In issue No.

1:

Welcome! 2
The Treaty of Danzig: 3
the Czechs in World
War Two and some big
what-ifs?
Darling leave a light 5
on for me: alternative
rules for night scenari-
os.
New scenario: BC27 6
Customs and Duties
Interview with Xavier 8
Vitry: the man who
BREAK CONTACT gave us rat charts.
After action: BFP27 11
Chapei Chockblock
A FANZINE FOR TACTICAL
The Primosole 14
WARGAMERS Bridge: a new RG for
the Axis.
Little Wars 16
Salamaua: Enter the 18
Sandman.
New scenario: BC28 20
Knock on the Door
Online tournaments: 22
the future is now!
Re-imagining the 26
British 2” mortar.
New scenario: BC29 28
Short, Sharp, Shock II
Issue #1 Editorial 29

SPECIAL FEATURE in this issue: Break Contact index of 30

scenario packs
Historical what-ifs? The Czechs
ISSUE NO. 1
decide to fight.
FREE
1 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1
Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 So what is Break
Contact?
A few years ago I pro-
duced several scenario
packs featuring actions
fought mainly by Aus-
tralians during World
War Two.

This fanzine continues

WELCOME... where those packs left

off, and you can expect
to see reprints and re-
I hope you enjoy the contents of this
workings of those origi-
publication which is produced by
nal scenarios.
and for the board wargaming
community for the enjoyment of all. Indeed, one of this is-
sue’s scenarios is a re-
dux of one of the very
first BC scenarios — BC1
Short Sharp Shock.

And while not an Aus-

tralian in sight in this
one, the action was part
of a wider campaign in-
volving Aussies.

The first BC scenario was

published way back in 2006
and involved a night action
between the Vichy French and
British Commandos.

2 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 A BIG WHAT-IF OF WORLD WAR TWO : CZECHOSLOVAKIA DECIDES TO FIGHT

Introduction
The Treaty Of Danzig is a fictional account of the Pick your fights…
conflict that set Europe ablaze in the late 1930s
and into the 1940s. If the Czechs had defied
The initial sparks were to be found with the out- the world and fought off
break of civil war in Spain in 1936, which proved their fascist neighbour,
to be a proxy war between the Soviet Union and what would have been the
the anti-communist Rome-Berlin Axis. implications ?
Also in that year, Germany defied the Treaty of ● Win or lose, Germany’s time-
Versailles and marched into the Rhineland, with- table for global conquest
out any interference from the French or British. may have suffered a severe
setback - there was no tell-
In 1938, Germany absorbed Austria into the new ing how long it would take to
Reich, and then set its sights on the Czechoslovak subdue a well-armed Czech
Republic (CSR). army and air force.
In September of that year, the leaders of Germa- ● The invasion would have
ny, Italy, Britain and France met in Munich to seal devastated the tiny nation
the fate of this new nation, established in 1918. and laid waste to its cities
and infrastructure, including
The Czechs were excluded from the meeting, and its arms industry, without
on the 29th the great powers signed a document which the Germans would
that would cede the Sudetenland to Germany, have been deprived of a vital
robbing the CSR of territory, its outer defences manufacturing base for their
and natural resources. planned re-armament.

The great what if... ● The British and French

would have been left red-
Naturally, the CSR repudiated this agreement and faced and suffered a hit to
continued mobilising its army and air force, their prestige as a small in-
which it had been doing so since September dependent nation defied
17th. their callous carve-up of the
The Czech cabinet declared a state of emergency, Czechoslovak state.
and put all of its border forces on alert, as it did ● Germany’s enemies would
not trust the territorial intentions of its neigh- gain an insight into the fas-
bours Poland and Hungary. cist state’s military prowess
— and doctrine — and per-
On October 1st, the expected German response haps witness a humiliation
came, with the launch of a general offensive of the Wehrmacht.
across the borders of the CSR - Fall Grün.

3 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 ToD SPECIAL RULES
1. Introduction
2.2 In scenarios set from January 1st,
1.1 Interrogation (E2) and Civilian Inter 1940, CSR units use Russian coun
-rogation (E2.4) are always in effect. -ters and rules with the following
CSR units are always considered to exceptions:
be in a friendly country. German
units are considered to be in a neu 2.2.1 Commissars and Human
Wave are NA in any scenario
-tral country for all scenarios
in which CSR troops are pre
taking place in the Sudetenland
and Slovakia, and in a hostile coun -sent.
-try in all other scenarios. 2.3 Prior to 1940, the CSR and Rus
1.2 If Air Support (E7) is available in a -sians are Allied Troops (10.7).
scenario the Air Support Availability
Table (H1.531) is amended with the
following values: 1938 - German #
(4 exponent) and CSR # (3 expo
-nent). FB are always 1939 FB.

2. Czechoslovakia (CSR)
2.1 In scenarios set prior to 1940, CSR
units use Axis Minor counters and
rules with the following exceptions.
2.1.1 In all scenarios the broken Mo
-rale Level of CSR MMC is
equal to the unbroken Morale
Level.
2.1.2 Elite and 1st Line [EXC: 3-4-7
squads] CSR MMC take a nor- 3. Early War German Army
mal PAATC (not a 1PAATC). 3-4 3.1 In scenarios set during 1938,
-7 and Conscript CSR MMC German units receive a +1 Heat Of
take a 1PAATC. Battle DRM and no drm for Leader
2.1.3 Elite and 1st Line CSR units Creation.
may attempt Escape (20.55). 3.2 In scenarios set prior to Sep-
2.1.4 CSR units receive a +2 Heat Of tember 1939, the MP allotment of all
Battle DRM. German AFV are considered printed
in red.
2.1.5 The CSR uses black TH#.

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Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 LAST ONE TO LEAVE...
TURN OUT THE LIGHTS!

DARLING LEAVE A
LIGHT ON FOR ME –
NIGHT LITE RULES
NIGHT LITE RULES 1. Introduction
Night Rules (E.1) are NOT in effect [EXC: Gunflashes (E1.8)
FOR ASL
exist]. Rules pertaining to non-Night scenarios apply in
The Night rules in Advanced Squad addition to these special rules whenever a scenario uses
Leader are arguably some of the Night Lite Rules.
most daunting apart from Caves 1.1 Darkness
and Landing Craft, or even Landing To represent darkness, each unit’s LOS does
Craft attacking Caves at Night. not extend beyond 3 hexes outside that unit’s own
hex [EXC: Gunflashes and Blazes]. For example, a unit
That doesn’t mean we can’t all en-
in hex 4B1 could see as far as 4B4, but
joy some soft mood lighting in our
not beyond [EXC: Gunflashes and Blazes].
scenarios.
1.2 Blazes
For those of you wanting to play in The 6 hexes surrounding a Blaze (and the Blaze hex
the dark but not have to rely on the itself) are visible if no more than 16 hexes away and
Night rules found in Chapter E, in the firing unit’s LOS.
then here is an alternative. 1.3 Acquisition
Night Lite is a way of playing a Acquisition is NA at ranges > 3 hexes.
night scenario but with only a few 1.4 Concealment
simple rules. Treat any enemy unit > 3 hexes away as
Concealed and out of LOS.
They include a form of Night Visi-
1.5 Gunflashes
bility Range, which means either
A Gunflash is any marker as described in E1.8 and is
you can see the enemy or you just
left on the map until the end of the AFPh. A unit al-
can’t.
ways has a LOS to any Gunflash which is no more
Gunflashes play a big part. than 9 hexes away but can only attack a Gunflash
And there are no Starshells. which is more than 3 hexes away by using Area fire.
1.6 Low Visibility
The scenarios in this issue are all There is a +1 LV Hindrance at all Ranges ≥ 0.
set at night, and use the Night Lite 1.7 Movement
rules. The bonus road MF (B3.4) and vehicular
So when you see the SSR say road rate (D2.16) are NA.
“Night Lite rules are in effect”, the 1.8 Recovery
rules provided here should be There is a +1 drm to all Recovery attempts (A4.44).
used.

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Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 CUSTOMS AND DUTIES
Break Contact 2021
ASL SCENARIO BC27
BRUNTAL, CZECHOSLOVAK-SILESIA, 24 September, 1938: In mid-
September the Germans formally took control of the Sudetendeutsche Freikorps,
a para-military organisation comprised of Sudeten Germans who had been con-
ducting raids, murders and kidnappings on border towns and customs posts for
months. On one such occasion, a raid was launched on Bruntal in Czech Silesia.
The raiding parties typically fielded up to 200 combatants, armed with Great
War-era small arms, with training from the SS over the border in Germany.
With the Czechoslovak (CSR) military partially mobilized since May, the bor-
der towns were garrisoned by a mix of border guards, local police and soldiers.

BOARD CONFIGURATION:

71
VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Germans win at game end by: (a) Controlling
building Y7 and 3 other multi-hex stone buildings; or by (b) Controlling any 5 multi
-hex stone buildings. If either or both AFV are Abandoned, Immobilised, Eliminat-
ed or Recalled, reduce the number of buildings required by 1 [EXC: this is NA to BALANCE:
building Y7 (it cannot be traded for an AFV)]. Add one 4-3-7 squad to the German OB.

Add one 3-4-7 squad to the CSR rein-

TURN RECORD CHART forcements.

3 6
CZECHOSLOVAK REPUBLIC Sets Up First [90]
GERMAN Moves First [84] 1 2 4 5 END

Members of the State Defence Guard [ELR: 2] set up first in any stone building with no more than one
MMC per hex [EXC: building Y7]: {SAN: 4}

2-2-7 2-2-7 LMG MMG HMG

HS CREW
9-1 8-0 7-0 6+1 zb26 zb53 zb53
?
10 3 2 2 8
Enter on Turn 3 along any one board edge:

T vz 33 (t)
3-4-7 8-0

3 2

Members of the Sudeten German Freikorps [ELR: 1] enter on Turn 1 along any board edge, with no
more than 6 squads entering any one board edge: {SAN: 3}

4-3-7 9-1 8-0 7-0 6+1

14
SPECIAL RULES: 4. Any CSR unit may declare Hand-to-Hand CC (J2.31) but only
1. EC are Moderate, with no wind at start. All buildings have a ground if it has Ambushed a German unit or is Berserk (A15.4).
level only. ToD Special Rules apply. Bore Sighting (C6.4) is NA.
5. No Quarter is in effect for both sides (A20.3).
2. Night Lite rules are in effect. All German units are Lax (A11.18). AFTERMATH: The raiders attacked the border post and infiltrated the
town, from where they sniped the defenders, who barricaded themselves
3. German and CSR MMC cannot Deploy or Recombine. Use SS437
inside several buildings. The firefight raged sporadically for some time,
and SS447 found in Poland in Flames. PIF 5.1 - 5.3 apply [EXC: the
German ELR is 1; SS437 which fail their ELR Disrupt (A19.12) in- with the Sudeten Germans finally withdrawing, leaving several dead and
stead - i.e. PIF 5.3 is NA in this case; SS447/237 are not Elite wounded behind. It's estimated Sudeten German casualties totaled
(A1.25)]. around 80 killed or wounded.

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Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 PEST CONTROL in ASL SCENARIO BC27
We don’t take kindly to strangers ‘round these parts...
It’s great having tourists come to town, but not when they’re hell bent on tearing it down and causing mayhem.
Such is the case in Customs and Duties. A tranquil Silesian night is rudely turned into a firefight, with a rag tag
town guard fighting off a bunch of fascist insurgents from across the border. The Czechs will want to cover every
avenue of approach, and not allow the intruders an easy path to the victory buildings. The Czech leaders will be
busy scrambling between buildings rallying the border guards. And the battle for Y7 will ebb and flow and possi-
bly decide the outcome. For the Germans, it pays to attack on all fronts, pinning down the Czechs and not allow-
ing them to shift their forces between flashpoints. It’s amazing how resilient half squads can be in a stone build-
ing with a low visibility modifier added to incoming fire - they can take some digging out. The Germans will also
eye the Czech tankettes, which if they get too close, may fall prey to Streetfighting or a CC phase attack. Remem-
ber though, the Germans are Inexperienced, so they only have 3MF and one less CCV factor per squad. They also
Disrupt easily with their ELR of 1, but can still Rout thanks to No Quarter. The Czechs aren’t as weak as they look -
as per the ToD special rules, their Broken Morale matches their Unbroken Morale. Some of their handicaps in-
clude a poor ELR of 2, and the limited LOS of three hexes at night as per the Night Lite rules, meaning the Ger-
mans can run around quite freely. A big plus for the Czechs is their ability to declare Hand-to-Hand CC, so keep-
ing Concealment is quite important especially against Lax Germans. The Czechs must also weigh up how heavily
they defend Y7 - a light garrison might just be enough to draw off a sizable portion of the German force, which
may then have trouble reinforcing the attack on the town, especially if the tankettes position themselves be-
tween the town and the customs post.

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Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 INTERVIEW WITH...
XAVIER VITRY
The man behind Le Franc Tireur

Whether it’s the compelling subject matter or the

eye-popping graphics, Xavier Vitry is an exciting
third party producer who is enriching the hobby
with new campaigns and combatants - and a dash
of humour. It’s the man who gave us Rat Pocket
Charts, and Corporal Camembert...

How did the rat charts first start?

It all started about 10 years ago, more or less, while attending a French event called ‘’Tiger Meet’’,
held at Villers-Bocage, a famous French town in Normandy where Wittmann and his Tiger compa-
ny wiped out dozens of vehicles from the British 7th Armored Division. Bertrand Guillou-Keredan,
a well known French wargamer, was the organizer and was always using some kind of custom-
ized maps, or charts, and that very time I saw him using a little booklet, self made of course, that
contained a mini ASOP, the IFT as well as the TH & TK tables. I thought it was a really useful tool
but needed to be more complete than it was, and asked his permission to upgrade them and de-
sign what would become the Rat Pocket Charts. That is how we got the idea, and I still thank Ber-
trand every time we release a new version with a definitely well deserved complimentary copy.

“We also added plenty of rats, even though we are

aware that some people dislike them.”

Is the idea also based on something you have used in your life,
or seen used, like a military manual?
As you may know, I serve in the French Marine Corps, and we do have plenty of such manuals or
mnemonic tricks or devices. ASL being what it is, I thought that it would be wise having as many
charts as possible within a small booklet, just as a platoon leader manual would, with artillery or
air support procedures, heliborne requests, explosives formulas and such. Later on, with the
release by MMP of the ASL Pocket RuleBook edition, I thought it would be the perfect companion
for it.

How much time did it take to get it set out the way you wanted?
The first edition was very quick. The next editions, v2 and v2+, were completely different, since
we changed nearly everything and designed different tables, used new art etc. We also added
plenty of rats, even though we are aware that some people dislike them.

8 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 What is your favourite ASL weapon?

“The dice, because I can throw them at my opponent!”

What has it meant for players?

Once you can play ASL, you should be able to play without the ASLRB since all you need, or nearly, can be found in the
Rat Charts. That’s the aim of such a product. As such, the RPCs can be seen at nearly every ASL event, whether ASL
gatherings or tournaments. You can be sure that here and there, you will see one, worldwide. LFT is extremely proud
of this, since its lone goal is to promote ASL playing (and help build my very own palace in Castilla la Vieja, of course).

Let’s talk about the latest edition...

The big difference is the amount of pages: from 36 in version 2 and 2+, version 3 will contain 52 pages. We have added
some new charts, such as :
- A Korean chapter;
- The Landing Craft flowchart ;
- National capabilities updates (with LFT 14 Italians, the French for the new LFT module, the Spanish
Blue Division, and so on);
- Stun/STUN/UK table;
- Weather charts;
- Some other smaller charts and
- 15 tabs instead of 9 in the previous version.

Also, we tried to implement several ideas from our supporters, that you will see on the front and back covers.

What are some of the best things about the rat charts in your opinion?
The rats of course! More seriously, I think that with a minimum of rules knowledge, one can travel with the charts and
leave the ASLRB at home. It avoids searching through its pages: all can be found within the RPC (or nearly all).

What else is in the pipeline?

“Plenty of things, really…”

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Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 What else is in the pipeline?
Plenty of things, really… Lionel and I are finalizing a
module depicting heavy fighting in France, late May
1940, so that people having purchased Croix de Guerre
will be able to play yet another CG with their blue
counters. People owning only the first edition of CdG
will also be able to enjoy it, since it will come with the
necessary counters anyway. Mostly infantry, a heavily
wooded area and artillery everywhere. But not only
OBA: new rules for interdiction, counterbattery, easy
to understand and even easier to play. They grant ac-
curate historicity but also a greater fun factor. This
module should be perfect for newcomers, since there
are only a few vehicles involved and people may even
decide to play the whole CG without any AFV. But
Grognards may also find it really interesting, since it
plays on a wide area and many options are available to
each player - there are many ways to achieve victory!

We also have at different levels of development LFT

15, other historical modules such as Warsaw, the Fol-
gore, Amiens, and a couple of FTC scenario packs, in-
cluding a thick FTC 10 whose release is scheduled for
2021; and other things, but the list is too long, and
right now we don’t have time to develop all these pro-
jects at once. If everything goes well, I will retire from
the Corps in December 2022 and will be able to enjoy
some rest either in Cambodia, or in Europe if my pal-
ace is eventually finished. I have housed people at home without even having met
them once before, just because they were ASLers. And I
When did you start playing ASL and have NEVER been disappointed. Not even once. This special
link we have is something weird, although really great. So
why do you love it so much? these two factors might well explain why I do love this
game so much. My WWII interest, my gaming soul and the
I think I was about 15 or so, and a friend of mine invit- friendship we share around these mapboards.
ed me to play a wargame I had never heard about. My
first SL scenario ever was ‘’The Road to Wiltz’’ and I
was attacking as the Germans. Wow! It was a blast. I
If there was anything you could change
still remember reading the back cover with Stahler in about ASL what would it be?
Stalingrad. Both of us were totally immersed playing
the scenario and moving the counters all around the All these questions that remain after maaaaany years talk-
boards, and the 6 or 7 hours we played left us with ing about them. Such as: you need an 8 to lay SMOKE. You
images of the Bulge for many days. The experience was roll 9, it’s a miss. Fine, where does the SMOKE land? It
intense. I immediately went to buy such a wargame at would be simple to roll a dr for Random Direction for exam-
my favourite games retailer, but he only had Cross of ple. Or some others that are often considered as ‘’grudge
Iron. So I bought it and was really desperate when rules’, such as ‘’Vehicular Crews may not voluntarily aban-
finding out that there was only 1 map inside, and that I don their vehicle’’ since, for example, once out of it, they can
couldn’t play a single scenario within the bunch pro- gain control of a VC Location or even try to fire a PF at the
vided. You can imagine that a 15-year-old teenager Sherman that just knocked them out. This kind of thing may
had no means to buy such expensive games at that ruin a scenario, because the rules allow it. The crews were
time, so I had to wait a few more months to buy SL, way too valuable to act like grunts, and once out of their
eventually… and I haven’t stopped playing ever since. vehicle, a gunner, a tank driver - these people needed
months of training, but not for a gun or pistol and fighting
I love the game for you can live a Hollywood movie as infantry. Both jobs are totally different.
with cardboard counters, and because of the ‘’social
event’’ it carries with it. Normally, you play face-to- These kind of aberrations, for a serviceman, is what I’d like
face. I may talk about VASL afterwards, but FtF is the MMP to get rid of. It’s not difficult, since nowadays, with the
aim of gaming and after nearly 40 years of playing SL/ forums, Facebook, Discord, the amount of exchange and
ASL, I have found out that the vast majority of ASL the wide audience MMP has, they can listen to the ASL
players are really nice chaps. It is strange how people crowd and consider that sometimes, there might be a few
get along and share things, just because ‘’hey, you play good ideas floating around.
ASL too?’’

10 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 SCENARIO ANALYSIS
BFP27 CHAPEI CHOCKBLOCK

AT FIRST GLANCE The Trenches immediately behind the front provide a retreat
This city-fight involves two forces comprised of low fire- path for the Chinese into the stone buildings on DW-1a. The
power infantry and some lightly armoured AFVs. It's 1932, Trenches in FF8 and GG9 also act as possible bog hexes for
and some up-start Japanese marines are trying to kick in the the Japanese AFV, while those in X3 and Z3 will hopefully
door at Shanghai. provide the Chinese reinforcements with a path into the Y4
victory building. Placing Trenches in T4 and CC6 also pro-
This scenario comes from Bounding Fire Productions' Blood
vide pathways for the Chinese into the victory buildings.
and Jungle pack and is played on two BFP mapboards featur-
ing a heavily built-up urban area. The Guns are on the flanks. One is hidden in T9, hoping for
some point blank shots. The other takes care of the northern
The Chinese are defending with the help of two HMGs and
flank with an open field of fire but nowhere to hide. The
two ART. They start with 12 squads and expect another five
Guns can Boresight key road hexes.
along with two AFV, on turn five. The Japanese come at
them with 18 2nd Line squads and six AFV, five of which The up front defence presents the Japanese with a wall of
are unique to Blood and Jungle. firepower and warm bodies they must overcome. It's a risk
for the Chinese, and it might misfire if the HMG's malfunc-
The Japanese have to seize five victory buildings, and they
tion or are locked up in VBM. Cowering is the other bugbear
have eight turns in which to do it. It seems like a straight-
for the Chinese, especially the Conscripts.
forward city-fight, but is it?

It seems like a straight-forward city-fight, but is it?

GREAT WALL OF CHINA

The Chinese have a mixed bag of troops, with almost half
the force Conscript. There are only two leaders.
The Chinese set up west of the T13-GG16 road. They have
enough MMC to man each hex in each wooden and stone
building along that road.
This is what we might call the Great Wall of China defence.
Each hex of the road is covered by a MG, and any Japanese
crossing the road will be hit with PBF. One HMG and a 9-1
start in T12, with a 337 and LMG also in the stone building.
They provide a strong bastion on the flank and some anti-
AFV fire along the road. The other HMG and the 8-0 are
further along the line. Both HMGs have bore-sighted some
houses on the opposite side of the street.
The eight dummy markers are spread out as sniper bait. Fur- BFP27: The great wall of residual fire.
ther back are the fortifications, with the Roadblocks in U9
and DD7.

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Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 DEFENCE IN DEPTH
The Japanese Dash strategy makes it almost folly for the Chi-
nese to employ a defence in depth. While those stone build-
ings further to the west look enticing and an incentive to put a
few squads forward and a few back, this will almost certainly
lead to a Japanese infiltration field day.
Nothing short of a Chinese 'shield-wall", either in the wooden
buildings along the set-up boundary road, or in the stone
buildings fronting the U10-DD10 road, will suffice.
The bottom line is, if playing the Chinese, don't leave any
gaps, or before you know it, Japanese units will be Dashing
into those empty building hexes disrupting your front line. The
Great Wall of China is aimed at buying enough time for the
Turn 5 Chinese reinforcements to roll up and into Y4 before
the Japanese get there.
Let's see how this plan survives contact with the enemy.

JAPANESE OPENING MOVES

The Japanese will need a turn to get into position, and
should aim to be in a position to advance into the houses
lining the street on the eastern side of the set up boundary
road. A more risky strategy would be to get into a position
where the Japanese squads could advance into the road-
way on the first turn. This option will give the Chinese
some First Fire opportunities and almost certainly result in
Japanese casualties. But it might be a better option for the
Japanese than running across the road on the second or
third turns.
The Japanese will need to break some Chinese during the
first turn and aim to create some gaps in the Chinese line,
otherwise there will be no opportunity for infiltration by
the Japanese on Turn 2. It might be worth advancing a few
CONTACT
Japanese half squads into the road on Turn 1 in the hope
that, should they survive the Chinese Turn 1 PFPh, they Japanese T1
might be able to force some broken Chinese units to rout
at the end of Turn 1, creating those gaps. The Japanese infantry approach on a broad front, stopping
just short of the road and out of the Chinese LOS. The AC
“Nothing short of a Chinese and four light AFV bypass through the buildings in support
of the infantry. The MMGs and a 9-1 enter along hexrow T.
'shield-wall’ will suffice”. The 57* AFV moves into T16, ready to provide support in
the upcoming charge across the T13-GG16 road on Turn 2.
One of the tankettes malfs its MA. Another rolls low and
DASH IT ALL strips one Chinese 336.
The Japanese have one important advantage over the Chi- Chinese T1
nese, in that they can Deploy, and the Chinese cannot.
This allows the Japanese to create a HS swarm on Turn 2, As one would expect, the Chinese use their turn to skulk
assuming the Deployment DRs are successful. A neat tac- back one hex out of harm's way. The units in DD13, EE14
tic is to Dash HS into any vacant building hex vacated by and FF14 must stay put. Four Japanese squads FG to break a
the Chinese. A large number of Dashing Japanese HS will 336 in EE14 in the DFPh. In T12, the HMG and LMG en-
potentially chew up Chinese defensive fire opportunities gage the AFV in T16 to no effect. In return the AFV gets
and maybe even malfunction a MG or two, especially if three rate shots, including a CH, which pins the 9-1, kills the
Dashing through a FL. The Japanese could theoretically crew manning the HMG, BHs the 337 which breaks on the
have six deployed squads by the start of Turn 2. third shot as a 447, and creates a Hero. The Chinese line still
holds.

12 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 Chinese T2
The Chinese drop concealment and unleash a point blank
fusilade against the Japanese in the street, striping several
squads. In return, the Chinese hold up well against defen-
sive fire, with several pinned as a result and only one squad
breaking. The Great Wall holds!
While the northern flank has been turned, the Gun in GG9
can zero in on any breach. The Great Wall defence has
meant the Japanese are still on the eastern-most board going
into Turn 3.
The Japanese will probably break through the line in Turn
3.

Japanese T3
The Japanese shoot at point blank from the street but with
their squads now with only 2FP, they make little or no im-
pression. In the northern half of the front, the Japanese in-
fantry and AFVs bust through the wooden houses.
But the southern half of the Great Wall holds firm. With a
solid line of Chinese infantry, there is nowhere for the Japa-
nese to go.

“Hang tough as the Chinese, and The Japanese have no choice but to advance into CC to
break the deadlock. With HtH the order of the day, the Jap-
get ready to go hand-to-hand.” anese risk losing a lot of guys.
In this case, they do, ending the turn with nine squads left
out of 18 which started the scenario. The Chinese can win
Japanese T2 from here despite their losses so far.

The Japanese opt to spend a turn softening up the Great Summary

Wall. Three big stacks are marked as Opportunity firers.
The Great Wall defence seems to work well, as long as the
They're hoping some Dashing HS will strip Chinese con-
defenders can pass morale checks or the enemy rolls badly,
cealment ahead of the AFPh. Some AFV enter the street
or is cut up getting into position. The united front robbed
to provide cover in Turn 3. The HSs Dash with mixed
the Japanese of options and prevented manouvre.
results. The thing about Dashing into a Concealed unit's
hex, is that when the HS bounces back into the road, it In the end they were forced into costly CC, and this is how
can be fired on normally at full strength, and PBF. So it's the Chinese can really even the odds.
best for the concealed unit to wait to bounce the HS be-
So, defend forward along the T13-GG16 road using the
fore shooting, otherwise you'll be firing at halved FP
Great Wall defence, hang tough as the Chinese, and get
against a Dashing unit.
ready to go hand-to-hand.
In the north, Japanese squads brave a FL and residual to
Dash into EE14 via EE15. Two squads get in, threaten-
ing the HMG in DD13. This proves the need for an un-
broken line of defenders. The Japanese have enough men
to exploit gaps like this.
The Opportunity firers roll high and fail to break any
more Chinese.
By the end of the turn, the Chinese squad in FF14 and
the HMG crew and 8-0 are killed in CC, turning the Chi-
nese northern flank. Other Japanese squads bravely ad-
vance into the roadway in readiness for an all-out assault
in Turn 3. Let's see how well they survive the Chinese
PFPh.

13 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 SICILY OR BUST!

...a new reinforcement group for the

Primosole Bridge Campaign Game.
14 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1
Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 PRIMOSOLE BRIDGE
GERMAN/ITALIAN REINFORCEMENT GROUP CHART

ID Group Type Full/Depl Unit Type CPP Cost CG Date Max CG Max
I II III

V2 AC Pltn 2/1 AS42aa* 6 1 2 2 2

* This is the 20L(4) -/-/4 version: MA:AA

UNDER THE HOOD...

SPA-Viberti AS.42 Sahariana

Engine: 4,995 cc 6-cylinder petrol
Range: 300 km (max. 1500 km)
Speed: 84 km/h (52 mph)
Armament:
8mm Breda model 37 machine-gun
20mm Breda model 35 gun

“The Italians have no armour to speak of – in fact they have one vehicle – a truck – which usually
gets wasted or captured by the British Paras early on.”

In 2005 Multi-Man Publishing brought out a new ad- THE AUTOSAHARIANAS

dition to its Chapter Z range of campaign games, Pri-
The SPA-Viberti AS.42 Sahariana was a scout car designed for
mosole Bridge, an intriguing clash during the invasion
the North African desert, and was used to good effect in that
of Sicily between a mixed bag of Italians and Germans,
role with its long range, reliability and hitting power.
and a British force of paratroopers, light infantry and
armour. They would range far and wide, and early in the desert cam-
paign, could even call on a contingent of aircraft to help them
Fought around the stone bridge crossing a shallow
out.
river, in a landscape dominated by vineyards and
drainage ditches, the stage was set for some exciting The Auto-Saharan companies were indeed something of a
ASL action. forerunner to the British Long Range Desert Groups, and
these two combatants clashed on a number of occasions on
The Italians fielded a force of 6 morale troops, backed
the peripheries of the desert campaign.
up by German paratroopers and their supporting arms,
including guns, artillery and assault guns. Both sides In ASL, the AS42 comes in three flavours – and for the purpos-
have some air power. es of this article, we are looking at the anti-aircraft version,
with its 20mm Breda cannon fixed to an unarmoured chassis,
But this is largely an infantry battle, and as such, the
albeit with a low profile.
few guns and vehicles on hand can have a big impact.
The AS42s served in Sicily and potentially could have been
The Italians have no armour to speak of – in fact they
involved in anti-parachutist actions, like the one carried out
have one vehicle – a truck – which usually gets wasted
by the Axis forces at Primosole Bridge in July, 1943.
or captured by the British paras early on.
While hardly being a game changer, the introduction of an
So perhaps it’s time to give the Italians at least one
AS42 platoon does give the Axis some added triple-A firepow-
more vehicle?
er and long-range fire against soft targets.

15 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 Poor coverage of avenues of approach
The defender needs to identify the likely avenues of
enemy approach and how best to lay down effective
fire. Covering open ground with MGs and infantry
firepower will channel the attack via the cover of
Woods, Buildings and other hindrances, forcing the
attacker to take the long way around.
A broad frontage of interlocking fields of fire will en-
sure the attacker will have to make some hard choices.
Of course, if the defender's OB is small, this may not
be possible, so the key avenues of approach leading to
victory or exit locations should be the priority.
Key weapons too far forward
Depending on the terrain, MGs, MTRs and Guns can
be used to cover flanks and open ground. These weap-
ons have longer ranges than the standard infantry
LITTLE WARS squad and are ideal standoff or over-watch weapons.
Guns set up using HIP in Concealment Terrain often
provide a nasty surprise for any outflanking move by
How many times have you lost a scenario the attacker.
because of a poor set up? Well, here are a few There is a tendency though to put these key weapons
such ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of too far forward. Although they may appear to be se-
cure, HMGs and MMGs in the front line can be quick-
victory! ly overrun by a concerted and well-executed infantry
attack, or their fallback paths cut-off by enemy AFV.
Make the most of the range of key weapons and try not
"In this world nothing can be said to to expose them to capture in the first few turns. Place
be certain, except death and taxes." them in the upper-levels of buildings with good fields
Benjamin Franklin, 1789
of fire - such as Steeples. Put AT Guns on the flanks
and cover them with infantry.
Guns with high IFE are vulnerable too close to the ac-
tion, as the defender seeks to benefit from a PBF shot
There is a certain level of certainty in a game of or two. Avoid this temptation, and place IFE Guns as
ASL, with Franklin’s proverb a suitable tem- far back as practicable, and cover them with an infan-
plate. try screen.
For instance: Use Spotters for your big MTRs so that these key
"In this ASL world nothing can be said to be certain, weapons are out of the LOS of enemy units. Put the
except bad dice and a bad set up." Spotters in the top floors or on other high ground, pref-
erably Concealed.
The first is a given in any playing, with the dice often
turning the game at a crucial juncture, or a string of Above all, avoid allowing the enemy to capture your
low rolls leading to devastating fire attacks, sniper ac- SW and using them against you.
tivations or improbable morale checks. Potential death traps
A bad set up is another thing altogether and unlike bad Sometimes defending units are doomed from the out-
dice, can be avoided. set. What might look like a great place to hide could
One thing is certain: a player can lose a game from the actually be a trap with no way out.
outset if their set up is bad. For example, avoid setting units up in the bottom of a
So what is the definition of a bad set up? Gully. It's basically open ground and enemy units at
higher elevations can see into Gullies and embark on a
It's something that is more of a burden on the defender, turkey-shoot. Instead, place units in Crest status - it's
who must scramble and react quickly if the attacker like being Entrenched.
spots the weaknesses from the outset.
Woods might appear to be a great place to set up, but
The attacker also can be guilty of a bad set up, but a look at the enemy's OB. If the enemy has MTRs and a
bad defence will often dictate the placement of LOS to defenders in woods - even concealed defenders
onboard attacking units. - they can immediately cause casualties with Airbursts.
What are the hallmarks of a bad defence? Nonetheless, in ASL, expect your front line units to be
I would say there are several, but in no particular or- shot at from the first turn. Just make sure that they
der, here are a few: have a reasonable chance of surviving that shot.

16 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 In short, always ensure your set up has a continuous
LITTLE WARS front with firepower exerted across all avenues of ap-
proach, and interior lines of communication through
which your units can rout and reinforcements can fil-
Fatal fortifications ter back into the front line.
There's a mixed view on the value of Foxholes. AFV
They certainly make it tougher to get at the infantry in If you are lucky enough to have a few gun-armed
them, but make sure your infantry can get out of them AFV in your OB, set them up where they won't get
without being shot to pieces. whacked on the first turn.
A unit needing to fall back from a Foxhole hex is often It's often a good idea to create a mobile reserve out of
better self-breaking to avoid that DFF shot exiting the your armour, to respond to any breaches by the attack-
Foxhole. er and to help counter-attack.
Make sure your defenders in Foxholes have an avenue “Sometimes you may wonder what to do with the
of escape if you plan an orderly withdrawal.
four Dummy counters you have been given…”
Pillboxes are great to have but again, if they are set up
too exposed with no way out for the defenders inside
them, they can become tombs, or jail cells if the enemy If your tanks must set up exposed in open terrain, set
simply bypasses them. them up in Motion.
Otherwise, place key AFV like you would AT Guns -
“Remember that you can't fire a MTR from on the flanks and in terrain such as Stone Buildings,
Dense Jungle or Bamboo.” or Hull-Down on Hills.
Also, avoid setting up AFV CE as your tank crew is
Use Trenches to create Bunkers and a path for your likely to get shot by a sniper early on and the AFV
infantry to move between the Pillboxes and other build- Recalled.
ings or terrain. Some may disagree, and it's the prerogative of any
But be careful not to create a path for the enemy to in- ASLer to take tanks into battle CE just like in Kelly's
filtrate your defences by placing trenches too far for- Heroes.
ward and linked to victory hexes. Put your best with your best
Tricky terrain It's been said before, but here it is again. Put your best
Too often a defender will set up a unit illegally. Check leaders, SW and infantry together. Don't let a 6+1 di-
the restrictions on the terrain you are fighting in and rect your HMG manned by a Conscript. Get your 9-1
make sure you don't forfeit key weapons or render them to direct the HMG and the Elite squad manning it,
useless before the first weather DR. preferably in a Stone Building or a Fortification.
Crap units
“It's often a good idea to create a mobile
Use your poorer quality infantry to hold your lines of
reserve…” communication or act as a reserve.
The 6+1 has 6MF and is often useful running squads
For instance, if playing PTO, remember that you can't to the front or running around forcing enemy units to
fire a MTR from Dense Jungle or Bamboo. suffer DM or even capturing broken enemy units.
And don't put AA Guns inside buildings. Tankettes with pop guns can be particularly useful,
not in the defence itself, but as a mobile reserve which
Support weapon woes can sally forth into the enemy rear area to cut off re-
Remember that some SW require two Leaders to fire, treat paths or enemy reinforcements and cause general
such as a BAZ or PSK. mayhem.
It's a common mistake to put a Leader with a BAZ up Avoid placing these weakly armed units in key defen-
front only to find that you can't fire the bloody thing at sive positions, as they will be quickly knocked out.
that tank coming straight for you. Instead, use their mobility as a weapon.
Hopeless positions Dummies
Look at the area you are defending. Sometimes you may wonder what to do with the four
Dummy counters you have been given, but remember
If one of the victory buildings is out on a flank and un- that they always make great sniper bait.
defendable then you should probably not set up in it.
If you have any spare Dummy counters, place them in
Even a unit with self-rally capability can become isolat- terrain like Orchards or Grain near key leaders, in the
ed and broken in such a position. hope that they soak up the sniper's bullet, saving your
10-3.

17 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 SALAMAUA, 29 JUNE, 1942
For the Japanese,
the Australian Com-
mandos were the
stuff of night-
mares...

18 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 ENTER THE SANDMAN ….

The Australian Commandos were the jungle

cavalry of World War Two, raiding behind
enemy lines and then disappearing into the
darkness.
Moving quickly and quietly on jungle trails, these heavily
armed and aggressive elite soldiers were let loose in the
jungles of New Guinea, where they began harassing the
Japanese occupiers from 1942. Their raid on the coastal
isthmus of Salamaua was arguably the commandos’
greatest feat of arms and an example of economy of
force in exchange for maximum destruction.

“The attack on Salamaua was the perfect case study of the commando concept.”
An Independent Company comprised four sec-
While the Independent Companies no tions of infantry and a headquarters element,
longer exist in name, commandos still plus in some circumstances, other attached
have a place in the modern day Aus- arms such as engineers, tank-attack and mor-
tralian order of battle. tars.
The concept of commandos was lifted by Yet at their very core was the concept of
the British from the Boers, and then put fighting with what they could carry and with-
into a uniform and handed a Tommy Gun out the hope of any large calibre support from
and satchel charge at the outbreak of the the ground or air.
Second World War.
Their greatest weapon was their aggression
The concept of a regular light infantry unit and ruthlessness, and they were expected to
fighting an irregular style of warfare was fight even when they had run out of ammuni-
quickly seized upon by the Australians, tion.
who saw great value in such troops,
Each company was in fact a light infantry bat-
should the war come to the jungles north
talion in size.
of the Australian mainland.
They fought deep behind the enemy lines and
The attack on Salamaua was the perfect
also as shock troops at the vanguard of at-
case study of the commando concept.
tacks in close terrain like the New Guinea jun-
The attack, conducted at night and with gle.
complete surprise, proved the value of
Their numbers were small but their contribu-
such hit and run tactics.
tion great, but after the war they were dis-
Not only did the attack achieve some banded.
measure of payback for the until now
Salamaua put the Japanese on notice and
beaten Allies, it prompted the Japanese to
prompted them to push inland to stamp out
shift forces to the region, in a response
the commando threat.
out of proportion to the threat they actu-
ally faced. What followed was the Battle of Wau, where
the commandos again proved their worth in
It also gained vital intelligence.
stopping the Japanese attempt to seize that
aerodrome high in the New Guinea mountains.

19 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 KNOCK ON THE DOOR
ASL SCENARIO BC28 Break Contact 2021
SALAMAUA, NEW GUINEA, 29 June, 1942: The isthmus of Salamaua was
captured by the Japanese in early 1942. To hit back the Australians sent in a com-
mando company to wreak havoc amongst the unsuspecting Japanese garrison.
Two sections of the 2/5th Independent Company, some local ex-patriate riflemen
and a mortar detachment stole into the town in darkness and carried off a vicious
act of retribution against the invaders.

BOARD CONFIGURATION:
X10 X13

X9

N
2/5th Commando Squadron AIF unit insignia.
VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Australians win at game end if every
building Location has at least one of the following: an Allied Control X11
marker; a Blaze marker; a Rubble marker.
3a
St2
Reduce this requirement by two building Locations for each of the fol-
lowing: if the Australian Turn 2 reinforcements do not enter; if the Japa-
nese pilot is eliminated; if the bridge is blown; and reduce by one build-
BALANCE:
ing Location for every 10 CVP earned (FRD) by the Australians [EXC: Extend the scenario to 6.5 Turns.
subtract from this total one building Location for every 2 CVP (FRD)
earned by the Japanese]. Increase the Japanese SAN to 5.
The Japanese win immediately if they earn 13 CVP.
Note: there are 30 building Locations on the map.

TURN RECORD CHART

AUSTRALIAN Sets Up and Moves First [112]
JAPANESE Moves Second [0] 1 2 3 4 5 6 END

2/5th Independent Company and the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles [ELR: 4] enter on Turn 1 along the
west and/or south edge(s): {SAN: 3}

6-4-8 9-2 9-1 8-1 LMG DC

8 2 3 3
Enter on Turn 2 along the west or south edge(s). If not entered, these units do not count towards CVP (see VC):

2-4-8 9-1 DC

Elements of the 82nd Garrison Battalion [ELR: 2] set up

when activated (see SSR 6): {SAN: 4}
Roll for 8+1 (the pilot) entry Enter on Turn 3 along the south edge:
from Turn 1*:
MMC SMC SW
8+1 3-4-7 9-0 8+1 LMG
? ? ?
SNIPER 6
Place the Japanese Sniper in K8 at start:

20 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 * A 8+1 Japanese SMC (the pilot) 1st Japanese Activation Table 2nd Japanese Activation Table
is placed on board following a dr
≤ the current Japanese Turn num- dr Units Received dr Units Received
ber [EXC: if not placed by the
start of Japanese Turn 5, it arrives 1 nil 1 3-3-6
automatically on that Japanese
Turn]. Place as if a SR, by deter-
mining the Direction/Extent of 2 1-2-6 2 3-4-7
Error as per C1.31, treating the
Japanese Sniper as the AR coun-
ter. Re-roll if the pilot's placement 3 1-3-7 3 4-4-7
hex is: occupied by enemy units;
offboard; in an Ocean hex or in a
Blaze. This SMC must attempt to
exit along the south edge by the
4 2-3-7 4 2-2-8; MMG
least number of MF [EXC: NA in
the APh] and at the earliest oppor- ** ***
tunity [EXC: the pilot does not 5 2-3-8 5 SMC; 2-2-8; HMG
have to move first in a Turn],
using Double Time, and avoiding
any Location containing enemy 6 roll on 2nd table 6 nil
units. Banzai (G1.5) by this SMC
is NA. ** Randomly select one Infantry Leader; *** 6-14 HMG

Australian Attack Table 5. Any unpinned, Good Order Australian MMC, which has not
yet fired, and is adjacent to a building Location can, during
dr **** Result any PFPh/DFPh, rather than using its inherent firepower or
any SW, make one notional attack against that building Loca-
tion (Sniper activation is NA). Roll once on the Australian
≤1 Rubble and Pinned Flame Attack Table and apply the result [EXC: see SSR6 below]. A
Leader/Hero may modify this dr. A maximum of one Leader/
Hero (or Heroic Leader) drm applies to each attack. A CX unit
2 Rubble must add one to its dr. No other drm apply. Such an attack is a
Concealment loss activity if conducted in the LOS of a Known
Enemy Unit (A12.11) present at the moment of attack. Each
3 Pinned Flame building Location can be attacked this way only once per fire
phase, however units in a building Location can be attacked
normally more than once in a phase.
4 no effect
6. A further dr is made whenever an Australian unit makes an
attack as per SSR5, or on the IFT/IIFT v a Japanese Con-
5 no effect trolled building Location [EXC: NA to DC attacks], or enters
an unoccupied Japanese Controlled building Location. After
rolling the attack, but prior to resolving its effects, roll on the
≥6 all attacker(s) Broken 1st Japanese Activation Table (and possibly the 2nd Japanese
Activation Table). Immediately place in the target Location
**** Leadership; Hero; CX are the only drm. any unit(s) received, unconcealed and Pinned (even Japanese
Leaders). Then apply the effects of the attack on that building.
If an Australian unit enters an unoccupied Japanese Controlled
SPECIAL RULES: building Location, it must cease its movement; place any acti-
1. EC are Moist with no wind at start. Place overlays St2 on J1/ vated Japanese units in that building Location (not Pinned)
K2; X9 on J11; X10 on M15; X11 on E2/D2; and X13 on I14/ and a HtH Melee marker in that hex.
H13. PTO Terrain (G.1) is in effect including Light Jungle (G2.1)
[EXC: roads exist normally and all buildings are wooden and
single story; treat the Rowhouse as a normal wooden building; AFTERMATH: While not achieving all of its objec-
Bamboo (G3) is Brush]. Ponds do not exist; treat as Level 0 Open tives, the attack was declared a resounding success.
Ground. The A8 to Q20 land mass does not exist and is consid- Around 100 Japanese were killed within an hour, with
ered Ocean. There is a one lane wooden bridge in I2. The Stream
is Shallow (B20.42). Water Obstacle hexes are Ocean and may numerous buildings set alight or turned into matchwood
not be entered by any unit. Kindling (B25.11) and Spreading Fire with TNT sticky bombs and incendiary flares. Three
(B25.6) [EXC: by Gusts (B25.651)] are NA. vehicles and a bridge were also destroyed, though pre-
2. No Quarter (A20.3) is in effect for both sides and Prisoners pared charges failed to go off at the wireless transmis-
(A20) are NA. sion towers and the hangar. Remarkably, Australian
losses amounted to just three wounded.
3. Night Lite rules are in effect. The Australians are Stealthy
(A11.17), the Japanese are Lax (A11.18).

4. Australian units are ANZAC (A25.44), may freely Deploy ASL Scenario BC28 page 2 of 2.
(A1.31) during set up, may declare Hand-to-Hand Combat
(J2.31) and treat Rubble as Rout/Rally terrain. The X# of all DC,
including Set DC (A23.7), is 9. Australian units may not Rout
into a Japanese Controlled building.

21 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 ONLINE TOURNAMENTS...
THE FUTURE IS NOW!

With the world as we know it turned on its head, the fu-

ture of face-to-face gaming and tournaments has been
thrown a curve ball.
It’s only been recently that the in-person tournament scene has come back to life in some
parts of the ASL world, but elsewhere, the prospect of large groups of gamers gathering un-
der the one roof appears to be a thing of the past. As an alternative to booking a motel room
and hitting the road with your game gear, online tournaments have come into sharper focus,
with some ASLers turning to their keyboards for their dice-rolling fix. We talked to an online
tournament director about his experiences with online ASL tournies.

“Generally there are no fees, no prizes, and no admin costs.”

“The growth of eSports tournaments attests to

The Asia Pacific VASL Open the popularity of the experience. The extension
Tournament director Mark McGilchrist shares of playing boardgames online is a relatively nat-
some of his insights into running an online tourny. ural one in that regard: boardgamers using the
“In terms of the player experience, I think there is a tools in front of them to expand their play op-
generation of gamers that have grown up with
tions. So for the players, I think the online tour-
computer games, and therefore using a computer
nament experience has advantages and disad-
and playing online are not unusual.
vantages.”

22 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 ONLINE TOURNIES: THE ADVANTAGES
Closeness – no real travel requirements.
Cheapness – no accommodation costs, no extra
food costs, no inflated conference pricing or sub-
standard fast foods.
Standardisation – the games are standardised,
and any customised pieces can be replicated and
shared easily.
Quick setup and pack-up – no missing pieces.
Broad attendance – there is no real geographic
attendance restrictions, though time zones can
be incompatible. Language can be a barrier, but I
play in tournaments with Russians, French, Ger-
mans, Poles, Italians, Brits and Americans using ONLINE TOURNIES: THE DISADVANTAGES
English as a common language. Usually the chat
Lack of the social element – there is no real after
level of English is enough to play matches, and
match social mingling, and comparison of play.
typically there is a chat shorthand that all play-
With game logfiles you can see the match played,
ers understand.
and sometimes the chat, but it isn’t the same as a
Setting own timetable – in the tournaments I
round of drinks at the end of a hard days gaming.
play in, the players schedule the matches be-
Technical dropouts – the server crashes etc. Worst
tween themselves, which is convenient.
Waiting time entertainments – there is usually case is the game is lost mid-session. This can be
some downtime during matches, and you can overcome with logfiles, as long as your device stays
play music, watch YouTube etc. up. Electrical power outages can be bad.
No contagious diseases – at least not to me, Opponent dropouts – the opponent simply disap-
maybe my PC is at risk. pears without explanation, maybe from a technical
dropout at their end, or rage quit or some crisis.
Domestic distractions – for the average married
person with children gamer that likes the conven-
ience of online gaming, there will be some level of
domestic distraction. At one point when my kids
were little I timed the periods between being asked
questions etc: 2 min & 32 secs was the longest
time. I was trying to study at the time. At worst,
players have to quit mid-match to respond to these
domestic “crises”.
Analysis paralysis – the AP syndrome seems worse
online, the lack of a physical person drumming their
fingers perhaps.
Being there – most conventions are also game
shopping experiences. Technically you can do this
online as well, but the physical experience is better.

23 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 ONLINE TOURNIES: THE TD’s ADVANTAGES ONLINE TOURNIES: THE TD’s DISADVANTAGES
No need to wait around – players can play their Player communication – technically this should be
matches and report, usually whilst I sleep or work. easy in the days of email, but somehow people
Conversely, I can do TD stuff whilst they are not miss emails, misread or misunderstand. This can be
around. a language issue, so keeping it simple helps.
Player dropouts – hard to detect an online player
that simply drops out. Unless they are required to
“No need for spare sets or boards if respond, you may not notice. Even if they are re-
people forgot something.” quired to respond and don’t, they can sometimes
come back.
International holidays – this can cause hiccups in
Responsibilities – main roles are to draw up the scheduling, especially with the European summer
schedule of matches, provide contact details, holidays.
compile results and prepare the next schedule. I
also answer the occasional rules question or han-
“I think the online tournament has
dle arbitrations. advantages in that players will be less
Free – generally there are no fees, no prizes, and flustered and pressured .”
no admin costs.
Hassle free – there are no organisational issues,
hall bookings, accommodation suggestions or SUMMARY
bookings, no travel assistance or even travelling “In terms of the future of tournaments, my expec-
oneself. No need for spare sets or boards if people tation is that the two will exist side-by-side for
forgot something. some while yet. The Con is an experience for peo-
ple, a gathering and a crowd that can’t be matched
online. In some ways, the tournament is simply an
“5 ASL scenarios in 2.5 days would
probably take weeks or months to excuse to gather, and I expect that will continue
complete online.” for most boardgames. People like feeling the piec-
es and being away from home, family and comput-
er. In terms of tournament play and technical ex-
“A neutral aspect in my view is the duration. cellence, I think the online tournament has ad-
Typically online tournaments I play in run over vantages in that players will be less flustered and
months. This is positive in that it encourages par- pressured online than in a games room, so you will
ticipation, convenience of timing and intensity, see better play, but there is always room for some
and is probably a better learning experience. The bonehead play. I think online tournaments will pre-
downside is the player dropouts over a longer pe- fer smaller, shorter games, though the option for a
riod. To draw on the CANCON experience, 5 ASL large game played over several sessions is there.”
scenarios in 2.5 days would probably take weeks
or months to complete online. I set a hard dead- Mark McGilchrist is a member of the Paddington
line for most rounds, but a date rather than a Bears Games Group in Sydney, New South Wales,
time.” Australia.

24 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 Chris Harding Simulations is a small DTP concern based in Adelaide, South Australia. We published
our first game, Mersa Matruh, in March 2006
If you are interested in purchasing any of our games, then please send me an e-mail,
(topkat@chariot.net.au) with what you are interested in and I will send you a PayPal request for the
products. If you go ahead with the purchase I usually post the games within 2 business days. PnP
games I usually send same day as receiving payment.
Games in Stock
CHS games come with full colour maps, either in one or two pieces and colour coun-
ters, mounted on cardstock but not die cut.
Operation Compass (WWII North Africa, 1940) - Designer Chris Harding
Price is $20 US including postage, ($20 Aus with postage - Australian residents).

40th Panzer Korps (WWII East Front, 1941) - Designer Chris Harding
Price is $25 US including postage, ($25 Aus with postage - Australian residents).

Parroy Forest (WWII France 1944) - Designer Chris Harding

Price is $21 US including postage, ($22 Aus with postage - Australian residents) .

Print and Play Games

Alam Halfa (WWII North Africa, 1942) - Designer - Chris Harding

Fighting Steam! (ACW Naval, 1862) - Designer - Jim Zoldak

1st Alamein (WWII North Africa, 1942) - Designer - Chris Harding

All Print and Play games are $7.50 US each

Postage, Payment and International orders

Due to the current disruption to international shipping as a result of COVID-19, CHS

only ships to Australia, USA and Canada.

CHS will provide PnP world wide.

CHS only accepts Paypal from purchasers outside of Australia. For Australians, CHS ac-
cepts Paypal or direct deposit.

25 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 BEST OF BRITISH...
The case for a rethink of the 2 inch mortar...
According to Nicholas Anderson, author of To
Kokoda (Big Sky Publishing Pty Ltd; 2014): “The
weapon’s effectiveness was much debated, but in
several instances in New Guinea, the extra weight
of fire it provided allowed Australian platoons to
dominate the fire fight.” (To Kokoda, p220).
In ASL terms, the utility of the 2” mortar lays
more in its Smoke making capability: s7 is a
generous depletion number and even higher if
used by an Elite force (C8.2). This can lead to a
handy Smoke screen, or nothing at all, depend-
ing on your dice rolling luck.
There is unlimited HE, however the standard
issue of HE bombs per tube was only nine, sug-
The handy British 2” mortar... gesting that unless a mortar crew hoarded HE, it
is unlikely they would have as many HE rounds
Many of us have played a scenario
as ASL allows them.
featuring the British 2” mortar.
The potential malfunction of a support weapon
This handy little weapon – it was only 63cm can always be looked at as a simulation of a
in length – has proven a literal lifesaver for crew running out of ammo; repairing it the re-
many a beleaguered cardboard force, and sult of more bombs becoming available.
been a potent part of any well-planned at-
tack.
While handy in a stand-up fight, the main
advantage of this lightweight support
weapon is its ability to generate Smoke.
With a Depletion number of s7, it is very
useful and can lay down a wall of Smoke
which can shield your advance or shut
down a dangerous enemy position.
According to the Australian Department of
Defence: the 2-inch mortar was re-
introduced into Commonwealth service in
1938 as the Smooth Bore Muzzle Loading 2-
inch Mortar, Mark II (SBML 2” Mk II).
The mortar was used by Australian forces
in every theatre and was manned by two
men from the headquarters element of each
platoon, with around three allocated per
company.

26 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 However, with a rate of fire of eight rounds While this makes an already potent Smoke
per minute (Anderson; To Kokoda), that making machine even more so, it certainly
small HE supply could quickly run out. And gives the British a greater chance of getting at
we have to ask, when firing a mortar in ASL, least one Smoke round down before the inevi-
how many rounds does each ASL shot repre- table Depletion number is rolled or exceeded;
sent? In the case of a Critical Hit, does this or worse, a Malfunction.
equate to several rounds of ammunition hit- The downside is that it means the British
ting the target in the form of one ASL shot? might be left with a mortar which has no am-
On the other hand, each tube was allocated a munition; something I’m sure happened.
standard issue of 27 smoke bombs If using these Depletion numbers, perhaps
(Anderson; To Kokoda), suggesting its prima- there should be a SSR stating that no British
ry purpose was for creating smoke screens. SW should be voluntarily abandoned, to reflect
An alternative to the current ASL 2” mortar the inherent discipline within British forces,
counter might consider changing the Deple- which would have eschewed such wanton
tion numbers to HE7 and s9, to reflect the waste, even if the weapon had run out of
number of standard issue rounds per tube. rounds.

SUBMISSIONS
We are always on the lookout for submissions for Break Contact.*

Send your submissions to:

sunrayzeroalpha@gmail.com
ARTICLES

GAME REVIEWS
AFTER ACTION REPORTS

SCENARIOS
COLUMNS
DESIGNER PROFILES

CONVENTION NEWS

AND

ANYTHING RELATED TO WARGAMING

*Sorry, no payment! The editor may choose not to publish
a submission.

27 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 SHORT, SHARP, SHOCK II
ASL SCENARIO BC29 Break Contact 2021
KAFR BADDA, SYRIA, 8 June, 1941: The Allied invasion of Syria was un-
derway, and in support of the Australian 7th Division pushing north from Pales-
tine, British commandos landed along the coast to secure crossings on the road
to Beirut. Despite a night landing, the Vichy French were waiting.

BOARD CONFIGURATION:
33 11

BALANCE: N St2
VICTORY CONDITIONS: The British win at
game end if they Control the bridge and all Add one 6-4-8 squad to the British OB.
Vichy Guns are either malfunctioned, cap-
tured or eliminated. Exchange one Vichy 7-0 for an 8-1.

TURN RECORD CHART

VICHY Sets Up First [80]
BRITISH Moves First [152] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 END

Elements of the 22nd Algerian Infantry Regiment and 6th African Cavalry [ELR: 3] set up on/within
two hexes of 33P8. The AT Gun must set up in the same Location as the crew: {SAN: 4}

25LL AT 1S
2-3-7 2-4-8 2-2-8 8-1 HMG MMG 60* Mtr ? SA-L mle 34 FOXHOLE

3 2 6 3
Set up on/within 4 hexes of 11Z5 (see SSR 3). Each ART must set up in the same Location as a crew, with no more
than one crew per Gun:
37* AM 155 GPF 1S
WIRE
?
AP Dodge (a)
4-5-7 2-4-8 2-2-8 7-0 HMG 60* Mtr MINES ART FOXHOLE
-/2*

2 2 4 2 24 6 2 4 2 4
factors

Enter on turn 4 along the north or east edge(s): 37* AMD

8-1 20cv TOE
AL -/4

Nos 4 and 10 Troop, No 11 Commando, 2nd C Special Service Battalion [ELR: 5] enter board 33 on
Turn 1 along the west edge south of the stream and/or along the south edge of board 33: {SAN: 3}
dm
6-4-8 3-3-8 9-2 9-1 8-1 8-0 LMG 51 Mtr ATR DC ?
(2pp)

10 2 3 3 3 3 6
SPECIAL RULES: 4. All British mortars have Smoke Depletion numbers of s9 for their first
1. EC are Moderate with no wind at start. Place overlay St2 on 33R5/S5. Kindling and Smoke To Hit attempts.
Boresighting are NA. Orchards are Olive Groves (B14.8). A one-lane Stone Bridge exists
in 33oS9. HIP is NA for Guns (A12.34). AFTERMATH: The commandos captured the bridge but were driv-
en off by Vichy armoured cars. The attack on the artillery park was a
2. Night Lite rules are in effect. The British are Stealthy (A11.17), the French are Lax
success and helped ease the pressure on the forces attacking across
(A11.18).
the Litani River to the south. The commandos however took heavy
3. All Vichy ART must set up facing south-west, with each ART at least three casualties and were constantly sniped throughout the day.
hexes from all other ART. No Gun may change CA or be Manhandled.

28 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 EDITORIAL
ISSUE #1

It’s times like these you need a good I hope that all of you in the boardgaming commu-
boardgame to get you through a long nity are travelling well and still getting in some
lockdown. game time.

Pushing some counters around and rolling The friends we make and keep through this won-
some dice is not only great fun but therapeutic derful past time are the best.
in these crazy times. The hobby seems to have weathered the pandemic
But the hobby is expensive and for those of us thus far, although the challenge to produce afforda-
living down under, buying new games from ble products is becoming more difficult, as global
overseas is hideously expensive once you fac- economies take a hit and adjust.
tor in shipping. For instance, sourcing game parts from overseas
Indeed, shipping costs are often the greatest manufacturers has become very expensive due to a
deterrent to buying games from the United shipping container shortage, as freight usage is di-
States of America. verted to other critical deliveries.

Alas, the urge to buy that new game has to be Still, the demand for board games appears to be as
tempered or our wallets will explode. strong as ever.

It’s been the combination of a lockdown here And there’s always the second hand market with
in Oz and the cost of the hobby that prompted gamers selling or trading.
me to put together this little fanzine. But there’s nothing quite like that new box in
The best things in life are free as they say. shrink wrap and that fresh printing press aroma!

29 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 BREAK CONTACT
Break Contact produced four scenario packs from 2006 to 2010.
AUSSIE TOURNAMENT PACK 2006
BC1 SHORT SHARP SHOCK British v Vichy 080641 The Levant
BC2 PUT TO THE SWORD Australian v Japanese 290145 Bougainville
BC3 42nd STREET Anzac v German 270541 Crete
BC4 TIN CANS TIN HATS Australian v Vichy 080741 Syria
BC5 STORMING THE AMPHITHEATRE Australian v Japanese 060245 Bougainville
BC6 WALKABOUT Australian v Japanese 300345 Bougainville
BC7 BRIGADE HILL Australian v Japanese 080942 Papua

ARMOURED AUSSIE PACK 2007

BC9 FROM DESERT TO JUNGLE Australian v Japanese 300143 New Guinea
BC10 GROFF’S GRIEF North Korean v USMC 260950 Korea
BC11 GUNTER STRIKES BACK British v German 090943 Italy
BC12 ITSON Australian v Japanese 050445 Bougainville
BC13 TO MOKMER DROME American v Japanese 280544 Biak Island
BC14 VICHY VENGEANCE Australian v Vichy 130641 Syria

AUSSIE BATTLER PACK 2009

BC15 ROAD TO BUIN Australian v Japanese 310345 Bougainville
BC16 GALLANTS British v Vichy 010741 Syria
BC17 FORLORN FURY Japanese v Chinese 121237 China
BC18 GHOSTS IN THE MACHINES German v Russian 110743 Russia
BC19 HOP IN FOR YOUR BLOODY CHOP Australian v Japanese 121043 New Guinea
BC20 ON THE BEACH Australian v Japanese 100645 Bougainville
BC21 IRKSOME REARGUARD Australian v Japanese 231042 Papua

RAZORBACK PACK 2010

BC22 TWO MAN FRONT Australian v Japanese 271243
BC23 KILL’EM Australian v Japanese 111043 New Guinea
BC24 SHAGGY SHOOTOUT Australian v Japanese 210144 New Guinea
BC25 TOMMY TARZAN Australian v Japanese 281243 New Guinea
BC26 BAGGING THE BAGO BRIDGE American v Japanese 290345 The Philippines

30 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1

Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)
 31 BREAK CONTACT ISSUE #1
Jorge Aroca (order #32518922)