
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,166
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Retro: Tactical WWII Wargame Variant Rules
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2001

Rules assistance for ASL Annual '97
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
ASL Annual '97 is an expansion for Advanced Squad Leader released in 1997 for 2 players. It was designed by Chuck Powers and its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid.
Nhpum Ga is a historical module for Advanced Squad Leader that appeared in ASL Annual 97. Nhpum Ga (pronounced "N Pum ga") is the name of a remote mountain village in Burma. In March 1944, the American 5037th Composite Unit (Provisional), part of the famous "Merrill's Mauraders", attempted to block the advance of Japanese units, who were threatening the flank of the Chinese 22nd division. In the course of the battle from March 28 to April 9, the American unit was completely surrounded by Japanese forces in the small 6 hut village (called "Maggot Hill" by the Americans). The vicious fighting under horrendous conditions ultimately produced nearly 400 casualties for each side. However, the Japanese advance was halted. Contents include a full color 16.5" x 20.5" Nhpum Ga mapsheet, 4 scenarios (A115, A116, A117, A118) and a 3 page background article. All of these were part of the ASL Annual 97 issue.
ASL Annual '97 supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
ASL Annual '97 has a complexity rating of 3.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
ASL Annual '97 belongs to these categories: Wargame, World War II, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of ASL Annual '97 are: Chuck Powers. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists ASL Annual '97 as an expansion for Advanced Squad Leader. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Advanced Squad Leader to use it. Check that your edition of Advanced Squad Leader is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.