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sean johnson
United States
avon
Indiana
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Memoir '44 is right up there with The Settlers of Catan as one of our gateway games. We have had Memoir '44 since 2004, which is a full four years before we really got into gaming as a couple. Memoir '44 is also a game that we are fully committed to. At this point we have nearly every expansion. We are only missing Memoir '44: Hedgerow Hell and the Memoir '44: Campaign Bag. So with all of that, it should be obvious that we like the game. The question is, how much do we like it?
Game Overview
Memoir '44 is part of the Commands and Colors family of games. These games all use a similar system that revolves around cards and dice. Memoir '44 is a game about World War II. The game is scenario based. One of the neat aspects of the game is that the game board is a blank hex field, and terrain tiles are placed on it to create the board. This makes for a very versatile system that allows many different scenarios to be created. The board is divided into three sections. Each turn a player will play a card that allows them to move units in that section. Each type of unit has its own move, range, and number of dice rolled. When a player attacks they roll custom dice. For each symbol they roll that matched the unit type or for each grenade they roll the opponent loses a miniature from that unit. When the last miniature is removed from a unit, then it counts as a point. Hopefully, this very basic overview gives a general idea.
The Game We Played
We played the Maleme Airfield scenario which is part of Memoir '44: The Invasion of Crete. Initially, I played the British and my wife played the Germans. In this scenario German special forces are attacking an airfield and a fortified hill. The Germans can also score points by breaking through and exiting off the British side of the board. The British (or according to the scenario it is actually the Kiwis), have to defend and push back the attack.
My wife began by advancing on her left flank to take the airfield. I moved to engage her, including my single armor unit. Shen then pressed the attack by playing a card that allowed her to advance several infantry units. She captured the airfield and moved in for close assaults on both sides of the map. This was actually bad for her, because I responded with a card that allowed me to attack with all units in close assault and attack with an extra die. I got to make four attacks at four dice each, and I rolled incredibly well for all of them. This one turn, practically broke the German forces and a couple of turns later I was able to mop up some of the weakened units and get six points for the win. I won 6 to 1.
The game actually only took about fifteen minutes, so we set it up again and this time I played the axis. I learned from her mistake, and focused on attacking the right flank. On this flank she had two entrenched infantry units holding a hill. I used the extra speed of my special forces to surround and focus on one unit at a time. She moved units up to this hill, and we fought back and forth over it. However, I had more units present and I was consistently able to attack with more dice. Both sides lost a lot of guys, and when I turned my attention from the hill the British technically still held it. However, I had done my damage and scored my points. On the left flank, my wife had moved her armor up in an attempt to pick off one of my units. I quickly swarmed this armor unit and eliminated it. From there, I moved in and captured the airfield for my last point. The final score was 6 to 4.
Our Thoughts
My Rating: 5 (Love it!)
My Thoughts: I absolutely love Memoir '44 and it is my #1 favorite game. I love the mix of strategy and tactics. I also love the mix of skill and luck. I greatly appreciate the versatility and replayability of the system as well.
Her Rating: 5 (Love it!)
Her Thoughts: It is fun. I like the dice rolling.
Verdict:
Combined Rating: 10
Memoir '44 gets a perfect score from us. We love the game and love to play it together. The only reason why we do not play it all of the time is because the game has a longer set up time. I do not see a time where we will ever get rid of the game, and as long as they keep making expansions we will keep getting them.
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