Scouting Report 26 - Hollow Legions Unboxing

[@eddyhoughton6542]

Just managed to pick up one of the last copies here in Europe. I was holding off on buying this one because it seemed a bit superfluous to me, but once I got it and saw the wealth of gear that's in there - (the number of scenarios is mind-boggling) and frankly, the variety, I'm really glad I did so. It looks like they included the "Few Returned" pack from Mark Pitcavage that follows the calamitous Italian involvement in Barbarossa, as well as plenty of Italians vs American and even vs German scenarios. So it really does cover a very wide range of engagements, not just DTO. I've played relatively few DTO scenarios, but the ones I have played have been fun. ASL is a great game whether you're "fighting" in the desert, the arctic, the green fields of Northern France, or the jungles. Not sure about the new desert overlays - the old ones were easily recognisable, but I guess I'll get used to the new variety.

[@ASLAcademy]

Is it really that hard to find in Europe already?

[@eddyhoughton6542]

@@ASLAcademy Hey Neil, yes, unfortunately it is! I just got Rising Sun, and because I'm a married dad and I have bills to pay, my budget isn't unlimited. I was planning on holding off until next month but the shop I normally get my ASL gear from here, Hexasim, in France, started running out, so I had to put in my order last week. By the time it was confirmed and posted, they were down to zero copies. I used to do the pre-order thing with MMP to try and save some money, but I had so many things go missing in the post, or I got hit with abusive customs (and "administrative" charges) that I gave up ordering from them. No fault of MMP's, just the European Union rules. Same with Third Party stuff. I was about to put in an order for some more Broken Ground counters, but the postage costs were prohibitive.

[@alcad3209]

Thank You! I love it and I didn't see the time to past. You make me laugh when you decided to open your box With a big knife. I'm glad than you didn't scratch your box.

[@milky55way2012]

Woever decided to put the escarpment overlay as part of board 25 should get a raise....great idea. Nice review, still waiting for this.

[@klasmalmstrom7235]

Several people involved suggested it...in the end MMP decided on it.... 🙂

[@StewsReplay]

0:05 Just rolled a 1,1 I'm FANATIC til the END of the video....

[@ASLAcademy]

You're always

[@nikkibaugher2427]

Woohoo! I have court duty, and this would be the PERFECT thing to read while I'm waiting to "catch a case."

[@thesixth2330]

The Eritreans are visible from the 3rd line and below on the left side of the first counter sheet you show.) They are wearing Fezzes. The Eritreans (Ear-Re-Tray-Nz) are in Italian Colors, but the counter sprites are Black Africans and are wearing Italian colonial fezzes. The Ethiopians are in Allied Minor colors, but the sprites are also Black Africans in Ethiopian uniform. the same goes for the leaders which will have Ethiopian and Eritrean uniforms and names. The entire ASL series has now been updated. I doubt will ever get a new edition of the core modules, just reprints. New Rulebook, New digital format, New Core modules and HASL's and soo much more. What a wonderful time to be an ASL player. Thank you for this Neal, you made my day!

[@charlesgiannone2413]

thanks for posting a view of the unboxing. i am looking forward to its release.

[@charlesgiannone2413]

the Soldiers of the Negus was released originally in 1996 with paper unmounted counters by a company called ELR.The Ethiopian counters were in light green the same color as the allied minor units from Cresendo of Doom. the italian counters were in grey. It included 8 scenarios designed by Rick Thomas. If came in a zip lock bag. this game introduced candelabra trees which are a 1/2 level hindrance to movement.. There was a rule for Ethiopian mass rush sim(human wave) where they would attempt tip over the very light armor of the italians. later editions came with mounted counters It originally sold for 15.95

[@genet4784]

Great video! Thanks for all of the ASL content, they have helped me as I get back into the game.

[@kev_mclernon_family_channe4745]

Awesome! I really enjoyed your presentation. Thank you. kev

[@kdziarmaga]

Thanks Neal, as always great video!

[@Levin-ey1bu]

Looks awesome. Playing the Italians is always great fun. Seeing their regulars flay-about, rout (obviously) and show a complete disinterest in rallying is always a hoot. Ethiopians. WOW. Can't wait to play them. Really does look an epic module. Not before time, too. 'Khamsin' is a fantastic scenario. One of the best, period/full-stop.

[@siyuanxu3537]

those 8 British counters, if I am not mistaken, are also in the FKaC 2020 reprint, very nice to see that they included them here. Thanks for the video, Mine should arrive in Feb. can't wait to have it.

[@daledrake7899]

Thanks for the unboxing vid. Yup, this module looks great!.

[@jonathanplott7651]

A whole lot of ASL goodness in that box! Have already cut/clipped the counters and looking forward to getting some boards on the table!

[@edlindo6005]

Thank you for posting this. Soldiers of the Negus was released by Critical Hit Games in 1996. It came with counters for Ethiopians and the Eriteans (Italian Colonial troops). It was a great little module and only cost $15. MMP has done a GREAT job bringing this back. I ordered my copy of HL in December so I don't expect it anytime soon. It looks like MMP has really done a 1st rate job with this module. Hopefully MMP will print more scenarios of the War in Ethiopia. Once again thank you for posting this.

[@TomHarrington]

Great vid, thanks for sharing. Can't wait to get this to the table.

[@jonclark299]

Thanks for sharing,looking forward to my copy coming

[@scottrowland2989]

Very nice, really looking forward to this new boxing of HL, maybe even a little more so than I was the new RS. Have received a "packing" email, but no shipping email as of yet.

[@scottrowland2989]

@@ASLAcademy Hillocks baby..YEAH!

[@panzerschreckpete]

@@ASLAcademy Hillocks are pretty simple, just think of them in LOS terms as very wide walls that you can stand on

[@e-4airman124]

boy you got yours fast!

[@billjenkins9422]

The WWII British mortar was actually 3.209" or 81.5mm bore.

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

Nice tease of the giveaway!

[@fraternitas5117]

Italian vs Ethiopian games would be fun to watch.

[@maxclickenhof1049]

Very nice. I should get mine some time around 2025. Living in Australia can have it draw backs. MMP does not post to us as I have been told by MMP. So have to order it from others, who in turn have to wait for them to get it from MMP. Life sucks sometimes. :)

[@cinadel5546]

Thank you.

[@cyndebock3546]

The escarpment does look nice in this one

[@tyco1381]

Great work. Now I'm waiting for Yanks to meet the numbers for production

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

Dang, map 25 is crazy busy. Also, 25e is soo much better than the overlay!

[@Mikleve]

I am wondering- I have most of the old school ASL modules ie. West of Alamein, Partisans, Yanks etc. from the early '90s on including an older Hollow Legions. Is there any reason to get these newer modules you've been unboxing?

[@panzerschreckpete]

Original HL was a AH gamette style box, just like Partisans and Paratrooper. I am looking forward to the revamped counters that no longer look like they were printed on a dot matrix printer. Re the 3" mortar "debate" - there is no debate per se, the mortars were always 81mm in reality but were called 3 inch for logistic simplicity - it just took the publisher(s) of ASL an awful long time to see that it was not a cosmetic error but a significant factual and game effect error.

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

What’s up with the turn track on Flea Circus (near the end )

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

Generous for you to give away the module!

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

Shoot, I rolled a 12 on my task check.

[@HissyCat]

Just more stuff I need to get...lol =)

[@HissyCat]

@@ASLAcademy No promises, but I will try. =)

[@StewsReplay]

UGH the comparison at the end made me spit up a little in my mouth.....Bwarhh

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

Video quality is good. On my phone anyway

[@StewsReplay]

Where can I score me one of those PLAYER MATS???

[@StewsReplay]

@@ASLAcademy I have one melon dollars... Close enough?

[@nikkibaugher2427]

I had to go with just the rules (1st ed)

[@ReallyVirtual]

I'll probably get this, but I'm not too enthused with the new desert maps. They look far too yellow and far too saturated. This is one of the few cases where I think the original mounted maps were better.

[@StewsReplay]

I rolled a BERZERK!!! I thought....Who did Neal get to do this video when It popped up....THen that Sexy seductive voice chimed through and swept me off my feet! ROFL Great to see that GOAT!!!

[@StewsReplay]

@@ASLAcademy You look Good!!

[@thesixth2330]

Why do you think the Eritreans are in Italian colors and not Axis minor?

[@gianlucagatti4576]

Hello, you have right! Italian go to Ethiopia, Somalia and some other country in 1936 for strategic occupation (British controlled the Suez Canal). Nice video of this module. It seems really interesting ! MMP really make a good job with all this module’s each year one more step to perfection!

[@thesixth2330]

@@ASLAcademy Makes sense to me! Thank for the vid! Can't wait to get my copy!

[@thesixth2330]

@@gianlucagatti4576 Grazi!

[@perrycocke4475]

Keep up the good work. Some clarifications. There are new rules and counters (gray) for Eritreans, who are a subset of the Italians. The Ethiopians look like Allied Minors because they are Allied Minors. The 53 scenarios break out thusly: 8 West of Alamein (all British); 8 Hollow Legions (all Italian); 8 Action Pack 3 (all Italian); 8 Soldiers of the Negus (all Ethiopian vs Italian/Eritrean); 19 out of print (all Italian except for 2 of the 3 from the Line In The Sand trilogy; many of the 19 are desert). The color bars in original Chapter F pointed out rules that applied to Chapters A-E & H, with the color of the bar denoting which chapter. Those rules have been incorporated into the 2nd Edition and so no longer need color bars (and have even been struck from Chapter F). Some DYO rules apply only to the desert and other arid climate conditions, so those rules retain their golden bars for Chapter H.