The 2 Half-Squads

Episode 25: Mark(ing) Time

One of the benefits of producing a netcast like this one is the opportunity it gives us to interview various ASL "celebrities". So far none of them have shown any self-awareness of that "celebrity" status, though they all most assuredly deserve the title, given the time and effort they dedicate to the hobby and -- more importantly -- donate to the community. Our guest today is no exception, though his contributions to The Game are exceptional indeed. Mark Pitcavage (Dr. Mark Pitcavage, if one were to honor his PhD in history) is a name well known in ASL circles, and we were very pleased to "meet" him today for the first time to chat about our favorite topic. We think you'll find the discussion entertaining and informative. If you've never visited Mark's web site, dedicated to Advanced Squad Leader, then you're missing out. Check it out as soon as you can at http://www.desperationmorale.com/ Yes, we are very lucky to get to talk to so many NICE gamers, any one of whom you should have no fear taking home and introducing to your mother. Oh wait. That would be a wee bit creepy. Before we start Mark(ing) Time, though, we still make room to sift through some listener mail (of course!) and indulge in our other usual antics. Stick around. This is a good one.

Episode 24: Get Movin'!

August was a busy month for us, especially with a fun-packed, four-day excursion to Indianapolis for GenCon. But we were still able to record a couple of fantastic T2HS (The 2 Half-Squads) episodes -- the first of which we offer here for your approval. In "Get Movin'!" we continue our series covering, in detail, the phases of the game.  And if you can't guess which phase is covered this time you should go back to playing "Chutes 'n Ladders". There's a lot to cover, but we still carve out some time for listener mail, a quick movie review, and some other goodies. You're going to like this episode. How can we be so sure? . . . because it's ASL. Dig it.

Episode 23: Prep School

Ah yes, we hate to say it but the end of summer break is drawing nigh (here in the Northern latitudes, anyway) and soon the kids will be back in school. With all the homework, projects, sports, and other scholastic activities monopolizing the lives of our youngsters, how are we adults to fill the empty hours? Hmmm. How about some ASL? In this episode, we go to prep school -- Prep Fire Phase school, that is. With the ASL'ers favorite cheat sheet (the trusty ASOP) in hand, we take a detailed view of every event in this first action phase of the game turn. Why do we love Prep Fire so much? Because we finally get to FIRE! We are happy to break from our studies to talk with Matt Shostak of the Texas ASL club. You know Matt and friends of course if you've ever laid eyes on the excellent Banzai!! [sic] publication, a newsletter -- and so much more -- put together and offered for free by that honored group from the greatest state in the lower forty-eight. Did we mention they offer Banzai!! for FREE? How's that for a sample of Texas hospitality? Put on your thinking caps and join us! Web Links for this show:

• Texas ASL Club

• The Banzai newsletter (all 50 issues in one zip file)

Episode 22: Light 'em Up! (LIVE)

This episode's main topic is Fire weapons: Flame Throwers and Molotov Cocktails. This episode was our first LIVE audience show. Thanks to technology provided by TalkShoe we were able to broadcast our audio live on the internet and were joined live by listeners. It was pretty cool. We had about twenty-five people joining us via chat and call-in. We need to work out a few kinks in the technology, but all in all it was a great experience. The Quiz Show segment with instant answers from the audience was pretty cool for those able to participate. Note: If you were not listening "Live", this episode may seem a bit confusing and disjointed; for that we apologize. We have a number of ideas about how to improve on this format and fully expect future Live casts to be much better. Also, it's possible we will re-record the main segment on Flame thrower weapons and MOL's; there was a lot of good content there that deserves proper presentation. This episode of The 2 Half-Squads featured the music of American composer Leroy Anderson. You can use the widget below to sample the tunes we played and purchase the full versions from Amazon. To download a compressed (smaller file size) audio version of this episode, click - here -.

Episode 21: Lighten Up!

Now that we've spent a couple of episodes talking about tanks, we thought it time to take a look at a lighter topic -- what the lonely soldier could do to combat those nasty AFV's. With that in mind, this installment examines the ins and outs of Light Anti Tank Weapons (aka LATW's). Join us for an in-depth quiz show that is sure to inform and delight. So sit down, keep your hand near the buzzer . . . and Lighten Up!

ASL Extra #9 88's At Zon + More

Hello! This episode should have photos if you use itunes! We will also put them on the flickr side bar. This episode features Tim Klepaczyk's Germans defending against Ron Schatz's Americans in a Starter Kit #2 scenario called 88's at Zon. Neutral commentary is provided by Dave and special guest Larry Schroeder provides a lively end game analysis. Don't miss the exiting finish to this game! Then join us for a round table discussion of ASL in general at the end of this episode. Wow! We'll be doing a lot more of these in upcoming episodes. (If you want to download this episode and are not an iPhone/iTunes etc user, you should download the mp3 version from here.)