How to Get Started in ATS
So you want to get into ATS – now what? There are rules, there are counters, there are modules, there are editions, there are BYOCs – what all do I need? Where should I start? And just what is BYOC and how do I pronounce it: buy-oc, byahk, buy-oak, something else? Fear not, dear reader, continue on and all your questions shall be answered. Erm, except maybe that last one.
In this article, we’re going to cover:
Ways and Means
There are several different ways of getting into ATS with different commitment levels. You can get your feet wet, you can wade in up to your waist, or you can just dive in head first. The best option for you all depends: if you’re tentative about the system and want to try it out without investing a ton of cash, there are simpler, cheaper ways to play ATS. If you’ve already played it with a friend and love it or are otherwise already sold, we’ll cover how to get what you need to be as up to date as possible and how to go about buying different types of modules.
First, though, let’s discuss the different basic elements you need to play the game.
What You Need
Let’s start with what you need generally:
- Rulebook and Charts
- Large Markers (Western Front)/ Large Markers (Pacific Front)
- Small Markers
- Dice
- Module
Rules:
ATS uses a system rulebook and charts for all modules, with each module containing its own additional specific rules, which can range from a single page for simpler modules to ten or fifteen pages for the more complex ones. The rules are currently on the fourth edition, which often gets written “4.xx” or “4.x” so as to cover all the sub-versions. (We’re on 4.42 as of this writing, for those keeping score). The 4.xx rulebook must be purchased separately from the modules, and there’s one and only one place to buy it1, and that’s from Critical Hit. The rules themselves are three hole punched loose sheets of paper, and you can get them either with an ATS flavored binder or with no binder if you want to figure out how to store them on your own. There’s also an option for rules with a game piece key that ostensibly is a graphic guide of the different types of counters; supposedly it doesn’t come with the PDF rules (if anyone out there can confirm either of those two facts, please let us know so we can update the page!)
All of the rules come with the needed charts, as well as a PDF version of the rules/charts that you can download (except possibly the version with the game piece key as mentioned). In spite of references to it on the website, there’s no option to buy only the PDF version.
There’s another way to try out ATS without dropping 60 or 70 bucks on a rulebook, but we’ll get to that later.
Markers:
ATS uses general markers that show all sorts of different game states. The small markers show that units have moved, fired, taken casualties, broken, and so forth; they also depict wrecks, mines, smoke – the list goes on. The large markers mainly depict emplacements like bunkers, roadblocks, hedgehogs, etc., as well as trucks and artillery markers saying, “off-board artillery want go boom here” (Call for Fire) and “off-board artillery going boom here now” (Fire for Effect).
The large marker sheets also have a distinction, those for Western and those for Pacific WWII. Non-WWII games use the Western version. The main difference between the current versions is that the Western sheet contains Bunkers and no Caves, while the Pacific sheet contains Caves and no Bunkers. (The Pacific version also has napalm markers; please comment if there are other differences I missed!) Bunkers are fairly common, whereas Caves are not, so the Western sheet should be considered the default; you only really need the Pacific sheet if you’re going to play a WWII Pacific module that doesn’t include Cave counters.
As for acquiring all the markers, the simplest option, though not necessarily the cheapest, is to purchase them directly from Critical Hit: large Western markers are found here; large Pacific markers can be found here; and small markers can be found here. Older markers work perfectly well, with the newer markers possessing a modicum of increased utility in certain cases (e.g., Fire markers that show Rate of Fire has been used; Collateral Fire markers with values on them). Furthermore, in the case of some of the older counters, it’s a bit, ahm, difficult to discern what the art is depicting, so if you don’t have an old version of the rules, deciphering the old counters might be tricky.
You can also find markers in some modules: the older boxed modules (now they come in ziploc bags) were complete games so they came with everything, including markers, and the Basic Games also usually come with some markers, though not a huge amount. I say “usually” because the EVO Basic Game Hedgerows or Bust does not contain markers, so it’s possible there are other Basic Games that don’t, but I suspect that the non-EVO Basic Games do. The point is, there are markers floating around out there if you want to save a bit and don’t mind piecing together your marker collection more slowly.
Dice
If you’re here then you’re already a gamer, so I’m not going to describe how to buy dice. You need at least one d10, and having two makes the percentile rolls much quicker. Having four means you don’t have to fight with your opponent over them.
Module
And at long last, the module – you’ve got rules and charts and system materials, but you’re not ready to start until you have a module to play. We won’t deep dive on which module is the best place to start, but we’ll mention a few options later in the article.
It’s important to mention that some modules include all the unit, weapon, and vehicle counters needed to play all the scenarios, while others do not. The BYOC – Bring Your Own Counter – modules require you to have all the needed counters, which are delineated on each product page on the CH website. On the other hand, the older boxed modules contain all of the requisite counters within. Newer, non-BYOC modules are a bit more opaque, but ATSFE will endeavor over time to put out some content clarifying which products contain what, such as our Battlefield Walkarounds. If the specific module you’re looking at isn’t covered yet, you can always comment here so we’ll get to it sooner, or ask on the Discord channel or Facebook group if you have any questions about what particular modules contain or don’t contain.
One last issue to keep in mind when looking to buy modules is that many modules have been reprinted, often multiple times, often under different names. Sometimes they contain major updates, often they only contain minor changes, but regardless, check the ATS Module History if you’re uncertain if a module is a reprint or something completely different.
Ok, those are the tools of the trade; now let’s move on to what you should be looking at acquiring depending on your initial commitment level.
Bootcamp
If you want to ease your way in, either because you want to test out the system before investing more heavily, or because you don’t want to get overwhelmed by complexity, you might try out one of the Basic Games (BG). They come with a somewhat simplified version of the system rules and charts, a small amount of the necessary system markers, and the map, units/weapons, and scenarios for the specific module depicted.
The rules will teach you how to play “proper” ATS – they’re not some totally different version. Many of the BG rules are simply copied from the main rulebook with some minor changes. This is both good and bad. The good news is that you’ll get a better feeling for the system, and you’ll have an easier time making the transition to the 4.xx rules. The bad news is that you’re not getting an easy beginner version that will hold your hand as you leap into ATS.
Regardless, the BG rules are certainly much shorter (less than 20 instead of 70), and some of the omissions are a feature rather than a bug. For example, the full rulebook includes pages upon pages of descriptions of the different types of terrain, whereas the Basic Game rules include only the terrain types that are actually on the relevant map: it’s easier to navigate the rulebook that way, but you’re not missing any full ATS rules that you would have otherwise used. Some of the BGs don’t include vehicles (e.g., Hedgerows or Bust), which also reduces the learning load. And so on. At the end of the day, though, you’re going to have to learn yourself some rules, just as you do with any wargame, so it’s up to you to decide which route is best for your personal learning style.
Old School, New School
If, on the other hand, you’re like me and don’t balk at complexity but are a cheapskate, you can pick up an older used module and combine it with the 3.xx rules and charts, which are available for free online. The older modules contain all the counters you need, including the system markers, so they make it much easier to just grab a game and get to it, instead of having to piece together a game from the different constituent parts bought separately. Indeed, they are complete games, as they come with the rules and charts as well, but often you’ll get a quite old edition of the rules, and there’s no reason not to use the 3.xx rules, which are very similar to the 4.xx rules.
Which brings us to the question, if I like ATS and decide to go all in later on, how hard is it to make the jump from 3.xx to 4.xx? Honestly, not hard at all. As in, incredibly easy. The most obvious change is that most modifiers on the Casualty Table are now treated as die roll modifiers instead of column shifts, which seems Big and Important but is very easy to adjust to, and only changes outcomes in a few edge cases. AFV stacking limits change, which is important but simple to adjust to.
I think the most subtle changes are the way Assault Fire and Opportunity Fire work, as well as Melee. In regards to the former, in previous editions, if you moved, you could fire, either before, during, or right after the move, but if you chose not to fire, that was it – you didn’t have the chance to shoot later. Now with 4th edition’s Opportunity Overwatch, units that move can indeed fire in a later impulse. But again, while the difference in tactics may be large, the required new rules learning is small. As for the latter, Melee, you’ll have a bit more rules adjustment to make, but since melee isn’t terribly common, you probably won’t have to work very hard to unlearn the 3.xx rules.
Of course, you’ll want to get to 4.xx eventually: I’ve never run across anyone who purposely plays with the older editions, so learning 4.xx makes playing with other people easier. The 4.xx is also cleaner in general, as well as clearer on various rules. Finally, it’s in color. Normally I don’t give too many hoots about aesthetics, but in this case, color makes the rulebook far more readable, as well as the examples of play more vivid and understandable.
All In
So you’re convinced: ATS is the system for you. You want it all. Headfirst is the only way you know how.
If you’ve read this far, you should be able to figure out what to do. Go get the 4.xx rulebook from Critical Hit. Get some system markers while you’re at it, or buy an older module and use those ones. Get the module(s) you’re interested in. Play.
Wargamers constantly ask what module or game they should start with in a system (new OCS players, I’m looking at you), and the answer always boils down to three things:
- Cost – what’s cheap
- Size – what’s small/not complex
- Interest – what you like
Which of those takes priority depends on you. If you have an unlimited budget and unlimited space, you should just get what you’re most interested in. If you have a hard time with analysis paralysis, you should get something small. If you have a budget, you should get something cheap. And so on.
As discussed previously, the Basic Games are a fine place to start. Many of the older modules are great choices: they come with what you need, they use a single 22 x 34 map, and many of them are ATS classics. Some examples include Against All Odds, Darkest December, Clash Along the Psel, Santa Maria Infante, and Panther Line. The original Advanced Tobruk would be an interesting place to start: it’s a bit of an investment for a first module, but it’s where it all started, plus you get lots of Germans, Brits, Italians, and scenarios.
VATS (and Discounts)
You’ve got your rules, you’ve got your counters, you’ve got your module, but wait, you’ve got no opponent – now what?
Fear not, dear prospective ATSer, there’s a solution for you: Virtual ATS (VATS), which is the ATS module for VASSAL. You can find the VATS module itself (filename: vats317.vmod) on the Facebook group files section or on the Google Drive of the indefatigable Scott Eagles, who’s the co-creator and current maintainer of the most recent version of VATS. You can also find many of the extensions that cover various ATS modules on his Drive page. Most of the others can be found on the Critical Hit Message Board: the easiest way to find them is to download the from the page on this site that has links to the different CHMB posts with the different extensions. You will need to be a member of and signed in to the message board to be able to download them.
And speaking of signing up to the CHMB, there’s another important benefit: when you sign up, you’ll also get subscribed to the “Friday mailer,” which is Critical Hit’s weekly newsletter. The main attraction here is that it includes a 30% off discount code for all CH products, applicable every single weekend. Ergo, you should always buy on weekends and always look at the prices on the website as 70% of what they’re listed as.
A final important topic is how to navigate the, ahm, shall we say archaic website that constitutes criticalhit.com. Click on the link; from there, click on the ATS – Advanced Tobruk System link in the sidebar (duh). Scroll down and you’ll find the rules and markers. For everything else, look once more to the sidebar: you’ll see a bunch of different categories, the most important of which is ATS July 2021 (or whatever the current month and year are). That link contains most of the ATS products. If you click on it, you’ll find a listing of those products in chronological order of release, so when you first open it up, you’ll see the oldest first and must click on the last page (46 as of this writing) to see the latest.
The other links in the sidebar pertain to subsets or more specialized products. Here’s some de-obfuscation for a few of them:
- Publications – there’s never been a consistent ATS magazine, but there are sundry issues containing both articles and modules
- Civil War Historical Modules – ATS version of the American Civil War (CWATS).
- Counters – there are a bunch of different links, but they all contain counters (some of which can be found in the main ATS product list, but not all).
- BYOC – Bring Your Own Counters, as previously described. If you click on this link, a sub-menu will open up in the sidebar to go to a page listing the relevant BYOC counters.
- Overhead Modules – unit art is from a top-down perspective instead of in profile. The Rifleman series used overhead counters as well to provide infantry facing, but those rules have since been retired, but these are here if you like the look.
- Great War – ATS version of the First World War (GWATS).
- EVO – Evolution Coming – an experimental, more detailed version of the rules with three basic modules out as of this writing.
There’s a lot on there, and I didn’t even cover everything, but don’t panic: just meander down the idiosyncratic path that is the website, smell the wildflowers, and explore. And then ask lots of questions when you get confused. That’s what we’re here for!
Conclusion
Hopefully your questions about starting ATS have been answered. If not, leave a comment here or reach out on the ATS Discord server or the ATS Facebook group page, where one of the lovely people there should be able to help you. Now go get playing – you’re going to have a blast.
Oh right, I forgot, I guess you just say “bee-why-oh-see” since you say “bee-why-oh-bee.” Which means that BYOB saves you no syllables, but BYOC saves you one. See? Even ATS acronyms are better!
Post your further questions to comments. Welcome to ATS!
1- Sometimes you can find it at exorbitant prices on Noble Knight.
ATSFE 