PERSONAL LEADERS & COMBAT MEDICS an ASL variant
The original Squad Leader (SL) game (and subsequent expansion modules) had a design philosophy which was clearly stated in the games title. The designers’ notes made clear that the primary focus was of a few motivated and respected individual soldiers being key to winning a skirmish and this is well conceptualised throughout the game system. The games’ ability to simulate virtually any tactical engagement in World War II is a measure of the systems versatility especially as this has even been successfully expanded to include both the Vietnam conflict and World War I, a time span of almost seven decades. Some designers have even attempted to push the parcel up to the current war in the Ukraine and as far back as the American Civil War! It therefore seems incongruous that in such a comprehensive and extensive game system that a couple of facets of warfare are missing which I intend to reintroduce in this article:
PERSONAL LEADERS
Going back to the original Squad Leader game it actually offered a rudimentary ‘Campaign Game’ system (found on p35 of the 4th Edition Squad Leader rulebook) with which players could link a set number of scenarios. This consisted of the introduction of personal leaders to both sides which were added to the scenario order of battle (OB). The early SL modules also included unnamed infantry leaders for this express purpose though the tradition continues with unnamed Armor Leaders being provided in all current core modules.
The SL blurb in the Campaign Game intro stated:
“The Campaign Game enables you, as a player, to assume the identity and share the fate of a SQUAD LEADER counter. Your intelligence and bravery in interaction with the cruel dictates of fate shall determine whether you can survive the campaign and advance through the ranks to a place of honor or whether you, too, shall be counted among the fallen.”
In this “campaign game”, each personal leader had six ways to gain elan points and five ways to lose them, needing 10 elan points to be promoted for the next scenario. This seems to have been less a campaign game and more of a way to link scenarios using a common thread. Having a leader promoted sufficiently could give a significant advantage especially in smaller scenarios.
The ASL rulebook included a ‘Chapter I’ slated for a campaign game but up until this writing it remains empty. The various historical modules (ie chapters O, P, Q and R) include campaign games where the results of each campaign date impact on future battles and this includes a way for leaders to battle harden but does not include any allowance or even mention of personal leaders. This is also true for ‘chapter S’ solitaire ASL and also the ‘Chapter Z’ mini-module campaigns (which is listed as ‘Chapter X’ in the ASL table of contents).
In the ASL Annual ’95, David Payne wrote an article ‘Warriors All! Campaign Game Leaders for ASL’ where he expanded on the basic SL elan table and converted it to ASL. Unfortunately, he made no suggestion on any additional implementation of the campaign game system though he did summarize the results of many games of using personal leaders under the SL system which seemed to have been just a bunch of random scenarios.
The first two historical campaign games, RB and KGP I & II included rules for battle hardening (promoting) retained leader with a bonus for the side that won the campaign game (CG) date. BRT reduced this to just the creation of a (7-0) leader for the winner of each CG date but even this was removed in all other historical campaigns (apart from VotG where it had to be reinstated to remain in line with its direct predecessor – RB). SASL had a different but simple method for the possible promotion (and demotion) of a random surviving leader. All these campaign games though did have one thing in common where a heroic leader automatically battle hardened at the end of the scenario/campaign date. So overall, the emphasis in official modules for leader promotion has been deemphasized over time.
But in the past quarter century many scenario packs became available with a campaign theme such as MMP’s Action Pack #11 which has 10 scenarios about the US 29th Infantry Division and Action Pack #17 with 16 scenarios following the US 1st Cavalry Division. Lone Canuck Publishing even has a series of 48 scenarios about the 1st SS Panzer Division! Other publishers have campaign packs themed around a larger battle where achievements in individual scenarios impacts upon the overall campaign victory such as Hazardous Movements City of Steel pack revolving around the battle of Stalingrad. Unfortunately, none of these included leader continuity and promotion but there is no reason why this cannot be retrofitted with the use of Personal Leaders.
Whatever type of campaign you choose to play the introduction of Personal Leaders will add additional interest for the players and serve to further link each game in the series. This leader may be either of the infantry variety or alternatively an armor leader if every scenario has AFV’s on that side. To use Personal Leaders, simply choose a series of scenarios and during the first battle start by giving each player an additional leader of the lowest rank from the following table:
|
Rank |
Infantry (non-Jap/Fin) |
Japanese Infantry |
Finnish Infantry |
Armor (all) |
|
Major |
10-3 |
10-2 |
10-1 |
10-2 |
|
Captain |
10-2 (10) |
10-1 (12) |
10-0 (15) |
9-2 (15) |
|
1st Lieutenant |
9-2 (10) |
10-0 (12) |
9-1 (15) |
9-1 (15) |
|
2nd Lieutenant |
9-1 (10) |
|
9-0 (15) |
8-1 (15) |
|
1st Sergeant |
8-1 (10) |
9-1 (12) |
|
|
|
Sergeant |
8-0 (10) |
9-0 (12) |
8-0 (15) |
(8-0) (15) |
|
Corporal |
7-0 (10) |
8-0 (12) |
|
|
The number in brackets is amount of elan points required to be promoted to the next higher rank or to be demoted to the next lower rank. If not promoted or demoted during a scenario/campaign date, then any retained elan (whether positive or negative) will carry over to the next battle.
At the end of a scenario where a leader is promoted or demoted then any excess elan are lost and promotion or demotion may only be a maximum of one rank at a time. A promoted or demoted leader starts the next campaign scenario with 0 elan regardless of how much total elan was accumulated previously. The bracketed number is also the maximum negative elan that a leader may accumulate. Any further negative elan is disregarded and leaders of the lowest rank with negative points have these reset to 0 at the start of the next scenario. (For example, a German Sergeant who has -12 elan at the end of a scenario has this reset to -10 for the next one. A German corporal with -1 elan at the end of a scenario has this reset to 0 for the next one.)
The lowest rank Armor Leader is not represented by a counter but by secret note as to which AFV he is commanding.
In order to retain scenario balance, if the OB already has a leader assigned of the equivalent to the Personal Leader, then substitute him in, rather than adding him. If the Personal Leader is of the highest in rank in that sides OB then remove the next highest ranked leader.
Elan points are lost or gained as follows:
|
ELAN gains |
Self |
Leading |
Artillery |
Armor |
|
Destroy/capture AFV |
10 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
|
Destroy/capture unarmoured vehicle/ordnance |
6 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
CC eliminate/capture MMC (per HS/crew) |
4 |
2 |
|
|
|
CC eliminate/capture SMC (add +1 for each negative leadership modifier) |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
Fired / directed fire which eliminates MMC (per HS/crew) |
4 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Fired / directed fire which breaks MMC (per HS/crew) |
2 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Destroy/capture SW |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
Becomes heroic or battle hardens |
3 |
2 |
|
|
|
Rallied broken unit |
1 |
|
|
|
|
On scenario winning side |
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Highest ranked leader on scenario winning side |
1 |
|
|
|
Self column is used if no other friendly units were present when the leaders action was accomplished.
Leading is when other friendly units are present and the leader was also directly involved in the action (being pinned voids involvement).
Artillery is for when the personal leader is using a radio or directing ordnance (-0 leaders can void crew cowering).
Armor is when the personal leader is the armor leader in that AFV.
|
ELAN losses |
|
|
Scenario losing side |
-1 |
|
SW he is directing breaks down (permanently) |
-1 |
|
SW that he directs is later captured by the enemy |
-1 |
|
Rally attempt causes unit to casualty reduce |
-2 |
|
Broke under fire |
-3 |
|
Self-rally causes casualty reduction (wound) |
-5 |
|
ELR failure (not cumulative with broke under fire). |
-5 |
|
Highest rank leader on scenario losing side |
-1 |
|
His AFV is destroyed/abandoned |
-5 |
|
His AFV is immobilized |
-3 |
|
His AFV main armament breaks down permanently |
-2 |
|
His AFV secondary armament breaks down permanently |
-1 |
|
His AFV is shocked at the end of a scenario |
-2 |
I have found that different linked campaigns have their own peculiarities based on nationalities involved. For example, I played the 8 scenarios from Soldiers of the Negus in a linked campaign and the Italians lost four Corporals before the fifth was promoted to SGT and died in the next and last scenario. The Ethiopians fared little better also losing five leaders, all without promotion. When these scenarios were reissued in Hollow Legions I just had to try again but with much the same result. The Ethiopian side lost four leaders who all died without promotion. The Italians fared little better and the first three died and the fourth survived five scenarios but without promotion – a total of 8 elan at the end of the campaign. Very difficult to survive or gain promotion in the African Desert!
Survivability of Japanese is even more abysmal losing 3 CPLs in the first four scenarios. The fourth leader survived the next 3 scenarios and was promoted but when he tried an SASL cautious advance he died. I then tried another twenty-one SASL Japanese vs Chinese KMT missions. I went through 11 Japanese personal leaders all of whom died apart from two that were wounded and evacuated. Five of them managed to get promoted to SGT before succumbing.
Then back to the Chinese Civil War in Jason Long’s Long March scenario pack and here the leaders fared much better. The first two Chinese Communist leaders died though not before the second was promoted. The third leader lasted for the remainder of the campaign, a total of 12 scenarios, and reached the rank of Captain (10-2).
The Nationalists also did well with the first leader surviving 5 scenarios and being promoted to SGT before dying in close combat. The second leader survived 9 scenarios and reached 2nd Lt but also died in close combat. The third survived the remainder of the campaign and reached SGT rank.
Armor Leaders
The following rules relate to a personal leader commanding an AFV:
If the CE crew suffers a 1 sniper dr then the Armor Leader is killed.
If the CE crew suffers a 2 sniper dr then the Armor Leader is wounded.
If an AFV is stunned then the Armor Leader is wounded.
If the AFV rolls for crew survival then the Armor Leader may modify the die roll with his leadership modifier for himself only. So it becomes possible for the crew to perish while the leader survives, in this case place a hero counter on the wreck to represent the personal armor leader. Note that as per G1.411 Japanese Armor Leaders become Infantry Leaders of equivalent rank.
In all published historical campaign games, if a vehicle is still shocked at the end of the campaign date, the player must keep rolling until the shock effect is resolved. If the personal Armor Leader is commanding this shocked AFV at the end of a scenario or campaign date, then assume that he automatically survives.
If at the end of any scenario or historical campaign date a personal leader (either infantry or armor) survives but is wounded (A17) then assume that he is treated in a field hospital starts the next scenario unwounded. Though note that as per S17.621 SASL wounded leaders must roll for evacuation.
COMBAT MEDICS
Statistically in WWII, 30 percent of those who were wounded later died and that is perhaps where the wound dr of 1-4 being wounded and 5-6 becoming KIA comes from. But this does not reflect the possibility of the wounded leader being given appropriate and adequate first aid, which US Army studies found that if given within an hour of being seriously wounded there becomes a 90 percent chance of recovery!
Additionally, there is an almost immutable effect from all war zones and conflicts that for every soldier killed in action, 4.2 are wounded. This ratio has changed little in the past 200 years and in ASL terms you would therefore expect that for every leader killed, four should remain on the battlefield wounded. This statistical truism may be simulated by modifying the game in two small and fun ways:
- by making the wound dr more graduated with many varied results
- by introducing the combat medic to the battlefield.
Currently the wound severity dr allows for only two results, either killed or generically wounded A17. Instead of this use the following table to more accurately reflect real world statistical outcomes. You may do this either for just the personal leader or alternatively for all leaders. Whenever a leader is wounded make a severity dr on the advanced wound severity (AWS) table and apply the result in the usual manner:
|
1 |
Trivial wound - leader is pinned while he checks himself out, no other ongoing effects |
|
2 |
Minor wound - leader is reduced effectiveness and replaced by the next lower rank only |
|
3 |
Wound - as per normal wound effect, place wound counter on leader. If he already has a wound counter then reduce effectiveness to the next lower rank instead. |
|
4 |
Major wound - leader is both wounded (place wound counter) and replaced by the next lower rank |
|
5 |
Serious wound – leader is incapacitated and may not move or provide any leadership benefits |
|
6 |
Severe wound – leader is incapacitated and will die (if wound not successfully treated by scenario end) |
This AWS dr replaces A17.11 and is mostly self-explanatory and fits within the ASL rules. Each additional time a leader is wounded then another roll is made on this table and the effect applied. A severe or serious wound is signified by placing a wound counter and disrupted counter onto the leader. Since reduction in effectiveness (rank) may accumulate, it is not necessary to add the +1 to the die roll for a wound to an already wounded leader as prescribed in A17.11. A maximum of one wound counter may be placed on the leader.
When using the AWS it also becomes necessary to also incorporate Combat Medics into the game. It is somewhat incongruous that ASL, which has the reputation of being able to simulate any tactical combat action in World War II, ignores first aid and medical attention. Battlefield medicine is crucial during every battle and its introduction is intended not just for the sake of simulating something which has been overlooked but also to increase the survivability of leaders to a more historical ratio. Improving the survivability of leaders so that they return for subsequent campaign dates adds continuity and a dramatic ‘soap opera’ element to the game.
Combat Medics
“Medic!” is a word that every soldier in combat has either heard or shouted. It is widely acknowledged that the combat medic played a crucial role in the treatment of wounded soldiers and saved many lives. Their feats of selflessness and heroism are well documented. For example, Surgeon Captain Arthur Martin-Leake was awarded a Victoria Cross during the Boer War for dressing wounds while under enemy fire from just 100 yards away.
Over time as treatment and techniques started to improve so the mortality from wounds began to steadily decrease. During WWI infections were a deadly and serious problem primarily because there were no antibiotics or sulphonamides, so instead amputations abounded. The French even brought back the guillotine, which was still on display in many places, to be used for the quick and efficient amputation of limbs!
During WWI The British assigned a medical officer to each battalion who would set up a first aid post and was assisted by 16 stretcher bearers. From here the seriously wounded would be evacuated to 'Casualty Clearing Stations' a few miles behind the front by either horse or motorised transport.
All nations followed a similar pattern during the Great War once the lines became generally static. In the interwar years it was realised that the after a soldier suffered a wound, outcomes could be improved the sooner the soldier received treatment. This led to medics being embedded within the military units.
During World War II, the Germans organised a skilled medical service called the ‘Sanitater’ whose members were drawn from the ranks of the infantry. Even though the Geneva Convention forbade the shooting of medics, the reality on the ground was often very different and medics would be armed and fight alongside their comrades, especially on the Eastern Front. One combat medic was assigned per platoon but as the war dragged on their ranks were increasingly filled by priests and monks whose primary duty was not only to make sure the wounded survived but also to get them back into action as soon as possible.
The US military recruited over half a million medics, nurses and physicians. The combat medics were highly respected among the infantry as they were expected to save the wounded on the battlefield even whilst under enemy fire. Each infantry company was assigned two combat medics who would treat casualties, even performing blood transfusions and decide who should be evacuated to field hospitals, either by halftrack or more often by jeep. During the Korean war the US Army established Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) units where the wounded were rapidly transported to hospital by helicopter.
For purposes of these rules, the Combat Medic rules should be used in conjunction with the advanced wound severity outcomes table. In small to medium sized scenarios, each side may have up to one combat medic on the board at any one time. In large scenarios this is increased to two. A scenario being termed large is up to the players but I would suggest that over 20 squads on each side would qualify. If two self-rallies are allowed by SSR or CG rules then two combat medics are automatically allowed per side. If agreement is otherwise unable to be reached then keep the combat medic limit to one per side.
Rules modifications for using ASL Combat Medic
The combat medic does not begin the scenario in play but is called upon to appear during its course. In the sequence of play add a new step to be called 1.24A. The presence of a combat medic is marked using a wounded hero counter which is placed underneath the wounded leader:
1.24A: If a combat medic is currently on board, then the owning player may (must) remove the counter from the board. A combat medic that has successfully treated a wounded leader must be removed during this step if there is no other leader with an untreated wound in the same or ADJACENT hex.
If there is now less than the maximum number of onboard combat medics then the phasing player may attempt to call for one for each leader with an untreated wound. If there are more wounded leaders with untreated wounds in play than available combat medics then they will be called for in rank order, highest rank first. If the leader is unbroken then he is automatically pinned by the act of calling for a combat medic.
In order for a combat medic to arrive into a wounded leaders hex, a DR < the leaders unmodified morale level must be rolled with the following modifications:
+1 if broken
- the leaders combat modifier (Historical note: even combat medics are human and are more likely to respond to a well-respected and liked leader)
-1 for every full squad equivalent currently in the same hex
-1 if US, British or German
-1 if the leader is eligible for a rally terrain bonus (10.61).
If a modified 3 or less is rolled then a combat medic arrives immediately
If a modified # < the leaders morale is rolled then the combat medic arrives during the phasing players next 1.24A phase.
If a modified # > the leaders morale is rolled then there is no effect.
If a modified 12 or greater is rolled then the DEFENDER may make a sniper check dr and if successfully activated (dr 1 or 2) then move the sniper counter into the wounded leaders hex and immediately resolve the attack.
If the hex is attacked by a sniper at this, or any time, then the hex is eligible for a 14.4 sniper check and the combat medic may participate and has the combat abilities of a wounded hero (as per the counter now in place).
1.24B: Every leader on the board with an untreated wound and stacked with a Combat Medic may make a DR. If this DR is < the combat medics morale (8 as per the above counter) then the leader has been treated and the wound severity is reduced by one level. US, British and German leaders may add a -1 modifier to this DR. If the combat medic is CX then +1 is added to the roll.
A modified DR 8 or greater results in the wound remaining untreated and the combat medic may try again in a later phase. A natural DR of 12 results in the wound being treated but increasing in severity. A natural DR of 2 results in the wound severity being reduced by two levels. Regardless of the DR, the wounded leader becomes pinned.
The following special rules also apply to the combat medic whilst onboard:
During the movement phase he may move to an ADJACENT area but as he only has 3 movement points this may result in him becoming CX.
If there is close combat in the combat medics hex then he may participate and has all the abilities of a wounded hero. Under certain circumstances the combat medic may also participate in infantry fire attacks either by himself or as part of a FG:
- If the combat medic is fired upon during the ‘Prep Fire Phase’ then during the Defensive Fire Phase he may return fire at the firers hex (only) using the abilities of a wounded hero.
- If the combat medic is fired upon during the ‘Defensive Fire Phase’ then during the Advancing Fire Phase he may return fire at the firers hex (only) using the abilities of a wounded hero.
If random selection is required for the combat medics hex then his wounded hero counter will participate normally.
If a combat medic is wounded or fails a MC then he is immediately removed from play.
There is no theoretical limit to the number of combat medics that may appear during a scenario or campaign date.
Historical note: In the Second World War the infantryman knew that literally seconds could mean the difference between life and death for a wounded comrade and this made the Combat Medic one of the most valued members in the unit. To this end when a Combat Medic came under fire, the unit is more motivated to respond and their fire would hence be more effective in support of not just the medic but also the wounded soldier. Equating the combat medic to a hero does not mean that he is acting like Rambo but rather the surrounding support units are more stirred into action. Having only 3 movement points is more a reflection of the equipment that need be carried and the battlefield distractions that are constantly present.
Wound Recovery
As stated earlier, for the purposes of the personal leader campaign, it is recommended that wounded personal leaders completely recover between scenarios and during the campaign refit phase. The other leaders in a scenario linked campaigns are irrelevant for future scenarios so may be ignored. But when it comes to refitting the wounded non-personal leaders in historical campaigns then things can become more complex. Let’s examine how all the various official campaign modules have so far handled this.
Red Barricades was the first official campaign game (CG) to be published and in the refit phase wounded leaders were retained on a dr of 2 or less in their wounded state. Otherwise the leader is evacuated (or dead if isolated) with the only drm being of +1 for being isolated. KGP I & II were the next to be published and the wounded leader table was expanded and allowed the leader to return unwounded on a 1, retained wounded on 2-3 and otherwise evacuated. The usual +1 for isolated remained but now -1 was added for being heroic and -1 for the German side.
Pegasus Bridge increased the evacuated dr to 5 or more with similar modifiers but changing the -1 to the British side. ABTF was the same but with BRT this was reduced this to 4 and the nationality modifier was +1 for the Japanese. SASL then changed this in S17.621 that a wounded leader is either fully recovered and retained on a dr of 4 or less (2 or less if part of a weekly campaign), otherwise the leader is considered to have been evacuated.
For the first MMP CG, Operation Watchtower and all subsequent chapter Z CG’s, all of the wounded leader refit tables were the same (dr 1 unwounded, 5+ evacuated) with the usual +1 for isolated and -1 for heroic. Primsole Bridge added a -1 modifier for the British and Suicide Creek has -1 for the Japanese. The starter kit CG Decision at Elst had the same table but with only the isolation modifier.
Interestingly, for the latest batch of CG’s: Valor of the Guards, Hatten in Flames, Festung Budapest and Sword and Fire Manila; MMP has gone back to using the same table as first appeared in RB. The only modifier being for isolation and the refit phase was now back to only two possible outcomes (dr 2 or less retained wounded, 3 or more evacuated). In these modules there is now no chance for a wounded leader to return unwounded! Also, the concept of Walking Wounded, which was present in PB and ABTF, has not returned. Maybe this was a purely British thing?
Regardless of their reasoning it is important to maintain the balance of the campaign so with this in mind, use the following process to bring non-personal AWS leaders back into line with the campaign refit phase:
The wounded leader retains the same rank that he ends the scenario with.
Determine the highest severity wound dr that the leader received during the campaign date. Reduce this by 1 if this wound was successfully treated by a Combat Medic during the course of the campaign date. This final number is the dr that is used for the wound recovery step of the refit.
Example. You are the British and have just finished the first A Bridge Too Far campaign date. Your captain (10-2) suffers a wound and is marked with a wound counter. He is successfully treated by a Combat Medic and the wound counter is removed but he is reduced to a (9-2) where the campaign date ends. During the refit phase he is not technically wounded so returns in the second campaign date as a (9-2) leader. During the next battle he becomes heroic but then suffers a severe wound which is treated by a Combat Medic so it is reduced to a serious wound. He lays there for the remainder of the campaign date and during the refit phase his serious wound is considered to be a dr 5 for the wound recovery step with an additional -1 for being British and -1 for being heroic. So a final modified dr of 3 results in him being retained but wounded for the next campaign date. Since he was also heroic he will battle harden to a wounded (10-3) in the third campaign date.
Conclusion
ASL has been rightly called the best and most complete World War 2 tactical game ever published and even outdoes complex computer simulations while retaining an elegant ease of play. With the addition of personal leaders it now gains the continuity and drama of a soap opera. This is further enhanced with the inclusion of Combat Medics and the advanced wound severity table makes each wound more individual rather than a generic live or die outcome.