I've seen the stats...500+ people on this list. But, I just realized that only 6 really _play_ ASL. The others just talk about it, attempt feeble jokes about Idaho, and ask unending questions about questions (and answers).
So, I've decided to become the 7th player on the list to actually play the game. Decided to finally make the jump into the desert rules and played "Khamsin" against James Lancaster, yet another Californian who has moved to the fair metropolis of Boise. James has been playing ASL for about as long as it's been in existence and he just played fairly well in a tournament down in San Diego.
For those of you who skip to the end to see what happens, I'll just save you the effort:
I got spanked...got my ass kicked...ran over by a Mack Truck...blasted to smithereens...violated repeatedly...kinda like what Manstein did to Zhukov for two years... And all this by turn 3. :-0
Here's what happened...
The Germans and British set up out-of-sight from each other. As the British, I set a skirmish line up front with ATR's and LMGs to attract the attention of the Afrika Korps and allow the British armor to engage the enemy armor with it's erstwhile attention set on the British forward positions.
This was not to be. And to those of us who just can't seem to get our timing right, I dedicate this AAR to you (us?). :-)
Anyway, behind on the hillocks I set up the MMG and neato 51mm MTR. This doesn't really allow these units to attack the Germans, but the scenario takes place in a dust storm, with heavy dust. Not only is it a +1 TH DRM for every two hexes of range, one also doubles the lower die roll. With this adjustment to the TH process, I thought that the effective range of ordnance would be about 4 or 5 hexes...I was wrong. It actually turned out to be over twice that...this seems like a fairly substantial distance on the normal (now they seem cramped to me) mapboards. But, if one factors in a 9-2 armor leader, with a ROF of 2 and firing at a large target (like, what say, a Grant), hits and kills occur with surprising frequency. British units can HIP in the hammada; this being the case I hid one squad with an ATR and the 40L ATG in these terrain positions.
James set up on the British left flank in a phalanx formation. This would allow him to avoid the DRM for firing into the wind. On his left flank was his armor in an nice line, with his halftracks behind them. Because of the heavy wind, VD and Sm was NA. The Germans must move in platoon formation until they establish LOS with an enemy unit.
After a few impulses, the Germans peered through the storm and spotted the British positions. By the end of the first MPh, the leading elements of the phalanx had brought the outermost left position of the screen under fire. Thankfully, this unit was refusing to wither under fire, although its demise was obviously soon to come.
In the British player turn, I managed to take out a German ht with a nice CH from a 51mm Mtr. This was to be the only armored kill for the hapless British player.
The British armor began it's preplanned charge across the British front from the right to position themselves to take the Germans under fire ASAP.
German return fire began to shake the British screen and in the German player turn 2, the left flank of the forward positions essentially crumbled as German armor repeatedly steamrolled the sangars into small pebbles. A couple squads broke, and one routed to spend the duration of the war enclosed within the comfy confines of German barbed wire.
Now in British player turn, I moved the British armor into it's firing positions...unfortunately, these firing positions, while still seemingly light years away from the enemy armor, were well within striking range of James' tanks...as the shattered hulks of three tanks were to attest. Even my armor leader died in the carnage. Ouch!!! My return (bounding) fire was ineffectual. As a result, I only had one tank (a Stuart) moved into a hull-down position, and this was the only tank to survive into the next German player turn, and it died shortly from then.
I capitulated after the rest of my left flank screen was torn away and my armor left smoking in the dust. The writing was on the wall, and it wasn't much fun watching James' tanks roll over my poor bloody infantry.
Okay, okay...what could I take away from this scenario:
Anywho, I kinda wish I wouldn't have misplayed my armor so the game would have been a competitive one for a at least a few more turns. But, I learned for myself that the system does not only exist--it thrives--in the desert. A big thank you to James for hammering me on my first outing to the sand.
Mike Thuleen