squad leader 

Updated 11/26/2008

2008 WBC Report    

 2009 Status: pending 2009 GM commitment

Eric Stranger, OH

2008 Champion

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Event History
1991    Scott Romanowski      12
1992    Jeff Miller      19
1993    Brian Laskey      14
1994    Eric Stranger      15
1995    Kevin Welsh        8
1996    Eric Stranger      10
1997    Kevin Welsh      12
1998    Peter Pollard      17
1999    Peter Pollard      19
2000    Mike Pacheco     18
2001    Peter Pollard     20
2002    Andrew Cummins     22
2003     Peter Pollard     21
2004    Bill Thomson     24
2005    Mike Pacheco     18
2006    David Van Bronkhorst     22
2007     Bill Thomson     21
2008    Eric Stranger     25

PBeM Event History
2000    Andy Cowdery      16
2006     David von Bronkhorst     26
 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Pete Pollard       CA    06    156
  2.  Bill Thomson       TX    08    128
  3.  Eric Stranger      OH    08    127
  4.  David v Bronkhorst VA    06     86
  5.  Mike Pacheco       CA    06     78
  6.  Andrew Cummins     UK    06     65
  7.  Michael Hennessy   VA    05     30
  8.  Michael Day        AZ    02     27
  9.  Allen Kaplan       NJ    00     27
 10.  Chuck Leonard      PA    08     22
 11.  Bryan Van Nortwick NC    04     21
 12.  Phil Grasha        PA    08     20
 13.  Eric Filipowski    MD    07     19
 14.  David Gubbay       TX    07     18
 15.  Bill Pittman       VA    99     18
 16.  Scott Bramley      NJ    08     16
 17.  Warren Day         AZ    01     16
 18.  Francis Spencer    CT    00     15
 19.  Neal Ekengren      FL    06     12
 20.  John Blazel        WA    06     12
 21.  Bob Menzel         MA    05     12
 22.  Dan Leader         WA    99     12
 23.  Andy Cowdery       IL    00     10
 24.  Bill Sosnicki      NJ    08      4
 25.  John Sharp         FL    07      3
 26.  Eric Dunsmore      CA    03      3
 27.  Stefan Eriksson    Sw    06      2

2008 Laurelists                                          Repeating Laurelists:

Bill Thomson, TX
2nd

Scott Bramley, NJ
3rd

Chuck Leonard, PA
4th

Phil Grasha, PA
5th

Bill Sosnicki, NJ
6th


Past Winners

Scott Romaowski, MA
1991

1992: Jeff Miller, NY
1993: Brian Laskey, CT

Eric Stranger, OH
1994, 1996, 2008

Kevin Welsh, NJ
1995, 1997

Peter Pollard ,TN
'98-99, '01, '03

Mike Pacheco, CA
2000, 2005

Andrew Cummins, UK
2002

Bill Thomson, TX
2004, 2007

David von Bronkhorst, VA
2006


David Gubbay and Pete Pollard head a row of matches.

Bill Thomson and Eric Stranger in the Final.

Outlasting ASL ...

The Squad Leader Series tournament at WBC 2008 saw increases in number of players (25), games played (30) and scenarios played (18) relative to recent years.  It is ironic that in the same year that ASL completed its long demise and exit from the Century, that Squad Leader posted its highest attendance ever. Granted, its a far cry from the 140-player events of ASL in its heyday, but interesting nonetheless that the parent game has outlasted its much ballyhooed progeny at WBC. Approximately 50% of play used higher-level rule sets (11 COI, three COD, one GIA).  Additionally , a multi-player game of COI - Death Knell of the Panzers was conducted over two days involving six players.  In this game, players drifted in and out as schedules allowed.  Inheriting commanders were not necessarily aware of the fortes and foibles of the assumed position, resulting in mutual surprises.

The event was conducted primarily as a weekend tournament with several rounds of early play permitted.  Some version of a Free Form tournament format (used by the Grognard events) is being considered for 2009 to accommodate players seeking additional games during the week.

Key players from the email circuit including Phil Grasha (3-0) and Bill Sosnicki (2-1) had family conflicts preventing play in the last round. That left the championship game in the hands of defending champion Bill Thomson (3-0) leading the Germans in 'Hitdorf on the Rhine' versus 1996 champ[ Eric Stranger's (2-1) attacking Americans. The green stacks eluded bullets from a 2af-2 attack and a 12af-0 attacks to make swift work of the HIP Germans.   Eluding exploding minefields and early capture of the high ground, Eric's Americans were able the channel the German reinforcement's entry into the village.  In the ensuing firefights, the Americans whittled down the German effort to decide the game before entry of the German panzers. 

Floridian John Sharp, winner of the 2007 Personal Leader competition, saw his PLC fall in the first round.  Eric Stranger picked up the Pollard Memorial Plaque for this coup.  Although it was a relatively good year for PLCs with a survival rate of over 40%, the top PLCs were also found in the championship game. At the end of Eric's win, SGT Thomson squeeked out a +20 élan to +17 edge to win the 2008 plaque.  A missed AFPh bazooka shot versus a loaded German halftrack was the deciding factor. SGT Thomson will be a tmarked man in the 2009 event.

 GM      Bill Thomson  [3rd Year]   NA 
    bill@wargameacademy.org    817-501-2978

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