03.1995 Solitaire ASL (SASL)

Alternative Titles/Edition History:
1st Edition (Avalon Hill, 1995); 2nd Edition (Multiman Publishing, 2001)

Publisher/Date:
Avalon Hill (1st Edition, 1995); MMP (2nd Edition, 2001)

Product Type:
Solitaire ASL Rules

Country of Origin:
U.S.A.

Contents:
1st Edition: 1 countersheet (260 counters), 14 SASL Missions, 4 Generation Cards, Chapter S rules pages, Chapter S divider.

2nd Edition:  As above, with 7 more SASL Missions and 8 more Generation Cards

Although Advanced Squad Leader itself plays fairly well as a solitaire game, Solitaire ASL (SASL) takes the notion to the next level, creating a framework of generic scenarios (called “missions”) in which enemy forces are more or less randomly generated and act and react according to certain game procedures.  Designer Charlie Kibler created a fascinating game that is at once ASL yet something that plays very differently than ASL.

Because is a very interactive game with healthy real-world and virtual communities, SASL has remained a niche product in the ASL world.  However, those ASLers who play it enjoy SASL considerably and have developed a variety of missions, campaign games, expansions and variants for it.  Some SASL missions have also appeared in third party products (such as Onslaught to Orsha from Heat of Battle).

The 2nd edition of SASL, in addition to some rules changes, was expanded to include rules and charts for all nationalities in ASL except for the Axis Minors (which are included in Armies of Oblivion) and the Finns (which will appear in Hakkaa Päälle).  The changes between the 1st and 2nd Editions are said to be extensive enough that it was not possible to provide a simple upgrade kit for owners of the original edition.  It also added 7 more missions (see below for all).

SASL Missions, which are generic in nature, include:

1. Cautious Advance
2. Pockets
3. Recon
4. Bunker Busting
5. Take the Highway
6. The Fortress
7. Block Party
8. Patrol
9. Enemy Offensive
10. Hold the Line
11. Tank Attack!
12. Besieged
13. The Bridge
14. Human Wave
15. Pursuit
16. Airlanding
17. River Assault!
18. Bridgehead
19. Escape!
20. Amphibious Assault
21. Beach Defense

In 1999, in ASL Journal Issue One, MMP published an “official” Red Barricades Solitaire ASL set of rules, with rules pages S23-25 and four missions.

2024 Update:  Something that apparently escaped the notion of Desperation Morale for more than a decade and a half is that Tom Morin, designer of Valor of the Guards, also put together SASL materials for the module, so that people could explore it using those solitaire rules.  These materials are available from the MMP website here (and also, as a backup, here).

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