Wednesday, May 4, 2011

A Tale of Three Tigers

Back in 1989, my gaming buds and I created a mega game of ASL using all the boards we could muster to do an Arnhem style scenario. We had US Paras on one side of a bridge surrounded by Germans and on the other some Luftwaffe arty types were trying to hold off a large 30th Corps style British armor column.

At about mid-point in this game, I managed to locate three Tiger I's with a great view of the bridge. They were perfectly positioned to fire on a column of 15 British Shermans as they began crossing the bridge.

My opponent...one of the biggest rules sharks in our group. He always seemed to pull a rule out of the book that worked in his favor, but never yours. Dude hated to lose and didn't mind bending the rules if he could outfox you while doing it.

So there am I with a perfect tactical situation...three veteran Tiger I's with open sights on a 15 Sherman column. REALITY (a term that only rarely shows its face in ASL) would give the edge to the Tigers and presumably a bridge loaded with the burning wrecks of multiple Shermans.

Of course I was playing ASL and proceeded to miss with all three Tigers as I fired at the moving Shermans. Nothing...ok...I still had a prep fire coming up...so a chance for redemption...right?? Wrong...my erudite opponent fired in Advancing Fire Phase with all all fifteen Shermans...in the process of 15 rolls...he got three snake-eyes...critically hitting all three of my Tiger I's.

And in the blink of a rout phase...three Veteran Tiger I's ceased to exist and a column of 15 Shermans continued on their way unmolested.

Dear ASL player...I share this pain with you, because even after 22 years...it still brings tears to my eyes....the horror...the horror...the horror....

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