Let’s dive into The Advanced Squad Leader Companion No. 3. The folks at Le Franc Tireur (LFT) are fully committed to printing all of Jim Stahler’s companion work. We can expect at least three 100-page issues per year, which is great news for those of us eager to see the whole massive project completed.
Before getting into the pages, I want to clarify my approach here. I’m not a professional reviewer. To truly and fairly review an ASL product, you’d have to play every single scenario in it or read every word printed—and with the sheer volume of cardboard out there, we all know that’s impossible unless you play 24/7. Instead, think of me as an informer doing an overview. I’m here to show you what’s inside so you can decide if it’s right for your shelf.
Onward!
Contents
Chapter 4 – The Play of the Game (Part II)
Chapter 5 – The Role of Fate
Chapter 6 – Concentration of Force
Chapter 7 – Men on the March
The Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) Companion Issue #3, published by Le Franc Tireur (LFT), delivers another dense, 100-page installment of deep-dive strategy, rule analysis, and tactical guidance for ASL enthusiasts. Building on the foundation of the first two issues, this release brings the total Companion content to 300 pages. Designed to be consumed anywhere from the office to the restroom, this third issue provides both essential primers for newer players and exhaustive reference material for veteran tacticians, steadily shifting toward increasingly advanced gameplay mechanics.
The magazine picks up with the continuation of Chapter 4, which offers an expansion on the standard rulebook’s sequence of play and victory conditions. By translating the standard, legally dense ASL rulebook text into practical, understandable advice, it serves as a reference alternative. This chapter explains the nuances of hex and building control, exit points, and casualty victory points, including the formulas for calculating specific armor and crew values.
Chapter 5, titled “The Role of Fate,” provides a comprehensive mathematical breakdown of ASL‘s core mechanics. It covers the probabilities for single, double, and multi-die rolls, extreme results like the infamous snake eyes and boxcars, random selection, and even card mechanics. While this statistical deep dive is a fantastic primer for players unfamiliar with probability math, veteran players who prefer to play on instinct rather than agonizing over a minor percentage shift may find this section less immediately applicable to their tabletop experience.
Serving as a bridge between the core chapters, the middle of the magazine features extensive reference materials. Readers will find a thorough glossary of ASL acronyms and terminology. Additionally, it includes a massive checklist of all official MMP ASL products and published articles from past magazines, making it an excellent tracking tool for serious collectors looking to inventory their modules, action packs, and historical journals.
The final sections of the magazine focus heavily on the gritty details of troop management. Chapter 6 breaks down the “Concentration of Force,” detailing the exact nuances of stacking limits, how specific terrains like pillboxes, bridges, or sewers alter those limits, and the penalties tied to overstacking.
Finally, Chapter 7 tackles “Men on the March.” This segment is a deep dive into infantry movement dynamics, covering everything from basic movement factors and double-timing Counter Exhaustion to the rules surrounding portage limits, dropping equipment, and the subtleties of recovering weapons from broken units or hazardous terrain like flooded rice paddies.
What’s Coming
For North American players, the ASL Companion series is primarily sourced through Ritterkrieg, which offers bundled deals on the first three issues. International players in Europe or beyond are best served ordering directly from Le Franc Tireur. With a rapid release cadence of approximately one issue every four months, players can look forward to Issue #4 in the near future, which promises to cover infantry bypass, assault movement, dashing, overruns, and the beginning of Chapter 8 on rifles and machine guns.
Where to Order
Academy Out!
GET TO THE CHOPPA…!!! 
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