"ASL - Pocket Edition Rulebook" Topic

This is one of those purchases that I had put off for several years.

I had half-convinced myself that I didn't need it since I had been playing the system since '77 (SL).

Well, I've had it a week now and it has become one of those – 'why didn't I get this years ago!

The ASL Rules Binder measures 11.5" x 11.5" x 3.0" (Spine) and requires a very large footprint when open / while playing and can be very awkward to simply read based on its size.

Additionally, it takes up a lot of valuable space while traveling to tournaments.

The Pocket Edition Rulebook measures 9.75" x 7.5" x .75" and weighs 2.5 pounds.

At 292 pages it contains all the core rules with current errata corrections in the following format:

Introduction.
Infantry and Other Basic Game Rules.
Terrain.
Ordnance & Off-Board Artillery.
Vehicles.
Miscellaneous.
North Africa.
Pacific Theatre.

Where the book really shines is with the Index & Glossary which is the first section following the Table of Contents.

This is 30 pages with bold headings and complete updated reference so any rule is quickly looked up.

Another plus is a blown up IFT on the back cover in color.

Nitpicks:

Since it is a perfect bound book it does not lay flat on the table but stays open with a slight arch.

The illustrations are outstanding but smaller than in the binder edition. The typeset is smaller.

All in all this is a great and extremely portable accessory for the ASL player.

So, if you were like me and putting it off I think you will really pleased with the purchase.

Highly recommended!

Multi-Man Publishing:

link

Pictures:

That is an awesome product! But at 2.5 lbs (over a kilogram!) what "pocket" is it going to go in? The pocket of your gaming carryall, I guess.

Neat idea. I kind of want it even though I prefer SL to ASL.

They don't seem to sell PDFs. I would think that searchable rules on a tablet would be the way to go.

You can take your pocket rulebook to a copy shop (I had mine done at office depot) and have them spiral bind it. They will cut the glue off and then replace it with a coil. That way it will lie flat on the table.

Andrew: yes, it's not truly a 'pocket edition' but compared to the binder…it's less portage points! LOL!

Alex: good idea!

Actually, their web page mentions that the product is already POD. I bet a *lot* of people would like the spiral bound version. Someone should just email them and ask them to price that.

Andrew: I have, sent them an email last week.

I purchased the pocket edition of the book when it was first released. It used to be sold as a spiral bound book before they went to POD.
Having the book in a spiral bound format is great. Alex757 is bang on when he says take it somewhere to get spiral bound.

Needs a 5 – 10 page rulebook, expanding up to perhaps 30 total pages with rules/play examples and clarifications.

You have that with the ASL Starter Kits.