I'm learning so much as a "new" ASL player that I want to get it all written up someplace in the hopes others won't have to learn what I'm learning the hard way! As with all things, there are as many ways to go about something as there are people. This blog represents my evolving views on ASL and how I've approached it.
Taking a quick look through the newly released For King and Country - ASL module 5a, I noticed just how many of the first 10 scenarios feature gliders. Not many folks are familiar with gliders, so I thought I'd do a little article today on glider use in ASL. So strap in, listen for the hush of un-powered flight, and hope we miss that tree!
To whet your appetite for glider action:
The first thing you'll need to do is crack out Chapter E. Yes...that Chapter E. Specifically the E8 section which exclusively covers gliders.
The two glider types you'll be using are the British Horsa II with 29PP and the German DFS 230 at 14PP. I don't think it makes a difference in the scenarios in FKaC, but the DFS 230 cannot carry any 5/8" counters!
The first thing you're going to do is establish the wind direction even if there is no wind. Please refer to B25.64 for special rules on that topic.
During setup, if you're controlling gliders you'll want to establish which units are in which gliders on a note. Your units will remain off-board. Please note that your passengers cannot fire, move, or do anything to affect other units while on the glider. This makes good sense, but it's worth repeating. The important bit here is that passengers forfeit these actions until the AFPh of the Player Turn in which they land. They may not enter concealed. Another aspect of the Passenger status while on a glider is that there is no PTC and they are not subject to Pin/HOB results.
So how do they actually get on the ground?
AT THE START OF THE MPh OF THE PLAYER TURN IN WHICH THEY WILL LAND...
1 - Establish the Avenue of Approach
* Place the glider, facing the wind, in the intended landing hex. This will be to the hex side, so that the hex grain is defined. * The 5 hexes that precede the intended landing hex (to the glider's rear) are the avenue of approach.
This ends the MPh for the glider.
2 - Defensive First Fire
After the gliders are placed in the intended landing hex, the DEFENDER may attack them with Light AA fire as each attempts to land. a) Attacks are not resolved against passengers. b) Final IFT DR equal to the * Vehicle Kill Number means the glider is damaged and must take evasive action. Remember to mark it with a wound counter!
3 - Evasive Action
After a successful Light AA fire attack resulting in a wound counter, perform a random location DR which gets measured from the intended landing hex.
NOTE:Even if the glider was hit multiple times, it's only ever going to make ONE random location DR.
Now...once you've established the NEW intended landing hex, you're going to allow for light AA fire attacks against the glider again. If hit, you will again go through the Evasive Action procedure until it finally attempts to land in the last good intended landing hex.
NOTE: Gliders can only sustain 1 damage. On the 2nd, they are eliminated.
4 - Can we finally land this thing???
Landing in the intended landing hex is only completed once a Landing DR is completed.
Here's the scoop:
1 - Make Your Roll 2 - Evaluate the colored die:
a) Success = Modified colored die roll <= 1.
Colored Die Roll Modifications:
* -1 Per each consecutive hex along the avenue of approach that is clear of an obstacle for which the topmost height is >= one level higher than the base level of the intended landing hex.
EXAMPLE:Landing on level 0, the 5th hex away from the intended landing hex is a 2 story house. You don't get to count that. However, every clear hex between that house and the intended landing hex are open and at the same level as the base level of the intended landing hex. You're good to go with a -4 modification. Now, more realistically, you've got a small village and there are only 2 consecutive hexes and you're looking at a -2 penalty.
* +1 Per each full level above the base level of the intended landing hex of the highest obstacle that is within the Avenue of approach.
Going back to my initial example, you're looking at not only receiving a -4 based on that rule, but also further modifying it by +1 to bring the final modified colored die to -3.
Remember that you're counting not only the consecutive bonuses, but also evaluating the penalties. This becomes even further complicated because of evasive maneuvers!
So...back to our landing calculation.
3 - Assuming you succeed in getting <= 1 >= 4 means you've overshot the landing hex by a number of hexes equal to the colored die's value > 1. Roll a modified 3 on that colored die and 5 on the white die? You're going to count 2 hexes beyond your intended landing hex.
White Die <= 3 means you've undershot the landing hex by a number of hexes equal to the colored die's value > 1. Seem familiar? Roll a modified 3 on that colored die and a 2 on the white die? You're going to count 2 hexes back into your avenue of approach behind your intended landing hex.
Place the glider on this now modified hex.
Safe & Sound On The Ground?
In the immortal words of Lee Corso, "Not so fast my friend!" You must now make a final modified dr to determine if you've crashed. First flip the glider counter over to its green side.
Complete modified text is listed in E8.23 (I'm not going to just republish the rulebook here for this post.)
Essentially though:
+1 - Not landing in the final ILH (you only ignore this one if you managed to make your <= 1 DR with the modified colored die roll previously. You're also going to look at a number of other environmental conditions (night, vehicles in final landing hex, etc.).
NOTE:Each of the modifiers here are CUMULATIVE with the exception of wrecked gliders, vehicles, and previously landed gliders. Those specific conditions are only counted once each.
+2 - Landing in some kind of small tree stand (orchard, palms, walls, bocage, etc.)
+3 - Landing in dense terrain (forest, building, rubble, jungle, etc.) The curious one on this one is to remember to calculate blind hexes in your avenue of approach!!!
+4 - Landing in a swamp.
A few caveats to these that you're already thinking of I'm sure. For example, "You mean there's no penalty for landing in a burning hex or in water?"
In those cases...if you're landing on non-fordable/non-frozen water or in a blaze the glider is eliminated with all its contents. Here's a fun little one that can save your grits. If you land on a bridge that's going in the same direction as your avenue of approach...you land on the bridge. Thank your pilot for absolutely rocking!!! Your glider wrecking in this manner does not, however, affect anything in the hex already. It is just eliminated along with its contents.
Now...you've rolled your die, and applied your cumulative drms to it...
You need to roll less than a 7.
1 - 6 = Safe landing without crash. 7 = Damaged (Remember that if it was previously damaged...it is eliminated (along with all contents) 8 & above = eliminated (and all contents) and replaced by an unarmed truck wreck.
Nervous about those intended landing hex selections yet? You should be!
What about hexsides? Yep. You include them, BUT...only if the glider crossed the hexside with the noted terrain for the drm.
At this point you've glided in, taken a little AA fire, changed your landing site, and are now slamming into the ground. If you don't roll a 7 or lower modified what happens in the crash?
Simply put. You are kaput...your glider and everything inside are eliminated and it is replaced by that unarmed truck wreck.
Defenders...you still have another chance to put the hurt on that glider and it's occupants. During the DFPh the defender gets to fire on the glider with any units that have LOS to the landed glider AND are capable of final fire.
They will use the * Vehicle Line as though it were a stopped truck (see? That truck wreck makes a little more sense now right?) with a 0 size and a cs# of 7. Just remember that gliders don't burn and immobilization counts as damage so there's still time to take out the glider and its passengers.
Landed gliders provide no TEM, but are considered a +1 Hindrance even if damaged.
So now you're on the ground.
You've suffered all kinds of horrible damage and even faced DFPh. Can you FINALLY get out of the glider? Yes. Yes you can...during your AFPh.
What happens when you get out? Place your passengers in the same hex as the glider. Now that they're on board they finally get to use their own FP, Morale, & leadership ratings. In fact, if they're capable you can even advance these troops out of the hex. Elimination of the glider no longer affects these units either as you may have already suspected.
There is one pretty big exception...any vehicle/Gun does not come out until the subsequent MPh and is subject to loading/unloading rules. I recently saw a question about a HIP unit in the same hex as the final landing hex of a glider. Please note that when the infantry from the glider enter the same location as the HIP unit, they'll be exposed and in CC. In calculating the CC, please count the glider as Immobile, unarmed truck.
That's the majority of the rules you're going to need to get going with gliders. The only other rule I haven't mentioned or covered is Re-Entry (i.e. what happens if I evasive action off board?) This is covered in rule E8.5 and you're welcome to go take a read!
I hope I've provided a more narrative trip through the glider rules so you can take advantage of gliders in the newly re-released For King and Country - ASL module 5a.
