Thursday, December 15, 2022

Episode 310: Cruising Through Crucible of Steel

Holiday greetings to you all! This is the season for joy and gladness, before
the great grey days of the New Year that will inevitably arrive for many of us. 
Mike Ryzy and John Harmeyer drop by the broadcast foxhole and present their view of Bounding Fire Productions fantastic Crucible of Steel. Mike and John played all 32 scenarios in chronological order and using a campaign system that Mike modified from The Long March by Heat of Battle.  Yes, you heard that right, ALL 32.  

But first, how about some letters?  It's been awhile since we shared some.

SHOWTIMES

0:40 Bantero
8:00 Letters
23:30 Crucible of Steel Talk
1:00:11 Total Running Time

SHOW LINKS 

Saturday, December 3, 2022

Episode 309: We Got You Covered

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!  There are a whole lot of new products in the Advanced Squad Leader World of Gaming Goodness to be thankful for.  One of these gems is the new scenario pack Covered from Broken Ground Design . It includes a new board and 13 scenarios.  We also take a look at Dispatches From the Bunker #53, which includes the usual fantastic game tips from Carl Nogueria.  

There are no turkeys in this flock of ASL goodies. Gobble, gobble. 


SHOWTIMES
0:40 Banter
8:18 From the Bunker #53
23:30 Covered
1:02:38 Total Running Time

SHOW LINKS 
Dispatches From the Bunker
Great Mink Escape


The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by our Patreon supporters, Bounding Fire Productions, and Broken Ground Design. 


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Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Episode 308: Ken and Perry


Ken Dunn makes an appearance at long last on our program, along with Multi Man Publishing's very own Perry Cocke. Ken has designed a boatload of ASL goodness in the form of many scenarios. He is also the man that brought us Operation Veritable, and the ASL Starter Kits (but that is a story for another show). Ken offers many fascinating insights into the behind the scenes efforts at Multi Man Publishing. 

Perry gives us an update on what we can expect from MMP in the near and far future, things like Journal #13, AND Journal #14 soon after that. Yes, let's get excited! Also a coming HASL on Timor, Battle of Mokra (tracks the Polish Army all through the war) and a Marco Polo Bridge pack.  There is also a little chat about some non-ASL games that are in the pipe at MMP. Card Games too. There is some discussion about Kawaguchi's Gamble: Edson's Ridge and the rules issues that were dealt with in the production process. Enjoy!

SHOW TIMES
1:00 Interview
54:18 Total running time

SHOW LINKS

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by Bounding Fire Productions, Broken Ground Design and generous donations from listeners like you.
The views and opinions expressed on The 2 Half-Squads are not necessarily those of the hosts.



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Saturday, November 5, 2022

Episode 307: Chili Party Games

Hope you enjoy the brief banter about Chili Parties, before we get in to what Dave has played lately which is ASL Scenario 206: A Line Too Thinly Held.  Dave is defending with the Americans against Dave T's North Koreans who are attacking at night. 

We then finish the prisoner rules/quiz section (finally).  This portion covers how we move our prisoners around the Advanced Squad Leader Board, the way that they can escape, and the methods that said prisoners can use to rearm them selves once they are free. 

In the Box Jeff discovers the newest issue of Dispatches from the Bunker #54, and it is a good one. 


SHOW TIMES
1:00 Brief Banter
7:00 What We've Been Playing Lately
14:00 The Rules
43:00 What's in the Box?
58:12 Total Running Time

SHOW LINKS
Spreading Blaze ASL Tourny


Don't forget that you can watch this episode on our Youtube channel

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by Bounding Fire ProductionsBroken Ground Design and kind donations from listeners like you!


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Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Episode 306: Hayes' Craze

It's time to do something really spooky.  Play Advanced Squad Leader in miniature!  That's a really scary and FUN idea, boys and girls! We are thrilled to have Hayes Wauford join us for this episode and have him compare notes with Dave about how each of them approached the task at hand.  Hayes has made some fantastic WWII terrain for his games and you can hear about it here.  And see more of it's glory, on our Youtube page.  
We'd like to credit Bob Brown who painted some of the mini's and terrain. Bob also inspired Dave to start his own ASL in miniature. 

SHOWTIMES
0:01 Some Halloween Chit Chat 
9:26 Interview 
52:30  Total Running Time 

SHOW LINKS 
Pinterest ASL Miniatures

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by Bounding Fire Productions and kind donations from listeners like you.
 

The views and opinions expressed on The 2 Half-Squads are not necessarily those of the hosts. 



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Friday, October 7, 2022

Episode 305: Tangled up in Rules

Let's attempt to untangle the prisoner rules shall we?  We saw Rich help us out with that tangled web in Episode 302 and we learned a lot. So, it's time for a little quiz show style rule review. 
The banter is a bit long on this one but Dave takes the time to discuss his little vacation.  The one that made this episode a tad late.  There are pictures included on the Youtube version of this episode.

Before we have all that fun we present a masterpiece of a song; Tangled up in Rules. Thanks again to Dennis Donovan.

SHOWTIMES
0:01 Song: Tangled up in Rules 
5:26 Banter
17:34 Rules 
50:11 Contest winners announced 
56:30  Total Running Time 



SHOW LINKS 
Grand Ole Opry 


The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by Bounding Fire Productions and kind donations from listeners like you.

The views and opinions expressed on The 2 Half-Squads are not necessarily those of the hosts. 

Tangled Up In Rules

Concept:  Jeff Hallett

Written by Jeff Hallett and Dennis Donovan

Vocals, music, and mixing: Firefly


Early one morning, the sun was shining

I was playin’ ‘gainst Fred 

Startin’ up a new campaign game

One from the Barricades, Red
We both played ASL together

Just couldn’t play it enough

We never did like that Squad Leader mess

The rulebook wasn’t big enough

Now it’s time to get the show on the road 

Wondering what units to choose

Setting up will take weeks at most
Lord knows there’s SSRs, to go through

Tangled up in rules


He was married when we first met

Soon to be divorced

Helped him through a rough time, oh yes 

With Advanced Squad Leader of course 

We played that game as much as we could

Never gave it a rest

Stayed up late most every night

Arguing, but only in jest

He poked around in Chapter B

As I was yakkin’ away

Heard him mumble something ‘bout “ rubble

Collapsing on a wide city avenue?”

Tangled up in rules


I had a half-track set up in some woods 

Lurking on the flank for a spell

But it wasn’t really doing all that much

Then one turn some mortar shells fell

So I read all about area fire

Chapter C, 1 point 5-5

Knowin’ he’d smile and probably gloat 

If my half-track got destroyed

But the HT’s partially armored

So I asked around online

I’ve seen a lot of answers

But none made sense in my mind 

What else is new??

Tangled up in rules



He was lookin’ in the Perry Sez

When I popped opened a beer

I just kept reading the Chapter C pages

The examples aren’t so clear

And later on when we figured it out

Finally gettin’ back to our game

He was saying, “I’m still not quite clear

‘bout that whole open-topped thang.”

I muttered somethin’ underneath my breath 

And studied the links on the page

I must admit I felt a little uneasy

When he pointed out some errata from Journal 2

Tangled up in rules



I'd setup for a perfect shot

‘Twas no way I could lose

He walked into my clever trap

Put his men's heads in the noose.

I rolled a six & yelled, “I got ya good!”

He said. “I hate to disappoint you,

Your squad's of the inexperienced kind

And that machine gun's captured, too

And did you forget that the SSR

Said the ammunition was short?

And I must point out your sustained fire

Will only add to the growing list of your blues…”

Tangled up in rules



He took a burger off the stove,

And offered me a bite

“I see you read Chapter O,” he said

“Your eyes hurt from the tiny type?”

Then he opened his book of rules

And showed me something he’d

Written down in the margins were notes

From 1993

And every one of those notes was true

There were all from an ol’ 

Q & A on the last page of

Avalon Hill’s ASL Annual ‘92

Tangled up in rules



I fought against him in Stalingrad’s streets

In the cellars under the stairs 

There were Ruskis on the attack at night

And starshells in the air

Russians are stealthy for ambush but 

Conscripts aren’t, I realized

He won most all ambush rolls

And lots of my guys died 

When the star shells finally burned out 

His squads had all withdrawn

The only thing I knew how to do

Was to keep on playing on, like in A point 2**

Tangled up in rules



So now I’m really confused again

I got to figure it out somehow

All the rules that I thought I knew

Are eluding me right now

Some CG SSRs

Some in Chapter H

Don’t know where errata’s listed

I don’t know why we chose this campaign 

And me, I’m still scratchin’ my head 

Wondering what’s the point

12 years now we’ve been playing our game

And haven’t even started German, Turn 2

Tangled up in rules


**A.2 ERRORS:  All errors stand once play has progressed past the point of commission.




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Saturday, September 17, 2022

Episode 304: Green Squirrels of Inor vs. Black Riders of the Night of Death

304 packs a punch. The saga of the invasive animal species continues as Dave recounts the adventure of the attacking squirrel, and Jeff relates his big fish stories. Dave's been playing Scenario WO42 Spartan Style with Dave Timonen and in the box is Green Hell of Inor!  We round this episode off with an entertaining round of Quiz Show with Team Spilky against Team Black Riders of the Night of Death.  What a blast!

SHOWTIMES

1:00 Banter
10:00 What You Been Playing Lately? 
13:15 What's in the Box? 
29:00 Quiz Show 
1:03:20  Total Running Time 





SHOW LINKS

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by Bounding Fire Productions, and kind donations from listeners like you.

The views and opinions expressed on The 2 Half-Squads are not necessarily those of the hosts. 


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Thursday, September 1, 2022

Episode 303: A Hazardous Movement Begins

Chad Cummins and Chuck Hammond (or do you say Chuck Hammond and Chad Cummins?)lend some serious heft to this show.  They share the delightful story of how Hazardous Movement began, from it's humble beginnings to the massive global domination that they now enjoy. The scenarios in their packs promise to bring the fun back to your ASL game, and they promise to be well play-tested and therefore, well balanced.  Many of the Advanced Squad Leader tournaments include these gems in their playlists. Order a pack, play a few of them, and you will understand why they are so well respected. 

The 2 Half Squads are brought to you by the most Amazing Bounding Fire Productions and our Wonderful Patreons.

SHOWTIMES
0:21 Straight into the Interview
1:03:49  Total Running Time 

SHOW LINKS 




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Thursday, August 11, 2022

Episode 302: Take No Prisoners?

Prisoner counters make great zombie counters.
Joined once again by Rich Spilky we are able to provide some real quality content. Rich guides us through three of his famous charts.  The first is the IFT and CC Effects on Guarding Units and Firepower, the second is chart 26a Effects of No Quarter, and the third is a complex looking but actually very elegant and simple chart, entitled 26b Effects of No Quarter. After all that ASL goodness Rich points out the best parts of Jim Bishop's article Prisoners: Take 'em or Leave 'em. There are also some tactical tips and tricks revealed herein.  Enjoy!

We are now posting our episodes (with more visuals) on our YouTube channel. Easter Egg.



SHOW TIMES
0:01 Talk, Chat
15:00 Spilky Charts
35:00 Bishop's Prisoner Article
57:54 Total Running Time

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by kind donations from listeners like you, and Bounding Fire Productions.



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Thursday, August 4, 2022

Episode 301: Things That Come in Threes

Three is a nice number. There are three products featured in the photo.  Three deluxe boards in WO #13. Three sides to the triangle on the three player pack. In spite of that, we have two boxes to open on this show.  So many ASL treasures. So little time. The first is the the Three-Player Pack from the gents who produce the March Madness stuff. Dave presents a close look at those scenarios and, all of 'em are designed for three players, not two, but three players. Yes, count 'em, three!  If you like the Deluxe Advanced Squad Leader products or the Korean War module, you will absolutely love the Winter Offensive Pack #13 because it features three new boards for Deluxe ASL games, and it includes two Korean War scenarios, and two more for WWII in the Pacific featuring the U.S. Marines.  Semper Fi!  

There is another contest in here. You might like the product that is to be given away. Listen for it. 

We are now posting our episodes (with more visuals) on Our YouTube Channel.


SHOWTIMES
0:01 Talk, Chat
12:00 Contest Winners Announced
21:00 New Contest Announced
24:00 Three-Player Pack
44:00 Winter Offensive Pack #13
57:54 Total Running Time

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by kind donations from listeners like you, and Bounding Fire Productions.



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Friday, July 15, 2022

Episode 300: What? Already?

Rich, Mike and Jared return to the Remote Broadcast Foxhole and join us in a serious Roundtable conversation about our love of the game. We can tell you why Advanced Squad Leader is the greatest game in the world. We also tackle that age old question that we find on so many forums, "Does ASL teach history?".  Then we compare and contrast wargames with fantasy games.  But, before that, we hear a questionable rendition of the song Olive Groves written by the one and only, Dennis Donovan, and let our listeners speak as they congratulate us on the big 300. 

What's in a number? 

We would like to thank our mysterious benefactors for the wonderful gifts that we have received in the mail. Wow. You really do like us!  And, in order to pay back the community we'd like to offer...wait for it, it's a really big prize...are you ready?  It's a brand new copy of... SWORD AND FIRE: MANILA.  To hear how to enter the drawing have a listen.  

The love and care that you, our listeners, have shown to us over the years has been greatly appreciated. It has been a wonderful ride.  Let's ride some more!


We are now posting our episodes (with more visuals) on Our YouTube Channel.


SHOWTIMES
0:01 Song Olive Groves
3:00 Listener Voicemails
9:30 Roundtable Discussion
1:?? Contest Announced
1:26:38 Total Running Time

Olive Groves

Concept & Lyrics: Dennis Donovan  

Performed by: The Worst of The 2 Half-Squad Singers


The scenario starts in a sleepy little town
Down around Anzio
And the guys are preppin’ for another game
Reading the SSRs

The orchards in this one are strange
Always in season it seems
Well, we’re talking’ ‘bout Olive Groves
Oh, Olive Groves

Well, the MF and the MP
They both are doubled
Groves have a hindrance of one
‘though it’s not quite apparent,
They are inherent
And the T.E.M.’s one

Some say that this rule’s inane
But it’s part of the ASL game
Oh, we’re talkin’ ‘bout Olive Groves
Oh, Olive Groves

‘though they grow in the Mediterranean
You find them in North Afrika too
Rule A9 3 2
Says AFVs in Groves
Can claim wall advantage, that’s right

And though it’s part of the ASL game
The groves don’t see much play
So just keep re-checking rule F13

Readin’ ‘bout the Olive Groves
Oh, Olive Groves

The 2 Half-Squads is brought to you by and kind donations from listeners like you.



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Friday, July 1, 2022

Episode 299: Toothless Gorilla in Manila

Sword and Flame: Manila is here as you most likely already know.  We take a look in that big ole box and are wowed by the size of the map in there. Well it's folded up and in many sections, but when it is assembled it is BIG! You're going to need to play on the floor of your garage we thinks. Once again our fans send us some entertaining and informative letters. We announce a new contest as we draw the winners of the old contests. We've got good ASL stuff to give away. Listen to find out how to get that East Side Gamers Dezign Pak 2

Don't forget you can watch us on our YouTube channel.  


SHOW TIMES
1:00 - Some of the Last Banter?
11:01 - Letters
28:40 Contest Winners Announced
33:05 What's in the Box?
1:00:40 - Total Running Time

This episode brought to you by Bounding Fire Productions and our Patreon supporters


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Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Episode 298: It's The Bishop

This episode is a must listen. Well, we think all of our episodes are must listens but what do we know?


The most excellent ASLer Jim Bishop honors us with his presence and knowledge, and he provides us with a fascinating hour of Advanced Squad Leader talk.  

Don't forget you can watch us on our Youtube channel.  

SHOW TIMES
1:00 - NO Banter
1:01 - Jim Bishop
1:00:40 - Total Running Time

This episode brought to you by Bounding Fire Productions and our Patreon Supporters


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Thursday, June 2, 2022

Episode 297: Caraway Seeds, Yum

It's the return of Box Art Review. We take a look at the artistic qualities of the new Hollow Legions cover art. Ken Smith still has what it takes! In fact, he has gotten better. 

The concealment rules are wrapped up here in part three, starting at rule 12.152 Searching and ending at 12.42 bypassing concealed units.

In the Box is The Very Best of March Madness scenario pack from the gents at Kansas City ASL. Get a copy by joining our contest by sending a gmail to us with the subject line "They've Gone Mad!" by June 20th, 2022. 

Don't forget you can watch us on our Youtube channel.  That is if you can stand a gander at our ugly mugs. 

SHOW TIMES
1:00 - Banter
5:00 - Box Art Review
19:25 - Rules
41:10 - What's in the Box?
53:00 - Another Contest Announced
58:40 - Total Running Time

SHOW LINKS
Ken Smith Art

This episode brought to you by Bounding Fire Productions and our Patreons


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Thursday, May 19, 2022

Episode 296: A Maus in the House

Gather round if you dare while we croak up some horrifying, shocking, furry, and paralyzing banter about household pests and possums. These stories will have you running for the cover of a pest free home. Speaking of mice, if you would like a free Mythical Mighty Mouse Bundle then send us an email with Micky Plays ASL in the subject line by June 10, 2022 and we will enter you in the contest.

But if you can survive that fright-fest, there's some very good Advanced Squad Leader talk to be had as well. We continue part II of the Concealment rules.

Then we get into a box of arid desert land and Italians, Eritreans, and Ethiopians. Hollow Legions is unwrapped and compared to the original versions of the game components. Grab a beverage to slake your parched thirst and listen. Or watch us on our YouTube channel.

SHOW TIMES
1:00 Banter
11:00 - Contest Announced
14:25 Rules
37:40 Hollow Legions
1:00:40  Total Running Time

SHOW LINKS
Hollow Legions at Ritter Krieg
The ASL Article Index


This episode brought to you by Bounding Fire Productions and our Patreons.


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