New to ATS

**lumpignon** · 06 Sep 08, 17:46

Hi guys !
I got into ASL a few months ago and got the hang of it, thanks to a bunch of very nice guys, at least as far as basic rules are concerned. I liked it very much (and I'm still playing it) but browsing various forums, I got the feeling that there was some kind of feud between ASL players and ATS players.
On an ASL French forum, I even realized that it was just impossible to mention ATS without provoking a flame war. And yet, it would have been extremely interesting for me to hear why people prefer ASL to ATS or the reverse ... without any sterile comment as to why one is a rip-off of the other or why one is ridiculously complex ... etc ... I'm interested in both systems and would like to play the two games without feeling the need to compare them ... I heard that ATS offered a different and exciting way of playing WWII scenarios and, influenced by various reviews, decided to have a go at it and bought ATS (the basic box).
I partly learned ASL thanks to Richfam's excellent tutorials (step by step analysis of situations) and am just wondering if such things exist for ATS. Could anyone tell me ?
Thank you very much and sorry if my English is not appropriate.
L.

**jwb3** · 07 Sep 08, 00:12

Originally Posted by lumpignon

Thank you very much and sorry if my English is not appropriate.

Your English is pretty good... and a lot better than my French!

There is bad blood between the ASL and ATS communities going back to events of many years ago. It should be ancient history by now, but old grudges don't go away easily. The ASL forum here at Gamesquad is an excellent place to discuss ASL, but I would not recommend bringing up ATS in it!

However, here in the ATS forum, the thread right below this one is a pretty good discussion of the two systems, and has avoided turning into a flame war.

I'm not an ATS player myself, so I'm afraid I can't help you find tutorials. But I look forward to someday hearing what you have to say about how the two systems compare, when you've played them both enough to form an opinion.

JohnI

**lumpignon** · 07 Sep 08, 15:30

Thank you for your comments and advice (MPs included

)
I'll try to find resources that might help me learn quicker and maybe then I'll be in a position to make my own assessment and comparison of these two games.
Thank you again.
L.

**n3ddy** · 08 Sep 08, 04:03

Welcome to the fold! They're BOTH great systems, irrespective of what folk say. I play both and find them each to be immersive. Have a look at the CH! website and you'll find all sorts of useful links!

**lumpignon** · 11 Sep 08, 16:45

Just a quick question to start with.
OBA : I made battery contact and after rolling the dice moved the CFF to its final hex and flipped it to its FFE side. So far so good. Resolving the attack, I rolled 2 on the Casualty Table with a 88mm battery (HE ammunition announced). 2 on the 80 col = C5. I have two adjacent hexes with enemy units on them. How do I distribute the casualties ? Is it C5 for each hex hit or C5 for the total of 2 hexes ?
Hope my question is clear enough ...
Thank you
L.

**DSK665** · 14 Sep 08, 02:52

lumpignon,
For OBA you make a seperate Casualty Table die roll for every hex that is affected by the battery, normally a 7 hex area.A C5 is for that hex only and then role for next hex. Even if no units are in the hex roll for the creation of rubble and flame in building hexes. Also any units moving thru the hexes during that turn would suffer a roll on the Casualty Table too. Hope this helps.

Doug

**DSK665** · 14 Sep 08, 02:58

As far as comparing ASL and ATS , I play both and enjoy them both. If you want more detail go to ASL , for a faster cleaner game go for ATS. Lately I have been playing more ATS though. The problem with ASL is alot of the modules are out of stock. With ATS usually everything is in stock and every game is stand alone.

**lumpignon** · 14 Sep 08, 15:57

Thanks a lot DSK.
Hadn't noticed that it was 1 roll for EACH hex !
I can't yet say I love ATS because I'm a complete newbie and in the process of learning the rules but I am sure I will love it. It can't be otherwise.
As far as ASL is concerned, I think I couldn't do without it because it has brought me a lot of satisfaction since I started playing it.
So. I'll probably get to belong to the community of wargamers who play both systems and are happy with that.
Thank you again for your reply.
L.

**lumpignon** · 15 Sep 08, 07:21

Hi all,
another question : when tanks are set up on the map before the scenario begins, are they moving vehicles ? I mean, if the enemy decides to fire a gun at one of them in the first F&M segment, is it considered as a moving target (+2 modifier) ?
Thanks agin for your replies.
L.

**DSK665** · 15 Sep 08, 18:50

Tanks that set up at the beginning of the game are not moving unless the scenario rules spell this out. If the tanks are entering off-board then of course they are moving. Very important to remember this when setting up because if your opponent gets the first impulse he will have the first shot at your tank.

So you have to weigh the chances of survival if doing this- range and armor. Some players will set up out of line of sight or at a range that will make the shot very low chance to hit.

Doug