Scenario 7 of the original Squad Leader game adds the Americans to the game. Low of Morale (but good at rallying), I’ve used them a lot in the later Advanced Squad Leader, but this is the first time I’ve played them in their original incarnation. As with most of my Squad Leader games, this one was played solitaire. There are a few victory conditions for … Continue reading Squad Leader, scenario 7 Buchholz Station AAR
Central Russia, January 12, 1943. The Germans are having a very bad winter in Russia. Their friends are falling all around, and the troops that remain really want to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. With the local headquarters fallen, it was every man for himself, and small groups of German soldiers crept through the night, trying to avoid the Russian soldiers. They had one advantage: … Continue reading Squad Leader report: Escape from Vilikiye Luki
I began playing this game five days ago, having gone a little too long without playing any serious war-games. As with a lot of my war-gaming activity, I played this game solitaire. My ASL games with Michael are on hold as our schedules just haven’t matched up too well of late; most of the time we’ve got too many players so my multiplayer games come … Continue reading Squad Leader report: Hill 621
Most of the Starter Kit scenarios that Michael and I have been playing are quite short, although the later SK3 scenarios with tanks are taking us longer to resolve. However, this scenario, the second-last scenario in Starter Kit #3, took us a much longer time to play through: almost 5 hours in total, split between two Friday afternoons. (I recorded the location of all the … Continue reading Advanced Squad Leader report: S26 Last Ally, Last Victory
I’ve fallen behind quite significantly in my ASL reports and in my ASL play, as both Michael and I have been busy and unable to set aside afternoons for two-player gaming as frequently. I’ve also been just a little distracted by the release of D&D 5E! Michael and I played this game back on July 7th, 2014. Michael took charge of the Russian forces; meanwhile, … Continue reading ASL Session Report: S25 Early Battles
It’s been a few weeks since Michael and I have been able to get together to continue our playing of Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit scenarios, but we were finally able to play S24 on Friday. The scenario is set in Krupki, Byelorussia on 28th June 1944. At this stage, the German invasion of Russia, started three years ago, had failed, and the Soviets were … Continue reading Advanced Squad Leader report: S24 Sherman Marches West
I am far from the world’s best player of Advanced Squad Leader. My record with Michael is about 50-50, with a slight advantage on Michael’s side, I believe. Although I am quick to pick up and remember rules, little points such as “don’t attack the Machine-Gun nest from the open street” occasionally elude me. In this scenario, the fourth of the Starter Kit #3 scenarios, … Continue reading Advanced Squad Leader report: S23 Monty’s Gamble
My Advanced Squad Leader games have recently been put on pause as Michael and I have had slightly differing schedules during the last couple of weeks. In the meantime, I finally managed to play Glen, who had rather liked the look of the game when he saw Michael and me playing it. So, ever the sucker for introducing newcomers to the game, I set up … Continue reading Advanced Squad Leader: S1 Retaking Vierville
The third scenario of ASL Starter Kit #3 is an engagement between American Paratroopers and Germans in Sicily, 1943. The set-up for the scenario is moderately involved. First, the American player splits his paratroopers into two groups and selects target hexes for each group to be dropped into. The first group is then “dropper” – basically, you roll two dice, one die giving direction and … Continue reading Advanced Squad Leader report: S22 Another Summer’s Day
Michael and I have finally reached the first of the scenarios involving tanks in the ASL Starter Kits. And, just to get us into the hang of using them, the scenario has nothing but tanks in it! The Russians have ten tanks, the Germans have six, with two of the German tanks being the famed Tigers. The setting is Borisovka in Russia on the 14th … Continue reading Advanced Squad Leader report: S21 Clash at Borisovka
