2018 Squad Leader Academy Tournament

Tournament Winners

1. Pete Pollard

   1. Scott B

   2. Bill Thomson

Prize for top three players

• • Ernie's War, the Best of Ernie Pyle's World War II Dispatches.

  • One of his more known pieces is The Death of Captain Waskow

  • Players who enjoy the almost individual scale and human condition found in Squad Leader may enjoy Ernie's War.   This war correspondent who covered the war from London's Blitz through Africa, Italy, Europe and the Pacific is now largely forgotten.  His column was syndicated through out the United States and he brought the soldier's war back to their loved ones at home.  This is not a book of generals, strategies or battles but an account of how the soldiers lived, eat, slept, felt and fought across a long, horrible war.  It is history that deserves to be remembered.

  • PBS's background with correspondence page, Wikipedia page.

After Action Report of Counterattack on the Vistula

• • AAR page has final game and two follow along games.

Supporting Veterans

• • SQLA made a contribution to the following veteran organizations

    • Operation Second Chance - Supports the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

    • Freedom Service Dogs of America - Provides service dogs to veterans with PTSD and to others in need.

    • If you enjoyed this tournament or the site, please consider supporting veterans through a donation to either of these (or the many other) charities.  All donations help.

Summary of Rounds (winner in bold)

Scenarios

• • The Scenarios by game(ette) and balance are available here.

    • Balance - '1' is balanced (40%-60%), '2' is unbalanced, and '3' is strongly unbalanced.

    • Rank - the absolute value of .5 - al%.  A '0' is perfectly balanced and a '.5' is strongly unbalanced.  Sort this ascending to have most balanced scenarios at top.

    • Alternately, the most balanced scenarios are on page 6 of the last SL Record Report from September 2005.

• Any mutually agreed upon scenario may be played.  The tournament is paced for five turns, however longer may be played if quicker pace or meeting face-to-face.

  • Once can search for a scenario by game(ette) and turn length using the Scenario Archive.  A scenario card pdf is available in the details window.

Double Elimination Tournament

• This is a double elimination tournament to accommodate eighteen players.  

Pace

• • The tournament is paced for PBEM of a seven turn scenario.  Players have ten weeks to complete the match or one player turn a week for a five turn scenario.  Scenarios of greater length have the same ten weeks and pace must be managed by players.  Matches that fall behind should meet face-to-face on VSQL to ensure timely completion.

Rules and Conventions

• • Generally, all rules are in play unless mutually agreed upon in advance.  The Tactical Training Series explicitly state rules in effect.  The twelve original scenarios use the rules through those introduced.

  • The Squad Leader Academy Conventions are in effect, they answer rule questions from prior SQLA tournaments and provide guidance to the Administrators in rule disputes.  Players are advised to read them beforehand.

    • Significant conventions

      • 31B requires passengers to 'bail-out' when an AFV fires or is hit to prevent the 'panzergrenadier' hack.  They may not move to an adjacent hex nor fire that player turn.

      • 36B crews may not attempt AFV immobilization.

      • 48B an ATG crew is only effected by a hit on the gun.  This is a departure from the example but agrees with the rule.

      • 57A Units may not advance 'up-and-over'.  This prevents a unit entering close combat from outside the defender's LOS during the dfph.

• The Supplemental Rules of Combat compile rules by firing unit type and target types.  Use this to find the related rules in one paragraph and to resolve uncommon situations

  • Rule disagreements should be resolved in the following steps:

    • Players should attempt to resolve themselves.

    • Roll the dice by mutual agreement.

    • Ask the Administrator, he resolves the dispute to continue play.  Please post questions to BGG - Squad Leader forums for quickest response.

Medium

• • Players may use any medium including face-to-face, internet and internet PBEM.  

    • SQLA supports the Squad Leader module of VASSAL, the open source boardgame engine.  It is open source and downloadable on their home page.  We can provide help with installation and use upon request.

  • ACTS facilitates the play of wargames by e-mail, by tracking the dice throughout the game.  You can create an account here.  

    • You should use the Squad Leader Series Module.  

    • Quick and easy ACTS

      • Place fire and target counters on VSQL board and type Firepower, modifiers and terrain.

      • Copy and paste this into ACTS Dice Roll comments and roll dice.

      • Copy and paste dice roll results into VSQL and resolve shots.

    • Players not desiring the additional record keeping may use VASSAL's internal dice roller, subject to agreement of both players.