The 2 Half-Squads: Advanced Squad Leader Podcast

In this Extra Episode Mike Stubits plays Dave K. in AP 44 The Burial Mound. Set up your boards and follow along if you dare. Rich Spilky provides the neutral commentary in this after action report of a scenario that is on the ASL Open list. Hope you can learn something from this scenario analysis. You need boards 56, 57, and 58. Don't have all the boards? You can look them up as VASL or click here. Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.

It’s Spring! A time when a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of . . . mortars? Well, that’s where our thoughts have turned. It’s too early (at least here in mid-western North America) to bring out the gardening tools, so instead we celebrate the season by hauling out another handy tool — the mortar. Test your knowledge (and endurance) with our mortar quiz show. Also in this episode: What’s in the Box? — it’s something from the Tampa Bay ASL group. Can you say “Schwerpunkt“? History — about the . . . hmm, we can’t pronounce it, so how can we type it? Listener Feedback And lots more   Listen now with streaming audio To download this episode, right click here and select to save the file.

After too long a break, we are back with the next exciting installment. And here we are very happy to announce The 2 Half-Squads t-shirts! We can’t remember what made us think anyone would want to admit — let alone advertise — they listen to this podcast, but here they are, and to tell the truth, they’re pretty darn nice shirts. If you want one, here’s how to order. Send us an email stating how many and what size(s) you want and your shipping address. We’ll email you back to let you know if your shirt(s) is available. Make a donation on this site ($20 for each shirt in the continental USA, $30 everywhere else). We’ll email you when your shirt(s) ship. Go to your front door and start watching for the mail man. We also have a little conversation with Keith Dalton from MultiMan Publishing to see what’s up in 2009 for ASL. There’s also a “What’s in the Box” segment, covering Action Pack 5: Eastern Front. Dig it! Listen now with streaming audio To download this episode, right click here and select to save the file.

Join us for a great game of scenario A103 MAYHEM IN MANILA. Two excellent and well respected players give us a glimpse of their thought and strategies as Bob Holmstrom’s Japanese try to defend a stone building or two from Bob Miller’s attacking Americans. You need deluxe boards a-d to follow along (or just a good imagination, or go on VASL and look at the boards there). Addendum: Click on the link on Will’s name in the comments section. It is a link to the board set up. Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.

Happy New Year to all from The 2 Half-Squads! It’s going to be a great year for ASL, thanks in part to the efforts of our guest today, Rich Spilky. Rich is a long-time ASLer with a passion for finding better ways to play the game. And to him that means simplifying the decoding of complicated rules and complex circumstances. Available for download at the link below, Rich has created a variety of tables and charts that clearly present results for common situations that might otherwise cause lengthy and abstruse delving into The Rule Book. So download Rich’s Player Aid Pack and read along as Rich discusses the utility of these great player aids. It’s ASL smarter, faster, better. It’s ASL The Spilky Way. (Rich Spilky’s email address is richspilky@comcast.net) We also have a great book report from Dave, who just finished reading not one, but TWO ASL scenario builders handbooks (generously donated to us by a listener from Anchorage, Alaska). There’s also listener feedback AND we announce the soon-to-be-available T2HS t-shirts. Oh yeah. It’s going to be a GREAT year for ASL! Links for this episodeRich Spilky’s Player Aid pack The Official War Journal of the Philippines Historical Boardgamers Club Scenario Designer’s Handbook by Michael Dorosh Scenario Designer’s Guide by Mark Pitcavage Mark Pitcavage’s Desperation Morale web site Dave King’s C4 Corner Cutter Jay Richardson’s excellent ASL Starter Kit tutorials, parts 1 through 5 on BoardGameGeek.comPart 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Triple Point Blank Fire Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.

Just in time for the holidays, our gift to you is our biggest episode yet. It has to be BIG because the topic is . . . TANKS! Tis the season to give TANKS and we’re right on track. We take ‘em apart and put ‘em back together to bring you better understanding of these oh-so-amazing armored fighting vehicles. There’s a lot to cover so we call in a guest armor leader, Joe, who scopes out vehicle counter symbols. Jeff then deftly breaks down tank movement rules, and Dave dispenses a wealth of knowledge about vehicle smoke dischargers. Oh, and there’s so much more. You won’t want to bypass this one, so pour yourself a cup of cheer, gather your family and friends close and tune in to this roaring, fully-tracked adventure. You’ll go to bed with visions of turrets dancing in your head. Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.

Once again this episode is not for everyone. It is a scenario analysis and after action report. ASL Scenario AP 29 "RAFF’S DILEMMA" (from Action Pack #4) is the chosen one for this extra episode and Rich Spilky plays a tenacious German defense against Dave’s attacking Americans. Break out boards 11 and 54, set up the pieces with us, and follow along if you wish. Or perhaps you just want to have a listen. Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.

We are especially excited about this episode because we hold our first phone [actually, Skype] interview. And it’s with none other than Keith Dalton from Multiman Publishing. It was really great that Keith could take time out from his busy day to talk with us. While we had to deal with some frustrating technical issues this first time out –  including an abrupt end to the conversation — we are very pleased with the result and optimistic about working out the kinks in the near future. No doubt this type of thing will become a pretty regular part of the show. We’ll chat more with Keith, as well as other ASL celebrities, players of note and other interesting guests. Our tasty talk with Keith starts about 2.5 minutes into the show and runs for about 32 minutes. We then go back to the appetizer course for some listener mail, followed by a surprise entre from some friends in Sweden. There are the usual helpings of chatter and banter, and Dave serves up a fine dessert of History a la Sniper. It’s an ASL smorgasbord. Feast on it!  Show Links: C4 Corner Cutter from Counter Culture Friendly Fire scenario packs Triple Point Blank Fire blog Pavilchenko song Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.

In this ASL extra Dave K plays Mike S in scenario J104 “Flanking Flamethrowers” from one of the Journals. Following the usual “Extra” format, it is a scenario analysis and after action report. Also has a mini interview with Mike at the end. Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.

This episode features an analysis and after action report of Starter Kit scenario S7 “Prelude to Festung Brest”. We chose this one because it is available for FREE on the MMP website. Go and get the free scenario, set up your boards all you rookies, and follow as we try to give you some helpful playing advice. Dave T and Jeff battle each other in this one, and Dave K gets a chance to offer neutral commentary (it’s fun because you get to criticize the others). Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.

We’re very happy to be joined this time by ASL veteran David Goldman. Dave talks about his history with gaming, playing ASL, and the trials and tribulations of running the annual “ASL Open” tournament in Chicago. We also look to see “What’s in the Box” — and it’s something you might find indispensable to your ASL collection. And this week we sprung open the coffers and blew a wad on new equipment for the studio. We hope you enjoy the improved sound quality. Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.

We’re back to the standard format show with Episode 10. Today we cover some listener mail — which always leads to interesting discussions. Then we take a look at “What’s in the [some-kind-of-container-but-not-necessarily-a] Box.” We closely examine some oft forgotten details about Snipers. And lots more. Dave finishes up the episode with an art major’s view of some ASL box art. Lots of fun for everyone! Dig it! Show Links: C4 Corner Cutter Boardgame Geek Fear the Boot (RPG podcast) Dragons Landing (RPG podcast) Starter Kit Scenarios Operations Magazine Cold Steel Wargame Club of NE Alabama Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.

Here is the episode that was intended to be the first ASL Extra. Some lost tracks were reclaimed, thanks to the miracle of putting the tracks on CD as a back up. Once again, this episode is NOT FOR EVERYONE as it is a scenario analysis and after action report. Scenario J86 “Frontal Assault” from Journal 5 is the chosen one. Dave and his friend Rick give you a pre-game and a post-game discussion straight from the heart. Please have mercy on them as they reveal their ASL shortcomings. This is not as technically clean as we’d like, but, it’s only an “extra” episode after all. Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.

And now for something completely different! A scenario analysis of AP18 “Village of the Damned” from Action Pack Three. This very unique podcast is not for everyone as Dave and Jeff talk aloud as the game is set up, revealing why you should never fear them if you meet them at a tournament. They also give an after action report. This one is a little rough as it is Dave’s first effort at producing a show on his own (Jeff is the true techie). It is recommended that you get out the scenario, set up your boards and follow along. Designed as the 2nd in a series, it becomes the 1st, due to technical problems with the other bonus episode. Fate has seemed to smile upon this scenario analysis. Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.

And we’re back with an action-packed episode featuring — you guessed it — MMP’s ASL “Action Pack 4“, also known as “Normandy 1944″. Our pal Joe joins us in the broadcast foxhole as we unwrap and reveal the contents of this highly-anticipated (at least to us ASL addicts) addition to the ASL arsenal. Watch out for those “bocage” rules! We also cover some listener comments, talk more (yes, MORE) about counter storage, ASL boxes, snipers, and lots more. It’s 81 minutes and it’s all ASL. Dig it! Listen now with streaming audio Or download this episode. Right-click here and select to save the file.