squad leader  

Updated 11/30/2009

2009 WBC Report    

 2010 Status: pending 2010 GM commitment

Phil Grasha, PA

2009 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
2009    Phil Grasha     21

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

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Pete Pollard       CA    09    168
  2.  Bill Thomson       TX    09    164
  3.  David v Bronkhorst VA    06     86
  4.  Mike Pacheco       CA    06     78
  5.  Andrew Cummins     uk    09     74
  6.  Eric Stranger      OH    08     67
  7.  Phil Grasha        PA    09     50
  8.  Michael Hennessy   VA    05     30
  9.  Chuck Leonard      PA    09     28
 10.  Michael Day        AZ    02     27
 11.  Allen Kaplan       NJ    00     27
 12.  Eric Filipowski    MD    09     22
 13.  Bryan Van Nortwick NC    04     21
 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

2009 Laurelists                                        Repeating Laurelists:

Bill Thomson, TX
2nd

Pete Pollard, TN
3rd

Andrew Cummins, uk
4th

Chuck Leonard, PA
5th

Eric Filipkowski, MD
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

Phil Grasha, PA
2009


Bill Thomspon and Phil Grasha's match gave Phil the lead.

Eric Stranger and Rick Northey trace line of sights.

Play Fast and often

The 2009 edition of the Squad Leader Series tournament had a slight decrease in total number of players (21) but a steep increase in total matches played (46) compared against the previous year (25; 30).  A total of 19 scenarios were employed sourced from The Avalon Hill Game Co, Squad Leader Academy, and On All Fronts. This event enables matches to be played at the lowest rules level common to both players.  In 2009, action was dominated by SQL (30), with COI (11), COD (4) and GIA (2).  The event was conducted primarily as a weekend tournament with several rounds of early play permitted.  Given the increasing number of dedicated Squad Leader Series and the inability to match the growing number of former champions participating to adequately define clear tiebreakers, a four or five round event format is no longer effective.  The 2010 event will transition to either a free form or Heats Most Wins GM format.

Phil Grasha (PA) amassed a 4-1 record vs. opponents populated almost exclusively by past champions to earn top honors.  Due to Phil's round robin field of opponents, no true Final proved necessary.  Bill Thomson (TX) retains his firm hold on another perpetual second place, with Pete Pollard (TN), Andrew Cummins (UK) and Chuck Leonard (PA) rounding out the top five spots.   Scott Bramley (NJ) and Bill Sosnicki (NJ) turned in the most matches played.

Andrew Cummins' Personal Leader Counter quickly secured an impressive +18 Élan tally in his first match, playing Germans in OAF 34.4 France 1944. At the end of four rounds, Sgt Cummins boasted a dominant +38 Élan to claim the top spot and 2009 Best PLC plaque.  SGT Eric Stranger was leading the remaining pack of surviving PLCs with +16 Élan.  No one claimed the Pollard Memorial Plaque for dispatching the 2009 winner Sgt Thomson as this PLC survived four rounds of combat.  Accidentally leading the American attack in GIA Scenario 38 The Factory, Thomson had several platoons of squads broken under his command when this PLC was not leading the routing by example, at the hands of Chuck Leonard's fire groups in the first round of play.  Sgt Thomson spent most of the tournament at double digit negative élan, ending at negative 12.  SGT Cummins will be the target of opportunity in the 2010 event.

 GM      Bill Thomson  [4th Year]   NA 
    bill@wargameacademy.org    817-501-2978

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