01.1997 ASL Annual ’97

Publisher/Date:
Avalon Hill (1997)

Product Type:
Periodical

Country of Origin:
U.S.A.

Contents:
64-page magazine, including 16 scenarios included as pages of the magazine; historical map

ASL Annual ’97, the final issue of the ASL Annual, featured a wonderful going-away present for its readers–a Mini-HASL featuring combat in the vicinity of Nhpum Ga in northern Burma between Americans and Japanese.  This fact alone has made Annual ’97 something of a prized possession and a bit hard to find.  It is odd that it took the Annual nine issues before it ever featured a historical map.

The article content is a mix, with a rules article on cavalry, a Series Replay of G28 (Ramsey’s Charge), a couple of scenario analysis articles, a history/designer’s notes article related to Nhpum Ga (probably one of the few justified history articles the Annual has featured), and a good gameplay article on fighting early war armor.

The Annual comes with 16 scenarios, four of which use the Nhpum Ga map, including the very fun “monster” scenario A117 (Maggot Hill), which everybody should play at least once.  A campaign game for Nhpum Ga was promised, but never materialized.

Other actions take place in Poland 1940 (Polish partisans vs. Germans); Soviet Union 1941 (Soviets vs. Germans [2]); Norway 1940 (French vs. Germans); France 1944 (Americans vs. Germans); China 1937 (Chinese vs. Japanese); New Guinea 1942 (Australians vs. Japanese); Tunisia 1943 (British/Americans vs. Germans/Italians); France 1940 (French vs. Germans); Belgium 1940 (French vs. Germans); Syria 1941 (Indians vs. Vichy French); and Finland 1939 (Soviets vs. Finns).

A112 (Gift of Time) is a desert scenario.  For the first (and last) time, a DASL scenario did not appear in the Annual.

Annual ’97 has some good scenarios, including A110 (Shanghai in Flames), if the Japanese get some sort of balance; A111 (Cattern’s Position); A116 (Tangled Up in Blue); and A117 (Maggot Hill).

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