The first issue of Critical Hit Magazine appeared in late summer 1994, timed to coincide with the gaming convention Avaloncon (which at the time attracted many ASLers).  Its production values were originally fairly crude, although they would improve over time.  In the beginning, the magazine used scenario artwork which appeared similar to the "official" ASL artwork created by Avalon Hill, although it was stated that it was created from scratch.  Following the legal battles between Critical Hit and Avalon Hill in the 1990s, the artwork changed in the magazine, as in other Critical Hit products. 

As with virtually everything published by Critical Hit, consistency was not the strong suit of the magazine.  Everything about it changed, often from issue to issue, including the look of the magazine and even the paper on which it was printed (some issues might be printed on glossy paper, for example, while others on standard paper).  Even the numbering system changed, leading to subsequent confusion for new ASLers trying to complete their collections.  The first four issues of Critical Hit are numbered consecutively (#1, #2, #3, #4).  Following that, however, Critical Hit went to a "volume and number" system, so the issue that followed Critical Hit #4 was Critical Hit Volume 3 Number 1.  To make matters more confusing, not every "volume" has the same number of issues, nor does a "volume" include all issues printed in a single year (Volume 7, for example, has spanned multiple years). 

Recently, the tendency has been for the magazine to come out much less often, at a rate of less than one per year, probably as a result of the shift of Critical Hit resources towards ATS and away from ASL.  However, later issues have also tended to be "meatier," with maps and countersheets frequently included.   The article content changed, too, becoming less "ambitious" and concentrating more on things like scenario analysis.  Given the relative paucity of ASLers with good writing skills, this shift to more modest article subjects was probably a good move. 

Stewardship of the magazine has gone through several sets of hands.  Critical Hit founder Ray Tapio put together the early issues.  With Volume 5 Issue 2, Trevor Holman became "Managing Editor."  However, after just two issues, Ray Tapio once more assumed that role.  After one issue, Bob Gray became the new managing editor.  Several issues later, Dave Lamb was appointed "Executive Editor" and still helms the magazine.

As with everything else involving Critical Hit, some controversy surrounds Critical Hit magazine.  Some people have contended that "early issues" of the magazine have better scenarios, while later issues (which are now mid-range issues) have very poorly playtested scenarios.  One person even asserted having submitted a deliberately unbalanced scenario to Critical Hit, just to see if it would appear unchanged (it allegedly was).  Other people, including this author, believe that the overall scenario quality has been best under the "Dave Lamb era" of recent issues.  It is probably true that, quality-wise, the mid-range issues have the most problems.  But with over 160 scenarios published in the magazine over the years, ASLers have seen plenty of dogs and classics alike in Critical Hit Magazine. 

Issues

Critical Hit Magazine Issue #1.  32 pages (which includes 10 scenarios).  With only 22 pages of text, the article content of the inaugural issue of Critical Hit Magazine is necessarily slim, and some of the articles are weak (or charmingly obsolete, as in the case of an article on how to play ASL by telephone).  However, it does include a worthy "Beginner's Guide" article by Russ Bunten, as well as a Scenario Replay by Chicago ASLers Rob Banozic and Scott Drane and an interesting scenario design article by Ray Tapio and Steve Pleva.  One article featured the Komsomolets, a Soviet gun tractor, along with an offer:  for $2.25, plus $.75 shipping and handling, readers could recieve a set of 6 unmounted color counters, blank counters on which to mount them, and 2 scenarios featuring the Komsomolets.  The scenarios in Issue #1 are a mixed bunch; the first Critical Hit scenario, CH1 (Authie: The Death of Company C) was also its first dog, with a current ROAR record of 17-1.  However, the issue also produced a genuine classic scenario, CH6 (Armored Probe, later reissued with slight changes as CH157), designed by Mark Porterfield (who 12 years later continues to produce designs for Critical Hit).  It also reprinted (slightly modified) one of the all-time classic ASL scenarios CH5 (Acts of Defiance), designed by Pete Mudge, originally published in the Rout Report newsletter.  Acts of Defiance would later be reprinted in an ASL Annual (as A68 in ASL Annual 95). 

     Retro Critical Hit Magazine #1.  In January 2008, CH reprinted several of the older issues of the magazine.  This new version of the magazine includes the scenarios on cardstock (though the original scenario pages are still there); the scenarios also ostensibly incorporate any errata. 

Critical Hit Magazine Issue #2.  48 pages (including 15 scenarios).  The second issue of Critical Hit Magazine, billed as an "Eastern Front Special Issue," is meatier than the first, increasing both the number of pages and scenarios by a third.  Worthy articles include a Scenario Replay (of CH13, Moyland Bloody Moyland) by top-rank ASL players Ray Tapio and Steve Pleva, an article with tips for beginners by Russ Gifford, and an article on Red Barricades tactics by Tim Robinson and Tom Ruta.  Some copies may have come with cave and landing craft play aids or an ASL Index (they are mentioned in the "Editor's Corner").  Among the scenarios are several good choices, including CH11 (Rite of Passage), CH15 (No Farther, a Rout Report reprint), CH16 (Out of Luck), CH18 (Raging Furnace), CH25 (Land of the Khan), and an all-time classic, CH14 (Ninety Minute War), designed by Steven Swann, a tense and quick playing tournament-sized scenario.  It is an issue definitely worth getting.

     Retro Critical Hit Magazine #2.  In January 2008, CH reprinted several of the older issues of the magazine.  This new version of the magazine includes the scenarios on cardstock (though the original scenario pages are still there); the scenarios also ostensibly incorporate any errata. 

Critical Hit Magazine Issue #3.  60 pages (including 15 scenarios).  Critical Hit's third issue was the meatiest yet, expanding in size once more.  Noteworthy articles include a Scenario Replay by Eddie Zeman and Francis Hardiman of a God Save The King scenario (Block by Bloody Block), two SASL missions ("Secrets" and "Destiny Riders"), a Platoon Leader campaign game (Arakian Rose, a 1945 Burma campaign with just 4 CG dates), and a ten year retrospective of the ASLOK tournament's first decade of existence by Mark Nixon, which is an interesting insight into the early days of ASL.  The scenarios in Issue #3 are chock full of goodies, with several genuine classics, including CH26 (Close Order Dreil), CH28 (Children of the Kunai), and CH34 (The Lighthouse), designed by Michael Telson, the Paddington Bears, and Steven Swann, respectively.  Other worthy scenarios include CH30 (Kravchenko's 6th Guards Tank Army), CH33 (At the Point), and CH40 (Nordic Twilight).  Many of the scenarios in Issue #3 are from the Australian "Paddington Bears" ASL club, which for several years had a relationship with Critical Hit that allowed their excellent scenarios to reach a wider audience.  This issue is one of the better Critical Hit issues.

Retro Critical Hit Magazine #3.  In 2009, CH released a new version of this old magazine, which includes 8 of the scenarios on cardstock.  Allegedly some of the scenarios include "tweaks for balance and all errata input."

 

Critical Hit Magazine Issue #4. 46 pages (including 10 scenarios).  Articles include a lengthy work on armored assault tactics (riders, halftracks, trucks, etc.) by Robert Modarelli, and a scenario strategy article by Ted Bleck and Alan Freedman.   The issue also features a number of interesting scenarios (included separately for the first time), among them the classics CH41 (Test of Nerves, designed by Darrell Andersen and Rory Millard) and CH44 (Operation Nordwind, designed by Brian Abela).  Also good are the meaty CH48 (Double or Nothing!) and the desert scenario CH49 (High Danger).  Scenario artwork is different from previous issues, to reflect a more obvious distinction between Critical Hit artwork and "official" artwork. 

Retro Critical Hit Magazine #4.  In 2009, CH released a new version of this old magazine, which includes 8 of the scenarios on cardstock.  Some of the reprinted scenarios may include changes for balance and errata.

Critical Hit Magazine Volume 3 Issue 1.  48 pages (plus 12 scenarios included separately on cardstock; also included are seven unmounted counters [fronts only]:  6 French FCM 36s and 1 German Fl Wg B-2(f)).  The article content of Critical Hit's fifth offering is less satisfying than in earlier issues, although there are designers notes by Charles Markuss and Shaun Carter, and separate notes by Steve Parillo, as well as an article on scenario design by Steven Swann.  Probably the single most interesting article in the magazine, and one of the more interesting articles of the magazine's entire run, was "Over My Shoulder:  Beginner-Expert Analysis" by David McGuire and Steve Pleva.  This article features an analysis of a scenario by a relative beginner and a critique of it by an expert ASL player.  The article provides great insight into the different things that experts and novices see when approaching the same scenario.  Unfortunately, this experiment was never repeated, nor did any other ASL publication take the idea and run with it.  This is too bad, as it is interesting for novices and veterans alike.  This issue has no superstar scenarios in it, but worthwhile actions include CH51 (The Sonnenburg Hotel) and CH58 (Death Ride).

Critical Hit Magazine Tanks Special Edition.  36 pages (plus 12 scenarios included separately on cardstock and a color village overlay).  Critical Hit Magazine's first "Special Edition," the first of three, made keeping track of the magazine (which already had two numbering systems) even more confusing.  Originally released in 1996, it was reprinted in 2001 with a different color (and artwork that would not engender legal difficulties).   Interesting articles include a piece on desert tactics by Rob Modarelli and designers notes and commentary for Jatkosota by Ray Tapio.  None of the scenarios in this issue have received a lot of gameplay; for some, the reason may be that they are so vehicle-heavy or are in other ways very large.  One scenario that may be worth a look is a Chinese-Japanese scenario, CH65 (The Seton Block), designed by Brian Martuzas.  However, this is not one of the better issues.

Critical Hit Magazine Volume 4 Issue 1.  50 pages (including two scenarios; 6 other scenarios are included separately on glossy paper and 7 unmounted counters [6 Weapons Pit counters and 1 Pz Sf IVa counter]).  Featuring a color cover for the first time, this issue was otherwise disappointing in the production department, with scenarios printed on flimsy glossy sheets of paper.  The cover features prominently the words "Gembloux is here! France 1940 Revisited by CH," but no articles in the magazine actually deal with that product.   Interesting articles include one on paratroop tactics for ASL by Michael Puccio, and a Scenario Reply of a Baraque de Fraiture scenario (BdF8, Cold Reception) by Rodney Kinney and Doug Gibson.  The eight scenarios include no popular ones among them.  Overall, it is not one of the better issues. 

Critical Hit Magazine Volume 4 Issue 2.  58 pages (including 8 scenarios; back cover includes a color village overlay, 42a).  The glossy pages of the previous issue are gone, as are scenarios printed separately.  Interesting articles in this issue include Designers Notes for the 1997 Paddington Bears Pack published by Critical Hit and a collection of SSRs collated by Andrea Mateuzzi for use by designers.  The majority of the scenarios (with yet another changed scenario format) are from the Paddington Bears, including one classic, PBP19 (House of Pain), designed by Les Kramer.  Still, this is not a strong issue.

Critical Hit Magazine Special Edition 1997.  56 pages (including 8 scenarios.  Also includes a detachable 8.5" x 14" color map on glossy paper of the "Grain Elevator" area of Stalingrad).  Critical Hit's second "Special Issue" focuses on Stalingrad as a theme and the Grain Elevator map as its centerpiece.  The map is not unattractive (it is very orangey), although, being relatively small, there is not much room for maneuver.  One scenario, CH84 (Every Man a Fortress), takes place on the map (it seems to be unbalanced in favor of the Germans); there is also a Platoon Leader Campaign Game for the map.  With only four Campaign Dates and a small map, it is one of the more manageable campaign games around; unfortunately, it seems to be significantly unbalanced in favor of the Soviets.  Other Stalingrad related materials include an SASL Mission ("Knight's Cross") using the Dzerhezinsky Tractor Works map and a scenario for the same map.  Other features include an interesting article on using 15mm miniatures with ASL and an interview with former Avalon Hill employees Robert MacNamara and Charles Kibler.  Unfortunately, despite the historical map included, this is not one of the better Critical Hit Magazine issues.

Critical Hit Magazine Volume 5 Issue 1.  52 pages (includes 6 scenarios).  The largest portion of this issue of the magazine is taken up by Version 2.12 of Critical Hit's Platoon Leader campaign games rules.  Since it was shortly superceded by another version, that means this outdated version is so much wasted space in the magazine.  The issue also includes an updated version of the Platoon Leader German-Finnish campaign game "Frozen Hell," and an SASL Mission ("Recon in Force") that uses the Dzerhezinsky Tractor Works map.  Interesting articles include a guide to river assaults by Chris Maloney and an analysis of the Frozen Hell campaign game by Jim Torkelson.  The scenarios included with the issue are not particularly popular, making this another essentially disappointing issue.

Critical Hit Magazine Volume 5 Issue 2.  52 pages (including 8 scenarios).  With this issue, Trevor Holman became "Managing Editor" and it was announced that the magazine would be published four times a year (three issues and a special edition; this did not last long).  The article content is weak, although there are some useful scenario analyses for the scenarios in the Paddington Bears '98 Pack.  The scenarios include a nice tournament-sized PTO scenario, CH97 (Final Crisis at Blackpool, designed by Joe Leoce).   However, the other scenarios in the issue are not popular.

Critical Hit Magazine Volume 6 Issue 1.  40 pages (including 8 scenarios).  One of the first consequences of trying to quicken the production of Critical Hit Magazine was that it began to shrink in size.  Worthwhile articles include a useful article on air support by Pedro Ramis (reprinted from ASL News), but overall the article content is very weak.  The issue does include an SASL Mission ("Assault on a Partisan Home Base").  The 8 scenarios include two fairly meaty scenarios that use the Scotland the Brave I and II historical maps.  However, none of the scenarios receive much playing.

Critical Hit Magazine "Operation Compass & Wavell's 30,000" Special Edition.  48 pages (including 22 scenarios.  Also includes a 22" x 30" Beda Fomm historical map.  With this Special Edition, Critical Hit tried an interesting experiment, including a full-sized full-color historical map, and jamming the magazine full of geomorphic and historical map scenarios representing different actions in that the 1940 O'Connor offensive (foreshadowing the later "Historical Studies" released by MMP).  This project was designed by brothers Patrick J. Hair and Fred Hair.  On the face of it, this experiment was very exciting, issuing a flood of new scenarios (though no campaign games) featuring British versus Italians--hardly an worn-out subject.  Unlike all previous, every single scenario in this issue focused on the subject at hand, and so did all the articles.  Scenarios range from CH110 (Starlight, Starbright), which at three turns in length may be the shortest of all ASL scenarios, to massive armored slugfests featuring large numbers of squads and vehicles per side--one scenario, Beda Fomm #3 (Death of an Army), has a total of 66 vehicles in it.  However, the scenarios in this issue are rarely played.  Part of the reason is that desert scenarios are not very popular, part of the reason is that some players are not enthusiastic about playing Italians, part of the reason is that some of the scenarios (including every scenario on the historical map) are very large, and finally, part of the reason is that some of the scenarios have a reputation for balance problems.  There may be truth to the latter, as the designers appear to have been first-time designers and may have done most or all of the playtesting themselves as well. 

Critical Hit Magazine Volume 6 Issue 2.  30 pages (plus 12 scenarios and 2 Platoon Leader campaign games separately included on cardstock).  The shortest Critical Hit Magazine issue of all, there is not much to speak about here.  It does include two campaign games ("The Crusher" and "Inferno of Steel") for use with Platoon Leader and Stonne 1940, as well as interesting analyses of the Stonne 1940 scenarios by Scott Holst.  The scenarios included in this issue have not been played very much.  By this time, Critical Hit had released a number of fairly disappointing issues in a row and there were fewer people even willing to give their scenarios a try.  However, most of the scenarios here are tournament-sized, many are designed by well-known designers, and quite a few seem to portray interesting situations, so there may be some "lost treasures" among the scenarios in this issue.

Critical Hit Magazine Volume 6 Issue 3.  34 pages (plus 10 scenarios included separately on cardstock--a higher quality cardstock than previously.  Also included is a countersheet with 140 counters and a small historical map of the Sinai valley in 1956).  All the article content deals with Critical Hit's then-recent release, Genesis '48, on the first Arab-Israeli War.  The scenarios (one of which uses the included historical map and features an action from the 1956 Arab-Israeli War) have not been much played.

Critical Hit Magazine Volume 6 Issue 4.  34 pages (including 5 scenarios.  Sixteen more scenarios are included separately on cardstock; also included is a large historical/quasi-geomorphic Kursk map and 56 counters).  With this issue, full of interesting stuff, the quality level of Critical Hit Magazine began to improve after a considerable period in the doldrums (probably not coincidentally, the attempt to publish the magazine quarterly was abandoned).  First, the issue has more than twice the number of scenarios most recent issues had had, and three of them take place on an attractive historical map, representing part of the Kursk battlefield.  The edges of this map were configured so that they would be compatible with the edges of geomorphic ASL mapboards, leading to all sorts of interesting possibilities (of which, alas, third party scenario designers have been slow to take advantage).  Also included is a small countersheet with AFV and airplane counters, as well as two Platoon Leader campaign games, one for Hell's Bridgehead (using the new map) and the other depicting a Dutch-Japanese battle in Sumatra in 1942.  The articles focus strongly on scenario and designers' notes--consciously taking an approach more similar to the third party ASL magazine Schwerpunkt--and this was probably a smart idea.  These improvements represent the efforts of Bob Gray and, increasingly, Dave Lamb to increase the quality of the magazine.   The many scenarios in the issue are quite varied, and include one that uses the Uncommon Valor (Iwo Jima) historical map to represent the rocky terrain around Sevastapol, other scenarios using the included Kursk map, a Tunisia scenario using the G1 historical map included in the previous issue of the magazine, a DASL scenario, and two scenarios that use the Jerusalem map that came with the Genesis '48 module.   It also includes several re-issues of older scenarios.  Interesting scenarios in this issue include CH145 (The Ides of March), CH149 (Final Embrace), and CH154 (The Central Rail Station).   One meaty scenario that many have enjoyed is HB8 (The Woodsman), which is well suited for three players.  Overall, this issue was a very pleasant surprised when compared with the issues released over the previous several years.

Critical Hit Magazine Volume 7 Issue 1.  30 pages (plus 18 scenarios included separately on cardstock; also included are a countersheet and a small historical map [Vroenhoven]).  The article content, as before, largely focuses on the included materials, which are quite varied, including three scenarios taken from the Irish Civil War, several Indochina scenarios, and a 1956 Suez Crisis scenario, in addition to loads of World War II scenarios.  Pedro Ramis provides a historical map for a 1940 battle to capture a bridge over the Albert Canal in Belgium, as well as six scenarios depicting parts of the battle (although some of the scenarios, such as VHN4 [Tentative] are somewhat disappointing).  The issue has several fun scenarios, including CH167 (The Warlord's Estate) and CH165 (Russian Riposte). 

     Note:  In 2007, Critical Hit made available for separate purchase a "2nd Edition" of the Vroenhoven map (see image below).

Critical Hit Magazine Volume 7 Issue 2.  42 pages (plus 12 scenarios included separately on cardstock; also included is a reprint of the Grain Elevator map originally appearing in the 1997 Special Edition).  This issue celebrates the 10th anniversary of Critical Hit Magazine and its articles and scenarios are essentially a "greatest hits" compilation.  For that reason, the issue may not be of too much interest to veterans (save that some of the scenarios have been slightly updated or corrected), but will be of more interest to newer ASLers trying to get their hands on some of the classic scenarios that have been printed in Critical Hit Magazine over the years.  Also included are reprints of two other scenarios, one of them a classic (Brandenburger Bridge, designed by Dave Lamb), that had not previously appeared in the magazine but appeared in Critical Hit scenario packs.

Critical Hit Magazine Volume 7 Issue 3.  38 pages (plus 12 scenarios printed separately as cardstock; also included is the "third edition" of a historical module, Busting the Bocage, as well as a small sheet of leader counters and a printed play aid).  This issue of the magazine appeared almost two years after its predecessor, causing many to wonder if perhaps Critical Hit Magazine had breathed its last breath.  The article content of this issue is primarily written by Brit Ian Daglish and recycled from a publication for Critical Hit's ATS series of games, with minor content by Steve Swann, Scott Holst, and Jim Thompson.  The article content is largely forgettable.  The issue also includes play aids, homemade versions of which had been designed and used by ASL player Steve Pleva for some years.  The aids are basically "offboard overlays" used for setting up reinforcements.  They are actually quite useful.  It also includes a small countersheet consisting of named leader counters.  These were the leftovers from an offer by Critical Hit to create personalized leader counters for a hefty fee.  They will be of virtually no use to people who buy the magazine.
     Of the 12 scenarios, 2 are designed to be used with Critical Hit's Spanish Civil War module, Guerra Civil, and use maps or overlays from it.  Another scenario (a very large one) uses the Sujewo Heights map from the Tigers to the Front module to represent the Seelow Heights east of Berlin in 1945.  The other scenarios feature a fairly wide range of actions, including the East Front, Japanese vs. Soviet actions on Sakhalin Island in 1945 (one of them featuring a Soviet seaborne assault!), France 1940, Crete, and France 1944.  Most of the scenarios are tournament sized.  Overall, they seem a decent selection.
     The magazine also includes the "Third Edition" of Busting the Bocage (which itself was essentially another version of Pointe du Hoc).  It was actually advertised considerably earlier as a standalone product, but instead was released as an "extra" for the magazine.  It features a slightly reworked version of the Busting the Bocage map and slightly reworked versions of its scenarios (although, irritatingly, they were given new scenario names).   There really doesn't seem to have been a need for another version of this module.