RESOURCES

• See-Saw WG163 scenario card.

• The VASSAL Scenario Start File.

• Elan chart.

• Events card.

2025 SQLA Squad Leader PBEM/VSQL Tournament

01: Announcement: 250928

This serves as the organizational announcement of a five round Squad Leader Tournament to be administered by Squad Leader Academy (SQLA). Bill Thomson is the GM (Game Manager) with Pete Pollard and Scott Bramley assisting. Estimated start date November 15, 2025. Hopefully, this will be a yearly event, independent of the SQLA Cross of Iron Tournaments (announcement of the 2025 event is pending).

TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE

All participants will play all five rounds. Any vacancies during any game being played or in later rounds will be filled in by the GMs as spoilers. Players who are silent for two weeks without any communication to the opponent will be considered to vacate the game. Any vacated players without cause or concession will be banned in all future SQLA events. Real life does happen, but player reliability is expected. All games will be submitted as AREA and SQLA Ladder matches[MH1] . Games abandoned during a round will be considered as both a concession and loss. For any vacated game, Thomson/Pollard/Bramley will step in to replace the vacated player. All game wins must be earned. Any game not completed in an appropriate timeframe will be adjudicated.

TOURNAMENT STATUS

Tournament status will be posted on:

·  Scott Bramley’s site; https://sites.google.com/site/2012squadleadertourny/tournaments/30

·  Jeff Lange’s Wargamer League:  www.wargameleague;

·  and to my own the SQLS site  if/when I get it updated: www.wargameacademy.org/SQLA.

ADJUDICATION PROCESS

An adjudication panel will be drawn, typically Thomson/Pollard/Bramley, and will decide on the basis of which side would one prefer to inherit to achieve the victory conditions. No player input will be needed. An adjudicator will be replaced by a recognized competent player if one of the default panel is involved in the game.

RULESET

Most scenarios will use all SQL (Squad Leader) rules unless restricted by SSR (Special Scenario Rules). The priority of rules, in descending order, is as follows:

1)   Special Tournament Rules (STR)

2)   Special Scenario Rules (SSR)

3)   Squad Leader Academy Rule Conventions

4)   Squad Leader Academy Supplemental Rules of Combat

5)   Squad Leader Academy Compiled Q & A

6)   Squad Leader 4th edition Rulebook

If an issue comes up requiring a GM decision AFTER player research of the above documentation, direct all questions to Bill Thomson, who may delegate to Pete Pollard or Scott Bramley. Any GM decision is considered final for that situation, even if proven erroneous later.

ROUND TIMEFRAME

Target start date is November 20.  Additional players may join after this date or in subsequent rounds. Each round is targeted to last less than three months. The next round will start when all previous round games are resolved.

PLAY METHOD

All games will be played via VASSAL unless played in person with an actual game set. Play via VASSAL can be conducted either in real time (i.e., scheduled sessions) and/or PBEM (Play By EMail) via VASSAL/VSQL log file. Telephone or Discord voice-over-internet is typically used when playing remotely.

If playing by log file, the player turn is broken down into several segments. Ideally, the MPh/DFPh vs moving units that are to be fired on as they move (vehicle, cavalry, unloading infantry) is done real time. Otherwise, if a shot is taken in the MPh, the rest of the move is cancelled regardless of result and sent back to the phasing player to re-plot the remaining movement, if desired.

Typical log file segments:

1)   Phasing player Rallies/PFPh/MPh

2)   DFPh

3)   AFPh/RtPh/APh phasing player CC (Close Combat) definitions, but not resolution

4)   Non-phasing player adjustment of rout preferences/Non-phasing player CC definitions/resolution of all CC for both sides/Non-phasing player Rallies.

·  Note: one player typically performs all MCs (Morale Checks) for both sides.

For training or refresher regarding VASSAL/VSQL, contact Bill Thomson at: wga8888@icloud.com or 817-501-2978.

REMOTE PLAY DICE GENERATION

For online VASSAL play, the inherent VSQL die roller is the default. Use of ACTS, Discord roller, or any other resource can be utilized if both players agree.

HALF-BID SCENARIOS

This event will use the Half-Bid scenario format used in SQLA SQL tournaments in the late 1990s at Avaloncon. A scenario for each round will be defined. All scenario aspects (victory conditions, # of turns, which side moves first, SSR) will be defined with the exception of one side[MH2] . Players will secretly bid a force for the undefined side using the point values on page 28 in the rulebook [see attached]. NOTE: for this event, the German 8-3-8s at 54 points will always have smoke-making capability, unless refined by the SSR. Restrictions: 10-3 and 10-2 leaders may not be purchased.  They may appear in the scenario force. All bids are sent to the GM. When players are matched for the round, the side with the lower bid plays their bid force; the other player plays the scenario-defined side.

Goal of a bid is to suit your playing style, but a low enough bid to play your bid force while maintaining some confidence that you can defeat a lower value bid force. Some redundancy is appropriate if preferred to compensate for losses [leader loss, radio malfunction, malfunctions, etc]. Historically, the bid force tended to only have a ⅓ win percentage, as winning the bid was often made the goal at the expense of losing the scenario.

PERSONAL LEADER COUNTERS

Each side of any scenario receives a free/substituted 8-1 leader to represent a player’s personal leader counter (PLC). The expanded SQLA ELR (Elan Level Ranking?) chart will be used at the end of each scenario played. PLC may earn a promotion to be a free/substituted counter in the next scenario. The player with the most Elan points and not KIA’d at the end of the event will win the PLC competition. A PLC eliminated will eliminate the player from the PLC competition. Additional details will be provided later.

TOURNAMENT SCORING

The winner is determined by the WBC Grognard point system. 10 points for a win, 2 points for every win a defeated opponent secures at the end of the tournament. The first round will be paired randomly. Each subsequent round will be paired by points, #1 vs #2, #3 vs #4, etc. This insures the best players by tournament standing will be matched at some point. Ideally, a player will not play the same opponent more than once, ignoring the vacancy replacement players. Vacancy replacement players do not score points. Final ranking will be determined by points. Theoretically is it is not necessary to play all rounds to end up with the most points.

AWARDS AND VOLUNATRY FEES

I would like to create plaques for both the tournament winner and PLC competition. To fund this, a minor contribution per player is requested but not mandatory. $5 per player is suggested unless someone volunteers to provide both plaques.

BOARDGAME PLAYER ASSOCIATION

I do not anticipate this tournament will be an official BPA SQL event. Their tournaments require a minimum of 16 players, and all players are qualified BPA members with at least the $10 annual memberships. The benefit –other than recognition published on the BPA website– is BPA provides the tournament plaque. BPA’s website is: www.boardgamers.org

ATTACHMENTS [pending]

1.    Links to documents
https://sites.google.com/site/2012squadleadertourny/library?authuser=0

2.    SQLS Elan chart: http://www.wargameacademy.org/SQLA/Resources/PLC/elan_infantry.html

3.    Page 28 chart

4.    Scenario Round 1 Draft: (838s have smoke making capability; 10-3s,  may not be purchased a scenario card is being generated. http://www.wargameacademy.org/SQLA/Scenarios/ScenariosSqla/wg163.html

SIGNUPS as of 251107

1.    David Garvin

2.    Mike Heiser

3.    Bill Thomson (GM, no awards)

CONTACT:

Bill Thomson 817-501-2978 CST (-6 GMT); Discord #7339; wga8888@icloud.com (preferred);; bill@wargameacademy.org;; www.wargameacademy.org

 [MH1]Is Scott’s ladder board still being maintained?

 [MH2]Not sure what this means. I suppose this is due to my unfamiliarity with the half-bid process.