Red Factories

In 1990 Avalon Hill released the first Historical ASL (HASL) module, RED BARRICADES. Charlie Kibler’s groundbreaking design covered the battle for Stalingrad around the “Krasny Barrikady” (or RED BARRICADES) ordnance factory on two historically accurate maps. RED BARRICADES offered a new ASL experience, introducing the concept of Campaign Games (CGs), multi-scenario battles spread over several days, alongside traditional scenarios depicting discrete historical actions. Three CGs and seven standalone scenarios covered the epic struggle for the heart of Stalin’s city. The CGs presented a special challenge, as players not only directed their forces in action, but also built and customized their orders of battle, agonizing over how best to spend their precious resources to achieve overall victory in a grueling campaign. Charlie now brings us RED OCTOBER. This follow-on HASL adds two new maps, expanding the playing area covered in RED BARRICADES to include the “Krasny Oktyabr” (or RED OCTOBER) factory complex. RED OCTOBER features three CGs and seven scenarios. Honed under the playtest guidance of Gary Fortenberry, RED OCTOBER has now been submitted to MMP.

The two modules are combined into one package: RED FACTORIES. The source files for RED BARRICADES are no longer available, so Charlie will take this opportunity to paint all four maps in a consistent style to assure they match (see NOTE below). This also allows us to update the original RED BARRICADES material, taking into account accumulated clarifications and errata. Over the years a great deal of follow-on material has been released for RED BARRICADES, including a fourth campaign game. We are consolidating this material to create an expanded version of RED BARRICADES as part of the new release.

  
Portions of Charlie's original RB and RO maps

RED FACTORIES includes:

• Four maps
• Eight countersheets
• Four chapter dividers
• Chapter O, expanded to include RED OCTOBER
• Seven Campaign Games (four for RED BARRICADES and three for RED OCTOBER)

RED OCTOBER Campaign Games:

• X-Tag [RO-I]
• Oktyabr's Hubertus [RO-II]
• A Party in Our Streets [RO-III]

RED BARRICADES Campaign Games:

• Into the Factory [RB-I]
• Operation Hubertus [RB-II]
• The Barrikady [RB-III]
• Bled White [RB-IV] (from ASL Journal 1)

21 scenarios (14 for RED BARRICADES and 7 for RED OCTOBER).

RED OCTOBER Scenarios:

• Blood on the Tracks [RO1]
• Second Step [RO2]
• Defenders of Stalingrad [RO3]
• The Martinofen [RO4]
• Men of Steel [RO5]
• The Playing Field [RO6]
• Stone Age Caves [RO7]

RED BARRICADES Scenarios:

• One Down, Two to Go [RB1]
• Blood & Guts [RB2]
• Bread Factory #2 [RB3]
• To the Rescue [RB4]
• The Last Bid [RB5]
• Turned Away [RB6]
• The Red House [RB7]
• [Historical ASL A1] Fire on the Volga (from the '91 Annual)
• [Historical ASL A2] The Commissar’s House (from the '92 Annual)
• [GH-A] Ghosts in the Rubble (from General 27.1)
• [J22] Oh Joy! (from ASL Journal 2)
• [DB085] The 138 of the 138th (from Dispatches From The Bunker #31)
• [DB098] Sandbanks of the Volga (from Dispatches From The Bunker #34)
• [DB108] Anchoring the Line (from Dispatches From The Bunker #37)

Players may also combine the RED BARRICADES and RED OCTOBER maps for two huge gaming experiences:

• RED BARRICADES CG II "Operation Hubertus" and RED OCTOBER CG II "Oktyabr's Hubertus" (which cover the same dates) may be combined to form one giant CG.
• The RED BARRICADES scenario "The Last Bid" and the RED OCTOBER scenario "Men of Steel" may be combined to form one giant scenario.