07.2022 From the Cellar Pack 12

Publisher/Date:
Le Franc Tireur (2022)

Product Type:
Scenario Pack

Country of Origin:
France

Contents:
36-page "magazine," 10 scenarios on color cardstock

The release of From the Cellar Pack 12 marked the dozenth appearance of this long-running series of scenario packs from Le Franc Tireur. The product includes 10 scenarios on (European-length) color cardstock.  The full-color scenarios give the pack a high production value.  Like some other recent From the Cellar packs, this product also includes a 36-page magazine-like insert.  The unnamed “magazine” consists essentially of a long, lavishly-illustrated article on tactics for attacking in ASL.  The accompanying scenarios ostensibly are designed to complement the included article by being large and meaty so that extended attacks have time to develop (my personal opinion is that smaller, shorter scenarios–like early Schwerpunkt scenarios–teach players more about attacking than do longer, larger ones).  The long article was written by Jim Bishop, while all the scenarios were designed by Scott Holst (both Americans).

The article on attacking is designed for novice and journeyman ASLers and may be helpful to them, though it does wander a bit.  Still, any article that gets people thinking of the dynamics of play in ASL is good; far too many people resort instead to providing or imbibing brief “tactical tips” instead of the deeper and more complex concepts involved in the tactics and strategies of ASL (although it should be noted that this article, too, still includes a great many “tactical tips”).

The scenarios appear as a “mixed bag” of actions, most on the Eastern Front.  Settings include Finland 1940 (Soviets vs. Finns) and 1941 (Soviets vs. Finns/Germans) and 1944 (Soviets vs. Finns [2 scenarios]), Soviet Union 1941 (Soviets vs. Germans, Soviets vs. Romanians), Romania 1944 (Soviets vs. Germans), Hungary 1944 (Soviets vs. Hungarians), Belgium 1944 (Americans vs. Germans), Philippines 1945 (Americans vs. Japanese), and Germany 1945 (Soviets vs. Germans).

All of the scenarios are large or very large here; no actions are tournament-suitable.  Six of the 10 scenarios have OBA and two have Air Support. None of the scenarios use Night rules. One scenario references “Multi-Material Buildings” and “Sparse Orchards” rules from Poland in Flames from Bounding Fire Productions, and also uses boards BFP Q and BFP R from the same product (though the scenario card does not say that), so players will need that product to play FT315 (Stumbling Colossus).  The scenarios here are quite long–the shortest is 6.5 turns long and most are considerably longer than that (6 scenarios are from 8.5 to 14.5 turns in length).

Some of the scenarios present interesting actions.  FT319 (Tuloksa River Assault) presents a massive Soviet seaborne landing across a lake, using assault boats, against fortified Finn defenders.  The Soviets have 48 squads and 24 SW (!), plus OBA, to pit against 24 Finnish defenders with 7 Guns and 11 SW. The more manageable FT316 (Operation München) features an early war Romanian combined arms attack with 17 squads and 6 tanks against 10 well-armed but poor-quality Soviet squads with some fortifications, as well as 4 tanks as reinforcements.It’s one of the easier-to-play scenarios in the pack.  FT317 (Bridge to Oblivion) presents an interesting tactical situation in a fight for a bridge between 15.5 Finnish and SS squads, aided by air support and 6 tanks, and Soviet defenders that include 20 squads, 2 Guns, and 9 tanks. FT314 (Red Army Funnies), as its name suggests, has novelty values for its AFVs: 1 KV2, 2 ST-26 bridgelayers (from Hakkaa Päälle!), and 4 massive T-28s.

To play all the scenarios, the following geoboards are required: 2, 3, 4, 5, 17z, 42, 43, 44, 53, 56, 58, 62, 69, 70, 71, 78, 79, 1b, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a/7b, 9a, and ASLSK board t, as well as boards BFP Q and BFP R from Poland in Flames, as mentioned. The reason so many boards are required is because many of the scenarios play out on a large map area, with some scenarios using as many as 6 geoboards.

The large size of all the scenarios may be a turnoff for some ASLers, although they may attract those who like meatier fare.  I do have some concern about the fact that this product contains no list of playtesters, while the only person mentioned as a playtester is designer Scott Holst (and possibly Jim Bishop as well).  This does raise a potential issue for me about playtesting.

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