Why we play Advanced Squad Leader

By David Garvin

Ever since I first played Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) for the first time, back in 2015, I have spent many thousands of dollars on playing it. Not just in purchasing the widely-available gear and components, but in travel and in tournament fees. I have traveled across much of the US North East as well as across Eastern Canada.

When I lived in Virginia, I would spend hours on the road every month just to play; as a play-tester for Multi-Man Publications, as a member of the Fredericksburg Fire Eaters, and of course as a DC Conscript. Here’s the thing: my experience is not that unique in the world of ASL. There are many others who, like me, will spend a great deal of time, money, and energy on playing this game. This is something that I’ve not experienced to this level in any other game, though I’m quite sure ASL is not alone in this regard.

The best way for me to describe this phenomenon of gamers doing extensive travel for ASL is to relate my own personal experience, with some shared anecdotes of others intermixed. And my adventures began in 2015. I had already played the ASL Starter Kit (ASL SK), with maybe 4 or 5 games under my belt. Most were by using Virtual Advanced Squad Leader (VASL), with one or two done in person. I knew that I wanted to play ASL (the full game) and went on to social media to see which components I should purchase after getting the core module and rule book.

Along the way, I ran into Chuck, who told me about a tournament to be held in Portland, Maine, a city some 5 hours driving time from where I lived at the time. Although intrigued, I found it impracticable for me to justify ten hours (round trip) just to play a game! Besides, I had yet to play the full game and why on earth would I go to a tournament? Eventually, I made the trip with a friend and his wife and once I had finished my first game, I knew I had made the right decision. The people I met at that tournament would soon become friends, and that, dear reader, was the key ingredient.

The various instances of friends coming together to play ASL are all varied, and I’ve done much traveling, as mentioned, flying around the US North East for a weekend of gaming, but in the end, it was always for the friendships. There are three key ASL friendships that I must describe in order to give you a better idea of what kind of friendships I found just by playing ASL. These are more than just people I like to hang out with; these are three people that I met playing ASL and whom I consider life-long friends.  I won’t single them out too much, but I will of course name them as I hope not to shame them.  I’ll just use their first names because they know who they are.

The first and most likely key friend is Alain. He used to be a big wig on the now-defunct Squad Leader mailing list.  Yes, Squad Leader and not Advanced Squad Leader. If I’m not mistaken, he was at a time the be-all and end-all when it came to Rules Questions for that now out-of-print (but still played) progeny of our much-beloved ASL. I had the pleasure of finally meeting him in person about 10 years ago. He was traveling and my town was the halfway spot. So, of course, he popped in. He had a pile of Squad Leader miscellany that he gifted me for good keeping. He knew I had played Squad Leader and hadn’t made the jump to ASL. He knew that the time would come and as such, he let me alone.

Then one day I emailed him and told him that I had discovered (by pure chance) that ASL had a Starter Kit. When asked if I should buy it, I’m pretty certain he was nodding and smiling as he knew that I was about to jump in with both feet. And he was right. Once it arrived, he played a scenario with me using VASL and though he beat my brains in, I was hooked. And he knew it.

On his advice, I bought a scenario pack from Lone Canuck, and before I knew it, I stumbled across a fairly complete set of ASL gear that I purchased from a local fellow. Soon Alain and I would play, often with VASL, but sometimes face to face. He came to visit me for a weekend of ASL. We got 4 games in (he won 3 of them) and it was one of the most memorable weekends of gaming I have ever had.

Next is the previously-mentioned Chuck. He enticed me to come to Huzzahcon and then to Tussle in the Tundra, an ASL-only tournament held annually in Manchester, New Hampshire. I came down with everything ASL-related that I had at that time – it fit into one shopping bag! – and away I went! I met some other unforgettable players there, including Ted, Kedge, Rob and others. I was blown away by a few things, not the least of which was their hospitality.

They were all patient with me, given my relative lack of knowledge of the rules, and they accepted me into their little clan. Very quickly I felt myself at home! But it was much more than the gaming. Chuck and I have remained friends and he has invited me into his home in Massachusetts several times. Notable was back in 2019 as I was moving back to Canada from Virginia. I had my daughter and my cat in tow and he opened his home to us. It was a long trip home, but he and his wife really did make us feel welcome and fed us way too much.

The third friend I’ll mention is actually two friends, for I cannot think of one without also thinking about the other. They are Jamie and Varick. Together they are the same person, but also completely different from one another. I met both of them about 2016 or so with the DC Conscripts. I’m not sure how or why, but the three of us hit it off straight from the start.

I’m Canadian Army, Jamie was 101st Airborne and Varick is USMC, but in spite of all our differences, we get along famously. Both are great friends and both have put me up in their homes, and I have hosted them in mine when I lived in Virginia. They both have reached out to me in hours of sadness and in times of triumph. Oh, we also play ASL with one another from time to time.

All this to say that I have met some of the best people playing Advanced Squad Leader. There are many, many others whom I could mention (Carl of Massachusetts, John of Gettysburg – may he rest in peace, and Chappy of Halifax!), but suffice it to say that once I started playing ASL I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

As a final note, I must tip my hat to my best friend of all, Gary, without whom I would probably not be playing at all. For it was in 1983 that Gary came to my house with a copy of Squad Leader and we played a game. I knew I was hooked from the start! In fact, when I graduated from SL to ASL, it was Gary’s copy of the original game that I purchased! So, to you Gary, I cannot thank you enough, but thank you!

David Garvin is an avid ASL player, living the best life up in Nova Scotia, and is blessed to have some of the best friends around.