ASL Side Chat – The Four Steps of Defensive Fire

In Advanced Squad Leader, Defensive Fire isn’t a single moment or phase; it’s a sequence of chances for the DEFENDER to capitalize on movement, capped off by a final, more traditional fire phase. The Sequence of Play even hints at that split: fire can happen during the attacker’s Movement Phase (Defensive First Fire), and then again during the Defensive Fire Phase (Defensive Final Fire/Final Fire).

What makes this system elegant is thinking of it as four steps, with the first three tied directly to enemy movement, and the last occurring when movement is over. See the image below.

1) Defensive First Fire (DFF): Reactive

[Green Box] During the ATTACKER’s Movement Phase, the DEFENDER can interrupt movement any time a unit/stack spends MF/MP in LOS and fire at it right then and there, before it continues on. This is your primary “opportunity fire” tool in ASL: you don’t wait for the mover to finish; you shoot as they commit through the movement process.

Practically, that means the moving player’s “counting out loud” of MF/MP matters, because those expenditures trigger the windows for Defensive First Fire.

2) Subsequent First Fire (SFF): Urgency

[Green Box] If a defending infantry unit is already marked with a First Fire counter, it can still fire again during that same enemy MPh (as Area Fire) by flipping to its Final Fire side. But you don’t get unlimited freedom:

• It’s still MF/MP-dependent (the mover has to spend another MF/MP to give you another chance).
• It’s limited by Normal Range and enemy proximity limits relative to the closest Known armed enemy unit.

In other words: Subsequent First Fire exists so you can keep pressure on a moving force, at the expense of effectiveness. Remember, when MGs fire during SFF it must use Sustained Fire … and that can end badly sometimes.

3) Final Protective Fire (FPF): Desperation

[Green Box] FPF is essentially the DEFENDER saying: “If you’re getting into (or staying next to) my hex, I’m firing no matter the cost.” It’s available to defending infantry already marked with Final Fire, and it can only be used against adjacent or same-hex moving units during the attacker’s MPh. So again, the target must have spent another MF/MP for you to be able to fire on it.

And there is a cost … there always is. FPF is risky: after resolving the attack normally, the firer’s Original IFT DR (modified only by leadership) becomes a Normal Morale Check against the firing unit(s) (and any directing leader). You can use FPF as many times as you’re able, as long as MFs are still being spent and you don’t break! And since FPF is a form of SFF, MG Sustained Fire applies again.

FPF can stop the enemy cold, but it can also break the very unit that’s making the stand. But, sometimes it’s worth the risk! If you have a huge Human Wave (or Banzai) charging at you, it’s often worth the risk to just keep firing until you break, because then you can at least rout away instead of being overwhelmed in Close Combat.

4) Final Fire in the DFPh: Fire If You Haven’t Fired

[Purple Box] After the attacker finishes moving, the game shifts into the actual Defensive Fire Phase. Here, fire is no longer tied to MF/MP expenditure. It affects all applicable units in a target Location, not just those that moved, and there are no FFNAM/FFMO movement-based modifiers because nobody is currently moving.

• Any DEFENDER unit/weapon not marked with First/Final/Intensive/No Fire counters may fire normally in DFPh Final Fire.
• Units already marked with First Fire may still fire again (by flipping to Final Fire) but only as Area Fire and only vs adjacent (or same-hex) targets.

So the DFPh is your cleanup and consolidation: finish off exposed stacks, punish units that ended in bad places. Fire everything that didn’t fire defensively during the MPh.

Summary:

If you remember these four fundamental steps, and when they trigger, you’ll play Defensive Fire far more confidently:

Movement Phase (MF/MP-triggered):

1. Defensive First Fire (reactive) → 2. Subsequent First Fire (urgency) → 3. Final Protective Fire (desperation)

Defensive Fire Phase (movement is over):

4. Final Fire (the leftover fire)

If you want to get really good at Defensive Fire and learn all of its nuances … play PTO and suffer through some Japanese banzai charges. Good luck!!

Academy Out!

GET TO THE CHOPPA…!!!

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