ASLSK #1 (MMP) v

Retro (Minden Games) v

Band of Brothers (Worthington Games) v

Conflict of Heroes (Academy Games) v

Tigers at Minsk (home grown rules)

One scenario theme and 5 quite different systems. This post takes a scenario from the first ASL starter kit and uses it as a basis to play that type of action with five different tactical systems.



Please click on 'read more' to see the rest of this post.





I have chosen a Starter Kit #1 scenario so that we exclude both vehicles and artillery from play and do some bare bones gaming, showing each system off at its most basic level.

This is more fun than anything else, just to see how play flows differently from game to game. The article would just be too long to do an in depth analysis, so please, no angst if your favourite system falls victim in anyway to this 'light touch' approach.





In some respects as we are using the ASLSK scenario as our benchmark and as this was specifically written for ASLSK as a balanced scenario, it may put the other games at a disadvantage in showing off their glory.



The scenario.

ASLSK scenario S2 - War of the Rats. The situation is based in Stalingrad, September 1942. The initial armoured thrust into the city had failed and the campaign turned to an infantry battle. The Germans are the attackers and to win they must control three designated (multi-hexed) buildings by the end of the game (six turns). The only special rule is that the German 5-4-8 squads (Elites) have their Smoke Exponent increased by 2 (i.e. they can place a smoke counter, while moving, on a die roll of 4 or less).









Forces

Russians, 5 x 1st line units and 5 x conscripts, 3 leaders, 1 x MMG and 2 x LMG. On turn 3 the following reinforcements arrive, 3 x sub-machine gun squads, 1 good leader and 1 x LMG.





Germans, 4 x elite, 7 x 1st line, 4 leaders, 1 x MMG, 3 x LMG, 1 x flamethrower and 2 x Demolition Charges.





Environment

The firefight takes place in a city setting, where there are plenty of stone buildings, but importantly there are three multi hex buildings in the Russian lines which will be the objectives. The Germans are the attackers, setting up in buildings on one side of the Road, whilst the Soviets set up in buildings on the other side. The Germans will need to cross that road and some open ground to get into close combat situations and physically wrest the objective buildings from the enemy.





Playing with ASLSK #1

(Multi-Man Publishing) - This plays on a half size board (9" x 11") giving a hex field of 15 wide by 9 deep, so it is a compact game, but gives enough hex locations for plenty of tactical variety.





- The scenario is nicely balanced. I played the scenario three times before writing this and each time I had quite different openings. During the most recent game, the flamethrower broke down instantly and later a light machine gun broke down and was repaired in a later turn. Also the Russian conscripts gave some first line Germans a bloody nose during close combat.





I found that this level of detail was rewarding and helped give an engaging narrative. I still found myself diving into the Defensive Fire rules just to check that I was doing something right, but in some ways this level of play intensity does connect you closely to what is happening on the board and it leaves you caring about what is going on in each hex. Everything feels purposeful, there is nothing generic or bland.





Components -

The infantry counters are half inch and easily read, though I struggle a bit with the vehicles (5/8ths size and not actually used in this article) as both model type and the armour values use a very small font. The maps although now based on an almost 40 year old style, remain attractive, very functional and I like them. The terrain layout gives enough space for squads to breathe and be a little individualistic, rather than looking like a clump of squads.





- This is the CRT that we all grew up with. The system uses 2D6 that can deliver some effective fire, especially as squads can combine with other squads to form fire groups and can also augment their firepower with an array of support weapons (generally machine guns). The dice are two coloured with the 'red' dice also also acting as a randomiser to govern whether multiple rate of fire weapons (guns and machine guns) retain their ability to fire again in that turn. In a full turn, units get to fire twice (Prep Fire and Defensive Fire), so in a 6 turn game, quite a lot of firepower can be put down.





Leadership - Leadership is represented by individual leader counters and they essentially enhance a squads ability to move further and to fire more effectively. Critically, they are essential in rallying broken units (see casualties), but in all cases mentioned, the leader needs to be in the same hex as the unit it help. This concentration of command works well for fire and movement but can be frustrating when broken units start to get scattered around the place. There is some self rally capability, but its limits can make command and control feel a bit disjointed across the board.





Casualties - We have units breaking under fire and becoming useless until they rally and also the real effects of casualties as squads get replaced by half squads or get removed from play. Broken units are pretty much useless and vulnerable and in the main need to be rallied by a leader. Isolated units can often be left to languish in their broken state for the lack of a leader to rally them.





Complexity now and future -

To play this scenario the player needs to read the full 12 page rule set, which while designed for beginners, still has a lot going on and the first few games will likely require a lot of rule referencing, with the Defensive Fire mechanism part of the rules perhaps taking the longest to become second nature. There is a lot that can happen in a turn, so it might take two or three games before the player even remembers to bring all the rules into play, though the player should persist because this first module does become second nature to play and results is some rich tactical gaming. The other games being looked at here contain their full system in the base module, usually in 20 pages or less, but ASLSK #1 only looks at infantry and the system becomes increasingly complicated as one moves on from infantry and starts to include guns, tanks and artillery that come in the later modules.





Opportunity fire -

When units opportunity fire, they leave a half fire strength marker in the target hex (Residual Fire). During that phase, any other unit that moves into the hex will be immediately attacked by that fire strength. ASLSK is the only system here doing that and it does add a nice touch that brings real nuances and narrative to play. Units might be able to opportunity fire more than once and explaining the several situations during which this can occur, leads to the Defensive Fire rules being frequently checked up on during play.





Support weapons - This is a strong area for ASLSK with quite a variety of kit that is attached to specific squads and half squads.

Support weapons include demo charges, flamethrowers and light / medium machine guns. Weapons can break down when firing and might also be repaired at some point in the game. The weapons have their own rule sections, highlighting any unique character, such as a unit carrying a flamethrower when fired upon itself suffers a modifier reflecting the risky nature of carrying the fuel tanks. Flamethrowers also breakdown easier (on a 10 or more) than other weapons, reflecting their fuel running out. It is this sort of thing that makes this system so flavoursome.





Rout - There is a Rout Phase to deal specifically with the movement and survival of broken units. Players will want get broken units out of the enemy line of sight as they are vulnerable to reduction if hit again while broken and also can pay a huge +4 penalty when attempting to rally. A lot of these rules have been with the system since the Basic Squad Leader days, so have stood the test of time.





Close Combat - Combat is simultaneous and units in the stack get a chance to form into various combinations for attack and results can be an instant clearing of the hex, but commonly, the CC continues into a second turn, giving more opportunity for new units to feed into an ongoing Close Combat. Typical of ASL(SK), CC goes one step further in adding flavour (but also complexity) by having units test when they first enter Close Combat in buildings or woods to see if one side can ambush the other. If a side does ambush the other, they get to fire first instead of simultaneous fire. This is just another little rule that adds detail, but as admirable as all this details is, some of it seems unnecessary and it is the cumulative effect of these sort of secondary little rules (over several modules) that for me, starts to put pressure on the system as being overly done.

Order of Battle - It is the best of the games here in this regard and that remains true as you get deeper into the system. Unit characteristics are strongly demonstrated as part of the high flavour of the system, so even in this most basic of scenarios, we have conscripts, 1st line units, sub-machine gunners and elites and each of those squads can break down (casualties) into half squads and also degrade down into lower grade troops, so under pressure, a 1st line counter might be replaced with a 2nd line counter with lower values. In addition, for players who move deeper into the system, there are very full orders of battle given for many nationalities and theatres of war. The scenario range is potentially huge. The game produces a strong relationship between the player and the game pieces at an individual level, in part, due to these unique characteristics and by comparison some of the other systems can feel noticeably bland in this regard.









Terrain - The two maps in the base game are building heavy (which I like) and one also has a mix of fields, woods and open ground. The boards in subsequent modules do bring extra variety such as hills (and polder in the campaign game), but modules 1 - 3 in the starter kits have not given us hedges or walls, which I like to see in a tactical game. Their absence is noticed. There is playing space within the terrain on the boards, giving units room to breathe, games generally do not feel constrained by the board edge, even when a scenario only plays on a half board.





Solitaire -

The base game plays fine solitaire. Hidden set-up is present in the second module, though solitaire players are generally used to working around these things.





Special Features -

There is a lot of sub-system going on, such as units cowering (reduced firepower when they roll doubles and are not directed by a leader), residual fire left in hexes (affecting other units that subsequently move into the those hexes in the same phase), weapons breaking down (and repairing), leader wounds, ambush before close combat, leader creation, transfer of support weapons and specific rules for some weapons such as using demo charges and flamethrowers and modifiers such as increasing the chance of harm when firing

a flamethrower armed unit. Leaders are also individually named and have individual ratings that are significant during play. The total effect is that there is probably a greater sense involvement with what is going on with the individual squads than is the case with the other games (Conflict of Heroes possibly excepted).





Pro - Feels right and intuitive for things like being fearful of crossing open ground or crossing a street and assaulting buildings and in our scenario I got drawn into the action at the individual squad level.

The scenario gave one of the more satisfying games here (though it was designed for the system), it is nice to have individual items of equipment such as flamethrowers and demo charges represented on the board, with the tension that goes with things like trying to place a demo charge and then surviving fire to explode it in a subsequent phase or having a leader wounded.





Con - Even in this base game one can start to feel the complexity present, not only because of detail added, but due to basic game principles such as managing the different types of Defensive Fire, resulting in longer rules for opportunity fire type situations than found in the other systems mentioned here. T

his is just a starter module, so the question will be at what point if any will the continued curve of complexity stifle my enthusiasm.

As guns and tanks are added, the extra rules that come with that are much more demanding than in the other games here.





Bottom Line -

I am guessing that I will not go beyond the starter kits and in that regard the ASLSK series is an important product line. I can choose to stay within its limits and still enjoy a campaign module such as

ASLSK Elst or I could just stay with the base module and play infantry only games. It is nice to have those choices.





The extra detail does add a nice dynamic to the game and is noticeably absent or weaker in the other designs being considered here, though at some point further in the system the collective effect of a lot of detail can get in the way of fun play, resulting in a sort of love / hate relationship with how I feel about that.





However as a

stand alone infantry only module, it is a well rounded, good valued package and at its price, players should give it a go. It always has been and remains the tactical game that other tactical games are bench-marked against. The best way to find out whether you want to immerse yourself in this system is to get a copy of this module - highly recommended.





Playing with Retro

(Minden Games)

. I will take the Retro game next simply because of its close associations with ASL and we can use the same board and counters as used by ASLSK.





The outcome of this game -

At the games end, the Germans fully controlled building C, contested A and the Russians fully had control of B with strong forces, so another Russian win. In the second game, the Germans took buildings B and C, but the Russian conscripts were surprisingly heroic and fully survived to control building A. The game had played much faster than the ASLSK game, but had less character by contrast. The speed of play allowed me to fit in another ASLSK #1 scenario - 'Welcome Back', in the same evening with the Retro rules.





Components -

Retro is simply a short rule book that delivers a tactical system with the intention that the user will use the Retro rules with existing maps and counters from other games. It uses terminology that is most closely related to ASL(SK), making those game modules easy to use with the system. I have also used the rules with Panzer Grenadier, basic Squad leader and ATS but they have required modification to differing degrees to get the terminology to fit.





Because of this, I think Retro is often thought of simply as a stripped down version of ASL(SK), but this is definitely not the case. Retro will let you play a tactical game, but you will not be playing ASL, even in a lighter form. It has quite a different feel that causes both play and tactics to differ. Here, even with the ASLSK game parts and the same set-up as above to test our game, there are some balance problems.





Firepower -

On the face of it, the CRT is underpowered compared to ASLSK with regards to actually causing some damage, but when damage is caused, it effects everything in the hex, so big stacks can suffer some painful results. The scenario being looked at today can cause us two problems. Firstly, the weak CRT makes firing across the street into stone buildings largely ineffective and the movement phase happening before the fire phase means that the traditional idea of laying down fire and then moving does not happen - so battles tend to play along the lines of forces moving against the enemy and combat being resolved in a series of Close Combats.

So you tend not to play this game like you might ASL (SK) or Band of Brothers, as laying down fire against units in cover will just burn off the turns with ineffective fire and that will feel strange to an ASL style player.





Leadership - Much the same as the ASLSK comments.





Casualties - Stacking is something to avoid, as a low die roll is likely to bring a KIA result that will affect the entire hex. However, taking high casualties by one side or the other (or both) is a certainty in Close Combat (see below). Broken units only suffer a +2 modifier for desperation morale compared to +4 in ASLSK, so it can be easier to get broken units back into the game - further adding to the feeling of impotency in the low powered CRT. Despite that though, the casualty rate does seem to rack up quickly in this system (probably due to the number of Close Combats) and this can result in a feeling of carelessness as far as handling forces is concerned.





Complexity now and future -

The Retro system is now in the 4th edition (more of a re-print really) and is presented in a small 36 page A5 booklet. To cover this scenario we will need to learn around seven pages of rules. There are intentional gaps in Retro, requiring the player to also work with the host rule set. So for example it simply refers to 'breaking' in the context of it being a morale test failure and so the player needs to check with the rulebook of the physical game for an understanding of what something like 'breaking' means. At the start of the Rally Phase it says 'Regular rally rules apply'. At the start of the Fire Phase it says 'Usual fire combat calculation is used'. So in other words, you need to have an understanding of the host system when using Retro. If you have played ASL(SK) before coming to Retro, then you will just assume that knowledge and think nothing of it, but if you have never played the host game and hope to just play from Retro, then you will have a learning curve. For example, what is LOS?, Retro doesn't tell you, yet line of sight is critically important to a tactical game and LOS rules are seldom straight forward for the uninitiated.





Some mechanics do not translate directly across, so for example while ASL scenarios typically use values of around 3 for ELR, you add 6 to this for the way that Retro uses ELR. Retro itself is essentially uncomplicated but some of the shorthand approaches to the rules and the required referencing to the host rules can ironically bring an additional layer of rule handling. However once you do know the basic principles of the host system, Retro can be a breeze to play by comparison to something as big as say ASL.





Opportunity fire -

The lack of opportunity fire can take quite a bit of getting used to (the mechanic of Hesitation replaces it - see Special Features below). In the example below, a German Elite unit decides to leave the building hex where the red dice is and move up to the enemy. It moves into M3, which is its first open hex in an enemy line of sight, so it must test for hesitation. It will pass on anything except a 6 - which it does. It can now continue to move into any open hexes without having to test again, which allows it to move to N3, to O3 and then into O4 to go adjacent to the broken Russian unit in O5.





Throughout that journey it is not subject to any form of fire, having passed the Hesitation Test. Now all it has to do is survive any defensive fire from the enemy during the Defensive Fire Phase (which is limited to a range of 3 hexes and made on the low powered CRT) and it will then be able to close assault the Russian hex.

















There is a Russian squad and a MMG in M5, so being able to move so blatantly in front of them without fear will feel counter-intuitive to those who have been used to other typical tactical systems, but that HMG and the close proximity of the squad would have modified the Hesitation test, so in that regard it has in effect performed a suppression / opportunity fire role, as I say, the game requires a change of mindset and a use of different tactics.





Support weapons -

Todays scenario special rules increases the smoke exponent of the elite squads (which allows smoke to be laid as part of movement in ASL(SK)), but in Retro, a unit creates smoke in lieu of movement rather than as part of movement. Units that move cannot fire, though a unit that fails a smoke attempt does not count as having moved so is still allows to fire. If smoke is made, it will last for 3 turns (rather than just the current movement phase that ASLSK limits smoke use to). First line German units need to roll a '1' to get their smoke, so are unlikely to give up their movement for that chance. The Elite units stand a good chance of laying smoke, but the giving up of movement to do that has to be balanced against the benefit of smoke hanging around for 3 turns.





All the other support weapons that come with ASL(SK) are accommodated by Retro. Machine Guns do not feel as effective because some of their influence is captured in the Hesitation rule (see below) and they are limited to firing at just a three hex range in defensive fire - so players will need to re-think how they deploy these to the best advantage.





Rout - Rout rules are brief and ruthless. Any unit that breaks in the open and is not adjacent to cover, to rout into, will simply be removed from play - this actually skews (positive design intention) the CRT to become more powerful when firing at troops in the open, while still restrained against units in cover.





Close Combat - Both sides simply add up all their combat factors into one lump sum and attack each other in a single attack. Defeat in the hex means ALL attacked units are lost in one go and often, both sides will wipe each other out. The whole thing can feel quite random and often unsatisfactory.





Order of Battle - You can play Retro with several tactical systems, so in that regard the potential scenario and available unit types seem to know no bounds. However the Retro terminology works smoothly with ASL, but can be a lot of work to use with other systems, requiring some good knowledge of how the other system works to make that conversion. But even if just used for ASL(SK), the available order of battle is impressive.





Terrain - Our scenario today highlights that the Retro CRT feels underpowered when attacking +3 value terrain (stone buildings) and that if a unit passes its Hesitation Test, it can cross open spaces quite easily without interference. This means that Retro players will need to modify their set-up and game play to the 'Retro way', that is not a criticism, it is just highlighting that players will need to adjust how they play and that it changes the nature of city fighting. Because Retro is usable with full ASL, you can use the non ASLSK boards that have walls and hedges with the ASLSK counters. I am also using some deluxe DASL boards with the basic counters.





Solitaire -

The system plays very well solitaire, especially since opportunity fire and defensive fire are 'managed' uniquely in non-interactive ways. It can be deliciously frustrating when a unit 'hesitates'.





Special Features -

The two most notable things about Retro are the different sequence of play (for example movement comes before fire) and the Hesitation rule, which is probably my favourite part of the system. Hesitation replaces the effect of opportunity fire occurring during enemy movement (I love the novel idea of this most basic necessity of a tactical game being 'abstracted' out), when a unit moves and first enters an open hex (that phase) within sight and range of an enemy squad or machine gun, the unit must take a test to see if it halts and ends its movement (by returning to the previous hex) or carries on. If it passes the test, it can continue to move and will not test again during that movement phase. It can throw a spanner in the works of the best planned manoeuvre and is good for solitaire play.





There are plenty of what appear minor differences with ASL(SK) that have an important impact on play and counter-balance some of the bigger differences in the system. So for example the Desperation Morale rule gives a +2 modifier to the rallying unit rather than the +4 found in ASLSK and leaders do not test for Desperation Morale. It is the sum of all these small type of wrinkles that gives Retro its own unique feel.





As a consequence of the Hesitation rule, the Defensive Fire Phase is super simple. If an enemy unit is within 3 hexes of the phasing players unit, then it

must

fire at that unit .... and that's it, really simple and a big contrast to the lengthy ASLSK rule for defensive fire. It also means that overall, there is substantially less Defensive Fire on the battlefield in this system. It is for the player to decide whether they like that blanket simplified approach or whether they prefer the intricacies that come from the more substantial ASL(SK) rule.





Elites perform very well in Retro. In particular they hesitate less than other units when moving and if they are stacked with a leader, they can be almost certain to be proof against hesitation, this undermined the balance of the todays scenario as the elite squads closed to combat very quickly.





The scenario provided in the rule book play well and there is a link to a variant scenario provided at the bottom of this post that shows how an interesting and repayable scenario can be put together.





Pro -

It is a clever system. The strong point about Retro is that you can bring virtually any new rule into the game surprisingly easily .... even rule ideas from other games than the one actually being played. The vehicles do not have turret rules, something that I want to see represented in my games, so I have bolted on an easy 'firing outside the front arc' type modifier and Retro lends itself very well to this sort of tweaking. P

layers who use Retro, enjoy it because it gives fast access to tactical games without a lot of rule reading, this is particularly true when adding guns and armour into the game, Though it would not likely suit players who have got used to detail and like it (leaving complexity aside).





Con - Because retro itself is not a complete system, you have to work with the host rules as well to some degree and that lack of streamlining can mean that these days it might just be easier to use one of the more modern 'easy' designs instead. S

ome smaller scenarios just play too quickly without the associated flavour of something like ASL or ATS or Band of Heroes and not all ASL scenarios will translate well

. It does better in bigger games and in the 'Do Your Own' battles scenarios that are included in the rulebook.





Bottom Line -

It does give the player easy access to a wide range of product and makes big games easier to get onto the table, though players need to adopt new tactics to get into the 'Retro way', in which the relationship between fire and manoeuvre have a different twist.

If you have a load of ASL product that you are not using, then this small rule book may get you moving squads around again.





Retro was produced before the ASL starter kits were in production or before the more recent designs mentioned here were in being. At that time, this made Retro a most valuable and welcomed tool for those wanting easier rules. But today there is a solid ASL Starter Kit line-up and several new low complexity, good looking tactical games sharing window space with ASL(SK) and in that world, Retro faces a lot of competition, especially as conversion to use with other systems can take a bit of work.





However, at the cost of the small booklet, I think many players would be interested in picking up a copy and just checking the fascinating mechanics out. What the author achieved those many years ago was impressive and thought provoking. The rules may even inspire you to modify your own games to better suit your preferences.





Playing with Band of Brothers

(from Worthington Publishing). To try and get something to resemble the War of the Rats scenario, I have selected two boards that give a cityscape and selected the right number of units, though we cannot replicate the flamethrower or demolition charges.





Note, the system uses an interactive system and there is a link at the foot of this page that relates to a replay using armour, which gives a good overview of the sequence of play structure. This particular system gets superb designer support at BGG and CSW.





Below are the two maps showing the starting set-up.

Russian conscripts are on the left and 1st line squads on the right.











The outcome of this game - The game played quite quickly. Turns are interactive rather than each side having their own player turn. The first half of the game was spent with the Germans putting down fire, which did not really cause an obvious breach anywhere. With the clock ticking, they decided they had to brave it and advance at specific points that held the most promise.

The German left wing was probably too underpowered. They advanced out into the street and got really hurt and that flank never really got back into the game. By

the end of the game, the Germans had managed to take their right (our left) flank building from the conscripts, but the two objective buildings on the right were firmly in Soviet hands. So another win to the Russians.