"Alien Squad Leader v3.0 Now on Sale" Topic

Yes, indeed, Alien Squad Leader is back!

Version 3.0 is a 186 page softback available here:

link

So what's new in version 3.0?

- 14 army lists expanded to 21.

New additions are Human Cultist, Alien Tribal Mercenaries, 2nd Global War Allies, 2nd Global War Axis, Alien Predatory Warhost, Far Eastern Corporate Mercenaries, and Rebel Alliance.

- New unit types: Flying Infantry & Light Armoured Vehicles.

- Primitive Sub-commanders with the "bully" rule can now be taken in addition to normal command stands.

- Points values tweaked to ensure that everything is now a worthwhile buy.

- Addition of characters, represented as individual models.

They have various abilities that can be used to support your troops. Vulnerable, but very flexible units. Luck points can be spent to allow them to perform heroic feats.

Why not take a look? (The first ten pages are previewed on the webpage).

Regards,

Alex Self

OK, I just bought a copy because my previous copy disappeared. I enjoyed the old game. Cannot say whether I like the additions to the system since I do not have the new rules set yet. In general I find that the more the author tries to expand the game the worse it gets. Since I don't have it yet I will reserve judgement.

I agree that there is a danger that an expanded ruleset becomes less elegant, as the original game mechanics get swamped in a plethora of additional rules which make it difficult for players to keep track of all the exceptions, and when they apply.

This leads to a cycle where the expanded rules are then re-designed and consolidated into a new edition in an effort to bring everything back under control. This has happened frequently with GW rules over the years.

I would say that ASQL 3.0 does stretch the envelope of the original concept to it's limit, although characters were already there in v2.0 as an under-developed option.

Hopefully you will find that the characters and sub-commanders level the playing field somewhat for the weaker armies, while simply providing more choice for the stronger armies. There is certainly a much wider choice of army builds on offer.

I find the new material a welcome addition. The biggest issue I have with 15mm sci-fi is a potential lack of focus when building armies due to the plethora of miniature suppliers. Army lists provide an excellent framework on which to plan your purchases and design a truly unique -looking army. Some see army lists as limiting, whereas I see them as a tool which helps to define one force from another.

In regards to special rules, abilities which impact at an Army Level are far easier to master and apply than abilities at the Unit Level. Whether your units are armed with melta guns, plasma guns or heavy bolters, the results are the same: people die. The minutia of how this happens via special rules is quite irrelevant. Broad categories of weapons more than suffice to represent the various effects of these weapons. Characters being added officially is another big plus.

Good job Alex!

Is it still printed black on grey?

The text is black on white, in a very legible font that is about twice the height of the previous version. Hence the 186 pages. There are templates for counters and ready-reference pages at the rear of the rule book.

Great to hear- thanks!

AWESOME!

I think I'm going to grab a couple copies and use it for 6mm.

Grrrr…I just bought this (2nd edition) a few months back from Alternative Armies (paid a pretty penny to have it shipped to the USA too). Would have been nice to have been told a 3rd edition was in the works. I hate it when that happens.