The 2 Half-Squads

It's the magnificent Dr. Martin! Rex was the editor for The General magazine that provided so many of us with so much gaming knowledge and entertainment. He takes us back to the Avalon Hill days and on a walk through his history in video games as well. You will most likely want to read his thesis paper titled Cardboard warriors: the Rise and Fall of an American wargaming subculture, 1958-1998. He...

We have all kinds of letters today. Happy letters, sad letters, angry letters and glad letters. All of them entertaining and informative letters.  The sad part of the show arrives when we have to cover rule 17. WOUNDS.  It's a terrible thing when your cardboard SMC is wounded and there are a few rules you need to know when that unfortunate thing happens to your cardboard leader on the cardboard ba...

Al Mortemore 1934-2022  We will miss you.  We'd like to thank two listeners today for the kind donations of fantastic ASL product. John Bullough sent us a copy of Retro ASL rules variant in a 55 page rulebook that can be considered ASL lite. We are thrilled to get a good look at March Madness Commissar pack from Dave Mareske at  Kansas City ASL . We take a deep dive into those scenarios and they c...

While we chit chat we give you look at Dave's new gaming table from Wyrmwood, and a few of the ASL scenarios being played upon said table. Then comes the moment you all have been waiting for. In the Box we find Advancing Fire's  Prokhorovka!  This one packs a whopping five maps, a ton of scenarios and not too many odd new rules. If you love tank battles you are going to love this one.         Than...

We are thrilled to get a good look at  Operation Neptune  from Bounding Fire Productions.  It looks fantastic with a wonderful map and a variety of scenarios that cover a broad range of situations during that operation.  And as if that wasn't enough, it is a campaign game too!  But before we get to all that ASL goodness, we read a few letters from listeners.      SHOWTIMES 0:21 Chit Chat  6:30 Let...

Charlie Kibler has been involved in Advanced Squad Leader since it's inception and is most famous for his artwork on the boards of said products. We particularly love the Red Barricades work. He has worked for a variety of companies in the industry and has a fascinating story of the development of the Solitaire system that you can hear right here on this podcast. Pull up a chair and relax while yo...

Joe Leoce is not really "of Albany" as in "he lives in Albany".  But he is the guy that started the New York City Advanced Squad Leader Championship. Otherwise known as the Albany Tournament. Joe worked with Trezza for many years on it, then Pleva came to help make it one of the best Tournaments in the U.S.   He also designs and builds some dioramas/models that are used as the prizes!     Joe had...

We sure enjoyed Dennis Donovan's rendition of his humorous song that opened the show. ASLOK is over, but it will return next fall. The lyrics are below.     The Rule covered is A15. Heat of Battle.  There are a lot of good things in that rule like, Hero Creation, Berserk, and the deadly Surrender.   SHOWTIMES 0:01 Song ASLOK is Over 'til Next October 2:35 Chit Chat 13:00 Rules! 1:07:40 Total Runni...

Scenario MD1 The Bridge at Ramelle and  Scenario BFP-35 Mai Phu are discussed during our What Have You Been Playing Lately segment.  The Ramelle scenario by Mike Drake was based on the film Saving Private Ryan. It is compared to another version in the Scenario Designer's Handbook by Michael Dorosch. Jeff discusses his Space Empires game.    In the Box is MMP's Deluxe Redux and a brief look at the...

There are a few ASLer's who consistently produce magnificent things for the   Advanced Squad Leader community. One of the most prolific is the indomitable Steven C. Swann, who has written all of the "Reference Notes for ASL" articles about the Marines, Fiji troops, Japanese Airborne, commando units etc., that you may have read in the General, and the Annual, and the Journal.  If you haven't read t...

Electronic rule book is in the box this time. Jeff gives an honest and interesting review of said product from MMP. Use the link below to order your copy now. The To Hit Modifiers are covered in detail as we continue our coverage of the rules.  Great stuff. So why don't you pull up a chair, put on your headphones, and have a listen?    SHOWTIMES 0:40 Banter 9:40 What's in the Box? 19:45 Rules 59:1...

He's a man who needs no introduction. Carl Nogueira  of many different fames.  Most notably, Carl is known for the wonderful tactical advice given in the Dispatches From the Bunker fanzine, and his work with the Nor'easter tournaments.  Get the scoop here on the new third party company he will be starting soon.  An amazing interview; if we do say so ourselves.    SHOWTIMES 0:30 Banter None 56:28 ...

It's a very scary show boys and girls. Letters...What's in the Box?...Rules...what more could a person ask for? A better podcast? Yeah, we guess that's a legitimate request. But besides that, you can't ask for more than this episode brings you. It has everything AND it is also the Halloween Special (even though there isn't really anything special about it).    In the box we find Winter Offensive B...

One of the better blogs out there is created by Jackson Kwan. You have heard his voice here when he has called into the show to advertise various Advanced Squad Leader tournaments in Asia. He is very active on Twitter and is a great source to find out what the latest plans are in ASL game production.  We are sure you will enjoy this look at the ASL scene in the Pacific.  We had a very good time co...

 Are you as excited as we are to see the return of In The News in this very episode? Most likely you're not, however there is a whole batch of new ASL product coming out, and tournaments being planned, and THAT IS some exciting stuff.  There are two new products here in the "digital box".  Issue #113 of View From the Trenches, thanks to the indomitable and highly productive Pete Phillipps.  And is...

 Another great opening song on this episode; VASL is Broken.  The lyrics can be found at the bottom of this post.  In this show we discuss Dave's recent tour of Gettysburg and Antietam with guide Mike Ryzy. The photo on the right is of Dave presenting Memorial Art Review to the tour members.  The photo below is of the Spilky Men, Dave's wife Laura, Mike Lembke, and our intrepid and knowledgeable g...

We are sure you enjoyed the lovely opening song on this episode, Good Evening Starshells.  The usual batch of intersting letters is presented, and followed with the quick look at Action Pack #16. There are always rules to learn, so we are going to tackle the first part of the "To Hit Rules".  All together now? Yes, we are!        SHOWTIMES 0:01 Song Good Evening Starshells 3:45 Banter 11:40 Letter...

Box Art Review Extravaganza. Yes, it is an interview with THE David Pentland of Advanced Squad Leader (and many other companies) box art fame. Get the inside scoop on the techniques and tactics of a premier Military Artist, right here on this podcast!   SHOWTIMES 1:00 Banter?  No there is not! 1:01 Interviews! Yes, there is much. 58:05 Total Running Time  SHOW LINKS  Pentland's Facebook Fine Art S...

Thanks to listener Nelson Isada we received The Steelworks for review, and for keeps. Yipee Yahoo! Listen to our rules section to see what you know, don't know (or perhaps have forgotten), about vehicle wrecks in the greatest game in the world; Advanced Squad Leader.    SHOWTIMES 1:00 Banterino 11:06 Contest Winners (Pod and Twit) 21:00 What's in the Box? 41:00 Rules (Wrecks)  ?00:42  Total Runnin...

Episode 275?  Wow! Where did the time go?  We couldn't think of any better guests to bring on to such a momentous show than these two distinguished gents from the DC Conscripts; Andy Goldin and John Gorkowski.  It's a rollicking and rolling interview about all things ASL but especially about the East Coast gaming scene.  Enjoy.        SHOWTIMES 1:00 Banter?  No there is not! 1:01 Interviews 1:00:4...

We'd like to make a confession.... we incorrectly named the Bravo Biazza show. We meant to call it the Bravo Brevity show.  So, while both shows are about two of the great new games from  Advancing Fire , this show covers Brevity Assault. This system uses some colored lines to delineate the levels on the map. Fantastic touch!  Dave gives a run down of the scenarios contained therein. Join us!   SH...

Paul Works is a contributor to the Advanced Squad Leader Hobby who has been doing so for a long time. He helped get the Kansas City March Madness Tournament going when Mike Reed (Episode 267) had to stop. Paul has a long and storied involvement with wargames and ASL in particular. He also works with the Navy and gets to play wargames there too.  What a job! What an ASL contributor!   It's another...

This show opens with some lovely letters and then an in depth look at  Biazza Ridge  from  Advancing Fire .  Our very special guest Mike Ryzy helps us to give a run down of how this new mini campaign works. It is more of a group of connected and related scenarios that can be traced on a large operational map. This fantastic new offering is sadly, sold out, at this point in time.  You can still get...

Two back to back amazing interviews. Wow! (If we do say so ourselves).   Have you ever wondered how SSR's are written so that they have some consistency? Have you ever wondered if Advanced Squad Leader games could have been even more complex than they already are? Well, the answers to these fascinating questions can be found right here in our interview with the amazing Klas Malmstrom.        SHOWT...

You may recognize the name of Michael J. Puccio from an article on Paratroopers or one called "A Cavalry Primer for Neighsayers" published in ASL Annual 97. Or you may recognize it from one of the dozen or so scenarios he has designed for  Critical Hit ,  Dispatches From the Bunker , Yankee ASL, or ASL Scenario 203: Hard Rok from Forgotten War; Korea. Even if you have not heard of Mike, perhaps be...