Hi Gary, you won vasleague in 2010 and 2011, when we had 120 and 138 players (and 32 in TOP vasleague in both years), but before starting with questions please tell us something about you

An interview with… Gary Fortenberry

Hi Gary, you won VASLeague in 2010 and 2011, when we had 120 and 138 players (and 32 in TOP VASLeague in both years), but before starting with questions please tell us something about you

-Age: Old enough to know better

-Years playing ASL: Since release.

-Occupation: Retired, but prior to retirement I did electronic design and sales as an engineer for a small business, mainly dealing with Department of Defense facilities.

-Playing Style: I play by the seat of my pants, making it up as I go.

-ASL preferences: I would rather attack than defend, and much prefer medium-sized to larger scenarios. I dislike spending time constructing elaborate defenses...it's much more fun tearing them down. ;) I very much dislike 'Bug Hunt' scenarios, and tiny (commonly called, 'tournament-sized') scenarios, finding they can be very dicey and fragile when a major piece malfunctions, or is killed by a Sniper, etc. I am not overly fond of HASL CGs, but play them occasionally.

-PTO: YES! Some of my most favorite ASL memories are from PTO scenarios. I don't care much for the scenarios involving the USMC digging the IJA out from caves and under every bush on the island, but when the Japanese are on the attack, or when they don't have hidey-holes to squirrel away in, the PTO becomes quite a lot of fun.

-DTO: YES! I will play a DTO scenario at the drop of a hat. Especially with Italian forces.

-Night: eh. I play it when I can't avoid it (HASL/CG), but find it's mechanics overdone. Too much detail for too little gain in enjoyment.

Your opponents in 2010 were Catanzaro, Maxe, Le Billan, Young and Wiersma; in 2011 they were Kings, Whites, Feinstein, Repetti, and Catanzaro (again) in the final. In 2012 you got 4 wins on 5 games being beated only by Maxe who finally stopped your winning streak at 14 games in a row.

What game do you like to remember of these and why?

I can barely remember what I had for breakfast today.

I enjoyed the games with Enrico...both of them. All of my VASL game opponents have been great, but if I must pick one; My favorite VASL league game, so far, was KP167 with Rob Feinstein, the scenario was fun and Rob is always a great opponent.

And in these five years of VASLeague what are the funniest or memorable things happened to you?

In Rage Against the Machine, Janusz rolling 'Snakes' with a Broken Consript HS parked blocking the entrance to the bridge, on a 3MC from the (16 -1 IFT) OVR by a T34/85. Janusz rolled up BH and a Hero, they CC attacked my T34/85 with another 1,1 burning it...blocking my LOS with Smoke from the Blazing Wreck to the guys on the bridge that I had lined up with a ton of AFPh shots. This one went from an 'I can't lose' to 'I just lost' situation on one DR. Was a hard to take loss, but a fun opponent in any case.

You played in total 25 scenarios for the VASLeague (22 wins), which is the best scenario you played?

KP 167

And the best opponent?

Rob Feinstein

The worst or sounding defeat (if any)?

Janusz Maxe in Rage Against the Machine.

What didn’t work?

I have mentally blocked that game...sorry, can't help you there. ;-)

After five seasons you still are in VASLeague; what do you like about VASLeague, and what do you think could be still improved?

I very much enjoy playing the folks in the game that I might not otherwise get to play due to geography. I would like some method of allowing the winners of each league to play each other in a 'playoffs round' to give the divisions a chance to play folks they may not otherwise play.

My biggest complaint would be the turn around time of some games, or the delay to start until the last minute by many, if not most, opponents. I would prefer to get the game started and completed within a week or two of being matched up, but sadly this has not been the case at all.

Thank you and good luck for 2014!

Thanks Enrico,

Fort