ASL Starter Kit #1 Unofficial Errata
ASL Starter Kit #1 Unofficial Errata
Last Updated: 2005-08-27
Copyright © 2004, 2005 Daniel F. Savarese
ASL Starter Kit #1 Clarifications and Unofficial Errata
Despite the excellent job MMP did in preparing ASLSK#1, there
are a few potential instances of confusion that arise from either
omission or form of presentation. References to ASLRB in these clarifications refer to
sections in the ASL Rule
Book. Just because a rule exists in the ASLRB that
could be applied in ASLSK does not mean it was unintentionally
omitted from the ASLSK
(e.g., voluntary
breaking). It seems reasonable, however, to resolve the few
ASLSK rule ambiguities by referring to the ASLRB (e.g., fire group modifiers).
I started maintaining this errata list on October 10, 2004. As of December 10, 2004, Multi-Man Publishing posted an official ASLSK errata list which contains a subset of these items. The rule book included with ASLSK#2 incorporates the official errata.
Counter Exhaustion (CX)
CX is not defined in the glossary. CX stands for Counter Exhaustion (see ASLRB A4.51).
A CX counter is removed at the next movement phase of the unit's player, not the opponent's movement phase. Also, a CX counter is removed from a unit when it breaks (see ASLRB A4.51).
CX units do not add a +1 DRM penalty for morale checks or pin task checks. ASLRB A4.51 makes it clear that CX units add one to labor tasks and attacks. Morale checks and pin task checks are not labor tasks or attacks.
The quick reference data card states that there is a -1 DRM for attacks against CX units. That modifier applies only to close combat (CC) attacks (see Section 3.3 discussion of CX status effects).
Final Fire and Multiple ROF
During the Defensive Fire Phase:
Any weapon with a Multiple ROF marked with a First Fire counter is limited to only one additional attack during Final Fire and only vs adjacent or same-hex targets. | ||
| --ASLRB A8.41 MULTIPLE ROF | ||
In other words, a support weapon is not entitled to multiple ROF during the Defensive Fire Phase if it is marked with a First Fire counter. If the weapon is not marked, even if it is currently maintaining ROF, it may continue to perform attacks until its ROF is exhausted.
Fire Group (FG) Modifiers
Fire groups are subject to the worst penalty incurred by any unit in the fire group (see ASLRB A7.52). Therefore, if you have a fire group with one unit that is CX, then the entire fire group is subjected to a +1 modifier when firing.
Leader Breaking and Pin Task Check (PTC)
The wording in Section 3.2.1 about performing a PTC for Good Order units when a leader breaks is ambiguous. Perform a PTC only for units that are in Good Order after attack resolution (see ASLRB A7.8). Units that are broken after attack resolution do not perform a PTC if their leader failed his morale check.
Desperation Morale
Broken units are subject to desperation morale immediately when a Known Enemy unit moves adjacent to them, regardless of whether or not the enemy unit ends the movement phase adjacent to the broken units (see ASLRB A10.62). This is actually indicated at the end of Section 3.2.1, but it may not be entirely clear to a new player that the effect is immediate and not contigent on adjacency that results from termination of movement.
MMC Self-Rally
The single MMC self-rally attempt allowed to the attacking player during the rally phase must be the first MMC rally attempt of that phase (see ASLRB A18.11). This is alluded to in the leader creation table, but is not stated explicitly in the ASLSK rules. It is, however, a byproduct of the ASLSK sequence of play. Self-rallies (3.1e) should be performed before unit rallies (3.1f).
Residual Firepower
If you don't read the illustrated examples, you may not know which counters you're supposed to use to designate residual firepower. Use the counters that look like the one pictured to the right.
Machine guns maintaining multiple rate of fire (ROF) do not leave residual firepower (see ASLRB A8.23). You can choose to not maintain multiple ROF, even if you qualify for it, in which case you can leave residual firepower. Otherwise, if you maintain multiple ROF, you do not include the firepower of the machine gun in the residual firepower calculation.
Residual firepower left in a location is reduced by an IFT column shift to the left for every positive DRM—resulting from effects outside of the target hex—in effect during the attack that created the residual firepower (see ASLRB A8.26). Even though this rule is omitted from the ASLSK, you should probably use it. Otherwise, residual firepower may be stronger than it should be. For example, a +1 orchard LOS hindrance should cause residual firepower to shift one column to the left. Any terrain effects in the target hex are applied as a DRM when a residual firepower attack is resolved. Negative modifiers do not result in right column shifts.
Pinning
A pinned unit's firepower is halved in close combat when it is attacking, but not when it is defending (see ASLRB A7.8). When defending in close combat, use its full firepower.
It's easy to miss, but you should remove Pin counters at the end of the close combat phase. This is stated at the end of 3.8 Close Combat Phase.
Pinned leaders cannot rout with broken units (see ASLRB A10.711). In full ASL, they may break voluntarily (see ASLRB A10.41), allowing them to rout. Voluntary breaking is purposely omitted from the ASLSK rules, but you may want to use it as a house rule.
Broken units can become pinned while routing as a result of interdiction (see ASLRB A7.8), preventing them from further routing movement.
Line of Sight Hindrance
What to do when your LOS goes along a hexside with a hindrance in at least one adjacent hex:
Whenever a LOS crosses (or goes along the shared hexside of) two hexes that have the same range to the firer, however, only the LOS Hindrance of the hex with the highest applicable LOS Hindrance DRM is counted. | ||
| --ASLRB A6.7 LOS HINDRANCE | ||
Building Control
Some scenarios require that you gain control of buildings. The ASLSK rules define building control in the glossary entry for Control. A building is controlled by the last side to have an unbroken unit in the building while no enemy units occupy the same building (see ASLRB A26.12).
Exiting the Mapboard
Some scenarios require that you exit the mapboard in order to meet victory conditions. The cost of moving off the mapboard is as though a unit is “… entering an imaginary off-board hex which is the mirror image of the one [it] currently [occupies]” (see ASLRB A2.6).
Random Selection
The ASLSK#1 rules do not specify how to randomly determine the squads eliminated by a #KIA result (it's up to the players to decide the method). They also do not explain how to deal with situations where a DR for a fire group may affect any one of multiple support weapons. For example, if you roll a 12 for a fire group attacking with an LMG and an MMG, which weapon suffers a breakdown? Given that this is an area where ASLSK can be said to use a different rule than ASL, you may wish to use the ASL rules A.9 Random Selection and A9.71 Multiple MG Malfunction. Roll a die for each unit or MG that may be affected by a result and apply the result to the unit with the highest die roll. In the case of a tie, all units with that die roll are affected. Therefore, it is possible for a 1KIA result to eliminate more than one squad (see ASLRB A7.301) or for a breakdown to affect multiple machine guns.