Post #100 – LFT’s Green Hell Of Inor. Advancing Fire’s Prokhorovka. Stack Guard Second Edition.

This is our 100th post and I wanted to make it special.. Xavier at LFT has ensured this with the announcement of ‘The Green Hell of Inor’ at the printer as you read this. If that wasn’t enough, Advancing Fire has put up ‘Prokhorovka” on pre-order, their 3rd campaign game and scenario pack. We also have a second generation of Stack Guards now available. A new contest as well as the solution to contest 99. With great sadness I learned of the passing of two great friends of the hobby.

A Note About Pre-Ordering through Ritterkrieg:

We do not charge any money up front nor do you enter any payment information at the time your pre-order is taken. When we estimate that the product is a couple of weeks from being shipped to you we send out invoices. At that time if you still want the product you can pay the invoice -or- you can delay paying the invoice for up to three months thus locking in the great discounted price until you are ready to pay -or- you can ignore the invoice altogether and consider the pre-order cancelled. Most of our customers prefer this method as there are no commitments and no surprise credit card charges for items that you may have forgotten you ordered. In addition, the free shipping to the already low prices can save you even more. Unfortunately, with the huge cost of shipping LFT and Advancing Fire products from Europe, we are unable to offer the same discounts as we do with MMP products.

The Green Hell of Inor – Pre-Order:

This is the fourth campaign game pack from Xavier ‘et ses amis’ at Le Franc Tireur. Kampfgruppe Scheer: The Shield of Cholm took us to the frozen-then thawed steppes of Russia. Operation Chariot had us destroying the deep water port of St. Nazaire. Fight for Seoul gave us the chance to live and die in the Forgotten War. Now we are fighting for our live is the fields of France in 1940.

2 x A1 maps printed on matt paper, just like FFS or Toktong pass.

2 x countersheets

32 page Rulebook

72 page historical booklet

16 scenarios (14 on the historical map, 2 on geo maps)

3 Campaign Games

Player aids, CG Rosters, RGs and such.

Sneak peak at some of the contents of this huge package

When Advancing Fire released Brevity Assault and Biazza Ridge I was trying to find a way to carry their products on Ritterkrieg. Unfortunately I couldn’t make the numbers work at that time. The solution became to take pre-orders and order only this amount of product. So if any of the titles interest you please pre-order and I will get you a copy so you can save on the exorbitant shipping costs that you would normally incur on something coming in from Italy.

Advancing Fire’s Prokhorovka Pre-order:

  • one box
  • 13 action packed scenarios (2 compatible with SK rules), including 1 campaign games (CG) covering counterattack battle southwest of Prokhorovka
  • Four full counter sheets with 384 full color die cut 5/8″ ASL counters and 560 full color die cut 1/2″ ASL counters
  • Five 37.4” x 22.8” HASL map sheets which, combined in one 37.4” x 114,0” map sheet, represent the historical layout of the “Tank Fields” of Prokhorovka
  • One 36.8” x 22.0” HASL map sheet which represents the historical layout of the Andreevka and Vasilyevka villages
  • One 24.4” x 15.7” HASL map sheet which represents the historical layout of the Storozhevoje village
  • One 30.7” x 23.6” HASL map sheet which represents the historical layout of the area around the Stalinskii State Farm
  • Rules pages describing PRK Scenario Special Rules (SSR), map terrain and campaign game rules

Stack Guards Get a Facelift and a Small Correction

Complete ammo box with Stack Guards. In this example the 146th Tank Battalion with 76mm APCR that did sooooo much damage to my Panthers in Hatten 🙁

Complete ammo box with Stack Guards. This example is the 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion with 8,8 cm ammo.

It has been over a year since my son Lazarus designed and printed the first set of Stack Guards, there were two improvements that he wanted to address.

The first was quite a simple problem and easy fix. The 3 deep 5/8″ guard is included for use with 1 x crew, 1 x 5/8″ Gun, and 1 x 5/8″ concealment counter. The original hole on the bottom was slightly too big and the crew would fall out if the guard was lifted. This has been fixed.

The second improvement was to make them transportable. For this we needed an enclosed case. Soon he fashioned an ammo crate to store them but the problem of production cost and time made it hard to justify. The fact is that the case with the stack guards uses three times more plastic (making the cost of each unit over $10) and three times the production time (about 18 hours).

So we arrived at a hopeful solution. We will be offering the complete ammo box with cover and we will also be offering just the base of the ammo box with the stack guards for the original price. You can always add the cover later if you like them and want to make them transportable.

Markings on the Box: You can chose between different colors and nationalities for no extra charge.

Customizable? Yes, for a small fee you can customize your ammo box to just about anything you like from your favorite unit to your name to a photo of your pet.

As a last note, I want to thank all of you for encouraging him in his first venture into design, production and sales. He learned a lot that hopefully he will apply for the rest of his life.

Base and the Stack Guards without the cover.

Contest #100

Hatten in Flames CG1: After 5 bloody days in Hatten, everyone is dead, broken or so far out of LOS and range that these are the only units left that can have an impact on the outcome. It is the end of the German turn 6 MPh and the StuG just failed an ESB attempt causing it’s immobilization in a particularly precarious location. Good news for the Jerry’s is that they still hold on to 7 victory areas (6 are needed for the CG win). In order for the American player to win, he must take back control of both the synagogue (hex T7) and Eglise St-Michel (hex N7). What should the American player do starting with the German Turn 6 DFPh and every phase after to have the best chance at carrying the day and ultimate victory?

As always, email answers to dritter3@triad.rr.com

Solution to Contest #99

The solution to this one is pretty simple if you remembered one key rule that I often forget. The thick white box on the KV signifies that it is Restricted Slow Traverse. Because the AFV is CE, is is neither capable of firing it’s MA nor it’s CMG. Further, because it is behind a wall, it’s BMG is useless as well. So the tank can be completely ignored and the Sniper used on the Squad, ensuring the Italian victory.

Copyright MMP/Hasbro

So long, until we meet again…

This summer has brought the tragic news that Bill Sisler and Sam Belcher have left this world.

Dave Ginnard, a longtime friend of Bill eloquently wrote:

To all of my friends in the ASL and gaming community: scenario designer, ASLOK T shirt artist, and my great friend since before both SL and ASL, William (Bill) Sisler left us from cancer on May 31st of this year. Bill was the consummate ASL player and will be terribly missed by our community. RIP my friend.

If anyone has a photo that I could post of Bill, please email it to dritter@triad.rr.com

_______________________________________________________________________________

Sam Belcher

David Wolfe wrote these beautiful words of Sam:

On June 5th, 2021 the ASL world lost one of it’s greatest ambassadors. Sam was a generous, humorous (generally self-effacing) and dedicated person, who looked for EVERY opportunity to introduce and teach the game to new players, be it at a wargame convention, or a local meet up for the Puget Sound Advanced Squad Leaders (PSASL). Sam’s engaging spirit was infectious as was his good humored “trash talk”. Sam was a major figure in the Northwest ASL scene dating back to the 1990’s (those heady days when we were crammed into Metro Seattle Gamers in Seattle’s Ballard Neighborhood, or tucked in the back of Gary’s Games in the Greenwood Neighborhood). His leadership took many forms over the years; as Tournament Director at Enfilade for 20 years, and reinvigorating the somewhat dormant PSASL group in the 2000’s. Sam centered the group in a community common space in North Seattle where hundreds of non-wargamers were exposed to (and many became interested in) ASL. Sam would frequently pause his game and enthusiastically describe ASL to the interested person, no matter their level of knowledge about the WWII context of the game or board gaming. Many of you met Sam when he embarked on a tournament “spree” for a year after his retirement. Many kinds words and stories have been shared by those he met and played during that time. Sam would always joke about his poor winning record as a player, but we all know Sam loved the game almost as much as loved teaching it. When players would move into the area, Sam was one of the first to make contact and get them involved in our club. Sam also enjoyed woodworking and turned that passion into first class, unique dice towers. Many of you still have those one-of-a-kind towers! A few of us locals have wooden sniper # cubes and other small gaming aids he created, and one lucky player has an NWASL trophy with a wooden AFV counter base made by Sam! Sam was recognized in 2012 for his generosity and contributions by becoming the first recipient of the memorial “Hank Award” given at the Game ON! boardgame convention held yearly near Seattle. Sam remained active in the ASL scene right up until his passing, only recently beginning to hand the torch over for others to follow in his large, impactful footsteps. Sam Belcher’s priceless contribution to this hobby is evidenced by the dozens of active players that Sam took the time and patience to nurture over the last 2 decades. Sam recognized the “graying” of our beloved game and worked diligently to ensure its vibrancy for years to come. He will be sorely missed by many. RIP, Sam. You have done very well.