I was 15 years old when started playing Squad Leader ( not ASL till several years later ). We play only once in a while now, perhaps 2-3 short games per year, but ASL, ETO, is 100% sure my favourite wargame. There are others great games in my hearth, like Fighting Wings, War in the Pacific or Vietnam 1965-1975 ( Victory Games ). But ASL is number one.

Red Barricades, A bridge too far or Kampfgruppe Peiper are part of my life, played so intense over long periods of time. Now we play much simpler games, but ASL is....wow.

Starter Kits are only a fraction of the experiencia, and the short, training scenarios far from memorable, but you can find ASLSK 1 for only 20 euros, good starting point.

Played it a few time about a decade or so ago.

Good game and had some fun nights playing it but visually not very inspiring compared to doing wwii micro armour and the set up time was a bit annoying for bigger battles.

Its allright though

The bitter struggle between hex and counter tactical ganes vs Flames of War. This are two very diferent hobby, but close related. If you are a collector / artist, it is the usual way to go the 6mm way. I love the detail involved and the accuracy of the ASL escenarios.

" 0730, 12 May 1944. First Cia of the second Bn...". I do not like, when playing historical, to expend 2000 pts building an army. I want to manage the forces available in that.engangement. ASL is perhaps a dying monster, but is my beloved monster

I think its a product of its time to be honest.

Yep, a pre-internet game when gamers were not afraid of learning complex game mechanics and long games where the norm. That are the games I love.

I mean more its a hex based 'ugo igo' wargame that was great back then but wargames mechanics have moved on a lot since then.

Of course. Now much simpler mechanics are used, cards to reduce the anmount of rules needed, bigger and multi colour pieces, and game boxes that are not complete games, only starter. Forgotten are the years when you purchased Rulebook + Beyond Valor, complete and ready to go.

I have nothing against Combat Commander, Lock and Load, White Star Rising, etc... But it is another level of gameplay, more like fast food...

Its not so much 'simpler' mechanics.

Just much better ones.

Alternative unit activation, initiative based moves, or card choice based ones (like the excellent operation WWII).

Basically waiting for your opponents entire army to have a free go and crushing you before firing with whats left is a very very traditional and somewhat outdated mechanic. GW use it because people were used to it but newer and fresher games tend to change 'who gos first' in many ways.

Like in lords of waterdeep you can bid for 'first player' by placing an agent on the castle, in other games the first player alternates or rotates.

Personally a big pull to xwing for me was that it did not use 'ugo igo'.

Like I say i think ASL was ok, but really just OK. I have tons of old games from that era like Avalon Hills 'gettysburg', they are ok to get out and play once in a while but i think the fact only you and I seen to have played ASL does place it firmly as a game thats seen its best days.

I had friends that did this game, but I was more into DnD at the time.

I've played a fair amount of WWII in the past few years and have a huge 15mm German army. I've also got some 28mm Germans. I started with FoW, but it fell out of favor with me and the locals. Next was Bolt Action at 28mm. It was a good system....as long as you didn't try to break it. People broke it and the scene dried up. The past year, though, has seen a few people playing a game from the UK called Battleground. I've tried it and like it much better than anything else I've done. Rules aren't too complicated. The army lists are well balanced...and also require well balanced lists. So, no heavy Soviet tank armies vs. artillery US infantry that creates the rock, paper, scissors game that FoW became.

I was a tournament player in Los Angeles for a while. I miss it. It's all in the basement, but there are no players anymore. i won't do Vassal ASL - I hated the experience.

I'd give anything to set up the Arnhem campaign for the first time, or Red Barricades again...

sigh

A Bridge too far is not as good as Red Barricades. The British Para are very difficult to play, and I think RB is better balanced, my best wargame experience wargaming, roleplaying or playing minis.

Yes, better than 400 pts Epic. Because you feel like the comander there, that Panzer III destroyed will be badly needed tomorrow, and if you need to reveal a hidden tunel hardly constructed, it is pain. The 122 mm OBA that only.causes cosmetic damaged are wasted points and if you ambush a elite Pionere Squad with half a dozen rag tag submachinegunners, wiping them, you can smile all the week

But ASL time is gone, quicker card driven mechanics and minis games have cornered it. But still survive !!!