Attacking in ASL

This article was originally published in From the Cellar #12 from Le Franc Tireur. Xavier has given me the green light to republish this article here. It was always my intent to place this article here, but only after sales of FTC 12 tailed off. LFT still has some in stock so please go get one.

When published, I also published a companion post here. The information contained in that post will generally be back inline here on this blog post. Still, it is worth taking a look there to make sure you can find all the reference material.

There are some slight changes compared to the print article. Xavier has graciously allowed me to use the original artwork from the magazine. I am generally going to avoid that. I think the artwork in the magazine is awesome and really makes the article pop. If I were to use that here there would be no reason to go purchase the magazine. As such, I will be using the artwork I originally submitted with the article.

Unfortunately, there are also a few clarifications to make in the original article as well as one mistake to correct. I will point these changes out when I make them. Without further ado.

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After reading Toby Pilling’s excellent article, A Player’s Guide to A SeLf Defence in Le Franc Tireur’s From the Cellar #11, I began thinking about what a corresponding Attacking in ASL article would look like. As I have admitted before, I am not sure I am anything more than an average player myself. I am under no illusion that I am as accomplished a player as Toby. Still, I have had some success, placing 4th overall in the ASLOk GROFAZ tournament in 2014 and winning the Texas Team Tournament in 2016.

In Illuminating Rounds #63, Toby spoke at some length about his defensive manual and briefly mentioned the need for an attacking manual. When asked, Toby admitted there is no way he is going to write such an article. I pondered what such an article would look like. What follows is my guideline for attacking in ASL.

I have broken the attack down into three specific sequences: Pre-Game, In-Game, and Post-Game.

Lastly, I will not proclaim this is the definitive How to Attack in ASL article ever written. I don’t have that much hubris. I do hope this will spark some discussion in the various on-line ASL communities. ASL is a hard game to play and a harder game to master. I write this for all the new and beginning players. I hope this helps to lower the mountain we are all trying to climb. Don’t fool yourself though. Attacking is the most difficult task in Advanced Squad Leader.

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Pre-Game: Setting Yourself Up To Win

As I was thinking about this article, I kept circling back to my October 2021 article titled My ASL Tactical Maxims. That article outlined my approach to breaking down an ASL scenario. It encapsulates how I lay out a plan to fulfill the VC for my chosen side. It covers both Offense and Defense, and speaks to comparing and contrasting your given OB with your opponents. Where do you have the advantage? How can you use that?

The Maxims article also discusses the Tyranny of Time. No matter what you’re playing in ASL, time is finite. It is a limited and precious resource. It is no good to accomplish the VC on turn 7 in a 6 turn scenario. As the Attacker, you should have a clock constantly ticking in your head. You should know just how much progress you need to make. You should seize opportunities to “get ahead of schedule” when presented. Time saved now is time available later to weather a setback.

The last significant topic in this article is a discussion on terrain and how it affects our planning. Terrain is the stage upon which we perform our play. Some piece of it is likely to be our aim. Some of it will stop our movement (No-Go), impede our movement (Slow-Go), or be flat out inviting (Fast-Go). At times, Some of it will be “high-speed avenues of approach”, the fastest way to victory. As an Attacker, these options need to figure into your planning.

I encourage you to read My ASL Tactical Maxims article, especially if you are just learning ASL or trying to get better at it. It is a little over 4 pages, see page 29. It is light on rules and heavy on planning. IMO, it is a must read to get the most out of this article. In fact, I encourage you to stop right here and go read the article again, even if you’ve read it. Still, that Maxims article leaves a lot of application up to the player’s understanding.

To see how I apply my method, several examples are here. These examples offer in-depth analysis of selected scenarios. They discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of each side’s order of battle compared to one another. Each of these articles spends considerable time examining the terrain and how it will affect maneuver through the scenario. These articles also discuss how a defense might be set up and how an attack might look. They also discuss tactics that might apply to the scenario. I encourage you to have a look at the examples to see how I go about analyzing a scenario and planning for an attack. You can do this at your own leisure.

Know How to Win

Understanding the VC isn’t enough in ASL. You must also understand how to fulfill the VC. If the VC says to Control 5 Buildings by game end, do you know how to Control Buildings? If you don’t, you better make sure you understand before the game begins or you’re making the task more difficult than it already is. This applies to every VC. Know what they mean and how to fulfill them. There is a huge difference between “No Good Order Infantry within 5 hexes of hex N” and “No Unbroken Infantry within 5 hexes of hex N”. Even if you are 100% certain, discuss the VC with your opponent before the game begins. One of you may know something the other doesn’t and agreeing will make the game more enjoyable for both sides?

[ Editor’s Note: Since this article first appeared in FTC #12, I have release a new article titled Control Freaks. This new article explores Control issues. ]

Make A Plan

Based on your opponent’s setup, the VC, the time available, and terrain which you must cross, make a plan that allows you a chance to succeed. As part of your plan, decide which forces will play which roles. Some will be maneuver elements. Some will be over watch and firepower elements. Regardless of the roles you define, each unit should contribute to fulfilling your VC in some meaningful way.

Plan the route of the attack. The attack should be over terrain, providing cover (TEM) and concealment (Hindrances). Try to create positive DRMs to mitigate the potency of the enemy’s defensive fire attacks. Look for approaches providing unobserved Rally Terrain. Some forces are going to break. It’s best they rout to places where the Defender can’t easily put them back under DM in an enemy fire or movement phase. Take a moment to look at the game board from the enemy’s perspective. Does it change the way the map looks? Does it change the way the defense looks? Remember, there are No-Go, Slow-Go, and Fast-Go terrain on the board. If the Attacker can freely take the Fast-Go terrain–or easily limit the Defender’s ability to put fire-power into it, the attacker can “steal a turn” by covering more distance through aggressive movement. Look for opportunities to get ahead of the timeline.

Be sure to allow tactical flexibility. Bad things are going to happen. The Sniper is beyond control. Same goes for dice. How are you going to recover if a Sniper eliminates a leader on one side of your attack? Some things may not be recoverable, that’s the nature of limited resources. Do the best you can to recover from setbacks. Having some idea of how you might react will go a long way towards making a correct decision when you’re under pressure.

While you must account for your enemy’s disposition, don’t allow him to dictate the terms of the engagement. You’re the Attacker. You move and shoot first. This gives you the initiative. Don’t give it away by allowing your opponent to set the conditions or pacing. You decide where and when the engagement takes place.

Bite Off One Piece At A Time

Examine the defensive setup to see if there are some isolated elements that can be destroyed. Use MGs and AFVs to control the Defender’s ability to reinforce laterally and bring the weight of the attack down on a small portion of the defense (the Schwerpunkt principle). This can rupture the position wide open and put the Defender on the back foot. Destroy this piece and then look for the next piece. Don’t lose sight of the VC. It does no good to destroy a piece of the Defender’s OB and still be no closer to fulfilling the VC.

A well-planned attack will play to the strengths, and minimize the weaknesses, of your units. It will attempt to capitalize on the enemy’s weaknesses and setup flaws. It will capitalize on the terrain to create favorable DRMs for attacking units.

A well-planned attack identifies places where its units are likely to break and anticipates where those units will rout to. As such, a leader will be available whose role is to get to that expected Rally Location and be ready to Rally them. A well-planned attack will recognize the need to sustain the weight and impetus behind the effort by shuffling units back into the attack. If your attacks seem to lose initiative and deplete over time, this is the most likely reason.

Plan to Break and How to Sustain Your Attack. Fail to do so and you will probably lose.

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Infantry in ASL

There is no doubt Infantry capabilities are limited relative to their armored brethren. They lack the ability to use Bounding First Fire. Infantry doesn’t have the mobility of AFVs. They are subject to Small Arms attacks. Risks on the battlefield are everywhere, but Infantry has some important advantages not available to AFVs.

Infantry can rally and get back into the action. Infantry is necessary to take and hold ground. Taking this
ground is most likely a requirement to fulfill VC. Sure, an AFV can Control a Location as long as it occupies the Location, but to keep a Location after leaving it, Infantry must enter (or Mop Up in the case of Buildings) the Location.

Like my series on AFVs, I have a growing collection of articles covering The Basics of Infantry Combat in ASL as well. The series currently examines Infantry versus AFV combat, including a second series topic covering Defending Against Sleaze Freeze.

Finally, this article covers Snipers in a general way. It is possible to go deeper into the mechanics of Snipers and how to minimize the impact Snipers have. Such a discussion is outside the scope of this article. If you want a deeper article on the topic, I suggest Mark Nixon’s Hyper Sniper: A SANe look at this threat in ASL. It can be found in The General, Volume 31, Number 2.

[ Editor’s Note: Since this article appeared I wrote a complete article on the Roles of Infantry Leaders in ASL. ]

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Other Random Considerations in the Pre-Game

• Pillbox Control is a chore. A broken unit cannot be forced to rout from one and can deny an enemy entry into it. Units inside and outside can engage in CC. If you need Control of the Pillbox, you need to plan on how to get inside. If it isn’t empty, getting inside can take a second turn. Plan accordingly.
• Just like Pillboxes, Fortified Building Locations can be a chore to enter and Control. An unpinned, Good Order, armed enemy squad (or its equivalent) is enough to deny any number of friendly units from entering the Location. An AFV entering the Location may breach these positions–not just in bypass–or a DC can be placed to Breach. Of course, an attack which breaks or pins units in the Fortified Location will also make entry possible. If Fortified Locations are in the game, you must account for this in your planning.
• Understand how to count Casualty Victory Points (CVP). Sometimes these will count as true CVP. Other times, these may count as Exit VP (EVP) awarded as CVP. Sometimes a scenario SSR will dictate a different method of counting. Don’t forget that Prisoners and captured enemy equipment are normally worth double unless negated by VC/SSR. Again, discuss this with your opponent as the game goes along to ensure you both have the same idea of what the CVP/EVP currently are.
• Multi-level buildings take time to capture. Units can break and rout upstairs denying Control for a turn or more, so be sure to account for the vertical distance needed to travel as part of your planning. If the only way up is via Stairwells, this presents an even greater challenge.
• Also, keep in mind that “Building Control” and “Building Location Control” are two different things. It is possible to Control the Building and not Control all the Locations within that Building. You can either enter every Location in that Building or Mop it up to gain Control of each Location in a Building.
• “Building Hex Control” is different again. It is possible to Control a building but not the hex the unit is in if an enemy armed vehicle is in bypass there (A26.11).
  • If your enemy has HIP units, Mopping Up a Building will put them on board and make sure you discover them while you can still deal with them. A HIP unit bypassed in an upper level Location has resulted in many lost games.
  • Don’t forget the Rooftop Locations. Rooftops are Concealment Terrain for Setup purpose and units may HIP there. Such units will remain HIP as long as there are no enemy units in LOS and at the same or higher level.
  • Rooftop units can’t deny Building Control or Building Location Control, but they can deny Hex Control and easily regain Control if not discovered.
  • You can’t Mop Up if you have declared No Quarter.
    • For Building Location Control, Infantry must enter every Location in a building to gain Control.
    • Finding HIP units in upper-level Locations (bug hunt) becomes very challenging.
• Kick your enemy when he is down. If you can reasonably put his units back under DM, do so. Of course, weigh the risk of being broken yourself if you remain exposed to enemy fire.
  • Weigh this against the possibility of HOB or SAN. If that broken unit is a Location to cause you havoc as a Berserk unit–or worse yet–a Rallied unit with a shiny new hero, consider the risk value proposition. This is hard to convey, but you should learn it with practice.
  • If you can maneuver to eliminate enemies for failure to rout, you should ALMOST always do this, particularly if you have a HS/Crew/Hero lying around.
• Try to minimize the impact of the enemy SAN. This doesn’t mean to pass up on low odds shots. You should take some of those low odd shots.
  • A well placed HS in lower TEM can soak up a Sniper Attack for more valuable units. So can a Dummy unit. Remember, Snipers only move on “spokes”. Look at the position of the SAN counter, envision how it moves, and plan accordingly
  • Take shots nearer the SAN first, especially if they are important to your goal. If the SAN activates, at least those important shots have already been taken and you won’t miss out on them.
• Don’t let a SAN worry you too much. Even a high SAN number shouldn’t overly concern you.
  • Even if you roll his SAN, he still has to roll a 1 or 2 to activate it (33%).
  • Even if it activates, 50% of its attacks will only pin MMCs, Wound SMCs, and little stun AFVs.
  • You are going to get punished in unexpected ways by a SAN, you just can’t let something neither side has control over blunt your attack
  • Some people recommend not taking a shot if the SAN is higher than the DR you need to achieve a NMC (e.g. don’t take a 2 +2 shot if his SAN is 4 or higher). I disagree with this as the chance of a SAN hurting you is 1/3 of the chance you achieve a result. Instead, I look at the position of the SAN and asks if the risk of the worst possible thing happening is worth the elimination of the unit being targeted (e.g. don’t risk your 9-2 to shoot a broken Conscript half squad).
• SMOKE. If you have it, use it. Even if you think you’re using it enough, chances are you aren’t.
  • This includes Infantry with Smoke Grenades. There is no harm in using remaining MFs trying for Smoke Grenades “just because”.
  • Don’t forget WP Smoke Grenades if you’re playing the Americans (or 1944+ British, Elite Japanese Squads at any date, or G.M.D. 5-3-7 squads). Getting them is pretty random, but dropping a WP grenade into an enemy unit’s Location can come as a nasty surprise for your opponent.
• Know your Atypical LOS situations.
  • You can gain more FFMO/FFNAM shots than you think.
  • Going uphill, vertex aiming points, road hexsides in a Woods-Road hex.
• Take notes on rules you learn or situations that come up.
• Don’t slow the game, but don’t rely on your memory.
• Doing so will help you learn and get better at the game.
• More games are won by cracking your opponent’s Personal Morale (PMC) than any other method.
  • This includes you. You must be resilient in the face of pressure.
  • Keeping a calm demeanor lessens the impact of good/ bad DRs.
  • This doesn’t mean you should attack his PMC through commentary. The game will do that all on its own. Don’t be a bad sport.
  • I wish I could practice what I preach here 😀 Those who can do, those who can’t write about it in blogs.

During Game: Things To Consider While Playing

So far, we have spoken mostly about planning our attack. A plan is important. Failure to plan will go a long way towards ensuring your loss, but planning isn’t enough. Attackers must react to what happens during play. Sometimes, this means slowing the attack and sometimes this means pressing the advantage. This next section covers adapting the plan to the local conditions on the map.

As this article progresses, keep in mind the turn-based nature of ASL. Keep upcoming turns in mind. Failure to do so will cause a disjointed and diffused attack. I will try to point some of this out as I go through the game phases, but this discussion might jar the reader, seemingly coming from out of context. Better jarring here than jarring on the ASL battlefield.

Rally Phase

This phase becomes increasingly important as the game progresses. At the beginning of each Player Turn, we know the carnage from the previous Player Turn. It is here we must pick up the wreckage and feed units back into the attack.

Still, it isn’t enough to consider the Rally Phase just when you flip the turn counter over. As the Attacker, begin planning the next Rally Phase in your MPh. The Attacker decides the point of attack and should know where units are likely to break. Knowing this, the Attacker should have some idea about how and where units will rout. The Attacker needs to identify and move “Rally leaders” to these Locations in the MPh. This is why “Rally leaders’’ often move last. If you often find your units trying to Self-Rally, this is likely because you are not planning routs early enough or moving all your leaders without knowing where broken units will rout to. Failure to plan also leads to attacks losing momentum or being disjointed.

When planning rout paths, ensure Rally Locations are out of the Defender’s LOS. Keeping units under DM will be a Defender’s priority. Doing so will slow the attack. Having multiple units taking Morale Checks while broken presents an opportunity hard to ignore.

Reassessing The Attack

Another benefit of seeing the carnage is the chance to reassess the avenue of approach being taken. Perhaps it is time to shift the axis of approach based on some local condition. If the Defender has taken excessive casualties, it may be time to reinforce the attack there. Perhaps consolidating local gains and recovering is in order if the attack has suffered excessive casualties. If the Defender is expected to counter-attack, perhaps it’s time to consider how to receive this attack. See the example below.

The Attacker must account for reinforcements in his planning, it is here the Attacker decides where to employ them. Seeing the casualties on both sides, the Attacker can enter his forces where they will have the greatest impact. Knowing where the Defender’s reinforcements may come from, perhaps the Attacker can move to interdict their entry and slow the defensive help. Remember, the Attacker has the initiative. The Attacker decides when and where the conflict takes place. The Attacker must use this to his advantage. Reassess your plan and change it as needed to ensure this continues to be the case. Change your plans to cut off lateral reinforcements as needed. Shift the focus of the attack if necessary. Take what the Defender gives you, but do so at a time of your choosing. Don’t let the Defender distract you from your objectives.

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Do Not Forget The Defender’s Player Turn

When planning for the upcoming turn, don’t forget the Defender gets a say too. The Defender may opt to shoot your units. If this happens, where will your broken units go? Having a leader there to police up and feed these units back into the attack will be a key part of a successful attack.

Also, as the Attacker, planning on how to bring skulking positions under fire is the key to stopping your opponent from skulking. Being able to do this will often encourage the Defender to fall back. If you can interdict this repositioning, breaking units in Defensive First Fire and Defensive Fire is a powerful way to unhinge a defense. Units broken through Defensive Fire will attempt to Rally in your Player Turn under DM. This penalty will make it improbable these units will come back. Furthermore, the movement of broken units is not completely under the control of the Defender. Attacking these units in the AFPh or moving ADJACENT to them in the APh will make them DM again. Better yet, aggressive movement might just make it possible to eliminate those units for failure to rout.

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Other Random Considerations For Rally Phase

• Deploy as needed.
  • Two half squads can carry more portage points than one full squad.
  • IJA half squads don’t stripe and can recombine later.
    • They break in one step, whilst full squads take three steps to break.
      • When recombined at the destination, they return to Full-Strength squads.
    • Speaking of recombining, consider recombining half squads where needed.
      • Gain CC value.
      • Gain more fire opportunities–full squads can shoot inherent firepower and SW where a HS cannot.
      • Can do this in either player’s RPh. This action requires a leader.
• Recover things you can.
  • Especially enemy CVP items which are doubled at game end in CVP games.
  • Especially enemy items which must be destroyed/eliminated/not possessed by game end.
• Don’t forget to repair.
  • Be careful repairing AFV main armaments.
    • Tanks are so much more than just the Gun.
    • Losing everything else an AFV can do even without a MA can be devastating.
• Transfer SW and items as needed.
  • Take SW from CX units and give them to non-CX units to avoid the +1 DRM.
  • Give SW to units capable of using them without penalty (e.g. transfer a DC from a non-elite unit to an elite unit).
  • This is one of two times you can transfer/Abandon Prisoners.
    • You may deploy units not normally able to deploy when handling Prisoners.
    • Abuse this if you need to, especially with Russian Troops.
    • Note, transfer of Prisoners does not count against other Rally Phase options for units giving or receiving Prisoners.
• Don’t forget to roll Shock/Unknown recovery dr.

Prep Fire

The PFPh is a hard topic to tackle. No other phase is as confounding as the PFPh. Many people will tell you to shoot. Top players will tell you if you’re shooting you’re losing and then shoot some of their troops themselves.

There are only a few rules set in concrete. Flip or remove any of your own SMOKE counters currently in play at the beginning of the phase. Make sure you account for the reduced/removed Hindrance DRM in your RPh planning. Next, should you choose, place Ordnance SMOKE first. After that, OBA SMOKE followed by OBA if available. Beyond those, the rest of the phase is a series of tradeoffs.

Any unit which Prep Fires or Opportunity Fires cannot move in the upcoming MPh. These units also lose any concealment they may have had. As the Attacker, movement is likely a requirement to win. Your movement should include a plan to stop the Defender from laterally reinforcing his defense to blunt your attack. Fire lanes in your upcoming Defensive First Fire are good for this.

Weigh all of this against the need to move. Breaking enemy units at the point of attack is likely to free up movement opportunities for other units. Sometimes, it may be better to Opportunity Fire units in order to bring the full weight of your firepower to bear in the AFPh after your movement has induced the Defender to drop concealment. Also note, units which Opportunity Fire can avoid the Case C3 DRM for firing LATW under Desperation. Of course, the unit will have to survive Defensive Fire to take advantage, so this isn’t without its downsides.

After all of this, the best that can be said about Prep Firing is that it is a learning process. Keep in mind the time remaining to accomplish your mission. If you have plenty of time, there are more chances to Prep Fire. If time is running short, lean towards movement. Still, there may be some key defensive positions needing neutralization to free up movement options. Sometimes, this means firing in Prep Fire. Sometimes, AFVs can deal with them in Bounding Fire or other ways (e.g. “Sleaze Freeze”).

Try to keep in mind the order in which you fire shots. Some orders are better than others. Shots closer to the enemy Sniper counter are best taken first lest an active SAN break or pin these units first. Early shots that break or pin a unit can free other units to move more aggressively forward. Encirclement has to be done sequentially and can be an exception to taking big shots first: a low-FP shot first followed by a higher-FP shot that completes the encirclement has a better chance of breaking the target.

Unfortunately, all of this is something learned by playing, so pay attention to the way you order your attacks and ask yourself if you could have done better.

Other Random Considerations For Prep Fire Phase

• Don’t forget “mop up”.
• Don’t forget Entrenchment DRs (but also don’t forget these can generate a SAN).
• Designate new spotters, when otherwise allowed to.
• Limber/un-limber Guns and mark the Crew TI.

Movement Phase

American General George S. Patton Jr. once said, “A good plan executed violently now is better than a perfect plan next week.” The same holds true for ASL. When in doubt, attack aggressively and keep your opponent under pressure. Don’t confuse aggression with recklessness, however. Sometimes, there is a very fine line between the two.

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Aggressive play recognizes the risk and does the best it can to reduce the risks. Dashing, Smoke, and Sleaze Freeze are all examples of risk mitigation. Moving with half squads first to draw fire and limit Subsequent First Fire options can also reduce the risk for follow on movements. Use the terrain to reduce the risk further. TEM and Hindrances can eliminate or reduce negative DRMs. The proper use of Smoke is a must. Staying out of LOS behind cover or in Blind hexes eliminates the risk altogether.

As the Attacker, movement is a must. The attack must progress against a ticking clock. When in doubt, move. If your units have Assault Fire, they should almost always be moving rather than firing. If they get adjacent to enemy Locations, they almost always have more firepower after movement than before. Don’t underestimate the value of multi-hex fire groups in the AFPh, particularly if your units have Assault Fire.

During your Movement Phase, keep in mind the Defender’s upcoming turn. Which units are likely to skulk? Is the enemy likely to fall back to a second line of defense? Maneuver to place his skulk Locations under fire or interdict his escape path. Try to force your opponent to make hard decisions under pressure.

As the Attacker, expect some of your units are going to break on the attack. Even while we make best efforts to reduce risk, good DRs happen. Something is going to break. As the Attacker, you must identify which leaders are “Rally Machines.” It will be the role of these leaders to lag behind the attack and round up broken units so they can be fed back into the attack.

As your units break, take a movement to figure out where that unit is going to rout to. Can it rout? If it can’t rout, does it need some type of cover to avoid Interdiction? Sometimes it is necessary to create some form of cover to even make routing possible. As the Attacker, account for these things. Once we identify the rout destination, you know you must move the “Rally Machine” there before turn’s end. As you continue to move, try to move in such a way that anything breaking will rout to the same Location or have more “Rally Machines” identified to move to those other rout destinations. The key to a relentless attack is cycling units back into the attack as quickly as possible.

I have alluded to how important the order of movement can be, but I haven’t addressed it directly yet. There are no hard and fast rules to offer in this, but there are some things to consider:

• Move “Rally Machines” only when it is safe to, often last.
• Carefully consider when to move AFVs.
  • Do they need to provide cover for the assault?
  • Do they need to provide cover for routing?
  • Can they get into position to interdict skulking or withdrawal paths?
  • Can they take a Bounding First Fire shot in lieu of a Prep Fire shot?
• Move low value units to draw fire and limit Subsequent First Fire options.
• “Sleaze Freeze” units move earlier to free up subsequent movement (but be aware of CC Reaction Fire, especially if there’s a leader there).
• If the Defender holds his fire, continue to build a firegroup shots with low value units for the AFPh.
• BEWARE MOVING INFANTRY INTO LOCATIONS THEY CAN’T ROUT FROM IF THEY BREAK.
  • This can be hard to see when you first learn ASL.
  • To avoid this, always ask, “where does this unit rout to if it breaks?”

Lastly, when moving, don’t overlook opportunities to take VC Locations “on the march”. You make these captures when there are no enemy units to oppose the particular VC you’re achieving. Such captures are far easier than having to capture them when opposed by enemy forces and can slow the clock’s progress (you remember the clock ticking in the back of your mind, right?).

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Other Random Considerations For The Movement Phase

• Berserk units move first.
  • I try to stack Berserk units on top so the orange counter is visible.
  • The red berserk counters available from some TPP are really helpful here too.
• Know how to limit enemy fire opportunities.
  • Even if they can see it, they can’t shoot it if units restrict their fire.
  • This is key to freeing up other units to maneuver.
• Cut rout paths.
  • Failure to rout is the greatest killer in ASL.
• Don’t be afraid to take some risks–Risk an Original DR 4 (This is from Bob Bendis 😀 ).
• Don’t fear HIP.
• Covering fire–A.K.A. Opportunity Fire.
• Have a plan to overcome or bypass Obstacles.
  • Go around them?
  • Breach them?
• Reinforce success.
  • Why keep banging your head against a wall.
  • Just make sure the exploitation can lead to victory.
• Don’t be overly afraid of Residual FP.
  • But have a plan when you break.
  • Don’t forget you get the TEM versus RFP when by passing terrain.
  • Do respect minus DRMs.
  • Move into Residual FP one unit at a time.
• Consider the various ways for reconnaissance.
  • Bump scouting.
  • Search.
  • Drawing fire.
• Recover SW.
• May attempt to clear Flame.
• Declare Clearance attempts here.
  • Resolved in CCPh.
  • Make sure you look up the rules if you plan on clearing Obstacles.
• Declare Search and resolve as part of MPh.
  • Casualties from searching occur here too.
• Infantry Smoke can be used to cover an AFV’s retreat too!
  • Use Infantry movement to place Smoke Grenades between the firer and the target AFV.
  • Every grenade placed is a +2 DRM in the MPh; three grenades block LOS.

Defensive Fire Phase (in your opponent’s Player Turn):

As I said above, the key to a good Defensive Fire Phase as the Attacker is to plan for it during the previous MPh. A good Attacker will seek to limit or eliminate the Defender’s ability to reinforce laterally. To do this, the Attacker must anticipate how the Defender might move his units around and try to interdict that movement.

A good Attacker will try to limit the Defender’s ability to skulk. This entails envisioning where the Defender’s units might skulk to and then maneuvering to bring those locations under fire, especially if they are open ground. There are at least two benefits to cutting off skulking opportunities:

• If the Defender can’t skulk, he will either withdraw to a new line or fire from where his units are.
  • Your superior numbers at the point of attack should count more if he elects to fire.
• If the Defender withdraws, his path to the next line will probably include the position he was seeking to skulk into.

In either case, these outcomes are a product of a well executed MPh.

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If the Defender has broken units in LOS, prioritize them if there is a leader with them or a leader who can Advance back to them in the APh. It makes no sense to DM those units and let them freely rout to a leader when they can’t Self-Rally in your upcoming turn. You can easily handle these units through maneuver and putting them into a Surrender or failure to rout situation.

Unlike Prep Fire, shooting will not limit your unit’s ability to move. Take as many shots as you can. As I noted above, don’t let the SAN number slow you down too much.

Other Random Considerations For The Defensive Fire Phase

• Encircle if you can.
  • Double MFs to leave the Location, and may cause the units to become CXed.
  • Lowers morale by one.
  • +1 DRM to fire out therefrom.
  • Locations are Encircled, not units.
    • If your units Advance into an Encircled Location, they become Encircled once covered with a Melee counter no matter who did the Encircling.
    • Encircled units Adjacent to a KEU don’t rout, they Surrender.
  • Don’t forget upper level Encirclement.
• Don’t forget Snap Shots.
  • A 2 flat Snap Shot is better than a 4 +2 shot at the destination.
  • It’s cheesy and some tournaments ban it, but a wall doesn’t block LOS to its own Location so you can Snap Shot a unit falling back behind a wall.
  • This can be powerful if the Defender seeks to skulk behind a wall.
• The Defender may designate new Spotters for mortars, if otherwise eligible.
• Make Clearance DRs in the Defensive Fire Phase.
  • There are some exceptions.
  • Make sure you read or know the Clearance rules if you plan on clearing an Obstacle.
• Disassemble or reassemble SW if you plan on moving in the MPh.
  • This is especially true for 5PP SW.
  • Alternatively, you can deploy a possessing squad and play CX/transfer games.

Advancing Fire Phase:

Just as with Defensive Fire, an effective AFPh is determined by the Attacker’s MPh. Through maneuver, seek to apply pressure on key points of the defense holding you back from victory. Where possible, seek to Encircle key enemy positions. Almost as important, seek to be in position to Interdict broken units in “must-rout” situations. Keep in mind units with positive DRMs (CX, Hindrance, etc.) cannot Interdict. Also, do not fire on units which will Surrender or be eliminated for failure to rout. Why give them a chance to return with a Heat of Battle DR?

Do not fire on broken units adjacent to Concealed attacking units. Concealed units do not place the broken units under DM. Nor do they allow them to rout away. Given the favorable ambush modifiers and defending as broken units in CC, the Attacker is likely to eliminate the broken units and be able to Infiltrate. Even if Melee forms, Melee will compel the broken units to Withdraw in the Defender’s Player Turn. Even if the broken unit somehow survives Withdrawal, it won’t be able to rally and attacking units will be free to fire and maneuver as needed in the next Attacking Player Turn.

It is important to understand how Assault Fire works. It plays a significant role in some attacking formations. To qualify for Assault Fire, the shot must be within Normal Range. The worst an Assault Fire shot can be is 2. No matter how small the fractional firepower remaining is, it will round up to 1 and add 1 more for a final 2 fire power shot. Assault Fire from adjacent Locations will usually add 1 to the printed firepower. Multi-hex fire groups of Assault Fire-capable units can get to quite large columns, so plan your shots accordingly.

Unlike Prep Fire, any unit firing in AFPh can still Advance in the Advance Phase. There is little, to no, reason not to fire if the shot has even a marginal chance of success. Take important shots first to prevent a SAN from ruining those shots. Remember, take Encircling shots in sequence and use the largest firepower shot you can to complete the Encirclement.

You may fire White Phosphorus from Ordnance Weapons in the AFPh. It must still be the FIRST shot taken as part of the AFPh and it places Dispersed WP. Such WP can still generate a morale check if placed in a unit’s Location. Even Dispersed, it creates Hindrances which might provide cover for routing units that might otherwise Surrender. You remembered to move a “Rally Machine” to support the broken units, right?

Other Random Considerations For The Advancing Fire Phase

• Don’t forget Flame and Blaze spreading.
• SMOKE flips again if Gusts are in effect this Player Turn.
• SMOKE Drifts downwind.
  • This happens before AFPh shots take place.
  • Drifting SMOKE uses “grey” counters.
• Crews may Limber and Unlimber Guns as required.
• If Case J theoretically applied to a Stopped AFV or Wreck, it doesn’t count as a Hindrance until AFTER the AFPh.

Rout Phase:

As has been suggested so many times in this article, success in the Rout Phase comes down to properly executing the MPh. As forces maneuver into harm’s way, the Attacker must pay attention to where those troops are going to rout to. Knowing where broken units are bound for, there should be a leader there for the broken unit to rout to. The rout phase should not come as a surprise. If you find your units mostly conducting Self-Rally attempts or leaders scrambling all over to Rally units back into the attack, start examining how you execute your attacks and how your leaders are moving. Many players see a leader and think it should lead the attack from the front and then wonder why their attack lost its momentum. If your attack has left behind a string of still-broken units, perhaps it’s time to reassess how you use leaders.

Pay particular attention to units moving next to enemy units when on the attack. If these units do not have a rout path free from Interdiction, they are in danger of surrendering. These units should move either first, so the attacker can create cover for them to rout away if needed, or last after drawing off as much firepower as you can to increase the survivability of these units. If you find yourself losing units for failure to rout as the attacker, you need to improve this portion of your game. The Attacker should be causing failure to rout, not losing units to failure to rout.

Other Random Considerations For The Rout Phase

• The Attacker isn’t likely to Voluntarily Break in his Player Turn.
  • It can be a sneaky way to “double move” by routing forward.
• Disrupted units Surrender to ADJACENT, Good Order Cavalry/Infantry.
• Eliminate units remaining in a Blaze Location.
• This is a good time to Voluntarily Break if you need to.
• Surrendering units subject to Interrogation if Interrogation is in play.
• Just because a unit is broken, doesn’t mean it can’t be useful.
  • Enemy units can’t enter a broken unit’s Location unless the broken unit is Disrupted.
  • This can deny terrain to enemy units.
  • Broken units can deny rout paths.
    • Units can’t rout towards KEU, even if it is broken.
    • The Phasing player routs first so this can be taken advantage of.
  • Broken units can still inflict DM on enemy broken units.
    • Units can’t rout towards a KEU, but if the broken unit begins the RPh out of LOS…
    • Also a good candidate for Voluntary Breaking.

Advance Phase:

At this point, all the movement is done. Routing is sorted out. What remains are small micro-adjustments to the line. Any Good Order, un-Pinned unit of the phasing player may move up to one Location. There are some situations which will Counter Exhaust (CX) the unit so pay careful attention, also Berserk units cannot advance.

As a part of this phase, SW/Guns/Prisoners may be transferred between units. The transfers will inherit the Concealment status of its new possessors. Units accepting Prisoners may deploy even if not otherwise allowed to deploy.

Deciding to enter or avoid Close Combat is the most fateful decision made in this phase. When deciding, consider Ambush drms, CC DRMs, and CC attack odds. Where possible, don’t enter into CC unless at least one of these favors your side, preferably all three.

As noted in the AFPh section, advancing Concealed units into CC with broken units can be very profitable. Don’t hesitate to do this.

If you want to do an in-depth study of CC odds, I recommend Bruno Nitrosso’s article THE CLOSE COMBAT SIMULATOR – What To Expect When You’re … Close Combating! in ASL Journal 10. The Fine Art of Bushwhackin’ by Dave Ollie in ASL Journal 4 is a great article on covering the odds of Ambushing in CC.

Other Random Considerations For The Advance Phase

• Hindrances and other positive DRM allow units to Advance into otherwise open ground and remain Concealed.
• Transfer SW/Guns/Prisoners as needed.
• Japanese MMC Adjacent to an AFV may attempt Tank-Hunter-Hero creation.
• Don’t forget about the Defender’s skulking options.
  • It’s too late to think about them in Defensive First Fire.
• If you think the Defender will fall back to his next defensive line, try to put those paths under fire.
  • Remember the power of breaking units in Defensive Fire.
• Don’t forget to cut off or impede laterally reinforcing units.
  • As the attacker, you’ve worked hard to this point to achieve local force superiority. Don’t let the Defender even the odds back out.

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Close Combat:

Close Combat is a fickle mistress. It gambles everything on a single throw of the dice (even more so if the CC is HtH). Should you decide to venture into CC, do what you can to make sure the Ambush drms and CC odds are as much in your favor as you can. AFVs “Sleaze Freezing” a position adds a +2 Ambush drm. If Buttoned Up, they add another +1 Ambush drm. Worse yet, if you cannot get Ambush (and you most likely won’t), the CC is Sequential with the non-AFV player going first. Should the Defender opt to attack the AFV, your units count as covering Infantry. If the Defender opts to attack your Infantry, a lucky DR could wipe them all out before they get a chance to attack. Even if your AFV subsequently eliminates the Defender, the Defender would likely keep Control, or regain Control when the AFV moves away.

If the Attacker achieves Ambush, give careful consideration to leaving without attacking. If Infiltration allows the Attacker to fulfill some VC, then Infiltration is likely the best choice. Otherwise, the unit can remain and attack. If the Attacker eliminates the enemy, it can Infiltrate after the attack. If the Attacker cannot eliminate the enemy, the unit can Infiltrate if it survives the Defender’s attack.

Don’t rule out CC. If there are no other options and time is running short, it may be the best possible play. Just know you can do EVERYTHING correctly and still come out worse for wear. A lucky or unlucky DR can completely wreck everything.

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What Happened To The Post-Game Discussion?

I mentioned in paragraph three how I broke this article into three sections: Pre-Game, In-Game, and Post-Game. The article covers Pre- and In-Game but never discusses the Post-Game section. I must admit, I missed this artifact in editing. In the original concept for the article, there was a section on Post-Game but it had little to do with Attacking in ASL and everything to do with learning ASL.

During the editing process, reviewers repeatedly said the learning part did not seem to fit. I kept reworking it trying to make it fit but ultimately, I listened to the feedback and pulled that section from this article. I did save it however and worked it into a separate article about getting better at ASL. Sorry I missed the reference in the LFT article but for those wondering what I was going to discuss, now you know.

Conclusion

Attacking in ASL is the most difficult task. When properly designed, a scenario will put pressure on the Attacker to make correct and timely decisions. A correct decision made in the wrong time or place is really just another bad decision. Getting all of this right when the pressure is on to fabricate a victory is difficult. Remember, the Defender can just sit there and laze his way to victory. Sadly, as the Attacker, you cannot.

Still, within this burden lies the nuggets for victory. The Attacker decides when and where the attack takes place and can bring the full weight of his OB onto a very narrow front, overwhelming the Defender’s ability to hold back the onslaught. Properly orchestrated, the Attacker can also prevent the Defender from laterally reinforcing the point of attack, keeping him from ever entering the game. For all the pressure the scenario designer places on you, you can repay the Defender tenfold if you devise a proper plan.

It is in this planning that I hope this article has helped. As I said at the top, I doubt many will consider this the definitive “How to Attack in ASL” article. There are many who are far more qualified to do this than I am, and I hope they add to this discussion. All I can do is the best I can, and hope that some players find this remotely useful. ASL is a tough game to learn. It is a tougher game to learn how to attack properly. I hope this flattens the learning curve. – Jim