Desperation Morale

Contact

  • World of ASL
  • Play Aids
  • Scenarios
  • ASL Museum
  • Misc
  • Blog
Home > Products > Onslaught to Orsha

04.2002 Onslaught to Orsha

Publisher/Date:
Heat of Battle (2002)

Product Type:
HASL/Historical Module

Country of Origin:
U.S.A.

Contents:
29" x 56" historical map, 180 die-cut counters, 50-page rulebook (much of which is actually historical material), chapter divider, charts and play aids, 22 scenarios, 2 SASL missions, campaign game.

Commentary:

As Dinah Washington sang, what a difference a day makes!  Onslaught to Orsha (OtO) was the first historical module released by HOB after Eddie Zeman left the company and designer Chas Smith and graphic artist Klaus Fischer joined.  The difference between OtO and earlier HOB historical modules is like night and day in terms of production quality.  OtO is not only the meatiest, most impressive, best bang-for-the-buck third party ASL module ever released, it is also quite impressive even compared to “official” ASL releases.  Certainly it is HOB’s best and highest quality product to date (though even so, it suffers from the traditional HOB editing and proofreading problems, such as misspelling “onslaught” in the title of the game on the back of the packaging.

OtO (sometimes called the Operation Bagration/Onslaught to Orsha Battle Review) portrays actions connected to the battles along the Minsk-Moscow Highway in June 1944 during Operation Bagration, the destruction of Army Group Center and the death knell of the Third Reich.

The centerpiece of OtO is the large rectangular historical map, the largest single map in any ASL module (it should have been split into two) and one of the largest ASL maps, period.  It will take a long table to contain it. The OtO map depicts a battle-scarred Byelorussian landscape–flat and open, punctuated by occasional fields and orchards, and pockmarked with shellholes.  A long rail line runs lengthwise through the middle.  Graphically, the computer-generated map from Klaus Fischer and Sam Tyson looks quite different from previous HOB maps, which were hand-painted by Eddie Zeman, but not necessarily better than the Zeman maps.  The open ground, which dominates the map, is a pale lime green, and the gully depictions leave something to be desired.  Also, though it may seem to be quibbling, the grain hexes have graphics that run lengthwise, while the brush hexes have graphics that run widthwise, and the effect is somewhat odd.  It would have been nicer if the brush terrain too had run lengthwise.  However, it is still a decent map.

OtO includes an attractive, full-color rulebook (formatted and hole-punched just like an ASL rules chapter).  It also includes a chapter divider (however, because the chapter divider includes an index tab, it is not strictly compatible with the 2nd edition ASLRB chapter dividers).  A variety of rules introduce players to the historical situation.  New terrain is essentially limited to orchard-shellholes and grain-road hexes.  More attention is spent on new hardware, including machine-gun cupolas, Stuka “tank busters” and Soviet Sturmoviks (to which more than 4 pages of rules are devoted), and counter-battery artillery modules.  The latter represent artillery attacks designed to interfere with enemy OBA.  Though these rules are not difficult, one wonders if perhaps offboard attacks against offboard artillery could simply have been abstracted out of the game entirely in some fashion.  As is typical for HOB historical modules, full and instructive designer’s endnotes are included with the game that explain the historical rationale for certain design decisions.

The rules also include Chapter H pages for the vehicle counters included in the module, which are mostly rare Soviet vehicles, including 4 varieties of flamethrowing tanks and 3 types of mine-rolling tanks, as well as counters for several Lend-Lease British and American vehicles.  The counters themselves are extremely attractive, more so, in fact, than “official” counters because of their better use of color.  Their only drawback is a too-dark HOB watermark (put there to make it obvious that HOB was not duplicating the “look and feel” of official counters).  Had the watermark been fainter, the counters would have been wonderful.  Even as is, they are striking, and illustrate how modern graphics can improve on the 1970s era counter graphics of ASL.

Most of the rulebook deals with the included campaign game.  Unlike all previous HOB campaign games, which refer players to Kampfgruppe Peiper or Red Barricades for most of the campaign games rules, OtO actually includes complete campaign game rules (no more need to flip between two different rulebooks).  Though short (only 4 campaign dates), the campaign game is quite massive in size (the Soviets, for example, may have 4 OBA modules occurring at once).

The OtO rules also include a “map study,” which uses larger scale maps to place both the campaign itself and the various scenarios that appear in the module in historical context.  It is well done.  Also included are a few pages of historical commentary.  The last ten pages of the rules are occupied by a lengthy regimental/division level order of battle for Operation Bagration.  This order of battle takes up 20% of the entire rulebook, but has virtually no practical use for the module.  Leaving it out would have kept the rulebook shorter and also cut back on the expense of the module (both to HOB and the consumer).  It seems very much like an indulgence.

As if all the above weren’t enough value, OtO also includes two SASL missions, OTO-S1 (Breakthrough to Orsha) and OTO-S2 (The Crossroads), designed by Todd Hively and Daniel Zucker, respectively.  The first mission actually uses the OtO historical map.

The 22 included scenarios represent a mix of historical map (7) and geomorphic map (15) scenarios; some purchasers may be somewhat surprised to see that so few of the scenarios take place on the historical map.  Confusingly, OtO uses two separate systems of scenario numbering.  Geomorphic map scenarios are numbered OB1-OB15 (OB standing for Operation Bagration), while historical map scenarios are numbered OtO1-OtO7.  One system would have been better.

The scenarios themselves typically do not have extended special rules, but OBA and air support (sometimes both) are very common.  Many of the scenarios use lots of fortifications (minefields, trenches, A-T ditches, pillboxes, wire) and represent assaults on fortified lines.  Most of the OB scenarios are medium-sized, with some large scenarios thrown in.  No small scenarios are included.  The OtO scenarios, which use the historical map, are mostly large.  The largest, OtO1 (Funnel of Death), features 41 Soviet squads, 13 MG and MTR crews, 4 FTs, 9 DCs, and 26 AFVs attacking 26 German squads, 10 MG crews, 8 guns, 11 AFVs, and fortifications including 7 pillboxes, 25 trenches, 6 foxholes, 16 wire counters, and a minefield.  The Soviets get 4 artillery modules (70, 120, 150, and 200mm rocket); the Germans get 3 (100, 120, 150).  Both sides also get air support.

OtO’s scenarios have been fairly well-played since its release, especially considering their size and third party status; this is a reflection of the module’s popularity and quality.  The majority of scenarios seem reasonably balanced, as does the campaign game.

Though not flawless, Onslaught to Orsha is one of the more impressive ASL related products to date from any manufacturer.  It is loaded with features and everything, from the physical presentation to the quality of the components to the scenarios themselves, is of high quality.  OtO was so impressive that it helped give HOB an enormous reservoir of good will on the part of the ASL audience.  It has certainly been Heat of Battle’s shining moment so far.

Back to Top

Tagged: Campaign Game(s), DM High Recommendation, East Front-oriented, Historical Map(s), Monster Historical Scenario, Monster Product, SASL, Third Party Counters (Not CH)

Leave A Reply Cancel reply

Search Site

All Categories

  • ASL Newsletters
    • Newsletters with Scenarios
    • Newsletters without Scenarios
  • Avalon Hill Products
  • MMP Products
    • Unofficial Periodicals
  • Official Publishers (Avalon Hill & MMP)
    • "Core" Modules
    • Accessories
    • Foreign Language ASL
    • Miniatures
    • Non-WWII Expansion Modules
    • Official ASL Starter Kit Products
    • Official DASL Modules
    • Official Historical Modules
    • Official Mini-Scenario Pack
    • Official Mini-Scenario/Map Pack
    • Official Periodicals
    • Official Rulebooks
    • Official Scenario & Scenario/Map Packs
    • Official Scenario/Map Pack Plus
    • Official Software & On-Line Products
    • Official Solitaire ASL (SASL)
  • Scenario Packs
  • Third Party Publishers
    • Abdicated Despot Company
      • Periodicals
    • Action Terrain
      • Accessories
    • Advancing Fire
      • Historical Modules
      • Scenario Packs
    • ASL Cards
      • Accessories
    • ASL News
      • Periodicals
    • ASL Sweden
      • Periodicals
    • Battleschool
      • Accessories
    • Bill Wilder/First to Fight Variants
      • Counter Supplement
      • Scenario Packs
      • Solitaire Rules
    • Bounding Fire Productions
      • Historical Modules
      • Scenario & Scenario/Map Packs
    • Break Contact
      • Scenario Packs
    • Broken Ground Design
      • Counter Sets
      • Mini-Scenario/Map Packs
      • Scenario/Map Pack
    • Countersmith Workshop
      • Accessories
    • Critical Hit
      • Accessories
      • Campaign Games
      • Counter Packs/Counter Sets
      • Historical Modules
      • Map Packs (no scenarios)
      • Periodicals
      • Rulebooks
      • Scenario & Scenario/Map Packs
    • Dare-Death
      • Periodicals
    • Derek Ritter
      • Accessories
    • Desperation Morale
      • Manuals
    • EastSide Gamers
      • Scenario Packs
      • Zombie Stuff
    • ELR
      • Scenario Packs
    • Encircled Productions/Kansas City Irregular ASLers
      • Scenario Packs
    • Fanatic Enterprises
      • Accessories
      • Scenario & Scenario/Map Packs
    • Flying Pig Games
      • Periodicals
    • Friendly Fire
      • Friendly Fire Scenario Packs
    • Front Line Productions
      • Historical Modules
    • Hazardous Movement
      • Periodicals
      • Scenario Packs
      • Scenario/Map Pack
    • Heat of Battle
      • Historical Modules
      • Periodicals
      • Scenario & Scenario/Map Packs
    • JagerSoft Games LLC
      • Historical Modules
    • Kinetic Energy
      • Counter Pack
      • Periodicals
      • Scenario Packs
    • Le Franc Tireur
      • Accessories
      • Historical Modules
      • Periodicals
      • Scenario & Scenario/Map Packs
    • Lone Canuck Publishing
      • Historical Modules
      • Scenario Packs
    • Minden Games
      • Rulebooks
    • Mister T
      • Accessories
    • New England Volunteers
      • Scenario Packs
    • New England Volunteers & Yankee ASL
      • Scenario Packs
    • North Texas ASL
      • Scenario Packs
    • Panzer Press
      • Scenario Packs
    • Partisan Publishing
      • Scenario Packs
    • Sherry Enterprises (Schwerpunkt)
      • Periodicals
      • Scenario Packs
    • Southern California ASL Club
      • Periodicals
      • Scenario Packs
    • Southern Cross
      • Scenario Packs
    • Stavka Archives
      • Scenario Packs
    • Struijf-Mazzei
      • Scenario Packs
    • Swedish Volunteers
      • Scenario Pack
    • Tactiques
      • Periodicals
    • Taktyka I Strategia
      • Periodicals
    • Texas ASL Club
      • Periodicals
      • Scenario Packs
    • The Tactical Wargamer
      • Periodicals
    • View from the Trenches
      • Campaign Games
      • Periodicals
      • Scenario Packs
    • War-Oboe Publications
      • Scenario Packs
    • Windy City Wargamers
      • Periodicals
      • Scenario Packs
    • Winnipeg ASL Club
      • Periodicals
      • Scenario Packs
  • Wargaming Magazines with ASL Scenarios

All Tags

  • A Bridge Too Far material
  • Action Pack
  • Advanced
  • Afrika Korps Series
  • AFV Cards
  • Airdrop/Glider
  • Alternative Counter Color Scheme
  • Alternative Map System
  • Alternative Rules System
  • Alternative Use of HASL Map
  • Amphibious
  • Arab-Israeli Wars
  • ASLSK
  • Battle of the Bulge
  • Blood Reef Tarawa materials
  • Bonus Pack
  • Burma
  • Campaign Game(s)
  • Chaco War
  • Chapter H Pages
  • Chinese Civil War
  • Chinese-language
  • City-Fighting
  • CONSUMER ALERT
  • Contains material for Hatten in Flames
  • Counterfactual/Fictional Scenario(s)
  • Critical Hit Normandy Series
  • CWASL
  • DASL
  • DASL Boards
  • Desert War: 1941 series
  • Desert-Oriented
  • Design-Your-Own
  • Dice
  • Digital
  • DM High Recommendation
  • Downloadable
  • Dutch-language
  • East Front-oriented
  • Exceedingly Rare Shit
  • Extra Stuff for 3rd Party HASL
  • Extra Stuff for Official HASL
  • Extra-Large Counters
  • Festung Budapest materials
  • Fog of War Scenarios
  • France 1940
  • French Language
  • Gary-style geoboards
  • Genesis III series
  • Geoboard Campaign Game(s)
  • God Save the King materials
  • GWASL
  • Has components for LFT's The Green Hills of Inor
  • Historical Map(s)
  • Indochina-Vietnam Wars
  • Introductory
  • Irish Wars
  • Italian-language
  • Italo-Ethiopian War
  • Japanese-language
  • Kakazu Ridge materials
  • Kampfgruppe Peiper materials
  • King of the Hill materials
  • Korean War
  • Kursk
  • Linked-Scenario Campaign Game
  • Magazine
  • Manuals
  • Market-Garden
  • mini-HASL
  • Miniatures
  • Misc Conflicts 1920-1929
  • Misc Conflicts 1930-1939
  • Misc Conflicts 1941-1955
  • Misc Conflicts 1956+
  • Misc Conflicts Pre-1920
  • Module-Specific Manual/Guide
  • Monster Historical Scenario
  • Monster Product
  • Newsletter
  • Nhpum Ga materials
  • Nomanhan
  • Non-DASL Large Hex Map/Board
  • Non-Geomorphic Generic Maps
  • Non-historical/contemporary map
  • Nonstandard Geoboards
  • Normandy
  • Official Geoboards
  • Official Overlays
  • Official Rules Pages
  • Operation Veritable materials
  • Operational Subsystem
  • Partially-geomorphic board(s)
  • PBDYO
  • PDF Only
  • Pegasus Bridge materials
  • Platoon Leader Campaign Game(s)
  • Polish-language
  • Postwar Anti-communist Partisans
  • PTO-Oriented
  • Rare Vehicles
  • Recon Leader
  • Red Barricades materials
  • Requires GWASL components
  • Russian Civil War
  • Russo-Polish War
  • SASL
  • Satire
  • Software
  • Spanish Civil War
  • Spanish-language
  • Squad Leader Scenario Conversions
  • Stalingrad
  • Strategy Manual
  • Third Party Counters (Not CH)
  • Third Party Geoboard(s)
  • Third Party Overlay(s)
  • Three Player Scenario
  • To the Volga series
  • Tournament Friendly
  • Tournament Prize Pack
  • Unit Study
  • Uses ASLN1 Geoboard from ASL News
  • Uses ASLSK geoboard(s)
  • Uses Berlin Fall of the Third Reich Components
  • Uses Beyond the Beachhead 2 boards
  • Uses Beyond the Beachhead 2 rules
  • Uses Beyond the Beachhead components
  • Uses BFP A geoboard from Into the Rubble
  • Uses BFP H geoboard from High Ground 2
  • Uses BFP I geoboard from High Ground 2
  • Uses BFP J geoboard from High Ground 2
  • Uses BFP M geoboard from Crucible of Steel
  • Uses BFP N geoboard from Crucible of Steel
  • Uses BFP-B geoboard from Into the Rubble
  • Uses Blitzkrieg in the West: North Campaign components
  • Uses Blood and Jungle counters
  • Uses Broken Ground counters
  • Uses CH W# Boards from Fire and Ice
  • Uses CH1 geoboard from Gembloux II
  • Uses CH2 geoboard from A Few Rare Men
  • Uses Chosin/Chosin Few Components
  • Uses components from Forgotten War
  • Uses Components from Kampfgruppe Scherer
  • Uses components from Onslaught to Orsha 2
  • Uses components from Poland in Flames
  • Uses counters from Poland in Flames
  • Uses Critical Hit Afrika Korps Map(s)
  • Uses DASL geoboards from LFT's Deluxe Pack #1
  • Uses Decision at Elst components
  • Uses Desert War: 1941 components
  • Uses DW-1a/1b geoboard(s) from Blood and Jungle
  • Uses FE1 geoboard from Budapest Pack
  • Uses Festung Budapest map
  • Uses Festung Budapest rules
  • Uses Finland at War Counters
  • Uses Forgotten War components
  • Uses Friendly Fire Geoboard
  • Uses geoboards from BFP's Poland in Flames
  • Uses geoboards from Blood and Jungle
  • Uses geoboards from Crucible of Steel
  • Uses geoboards from Deluxe Pack #1
  • Uses geoboards from High Ground 2
  • Uses geoboards from Into the Rubble
  • Uses geoboards from Into the Rubble 2
  • Uses Guerra Civil Components
  • Uses High Ground geoboard(s)
  • Uses Into the Rubble overlays
  • Uses Into the Rubble rules
  • Uses Kampfgruppe Peiper I Map
  • Uses Kampfgruppe Peiper II Map
  • Uses Kampfgruppe Peiper rules
  • Uses Kursk: Devil's Domain maps
  • Uses LFT1 geoboard from LFT11
  • Uses LFT2 geoboard from LFT12
  • Uses Nhpum Ga map
  • Uses Operation Cobra counters
  • Uses Operation Merkur components
  • Uses Operation Veritable map
  • Uses Pegasus Bridge map
  • Uses Pegasus Bridge rules
  • Uses Recon by Fire #4 counters
  • Uses Red Barricades map
  • Uses Red Barricades rules
  • Uses Red October/Red Factories components
  • Uses Red October/Red Factories Map
  • Uses SCW2 geoboard from Condor Legions
  • Uses Special Forces! counters
  • Uses St. Nazaire map from St. Nazaire
  • Uses Swedish Volunteers components
  • Uses Sweet 16 geoboards from CH
  • Uses Sweet 16 Winter geoboards from CH
  • Uses Total Axis Pack I Components
  • uses Valor of the Guards counters
  • Uses Valor of the Guards map
  • Uses Valor of the Guards rules
  • Uses Wacht Am Rhein 1 components from LCP
  • Valor of the Guards materials
  • winterized
  • Winterized Boards/Maps
  • Zombies

World of ASL

  • World of ASL Main Page
  • This Year's Releases
  • Avalon Hill Products
  • MMP Products
  • Third Party Publishers (all)
  • Recommended

Play Aids

  • Mini-IFT and Setup Sheets
  • Reminders/Checklists
  • Terrain Related
  • Subject Specific
  • HASL Aids
  • AFV Aids
  • SW Aids
  • OBA Decks
  • Sniper Reminders
  • Contributor Section

Scenarios

  • WCW Scenario Pack
  • Michicon Scenarios
  • Tactiques Scenarios
  • Southern Cross Scenarios
  • Gun Duel Scenarios
  • Sir Roger Mercenario

ASL Museum

  • Dice Towers/Cups
  • Rulebooks
  • Counter Storage
  • Play Aids
  • Clothing
  • Mapboards
  • Miniatures
  • Prizes/Trophies
  • Travel Kits
  • Misc.

Misc

  • About this Site
  • Scenario Designers Guide

Blog

  • How to Learn ASL
  • MMP and the Stewardship of ASL: A 25(+) Year Perspective
  • The Road Not Taken: An ASL Poem (with apologies to Robert Frost)
  • Quality in ASL: A Reconnaissance in Force
  • ASL and the Pandemic: Social Responsibility and Board Wargaming

Contact

  • I welcome all comments & feedback.