Winter Offensive 2024

By David Garvin

With the new year, many gamers across the land get excited for the annual Winter Offensive, hosted by the folks at Multiman Publishing (MMP). With over 150 attendees, this is one of the larger annual conventions, but it differs from many in that it does not focus on a wide variety of games.  The two major games here are Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) and the Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GCACW).

There were some other games being played, but those two were the main ones.  Furthermore, the Winter Offensive is a charitable event, with the benefactor being the World War Two Foundation. Every year, MMP raises thousands for this important group, raising awareness of this important event in our shared history.

Winter Offensive first started way back in 1992 and has grown into being the premier official event for both ASL and GCACW. For ASL, the ASL Oktoberfest (ASLOK) is revered as the event to attend, but the official status of Winter Offensive adds some clout.  Add to that the annual release of some new product, that only gives Winter Offensive more clout.  This year was no exception!  Not only was the latest Winter Offensive Bonus Pack released, but the latest in Core Modules was released as well: Twilight of the Reich. There were no new releases for GCACW.

Before reporting on the happenings at Winter Offensive, a brief note about this module is in order.  All previous 15 modules have had one thing in common: they focused on nationalities or theaters of operation.  For example, module 1 features Germans, Finns, Soviets and Partisans, module 3a focuses on the Americans and module 5a is on the Commonwealth troops.  Module 15, Forgotten War is about the Korean War.

What makes this latest module different? In this case, the focus is on a specific era of the war, not on a nation or specific theater. Not all scenarios are based on this era; however, many of the rules introduced into the system are actually evolutions from previously-released Historical ASL (HASL) modules. For example, into the system now are NKVD Troops, Assault Engineer Counters and Rail Cars. There are only two counter-sheets in this module, but there is plenty to this module, including:

• Four double-sided maps
• 49 overlays
• Several updated ASL Rule Books pages; and
• 17 Scenarios

I had the pleasure of playing two scenarios from the new module and both were quite intense. I lost both, but they could have gone either way and both were very engaging. And that’s the point of Winter Offensive: being immersed in some very enjoyable and fun gaming.  And to that end, I achieved full results!  Not only did I get to meet up with some dear friends, but also met new ones and got a total of nine (9!) games in over just a few days!  And judging by the sights and sounds of the place when it was in full swing, I was not alone in having a great time!

On Saturday evening, just following the raffle, co-founder of MMP, Curt Schilling (yes, that Curt Schilling), thanked the crowd, and made special note of the GCACW players, with their unique schedule of events, including some mentored games, etc. As pointed out by Curt, this is essential to maintain the hobby, which is is good shape, but always looking for new players. GCACW is actively promoting the game, and the lesson was that ASL players (such as Curt) ought to take a lesson from them.  A further announcement was that MMP was establishing the ASL Hall of Fame, with the awards to be held at MMP’s business in Millersville, Maryland. The first two inductees?  Scenario A, The Guards Counterattack and Scenario E, Hill 621. Both of these scenarios were originally released in the revolutionary Squad Leader back in 1977 and both have stood the test of time – and conversion into ASL – to remain classics. Many ASL players’ first experience in the system was battling in Stalingrad with ASL A, and Hill 621 is well-known across the War Gaming hobby. I’m certain that there will be future scenarios to be inducted down the road, and I have my own ideas, such as ASL 181 Gavin Take, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Further to the list of the inaugural class of the ASL Hall of Fame were six key individuals, without whom we would not have the game as it is today. First inductee into the Hall of Fame was none other than the late, great John Hill. John created the original Squad Leader and released it in 1977. He was a prolific game designer, but no other game had such an effect on the hobby than this design.

Other inductees included Don Greenwood and Bon McNamara, who took John’s original design and further developed it into what became ASL, going through its paces, first as expansions to the original game and then redone and rebranded as ASL back in 1985. Another key figure, the one who developed the first HASL, Red Barricades, Charlie Kibler, was also inducted.  So too was the late Bill “Fish” Connor, the founder of the greatest and best-attended ASL convention, ASLOK.

Finally, rules guru Perry Cocke was the final inductee for the inaugural class. All in all, this was a long-overdue tip of the hat to some of the greats in the hobby.

As an aside, I must point out that in the end, my 4 win and 5 loss record was made possible only through the help of fellow No Dice, No Glory Staff, Mitch Reed.  He dispatched Todd Simmons to Winter Offensive, complete with a training manual that was supposed to help me, a “young soldier”, that was to be of some assistance!  It was well-received, but turns out that it had no remedy for poor dice or poor decisions.  That said, I didn’t have time to read it, but it certainly is a wonderful collection to my library!

In conclusion, it was refreshing to see some young faces at Winter Offensive this year.  I did see a youngster of about 10 playing with his dad, and Curt gifted him a copy of Beyond Valor. I’m sure this will be a cherished memory for him!

Also, I got to play some against new player Boyce, engaging in some Starter Kit. Keeping new players interested and engaged in ASL is important, just as it is for any hobby. We must continue to be welcoming to new players, and with the wealth of new ASL material hitting the shelves every year, both from official and 3rd party producers, such as Lone Canuck Publishing, there is plenty to choose from.

The next large tournament is to be hosted in Victoria, BC, this year, with the 2024 Canadian ASL Open. It is indicative of the international nature of ASL that many 3rd party producers are not in the US and there is some very fine, high-quality stuff being churned out. So next time you feel the urge to give ASL a try, keep coming back here to No Dice, No Glory, and keep an eye out for an ASL Tournament coming near you!

David Garvin is an avid ASL Player and has attended a number of Winter Offensives over the years.