Episode 171:Not a Very Holidayous Holiday Show

Happy Holidays to all and to all a Happy New Year! In this rather slow moving and not as exciting asusual episode we dissect ASL Journal Five. Jeff and Dave are dragging a bit this evening, but there are a lot of great tips from the esteemed authors of the Journal articles included herein.  Also some nice evaluations of the scenarios that we have played lately!
Grab some hot cocoa and join us.

SHOW TIMES
0:03 Song by the T2HS Choir
3:00 Long Banter
17:00 What Have You Been Playing Lately?
36:00 What's in the Box?
1:05:53 Total Running Time

LINKS
A Tribute to Ray Rayner
ASL Journal 5 on BGG

Sung to the tune of “Joy to the World” Lyrics by Rich Spilky

It’s game turn one, the Rally Phase, may all my squads deploy!
While Woods and Streams, Crags, Hills and Grain, will all provide TEM,
will all provide TEM, will all, (provide my troops), with TEM!

 A twelve has occurred, on a wind change roll; So Gusts will now blow through!
While Smoke and the white Phosphorous, will dissipate now; FFMO will be in play,
FFMO will be in play, FFMO, (that’s minus two), will be in play!

 Snakes has been rolled, on a morale check roll; An H-O-B result!
I’m hoping my next roll , will be a 5 or 6;  Fanatic and a Hero too,
Fanatic and a Hero too, Fanatic, and a Hero too!

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Episode 170: OtO with Dennis & Rich

All is fair in love and war.
Misery loves company.
C'est la guerre.
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley.
'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
For hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.

It seems all the great classical writers had something to say about Advanced Squad Leader! Today Dennis Donovan adds his own odes of woe to the stable. Listen in as he and Mr. Rich Spilky (yes, THAT Rich Spilky) describe their recent head-to-head over Scenario OTO5: Another Bloody Morning from the infamous Onslaught to Orsha.

This episode is sponsored by
Ritterkrieg and Bounding Fire Productions

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Episode 169: Dear Comrades

In this show we have a bit of fun while digging out of a yuge... and we mean yuge backlog of letters. The postman had to request that we clear out our mailbox as it was overflowing into the street and blocking traffic. That means we cover a variety of questions, concerns and ASL ideas. It is a great chance to hear from you.....the precious and rare fans of The 2 Half-Squads.
Then we take a look at what we have been playing lately and cover The St. Louis ASL scenario STL2 Nothing Ventured, Bounding Fire Productions ITR-6 The Ceramic Factory,  Ian Daglish's Infiltrators, and more.

This episode is sponsored by
Ritterkrieg and Bounding Fire Productions

SHOWTIMES
1:00 Talk
13:30 Letters
48:00 What Have You Been Playing Lately?
1:13:30 Total Running Time

LINKS
Tom Lehrer Who's Next?
99 Red Balloons
National WWII Museum
U.S.S. Alabama
Erdenstern (tell them Spine and Sprocket sent you)
Yankee Gamers (hosts of the Nor'easter
Bounding Fire Productions

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Episode 168: Sandstorms Never Bothered Me Anyway

Enjoy the last of the desert rules as we present the one and only podcast dedicated mostly to the greatest game in the world Advanced Squad Leader.  Special thanks to Megan and Dennis for a wonderful opening song.
 
This episode is sponsored by
Ritterkrieg and Bounding Fire Productions

SHOW TIMES
1:00 Chitter Chatter
15:00 What Have You Played Lately
33:00 Desert Rules
1:19:46   Total Running Time

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Lyrics to D.T.O.!
performed by Megan Kleinschmidt / lyrics by Dennis Donovan

The sun burns hot in the desert today
Not a green hex to be seen
A kingdom of desolation
Here in West of Alamein
My buddies talked me into getting module five
So I purchased one
Cost me one-o-five

What’s a sangar?
What’s a wadi?
See the dust swirl?
It’s adding some L.V.
Conceal?  Get real!
No where to grow
And now I know

D.T.O.!  D.T.O.!
Can’t wait to play it some more
D.T.O.!  D.T.O.!
Played it once and now
I crave more
I don’t care
Who I’m going to play
Bring the desert on!
Heat Haze never bothered me anyway!

It’s funny how Chapter F’s
So complex and yet so small
And the rules that once perplexed me
Don’t befuddle me at all
It’s time to see how I can do
In the.  North.  African milieu
All right!  Game on! It’s cool, you’ll see!

B’lieve me
D.T.O.!  D.T.O.!
A.S.L. ‘neath the desert sky!
D.T.O.!  D.T.O.!
You must give it a try
For years I’ve planned
So now I’ll play
Bring the desert on!

My wheeled vehicles bog down in broken ground
My guys don’t have to rout if woods or buildings can’t be found
The sand, it minimizes any H.E. blast                                
I won’t play with sand dunes, they’re a pain in the ass!

D.T.O.!  D.T.O.!
Hollow Legions and Alamein
D.T.O.!  D.T.O.!
An A.S.L. paragon
For years I’ve planned
So now I’ll play
Let Khamsins* rage on!                                      

Sandstorms never bothered me anyway!

Episode 167: Get a Load of This Clown

Hello...... do you think clowns are scary? But, have you given a thought to the nice clowns?  How do they feel in this age of clown fear and clown terror?  You can have all of these questions answered right now, as we reveal what's behind all this clowning around. You may want to grab a bucket of confetti for self-defense before you have a listen.

You may well wonder "What do clowns have to do with Advanced Squad Leader?" Well, try as we might to find a clever connection.....we just couldn't. Although there are two clowns who regularly put out this podcast.

Later we dive into the Desert rules, climb a hillock, trudge through sand, rest in a sangar before leaping over a cactus hedge and into a cactus patch, which hurts a lot.  So we head through the broken terrain, past an olive grove and stop in the vineyard to have a drink and rest for the evening. Of course, it's a bit more complicated than that, so listen up and we will give you the gritty rules details.

This episode is sponsored by Ritterkrieg

SHOW TIMES
1:00 Long Clown Banter
17:00 Letters
36:00 Desert Rules
1:19:46   Total Running Time

LINKS
Scary Clown Not News Story
HOB's Special Forces 1 Desert SAS and LDRG Pack
West of Alamein on ASL Webdex
MichiCon (too late for this year but plan for next year)

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Episode 166: Beefy BFP and Yanks

In this age of rampant consumerism and consumption, we're all for cutting back, de-cluttering and simplifying in all things -- except when it comes to Advanced Squad Leader! Case in point, regardless of the fact that we already own a copy of Yanks, we had to (yes, HAD TO) get a copy of Yanks Second Edition. And tonight we open it up with the same giggly, giddy glee (after all, it was In the Box) that we do with any ASL product.

But even as beautiful as it was, it wasn't enough to sate our hunger for more. So, what to do? We decided to call on the fine folks at Bounding Fire Productions to learn what new goodies they're working on. We were lucky enough to catch Rick Reinesch and Sam Tyson for a 30 minute conversation about what's up at BFP.

SHOW TIMES
1:00 Chat
10:00 Yanks Song (Dennis Donovan)
12:00 What's In the Box
34:00 Rick Reinesch and Sam Tyson
1:07:30 Total Running Time

Links
Yanks! at MMP
Bounding Fire Productions

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Episode 165: Pe-e-e-rry Interesting

Photo from a 2006 Re Con
site.  We stole it!

Tonight's guest needs no introduction, but we have to write SOMETHING here. We were recently fortunate to get a few minutes to chat with Perry Cocke from Multi-Man Publishing. Perry is just one of the Men at Multi-Man, but he's the only one that will talk to us. Does he keep losing the coin toss or are we just lucky? Anyway, it's always good to hear from the horses mouth about all the going's on with our favorite hobby, Advanced Squad Leader. Take a listen. You may find it ve-e-e-ry interesting!

SHOW LINKS
Multi-Man Publishing
Joseph Balkoski on Amazon
Joseph Balkoski home
World Boardgaming Championship

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Episode 164: Hammada, Hammada, Hammada!

Photo shopped photo.

Scrub the dust of your shoes, write your "Deir Jane" letter, figure out wadi you talking about, then prepare yourself for the second episode of The 2 Half-Squads that covers the desert rules that were released in the Advanced Squad Leader module West of Alamein.  That was the one that introduced the desert stuff. We dust off our desert terrain rules and cover Scrub, Wadis, Hammada and more.

Before that, we review the art of Winter Offensive Packs #6 and #7.

Not photo shopped photo

SHOWTIMES
1:00 Banter
13:45 Box Art Review
23:00 Desert Terrain
1:10:20 Total Running Time

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Episode 163: Save Room for Desert

You can roam through the desert on a horse with no name, but the trip would be much improved if you took this episode along with you to get you through the boring stretches of vast, water-less terrain.  We finally bring you the beginning of a three or four part series covering the Desert rules for the Advanced Squad Leader game system.  But first, we take a look at some of the scenarios that we have been playing lately, then we grab our pith helmets, canteens and sun tan lotion, and head into the parched desert.

See that donate button over there on the right side of this screen? No? Scroll down a bit. It says DONATE.  Go ahead, hit it and throw us a bone, there should be a lot of them lying around this deserted desert. 

SHOW TIMES

1:00 Banter
15:00 Ritterkrieg Ad
17:40 Playin' Lately
34:00 Desert Rules Part One

SHOW LINKS
The Real Volkswagon Ad
The Not Real One
Matt Romey's Desert Rules in the Vernacular

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Episode 162: Sounds Like Algebra

Critical Hit Meets the Mammoth

Greetings Advanced Squad Leader fans across the world. Jeff has been really busy lately so he gave Dave permission to record a show on his own. That usually means a little less humor and a lot less banter, which is good news to those of you who don't like the banter.  Dave has read Critical Hit's 10th Anniversary Best of Critical Hit Compendium Edition, and he is ready to bring you a review of the articles therein and some of the tactical tips he has garnished from said magazine. It is a trove of interesting ASL information as you will see. If you don't believe us, just take a gander at the Showtimes and then have a listen!

LINKS
Critical Hit's ASL Compatible 
Steve Swann's Super Cool Profile
Is This Our Pedro Ramis?


SHOWTIMES
5:00 Half tracks and Tanks: Major Rob Modarelli

23:00 Snipers

30:00 Top Ten Reasons Why I Like ASL Better Than D&D: Tom Huntington

33:00 Paratroop Tactics: Mike Puccio

39:00 Artillery: Jim Thompson

50:00 Chess Clock: “Jerald” Tracy

1:03 Guns

1:08 Obstacle Tactics: Rob Modarelli

1:10 River Crossings: Chris Maloney

1:21 Total Running Time


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Episode 161: Get the Gifford

After several episodes of lame content we decided to finally get some serious history of Advanced Squad Leader stuff to you.  You can't beat this discussion with the wonderful Russ Gifford as he covers GENIE, Play By Email, Avalon Hill, The ASL Ladder, At the Point, SPI Games, Rex M, Don G, AREA Ratings, material in The General and a history of the development of ASL. This one is for the older players to reminisce and learn what was going on behind the scenes, and for the younger players to get their history lesson.

SHOWTIMES
1:00 Intro Chat
3:00 B-Day Wishes
4:25 Russ Gifford Interview
1:14:40 Total Running Time


LINKS
SPI Games
Russ Gifford Training Videos
Russ on Facebook


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Episode 160: Can't Wait Til It's Over

Some of the PAASL gents after battle.

Welcome Boys and Girls, to another exciting episode of The 2 Half-Squads, the one and only podcast on the net dedicated to the greatest game in the world Advanced Squad Leader.  This is an all fun episode with no boring rules discussions to muck things up.  We like it when it is simple. A simple show for simple minds, like ours.  Letters......What Have You Been Playin' Lately........what more do we need in life? Oh, maybe a new ASL song based on Over There! to celebrate Yanks going on pre-order, thanks Dennis Donovan.
 
SHOW TIMES 
0:05 Song Yanks! (Not by the 2 Half-Squads Singers)
2:30 Chat
15:00 Letters (lots, but hey, it is ASL talk for the most part)
41:00 What Have You Been Playin' Lately?

LINKS
Yeti Microphone
ASL Like Video Game Tutorial
RitterKrieg 3-D Dinant Map
Guards Counterattack Youtube Tutorial
How to Design a Scenario Youtube Tutorial
Swedish Volunteers

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Episode 159: Lightning Strikes Twice

Hello Fellow ASLer's,

An illustration of the lightning rules from ASL Journal #4

We welcome you to a show that starts out somber, as Dave honors his late father, but soon recovers to celebrate life. There is some coverage of the less important things in life like Advanced Squad Leader.

If you were wondering after listening to the last show "Hey, what about the last few articles in Journal 4?" Well, you are in luck, buster! We finish the last of said articles right here in this episode.  We particularly enjoyed covering the Lightning Rules. What's in the Box? are the wonderful ASL 30th Anniversary precision dice from Battle School.  They Rock (and they roll, After all, they are dice)! Winter Offensive Pack #7 is also in the box. Both it's boards and it's scenarios are reviewed.

SHOWTIMES
1:00 Banter 
9:55 Ritter Krieg Ad
13:30 The Rest of Journal 4
14:30 Sturmtiger
20:30 Light Mortars by Simon Spinetti
32:00 Lightning Rules
37:45 What's in the Box?
50:00 Letters
1:02:00 Total Running Time

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Episode 158: Sacre Bleu! Carriers, Ambush and More.

Sorry for the slight delay, we have been a bit busy launching our other podcast Spine and Sprocket. Check it out; we think you will enjoy it!

Tonight in "the box" we discover ASL Journal 4 and take you through the article, step by step, with some extra special attention paid to the strategic and tactical advice that can be found therein, So much so, that we have listed said  articles in the show times list.

Yes, we believe that this show may still be the only show 89.5% dedicated to the greatest game in the world......wait for it.............Advanced Squad Leader!
(Disclaimer: Having viewed the Curt Schilling controversial Tweet after publication of this episode, The 2 Half-Squads would like to go on record as disapproving of such Tweets) 

SHOW TIMES
0:00 Kublacon Ad
1:00 Chitty Chitty Chit Chat
11:30 What's in the Box? (Journal 4, see below)
16:15 Carriers by Ian Daglisch
38:00 Fine Art of Bushwacking by David Ollie
58:00 Best Scenarios by Robert Wolkey
1:01:00 Indian Pattern Carrier by Charles Markus and Shawn Carter
1:10:00 Army at the Edge of the World by Laurent Claussier (or some French last name that we can't pronounce)
1:17:00 View From the Mound by Curt Schilling
1:20:00 Tips for Playing ASL by John Slotwinski

LINKS
None really



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Episode 157: Bing Bang Bong!

Last episode were very excited to tear into Bounding Fire Production's latest masterpiece, Poland in Flames. Chock full of gorgeous maps and counters, scads of exciting and enticing scenarios, vehicle and historical notes, and more, this massive ASL module was too big to fit into one show. So we return to it here and discuss one of the fine articles contained in the accompanying Poland in Flames magazine, Pyromania. It's guaranteed (figuratively) to warm your cockles (literally).

We would like to apologize here in writing to all Martians, Big Foots, Australopithecines and all fine persons of Korean heritage.

We proud to have Ritterkrieg as the sponsor for this episode. You can purchase many fine Advanced Squad Leader products, including Poland in Flames.

SHOW TIMES

1:00 Banter

20:12 Letters 

40:00 The article Pyromania: Fire in ASL from Poland in Flames

1:16:00 West Coast Melee Ad (actually it is a Kublacon Ad, we made a mistake)

1:17:00 Total Running Time

LINKS
King's Spa
So Cal West Coast Melee (plan to attend next year)
Rich Spilky's ASL Player Aid Charts

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Episode 156: Bongos in Flames

Greetings all you hep (not HIP) cat fellow ASLer's! It's time to park the lead sled, stop quail hunting and instead focus your audio on our far out offering. We've got a really cool show today that's guaranteed to give you bright disease. We start our usual off-the-cob chit chat accompanied by Jeff on his cool bongos. It's slated for crashville until Daddy-o Dave whips out his copy of Poland in Flames from Bounding Fire Productions. This thing is bigger than Kerouac so listen up if you want to know your groceries. We don't blab any drab gab here. We patter what matters. No squares allowed. You dig?

Then join the PAASL Club as they recount their scenarios played with some after action reports, including a thorough discussion of ASL35 Blazin' Chariots and Food Fight from The Journal.

Oh yeah, and be sure to head over to RitterKrieg and spend a yard on ASL goods. No hanging paper please.

And hey, when you're done listening to this episode of The 2 Half-Squads, check out our new podcast, Spine and Sprocket a book and movie review program. There will be a lot of military history and war films, but also some sci-fi and fantasy as the mood hits us. 

SHOWTIMES
1:00 New Podcast Announcement
6:00 Bongo Banter
15:30 What's in the Box?
46:00 West Coast Melee Ad
48:00 PAASL After Action Report and Scenario Analysis
1:16:51 Total Running Time




LINKS
Beatnik Slang
Ritterkrieg
Bounding Fire Productions
Poland in Flames
Spine and Sprocket Podcast


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Episode 155: Einhundert-Funfty-Funf

This is the episode in which we prove we are not averse to the bizarre. We open with some general chatter and then dive into a few fascinating letters, both the email and the call-in kind. Share our excitement as we open Action Pack 12 - Oktoberfest XXX and explore the board and the scenarios therein. Can you ever have too many Action Packs?....mmm maybe. Either way, there does seem to be a plethora of new Advanced Squad Leader products hitting the market this year, like Poland in Flames, Yanks, AP's, WO's, ASL Journal 11,  and oh, so many more, that we will be quite busy in 2016 here in the podcast foxhole. We hope you will join us.

SHOW TIMES
1:00 Chatter
11:25 Letters the Gmail Kind
23:30 Letters The Call-in Kind
28:15 Advanced Squad Leader Action Pack 12 Oktoberfest XXX
40:00 Terrain Time (finally finishing buildings)
1:15:00 Total Running Time

LINKS
War College Class Game Design Videos
Girls Und Panzer
West Coast Melee 

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Episode 154: Nearly Grump Free

No one likes a grump! To celebrate the New Year we resolved to do away with all them negative waves and turn over a new leaf. So for this episode we try to keep it on the positive side -- and we mostly succeed.

Skip merrily along with us as we cull some excellent tips from ASL Journal 3 that are guaranteed to improve your game. Well, for them to do that you would have to actually remember and use them.

Ding dong the grump is missing.

SHOW TIMES
:02 Russian Berserkers Song (Lyrics by Dennis Donovan)
13:20 What Have You Been Playing Lately?
27:00 What's in Box?
1:09:55 Total Running Time


LINKS
Devil Pig Games
Girls Und Panzer
Game Design 101 Institute Videos
Ritter Krieg Games

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Episode 153: Jabo! Or Do You Say Yaybo?

Happy New Year! We welcome in 2016 with a look at the 2nd Edition of The Scenario Designer's Handbook by Michael Dorosh. It is quite the impressive collection of information to help you design you own ASL scenario or simply to use as a reference guide for many aspects of the world's greatest game. Not content with one What's in the Box?, we also examine Journal 3 -- the first half anyway -- another bursting trove of articles, scenarios, and tips.

You say that's not enough ASL for you, Bunky? Well . . .

. . . for some hardcore Advanced Squad Leader stuff you can join Dave and Tom as they play and dissect (to the best of their limited abilities) ASL Scenario G41 Jabo!

Game on bros and gros.

SHOW TIMES 
0:00 Hakkaa Paalle Song (Lyrics by Dennis Donovan)
1:30 New Year Jabber
13:00  What's in the Box?
21:00 Mayhem in Manilla Advert
25:50 Ritter Krieg Advert (free shipping on your ASL purchases)
28:25  What's in the Box? (Again!)
59:00 Jabo! Scenario Analysis (ze plane, ze plane)
1:23:55 Total Running Time

LINKS
Ritter Krieg Games
Mayhem in Manilla Tourny
Scenario Designers Handbook 
Great Shots of Cheneux Bridge at Cardboard Warriors

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