[Aslml] Complete Beginner

[David Reenstra]

Hi Charles,

Welcome aboard!  Don't sweat asking what you feel are "dumb" questions.  We've
all been there at some point and I'm sure the majority aren't as dumb as you
might think.

I think I started with "Defiance on Hill 30" from Paratrooper, so I'll recommend
that.  Just about any of the scenarios from that module are geared toward being
"teaching" scenarios.  I'd also highly recommend that you and your friend make
every attempt possible to play against players that are more experienced than
yourselves (shouldn't be too hard to find some at this point :).  You will
progress much more quickly if you both play different people, then play each
other and compare notes.

The "exponent" in ASL generally means something totally different from your
general mathematical meaning.  Get away from thinking of it in terms of "raising
to the power of", at least when sitting at the ASL board.  For infantry smoke
grenades, it simply represents the number required to be rolled less than or
equal to on one die in order for smoke to be placed.  So, for example, if your
exponent number is a "3" (say, for an American First Line squad 6-6-6), you need
to roll a 1, 2, or 3 in order to place smoke, assuming your squad isn't CX at
the time of placement.  If you don't see any such exponent above a squad's
firepower number (say, for a Russian First Line squad 4-4-7), that squad
typically can't place smoke.  A squad can place smoke in their own hex for a
cost of 1MF or in an ADJACENT location for a cost of 2MF.  That's the basics but
it should get you started.

As far as the IFT vs IIFT question goes, my experience is that most players are
pretty ambivalent about it.  There are some that tend to be more rabid about one
table or the other, I pretty much ignore all of those guys.  If I sit down to
play someone and they insist on one table or the other, I tend to go along with
it.  I will default to the IFT if asked my personal preference, only because I
have most of the commonly used columns on that chart memorized and it simply
speeds play.

Yes, cowering is widely enforced, most players (in my experience) don't pick and
choose parts of the rulebook to enforce (beyond their first few games where it
may be advantageous to play using a subset of the rules).  I'm not certain if
the reason you're asking this is that it seems hard to remember when rolling an
(I)IFT attack or if it somehow seems incongruent to have to reduce the firepower
of an attack.  If it is the first, you'll be surprised how quickly things like
this will jump out at you, to the point that they almost become second nature (I
even think "cowering" when I roll doubles while shooting craps), if it is the
second reason, things like this just seem to add flavor to the game.

Hope some of the above was helpful, best of luck!

Dave Reenstra
  -----Original Message-----
  From: Aslml-bounces at asl-forums.net [mailto:Aslml-bounces at asl-forums.net]On
Behalf Of CHam628781 at aol.com
  Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 1:50 PM
  To: Aslml at asl-forums.net
  Subject: [Aslml] Complete Beginner


  Hi all,

  I originally sent this to the old list but I don't think it ever got through
:(

  I'm a complete newbie to ASL (something of a rarity these days I believe) and
will be pestering the list for questions to dumb questions on a regular basis.

  First off what is the best scenario for two absolute beginners to play in
order to begin to get a working grasp of the rules?

  Secondly could someone explain infantry smoke placement in simple terms to me.
I'm OK with the MF involved and the fact it takes place in the MPh but I'm
mightly confused by the "exponent" part of A24.1. To me exponent means "raise to
the power of" but that makes little sense in the context the rule uses it since,
if I'm reading it correctly, only a single die is rolled and for the MMC I have
raising their firepower to the power of the exponent results in numbers well
above six. Thus MMC can always place smoke but ends its MPh if it rolls a six.
Is that true or have I completely misunderstood?

  Thirdly do people tend to use the IFT or IIFT? Personally I lean towards the
IFT at the moment due to its simplicity but if the IIFT is in common use I guess
we should use that.

  Fourthly is the "cowering" rule widely enforced or do folks tend to ignore it?

  Just in case it's helpful I have ASL v2, Beyond Valour, Yanks, Paratrooper and
Solitaire and will be PBEM using VASL (at least until we get a better grasp of
the rules - then we might venture onto the server)

  I look forward to your suggestions and answers.

  Cheers

  Charles

  Ima Gen Ri Ryu instructions on the use of the spear: "Place pointy end in
opponent. Repeat as necessary."
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