Advanced Squad Leader Scouting Report 52 - Doomed Battalions

[@DavidGarvinTechnophile]

I like the Allied Minors. And of course you can see the new additions in the text with the black dots next to the new rule/information. I still have my paper rule book for when the zombies take over the internet and I get to keep playing ASL :) Poles Assault Fire and stay at 8 Morale was in the original rules by SSR (usually), but pretty much solidified by Bounding Fire Productions in "Poland in Flames".

[@ChrisFarrell]

That Poland in Flames module was kind of a catastrophe, one of the very few BFP projects I’ve been very unhappy with. So it would have been best to ignore 😄

[@DavidGarvinTechnophile]

@ChrisFarrell I rather like it. Not just for the Polish counters, but the topic and scenarios. Of course, mileage may vary. 😀

[@ChrisFarrell]

@@DavidGarvinTechnophileYeah, but they introduced 2nd line Soviet units and wacky 7-1 and 9-0 leaders, all of which were seriously terrible ideas. And a jaw dropping range of minimally-different German LMGs which are a pain in the ass to play for basically no value. BFP is usually so much smarter than this, I’m not sure what happened. The topic was fine, and I always love their maps, but as a piece of design work it was just a real mess.

[@DavidGarvinTechnophile]

@ChrisFarrell I get that. It seems to be a thing now in broader ASL design: new squad types, edge-rules, etc. I can look past all that as noise and focus on the bare-bones ASL. I guess that's why I prefer many of the older scenarios? That said, PiF was a must-have for me.

[@ChrisFarrell]

@@DavidGarvinTechnophile I don’t know, Twilight of the Reich finally became *so* fiddly I actually didn’t enjoy playing it, and I’ve been an ASL player for 3 decades. If we don’t want companies to keep selling us more and more unplayable modules we have to not buy them.

[@johnpayne498]

Thanks Neal

[@brianrsmithca]

Thanks for this. Waiting for my copy, just shipped so in a week perhaps (going to Canada). Still need Armies of Oblivion to complete my core module collection.

[@ASLAcademy]

Now that you mention it, I still have the original AoO, so maybe this isn't my "last" reprint.

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

20:29 I would play for precut overlays on a slightly heavier stock

[@ASLAcademy]

You're not alone!

[@e-4airman124]

finally got mine today 9-14-24

[@stuartmcivor2276]

Doomed Battalions was the first of the original modules that I didn't get. I had everything up to Croix de Guerre including the Deluxe modules and Red Barricades. Although I never got around to playing anything after Hollow Legions.

[@tacticaljackie4023]

Nice stream Neil. We in the EU awaiting DB ... I am focusing on building up my asl collection. The asl starter kit my entry route but as the core modules come out will try and get them. The cost on eBay for these sometimes is silly price. Looking forward to more from you and on the new asl starter kit options you are looking into

[@jonclark299]

Thanks for sharing this, I'm waiting for my copy. Do any of these have armored trains using the rail overlays?

[@ASLAcademy]

The scenarios? I didn't look at all of them in detail yet to give an answer.

[@scottrowland2989]

My original DB is dated 1999 and labeled 2nd edition in the upper right box front. Has only 8 scenarios, three hard mounted boards, three counter sheets featuring only Allied Minor guns and vehicles, SS counters and what looks like errata counters for American, Russian and Germans, Minor leaders and utility counters. Allied Minor infantry being in Last Hurrah, which I find a little strange. But love me some early war and we will be playing all of these scenarios...😂

[@ASLAcademy]

Just looked at my old DB box, 1998. 😮

[@Nick_R_]

Half a sheet of additional counters over 3rd edition. Some different errata counters and tweaks to the old set. Plus the new charts that were strangely omitted from Twilight. Otherwise it's not new as such, though compiles in previously issued scenarios.

[@ASLAcademy]

Thanks for the info. As you saw in the video I was still rockin' the 1st edition. Good to see a summary of differences from the last edition.

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

Man, 14:09 I wish this was alphabetical! Terrain chart

[@ASLAcademy]

Agreed. This is one advantage of the Rat Pocket Charts (aftermarket ASL). The arranged the terrain chart alphabetically.

[@michaelbourgeault9409]

wasn't shelved - they were having a challenging time finding usable photographs for the scenario cards.

[@StewsReplay]

2:30 TotR didn’t need the 3” box….

[@scottrowland2989]

Oh, and like you, DB4 is my last updated core module to complete my collection and I don't plan to purchase any new core module reprints, but I will never say never...😂

[@MrDragonkin]

Same here.

[@planomathandscience]

It's real?!?

[@ChrisFarrell]

I’ve been playing since the game was initially released and I’ve generally kept up with the reprints for the new material and to replace aging and poorly-printed 1st edition Avalon Hill components. But Twilight of the Reich really broke me - I honestly think that module was straight-up bad, too many grudge rules, too many rules, too many changes just to do things differently for no really good reason, too many incredibly finicky scenarios. Plus printing errors. I was so annoyed I ended up selling it. So I skipped DB4 (I do have DB1 and DB3, so it wasn’t a huge loss). Anyway, I’ve gotten frustrated with the recent modules. The whole new OOB for the Poles is kind of a waste and breaks the aesthetics of the system with its flags - you can SSR the broken-side morale up by 1, it’s fine, and it seems unlikely that the best Polish units deserve better ratings than the best French units. We’re just in print-more-stuff-so-we-can-charge-people territory. Still! Despite my frustration and a couple totally gratuitous additions, it does seem like a nice package.

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

Patiently awaiting my order from @RitterKrieg