Solitaire ASL/HASL Update

Solitaire Advanced Squad Leader (SASL) is on the verge of an expansion, with a highly ambitious project currently in development aimed at integrating historical campaigns (HASL) into the solitaire experience. And when I say “verge” that means I have no idea when it will be available, but it’s in the works. Affectionately dubbed “SHASL” (Solitaire Historical Advanced Squad Leader), this undertaking aims to provide dedicated solitaire rules for most of the game’s historical modules.

Here’s a breakdown of what this project entails, the design challenges involved, and when players might expect to see it on their tables.

Scope

The sheer scale of this solitaire expansion is staggering. The current draft sits at approximately 150 pages consolidated into a single, comprehensive document. Whether this will be broken up into separate products and where they might be integrated into the system is still TBD. The project is structured around 11 distinct chapters, with each chapter providing a ruleset tailored to a specific HASL module.

The submission to the publisher, Multi-Man Publishing (MMP), is planned to be split into two distinct products:

• A comprehensive package featuring both campaign and standalone missions.
• A streamlined “missions only” package, reminiscent of the format seen in early journal releases.

Five of the chapters are completely finished, including the core rules and missions. The remaining six chapters have their core missions mapped out but are currently navigating the game design’s biggest hurdle: playtesting. Included in this massive project are campaigns such as Red Barricades, Valor of the Guards, Bloody Reef Tarawa, and Ponyri.

Challenges

The most significant hurdle facing the project’s completion is a lack of active playtesters. While there is a healthy community of observers following the development, the heavy lifting of solo playtesting currently falls largely on the developer.

The Slaughter at Ponyri module serves as a prime example of the complexities involved. Designing a solitaire system for this map is exceptionally difficult due to:

• Fluid Battle Lines: Unlike Stalingrad, there is no firm start line or static front. The lines of engagement shift dynamically.
• Selective Reinforcements: Reinforcement purchasing is not a simple pick-list. It relies on a prerequisite system where certain units can only be bought if other specific units have already been purchased.
• Unique Daily Encounters: Because of the fluid nature and selective reinforcements, every day of the campaign must be designed to feel completely unique from the previous days.

Adapting standard SASL mechanics to giant historical geoboards requires a nuanced approach to “Suspect” counters to maintain the fog of war without cluttering the board. The density of Suspect counters is heavily dictated by the terrain. In Ponyri, for instance, the counters are incredibly dense in the city centers but sparse in the open grain fields. To manage these expansive maps, the system utilizes specific mechanics:

• Hold Attitudes: Represented by black counters, these are active units that will directly engage the player.
• Reserve Spawns: Other counters act as reserves, remaining completely inactive and out of the picture until the player physically “pokes” or engages their area.
• Fortification Bases: In vast, empty areas (like the long trench lines of Ponyri), Russian fortifications are used as bases around which Suspect counters are placed.
• True Fog of War: When triggered, a Suspect counter can spawn absolutely anything from the module’s Order of Battle—from a half-squad to a pillbox or a tank.

This project is developing in the shadow of the highly anticipated, but long-delayed, SASL 3rd Edition. The delay of the official 3rd Edition is largely due to feature bloat, as the scope expanded to include the Nordic theater (featuring Finns, Nordic Russians, and Germans), the Korea theater, and integration with double-sided ASL (“Fortenberry”) boards.

Debriefing

When will this hit the table? The core framework is complete, and the remaining six chapters are roughly 75% finished. Rob aims to submit the finalized manuscript to MMP sometime in 2027. However, given the traditional publishing pipeline for ASL—where projects can often sit in development for years—it could be years after submission before the physical product finally reaches players’ hands.

So your guess is as good as ours when 3rd Edition SASL and this SHASL addition will reach our greedy little hands.

Academy Out!

GET TO THE CHOPPA…!!!

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