pretty heavy hitters in the local area when it came to gaming ASL, so I knew that we would have a good core of players. Going with the theme of us being "Conscripts" (the local crew has a schtick in which we emulate the poor bloody infantry of the Red Army), I named the tournament "Human Wave". If I had to describe the tournament as it turned out using just one word, that word would be "Success". People had fun and there was some pretty epic gaming.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaI2X5kcho9wg9xQR9082cewh_4sGUc_UH5g41ddj3HuZ2TPSZc3nJWqJg1JpuPt8pFO_L-VW2DyMsO561CuZ0vXAVF0KtSaqN-U8bZbpX8AUEeBMKThnCu4IUwCEb08TGncuc-wXa11Y/s1600/Human+Wave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaI2X5kcho9wg9xQR9082cewh_4sGUc_UH5g41ddj3HuZ2TPSZc3nJWqJg1JpuPt8pFO_L-VW2DyMsO561CuZ0vXAVF0KtSaqN-U8bZbpX8AUEeBMKThnCu4IUwCEb08TGncuc-wXa11Y/s400/Human+Wave.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">URRAH!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So the tournament was set for 8 to 10 June. There would be a main tournament of four rounds (16 gamers) and a mini of three rounds (8 gamers). We also made room for open gamers and of course Starter Kit players. In the end, we had 16 signed up for the main and 8 for the mini, though 3 people had to bow out just before the tournament due to unforeseen circumstances. In addition to those 21 players, we had 8 open gamers show up, including 3 for Starter Kit.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmd1a5-RzBCjGC1H6vqW6ymB-5tBfqjyFlhp7WROC0K1wynonmtEnLbUYZDQ0CdmL1cB9hG9ukn6_en-FTXnJBn9cxxDvrdmTKtBUbqoDreiFOt04H-Sfvl6RpnHA6pyp132slFnSmnLo/s1600/Starter+Kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="1171" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmd1a5-RzBCjGC1H6vqW6ymB-5tBfqjyFlhp7WROC0K1wynonmtEnLbUYZDQ0CdmL1cB9hG9ukn6_en-FTXnJBn9cxxDvrdmTKtBUbqoDreiFOt04H-Sfvl6RpnHA6pyp132slFnSmnLo/s400/Starter+Kit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Starter Kits: The Gateway to ASL Awesomeness!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
29 people over the weekend far exceeded all expectations. Also present was Perry Cocke of MMP. It sure was nice having him there, especially when a rules question came up. I would give the answer, pause, turn to Perry and then see if he was nodding or shaking his head.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNwAd2gPbH-eZB3d6lqVrFXxnGLafoTuWIOyk1wzgsiM3Nb0_AfUXxlZXj4r2iQbEmFWFFVILE6tO_X1C5aenQ-V_LclusEuQXaZ5qpQyIGkuG1PLkMfE-a8LwVfDn8AX_FmiHIZyU4E/s1600/20180608_171336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNwAd2gPbH-eZB3d6lqVrFXxnGLafoTuWIOyk1wzgsiM3Nb0_AfUXxlZXj4r2iQbEmFWFFVILE6tO_X1C5aenQ-V_LclusEuQXaZ5qpQyIGkuG1PLkMfE-a8LwVfDn8AX_FmiHIZyU4E/s400/20180608_171336.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">So Many Prizes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another perk of the game was all the prize support. Prizes were donated by the following great organizations:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Bounding Fire Productions</li>
<li>Lone Canuck Publishing</li>
<li>Yankee ASL (aka "The Bunker")</li>
<li>The Gamer's Armory</li>
<li>Multiman Publishing; and</li>
<li>Key's Games and Hobbies in Moline, Illinois</li>
</ol>
<div>
In all honesty, there is no way that this could have succeeded without their support. Also of note is that two members of the Conscripts donated some loot.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQYbfbZNFpfCXMl9Muv9bG8k0sOEDfsJLBkA_p2icrzviZioRFrPbMG-17jGEdkkXJfw4qg2RpEyXs0QXnQdyx4kWuzVFWsBl4ytwq5s8xmXmAOUSrhigs8FbTrBKE5e9Ic7ABYT4R0Q/s1600/20180610_084051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQYbfbZNFpfCXMl9Muv9bG8k0sOEDfsJLBkA_p2icrzviZioRFrPbMG-17jGEdkkXJfw4qg2RpEyXs0QXnQdyx4kWuzVFWsBl4ytwq5s8xmXmAOUSrhigs8FbTrBKE5e9Ic7ABYT4R0Q/s400/20180610_084051.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Main Tournament Trophy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOiwfEhBdYaRucUxvOnf1V6rWelklxy_saPBPJ61_51n8AvU9V9TnwKmjsNLvI4txvMiTtWEZ3GtczjLWDbyAEFkI6ES7ZnsR0Cq7IeR0qDEiO2GukYLclP466FzBYX8uhRo0OTXdbzo/s1600/20180610_084035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOiwfEhBdYaRucUxvOnf1V6rWelklxy_saPBPJ61_51n8AvU9V9TnwKmjsNLvI4txvMiTtWEZ3GtczjLWDbyAEFkI6ES7ZnsR0Cq7IeR0qDEiO2GukYLclP466FzBYX8uhRo0OTXdbzo/s400/20180610_084035.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Mini Tournament Trophy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8NHfY1eoYU_CNK0B-ocOBrbtuhlW43uughq5j-qrGF3krjIv9qQ6ThgJPuV0bDZSLUlvcMi5x-s_1cRVbj_R99GZDvWJAfk2VKKBAhgGoGTjHRmrLTsG3UQPZVqVm6yRbGAYz4jySgw/s1600/20180610_084211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8NHfY1eoYU_CNK0B-ocOBrbtuhlW43uughq5j-qrGF3krjIv9qQ6ThgJPuV0bDZSLUlvcMi5x-s_1cRVbj_R99GZDvWJAfk2VKKBAhgGoGTjHRmrLTsG3UQPZVqVm6yRbGAYz4jySgw/s400/20180610_084211.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">"Box Cars" booby prize</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The trophies were a hit. Our very own Scott Bricker built and painted these wonderful trophies and they were the hit of the tournament! </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0zMbEJ3Wm0Ox6FC6qWZ0enpQKBrC4ddGdO3KSwsYvtYZxxS7olLqmm8DwI_EkweAOx2ATbUKnzjbr68mpnSmI1NFETWzFQKgMN_DxRcnKkkQbZ52IVD8FDBaKbMVozX5Ln8G0upJDkM/s1600/20180608_182456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0zMbEJ3Wm0Ox6FC6qWZ0enpQKBrC4ddGdO3KSwsYvtYZxxS7olLqmm8DwI_EkweAOx2ATbUKnzjbr68mpnSmI1NFETWzFQKgMN_DxRcnKkkQbZ52IVD8FDBaKbMVozX5Ln8G0upJDkM/s400/20180608_182456.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Game is afoot!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The games kicked off on Friday Night for round one. Unfortunately our room was unavailable due to a failed Air Conditioning system, but we made do. Having two air conditioners in there on a hot and muggy DC-area weekend sure did help! After a quick intro, the dice were being tossed and the games were underway!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq4OLVsdOnSBH0HwmhmjC6rduYYL3FRxBLg6dK67-URQS2HDnrqiSds9jO85K0cpkfsEledvmBXbaBK7f66KYd-U91cdO9yQ7eNTcgvtLpiOEXKqx30UBMHz_JWsevVt1PVHdqsmh-Lqw/s1600/20180609_103921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq4OLVsdOnSBH0HwmhmjC6rduYYL3FRxBLg6dK67-URQS2HDnrqiSds9jO85K0cpkfsEledvmBXbaBK7f66KYd-U91cdO9yQ7eNTcgvtLpiOEXKqx30UBMHz_JWsevVt1PVHdqsmh-Lqw/s400/20180609_103921.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Round 2 Main and Round 1 Mini underway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Saturday was a tight day. That room was packed. The patience of all involved was amazing and there were no complaints to be heard. Like most gamers, they were able to made do and all made their personal morale checks. On day 2, it was off to round 2 and 3 for the main tournament as the mini went through all 3 rounds in that one day!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEwD06m0ZwJVuCP_jCYQKmEeLOsESE0wPW0IMTtEYm5UGeR5WunoXAiXl2Uk4up0MPxsxmLH4cSZJNKlTjVUqygrXmg60u7rx_e8WzvWpaafQJlGJN1A6OPo3BcqyYCbfLXOWfY1dSuQ/s1600/20180609_193656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEwD06m0ZwJVuCP_jCYQKmEeLOsESE0wPW0IMTtEYm5UGeR5WunoXAiXl2Uk4up0MPxsxmLH4cSZJNKlTjVUqygrXmg60u7rx_e8WzvWpaafQJlGJN1A6OPo3BcqyYCbfLXOWfY1dSuQ/s400/20180609_193656.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Mini Tournament Champion, Jim Bishop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
It was no surprise that Mr Jim Bishop (as seen as a 9-1 in the ASL Starter Kit Expansion Pack!) emerged with a perfect 3 and 0 record to claim the top prize in the mini tournament! He took home a gift certificate along with the amazing trophy that Scott did. Congratulations, Jim!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8BmSCxNfGJWeOC5Syectk8ksoySVjpNjPPFH9f0tItzq65kOECqqkyataNhz9dDnEmSkzUlKLj8IdEaY4H9L2mM6xMzRwWGg7jAubIL71KJ2Fd4rMHbSv4TZbHgsDN0sisCf3siFxNM/s1600/20180610_093336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8BmSCxNfGJWeOC5Syectk8ksoySVjpNjPPFH9f0tItzq65kOECqqkyataNhz9dDnEmSkzUlKLj8IdEaY4H9L2mM6xMzRwWGg7jAubIL71KJ2Fd4rMHbSv4TZbHgsDN0sisCf3siFxNM/s400/20180610_093336.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Last Men Standing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlYq8dS0yu1DPGhv77c0iz6FmUWrbChUgPaKbsfCnkB5DNJJrN9yGxbeNN-1tUaChVy74_xZ5cH9xenSpn52KZkKsvzQVDNzMYnQiCmT8N4Dl_JuoRc5quXbFWUx6xCD3YZgcEbm-i6g/s1600/20180610_085054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlYq8dS0yu1DPGhv77c0iz6FmUWrbChUgPaKbsfCnkB5DNJJrN9yGxbeNN-1tUaChVy74_xZ5cH9xenSpn52KZkKsvzQVDNzMYnQiCmT8N4Dl_JuoRc5quXbFWUx6xCD3YZgcEbm-i6g/s400/20180610_085054.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Last Scenario</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIdjR82Af2aWurh2Uqi61YWDd3DI9gcX1l4WaGLGLbTHP3ZBA3Plw2U1kfYAB1bjNiuFJSDlnR9ChQ1x6DWiN298H-3DlTkWl-uCnVkvhRrTqF_Xbq1w2TRmL0roFTAn00wjgicyMJZc/s1600/20180610_093250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIdjR82Af2aWurh2Uqi61YWDd3DI9gcX1l4WaGLGLbTHP3ZBA3Plw2U1kfYAB1bjNiuFJSDlnR9ChQ1x6DWiN298H-3DlTkWl-uCnVkvhRrTqF_Xbq1w2TRmL0roFTAn00wjgicyMJZc/s400/20180610_093250.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">In Progress</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
In the end, Tom Arnold and Neil Stanhagen were the final two standing for the main tournament. They squared off on Sunday morning playing J103 Lenin's Sons. Neil drew the Soviets and Tom the attacking Germans. it was a tight game that came down to the final phase of the final turn! In the end, the winner was...</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-xXSd8pCkuu4mVNUDqObOT7Qp4GMMKGb901OIXu4SjDr7m8X5iD3cB0q85GhkpxuqNz4gBMdyR7eh92quW2JRFSUw_9025Eq0vSgOkCr6KFZDRcBVPzKifr220_XHQnX3TvynCc3S4U/s1600/20180610_144052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-xXSd8pCkuu4mVNUDqObOT7Qp4GMMKGb901OIXu4SjDr7m8X5iD3cB0q85GhkpxuqNz4gBMdyR7eh92quW2JRFSUw_9025Eq0vSgOkCr6KFZDRcBVPzKifr220_XHQnX3TvynCc3S4U/s400/20180610_144052.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Winner! Neil Stanhagen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Neil! In addition to the trophy, he received a gift certificate from Lone Canuck Publishing. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNVt9uPxcINz0qoomQvatXxrAf6K0W_XoiJ2Dv4dcXvT3GmedPp6Njg27M_5M9PllbHe0JOU7X429kx3mdjLT4-j7SqeGwnnwKL0J3RJ_CZ4vXA0RckBoocccO223ZDDYxAcQ3I_2hAE/s1600/20180610_093457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNVt9uPxcINz0qoomQvatXxrAf6K0W_XoiJ2Dv4dcXvT3GmedPp6Njg27M_5M9PllbHe0JOU7X429kx3mdjLT4-j7SqeGwnnwKL0J3RJ_CZ4vXA0RckBoocccO223ZDDYxAcQ3I_2hAE/s400/20180610_093457.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Scott (left): "I designed that Box Cars model"<br />
Andy (right): "And I own it now! I think I set a record!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Finally, the winner of the Box Cars: Andy Hoskins! What a champ! We think he had loaded dice! Ha! I think the final number of 15 box cars in four games. The next nearest was maybe 7. Poor Andy. But he did get a sweet trophy!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
So, in the end, a lot of ASL was played and the tournament ended up one shy of 30 gamers. What a great success. To all who came out for Human Wave 2018, thank you! And I look forward to seeing you again at Human Wave 2019! I promise, the room will be bigger!</div>
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David</div>
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-12133526532619916562018-04-24T10:47:00.001-07:002018-04-24T10:47:20.614-07:00A Study of my Insanity: how I fell in love with the Advanced Squad Leader system<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Back in 1983, my friend Gary Olson came over to my place and brought with him a game. That game? <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squad_Leader" target="_blank">Squad Leader.</a> "Welcome to Stalingrad!" was the cry as he and I took on the roles of the Soviets and the Germans in a little scenario called "The Guards Counterattack". I think I was German and I don't know who won. It doesn't matter. That game was all it took for me to be hooked on war gaming in general and Squad Leader in particular.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NAbi2GEHP1lzCKm0JCOVnJNA3j8MBToTGo6WDScDhw7rHecnNLcksZKCRhTcT6gx7MP6_OaS4oLzW6hOjECq4ztreK-IZ6Yx0Uyv7akLpeKrWXrGhEnEGaK9kkcH18zbqAebeaVQfjuE/s1600/Reichstag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="1600" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NAbi2GEHP1lzCKm0JCOVnJNA3j8MBToTGo6WDScDhw7rHecnNLcksZKCRhTcT6gx7MP6_OaS4oLzW6hOjECq4ztreK-IZ6Yx0Uyv7akLpeKrWXrGhEnEGaK9kkcH18zbqAebeaVQfjuE/s400/Reichstag.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How we saw ourselves as we rolled the dice!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Gary had Squad Leader and its follow-on components, known as "gamettes". All were necessary for the full experience, and Gary had them all: Cross of Iron, Crescendo of Doom and GI: Anvil of Victory. Each one of the gamettes added rules progressively. In fact, Squad Leader as a system was known for its so-called "Programmed Instruction" approach. So, you would get a set of rules, then you would go play a scenario, get more rules, another scenario and so on. The system worked!<br />
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Well, it did work, but stopped working once you got to the next gamette. Invariably, each new gamette would add new rules that made previous rules obsolete. As an example, Squad Leader had rules for tanks and ordnance. The very first rules in Cross of Iron gave completely new rules. But all through Crescendo of Doom, the index, page numbering and all else was in sequence. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfBXEeQ3ohx5ZegmNseQbcXm1ZZDeqBskNSEkU-W2v2h-5hlVNpB5VNMKNQWy5aysCrQxMQF04L1wn9aYQdotIn3fEKL8FCA9B2dFDa9u7VPUpswWJJjVUGodLYozRr4ZFVwWxNwWW9y0/s1600/GI+Anvil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfBXEeQ3ohx5ZegmNseQbcXm1ZZDeqBskNSEkU-W2v2h-5hlVNpB5VNMKNQWy5aysCrQxMQF04L1wn9aYQdotIn3fEKL8FCA9B2dFDa9u7VPUpswWJJjVUGodLYozRr4ZFVwWxNwWW9y0/s1600/GI+Anvil.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GI: End of the Line</td></tr>
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This all changed with GI: Anvil of Victory. The game designers had by the time Crescendo of Doom was released in 1981 realized that the system was growing in leaps and bounds and was spurred on by its popularity. They decided to go back to the drawing board and remake the system from ground up, incorporating all the elements developed thus far. As such, the effort into GI: Anvil of Victory, though extensive, was not comprehensive. Its index failed to refer back to Squad Leader and led to all sorts of confusion. The new system, Advanced Squad Leader, would fix all that anyway, or so the designers had hoped.</div>
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<strong><u>DAWN OF A NEW ERA</u></strong></div>
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By 1985, the rules and initial module for Advanced Squad Leader was ready to go. Almost. The first module was released in the autumn of that year, but the rules went back for some refining and then were finally issued in early 1986. The initial module was set on the Eastern Front and contained maps, scenario cards and the game counters for the system, as well as the entire order of battle for the Germans and the Russians, as well as some for the Finns. "Beyond Valor" became the first of many modules. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3k8k5ZBTnjBBmIPenPAFam69o1-WZ1iYrzsXP1Qp5uJy_NzB2ArqApkWPt1iwJRy1Qpljqa-s8cKoOA5qwYMm7q1j9fluHMtm-OuY3M74vir08jmlwJsfTFT0XXq7QOfCLQoT3SiN9vXh/s1600/Beyond+Valor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3k8k5ZBTnjBBmIPenPAFam69o1-WZ1iYrzsXP1Qp5uJy_NzB2ArqApkWPt1iwJRy1Qpljqa-s8cKoOA5qwYMm7q1j9fluHMtm-OuY3M74vir08jmlwJsfTFT0XXq7QOfCLQoT3SiN9vXh/s1600/Beyond+Valor.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first of it all</td></tr>
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Gary bought Beyond Valor and the Rule book and I think we both just gasped. Here was a monster of a game and neither of us really had the impetus to crack the code, as it were. Besides, we were of legal drinking age and girls were really interesting, so we both sort of drifted away from such nonsense. Well, sort of. We kept gaming, but we stuck to other games, such as Assault by Game Designers Work Shop and of course the original Squad Leader.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07HgXGamJQenT6e1BMtkWkdsXNeWencSa5YCNBtqhUozs91zR2a4939uwzyD6KrtPGDakzHJ06CIGmooQQTqNBbZWvtcOKk-5MCC-VaWyePpUmDYdY8CBs_vHvGESEDvtfMW5fT_n9t66/s1600/Time+Warp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07HgXGamJQenT6e1BMtkWkdsXNeWencSa5YCNBtqhUozs91zR2a4939uwzyD6KrtPGDakzHJ06CIGmooQQTqNBbZWvtcOKk-5MCC-VaWyePpUmDYdY8CBs_vHvGESEDvtfMW5fT_n9t66/s1600/Time+Warp.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing through time now</td></tr>
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Flash forward from 1986 or so to 2013 or so. I was in at work one day and my pal Quentin noted that I had some literature on Squad Leader. He noted that he had a friend who played, so he was going to put us together. Alas, turned out he played Advanced Squad Leader. I related that I had never gotten into it, nobody to mentor me, etc. "Well, he plays the Starter Kit". The what? I had no idea! I went online and quickly found that there were not one, not two, but THREE starter kits. ASL Starter Kit 3 was available for purchase for around 30 bucks or so, so I made the leap and bought it. I tried it, and I liked it!<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGya8urVbjg5Wj_Bk-2TD3c-BLwv4_cak0TXMPHPyfLz8kX1T-etZoP7cgxx07ltwzaPt-b4G5ecbyFPjGadQDTfcnlj8CF8RiG3pRxo58e0GCoNDchLcgDhee3_OsZLpfDWJNm0x1sLZ3/s1600/ASLSK+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="232" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGya8urVbjg5Wj_Bk-2TD3c-BLwv4_cak0TXMPHPyfLz8kX1T-etZoP7cgxx07ltwzaPt-b4G5ecbyFPjGadQDTfcnlj8CF8RiG3pRxo58e0GCoNDchLcgDhee3_OsZLpfDWJNm0x1sLZ3/s400/ASLSK+3.jpg" width="309" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where have you been all my life?</td></tr>
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I got a hold of Gary and asked if he had the ASL still. He did, and I bought what he had (Rule Book, Beyond Valor and Paratrooper). I joined a Facebook community and on the suggestion of the masses purchased For King and Country, a module containing the UK and Commonwealth forces. But my real luck came a few weeks later. I met a fellow online who told me of a tournament in "nearby" Portland Maine (6 hours by car...). I took the leap and went. And wow! What a weekend! Chuck ran a low-key tournament and the players were all great and especially patient with me. I actually won one game out of 4!<br /><br />Two or three weeks later, I ran into a fellow who was selling his gear. And by "gear" I mean the entire collection that was available up to that time. I bought it, which included both official and third party gear. <br /><br />So, I've since played in tournaments and local. I've played online and I've played solo. And the best part is the fun I have playing people *and* the relationships I've made over the past few years. I log my games and I have played over 200 matches in my 3 or so years of serious play. I realize that this game is not for all, but I do find it both engaging *and* time consuming. But in a good way. </div>
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So, if you see me with some dice and a happy look in my eyes, fear not! I am probably just on my way to play some ASL. See you at the tournament!<br /></div>
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-10574337510887760612017-12-31T14:08:00.000-08:002017-12-31T14:08:18.382-08:00A Year of Advanced Squad Leader: a resolution kept and a new one made<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What a year it's been for me. I started the year wondering how to make a realistic resolution. Years ago I made one to stop using margarine and switch to butter. Big deal! Anyway, as we were starting to slip into 2017, I realized that I had completed 58 matches of ASL. That's a lot! Over one a week! So, I decided to up the ante, as it were. I decided to resolve to play 104, or, as you maths wizards would realize, 2 games per week.<br />
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It all started out at Winter Offensive across the Potomac in Maryland. I did get some games in, but the most memorable was losing to Jim Stahler. Yes, *that* Jim Stahler.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwb0ARlqjaK1F7WzKNJUG-6Em2DZDJfmixsPZ-PcSH2sjXOQEYzgdnkLEVXDKAeoKuaSNVkOvraJtPkwktzrTBfsn8gMSEVnY2z4sa3O4NwzJqSJzUzeeZlXZRVtrUH_2XoB1ve8dSBbC/s1600/Jim+Stahler+and+I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwb0ARlqjaK1F7WzKNJUG-6Em2DZDJfmixsPZ-PcSH2sjXOQEYzgdnkLEVXDKAeoKuaSNVkOvraJtPkwktzrTBfsn8gMSEVnY2z4sa3O4NwzJqSJzUzeeZlXZRVtrUH_2XoB1ve8dSBbC/s400/Jim+Stahler+and+I.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim Stahler and I after our match in which he taught me a thing. Or two.</td></tr>
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Now, for those of you who play ASL, you know exactly who he is. For the other 99.9% of you, Jim was a playtester for the original Squad Leader and contributor to the development of Advanced Squad Leader. There is a leader counter with his name in both Squad Leader and Advanced Squad Leader, he designed many scenarios and wrote several articles on the game. He was a gracious winner and I really enjoyed the honor of playing against him.<br />
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The year went on and I continued to play as often as I could. I went to tournaments (Nor'Easter, Tussle in the Tundra, Oktoberfest and the New York State Championship) and of course played games as part of the DC Conscripts ASL club. I also played online (using a freeware program called "VASL", short for "Virtual Advanced Squad Leader") and so the year went. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFuM7uymVAbDSbv4iIwHmSN5RKRjUmo5f1eH_0vf-7VZ9E29mKEOEj3YunSWdyVFhfZJxzu6KTDfHBdZKAzi_8fs_IiIUxnFOJQ8DYwDrv_VXPtGw3w7IlY2bCdvKTMC1Y4aB_4IvabMZ/s1600/Sean+and+Dave+G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFuM7uymVAbDSbv4iIwHmSN5RKRjUmo5f1eH_0vf-7VZ9E29mKEOEj3YunSWdyVFhfZJxzu6KTDfHBdZKAzi_8fs_IiIUxnFOJQ8DYwDrv_VXPtGw3w7IlY2bCdvKTMC1Y4aB_4IvabMZ/s400/Sean+and+Dave+G.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sean Deller and Dave Ginnard at Tussle, back in August</td></tr>
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I met many people playing this game, from locals such as Jamie "Monty" Montgomery to the two gentlemen pictured above, Sean Deller and Dave Ginnard. Both have been playing this game for years, some from the very beginning back in the mid-80s. I had a chance to do so, but without more experienced players to guide us, my friend Gary and I resorted to other games, such as "Assault" by the Game Designers' Workshop (GDW). <br />
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So, the year ends and now the moment of truth. My goal was 104 matches completed. As of today, the 31st of December, I have completed 120 matches! I won 55 and lost 65 and had a blast in every single one of them. My best performance was up at Nor'Easter where I actually won my first two tournament matches (and a warm up game prior). But winning 46% of my matches was much better than I expected.<br /><br />So, what about next year? My resolution is quite simple: Play every scenario issued with the first eleven modules. Why this? Well, as I was going over my scenarios played, I realized that there were many scenarios from these modules (all of which I own) that I had yet to play. So, for those who don't know, this means I will have to play many of those 90 scenarios I have yet to touch. As of today, I have completed 29 of those 90. By this time next year, I expect to have completed 90 of 90. In fact, since making this resolution, I have already started into these, completing two already, including a first for me, a desert scenario!<br />
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OK, so that's it for me. I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas (it's still Christmas, doncha know!) and all the best for you and yours in 2018. <br /><br />David<br />
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-81872447887630539192017-09-04T15:07:00.002-07:002017-09-04T15:07:22.187-07:00Advanced Squad Leader Tournament: Why bother organizing one?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, I've gone insane. It's official. You see, I recently decided, on my own, to organize a tournament for my favorite game, <a href="http://www.advancedsquadleader.net/index.php?title=Main_Page" target="_blank">Advanced Squad Leader</a>. Why would I do that? Well, for one, I love to play the game. Not only is it fun, it's a great way to socialize with some of my great friends from both near and far. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vOGXoOtfQ0FBo-Nqrcyt8tTLSZKE_6jwa33kAA9VJzPLcZNX-tC2F6KQ4Em60aIIoxuIsotDpX50dyLhhJy6R6FSggKHiRwi9YIgKTxIw29YtyhN-rs3f8BjZhKgrwEpzANap1HOJOB0/s1600/Kedge+and+Carl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vOGXoOtfQ0FBo-Nqrcyt8tTLSZKE_6jwa33kAA9VJzPLcZNX-tC2F6KQ4Em60aIIoxuIsotDpX50dyLhhJy6R6FSggKHiRwi9YIgKTxIw29YtyhN-rs3f8BjZhKgrwEpzANap1HOJOB0/s400/Kedge+and+Carl.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kedge (Left) and Carl (Right). Two great reasons to play ASL</td></tr>
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So, I decided, pretty much on my own, to set up a local tournament, advertised around the world via the internet on the site I got. The site can be found <a href="https://humanwaveconscripts.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. My aim? I'm hoping to get 16 players for the main tournament, 8 for the mini tournament and 4 for a Marathon Match. That may be a tall order, but given the number of local players, I'm confident we can get at least 20. That would put me just barely in the <span style="color: red;">red </span>as far as finances go, but not by much. Given how much I spend on this hobby every year, well, I'm probably saving money!<br />
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So, as with most things, this is just a quick teaser. I'm sure I'll post updates to this as the date gets closer. So, hope to see you at the Human Wave 2018! </div>
Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-31910375838921431292017-08-14T08:37:00.001-07:002017-08-14T08:37:42.292-07:00Tussle at the Tundra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCF3YtroxuBpo9yLypidRXeuFvI8IX75ozh55ztn5n366T6i9JSFcz7rbbWtVMpC2Z-KYzgXhK_YlIQbIaXvEcgZ5dOo6kJR3ZgFi-vaIqyBNrrtiNydflTWHFcAoaF8hJJFGZQNwRkR7/s1600/20170810_115729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCF3YtroxuBpo9yLypidRXeuFvI8IX75ozh55ztn5n366T6i9JSFcz7rbbWtVMpC2Z-KYzgXhK_YlIQbIaXvEcgZ5dOo6kJR3ZgFi-vaIqyBNrrtiNydflTWHFcAoaF8hJJFGZQNwRkR7/s400/20170810_115729.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This past weekend, from 10 to 13 August, I participated in another Advanced Squad Leader tournament in New England. This one was the Tussle in the Tundra, run by Chuck Tewksbury. He had asked my help in coming up with a scenario list and I jumped at the challenge. <br />
Chuck guided me and gave me some pointers and in the end, this is the list decided upon:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>MAIN TOURNAMENT</u></b></div>
<u>Round 1</u>:<br />
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ASL 188 Zon with the Wind<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A 104 In Front of the Storm<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
J 106 Marders not Martyrs (Challenge)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
FrF 72 The Mubo Decision (PTO)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
J 193Raff's Rules (New Blood)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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<u>Round 2</u>:<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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ASL 195 Rocket’s Red Glare<br />
J 103 Lenin's Sons<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
AP 8 A Bloody Harvest (challenge)<br />
AP 86 Milling About (PTO)<br />
J 183 A Real Barn Burner (New Blood)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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<u>Round 3 (Western Front)</u>:<br />
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ASL 77 le hérisson<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
ASL 11 Defiance on Hill 30<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
ASL 27 The Liberation of Tulle (Challenge)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
ASL 89 Rescue Attempt<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
J 182 Belgian Blitzkrieg (New Blood)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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<u>Round 4 (Eastern Front)</u>:<br />
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ASL 1 Fighting Withdrawal<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
ASL 126 Commando Schenke<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
J 157 Rage Against the Machine<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
AP 41 The Meat Grinder (Challenge)<br />
J 188 Grab and Go (New Blood)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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<u>Round 5 (Italian Front)</u>:<br />
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WP 6 Ils ne passeront pas<br />
A 19 Cat and Mouse<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A 89 First Day of Diadem<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
ASL 178 The Niscemi-Biscari Highway (Challenge)<br />
J 190 Trial Run (New Blood)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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As you maybe could tell, there was a bit of a theme. Each round had a "challenge" scenario that was around 60 to 65% rates in favor of one side, according to the Remote On-Line Automated Record, or ROAR. Each round also had a "New Blood" scenario out of the latest ASL Journal. Finally, Rounds 3, 4 and 5 rotated from the Western to the Eastern and then finally the Italian Fronts, where the previous 2 also had at least one PTO scenario in the mix. Most of the scenarios were official products, going all the way back to ASL 1 (Fighting Withdrawal) to a few third Party Products.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOFcBvKPKWXeb2VwxxKtYUL5_CSygWTDBi_I_ftEUKhp2dvbdf11jv2I-fFcODQOPVQFQ-JLdz5xyfJb7FDPx2mKh6hY9EHJnk5wxmxn9t0_r9SmFv-z04ox89qBzMN1wMzFEIP011Pip/s1600/Fighting+Withdrawal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOFcBvKPKWXeb2VwxxKtYUL5_CSygWTDBi_I_ftEUKhp2dvbdf11jv2I-fFcODQOPVQFQ-JLdz5xyfJb7FDPx2mKh6hY9EHJnk5wxmxn9t0_r9SmFv-z04ox89qBzMN1wMzFEIP011Pip/s400/Fighting+Withdrawal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ASL 01 Fighting Withdrawal. Golden oldie!</td></tr>
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So, I got to Manchester around noon or so on Thursday before the tournament started, and already Chuck and Brian were into a warm up match. Hill 621!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDIOuxWImLz8ZwGfV_C__raOCWg0uwha0xmPxtFAHparLVVOY-PKbz3p621Hp7aUqj1E5DSv3TGgn8wJ4RO3uRnXpqBoT0sBers996dS8MMqQF2WFNgoJAZsZ_jxt-2GmK9yJq_EQp9X_/s1600/20170810_203208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDIOuxWImLz8ZwGfV_C__raOCWg0uwha0xmPxtFAHparLVVOY-PKbz3p621Hp7aUqj1E5DSv3TGgn8wJ4RO3uRnXpqBoT0sBers996dS8MMqQF2WFNgoJAZsZ_jxt-2GmK9yJq_EQp9X_/s400/20170810_203208.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chuck and Brian cleaning up. Brian's Soviets cleared the hill of Chuck's Germans</td></tr>
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I too was able to get a game in: Rocket's Red Glare vs Jeff. I was going to play a match against Carl, but unfortunately he and his lovely wife were stuck in traffic from Boston. So Jeff and I faced off in a match that I won thanks to some very hot dice on my part. Key moment was knocking out his Wirbelwind with a very good shot during bounding fire. In spite of this, Jeff put up a very spirited defense and made me work for my win.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7etW1btFlvszSPPmfvo9s7RZa6HLJ_w3iKOmR_ZqbRgk42NBo3KqVkWSR66AupFh_9DvlLhgFeYZ4MeSX_6O2ANNJ_i6VJeTqGmtXfTrBJmmOoqe-9xFLbOguBoCizIZvb8tnOT8-6zG5/s1600/20170810_165733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7etW1btFlvszSPPmfvo9s7RZa6HLJ_w3iKOmR_ZqbRgk42NBo3KqVkWSR66AupFh_9DvlLhgFeYZ4MeSX_6O2ANNJ_i6VJeTqGmtXfTrBJmmOoqe-9xFLbOguBoCizIZvb8tnOT8-6zG5/s400/20170810_165733.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blast from the Past - Updated for the new Yanks</td></tr>
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A side note about Jeff. He's in his early 20s and a very new player. Just last year was his first tournament. In spite of his youth and his experience, he's a very good player and it was a treat to play him. He's embraced the hobby and I'm sure he's going to have years of enjoyment in it.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>My Round 1</u></b></div>
<br />
For Round 1, I was matched up against Michael, who is also from Canada. We were to play "In front of the Storm", with me as the hapless French. Michael is a great player and a gentleman. His defense was well laid-out and after about 4 turns, it was clear that I was not going to cause any damage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKZSjj4ZbUxTiZnVsJpU9Zejk0suohogaiWb2BuZ4UieDIMraiHikdel731nnJkSwPox2r898tHIoD9Ak91EGCc1kuEnQpd3W1dq4vqobxVRuMNelurwGTrlZKs1dLz-1Z_XlYqXEfsIr/s1600/20170811_094745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKZSjj4ZbUxTiZnVsJpU9Zejk0suohogaiWb2BuZ4UieDIMraiHikdel731nnJkSwPox2r898tHIoD9Ak91EGCc1kuEnQpd3W1dq4vqobxVRuMNelurwGTrlZKs1dLz-1Z_XlYqXEfsIr/s400/20170811_094745.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Front of the Storm. Attacking with French Tanks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_9JZAEe4i1EPxuy4WMvg3xtzNwe2bgVS8snLVwVMjDPOyS1uRjdI53O-UjtSFquakEWT36iQryu8EkPGe8KIlfYokUjwEa_sUovfq2DIBpP92LyNj92k3e_IlRjPRZaMYGxr7IYg0-bj/s1600/20170811_094752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_9JZAEe4i1EPxuy4WMvg3xtzNwe2bgVS8snLVwVMjDPOyS1uRjdI53O-UjtSFquakEWT36iQryu8EkPGe8KIlfYokUjwEa_sUovfq2DIBpP92LyNj92k3e_IlRjPRZaMYGxr7IYg0-bj/s400/20170811_094752.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael's defenses laid out for me</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u> My Round 2</u></b></div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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For round 2, I was up against Mark in Lenin's Sons. This was a to and fro affair that saw my Russians pull off an almost perfect fighting withdrawal to the main defensive area. Then he broke my back with a great attack (I was probably asking for it. Ha!), and in the end got to my objective area. The key attack? Him firing into a melee where his odds were low to win. He broke my two elite engineer squads as his own elite squad shrugged off the 1 Morale Check, guaranteeing the win. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEika_1axuRtbGatPM7CeE99kAq1v0cbcfYDlusJG0viuaIItg0FZgZWtySSaAD3iBVZdWFFQj0XC0jHivsP8OX4c2AY3MNCTvPpRVRq5OZXkFJOk2mFtjmz4HJ1Kvzu75HZB6ZlgD1T0E4v/s1600/20170811_201424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEika_1axuRtbGatPM7CeE99kAq1v0cbcfYDlusJG0viuaIItg0FZgZWtySSaAD3iBVZdWFFQj0XC0jHivsP8OX4c2AY3MNCTvPpRVRq5OZXkFJOk2mFtjmz4HJ1Kvzu75HZB6ZlgD1T0E4v/s400/20170811_201424.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mid way in the game and my fall back defense is working</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>My Round 3</b></u></div>
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<u><b><br /></b></u></div>
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So, 0-2 I headed into Saturday. This time I was to play my old pal Mark in the classic Defiance on Hill 30. I had won and lost this previously as Germans, so I had a go as the Americans. Turns out that I needed more sleep or something. My attack never really got off the ground and I never got close to the objective area. My casualties stacked up and Mark really did well with his allotment of forces. So, I went into Round 4 at 0-3<br />
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<b><u>My Round 4</u></b></div>
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Now I was up against Gary in Rage against the Machine. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CIb7M3tIlsZdPGh-z4PIcYRDuFYTL3_hKytvqf1J77pGV3nAqsEy8nDONDFiYn43k8LpJOLV8Krm4MPRQRXt_edtm9JPGRRtv_XsDuZ-ZrKPExneMRSckLa6rbdxiOLpjVbjH12voZkU/s1600/20170812_150025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CIb7M3tIlsZdPGh-z4PIcYRDuFYTL3_hKytvqf1J77pGV3nAqsEy8nDONDFiYn43k8LpJOLV8Krm4MPRQRXt_edtm9JPGRRtv_XsDuZ-ZrKPExneMRSckLa6rbdxiOLpjVbjH12voZkU/s400/20170812_150025.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My initial defense against his initial layout</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWnoKVsB8CzvEF4fS8CUl6ZFnyeAXMNug6Z5FXzE_Bfy2471FsRh05x-U1P-2MnZnPKuurHbKaxv7nBGWS3onaOQXRDwd6ilWC0mjrkJvss5Q-B18mr5E7qiSmEOPqRUAlc8GxMCj1mvV0/s1600/20170812_172058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWnoKVsB8CzvEF4fS8CUl6ZFnyeAXMNug6Z5FXzE_Bfy2471FsRh05x-U1P-2MnZnPKuurHbKaxv7nBGWS3onaOQXRDwd6ilWC0mjrkJvss5Q-B18mr5E7qiSmEOPqRUAlc8GxMCj1mvV0/s400/20170812_172058.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plenty of residual fire, showing the intensity of the combat.</td></tr>
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This was an epic battle and probably my favorite match of the weekend. This scenario saw it all, I think. My HIP PAK 40 was able to pop one of his ISU 152s, but then promptly malfunctioned after going on a rate tear. I fixed it, but then was torn apart by his return fire. I had a great shot on a T 34/85 that blundered into my field of view of my Panzerschreck, setting it ablaze. But then my Panzerfausts failed to do any damage to his forces at all. I shocked a crew of his with MG fire, then saw a breaking unit go berserk and die in close combat to Gary's attacking forces. In the end, Gary won, but it was a nail-biter that saw both of our armored forces end up as so much scrap.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>My Round 5</u></b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
For round 5 I was matched up against Jeff. He and I decided to go with something off the official list (since we were both out of the contention). We ended up going back in the archives to ASL 93 Tavronitis Bridge, formerly known as A 01. That's right, the first scenario published in the ASL Annual way back in 1989. It was Jeff's first go at using gliders, so a small tutorial later we were off to battle!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zz-Ep7aXoA2C0czx4_iXqan0Z4U-w_3Rg05Hb4JeEXpKrLVGVcX71Uzjw64D_5frpPe__yKzUot74-6lJ4m0LuUMRM_DNGvLmErK6ur_f5caHN7_QAs6nBZ4VYfL6IVHj1_5euOhUfyT/s1600/20170813_090133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zz-Ep7aXoA2C0czx4_iXqan0Z4U-w_3Rg05Hb4JeEXpKrLVGVcX71Uzjw64D_5frpPe__yKzUot74-6lJ4m0LuUMRM_DNGvLmErK6ur_f5caHN7_QAs6nBZ4VYfL6IVHj1_5euOhUfyT/s400/20170813_090133.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Scenario</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvW7BIWviXmUNulcpr1Nj6w5MYnxprWsJDnv7vgAeSjx0FBgG_uY0lw98PfytP1R2CYnOyIhyR2nCMIQlulyo6fgDwuVx_AcLLZyZPivEguoyH6zMy68rho47f8QafFSCWK4zBmCxkKDz/s1600/20170813_090137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvW7BIWviXmUNulcpr1Nj6w5MYnxprWsJDnv7vgAeSjx0FBgG_uY0lw98PfytP1R2CYnOyIhyR2nCMIQlulyo6fgDwuVx_AcLLZyZPivEguoyH6zMy68rho47f8QafFSCWK4zBmCxkKDz/s400/20170813_090137.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Initial Set up.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Poor Jeff. My initial AA fire actually, by happenstance, hit the glider with his 9-2. This would hurt him, as in the end I was able to finally get a win in the main tournament. It was close, though. As I said, Jeff may be a new player, but he has skill and he's learning. Fast!</div>
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<b><u>Why I play</u></b></div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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I'm often asked why I bother playing this game and why I go to such lengths to play it. These photos help explain a big part of it: the people. These guys are all great players and I learn so much from them.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJj1BzYs4Qpx8oJxYTTSYd8-Q0yCl0tGaDPO_grEPmAk6BH5VBkwD_0Is2pNXQEPQpF-fdqH15XeYJB9ITcebcLBuWCHYpMO8KW7WTITznfyI65RJZuQ9XYo6nUSbuEdtYLMMJastPHbaf/s1600/20170811_122327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJj1BzYs4Qpx8oJxYTTSYd8-Q0yCl0tGaDPO_grEPmAk6BH5VBkwD_0Is2pNXQEPQpF-fdqH15XeYJB9ITcebcLBuWCHYpMO8KW7WTITznfyI65RJZuQ9XYo6nUSbuEdtYLMMJastPHbaf/s400/20170811_122327.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carl (left) and Frank (right). Frank lives in Colombia, but came all the way from his hometown in Germany.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe70q8AnjcKa8LJtpFasrGReSmT-EzJY8ejx2I3hM7MBqmZLrfYv9iwX3KVHpK4uXTgiEt4tqiVoj4zEK-yX1g6509goGiEk8xvXw7Jy8mxFKDJVu2Q9IuQGobYN8jiyEtJPq6wj7B18Dz/s1600/20170811_132946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe70q8AnjcKa8LJtpFasrGReSmT-EzJY8ejx2I3hM7MBqmZLrfYv9iwX3KVHpK4uXTgiEt4tqiVoj4zEK-yX1g6509goGiEk8xvXw7Jy8mxFKDJVu2Q9IuQGobYN8jiyEtJPq6wj7B18Dz/s400/20170811_132946.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eventual Champions! Rob (left) would go on to win the main tournament, and Keith (right) would win the mini!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j6y62PEz4YHdGSjZzmYCoGyl441BTJ7WErkzX0O8tdGmS8vMruewp4Eg1ssP2MEAgVm44lrGysV6m_Q_ILTWNU_aka_MHz5tv8V7zyC7BSdQmUMkG-DC560-N_98nd26FdXVYli0dR5e/s1600/20170811_133059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j6y62PEz4YHdGSjZzmYCoGyl441BTJ7WErkzX0O8tdGmS8vMruewp4Eg1ssP2MEAgVm44lrGysV6m_Q_ILTWNU_aka_MHz5tv8V7zyC7BSdQmUMkG-DC560-N_98nd26FdXVYli0dR5e/s400/20170811_133059.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark (left) plays Jeff (right). Jeff was betrayed by his malfunctioning 88s!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPIwkw3BOUTEkhsBkLAM_nEwCezqOZ8aUT0Vmz6BV4P1N5T5xL2vWCvmAyeoAVlGa3N-A6WGRUdRy5P8xXDbO5yBhuRjtPIoqD8Glofknt7zDv0Ez7SPmdqIjB93UxosdsSqFnIjV_jcO/s1600/20170810_203229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPIwkw3BOUTEkhsBkLAM_nEwCezqOZ8aUT0Vmz6BV4P1N5T5xL2vWCvmAyeoAVlGa3N-A6WGRUdRy5P8xXDbO5yBhuRjtPIoqD8Glofknt7zDv0Ez7SPmdqIjB93UxosdsSqFnIjV_jcO/s400/20170810_203229.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kedge (left) up against Carl (right)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLXIaUPXvYK27vdWOhYE6KOqSyr1UQKmk0xDG1jdURfD5U5BTezAKs_0MsHPOc2zYwfajgybRZfKwQFOJV-Ow4_RGIDMcNqSCMv2GT7ArYvoFOUuCSujNPxUyStr4IoNZlyHqBOWCX7hs/s1600/20170812_230528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLXIaUPXvYK27vdWOhYE6KOqSyr1UQKmk0xDG1jdURfD5U5BTezAKs_0MsHPOc2zYwfajgybRZfKwQFOJV-Ow4_RGIDMcNqSCMv2GT7ArYvoFOUuCSujNPxUyStr4IoNZlyHqBOWCX7hs/s400/20170812_230528.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sean (left) playing the role of spoiler against Dave (right), who was in from the Cleveland area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAImxnSdOdyAiAjPkwNbTUKdRYRWGlA0XKtbXqVxfiZkVPSLmb_tKLThqQaggWNtnrLHvkizaaV_PirIBfMm2Gmzb60AIkW9THSJzeqIsh0tqqIzhqpOau2kX4BUtxLcXLj7Z6icT1XHUx/s1600/20170812_230538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAImxnSdOdyAiAjPkwNbTUKdRYRWGlA0XKtbXqVxfiZkVPSLmb_tKLThqQaggWNtnrLHvkizaaV_PirIBfMm2Gmzb60AIkW9THSJzeqIsh0tqqIzhqpOau2kX4BUtxLcXLj7Z6icT1XHUx/s400/20170812_230538.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The legend himself: Wild Bill up against Keith.</td></tr>
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There are so many reasons to play this game, but one thing must be said again and again: Chuck runs a great tournament and it's always a great time. This paired with the Nor'Easter hosted by Carl make New England the place for me to play my ASL tournaments. Thanks again, everyone!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Trophy</td></tr>
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-41262721963677611792017-04-03T08:26:00.000-07:002017-04-03T08:26:02.306-07:00My time at the Nor'Easter ASL Tournament<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, I have just returned from the Nor'Easter, an Advanced Squad Leader tournament that was held in Boxborough, Massachusetts. I had a wonderful time and I must at first credit the organizers for hosting a great tournament.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nor'Easter at Nor'Easter</td></tr>
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I arrived on Wednesday evening and settled in for some rest. The next day, Thursday, was open gaming. It was a chance for all players to warm up their dice and to get some games in. Heeding some advice from an old ASL Annual article on how to win a tournament, I ensured that I wouldn't burn myself out, especially in the open gaming.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWquaf1B4oJy7aesbekJtSMxdCgd9cJD9LJW6dqAzuVGZELYFnY2QGoeZTNR7NjKFl5ENgSej5TJOF_t5wYhuFYh_vnDGXannlSOb7YFKfrf8RPA0m0MS0WFCuA2iYeOFHnmmrfhA8t847/s1600/Germans+Attacking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWquaf1B4oJy7aesbekJtSMxdCgd9cJD9LJW6dqAzuVGZELYFnY2QGoeZTNR7NjKFl5ENgSej5TJOF_t5wYhuFYh_vnDGXannlSOb7YFKfrf8RPA0m0MS0WFCuA2iYeOFHnmmrfhA8t847/s400/Germans+Attacking.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pace yourself, lads</td></tr>
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I first played my old friend John Wood in a game from Bounding Fire Productions. "The Commissar's Folly" is a match set in Poland in 1939. The army of the USSR invaded Poland a few weeks after the Germans did and this represents one of those battles. For this match I drew the Poles. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5pIHZzRYFv59YC0mN1I50e3XrZJBFm6SLYpHl2mo9_C4eQ-uUMa-o4F_RqmZWLAeRAN79LyAW8OHVnc0AvZGlNl6xxNcvwkGVhV8hqOHkMkIgqNAvfBcdrssSk_J92eB_iGERQLGsQfH/s1600/Set+up+for+Commissar%2527s+Folly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5pIHZzRYFv59YC0mN1I50e3XrZJBFm6SLYpHl2mo9_C4eQ-uUMa-o4F_RqmZWLAeRAN79LyAW8OHVnc0AvZGlNl6xxNcvwkGVhV8hqOHkMkIgqNAvfBcdrssSk_J92eB_iGERQLGsQfH/s400/Set+up+for+Commissar%2527s+Folly.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poles ready to Defend</td></tr>
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I defended well against John and ended up winning the match. For the weekend I started on a positive note!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLr-8kd2Kcj33oBU-auWWGDT3FEVijsrxZzQjCnEbn45cuQx2Qnu6z6JsYswE9IbkT66xD82IY22vrwDku2HmD0Haa8io8Ss0q45aOSrnfmHZAE40Gl7UonoQkzgIoybmcU6AYNaNrTfgk/s1600/Commissar%2527s+Folly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLr-8kd2Kcj33oBU-auWWGDT3FEVijsrxZzQjCnEbn45cuQx2Qnu6z6JsYswE9IbkT66xD82IY22vrwDku2HmD0Haa8io8Ss0q45aOSrnfmHZAE40Gl7UonoQkzgIoybmcU6AYNaNrTfgk/s400/Commissar%2527s+Folly.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not this time, Commie rats!</td></tr>
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Next in my schedule was for me to heed advice from the article. I decided to eat well and then up to my room for a nap. Playing is mentally taxing and I confirmed this once I got to the room: I was asleep within minutes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lPsBJFEEsPAUlf4IqiDulluIvZ-nqzvHki5JDPLjaboIFat4OONaklfldYOmm8KZT-dVQJcfeiXcFPNcpKI6znqGdxGoCWDjl9Ov7YoLYZ18UPsRyiF8JZYZqppPDzl3birejGuqYTdD/s1600/Passed+Out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lPsBJFEEsPAUlf4IqiDulluIvZ-nqzvHki5JDPLjaboIFat4OONaklfldYOmm8KZT-dVQJcfeiXcFPNcpKI6znqGdxGoCWDjl9Ov7YoLYZ18UPsRyiF8JZYZqppPDzl3birejGuqYTdD/s400/Passed+Out.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artist's Rendition: me napping between matches</td></tr>
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I returned to the playing room later and John wanted a rematch! This time it was "Among the Dead", a scenario from Journal 11. This scenario represents a battle between German paratroopers and soldiers from New Zealand. Set in Crete, the Germans are set to attack the defending New Zealanders, with some Greek troops in the village. I was able to withstand attacks by German Stukas and in the end emerged with the win. Not a bad start: 2 and 0 in open gaming and my dice were indeed warmed up!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIreftskw3IYRHf5j3Fw2h3nbcqTwxmRoSHOpWXcMSMvZrMO3nQ2dqXZmf8Sx0VOYy_FS2zyXzVcFSFBRiYsl8deSsxeouswSRw0_055vGVsMRzj-2x6_TNkiuA9Z4lepudCO1DrmWiqTt/s1600/Among+the+Dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIreftskw3IYRHf5j3Fw2h3nbcqTwxmRoSHOpWXcMSMvZrMO3nQ2dqXZmf8Sx0VOYy_FS2zyXzVcFSFBRiYsl8deSsxeouswSRw0_055vGVsMRzj-2x6_TNkiuA9Z4lepudCO1DrmWiqTt/s400/Among+the+Dead.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the attack!</td></tr>
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Next was the Main Tournament. My plan was to lose in the first round and then enter the mini tournament on Saturday. That was not to be! I played Chuck Tewksbury in a match set in 1940 with the Germans attacking the French. "Go Big or Go Home!" was the title, and in a tight match, I was able to hold off the Germans for the win, actually knocking out one of his attacking tanks and immobilizing the other! So, 1-0 in the tournament and 3-0 overall! I had completely shattered my expectations!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGX4bx5PtJiw3nAo49f-Jn_7Mp7VpB-GmHir-y1ocXQl-wlcoA-4qOyCDzicnjXradf2wRakuUZeA3H2rJM8VOCcv77In_wiDCpG_Ocjov5FsWmtcVn2zqToP7VucOVpMnUmcv9YrWsWh/s1600/Go+big+or+Go+Home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGX4bx5PtJiw3nAo49f-Jn_7Mp7VpB-GmHir-y1ocXQl-wlcoA-4qOyCDzicnjXradf2wRakuUZeA3H2rJM8VOCcv77In_wiDCpG_Ocjov5FsWmtcVn2zqToP7VucOVpMnUmcv9YrWsWh/s400/Go+big+or+Go+Home.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I went big and Chuck stayed home. Ha!</td></tr>
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Now I was on to round 2. So, from 32 who started, I was in the "Sweet 16". My opponent was Vic Rosso. We both wanted to play the defending Americans, but he rolled for them, thus giving me the balance for the scenario. The year for the scenario was 1944, and as the German, I had to flee past French Maquis and US forces. Also, the bulk of my forces were in horse drawn wagons. And to add a bit of color, the US had air support to help them in their efforts!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYEJxlK2eJLrhZXN5KHjP9OVwYl6wsctlGR00gnGfmaUHQHWzM7PZXfaOwIFwbTazK_vwOWOQ0LzwZOJxbKbc_qNX-fy-7IbxJx-OaB754uRBSLX35CsoWiTMi-sKmMMApO-3MsDQ1qA3/s1600/Human+Shielf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYEJxlK2eJLrhZXN5KHjP9OVwYl6wsctlGR00gnGfmaUHQHWzM7PZXfaOwIFwbTazK_vwOWOQ0LzwZOJxbKbc_qNX-fy-7IbxJx-OaB754uRBSLX35CsoWiTMi-sKmMMApO-3MsDQ1qA3/s400/Human+Shielf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I'll call you 'human shield'</td></tr>
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I started out cautiously with my wagons following my meagre armored force. With the armored cars racing for the exit, my wagons followed behind in their pathetic column. Some French resistance fighters did engage, but with little effect. In an effort to help them out, the US Army Air Force came in and strafed many of my men, sending them scattered into the ditches. Alas, my armored cars raced off for a total of 15 out of my required 25 Victory Points.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99oHfqM5rq4b8w8_ymijxd3hwctb17HF1JfqF9eFTQnfvBV5qcqBGTJeXxqHsJ8Q5M_XbJCJVhIY74ZhQHQL-UDfxhkb92pZ69dT1PgnwmDRnXdhcplTcsyvmaDQQfsV6oxmv6R8nGLPd/s1600/Riders+on+the+Storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99oHfqM5rq4b8w8_ymijxd3hwctb17HF1JfqF9eFTQnfvBV5qcqBGTJeXxqHsJ8Q5M_XbJCJVhIY74ZhQHQL-UDfxhkb92pZ69dT1PgnwmDRnXdhcplTcsyvmaDQQfsV6oxmv6R8nGLPd/s400/Riders+on+the+Storm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Escape underway</td></tr>
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The US forces were soon on board in force and a duel of sorts rang out. One of my Marders scored a lucky hit on a US Armored Car, destroying it. I was now 5 points away from victory! A failed critical hit by a bazooka later (the dreaded boxcars following the snake eyes!), I was able to force my way past his defenders with a Marder for the win. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgldb-R-A5ALDBS2sdBqiM4aINVnaEbNeDYEJmR3PX4_YQMKicVtclXUvOpMqtIg_ex_A1Zw-ujY9d93tMZ7J8Cj6NEZcqSj_b2aVvd5DtDrhauOo_r9CkWvCXASKnfltzBPtzrc34bHR1/s1600/Marder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgldb-R-A5ALDBS2sdBqiM4aINVnaEbNeDYEJmR3PX4_YQMKicVtclXUvOpMqtIg_ex_A1Zw-ujY9d93tMZ7J8Cj6NEZcqSj_b2aVvd5DtDrhauOo_r9CkWvCXASKnfltzBPtzrc34bHR1/s400/Marder.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The one that got away!</td></tr>
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So, after the second round, I was 2-0 in the tournament and 4-0 over all! I had now completely shattered my expectations. Now was time for rest and to get ready for round 3. I was in the final eight!<br />
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The next match pitted me up against Ron Duenskie. For this one, I was set back in Poland in 1939. Not many realize this, but Poland was attacked by Slovakia in conjunction with the Germans. This scenario, "The Winter City" represents a battle between these two belligerents. I drew the Poles and by the end of the first turn I had no doubts as to the outcome: his 81mm mortar was on a rate tear and cut my force in half. The blood bath was over soon and I fell. This of course knocked me out of the tournament for top 3 (it's a single-elimination style tournament), but still, after starting 4-1, I was quite happy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSzS9YKryjhYDKc6eNdrhXJ43-DElkE34kHPDXWs5nYXH96puQvnNRgv2_iLKSrDDzm1xWXBvIK8VIED_yAnwamyJZhTq2xnZLqF__iZx7MpN2-WvMtuwTcBlYQ64ridmAYkvimltvJh6/s1600/Winter+City+Trenches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSzS9YKryjhYDKc6eNdrhXJ43-DElkE34kHPDXWs5nYXH96puQvnNRgv2_iLKSrDDzm1xWXBvIK8VIED_yAnwamyJZhTq2xnZLqF__iZx7MpN2-WvMtuwTcBlYQ64ridmAYkvimltvJh6/s400/Winter+City+Trenches.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those trenches didn't help...</td></tr>
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Fate would see me battling John Wood again. This time we chose Panzer Spirit, a battle set on the Eastern Front in July 1943. He would be the attacking Soviets and I the defending Waffen SS in a battle near Kursk. His eight (8!) T 34s were up against my four meagre Marders. My men were tough, but few in number. And my only AT Gun was a puny PAK 38. I didn't like my chances.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyFqehz7IJNmXigMG9c_kVaJlB5ipNM55QFmPGGiNygUMFfQyGHca-v2wA2e0nEEmK0sywO5hyFTBDEZDSqN33Lf60dABLruJQ5yrjSOzVaJDvIY-SJUwC1sTsfajgvAfLDIue3HV0y6Y/s1600/PAK+38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyFqehz7IJNmXigMG9c_kVaJlB5ipNM55QFmPGGiNygUMFfQyGHca-v2wA2e0nEEmK0sywO5hyFTBDEZDSqN33Lf60dABLruJQ5yrjSOzVaJDvIY-SJUwC1sTsfajgvAfLDIue3HV0y6Y/s400/PAK+38.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I can't believe they called us 'puny'"</td></tr>
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As the battle progressed, it turned out to be a see saw affair. I started out hot by knocking out 2 of his tanks as they approached the town. But then things got messy. My men started falling and his got closer and closer to town. The one high point for me was that his tanks avoided my hidden Anti Tank gun. I unveiled it, knocking out an enemy tank at point blank range. John made sure the crew paid for it with their lives, over running them, not once, but twice!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwOFcpjRJD74YJjeRBYP8Z82GtXx8HP3HT4sBVSAcSEpe_U3eX5bEajHPkeO_sujV5KFxG0rbt1TFiJ7M9tpqpGzlHd_7MT7uLwQXMUbiaeqzvdb3QBzUBoR2bqjFOZFxKOte2pYA-Zdt/s1600/T+34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwOFcpjRJD74YJjeRBYP8Z82GtXx8HP3HT4sBVSAcSEpe_U3eX5bEajHPkeO_sujV5KFxG0rbt1TFiJ7M9tpqpGzlHd_7MT7uLwQXMUbiaeqzvdb3QBzUBoR2bqjFOZFxKOte2pYA-Zdt/s400/T+34.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">URRRAH!</td></tr>
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In the end, I needed to mount a counter attack to win the game, but that I did. My men held out and with all but one of my Marders destroyed, I sent the Russians back from whence they came! I improved to 3 and 1 for the tournament and 5-1 overall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXErNy_Dp-jkmLH_Bv5xXUF06rCVbOkwVebURMpZyQsS2qOwpj3ueISmTfDookbPTdgkAriNplsrxqmpRbn2LRKpMPnzAJwaQUvk9b62p0CcKvM_GZK1shBiiyj0eQ8YjRhpGjfDzNFKKu/s1600/Victory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXErNy_Dp-jkmLH_Bv5xXUF06rCVbOkwVebURMpZyQsS2qOwpj3ueISmTfDookbPTdgkAriNplsrxqmpRbn2LRKpMPnzAJwaQUvk9b62p0CcKvM_GZK1shBiiyj0eQ8YjRhpGjfDzNFKKu/s400/Victory.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victory Smoke</td></tr>
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For the last day, I was up against Mike Allexenberg for Zon with the Wind. I drew the defending Germans against the attacking Americans. This scenario represented one of the many battles in Operation Market Garden. The US Paratroopers are trying to take a bridge as the Germans defend it with some 88s. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnJRZ32Jrmf5jNmYc0ZVXXDIMU5stjzhfIwq4WtNiqnoJ-4XpEFDySKanQ8a6BNlO56trHzvjGmfnjDe_s5hUAMbHy0xE0PIOjED6OQHw7zuM9b2rZ4kzAPPKiC-js-alLoYs5d5u47x3/s1600/88.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnJRZ32Jrmf5jNmYc0ZVXXDIMU5stjzhfIwq4WtNiqnoJ-4XpEFDySKanQ8a6BNlO56trHzvjGmfnjDe_s5hUAMbHy0xE0PIOjED6OQHw7zuM9b2rZ4kzAPPKiC-js-alLoYs5d5u47x3/s400/88.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Defending 88</td></tr>
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In the end, I lost, but the key part was near the end when my 88 fired point blank on some US troops. They actually all passed their MC. I fired again, needing an 11 to hit. Naturally I rolled 12 and that allowed his forces to swarm past me for the win. I ended up 3 and 2 in the tournament and finished probably 6th or 7th (some of the other participants left early and didn't finish the fifth round). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKVleTlUhVvG4DkVjzukVN3fAae370iaX9p0y-ayKNqYrsrV_OiFKjB-oyVBc4uIWIj0TvB0zHHCWoBQ28yYS7w12HPrqLYb3kXMk7H25iGwyliwfCL25oL9Q6tJ-qQbHhuQbmW2jg3te/s1600/A+Bridge+too+Far.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKVleTlUhVvG4DkVjzukVN3fAae370iaX9p0y-ayKNqYrsrV_OiFKjB-oyVBc4uIWIj0TvB0zHHCWoBQ28yYS7w12HPrqLYb3kXMk7H25iGwyliwfCL25oL9Q6tJ-qQbHhuQbmW2jg3te/s400/A+Bridge+too+Far.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That bridge is MINE</td></tr>
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So, home I went. I won more games than I lost. I expected to win a game. Maybe two. But to come home with five, I was extremely happy. Tired, but happy.<br />
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-62712357881236077222017-03-11T17:37:00.002-08:002017-03-11T17:37:31.082-08:00ASL Replay: LASSH 12 Contact!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I got to play another game of Advanced Squad Leader. This tactical war game is considered the gold standard of such games. It is rather complex, but in its complexity one will find its genius. As I stated previously, it is by playing ASL that I have gained a better understanding of the events of the Second World War. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, today I set out to my friend Monty's place for a match that pitted members of the <a href="http://www.axishistory.com/axis-nations/119-germany-waffen-ss/germany-waffen-ss-divisions/1243-1-ss-panzer-division-leibstandarte-ss-adolf-hitler">SS-Division (mot.) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler</a> against defenders from the Soviet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/51st_Army_(Russia)">51st Army</a>. Crimea would be the setting for the battle as the elements of II. Battalion. This was the ASL Scenario "Contact!" by <a href="http://lonecanuckpublishing.ca/">Lone Canuck Publishing</a>, part of a series of scenarios focused on this Waffen SS division.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvYejZsvd5uK7ZalcnC6DWdC0EYC7Db-E5GUuLnuxX0pKNDDj9XZTHr0OuazKgL7kMhMU-iJbOfVfy44mcN3YqN2OP-4T22u7XM2BJznW7Gs6-nTRYK3GB_Xk_zqM__FskNBzIO7KGE5h/s1600/Scenario+Card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvYejZsvd5uK7ZalcnC6DWdC0EYC7Db-E5GUuLnuxX0pKNDDj9XZTHr0OuazKgL7kMhMU-iJbOfVfy44mcN3YqN2OP-4T22u7XM2BJznW7Gs6-nTRYK3GB_Xk_zqM__FskNBzIO7KGE5h/s400/Scenario+Card.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
The Scenario</h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the Soviet, it was up to me to defend. With my meagre force of ten first line squads, augmented by four machine guns, I was hoping to hold off a total of 11 elite SS squads augmented by a variety of support weapons, including eight machine guns. My leader to squad ratio was to be 1:5, while Monty had 1:2.4. Quite an advantage!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a plan, fairly simple. I would develop a forward force that would conduct a delay to buy time and then fight the main defensive battle on the objective hills on the near side of my board. I would face an initial force of 7 squads and then a reinforcing group of 4 squads with 4 (!) machine guns!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_qbtN0Mo61X85M5MnWgp5bxLrF83czmIZB3kaxJiSg9p35vH65PPtyQqOea2YA6tpGRMPlJDO-rDMCp69GBhDGouRFl1zjM1lnHXF3PvHKxz6_RB7596YpZuHx7Sr8muQpydRteazldl/s1600/SS+Entering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_qbtN0Mo61X85M5MnWgp5bxLrF83czmIZB3kaxJiSg9p35vH65PPtyQqOea2YA6tpGRMPlJDO-rDMCp69GBhDGouRFl1zjM1lnHXF3PvHKxz6_RB7596YpZuHx7Sr8muQpydRteazldl/s400/SS+Entering.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
Monty's SS about to enter the playing area</h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, we had our sides set and away we went. As he moved up, I had a machine gun open up at long range with good effect. I broke a squad and then another and the initial feeling was that I was going to be able to keep Monty's forces at arm's length for a few precious turns. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inevitably, however, Monty was able to get enough forces up in order to get the massed firepower to start to chip away at my troops. With a paltry morale level of 7 with an ELR of only 2, it was inevitable that my troops would break. And often. As such, I had plenty of space for routing back; however, Monty played his SS troops quite aggressively and was able to close the gap quickly and by the end of the game had captured 3 of my ten squads.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJZ2SahRhwEYBQqP3Thsji5iE1-0O1cztHyYMOYi5FiCVq1DSoR9PuX3GjvqsAAzholE1AvPbffoY4SR3i36N6d6Dj7VOytf2PDoDrm2a5A7xdObUzR_Aa1CgmIRbmgWCZV2vHhjzSMjy/s1600/Mid+Game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJZ2SahRhwEYBQqP3Thsji5iE1-0O1cztHyYMOYi5FiCVq1DSoR9PuX3GjvqsAAzholE1AvPbffoY4SR3i36N6d6Dj7VOytf2PDoDrm2a5A7xdObUzR_Aa1CgmIRbmgWCZV2vHhjzSMjy/s400/Mid+Game.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
Waffen SS gain the base of fire</h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the game progressed into turn 2, I was soon to realize that I would be unable to stand toe to toe with the Waffen SS. Their base morale of 8 proved to be just too tough to crack as the game went on. My machine guns had the range, but failed to achieve any rate tears. The closest I came was in one turn when a forward-positioned MMG (with a rate of fire of 2) was able to get 4 shots in against the enemy in one phase. My HMG was sited with my 9-1 way at the back and was able to bring effective fire to bear; however, not once was it able to get its rate of fire (his rate is 3). Conversely, Monty was able to fire back at long range into the machine gun nest and break the manning squad. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KePKEEY2dDwBmUF83Zx100meTjX4YSHW0umAV4lQfx7ioAaJkgUWCEVYamD7CHakoIpRFRO1oA50PH_cLvwx7aHshZDXdbI9qUUYhYVqFv8WAoSNoNNwGO80zr0FhTqu2gvhkyc8Mhb0/s1600/Broken+MG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KePKEEY2dDwBmUF83Zx100meTjX4YSHW0umAV4lQfx7ioAaJkgUWCEVYamD7CHakoIpRFRO1oA50PH_cLvwx7aHshZDXdbI9qUUYhYVqFv8WAoSNoNNwGO80zr0FhTqu2gvhkyc8Mhb0/s400/Broken+MG.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
Typical sight: my troops unable to withstand low IFT +2 TEM attacks</h2>
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On turn 6, the bubble burst from my defense. I had the HMG manned with fresh troops and my commissar was rallying the broken troops, hoping to hold back the Waffen SS troops for one more turn. That was all I would need to keep the enemy at bay. It was not to be. Monty's forces were just too much for me. The final nail in the coffin was two-fold. First he broke my HMG squad with long range fire (again) and then, to add insult to injury, an IFT 2 DRM +2 shot against a concealed squad ended up with a 1 MC and broke my lads.<br /><br />With that, it was all over. I had one good order squad left, leaving Monty to rush me at double time speed and take the objectives unopposed. Had I even had a chance to conduct a miracle rally, I would not have been able to even challenge his control of the hills.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3BVCwBWIEU5bK1S22JFh9M_iBiV6WSiLQvoDUKswqxsg16mlmRVJTD9CqV4TRsl1WLc18tQ0SmDEwRtlV4C5Zv3cNMzRqJOsB9kfpvlD00PTQ9tyFykxvn-JJK9lb41aCSzaXcnBiFt-/s1600/Surrendering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3BVCwBWIEU5bK1S22JFh9M_iBiV6WSiLQvoDUKswqxsg16mlmRVJTD9CqV4TRsl1WLc18tQ0SmDEwRtlV4C5Zv3cNMzRqJOsB9kfpvlD00PTQ9tyFykxvn-JJK9lb41aCSzaXcnBiFt-/s400/Surrendering.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
"This way, lads. For you, the war is over."</h2>
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In the end, a great game. Once again I was able to see why the Germans were able to dominate the Soviets early in the war. They had superior leadership at the company level and below, they had much better and more mobile support weapons and their troops were better trained. <br />
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-56901450135632660062017-02-21T09:34:00.000-08:002017-02-21T09:34:17.840-08:00ASL Replay: ASL 126 Commando Schenke<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Early in the German invasion of the USSR, German forces ran into some dogged Soviet resistance at Liepaja, Latvian SSR. German <em>Kriegsmarine</em> assault troops, along with some elements of the German <em>Heer</em> launched a final assault on 28 June, a mere 6 days after the invasion began<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEavtmndhS2mx0Lz1D_OlZn_92oJt4aLAa3-repvhIULgttzTSAoXpBcq4SNsnsCV80IKYZds2kA8jwHOxD7NN_F1F2hxbXyZnFdR2a6MeKhk4q-ivbnnP3mT6ozEMBbfCmMnih_uLOAr/s1600/Schenke+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEavtmndhS2mx0Lz1D_OlZn_92oJt4aLAa3-repvhIULgttzTSAoXpBcq4SNsnsCV80IKYZds2kA8jwHOxD7NN_F1F2hxbXyZnFdR2a6MeKhk4q-ivbnnP3mT6ozEMBbfCmMnih_uLOAr/s320/Schenke+01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting ready for some street fighting</span></td></tr>
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This battle is represented in the Advanced Squad Leader scenario "Commando Schenke". It first appeared in the ASL Annual '95 Winter. It was updated and released with the 3rd version of the ASL module "Beyond Valor". It was this updated version that I played recently against one of my first-ever ASL opponents, Andrew Luden.</div>
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Andrew and I first met on the ASL battlefield in Stalingrad. My Germans held off his attacking Soviets in that early battle. This time, however, it would be my attacking Germans against his defending Soviets.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItMCIWB3o1k5dIrGn10BsSSFI8sIVYMgYKCQcWq6dp6wH_2E47S0Y7QVbdCH3NPsc10M98JJqVlV-mUkR4eh0SOQFNJkectD4Ybyauf6806Ly2SXNQy8XTnszECyc8fkHi2AxFaq_eGr8/s1600/Schenke+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItMCIWB3o1k5dIrGn10BsSSFI8sIVYMgYKCQcWq6dp6wH_2E47S0Y7QVbdCH3NPsc10M98JJqVlV-mUkR4eh0SOQFNJkectD4Ybyauf6806Ly2SXNQy8XTnszECyc8fkHi2AxFaq_eGr8/s320/Schenke+02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Battling in the ruins</span></td></tr>
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For those familiar with ASL, the following will make perfect sense. Those who aren't, well, just try to follow along.</div>
My forces were a mix of first line and elite Germans. The Germans elite units are assault engineers, which means that I had plenty of smoke to mask my movement. The first line units are great for rooting out the Russians and helping the engineers get to where they needed to be: the objective building.<br />
Facing me were a number of Soviet first line units, some SMG equipped troops. With only 3 machine guns, the Soviets would be hard pressed to put down plenty of defensive fire. Also compounding this was his almost complete lack of leadership. Not very good facing Germans equipped with demo charges and flamethrowers, all necessary to bust my way into his fortified building.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LKwsdQJ1A4v0KtVpibYdtW2127DjtMiQCDpDc30pp-Ldn06E9tuOIYAtc9JIrHflLZV534MZ7CIxIy3BT3ejvCssg1KVANYWwxJ4GofChewa8LdcJdbTMYpqBqsH6IzlAc2-gQh-tEbm/s1600/Schenke+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LKwsdQJ1A4v0KtVpibYdtW2127DjtMiQCDpDc30pp-Ldn06E9tuOIYAtc9JIrHflLZV534MZ7CIxIy3BT3ejvCssg1KVANYWwxJ4GofChewa8LdcJdbTMYpqBqsH6IzlAc2-gQh-tEbm/s320/Schenke+03.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Russian Flambeau? Coming up!</span></td></tr>
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So, the forces were set. In the words of Caesar, Alea Iacta Est! Away we went.</div>
His forces were set up concealed and my initial goal was to strip away his concealment as early as possible, and then to manoeuvre to his right (my left) flank. From there I would have a base from which I could (hopefully) bust my way into the building, using my DCs to breach, if necessary and thereby gain entry into his fortified building<br />
My initial plan worked. I found one of his 5-2-7 SMG squads and entered into close combat with him, in spite of him being concealed. This gave him a great initial advantage, but I figured that my 3 squads would prevail. They didn't. I needed to augment this building (he did as well) and in the end I took out 2 of his squads for 3 of my own. Not good. But I pressed on!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-GF0-kxDDEj9eGTbZTXS2Dx9Nl03A5TD0qtdXE-RuT0Kp-YXSdVY8pRcQBAskl9EcZoBPKI2huxo5dAFY2XRk1iWwpYdEIxoePRTG37D9bibLIxytSKp8kRf-rPk1jVa0NIA82bkEbUY/s1600/Schenke+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-GF0-kxDDEj9eGTbZTXS2Dx9Nl03A5TD0qtdXE-RuT0Kp-YXSdVY8pRcQBAskl9EcZoBPKI2huxo5dAFY2XRk1iWwpYdEIxoePRTG37D9bibLIxytSKp8kRf-rPk1jVa0NIA82bkEbUY/s320/Schenke+04.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's <strong><em>not</em></strong> what I meant by "we need some smoke!"</span></td></tr>
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I was able to use some infantry smoke to get around to his right flank with my assault engineers and soon I was in my position ready to assault his fortress. Due to some fairly effective defensive fire, a sole 8-0 leader rushed into close combat in the fortress, finding his way in due to my pinning of his defenders. (Note: in ASL, if a building is fortified, one can only enter an enemy-occupied hex if that defender is pinned or otherwise not in good order). I survived the first round of close combat, but Andrew was able to finish off my leader before I could reinforce. My second attempt to enter was delayed somewhat by my assault engineers all failing to place smoke successfully (Note: in ASL, German Assault Engineers typically need 5 or less on 1 six-sided die.). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUcW60w0DuZTviZl_rzvwqvkn_JgcmWswnPsnRNNIHKK54Ubz5Nf1ca9XffQMohe0NqO89VBllkOJhB-05USjKydmIhqqx6MaKzhGJq7b5_fSjSoFDPVeo-KwkpU8lVPFhSiqoEjflfr-/s1600/Schenke+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUcW60w0DuZTviZl_rzvwqvkn_JgcmWswnPsnRNNIHKK54Ubz5Nf1ca9XffQMohe0NqO89VBllkOJhB-05USjKydmIhqqx6MaKzhGJq7b5_fSjSoFDPVeo-KwkpU8lVPFhSiqoEjflfr-/s320/Schenke+05.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Waiting for the signal to go!</span></td></tr>
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Finally, I busted into the building on the second-to-last turn and starting reinforcing it. I was able to push his forces into a far corner of the building, but to win, I needed to take <strong>all</strong> hexes from him. Andrew cleverly (and treacherously! Ha!) maneuvered his forces around such that I needed to break or at least pin all of his men prior to getting into close combat with him. Doing so would give me the win, but it was a tall order. It turned out that in spite of my using demo charges and flamethrowers, I was unable to get those last few hexes from him. In the end, Soviet win.</div>
As the initial notes on this scenario state, success depends on "...an adroit German player skilled in the use of assault fire, dash, smoke grenades and maneuver." Try as I might, it came down to Andrew's skilled defense holding out just long enough to keep me from getting the win.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-VbrLKwSKZWqMylXNDgX1MojyaL5kI0NKZWThD4QG6yCZD5K91zJJOADOAxJkzWusZXtyRfnzvqnjFSGp-zne_6IjQc-_ABugVyeu5aTnToi3JZ0bD09lgrkBDdQhk03ryADV856AVBZ/s1600/Schenke+06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-VbrLKwSKZWqMylXNDgX1MojyaL5kI0NKZWThD4QG6yCZD5K91zJJOADOAxJkzWusZXtyRfnzvqnjFSGp-zne_6IjQc-_ABugVyeu5aTnToi3JZ0bD09lgrkBDdQhk03ryADV856AVBZ/s320/Schenke+06.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DAS TUT WEH!</span></td></tr>
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In the end, German losses were heavy, as were Soviet. This result reflects what happened there back in 1941; the Germans needed 2 days and heavy artillery support to finally clear Liepaja. What was supposed to be a quick battle needed six days' effort by the Germans. Setbacks such as this may very well have been key in ensuring an eventual Soviet victory on the Eastern Front.</div>
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In conclusion, though playing games such as ASL may seem rather silly to some, it has, for me, been a way to better understand the finer details of the Second World War, especially that which happened on the Eastern Front. I have been able to gain a better understanding of why the Soviets were able to battle the Germans toe-to-toe in the cities, but crumbled against them in the open fighting of the Steppe. Even large-scale Soviet victories, such as those in the summer of 1944, were at a terrible cost in human life lost. In playing ASL, I often see how a Tiger tank, for example, can kill 10 enemy tanks in a single battle. The problem is, however, that there almost always is that 11th tank that is able to get the kill on that Tiger. </div>
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So, onwards to my next battle! Next time, I'm going to be taking the side of the defending Kiwis of the New Zealand Army as they defend against the German invasion of Crete in 1941. Huzzah!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKz8gq04z5J4-xBj88DQICGHE2a-0JQTsIw_fzMJmqL2-ugXzGLSy7ia_6GASfgYgLLUkvfm_gP0Hce08C5J0T8olJ7DR5AfaDJtlXpVSPQsKD36-V_ER8uSZVpPt_VI58xAuXEKFVW58/s1600/Schenke+07.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKz8gq04z5J4-xBj88DQICGHE2a-0JQTsIw_fzMJmqL2-ugXzGLSy7ia_6GASfgYgLLUkvfm_gP0Hce08C5J0T8olJ7DR5AfaDJtlXpVSPQsKD36-V_ER8uSZVpPt_VI58xAuXEKFVW58/s400/Schenke+07.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Scene of the fighting</span></td></tr>
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-63761191483132076232017-01-24T10:33:00.002-08:002017-01-24T10:33:43.411-08:00NATO or bust<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
According to <a href="http://ipolitics.ca/2017/01/23/how-sajjan-won-the-argument-over-peacekeeping/">this article,</a> the government of Canada may no longer be looking to participate in a UN Peacekeeping mission in Africa. Contrary to popular belief, Canada is currently engaged in <a href="http://forces.gc.ca/en/operations/current.page">several operations</a> at the time of this posting (24 January 2017). Some are <a href="http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/operations-abroad-current/op-impact.page">large</a> and some are <a href="http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/operations-abroad-current/op-snowgoose.page">not</a>. As it stands, Canada has committed to augmenting NATO forces in Eastern Europe in the guise of <a href="http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/operations-abroad/nato-ee.page">Operation REASSURANCE</a>. In addition, Canada <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/trump-looms-large-as-canada-and-allies-finalize-plans-for-nato-mission-to-latvia">is closer</a> to leading a multinational battlegroup in Latvia. In this blog post, not only do I applaud the government's apparent decision to forego a major UN Peacekeeping mission in Africa, but I also urge the government to strengthen its commitment to NATO on the Latvian Front.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzVqAddzgMQq00q2iBhan2QRl1RfoscEpnKLk8D_BPbOOMXZZnj7zo6JMnxtcew-28KOk6kme3IOvgQmA6YKJIQ0kIPugFECVUaWxfeENDiOj8MBYeYZjGOmVfig4kVgNlQfMTOHE1kpi/s1600/UN+Africa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzVqAddzgMQq00q2iBhan2QRl1RfoscEpnKLk8D_BPbOOMXZZnj7zo6JMnxtcew-28KOk6kme3IOvgQmA6YKJIQ0kIPugFECVUaWxfeENDiOj8MBYeYZjGOmVfig4kVgNlQfMTOHE1kpi/s400/UN+Africa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<strong>UN FORCES IN AFRICA</strong></div>
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Canada currently <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-defence-spending-1.3664272">spends</a> less than 1% of its GDP on defence. The NATO standard, which most of the countries fail to achieve, is to spend 2% on defence. An intelligent increase in spending on defence, not squandered on pay hikes or arbitrary and unnecessary infrastructure projects is not what I mean. Instead, this could be very well spent on acquiring battle-ready weapons and equipment. This means trucks, rifles, missiles and most importantly: <a href="http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/the-sinking-of-the-canadian-navy/">ships</a>. I personally would immediately defund the CBC and shift <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/liberals-pledge-675-million-in-cbc-funding/article29354285/">that money</a> over to the Department of National Defence, but that's not the point.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsYiMAEdn-vns4YqpV06QjTWZdfEjFKKNU6VI5TBt73EcLx_0aHnwIOyMOPUHlYtoSSnTv8BM69moXi2wgfbiTQ-8hHJQm-H6iUNXK8GnSnR32QvA_Bw5m-N3q3LursIJnROpsCo3VTBk/s1600/CBC.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsYiMAEdn-vns4YqpV06QjTWZdfEjFKKNU6VI5TBt73EcLx_0aHnwIOyMOPUHlYtoSSnTv8BM69moXi2wgfbiTQ-8hHJQm-H6iUNXK8GnSnR32QvA_Bw5m-N3q3LursIJnROpsCo3VTBk/s320/CBC.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>#NotMyBroadcaster</strong></div>
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Canada's commitment to Latvia makes sense from a purely political point of view; however, it would not last long at all against a concerted<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/may/17/topstories3.russia"> Russian offensive</a>, which would include attacks across all planes; moral and physical. In order to act as a viable deterrent, any deployed force must be combat capable and lethal. It may not be of the size of our <a href="http://silverhawkauthor.com/4-canadian-mechanized-brigade-group-canadian-forces-europe_366.html">brigade group of the latter half of the Cold War</a>, nor even of the even more <a href="http://www.ruhrmemories.ca/">powerful brigade group of the first half</a>. But a combat battlegroup, ideally a tank regiment battlegroup equipped with powerful and plentiful tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, would prove to be a thorn in the side of any Russian attack into the Baltics, no matter how improbable that may be.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgJZR4Zi4lje3rtMQzYd-oTnNY7l8j460Y-1gWRVgPnos7mBaojNAJjqh_gW-02ICyxEruw7qso0kbrC40NyBPUVzkO3IdS3UT-7Q_pSCmcD3rT7rw4ylj9CjRrr-a8Bztt7rCl6mm_3q/s1600/Destroyed+Tank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgJZR4Zi4lje3rtMQzYd-oTnNY7l8j460Y-1gWRVgPnos7mBaojNAJjqh_gW-02ICyxEruw7qso0kbrC40NyBPUVzkO3IdS3UT-7Q_pSCmcD3rT7rw4ylj9CjRrr-a8Bztt7rCl6mm_3q/s400/Destroyed+Tank.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<strong>APFSDS-T can be hazardous to your tank</strong></div>
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A battlegroup consisting of a single nation would not rely on several chains of command, languages and logistical requirements. Although other NATO nations could plug into the battle group on an ad hoc basis, a permanent or semi-permanent presence demands that it be of one nation.<br />
So, the big question: can Canada do it? The short answer is yes. After all, we are a <a href="http://www.international.gc.ca/g7/index.aspx?lang=eng">G7 nation</a> (G6 if Russia stops participating). A force of some 2,000 all-ranks would require a hefty commitment from <a href="http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en/">Canada's Army</a> (augmented heavily by its <a href="http://www.theregiment.ca/">reserve force</a>), but it would not be all that different from our sustained effort in Afghanistan. The difference would be that we would not be involved in continuous combat, nor would there be as many time zones between Canada and its deployed unit. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBRASS9XKtd4I5xC2TTjaMamZHxaZ3V3MIR0vjhrOFAYBqNAFwblFwgx9sQQ0iSd6Fih9ZW_5IRl3rwZmirYSUEYPH4Lqj76j5-Y2_4Kl6ENQ8HtunO_LO0M8Xp-McDYTUAfFfl-iJSNF/s1600/Leopard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBRASS9XKtd4I5xC2TTjaMamZHxaZ3V3MIR0vjhrOFAYBqNAFwblFwgx9sQQ0iSd6Fih9ZW_5IRl3rwZmirYSUEYPH4Lqj76j5-Y2_4Kl6ENQ8HtunO_LO0M8Xp-McDYTUAfFfl-iJSNF/s400/Leopard.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<strong>Combat Proven</strong></div>
In conclusion, a Canadian battlegroup, infantry or tank, backed up by a strong logistical chain that goes back to Canada itself, would send a strong signal. First to Russia, that we are serious about countering any potential Russian aggression in the Baltic states. Second, to NATO, that we are serious about our commitment to the alliance. Finally, to Canadians at home, that we are serious about their security, for it is ultimately Canadians we are defending, be it abroad or at home.<br />
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-87771172869724870102016-06-22T13:25:00.000-07:002016-06-22T13:25:06.378-07:00Life's a Breach<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In my latest post, <a href="https://technowikinger.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-first-blows.html">The First Blows,</a> my fictional Canadians were rather successful against an advancing Russian Tank Battalion. Nary a Canadian suffered so much as a hang nail en route to a complete shellacking of the dimwit Russians.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kqzjRXDesexc9B3JlaUFjKnZfeieR9t-1rvy8SdjYIg2EaDLkrBp1u4lF07B-JE8pUfGNOlJEt7Fmu7B2BPWGZ8eLGAXA4VRemTpQAoxAxccWQqu6sYTXkgNfgFllddQHLhP6FIJFbCV/s1600/Confused.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kqzjRXDesexc9B3JlaUFjKnZfeieR9t-1rvy8SdjYIg2EaDLkrBp1u4lF07B-JE8pUfGNOlJEt7Fmu7B2BPWGZ8eLGAXA4VRemTpQAoxAxccWQqu6sYTXkgNfgFllddQHLhP6FIJFbCV/s320/Confused.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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"Where the Heck did all the Canadians come from?"</div>
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Some of my peers have made comments as to our capabilities, but as I told them, the intent was to show the ideal. A skillfully lead tank squadron combat team could in fact deal such a blow to an advancing force.</div>
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So, in the interest of fairness, I now turn my attention to A Squadron, which in my scenario was tasked to destroy an enemy battalion much further to the north along the E22.</div>
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Like B Squadron, A Squadron is a combat team. It has its Squadron HQ along with 4 troops of tanks and a platoon of infantry. The route it has to cover is a bit more open than that of its sister squadron, so the OC came up with a slightly different plan.</div>
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His plan was fairly straightforward. In the first part, or phase, he would gain contact with the enemy in the area of Rezekne near the junction of the E22 and the north/south running A 13.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqID29dCE97Wbvvn2fZbmHtPgD0SAQHNnSZCj8h9MWUWeIt6PJuClCgmgXyLOLgYzf4nB46vaPGWe71NRQn9lPybnvvXIeSkF7RIV9F92gqGvO6h1cc6M80xy0h5dwqu6SoE4FOxKrawk/s1600/Latvia+01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqID29dCE97Wbvvn2fZbmHtPgD0SAQHNnSZCj8h9MWUWeIt6PJuClCgmgXyLOLgYzf4nB46vaPGWe71NRQn9lPybnvvXIeSkF7RIV9F92gqGvO6h1cc6M80xy0h5dwqu6SoE4FOxKrawk/s400/Latvia+01.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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A Squadron Area of Operations</div>
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He was counting on contact at night where his night sights would have an advantage over the advancing Russians. Once contact were made, he would conduct a delay, maintaining contact at maximum range until he had shaped the enemy into his killing zone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcZWgXw9VsETsjkAMDLX_HnRDjvBHouXemOPTw-Ap1AnCJM52x6EulM9kiuiqnKEE_jtqnOo45tGB3T7is8D40cfLKrts36zKCsY8uOeiT7DYuRKjzZM3BrmHYqYELPA0UQmqnqdU9Q46/s1600/Latvia+02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcZWgXw9VsETsjkAMDLX_HnRDjvBHouXemOPTw-Ap1AnCJM52x6EulM9kiuiqnKEE_jtqnOo45tGB3T7is8D40cfLKrts36zKCsY8uOeiT7DYuRKjzZM3BrmHYqYELPA0UQmqnqdU9Q46/s400/Latvia+02.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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A Squadron Commander's Overall Plan</div>
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Once they had the enemy into Battle Position 101 ("BP 101"), he would then engage them frontally with dug in infantry and a tank troop, fixing the enemy along the front. The enemy would then be drawn into conducting an attack, at which point the counter attack force of two tank troops would strike at the enemy's vulnerable flank.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
The Simple Plan</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On paper, the plan was simple enough and cunning enough to work. It relied on surprise and took advantage of knowledge of the Russian doctrine.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When first contact was made, the first blows were delivered by the tanks of 1 troop. At maximum range, they engaged the initial reconnaissance forces. The affair was one-sided and the Russians didn't have a chance. Unlike their brethren in B Squadron, A Squadron was intent on blinding the enemy's recce forces. This was part of the overall plan to give the Russians the illusion of success in the south. Unknown to the Canadians, that's just what the Russians surmised, and soon their primary route diverted from the North to the South. In the first echelon, nothing was noticed, but the real difference came in the second, follow-on echelon, where the Mobile Obstacle Detachment moved behind the battalion that was even now assuming the lead over the Division and Brigade reconnaissance elements. The division commander rightly assumed that the Canadians would fight for time in the north, and he wasn't going to risk his more lightly armoured forces against the tanks to his front.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After 1 troop fell back behind 3 troop, it wasn't long before the wrath of the Russians was felt. Unknown to A Squadron, a flight of UAVs was even now scanning the intended route of the tank battalion to its front. 1 Troop was spotted as they withdrew to the West, and soon a flurry of 152mm shells fell among the tanks. There was no significant damage to the tanks, but it did cause 3 troop to remain under cover.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
The King of Battle firing on the Canadians</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Soon their patience was rewarded with the sight of the advancing Combat Reconnaissance Patrol (CRP). At maximum range, the Leopards opened on the first two T 90s they spotted. The T 90s appeared to be hit, but one of them reversed quickly as the other started to burn as its interior ammunition caught fire. The crew was able to escape with minimal injuries, but the tank was hors de combat for now.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Leopards popped their smoke grenades and fell back, and just in a nick of time. They were spotted just as they opened up and soon the 152mm shells were falling among their now-vacated position.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Further back, the OC decided that it was time to make a clean break. The terrain just didn't really allow for his forces to risk being shot up in the open. He wasn't quite sure how the Russians were able to bring down artillery so quickly on his positions, nor so accurately, but he did (rightly) assume that there were UAVs about. With no AD Radar assets in the BG, his forces were virtually blind when it came to enemy air assets. Thus far, his forces were fortunate in that Russian helicopter and fixed-wing assets were apparently busy elsewhere in the Baltics.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A quick issue of orders on the radio net later, his forces were set. 1 and 3 troop were set as the counter moves forces. 2 Troop and 4 platoon, H Company, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment were set at their positions in BP 101. They were well dug in and camouflaged and ready for the advancing Russians. They wouldn't have long to wait.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Tank Attack!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Just as their doctrine dictated, the CRP led the advance with the main body not far behind. It was back far enough to be out of harm's way, but close enough to be able to assist the CRP within minutes. Soon that CRP would need its help!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Unlike the previous engagements, the aim of the position was to engage the CRP in close in order to entice them to draw in a battalion attack. So, at about 2,000 yards, the first shots to land on the advancing tanks were by the Canadian Artillery some 20 km to the West. The rounds did very little damage to the tanks, but it did cause them to take pause. They dispersed and scanned the area to the front, where the route entered the woods, and they rightly determined that the position was held. Although they could see no individual positions, some wire and markings of the limits of an Anti Tank minefield were noted. This information was passed to the BG HQ and soon the orders were being generated for a battalion hasty attack.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The first step in the attack was the artillery. The Brigade Artillery Group supported by the Divisional Artillery Group quickly formulated a fire plan and soon let loose an intense barrage across the suspected enemy position. The initial barrage was more general in nature, as UAVs continued to scan and look for the positions. As well, further UAV missions went west in search of the Canadian Artillery.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Unknown and undetected by the Canadians, the Russians decided to conduct a frontal feignt in order to draw in the Canadian counter attack as they even now deployed their mobile obstacle detachment (MOD) to block the enemy attack into their flank. This involved a series of hastily laid mines across a frontage of some 2 km as anti tank formations set up to fire across the obstacles.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Russian Plan. As they attack into the Canadians (Red Arrow), the Canadian Counter Attack would strike from the north (Blue Arrow). They would hit the surprise obstacle (green rectangle) and right then, the Anti Tank forces would strike into their flanks.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The plan was simple but it adhered to the principles of simplicity and surprise. And it was easily understood by all.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At H Hour, the time of the attack, the Canadian position, still not quite properly discerned, was struck with an intense barrage of High Explosives and Smoke. The two assaulting companies struck out from their attack position and raced towards the Canadian obstacle belt. They were still not under effective fire as they began their breaching operation. Soon, however, Canadian fire reached out and started to inflict casualties, even as the Canadian artillery fell among the Russian sappers and engineering vehicles. There were some casualties, but the troops remained rather composed under this enemy fire, intense as it was.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Suddenly, from the north, a dull rumble added to the sounds of the battle. The ten tanks of the counter moves force were even now just starting to move into their firing positions off to the Russian Flank. It was going very well even though the casualties from the Russian artillery were starting to mount among the Canadian infantry.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Suddenly a bright flash caught the Squadron Commander by surprise. He looked to his left and saw a Leopard has just come to a screeching halt, smoke billowing from its near track. It was quite immobile and even now the crew was seen to be bailing out. Mines! Just then, another flash and another tank stopped dead in its tracks. They were still 500 metres from the firing position, and their presence was sorely needed to augment the fire into the kill zone! Where did the mines come from? Worse yet, he had no assets with which to breach the anti tank ditch that was even now being reported.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The squadron commander's heart sunk. He has run into the Russian MOD's hasty belt. He knew that it was only seconds before the enemy would....</div>
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TOO LATE!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It was right then that the anti tank missiles started to strike into his flank. "MISSILE, MISSILE, MISSILE!" was called out over the net. Two tanks were struck as the survivors began to launch smoke and seek cover. But it was all but over for the counterattack. 2 tanks were immobilized and 2 more were destroyed. The surviving six were able to escape the initial barrage but were even now straining to find the firing positions. It was too late. The enemy barrage had shifted and now fell among the fleeing Leopards. One more was immobilized and the Squadron Commander realized that his plan had failed. Smoke was called for and once his position was well-screened, his surviving tanks raced back to the battle position. He ordered the remainder of the squadron to make its way back after breaking contact. It was almost too late for the main force, but by skillful use of maintained track plans, the bulk of the main defending force made its way back. But the plan now was in ruins and it was up to the relatively unused 4 troop (the squadron reserve) to take over the battle.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A Squadron fell back in some disorder and much the wiser as it made its way to the Battle Group rally point at Jekabpils some 60 km distant.</div>
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-34480890699875376382016-06-20T19:00:00.002-07:002016-06-21T04:21:17.285-07:00The First Blows<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In a previous post, I talked about how a Canadian Battlegroup could make its mark felt in Europe once again. <br />
In order to show how it could possibly make its mark felt by the Russians, I present here a fictional account of a battle. After all, let's face it: you do not deploy troops unless you are fully intended to use them in combat. This is how the very first blows of combat could happen, and in spite of the outcome presented here, it could very well turn out differently. <br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 1<sup>st</sup> of August was the day that the Russians decided
to end all diplomacy with NATO and resort to military operations. Of course, it would take time to launch
their divisions, but not so long that they would lose all advantages over the
meagre NATO force in the Baltics.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Their aim was simple: overwhelm the forces in place and
split the Baltic states from Poland.
Then, once in a position of strength, they could then revert to
negotiations and end the sanctions against her that were really starting to
take hold.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Up in Latvia, the Canadian Battlegroup, for this rotation it
was The Royal Canadian Dragoons with an attached company from 2<sup>nd</sup>
Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, a squadron of Engineers and all
supported with direct support from a battery of towed M 777 howitzers from 2<sup>nd</sup>
Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, who were augmented by
two troops of Air Defence. The Air
Defence wasn’t much, it was all hand-held missiles as back in Canada the
government was frantically trying to find some SHORAD and VSHORAD Air
Defence. Alas, it was too late. The Battlegroup was already in country and
soon moved to its battle positions along the border with Belarus and Russia. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The battle group had a very simple order: it was to destroy
the first echelon of a Russian Tank Brigade that was assessed to be in the area
of Polatsk, Belarus. NATO intelligence
assessed that this Tank Brigade was to drive to Riga in order to split the
Baltics as well as to deny NATO its main port south of Talinn. This Brigade was assessed to probably use two
main routes: the A 6 to the south and the E 22 to the north. These two routes joined at Jekabpils. As such, this was the Battlegroup’s Vital
Ground. In other words, if the Russians
gained control of this place, then the Canadian defence would be untenable. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The battle group commander’s plan was relatively
straightforward. The deployment would
see two squadrons forward with one in depth at Jekabpils. The forward squadrons were to each destroy a
tank battalion each before moving back through Jekabpils to further operations
near Riga. A Squadron was left, or
North, and B Squadron was right, or south.
Each of the squadrons was attached a platoon of infantry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="text-align: center;"><u>B Squadron Combat Team</u></b> </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The Squadron was responsible for the A6 in the area of
Daugavpils. Assessing the ground, the
Squadron Commander came up with a simple plan.
He would put two troops forward that would engage the enemy formations,
shaping them into a killing zone just north of the A6. The plan was to make it look like the obvious
routes were blocked, and leaving a secondary route relatively unguarded. It was in there that the squadron would make
its mark felt on the T 90s of the advancing tank battalion.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The way in which the battalion would be destroyed was rather
novel. The advancing Combat Recce
Patrol, consisting of a Tank Platoon, some NBC and Engineer Recce elements,
would be allowed to pass un touched. The
next portion, the Forward Security Element of a tank company, an infantry
platoon, an artillery battery of 2S1s and a Movement Support Detachment of
Engineers would then be destroyed simultaneously across the length of the
advance. At least that’s what the plan
was At 0400 hours of D Day, the day of the Russian Invasion, the
battlegroup stood to due to the overwhelming evidence that the Russians were on
the move. And by 0415 hours, the forward
elements of the reconnaissance screen reported mass formations of helicopters
and jets flying west. These were en
route to objectives in the rear of the battle group and were the concern of
other NATO formations. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At 0428, the battlegroup net crackled to life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Zero, this is six.
Contact, wait, out.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every troop leader followed the battle along on their maps
as the contacts were updated with information every few moments. It soon became apparent that a Russian tank
battalion was indeed using the A6. Up
front were elements of a recce detachment, and these were allowed to pass
unmolested. The BRDMs and BMP (recce)
vehicles covered each other’s moves as they pressed Westward, pausing for about
5 minutes near the airfield at Lociki before moving along the A6. They seemed to rely on speed as security
when they moved along the densely forested highway en route to Riga. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“C Squadron will deal with them,” thought the squadron
commander as he noted that they were passing.
He did some mental math and realized that the next elements, the Brigade
Reconnaissance patrols would be along in due course. Sure enough, they were. They were noted to spend more time at the
airfield, poking around and even dismounting some troops for closer
investigation. Given that the sun would
be up soon, the Squadron Commander surmised that follow on helicopter troops
would be using this airfield for a staging area or even as a logistics
hub. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Soon even the brigade recce elements were moving along the
path that the higher patrols had taken.
This means that the next elements would be from the tank battalion, the
one with which he was tasked to destroy.
(As a note, this did not mean that he had to physically destroy each and
every vehicle in that battalion, but rather just had to render that battalion
non-effective. As such, he estimated
that he would have to knock out about 4 out of 9 platoons. This would leave only about 15 or so tanks to
do the job of 30 or more. In short, that
battalion would have to stop and wait for reinforcements before it could move
on with its job.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the recce elements passed, the squadron’s two front
troops deployed. 1 Troop took up its
positions near Stropi, blocking the A 6 itself, while 3 troop was further
north, near Malinova, obstensibly blocking any flanking moves to the
North. The Leopards all moved out, 2 at
a time, the other two in the troop covering the movers. In short order, the troops were ready. They were to engage the advancing combat
recce patrol, forcing them to divert from the A6. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Two Niner, Two-one.
Contact, three T 90s, four APCs moving east to west along the MSR. Am engaging, out!”</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
This short burst transmission alerted the squadron commander
to the fact that 1 troop had spotted the Combat Recce Patrol, or “CRP” as it
was known, and that they were going to start shooting. According to plan, the enemy was at maximum
range, and at most, one tank would be hit.
The idea wasn’t to trigger an enemy hasty attack, but rather to divert
its advance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the pre dawn sky was lit up by the massive cannons of
the Leopards tanks, followed by the streak of the hyper velocity shot, it was
apparent that a T 90 had been hit; however, its active armour system had
defeated the round and already the tanks were making smoke and moving
north. In short, the ruse had worked and
soon the enemy CRP was out of sight. This
was reported on the radio net and the squadron commander nervously awaited word
from 3 Troop. 2 and 4 troop, along with
6 platoon of H Company, 2 RCR, were given the code word “saddles” and were all
mounted in their vehicles, ready to take up their battle positions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the Russian Camp, the CRP commander was shocked by the
sudden gunfire from off to his left. “Dammit!”
he thought. “They’ve blocked the
A6! We’ll have to swing north!” He paused in some low ground as the artillery
OP vehicle called for a quick mission to suppress the enemy tanks. They were unsure if they were Latvian or
Canadian, but it didn’t matter. Their
job was to get to Jekabpils by noon!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He got on his radio net after a quick look at his map. He ordered the formation to head north and
then turn West near Sparite.
Unknowingly, his path was taking the exact one his enemy was going to
try to make him take.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Two niner, this is two three. Contact, enemy CRP advancing north. They are heading into the gap along route
CLUB. I say again, they are heading into
the gap along route CLUB. Out.” With this, the squadron commander realized
that his plan was coming to fruition. He
ordered 3 troop to remain in place and report on the follow on formations, even
as 1 Troop was falling back in an attempt to avoid the very heavy artillery
that was falling amongst their tanks.
Though they were very heavily armoured, the shock of the blasts was
having an effect on the troopers and it was best to leave now to avoid any
damage at all to the tanks.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Now the battleplan depended on the Russians adhering to
their own schedule. The Squadron Commander’s
plan was to hit the CRP and the Vanguard Company simultaneously. 2 troop at the end of the gap through which
the CRP was advancing would hit them with massed fires just as 4 troop and 6
platoon would ambush the remainder as they entered the gap near Sparite. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Following the battle on the radio, the squadron commander
was pleased to see that the Russians were indeed following their schedule. 3 Troop reported the company of tanks
advancing into the gap, albeit a bit further north, obstensibly to avoid 1
troop, which was at that very time passing through 2 troop and heading for some
replenishment before occupying the squadron’s next battle position. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Satisfied that the CRP was past the ambush position for 4
troop and 6 platoon, he ordered his squadron into position. 3 Troop would simply avoid the battle and
swing round the north to the next position before heading to the next
bound. The battle was now in the hands
of the troop leaders and platoon commander on the ground. All the rehearsals would now either pay off
or prove to be not good enough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The success of the plan of attack was best illustrated by
the radio traffic on the Russian net.
The Tank Battalion Commander was just passing Slutiski, about 5
kilometres away from the vanguard company when he was shocked to see the sky in
front of him light up in a series of flashes.
Just then, on the radio came a number of confusing messages. He tried to sort out if the CRP or the
Vanguard was in contact. Soon he was
shocked to realize that they <i>both</i>
were under contact, and it wasn’t clear where they were or where the enemy
was. All he knew was this: about 10
tanks, 6 APCs and 6 2S1s were up there and they were quite obviously in a close
fight. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the intensity of the flashes waned, so too did his radio
net. It wasn’t apparent at the time, but all control had been lost up front as
his forces were hit from the front and both sides all at once. They were now in survival mode, and they were
only able to shoot back blindly and without even knowing if they were effective
or not.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unknown to him, what happened was this. As the CRP exited the gap in the trees, they
were hit by a volley of tank fire that targeted the T 90s. Although the active and reactive armour saved
two tanks in the initial volley, the subsequent volley finished the
survivors. The accompanying APCs simply
sought cover and attempted to report, in vain, what was happening. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meanwhile, in the woods, the rest of the tank company along
with its accompanying infantry were hit by a combination of tank, APC, rifle,
machine gun and recoilless rifle fire.
The tanks suffered the most in the first volley, but as the subsequent
volleys poured in, it soon became apparent that the enemy was too well hidden
to shoot back to any effect. The only
meaningful fire that was returned was from the 2S1s, their 122mm shells falling
amongst the Leopards. Had they been able
to see the Canadian infantry, they would have had some effect; the Leopards
were just too robust.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdlA2xUUDksGOCk7J4AfS3rCVPvQzWYig3uG4ugsH8K34utwHT2ueO-HR_2cWQlwyt4FwQzlof5erytv6o6IRCJCP4oIAvfjU9PkWux3ZyPPQUF-kIg6h3ZGA9cDPr5EjHOXIagWtvizy/s1600/Arty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdlA2xUUDksGOCk7J4AfS3rCVPvQzWYig3uG4ugsH8K34utwHT2ueO-HR_2cWQlwyt4FwQzlof5erytv6o6IRCJCP4oIAvfjU9PkWux3ZyPPQUF-kIg6h3ZGA9cDPr5EjHOXIagWtvizy/s320/Arty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Satisfied that the enemy company was no longer functional,
the squadron commander ordered the clean break.
Supported by 155mm shells falling among the Russian survivors, the
Canadians mounted upon their APCs and with the tanks covering, moved back to
the relative safety further west. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The initial battle was over and the Canadians didn’t suffer
a scratch. In 20 minutes, the enemy
advance was stuttering already, and soon the first rays of sunshine would allow
anyone to see the carnage that had been left behind.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-72850526177003123242016-06-16T11:01:00.001-07:002016-06-16T11:01:51.100-07:00Letting the Cat out of the Bag<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In a <a href="https://technowikinger.blogspot.com/2016/06/opportunity-in-east.html">previous blog</a>, I wrote about the possibility of Canada providing an infantry Battle Group to a NATO deterrence effort in the Baltic States. I've heard many comments from my peers about the difficulties of raising such a force, so I decided to think outside the box and propose an alternate ORBAT: A Tank Regiment Battlegroup. It would look something like this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1oni4KIG8SHLOu6f6a0ocw0NOcolpg_lYLyHxkOHWPaVUcs8p2M3W379X92VhAMFg1wC6CdiW_K05_siOH0PIqo8Eub-bLWMFP2AiDhw8Q1iqWmEWMHA8lYN5EG7cGOflWH6UdwoAoTj/s1600/Leopard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1oni4KIG8SHLOu6f6a0ocw0NOcolpg_lYLyHxkOHWPaVUcs8p2M3W379X92VhAMFg1wC6CdiW_K05_siOH0PIqo8Eub-bLWMFP2AiDhw8Q1iqWmEWMHA8lYN5EG7cGOflWH6UdwoAoTj/s400/Leopard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
<br /><br />
Regimental Headquarters<br />
<br /><br />
3 x Tank Squadrons<br />
<br /><br />
1 x Armoured Reconnaissance Squadron<br />
<br /><br />
1 x Mechanized Infantry Company<br />
<br /><br />
1 x Armoured Engineer Squadron<br />
<br /><br />
That's it, that's all. It would be a lean force equipped primarily with the Leopard 2 a combat-proven tank that is arguably the <a href="http://www.military-today.com/tanks/top_10_main_battle_tanks.htm">best tank in the world</a>.<br />
<br /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><u>TO THE BATTLE</u></strong></div>
So, how would this force fight? Essentially, it would rely on its mobility and secure lines of communications to counter any Russian thrust into the Baltic state of Latvia. Alternately, it could form the nucleus of a counter-moves force for an ad-hoc NATO brigade in the area. The Armoured Reconnaissance Squadron would be the eyes and ears of the NATO force in the east in general and as such would not be part of the fighting force for the Tank Regiment. The Armoured Engineers would provide the much-needed mobility and counter mobility required by the Regiment to conduct operations. The Infantry would be to retain terrain (when needed) as well as to provide close-country protection to the tanks, again, as needed. Alternately, they could be used in the rear to provide the much-needed protection to the vital logistical links back to Riga.<br />
<br /><br />
If it came to blows, this force of some 59 tanks would most likely conduct a delay or mobile defence in order to attrit and/or destroy the lead Russian formations as they closed in on vital areas in the NATO rear. For fire support, this regiment would have to rely upon other nations to provide that given that Canada doesn't have any mobile medium artillery. Unless we were to purchase some M 109s, we would have to ask Germany or even the Netherlands to provide a battery of Panzerhaubitze 2000s.<br />
<br /><br />
<div align="center">
<strong><u>COULD WE DO THIS?</u></strong></div>
<div align="left">
Yes we could. It would require a massive recruitment campaign in order to get trained crews for a second rotation as well as a massive effort to retrain our crewmen back in our regular force regiments. It would not be an easy task, but it could be done. This would project some serious combat power overseas and would arguably be the most powerful NATO unit in theatre. As such, it would therefore demonstrate our resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our NATO partners overseas.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-66773534958304770282016-06-16T10:42:00.001-07:002016-06-16T10:42:50.859-07:00Logistics! Logistics! Logistics!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In a previous <a href="https://technowikinger.blogspot.com/2016/06/opportunity-in-east.html">blog</a>, I wrote about the possibility of Canada providing an infantry battlegroup on an enduring NATO deployment. Since then, the government seems to have <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/liberals-considering-nato-request-to-send-1000-canadian-troops-to-eastern-europe">shown some interest</a> in doing just that. In this blog, I'm not going to rehash the order of battle, or ORBAT of that battlegroup. In fact, the order of battle is nearly irrelevant. It could have the very best of everything, but if Canada could not sustain it, then it would be moot.<br />
<br /><br />
In that previous blog, I made mention of a National Support Element or NSE. This would have as its main task the sustainment of that battlegroup. Canadian doctrine is pretty clear on its sustainment, and as such, how or what that NSE would have to do. As a synopsis, it would carry seven days' of supplies for that battlegroup, acting as its so-called "B" echelon. It would also care for the longer-term maintenance of the guns, weapons and other equipment, carry forward fuel, ammunition and food for the men and so on.<br />
<br /><br />
In times of peace, its job would be relatively easy. That is, compared to our logistical efforts in Afghanistan during the height of combat operations there, it would be infinitely easier. Virtually all classes of supply would be able to be procured in country: ammunition is NATO standard, POL standards are the same and so forth. In fact, if you can think of it, there is a NATO STANAG for it. (Consider <a href="http://everyspec.com/NATO/NATO-STANAG/STANAG-2494(ED2)_6292/">this STANAG</a> for bar codes on shipment labels as an example.) The Canadian-only things we would have to get to our troops would be hard rations, or IMPs as they are called, weapons and equipment parts specific to our national assets (such as LAV 6 barrels and other widgets for our "stuff"). <br />
<br /><br />
If war were to break out in the Baltic between NATO and Russia (or, "<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-27211501">NotRussians</a>" as the case may be...), then the logistics would be relatively difficult. Again, this is relative to our efforts in Afghanistan. The reason would be that the Russians would effectively cut out our efforts to reinforce and/or sustain our forces in the field by sea and by air. Consider this map of the region:<br />
<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhEbtmsgiIZlayCpY5iw94IX10BoOIOihF3hQNTtXrYH9Fk6Pz_JYoFYzFuVtPIh1Xn82aDwHlu4DudDG4y4dFk8hs1UbQ7OsyxwpTiBq3A4zaoPA5UhAX1Lh6iLdN1QIlJKZtaS7wmxC/s1600/Latvia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhEbtmsgiIZlayCpY5iw94IX10BoOIOihF3hQNTtXrYH9Fk6Pz_JYoFYzFuVtPIh1Xn82aDwHlu4DudDG4y4dFk8hs1UbQ7OsyxwpTiBq3A4zaoPA5UhAX1Lh6iLdN1QIlJKZtaS7wmxC/s640/Latvia.jpg" width="592" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
Any efforts to bring in supplies via Riga or any other port would be an exercise in futility. Also, Russian Surface to Air Rocket Forces would be able to project its power over the entire area from Russia as well as from the Russian enclave that used to be the eastern-most edge of the German Empire and Prussia. The S-400 "Triumph" has a reputed range of 400 km. Even at a fraction of that, our C-17s would be highly vunerable even in German airspace off to the West. <br />
<br />For this reason alone, strict adherence to our doctrine of a net total of 10 days' of stocks across the A and B echelons would be vital for the survival of our force. Our forces would be quickly cut off and isolated by a Russian surge from Belarus into Russia via the corridor straddling the Lithuanian-Polish borders. It would take perhaps 10 days' of build up by our NATO allies to mount a counter offensive capable of reaching our forces, most likely in the area around the capital of Riga. (Attempts by our Leopard 2A6Ms to relive <a href="http://www.achtungpanzer.com/gen4.htm">Otto Carius'</a> efforts at <a href="http://battlevault.com/Events/Wolfkrieg-09/WK-09%20Player%20List_files/German/Tony_Thompson_Hist.pdf">the battle of Malinava</a> in the region of Daugavpils would be an effort in futility.)<br />
<br /><br />
So, in conclusion, efforts to sustain a national effort in Latvia is completely within the realm of the possible. Canada sustained a similar sized task force during 5 years of combat operations in Afghanistan, and a much larger sized brigade group in the Federal Republic of Germany for decades. The key, however, is that if push does come to shove and it comes to war, the Canadian task force must be prepared to withstand 10 days' of high-intensity combat before being relieved. As such, its needs to be able to have firepower, mobility and protection all sustained by a robust combat echelon.</div>
Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-25841192151107098022016-06-06T07:57:00.000-07:002016-06-06T07:57:37.755-07:00D Day, 72 years on<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It was 72 years ago that the Western Allies landed on the coast of France. 6 divisions landed by sea and 3 more by air. I cannot begin to understand the dread the soldiers must have felt just before landing. Having been in Afghanistan, I have a bit of a feeling of jitters the night before an operation, but nothing anywhere as near as what they must have felt.<br />
<br /><br />
<br /><br />
I weep now, looking at Europe. Birth rates are such that the French, the Germans, the Dutch, etc, are all dying out. I wonder what it was all about...</div>
Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-75049426344239811622016-06-01T18:39:00.000-07:002016-06-01T18:39:01.771-07:00Opportunity in the East<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Check out this article:<br />
<a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/nato-cant-find-country-willing-to-lead-fourth-combat-battalion-in-front-line-against-a-resurgent-russia">Opportunity in the East</a><br />
<br />
Synopsis: NATO is looking for a fourth. A fourth battalion, that is. The US, the UK and Germany have each agreed to deploy a battalion of infantry to Eastern Europe in the face of a resurgent Russia. Specifically, these battalions would be earmarked for Poland and the Baltic States.<br />
None of these four countries are very friendly with Russia. Historically, they have been foes. Whether or not Russia really will march West is irrelevant. In the face of Russian sabre rattling over the Baltic and in the Black Sea, NATO <b><i>must</i></b> stand united, lest it fade to irrelevance.<br />
This is where Canada could come in. If I had the ear of the MND or the PM, I would whisper this into his ear:<br />
"We have an opportunity to take a leadership role in NATO and in the Five Eyes (the unofficial alliance of the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Also called the Anglosphere, Quebec notwithstanding). It is low risk and very high pay off. Here's what we do..." This is where I get into policy and details and such. <br />
But in short, Canada could, no, ought to be that fourth battalion. This is how it could look, going from the top down.<br />
<br /><u>Command and Control</u><br />
At the top there were have to be a National Command Element. This would be the commanding general (ideally a Major General) and his or her staff. He or she would report back to the Canadian Joint Operations Command in Ottawa. His or her staff would be lean, but big enough to deal with our coalition partners and provide the national rear link. It would by necessity have to have a signal squadron in order to provide that bandwidth. It would not be in the same location as the battalion. Instead, it would be at a national capital, be it Warsaw or elsewhere. The secondary role of liaison with our partners would necessitate this.<br />
Another necessity would be a National Support Element. This would be the logistical link back to Canada. In army doctrinal terms, this would be the "BSA". This "Brigade Services Area" would stockpile the necessary logistical "stuff" (ammo, fuel, water, food, etc) for up to 14 days of sustained operations. It would also handle the challenging task of deploying the battalion into theatre and of course its replacements. <br />
<u>The Battlegroup</u><br />
The battalion, in reality, a battlegroup, would be a full-up infantry battlegroup. In addition to its battlegroup headquarters, it would have the following:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Four Rifle Companies</li>
<li>One Combat Support Company complete with:</li>
<ul>
<li>Anti Armour Platoon</li>
<li>Mortar Platoon</li>
<li>Reconnaissance Platoon</li>
<li>Pioneer Platoon</li>
</ul>
<li>One Administration Company </li>
<li>One Tank Squadron (complete with full echelon)</li>
<li>One Armoured Reconnaissance Squadron</li>
<li>One Direct Support Battery (8 x 155mm howitzers)</li>
<li>One Anti Aircraft Battery</li>
<li>One Armoured Engineer Squadron</li>
</ul>
<div>
This is a huge beast. This would be close to 2,000 all ranks and would require a Division to assemble this kind of force. It wouldn't be easy, but with the regular force Brigade Group leading, and with ample support from the reserve brigades, this could be done and sustained, just as we did for our combat mission in Kandahar.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>The Cycle</u></div>
<div>
Ok, so we have them there, now what? Well, I would offer that they would go to Eastern Europe for a 12 month long tour, with each Division being the lead for a tour. For example, 4 Div would lead the first, followed by 2 Div, etc. (The anomaly would be 5 Div, but that's only because it doesn't have a regular force brigade group.) Prior to each tour, the battlegroup would be trained up to what is termed "Level 6", which is Battlegroup. So, the unit complete has completed its work up training at CMTC in Wainwright, Alberta, and is now sitting somewhere in Eastern Europe. Now what?</div>
<div>
I see the unit there going through four phases, each of roughly 3 months. In each of the first three phases, they work up their training in a specific phase of war. For example, in the first phase, they could work on enabling operations, such as delay operations, advance to contact, etc. Next phase, they could work on defensive operations, and in the third, work on offensive operations. The last phase would be reserved for a coalition-level exercise, coordinated with the other three NATO battalions.</div>
<div>
In each phase, the battlegroup would go through a cycle first of planning and then executing their training, culminating in a level 6 event. Finally, the battlegroup would go through a rest and refit cycle of a few weeks.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>It's a Deployment, not a posting</u></div>
<div>
This is the key part. The soldiers would deploy without their families or other dependents. Yes, they would be able to get leave to go home, or even bring their families over to them. This would be part of the rest and refit cycle. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>Conclusion</u></div>
<div>
Have no doubt, this would be expensive in terms of capital and effort. But it would pay massive dividends. First and foremost, on the political front, Canada would be able to proudly announce that it is taking a leading role in NATO. This would follow on our long service in Kandahar, but in this case, the risk to our national treasure would be low. Also, it would serve notice to Russia that NATO is <i style="font-weight: bold;">not</i> a European or American alliance. We as North Americans would be on the forefront of NATO, just as we were until we moved to the very south western tip of Germany in the late 1960s. Prior to that, we were one of the most powerful brigades in all of NATO. Were we to deploy as outlined above, we would have the cutting edge of our combat power deployed forward. We are a G7 nation, and it's time we starting acting as such.</div>
</div>
Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-63846029813087613362016-05-31T14:51:00.000-07:002016-05-31T14:51:18.159-07:00ASL, one year later<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Wow. What a year it's been. 31 May 2015 I wrote that my overall ASL record stood at 3 wins and 4 losses. Well, today, 31 May 2016, it stands at 21 and 29. By my math, that's 43 matches in a year. Less than 1 per week, but I'm working on it. I played four last week (I went 2 and 2) and I'm already set to play 2 (at least) this coming weekend.<br />
<br />
So, last year, I noted that I had the first version of the rule book, Beyond Valor (USSR and Germans and some smattering of Finns), Paratrooper (USA) and For King and Country (UK and commonwealth). I have since then purchased a few more things...<br />
<br />
As fate would have it, about a year ago right now, I met a fellow by the name of Larry Brien. He was selling off his ASL collection. I ended up buying it from him. <br />
What did I get? Well, in addition to the Version 2 Rules, I got the following:<br />
Beyond Valor Version 2 (with Red Barricades) and Version 3<br />
Paratrooper Version 2<br />
Yanks<br />
West of Alamein<br />
For King and Country (giving me two copies)<br />
The Last Hurrah<br />
Hollow Legions<br />
Code of Bushido<br />
Gung Ho!<br />
Croix de Guerre<br />
Doomed Battalions<br />
Armies of Oblivion<br />
Rising Sun<br />
Streets of Fire (Deluxe ASL)<br />
Pegasus Bridge (HASL)<br />
Valor of the Guards (HASL)<br />
A Bridge Too Far (HASL, complete with the so-called "Black SS")<br />
Operation Veritable (Historical Study)<br />
Kampfgruppe Peiper 1 (HASL)<br />
Kampfgruppe Peiper 2 (HASL)<br />
Festung Budapest (HASL)<br />
There were also a number of other goodies, such as third party products, especially from Lone Canuck.<br />
<br />
This game has bitten me, and since moving to the Washington DC area, I have been lucky to meet many other like-minded ASL gurus. Some are more experienced than I, others less so. And we all share one passion: moving our little men around the board in mortal cardboard combat.<br />
<br />
Let's see what the next year brings!<br />
<br /></div>
Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-84301876588664104792016-03-03T06:43:00.000-08:002016-03-03T06:43:05.214-08:00More of Advanced Squad Leader<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, it's been a year since I've last posted about Advanced Squad Leader. I've gone over the games I've played and in the last 13 months, I've played 32 games to completion, with a win/loss record of 15 and 17. <br />
<br /><br />
Here are some of my noteworthy games:<br />
<div style="border-image: none;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="border-image: none; text-align: center;">
Badonov's Boys </h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXwCnLj8ZQgSr099DtlVh2-HH9qzqPJm7LjactDShn0PItKef1Gdv1EyBO_wNKEWh2848l3MsH5GExo433F4e0UVZaLNWWWVKA_NlZSIo6r4PWSlZjNc6uPjtknQDLgizJZHtsBwxuAQc/s1600/Boy+Soldier.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXwCnLj8ZQgSr099DtlVh2-HH9qzqPJm7LjactDShn0PItKef1Gdv1EyBO_wNKEWh2848l3MsH5GExo433F4e0UVZaLNWWWVKA_NlZSIo6r4PWSlZjNc6uPjtknQDLgizJZHtsBwxuAQc/s1600/Boy+Soldier.png" /></a></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
This was my first-ever full ASL match that was played face to face. This was played at Huzzahcon in Maine. I lost this match quite handily; however, I did well. I opened the match with a long range AT shot against a Ferdinand that cut it in half. Later, I had the other Ferdinand with 2 T 34s on either flank. Unfortunately (for me), that Ferdinand shot and killed both tanks with great shots.</div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="border-image: none; text-align: center;">
The Queen's Prequel </h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHqW1MPoLQ34aW2xfLx-rRZKzEgTzj4aM63QPPPSohPYQJpEGldTj3Rfj4WMBSiOZCqHWg46I0mIjIofBJPIdUKbjmR52Iq2xppuz4CXFXZH6vSyG8lSM1slYw-Z8SFEzOPGWgfgc6eQi/s1600/Queens+Soldier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHqW1MPoLQ34aW2xfLx-rRZKzEgTzj4aM63QPPPSohPYQJpEGldTj3Rfj4WMBSiOZCqHWg46I0mIjIofBJPIdUKbjmR52Iq2xppuz4CXFXZH6vSyG8lSM1slYw-Z8SFEzOPGWgfgc6eQi/s320/Queens+Soldier.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
At the same tournament, I won this game, my first ever! I was the defending Germans and I prevailed against Ted Wilcox. He is a gentleman player and I thoroughly enjoyed the match.</div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="border-image: none; text-align: center;">
In Sight of the Volga</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz8H7W5JoW-97mb6A4vJBj73fIOQd7c_2CmAvkWYvIEbwG-jU5uUXvlzeXkKD_7lb8wMY67za1oY6riq0F_XxjcTVZHd1f3pRL3vADZrzcVi95vVLEaz5jhNdhLsnM8ab8RAKA0RAV42M/s1600/Stalingrad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz8H7W5JoW-97mb6A4vJBj73fIOQd7c_2CmAvkWYvIEbwG-jU5uUXvlzeXkKD_7lb8wMY67za1oY6riq0F_XxjcTVZHd1f3pRL3vADZrzcVi95vVLEaz5jhNdhLsnM8ab8RAKA0RAV42M/s320/Stalingrad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Alain Chabot and I played this face to face at my place during a great weekend. I was moving to the USA and we took this opportunity to get in one last blast. I note this scenario because it was the first full ASL match in which I won vs Alain.</div>
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Among the Ruins</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghizDEolBYOaYYPyJS9I9I8lZ3SX2uhv_2HU0ecmelgc7pagU3x58SlLGl40AzC9wT0ureTzKZ9b9PBWDGg44cK8aTQi-VWibQ80UtXWbGuUjluryHkkXK2RQQ-AmdjOGQRDHoBPCKsAh0/s1600/Aachen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghizDEolBYOaYYPyJS9I9I8lZ3SX2uhv_2HU0ecmelgc7pagU3x58SlLGl40AzC9wT0ureTzKZ9b9PBWDGg44cK8aTQi-VWibQ80UtXWbGuUjluryHkkXK2RQQ-AmdjOGQRDHoBPCKsAh0/s320/Aachen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was a VASL game that I played against Alain Chabot. I was the attacker, and this was one game in which my plan pretty much survived contact. I drove through his flank and pressed on to the exit area for the victory conditions. Great match</div>
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So, in short, this is a great game, I love it, and given that I am now in a virtual pool of great players, I can only see my participation and enthusiasm growing by leaps and bounds!</div>
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637677873415870871.post-75646891949334146902015-05-31T13:28:00.000-07:002016-03-04T06:07:14.557-08:00Advanced Squad Leader<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Many years ago, I started playing Squad Leader. It's a tactical board wargame, and I enjoy playing. Immensely. <br />
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With the age of the computers, this game not only survived, but thrived. Now people could keep in contact with one another by email, and various player aids allowed for remote games to take part in near or virtual real time.<br />
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I recently "graduated" to Advanced Squad Leader. It took a long long time to get me to move up, but I did just that. I'm hooked.<br />
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I still like Squad Leader and I marvel at its innovation it brought to the genre. But with Advanced Squad Leader, there are so many more options, but this is mainly due to there being so many active players. Not to mention new modules being released even now.<br />
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So, with the spirit of jumping into the game wholeheartedly, here's what I've done:<br />
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on 15, 16 and 17 May I went to Portland Maine (5 hours, one way) for a tournament. I ended up playing in four matches, going 1 and 3.<br />
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I lost the first game (Badanov's Boys) playing as the Soviet. I started out strong, but I ended up losing, big time, to Robert Loper and his skilfully led Germans.<br />
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Next I played "The Queen's Prequel" against Ted Wilcox. I ended up winning as the defending Germans, albeit due to some heavy luck in my favour. <br />
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My next match was out of "Paratrooper": silence that gun! I chose to attack as the Americans, and in a very hotly contested match, I lost out to James (I forget his last name!)<br />
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The final match was ASL 1: fighting withdrawal. As the attacking Finns, I failed to exit anyone off the board: 2 squads made it to the VERY EDGE of the board. That's how close it was!<br />
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Today, 31 May, I ended up playing my fifth complete game. We went for a classic, playing ASL A: "Guards Counterattack". I was the defending Germans, and was up against Andrew Luden's aptly led Soviets. Snipers were key in this one, making key attacks at key times in the game. Also, Melee was the order of the day. At one point there were four Melee markers on the map!<br />
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So, in five games, I'm 2 and 3. Not too bad. I have a sixth on the go: playing against Ted Wilcox. We are playing one out of Paratrooper: Le Manoir. So far the only real action has been my sniper whacking his hero! But it's the start of the 4th US turn, I've suffered no casualties, but I still have a ways to go to break into his defensive line. <br />
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I'll be sure to post up some updates as they come.<br />
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Technovikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621960203258491624noreply@blogger.com0