A Bloody Harvest as a scenario to transition to full ASL
At some point most, if not all, players are going to make the jump from ASLSK to full blown ASL. The question becomes how best to make that transition. I've been working with a player known as DrDryg (on the Discord server) as he learns his way through the ASLSK and moves toward ASL.
There are a lot of simplifications in the ASLSK rules and when transitioning I think its best to move gradually. Squad Leader started as a programmed instruction game, introducing new concepts with each scenario. In 1990 Annual, there was an article on the programmed instruction method by none other than Jim Stahler.
Stahler reminded me that most of us that started out with Squad Leader didn't learn the rules all in one go. As he says, "I thought this was too complex a game system; that it would never catch on." I had forgotten that Squad Leader had 47 steps of learning bringing us total knowledge of how the game system works. That's a lot of tiny steps.
Today, with a pretty massive rule book, it's impressive that anyone would take up ASL from the very beginning. So I would have to say I was wrong about the value of the Starter Kit. But, again, at some point it's time to take the training wheels off.
So I cast about for a scenario to introduce DrDryg to the full set of ASL Rules.
I settled on AP8 A Bloody Harvest by Kevin Meyer from Action Pack #1. Here's what I like about this scenario for a transition scenario. First, you aren't adding a lot of elements. It is an infantry on infantry with a few machine guns--mostly LMG. Not even any lt. mortars.
So what is added? It's really only the stuff starter kit doesn't have--which is still a lot. First, there's concealment. The German enters from off board so the Pole gets to start concealed.
Second, there are level 1 buildings back in the victory complex on board 43. The Pole can set up back there and watch the Germans as they move through the wheat fields toward them.
There are also lots of walls and hedges. In the first part of our scenario, this isn't a big deal, as the Poles sit patiently in their haylofts looking over grain, walls and hedges without problem. However, as the Germans make their approach to the wall it is going to get a bit tricky.
Finally, there are the fun little things that go along with ASL like Heat of Battle and leadership creation.
Also, this scenario is listed as heavily favoring the Poles. Right now the ASL Scenario Archive has it listed with 120 Polish wins to 63 German wins. This makes it a decent scenario for a grognard to take on a challenge. DrDryg is no slacker when it comes to tactics and when he gets the rules under his belt will be a much better player than I. But for right now I volunteer to take the hated Leibstandarte--perhaps butchering enough of them with my Red Army tactics to make the Fuhrer and Eva feel a little vulnerable on those cold nights in Berchtesgaden.
As this is his first time playing with concealment, my opponent wraps himself in its fuzzy happiness, reluctant to shed his cloaking and bring much happiness to Capitan Schwartz (my 9-2) and his MMG. Neither side really has a kill stack available to them so all the shots at first are going to be long range and low firepower. The rolling wheatfields provide cover so while the Pole can watch, he's not getting any -2 or -3 shots with his own MMG.
Is the Pole playing to conservatively, guarding his concealment too much? I'm not giving him a lot to shoot at. It's a 7 turn scenario, but there is lots of wheaty ground to cover so there is no assault moving going on. Still, at a distance, he judges it better to remain invisible.
Meanwhile, on the German right, he's learning the downside of being up a level. Those orchards haven't turned yet, and my assault flankers, ably led by Feldwebel Rote. Rote has fired three times, massacring an ill placed squad, stripping concealment from another squad and making a Polish Sgt gnash his teeth with Kielbasa scented breath--awaiting a berserk charge in the bottom of the 4th. This is a minor disaster for the Pole, as he only had two leaders and now one is berserk and about to charge a LMG platoon led by Iron Cross Rote.
Worse, my half-squad manages to tie up a Polish rifle squad in CC, only to boxcars his attack and let the Pole slip away--free to perform his DF duties. We had a long conversation about the best policy. He could have attacked me back and killed me on a 7, but had he failed I would have surrounded three of his squads and gone in for the kill. He played it safe and pulled back. Which is what I would have done if I were in his place--obviously I am not the best at close combat.
The downside of this scenario is that it develops rather slowly and if the Pole sits back and keeps hidden, the German can scamper for a few turns but not too fast. Stack moving gives you those two extra moves, of course, but the price is likely to be steep. So far, there has not been a lot of action.
The next part of this scenario is learning about wall advantage--when to take it in order to deny your enemy cover as he progresses toward your buildings...
However, this isn't an AAR, but rather some hints about how to help someone make the leap from SK to full ASL. So here they are in a nutshell:
1) Select your scenario carefully in order to limit the learning curve. Taking bite-size bits of the rules is important for new players.
2) Recognize teaching moments when new ASL rules can change their thinking. Learning how concealment affects the game takes a little bit of time.
3) Don't worry about winning and losing. Balance isn't everything when playing a teaching scenario.
4) Concentrate on rules, rather than tactics--at least until the game is over. Afterward is the time to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the setup.
5) Make it fun.
There are a lot of simplifications in the ASLSK rules and when transitioning I think its best to move gradually. Squad Leader started as a programmed instruction game, introducing new concepts with each scenario. In 1990 Annual, there was an article on the programmed instruction method by none other than Jim Stahler.
Stahler reminded me that most of us that started out with Squad Leader didn't learn the rules all in one go. As he says, "I thought this was too complex a game system; that it would never catch on." I had forgotten that Squad Leader had 47 steps of learning bringing us total knowledge of how the game system works. That's a lot of tiny steps.
Today, with a pretty massive rule book, it's impressive that anyone would take up ASL from the very beginning. So I would have to say I was wrong about the value of the Starter Kit. But, again, at some point it's time to take the training wheels off.
So I cast about for a scenario to introduce DrDryg to the full set of ASL Rules.
I settled on AP8 A Bloody Harvest by Kevin Meyer from Action Pack #1. Here's what I like about this scenario for a transition scenario. First, you aren't adding a lot of elements. It is an infantry on infantry with a few machine guns--mostly LMG. Not even any lt. mortars.
So what is added? It's really only the stuff starter kit doesn't have--which is still a lot. First, there's concealment. The German enters from off board so the Pole gets to start concealed.
Second, there are level 1 buildings back in the victory complex on board 43. The Pole can set up back there and watch the Germans as they move through the wheat fields toward them.
There are also lots of walls and hedges. In the first part of our scenario, this isn't a big deal, as the Poles sit patiently in their haylofts looking over grain, walls and hedges without problem. However, as the Germans make their approach to the wall it is going to get a bit tricky.
Also, this scenario is listed as heavily favoring the Poles. Right now the ASL Scenario Archive has it listed with 120 Polish wins to 63 German wins. This makes it a decent scenario for a grognard to take on a challenge. DrDryg is no slacker when it comes to tactics and when he gets the rules under his belt will be a much better player than I. But for right now I volunteer to take the hated Leibstandarte--perhaps butchering enough of them with my Red Army tactics to make the Fuhrer and Eva feel a little vulnerable on those cold nights in Berchtesgaden.
As this is his first time playing with concealment, my opponent wraps himself in its fuzzy happiness, reluctant to shed his cloaking and bring much happiness to Capitan Schwartz (my 9-2) and his MMG. Neither side really has a kill stack available to them so all the shots at first are going to be long range and low firepower. The rolling wheatfields provide cover so while the Pole can watch, he's not getting any -2 or -3 shots with his own MMG.
Is the Pole playing to conservatively, guarding his concealment too much? I'm not giving him a lot to shoot at. It's a 7 turn scenario, but there is lots of wheaty ground to cover so there is no assault moving going on. Still, at a distance, he judges it better to remain invisible.
Worse, my half-squad manages to tie up a Polish rifle squad in CC, only to boxcars his attack and let the Pole slip away--free to perform his DF duties. We had a long conversation about the best policy. He could have attacked me back and killed me on a 7, but had he failed I would have surrounded three of his squads and gone in for the kill. He played it safe and pulled back. Which is what I would have done if I were in his place--obviously I am not the best at close combat.
The downside of this scenario is that it develops rather slowly and if the Pole sits back and keeps hidden, the German can scamper for a few turns but not too fast. Stack moving gives you those two extra moves, of course, but the price is likely to be steep. So far, there has not been a lot of action.
The next part of this scenario is learning about wall advantage--when to take it in order to deny your enemy cover as he progresses toward your buildings...
However, this isn't an AAR, but rather some hints about how to help someone make the leap from SK to full ASL. So here they are in a nutshell:
1) Select your scenario carefully in order to limit the learning curve. Taking bite-size bits of the rules is important for new players.
2) Recognize teaching moments when new ASL rules can change their thinking. Learning how concealment affects the game takes a little bit of time.
3) Don't worry about winning and losing. Balance isn't everything when playing a teaching scenario.
4) Concentrate on rules, rather than tactics--at least until the game is over. Afterward is the time to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the setup.
5) Make it fun.
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