Episode 212: Rule #1: Always Play the Germans

Holiday greetings listeners. We hope this yuletide season finds you all cheery and staying warm by the fire. What better time than this to have a cup of hot coco and have a listen to the one and only podcast dedicated nearly 100%  to the greatest game in the world....Advanced Squad Leader.  In this episode Dave compiles a set of recordings he had hanging around on his computer, including a look at a scenario or two with local ASLer's Mark Woods, Doug Gries, Bob Holmstrom, Dave Timonen, and the guys from St. Louis, Jeff Ital and Jim Burris.  Megan joins us to read some letters in Jeff's absence. We finish up with a look at Broken Ground Designs Berserk counters and a reading of the footnotes to Tarawa. Listen while you drive and enjoy.

Jim Burris (above) Jeff Ital (below)

SHOW TIMES
1:00 Letters
8:40 Scenario 166 Skiing in Lapland Analysis
18:30 Scenario O15 Highland Frank
22:00 Scenario Across the Issel
28:15 Scenario J141 Riding With the King
33:30 St. Louis Club Update
39:50 Review of Broken Grounds Berserk Counters
45:45 Tarawa Footnotes
   57:58 Total Running Time

SHOW LINKS
ASL St. Louis
Broken ground Design's Berserkers

Episode 211: Yanks and Sugar Tanks

Recorded on a wintry night, we managed to finish #211 just before the power went out (forcing the postponement of the recording of #212), this episode features a whole bunch of letters, the announcement of the winner of the game YANKS, and an in depth look at the rest of the scenarios from Korea

SHOW TIMES
1:00 Chit Chat
15:00 Letters
33:00 YANKS Winner Announced
37:30 Korea:Forgotten War Scenarios Part II
1:08:12 Total Running Time

SHOW LINKS
ASL Germany - Grenadier Website





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Episode 210: Cranking out the Crackers

.

If you are quite certain that you want to miss the bantery discussion of some interesting films that Dave and Jeff have seen lately,  as well as info on how crackers are made you can skip right to minute nineteen and get a close look at the Kampfgruppe Scherer Player's Guide. This guide can provide a big assist to you when you play the game.
We are proud to present the last of our ASL Open interviews, with Bret Hildebrand and Mike Stubits,  and this is one you won't want to miss.
Why would you want to miss any of them?

SHOW TIMES 
0:01 Song SMC's a Goner (lyrics below)
3:03 Banter
19:20 Kampfgruppe Scherer Player's Guide
36:00 Interview
1:04:40 Total Running Time

LINKS
Kulning
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Le Franc Tireur Kampfgruppe Scherer Guide
Order it here at Ritterkrieg
Far Away Coast by the Drop Kick Murphy's

RALLY PHASE RECORDS PRESENTS!!!

 SMC's a Goner 

Sung to the tune of Girlfriend In a Coma by The Smiths

Lyrics: D. Wallick, D. Donovan
Vocals: Stephen Stewart
Mixer: Jim, the Mix-Master Bera


Leader blew morale check, oh no! I know it's serious
He was already broken, ya know, I know it's serious

And do I want him to roll a wound check? No! Cuz you know,
I would hate anything to happen to him
No I don't want to lose him

Do you really think he'll survive?
Do you think he'll roll less than 5?
Duuuuuuuuude

SMC's a goner, ya know, I know it's serious
Bye bye, bye my buddy, Goodbye

There were times when I could have rallied him
'Cuz you know, it's not like he's a 10-2 and he just got a field promotion

Now he's taking the check, time to fret, And he rolled a 5 and he died.
Dooooooooh!
Let me whisper a few bad words, I know it's serious


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Episode 209: Garret and the Return of Box Art Review

Hear the dulcet tones of Dave's nose flute, as well as Jeff's new flute provided to The 2 Half-Squads courtesy of Bill Forg and his amazing 3-D printer.
Many of you have been waiting a long time for the return of Box Art Review. The fine art chosen this episode is from Winter Offensive Pack #9.  Pull up an image from your google search and have a gander.  Beware, it is quite frightening......and just in time for Halloween!
Dave covers a playing of scenario WO11 Across The Issel and scenario ASL172  The Last Attack. We also have a wonderful interview with Chris Garret from the ASL Open.
 The contest for the free copy of YANKS ends November 15th. We already have tons of entries. Good luck to all you Yankee Devils.

Chris Garret at the ASL Open 2018

SHOWTIMES
1:00 Too Much Boring Banter
10:00 What Have You Been Playin' Lately?
25:00 Box Art Review
41:00 Interview With Chris Garret
58:40 Total Running Time


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Episode 208: Hand Me a Sniper

Disco, rap, space travel and cultural preferences are just a few of the topics discussed before we dive into our coverage of the greatest game in the world - Advanced Squad Leader. 
Join Fred Canzolino and Mark DeVries as they discuss their favorite aspects of ASL.

Later we announce the winner of our contest for Hot Stove 3, you'll have to listen to find out if you are the lucky winner.

There is also a new contest announced. Yes, you can win a full copy of YANKS -- brand new-in-the-box YANKS, generously donated by Mr. Mark Woods. You'll have to listen to this episode for details on how to enter the drawing. Entries must be received by November 15, 2018. Thank you Mark!

Broken Ground Designs' new partisan counters are reviewed in What's in the Box.  We are big fans of these counters.

SHOW TIMES
:30 Banter
15:00 Winner Announced
24:30 What's in the Box?
31:40 Letters
45:30 Interviews
59:35 Total Running Time

SHOW LINKS
Charts of Space Missions Download this episode (right click and save)

Episode 207: Battling Banozic

Banozic, Emberton and Forg

What a treasure trove of an interview! We've got it right here for ya brothers and sisters.  It is the legendary and lyrical Robert Banozic.  He is joined by Will Forg, and Zach Emberton,  Together they reminisce and pontificate on all things ASL.  Robert was one of the first names that early Advanced Squad Leader players recognize from his days in the early Chicago scene and his writings in many prominent publications, Backblast, The General and the Annual among others.

We forgot the ads in this one, but we are always grateful to our sponsors, Bounding Fire Productions, Ritterkrieg and we'd like to welcome Broken Ground Designs as our newest supporter. 

SHOW TIMES
1:00:15 Total Running Time

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Episode 206: Vaughn, Kirk, Kraatz and More

Helllooooo Listeners!

Dave, Jeff and guess who? Listener Mark Kraatz at Gen Con

Did you know at Gen Con we were just walking down the street and someone yelled "Is that Dave and Jeff?"  Would you believe it was listener Mark Kratz? We also discuss the longest ASL scenario ever played. MMP's Messenger Boys. It took well over a year and a half. Lets see you take that long to play a scenario.  In the box is Winter Offensive Pack #9 .  We snagged a nice interview at the ASL Open with Wes Vaughn and Doug Kirk. Couple of real great guys.  Two finer gentlemen you could not meet.

Wes Vaughn and Doug Kirk watch a game at the ASL Open

SHOW TIMES
1:00 Banter
12:25 What Have You Been Playin' Lately
27:00 What's in the Box?
39:30 ASL Open Interviews
1:22:59 Total Running Time









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Episode 205: That's the Way It Goes Folks

When you're digging in your backyard and you
 have to put your garden project on hold while
the police come in and make the
 area a crime scene. 

Fall is fast approaching and so is the next episode.
We just can't believe how fast time flies. Or how long this episode is.  It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating #200 together. In this show Dave confesses his big mistake in tracking what we have covered and have not covered in the rules so far, he apologizes for covering the infantry fire rules again.    Therefore, we cover the rules from opportunity fire to rule 7.32.  Our goal is to cover the entire Advanced Squad Leader rule book before we conclude this show.After that Dave presents the first eight or so of the scenarios from the Forgotten War module. Boy, they look neat! To steal a pun from Donovan...they ROK!

How about that opening song? The lyrics were provided by Rob Banozic and the song was performed by The 2 Half Squad Singers.





SHOWTIMES
00:01 Song: He's Got Really Hot Snake Eyes
04:00 Banter
16:10 The Rules
51:25 Half of The Forgotten War Scenarios
1:27:25 Total Running Time

REALLY HOT SNAKE-EYES

(to the tune of "Bette Davis Eyes"

Lyrics by Rob Banozic)

His rolls are always low

I've never seen 'em high

His dice are never cold

He's got really hot snake-eyes

He'll turn the MGs on you

You won't pass a check twice

It's cold as East Front snow

He's got really hot snake-eyes

And they'll break you, they'll crit-hit you

They're the bones that will defeat you

They're atrocious, 'cause he always gets the

Rolls that make the stacks crush

God! why do I always roll so high, he's got really hot snake-eyes

You like your +3 stone

The place to stand and fight

But all you do is moan

He's got really hot snake-eyes

He'll take a '1' shot on you

And roll those wicked dice

Until you give up, too

He's got really hot snake-eyes

They'll DM you, when he plays you

Trash your plan with the dice he loans you

They're ferocious 'cause he always gets the

Rolls that make the stacks crush

All the boys think it's just fine, to get really hot snake-eyes

And they'll break you, they'll crit-hit you

They're the bones that will defeat you

They're atrocious, 'cause he always gets the

Rolls that make the stacks crush

All the boys think it's just fine, to get really hot snake-eyes

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Episode 204: Cot, not Cat

What a great opening song! Check out the lyrics below and enjoy the brilliance of the Donovan Studios as they continue to produce marvelous ASL songs. Then lay out your boards and follow along as Rick Hollander and Dave Kleinschmidt present their After Action Report of Bounding Fire Productions scenario ITR 12 Sosabowski Slapdown that appeared in Into the Rubble 2. We delve into the Critical Hit product Hot Stove 1 in the What's in the Box segment to wrap things up until next time.

CONTEST: If you would like to win the copy of Hot Stove #1 by Critical Hit simply send us an email with the subject line "Hot Stove" by September 15th, and we will enter you into a drawing for the fine product.

Sosabowski Slapdown:Top two photos depict mid game.

Sosabowski Slapdown: end game.

DC Hero

-- Concept: Dennis Donovan
-- Lyrics: Dennis Donovan, Rich Spilky, Stephen Stewart
-- Vocals: Stephen Stewart
-- Mixing/Technical: Jim Bera

Playin’ ASL, in the P.T.O.
The Marines vs. Jappos, Code of Bushido
Read all the SSRs, and I started to scheme
Coming up with a plan, when I noticed something:

There is one DEMO, to blow stuff away
And with a gleam in my eyes, I knew I’d found the way:
There’s a Japanese private, in the Second World War
Wasn’t sure how to use one, but he knew for sure

That one DEMO, felt good in his hands
Didn’t take long, to understand
Just one DEMO, will beat the foe
But a one-way ticket, for DC heroes

So he did a banzai           
No way he’d get dropped   
With his H.E. man purse           
Those Yankee Devils will be stopped!

By a DC Hero,
For Nippon he will die!
He’s a DC Hero
He’s got one  DEMO,

DC Hero Yankees will die!
DC Hero   
Yankees will die!
He won’t sur-vive this fight.

On a road without a name, out on Corregidor
There’s a Sherman Tank Dozer, stopped in hex G4
Yeah, this day is his last, filled with lots of pain
That one  DEMO, gonna win the game

So he started chargin’
8 MF enough?
But if he gets wounded 
Gettin to the target will be tough!

For a DC Hero
   for Nippon he will die!
He’s a DC Hero
   for Nippon he’ll die!
YEAH   DC HERO
   Nippon he’ll die!
That one DEMO,   
   Nippon he’ll die!
He’s gonna win
   Gonna win tonight


SHOWTIMES
0:1 Song DC HERO
4:00  Interesting Chat
18:00  After Action Report
45:00 What's in the Box?
57:10 Total Running Time

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Episode 203: Episode Unavailable

This summer has been extremely hot

Dave's Russians push against Mark's Germans

 and so is this episode. Why? Because we get back to the grind and continue our coverage of the Advanced Squad Leader rules, 7.0, Fire Attacks. When is that fire doubled? Halved? Tripled (oh yeah)? Do you even know?  Of course you do.But you may not know the more advanced concept from this rules section. Match your wits and ASL knowledge against Jeff as he is quizzed while we discuss the rules on Fire Attacks.  If you think the rules are boring, then take a listen to our interview with Bob Bendis from the ASL Open.  We borrowed the title for this episode from Fear the Boot Podcast.

SHOW TIMES
1:00 Some Chat
9:00 What Have You Been Playin' Lately?
23:40 Rule 7.0 and stuff
39:00 Interview with Bob Bendis
1:00:45 Total Running Time

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Episode 202: Jeff, The Killing Machine

Heroes 2: One of the re-issued Hero Pax from Critical Hit

Jeff, otherwise known as the Black Belt of Death, reveals his humble beginnings in the wonderful art of Karate. He also tells us what chicks used to "dig" back in the day.  We get some nice letters from listeners, very nice letters.  Everyone's a hero in the re-issue of the Hero Pax from Critical Hit.  They have been updated and have art added, as well as a few new scenarios.To finish off the program we have an interview with the very famous Brian Martuzas from the ASL Open.  He has worked on Armies of Oblivion and Pointe du Hoc, and loves the new counters coming from Broken Ground Designs. We also interview Magnus who came all the way from Sweden,
and tells us of the European ASL world.

Brian Martuzas

SHOWTIMES
1:00 Some Dangling Conversations
10:00 Letters
20:24 What's in the Box?
40:00 Interview with Brian Martuzas
48:00 Interview with Magnus Rimvall
1:04:50 Total Running Time

Is it Jeff or Donald Sutherland?

Frank or Leon?

Zappa or Redbone?

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ASL Extra 25: Shklov's Labors Lost

Hello,
It's been a while since we have published an ASL Extra. This one has been recorded in a play by play style, where we follow every move and roll of an exciting game between Mike Ryzy's Germans and Eric Ortega's Russian defenders, as they try to hold onto some required buildings in Shklov, Russia. Hopefully you will enjoy listening along while the game is played, rules are recalled and strategy discussed. We had trouble posting photos to flikr so we put them all here.

Total Running Time 1:18:55

Left to right. Ortega, Ryzy, Kleinschmidt

Initial Set-up

End of turn one, we think.

End of turn 2

End of turn 3

End of turn 4

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Episode 201: An ASL Oddity

Open the ASL Rulebook Hal.

Sorry HAL 9000, it had to be done.....and we had a lot of fun doing it.
Do you think a HAL  unit would have its line of sight blocked to the interior of the ship if you held the ASL Rulebook up over it's little red eye?  You will learn the answer to that question as we explore rule 6, LOS. It is a bit of a "quiz show" so sharpen your mind and prepare to listen.  See if you can beat Jeff to the right answers.

Dave Ginnard (photo credit to D. Garvin)

You new ASLer's can learn alot about the history of the game from our interview with the very famous and most wise, Dave Ginnard.  You older players will enjoy hearing about the good old days. He hails from Ohio and was there at the genesis of Advanced Squad Leader.  He's also a lot of fun to listen to in his own right. So give it a listen. Rich Spilky connected us at the ASL Open. Thanks, Rich.

Remember to not run into any trees everyone.


SHOW TIMES
0:2 Comedy Bit
4:40 Bantero
16:45 LOS Rules
43:48 Interview with Dave Ginnard
1:24:16 Total Running Time

SHOW LINKS
Kirk Pfan's LOS aid
Open the Pod Bay Doors Hal, 2001: A Space Odyssey
Deactivating Hal, 2001: A Space Odyssey
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EPISODE 200: Totally Twisted 200

Our own Dave and Jeff celebrate 200 episodes

Boy, that number 200 does look odd in the title.  We hope you don't have your hopes up too much this one. Doing that almost always guarantees disappointment and we give you enough disappointment even without our listeners having an unusually high expectation for this podcast.

Following the usual format Jeff presents a look at BFP-78 Operation Wheatfield from Bounding Fire's (ding-ding) Crucible of Steel, after the usual banter of course. If you didn't know that Dave went to Ireland, well, you will after this show.

Jeff's almost completed
defense for BFP-78

Episode 200 is saved from its own banality by the marvelous interviews that we snagged at the 2018 ASL Open, right here in Chicagoland. You will learn some history of the game while you get to meet some of these wonderful people in the ASL community.  ENJOY!

SHOWTIMES
0:02 MASH Parody Song (lyrics by D. Donovan, Performed by The 2 Half-Squads Singers)
3:34 Greetings and a conversation about dummies and concealment
10:00 Wonderful, Glorious, Banter (hey, it's 200, let us dream)
13:00 Pathetic Request for Support
14:00 Good Ideas for Life
16:00 Not More Banter!.....Please No!
25:00 What's The Plan for the Next 30 Shows?
27:00 What Have You Been Playing Lately?
44:30 Dave Goldman and Zach Emberton interviews
1:03 John McDermot and Chris Edwards interviews
1:26:30 Callers (Larry, Alan and Jackson)
                                                    1:30:28 Total Running Time


M*A*S*H  KOREA SONG
Lyrics by Dennis Donovan, performed by The 2 Half-Squad Singers

Chris Edwards and John McDermott

The Forgotten War is here you see
A new venture for MMP
It’s Post World War 2, you see
The Korean War in the ‘50s

[REFRAIN]:

In Forgotten War the scene is
The UN, ROKs and Marines

Versus the KPA and the Chinese

The Chosin Few designers know

They put into it heart and Seoul

If they screwed up module 15

That they’d be in some deep kimchi

[REFRAIN]:

There are new rules pages
Updated Chapter H is
Included with 16 scenarios

Dave Goldman and Dave Kleinschmidt

The 4 new maps have rough terrain

Which Chapter W explains
There’s 7 brand-new counter sheets

The jet aircraft are pretty neat!

[REFRAIN]:

Forgotten War will cost us
About one hundred dollahs
And I will take three copies if you please

I brave man once asked Perry

To tell us “When will it ship, please?”
Is it to be or not to be
Why oh why ask me?

[REFRAIN]
Did you see the new box?
Papyrus font really ROKs
and you can figure the rules out with some ease.

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Episode 199: All Swears, All the Time

Do you like my mustache?

Welcome back our friends to the show that never ends!  Well, maybe never ends.  Well, of course it will end. BUT IT WILL GO BEYOND EPISODE 200.  Sorry to be the bearers of bad news.  Anyway, we open with quite a bit of boring banter, then many rather interesting letters, a detailed look at Scenario 176: The Only Way Out, then finish up with a look at Critical Hit's Dutch Trucks III. This product has some limited use for existing ASL scenarios but is a lot of fun.



SHOWTIMES 
2:20 Boring Banter
23:00 Letters
46:30 I Played This Scenario
55:59  What's in the Box?
1:07:25 Total Running Time

SHOW LINKS 
Restoring a Panther Youtube
Another 

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Episode 198: Total Quiz Show

We had so much fun last time that we thought we would invite Rich Spilky, Bob Brown and Dan
Dolan back into the broadcast foxhole for some more Advanced Squad Leader discussion.  Bob gives us his gaming background, we discuss attending tournaments, and then we begin a rousing rendition of ADVANCED QUIZ SHOW (yes, these questions are tricky).  Get your bell ready to use to buzz in and play along with us from the comfort of your own home. When you have Rich playing, you know you are going to get some great rules advice.

SHOW TIMES
3:10 Bob's Gaming History
11:00 Quiz Show
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Episode 197: RB CG III w/ RS, BB and DD

Photos courtesy of Dan Dolan Studios.

Break out your Red Barricades map and follow along as Rich Spilky and Bob Brown discuss campaign game III with the author of an article that provided Rich with a winning strategy. Dan Dolan's article was published back in 1993 in a fanzine called Fire for Effect that was published by Marc Hannah. It is fun to hear the three of them discuss the game and the fact that Rich was using his "radio" to stay in contact with Dan (who provided the wonderful photos, by the way).

PHOTOS ARE HERE ON OUR FLIKR STREAM

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by Bounding Fire Productions and Ritterkrieg and of course, kind donations from you.  Please subscribe to us on Patreon.

SHOW TIMES 
59:59  Total Running Time 
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Episode 196:The Doughnut and the Urinator

Not a picture from WWII

Join Dave and Jeff as they bring you some banter about growing old and health issues.  Eeew, no one wants to hear about that.
In Dave's discussion of ASL Scenario 177: Anabasis you will get some insights and playing ideas. Jeff played Scenario SP 247:Deaths Head Debut from the great designer Evan Sherry. Schwerepunkt has had some confusing info about it's whereabouts lately but as far as we can tell you can order them from some game stores but it is hard to find a home page with a web search.  You can set the world on fire after you listen to our Terrain Time in which we cover rule 25 FIRE.

We are burning down the house, baby.

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by Bounding Fire Productions and Ritterkrieg and of course, kind donations from you.

SHOW TIMES
0:10 New Bounding Fire Productions Ad
2:00 Banter
12:30 What Have You Been Playing Lately?
34:00 Terrain  Time
59:18  Total Running Time

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Episode 195: The Jester Speaks Wisdom

If you aren't familiar with the Advanced Squad Leader videos by Kirk Pfan, known to his fans as idjester, then you have been missing out on a wonderful resource for the ASL community. His work is available on youtube here idjester.  Kirk creates videos that cover the rule book, and provide step by step training of specific aspects of ASL, as well as some scenario analysis. There are a lot of resources on the web for us fans to explore.  Perhaps we can be your tour guide.  Time to forget your real life and step into the virtual ASL world (but, just for a short time). Join us. 

SHOWTIMES
1:00 Interview with IdJester
1:04:10 Total Running Time

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Episode 194: Not Alone Canuck in the Age of Aquarius

It may feel more like an early Spring, but we recorded this back in February and the Winter Olympics were still going on and we were buried in a moderately deep snow here in the Chicago area.  Jeff had spent a little dough on Anzio - 1944 and Drive For Saint Lo from Lone Canuck Publishing. Rick Hollander and Dave analyze Scenario PAD 2: The Quick and the Dead. They offer an in depth look at that gem.  There is a crazily in depth replay of said scenario here at Gumble Jones blog Boxcars Again.

SHOW TIMES
1:00 Talk
13:00 What's in the Box?
41:50 Scenario Analysis
57:15 Total Running Time

Rick rolls snakes and is quite proud of it.

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