Publisher/Date:
Multi-Man Publishing (2022)
Product Type:
Mini-Scenario/Map Pack
Country of Origin:
United States
Contents:
3 11" x 26" unmounted DASL geoboards (m, n, o); 4 scenarios on cardstock.
Winter Offensive Bonus Pack #13 is a larger than normal bonus pack, in more ways than one. It contains four scenarios rather than the usual three, and three boards rather than the usual two. Moreover, because the geoboards are DASL boards, they are quite large in size. The fact that the pack is DASL-only may disappoint some ASLers, as DASL is far less popular than regular ASL (and, indeed, was entirely neglected, in terms of new boards, for many years). The product in some ways can be taken as a sign of the stability that MMP has achieved as a company; a couple of decades ago, MMP would not have thought of focusing its limited resources on DASL; it could not really reach out to niche audiences. Now, however, MMP apparently feels quite at ease releasing DASL products (its stability can also be seen in a recent announcement of intent to re-publish another niche ASL product: SASL).
The hew boards (m, n, and o; which is starting to get quite confusing vis a vis ASLSK board designations) are largely wilderness or PTO compatible. Board m (which, like all DASL boards, is only 5 hexes x 15 hexes) is dominated by orchards/palm trees, with smaller amounts of grain/kunai, woods/jungle, and two hexes with brush/bamboo. Boards n and o are only partially geomorphic; they combine to form a large (in DASL terms, anyway) hill mass.
The four scenarios include two late-war PTO scenarios and two early-war Korean War scenarios. WO39 (Shotgun Shuffle) is set on Saipan and features a USMC attack on a Japanese fortified position. It’s large in size, but all-infantry, so might play more like a medium-sized scenario. WO40 (One Smart Bastard) uses three ASL geoboards to represent an Iwo Jima scenario. It features an even larger USMC attack (with PLENTY of flamethrowing devices) against a Japanese fortified position (including caves). The Japanese may purchase even more reinforcements.
WO41 (7-10 Split) features a North Korean attack against South Korean forces along the Pusan perimeter in August 1950. It’s quite large (though all-infantry), with 39 North Korean squads and 28 South Korean squads. WO42 (Spartan Style) is set in January 1951, during the Chinese counteroffensive period, and depicts a Chinese attack with 28 squads against a 13-squad Greek force. Neither one of these scenarios is a Night scenario, which might please some people.
Obviously, this product is a must-get for DASL fans, as well as Korean War fans (another niche audience). For others, it probably isn’t a priority.
Leave A Reply