The 2 Half-Squads

Episode 312: Vasl Shimmers with Doug Rimmer

We are very fortunate to have Doug Rimmer join us this evening. Doug is one of the many unsung heroic developers of the Virtual Advanced Squad Leader site. Doug discusses the wonders of VASL, revealing some of the more recent developments in the upcoming version of the program. We chat a bit about the future plans for VASL and even let you know how you can send in some suggestions and ask about problems you are having with the system. If you listen closely, you will hear some trouble shooting advice!  

 

Long Live the Selfless Developers of VASSAL and VASL!

 

SHOWTIMES

:03 Let's Get Right to the Interview 

1:13:09 Total Running Time

 

SHOWLINKS

The VASSAL Engine

Episode 311: Surrender Your Integrity!

Clink and drink in the New Year kids!  Best wishes for 2023 to all of us! We welcome Mike Ryzy back to the broadcast foxhole for an interesting discussion of  Battlefield Integrity and the Field Promotion rules.  We hope you will indulge us as we banter a bit longer today, and also cover some of the most amazing WWII/War related items that appeared In The News in 2022. And we think you might enjoy the tour of Jeff's game/music room.

 

But first, let's listen to Surrender! 

Surrender! 

Concept and Lyrics: Dennis Donovan

Performed by: The 2 Half-Squad Singers

 

Took an MC, a 3MC, and I rolled a ‘2’
A Russian half-squad, also broken

and they’re inexperienced.

Plus 4 DRMs on to their Heat of Battle roll:

I rolled box cars, now a white flag’s being flown

  Chorus

It’s 16 alright?, okay, alright

That just seems a little weird
Surrender, surrender, they

Throw in the towel today, ay, ay, ay

F point 5, says in the Desert, refusal it is NA                             
Unlike the late war, Allies vs. the Japs in the Philippines
No, fanatics, Gurkhas, commissars, or Partisans,          
Will surrender via the Rout Phase Method  A20.21

Chorus

Surrender at night?  In CC?  That’s right

It just seems a little weird
Surrender, surrender

You’re disrupted anyway, ay, ay, ay 

Whatever happened to all my broken half-squads over there?
Thought they rallied in the building, but they all disappeared
Oh yeah, that’s right, they got captured ‘cuz they couldn’t rout
Got surrounded, they all gave up, put that ol’ white flag out

Chorus

They were next to, your K.E.U.s, 

It was, just as I feared
Surrendered, surrendered

Because they couldn’t rout away, ay, ay, ay 

SHOWTIMES

:03 Song "Surrender!"

2:40 ASL Talk

15:00 Tour of Jeff's Game/Music Room

18:55 In the News

29:30 Rules 

1:02:54 Total Running Time

 

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by Bounding Fire Productions, Broken Ground Design  and kind donations from listeners like you.

The views and opinions expressed on The 2 Half-Squads are not necessarily those of the hosts. 

Episode 310: Cruising Through the Crucible

Holiday greetings to you all! This is the season for joy and gladness, before the great grey days of the New Year that will inevitably arrive for many of us. 

 

Mike Ryzy and John Harmeyer drop by the broadcast foxhole and present their view of Bounding Fire Productions fantastic Crucible of Steel. Mike and John played all 32 scenarios in chronological order and using a campaign system that Mike modified from The Long March by Heat of Battle.  Yes, you heard that right, ALL 32.  

 

But first, how about some letters?  It's been awhile since we shared some.

 

 

 

SHOWTIMES

0:40 Bantero

8:00 Letters

23:30 Crucible of Steel Talk

1:00:11 Total Running Time

SHOW LINKS 

Errata for Covered Scenarios

Covered Scenario Pack

John Tewell's Flikr Philippines Photos

Armored Train Smialy

ASL eopen Info

 

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by our Patreon supporters, Bounding Fire Productions, and Broken Ground Design

Episode 309: We Got You Covered

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!  There is a whole lot of new products in the Advanced Squad Leader World of Gaming Goodness to be thankful for.  One of these gems is the new scenario pack Covered from Broken Ground Design . It includes a new board and 13 scenarios.  We also take a look at Dispatches From the Bunker #53, which includes the usual fantastic game tips from Carl Nogueria.  

There are no turkeys in this flock of ASL goodies. Gobble them up!

SHOWTIMES

0:40 Banter

8:18 From the Bunker #53

23:30 Covered

1:02:38 Total Running Time

SHOW LINKS 

Dispatches From the Bunker

Great Mink Escape

Covered Scenario Pack

 

 

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by our Patreon supporters, Bounding Fire Productions, and Broken Ground Design. 

 

Episode 308: Ken and Perry

There's Ken Dunn makes a long looked forward to interview along with Multi Man Publishing's very own Perry Cocke. Ken has designed a boatload of ASL goodness in the form of many scenario designs. He is also the man that brought us Operation Veritable, and the ASL Starter Kits (but that is a story for another show).

Perry gives us an update on what we can expect from MMP in the near and far future, things like Journal #13, AND Journal #14 soon after that. Yes, let's get excited! Also a coming HASL on Timor, Battle of Mokra (tracks the Polish Army all through the war) and a Marco Polo Bridge pack.  There is also a little chat about some non-ASL games that are in the pipeline at MMP. Card Games too. 

There is some discussion about Kawaguchi's Gamble: Edson's Ridge and the rules issues that were dealt with in the production process. 

 

SHOWTIMES
1:00 Interview
54:18 Total Running Time 

SHOW LINKS

Drop Zone: Sainte-Mere-Eglise 

A Conversation with Ken on Reddit

Get Your Electronic Rulebook Here

Episode 307: Chili Party Games

Hope you enjoy the brief banter about Chili Parties, before we get in to what Dave has played lately which is ASL Scenario 206: A Line Too Thinly Held.  Dave is defending with the Americans against Dave T's North Koreans who are attacking at night. 

 

We then finish the prisoner rules/quiz section (finally).  This portion covers how we move our prisoners around the Advanced Squad Leader Board, the way that they can escape, and the methods that said prisoners can use to rearm them selves once they are free. 

In the Box Jeff discovers the newest issue of Dispatches from the Bunker #54, and it is a good one. 

 

SHOW TIMES
1:00 Brief Banter
7:00 What We've Been Playing Lately

14:00 The Rules

43:00 What's in the Box?
58:12 Total Running Time

 

SHOW LINKS

Spreading Blaze ASL Tourny

Dispatches From the Bunker

 

 

Don't forget that you can watch this episode on our Youtube channel. 

 

 

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by Bounding Fire Productions, Broken Ground Design and kind donations from listeners like you!