Game: Memoir '44 - Terrain Pack

Thread: Re: Memoir Disappointment...

rickert — 2008-08-26T16:01:37+00:00

I believe there is plenty of value in what's offered for the price. Just as soon as DOW can get this reprinted I will certainly buy it. I would guess since it has sold out that at least a few have agreed.

Thread: Re: Out of stock - Reprint?

ColtsFan76 — 2008-08-15T13:20:53+00:00

I heard that a reprint was due this fall. Someone posted Septemeber but I am not sure where they got it from. DOW typically doesn't post official reprint info like FFG. Maybe they do but I have never found it.

I wouldn't say these are OOP just out of stock. The other expansions may get to that point at some time. If DOW is paying attention, you won't notice it. But they projected in the spring that TP would be out and placed the order for it. W/D board has been in and out forever. I think it is alos getting a reprint at the same time as TP.

Thread: Out of stock - Reprint?

RedShark92 — 2008-08-15T12:59:11+00:00

I had passed on opportunities to get this and was starting to think about it, only to find out that it's gone out of production.

Seems like it's already difficult to find at the retail level - I haven't been able to find any online stores that still have it in stock. (I'm hoping my local store still has a copy, but they're an hour away so I'm not sure when I'm going to get up there). Does anyone know if DoW has any plans to reprint this one, or have a good source on a set that's not over-priced (I really don't want to pay more than retail - a little over may be OK).

Also - I currently have the base set, desert/winter map and the Eastern Front set. I would eventually like to get most of what's out (Pacific Theater and Air Pack). Are these likely to become difficult to find in the near future as well?

Thread: Re: Memoir Disappointment...

Lt Col Lippert 1944 — 2008-08-12T18:20:10+00:00

Ill take you up that offer Leonardo.

Thread: Re: Memoir Disappointment...

Neil Thomson — 2008-08-12T08:16:47+00:00

Yeah I think the Terrain Pack is really a toolkit rather than a fully fledged expansion.

As such the cost should have been lower to improve the value for money factor.

It would have been nice to have seen some more official scenarios (by now) that made use of those interesting terrain types.

Thread: Re: Memoir Disappointment...

kalevi1999 — 2008-08-12T08:11:28+00:00

Lt Col Lippert 1944 wrote:
I own a copy of the original Memoir '44.
And looking at the components and reading reviews for the Terrain PAck I am saddened. My friends and I love designing our own scenarios and all we want are some of the tiles in that stupid box pictured on this page that to me is nothing more a than money consumer. Buying the terrain is going to result in disappointment, I CAN FEEL IT.

build ur own terrain tiles I did it and its not very time consuming Want me to show u??

Thread: Re: Memoir Disappointment...

dogmatix — 2008-08-12T08:03:37+00:00

MerricB wrote:
I think that the Terrain Pack becomes a lot better once you get the Air Pack as well.
Cheers,
Merric

I believe you're right [though I don't own the Air Pack yet]. It does not, however, mitigate the feeling that DoW's marketing approach with Memoir [and it's worse with BattleLore IMO] is a drag [which I think is the OP's underlying complaint]. It would have been nice if the Terrain Pack and Winter/Desert board had (1) both stayed in print longer and (2) been bundled together. DoW has been flamed plenty on this topic, and it's certainly their right to do with their product as they please. But a few of the Memoir and Battlelore add-ons sure feel to me like they're designed more to be consumer-gougers rather than game enhancements....

Thread: Re: Memoir Disappointment...

MerricB — 2008-08-12T06:11:04+00:00

I think that the Terrain Pack becomes a lot better once you get the Air Pack as well.

Cheers,
Merric

Thread: Memoir Disappointment...

Lt Col Lippert 1944 — 2008-08-12T05:23:51+00:00

I own a copy of the original Memoir '44.
And looking at the components and reading reviews for the Terrain PAck I am saddened. My friends and I love designing our own scenarios and all we want are some of the tiles in that stupid box pictured on this page that to me is nothing more a than money consumer. Buying the terrain is going to result in disappointment, I CAN FEEL IT.

Thread: Re: Is it necessary to buy Terrain Pack ?

kalevi1999 — 2008-07-28T22:14:44+00:00

radsailor wrote:
I think I will purchase a sheet of heavy duty cardboard and make the extra terrain tiles myself. Won't be elegant but should do the job.

Dont worry I did it either. It comes out as elegant as the original tiles. Just be carefull to match the EXACT size!

Thread: Re: Is it necessary to buy Terrain Pack ?

radsailor — 2008-07-28T22:00:07+00:00

I think I will purchase a sheet of heavy duty cardboard and make the extra terrain tiles myself. Won't be elegant but should do the job.

Thread: Re: Is it necessary to buy Terrain Pack ?

Cantatta — 2008-07-23T14:24:59+00:00

It is also nice to have if you get around to playing the user-made scenarios found on DoWs website, as many of them use a lot of TP tiles. For my part, you can never have enough terrain tiles for M44!

Thread: Re: Is it necessary to buy Terrain Pack ?

spaztian — 2008-07-23T14:14:03+00:00

I had stayed away from buying the Terrain Pack for quite some time. It didn't seem like a big deal. After I got the Air Pack, and saw all of the different scenarios that used terrain from the Terrain Pack, I ended up buying it after all. I REALLY am happy with it now.

Oh, and I would consider myself a casual player, although I could see how others would not be as impressed.

Thread: Re: Is it necessary to buy Terrain Pack ?

ColtsFan76 — 2008-07-23T09:46:28+00:00

The TP is a must buy for those wanting to create their own scenarios. It has quite a few optional rules that aren't implemented (so far) officially and has a lot of terrain to use.

The terrain is more utilized in the Air Pack and so the TP becomes more practical with the purchase of that expansion as well.

It is also a decent buy or those that are completist that want everything or need the visual impact or properly colored terrain on their desert boards.

For the very casual M44 player, it is not a necessity and might even be a disappointment. There are only 4 new scenarios with it (though more of the online scenarios utilize it). Probably the most utilized and hardest to replace terrain is the roads. Again, the need for roads becomes more apparent with the Air Pack.

If you are a serious M44 player, you will want this expansion eventually - even if you don't make your own scenarios. But it is a safe expansion to pass by otherwise.

Thread: Is it necessary to buy Terrain Pack ?

radsailor — 2008-07-23T07:41:32+00:00

I just purchased the Pacific expansion and looked briefly at the components. Then looked at contents and rules for Terrain Pack.
Seems as if one could play any Terrain Pack scenarios using the Pacific components, maybe with a little imagination.
Is this a correct impression ?

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Heliconia — 2008-07-22T12:54:37+00:00

Op 36 Schwammenauel Dam, Unlike Feb 1945, the allies take control of the dams

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Heliconia — 2008-07-22T00:19:58+00:00

Op 35 Nijmegen Bridges, The Axis defense holds the bridges

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Heliconia — 2008-07-21T23:37:59+00:00

Op 35 Nijmegen Bridges, Axis start

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Heliconia — 2008-07-21T23:36:52+00:00

Op 35 Nijmegen Bridges, Ally start

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Heliconia — 2008-06-16T18:24:51+00:00

Op 34 Knightsbridge, Axis start

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Heliconia — 2008-06-16T18:23:42+00:00

Op 34 Knightsbridge, Ally start

Thread: Re: Can a big gun move at all?

ColtsFan76 — 2008-01-24T03:17:23+00:00

From the FAQ:

BIG Guns

Q. May big guns move?
A. Yes

Q.When a big gun moves do any targeting cross-hair markers return to the gun?
A. Yes

Since it is not otherwise mentioned, they would move like standard artillery: move 1 space -or- battle.

Thread: Re: Destroyer movement question

ColtsFan76 — 2008-01-24T03:08:22+00:00

The new summary cards for the Air Pack indicate that a Destroyer can move 0-2 spaces and battle.

http://www.daysofwonder.com/memoir44/en/content/cards_compen...

Thread: Destroyer movement question

weishaupt — 2008-01-24T02:18:04+00:00

The rules are vague on this: can a destroyer move AND fire in the same turn?

Thread: Can a big gun move at all?

weishaupt — 2008-01-24T02:16:59+00:00

I'm assuming the answer is no, but I hate to assume.
And since the rulebook does mention anything about it, I thought I'd check with you guys and gals to make sure.

Thanks!

Thread: Re: Beda Fomm -- ouch!

generalpf — 2008-01-16T19:45:31+00:00

I played my buddy at it last week and won as the British, 6-2. Then we flipped it around and I won as the Italians, 6-2. Is it balanced? Guess so.

To my opponent's credit, he is a veteran of C&C:A and BattleLore and can't get over the mindset of keeping his units together, which is definitely not what you want to do when there's aircraft strafing them.

Thread: Re: Blowing the Dams

pctex88 — 2008-01-16T19:21:11+00:00

That makes sense. Thanks ColtsFan!
Oh and sorry about, well, you know

Thread: Re: Blowing the Dams

ColtsFan76 — 2008-01-16T18:37:25+00:00

He still gets to issue orders. If you look at the rule book, it says after a command card is played but before orders are issued. So it is a "bonus attack" if you will before you play out your turn. If it replaced or used up one of the orders, it would have been specific about that.

Thread: Blowing the Dams

pctex88 — 2008-01-16T18:26:22+00:00

I didn't see it specifically mentioned, but in the Dam blowing scenario, does the Axis player get to order units after a sabatouge attempt? Or does the attempt take up the whole turn?

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Toynan — 2007-12-17T22:19:21+00:00

Close up on tanks from the British Specil Forces (scenario Beda Fomm) at the beginning of the battle.

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Toynan — 2007-12-11T20:10:18+00:00

Thread: Re: 34 – [Battle of Gazala] Knightsbridge

goldenboat — 2007-12-06T21:33:23+00:00

Played this scenario twice today, and the Allies won both games with an aggregate score of 10-5. In both games the Axis went on the attack first and were badly burned by it. I think there might be some wisdom to keeping the Axis armor out of range of the numerically superior Allied formations and using Axis artillery to soften up the Allied position before moving in with the tanks.

I do actually rather like the "North African" rules with the double-hex exploit feature. I'd like to see more desert scenarios -- hopefully we get some with the (possibly real?) British/Commonwealth expansion.

Thread: Re: Minefield question

weishaupt — 2007-10-30T14:40:03+00:00

Thanks a lot guys. How strange that the mine mix changes from set to set...

I was asking because we're playing a minefield scenario as part of our in-office tournament today. I think we'll draw the mine tokens from identical pools to make things fair. In other words, we'll make sure that the five mine markers on the board (the scenario calls for five) are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, but we just won't know where they'll show up. Otherwise, one guy might be up against a terrible minefield, while another comes up against a bunch of duds. Not great for tournament balance.

Thanks again!

Thread: Re: Minefield question

ColtsFan76 — 2007-10-30T14:27:23+00:00

IIRC, Pacific and Eastern each had 5 a piece while Terrain had 10. I have the specific breakdowns listed under the "roll call" for each game.

Terrain Pack - 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4
Eastern -....... 0 1 2 2 4
Pacific -.......... 0 1 1 2 4

Pacific is easily identified because the "Achtung!" has been removed from the minefield sign (though it is a small detail often overlooked).

According to Richard Borg, it is OK to mix all of these counters together and pull what you need (it is how I play) but you do run the risk of a more potent or less potent field. If you keep them seperate, then you are just forcing the likelihood of all numbers appearing on the board - even if they don't get exposed during the course of the game.

EDIT: Added breakdowns

Thread: Re: Minefield question

mbuckingham — 2007-10-30T14:26:54+00:00

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/82155

Thread: Minefield question

weishaupt — 2007-10-30T14:05:39+00:00

I've got all the Memoir '44 expansions, and all of my mine tokens are together in one baggie. Mistake. Now I can't remember what an "original" minefield is composed of, and the rules don't say it either, so I'm stuck.

Here is my question then: how many mine markers are in a minefiel, and what markers are they?

Apparently there were mines in all three boxed expansions (Eastern Front, Terrain and Pacific). If that's the case, then there weren't the same number of mine tokens in each because they don't divide evenly into three equal groups.

Help!!

Thread: Custom Terrain Tiles Including Desert Hills

Pz V — 2007-07-28T19:57:31+00:00

If you are looking for some Desert Hills, here is the place:

www.m44platoon.com

then go to

"Tuiles supplementaires"

I think you have to be logged in for the game which means you need the code which comes in one of the Memoir '44 games or expansions.

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vekoma — 2007-05-27T08:41:01+00:00

as advertised in Days Of Wonder 2007 game guide

Thread: Beda Fomm -- ouch!

goldenboat — 2007-05-24T20:21:24+00:00

I knew the job was dangerous when I took it.

The Days of Wonder website showed a significant Allied advantage in their downloadable Beda Fomm scenario. But I still wanted to give it a go ... it would give me a chance to get my under-used desert board back on the table, and it had an intriguing premise, with a column of Italian troops trying to move from left to right across the map to overpower an Allied roadblock and exit the map before an ambushing Allied force makes mincemeat of them. Besides, the dice had been running against my regular M44 opponent for the last couple games, so I figured I'd give him the Allied side, affording a good chance of success and an opportunity to change his karma.

Mission accomplished.

For a moment I thought I was going to pull it off. My initial draw was an absolute GOD HAND for this scenario -- TWO Armored Assaults, a Move Out, and an Infantry Assault. Perfect! Two straight turns for my armor to clear the roadblock, and then the following infantry can scoot through the gap and head for the exit edge beyond.

I am ashamed to report that I managed to mess up even this perfect plan ... my armor failed to hit their targets, despite bonus dice at point blank range for two turns. The Allies blew away my armor with a point blank reply of their own, and then the rear of my column was reduced to ruins by an Allied airstrike. I did eventually get my infantry moving (only after having to blow a move pushing my artillery out of the road), but by then, it was all over but the shouting. The high point of the scenario for me was when a unit of Italian infantry killed an Allied tank unit and briefly took the hill just north of the roadblock, but the Allied counter-attack swiftly pushed them off, and the game ended with me on the losing end of a 6-1 blowout.

This is a flavorful scenario with unique challenges. It does look like a very tough situation for the Axis. I had the perfect hand and barely put a dent in my opponent. Even with better dice, I'm not sure the best plan is to try to push for the road exit victory conditions ... with the roadblock in place, the exit hex is further away than it appears, and you have to march clear across the board with your flank exposed to Allied fire the whole way. On the other hand, the terrain and initial unit dispositions make it difficult to see how the Axis are supposed to hang in there if they elect to accept a straight-up fight with the Allies.

Anyway, I took my lumps, and enjoyed it, and my opponent enjoyed a victory dance that's been a couple weeks in the making. Can't complain.

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fehrmeister — 2007-03-20T06:15:22+00:00

High-res Scan of Box Back

Thread: Re: tile dimensions?

Great Dane — 2007-02-23T09:45:38+00:00

I gave you a straight answer. I wasn't trying to be nasty, I tried to be helpful - without having to all the dirty work myself.

I am glad you appreciated my help!

Thread: Re: tile dimensions?

RichardC — 2007-02-22T17:45:31+00:00

no need to get nasty..I was making a joke...I already figured it out..

Thanks

Thread: Re: tile dimensions?

Great Dane — 2007-02-22T17:39:34+00:00

Figure it out yourself - an inch is 25mm.

Here is a conversion chart:
http://mdmetric.com/tech/cvtcht.htm

Thread: Re: tile dimensions?

RichardC — 2007-02-22T17:33:12+00:00

sorry, I'm an American..whats that in inches?...

Thread: Re: tile dimensions?

Great Dane — 2007-02-22T17:25:23+00:00

A Memoir'44 hexside is 32mm.
60mm diameter from point to point.

Thread: tile dimensions?

RichardC — 2007-02-22T16:28:59+00:00

whats the size of these tiles, could they be used with the minis from Deluxe Ogre or Deluxe GEV..?

Thread: Knitsbridge

kurtz — 2006-12-26T20:53:35+00:00

When I looked at the map, with the British tank armada facing the Afrika Korps, playing as the Axis I thought "Gosh, how will I win this?"

Then, looking at the scenario's rule I discovered that I had less but better tanks (german tanks can move three hexes and fire, while British only two and fire), but best of all, I had the Desert Fox on my side in shape of six (!) cards against four of the British.
By the way: this is one of the few scenarios I played were Germans had more Command Cards than the Allies.

Another thing which stroked me was the almost featurless map: I immediatly recalled Rommel's writings on Desert Warfare, were he compared desert with the sea and tank formations with fleets.
And the battle development was someway similar to fllets engagements.

The battle was fought almost entirely on the left flank, with my 21st Panzer striking deep into the enemy formation.
Both sides were full of useful cards, so my Probes and Assaults were met with Probes and Counter Attacks and nobody could blame his bad card draws.

My tactic was - having a less numerous force and no place to cover - to look for Overruns, so to attack twice on my enemy's unit. Desert Rules are nasty, because if an Armor unit manages to win a Close Assault, it can occupy the vacated hex and move one hex more. This rule allows armor unit to strike deep behind enemy lines and give a real feel of the fluidity of desert warfare.
My enemy choosed instead to stay far from my units ,shelling from the distance my panzers: well maybe he was right, maybe not.

21st Panzer's tanks were destroyed in the battle, but managed to kill all British tanks but one, and the closer unit to this tank was an artillery unit six hexes away. Six hexes under artillery fire can be a lot so my adversary choosed to keep his tank were i was.

At this point I unleashed 15th Panzers on the right side: British troops moved to meet my tank, but as before, I closed the distance and pursued a beaten enemy unit killing it and gaining my fifth, needed point.

What can I say more? Well the scenario is not well balanced, perhaps giving to the British a Command Card more, or removing their tanks handicap can help.
But on the other side this scenario is exciting: armoured units shoot each others, units surround and get surrounded at the same time, it is short and fast paced.
For me it worth the time you will spend playing it.

Kurtz

Thread: Re: Meals-not-quite-ready-to-eat.

Nordiska — 2006-12-03T15:32:24+00:00

I agree with the assessment of this expansion, I would like to add if you like wide open armor battles(which I do) then Knightbridge is a great scenario.

Likewise when (if) there are additional scenarios released for this pack, which has awesome potential, it will be a great investment.

Thread: Meals-not-quite-ready-to-eat.

ccarlet1 — 2006-12-02T22:34:34+00:00

Memoir 44 is a favourite of my wife and I, so getting the Terrain Pack was never a question of if, only when. I was very impressed with the large number of tiles and badges, new rules and new possibilities. I knew in advance that there were only four scenarios, but that didn't do anything to change a mild feeling of disappointment: like being served and eating a great appetizer and then being given a choice of either cooking your own entree, or merely looking at one.

That is, the bits are really cool, but many of them are for use in self-designed scenarios or for scenarios from the front on DoW website.

I will give an overview of what is included, and what can be used with the scenarios included, and what cannot. While The Eastern Front is a no-brainer for any fan of Memoir 44, the value of the Terrain Pack is dependent on how you are going to feel about having to do a little extra work to use the included components.

Bits:

Sixty-six new terrain tiles are included, and are of the same thickness, though not the same print quality as the originals. There are quite a number of desert tiles, but only one desert scenario is included in the pack, which does very little to exploit the terrain features included.

Other terrain tiles include, marshes, raised ground (not used in included scenarios), and mountains (used in one scenario).

Landmark tiles include many cool possibilities, from dams and roads (used in the included scenarios) to cemetaries, lighthouses, and radar stations (not used in the included scenarios).

New obstacles include fordable rivers (used in scenarios), and field bunkers and pontoon bridges (not used in terrain pack, but field bunkers are used in the Eastern Front).

I can imagine all kinds of scenarios using these tiles, but I don't know if and when I would sit down to actually design one. So many games to play already . . . .

There are lots of scenarios from the front on DoW website, and some of these use the Terrain Pack, so that is one way in which these tiles might get utilized. I have tried a few of these scenarios and they have been good. Still, some of us prefer the idea of "official" scenarios as opposed to those who come with a disclaimer.

There are also a whole lot of badges, for all kinds of different troops, none of whom are in the included scenarios (and no badge for Canada!!!)

The big guns badge is a cool addition which is in one of the included scenarios. It allows for long range artillery, and extra damage when that artillery is locked on its target.

Likewise, minefields, used in one of the four scenarios, pose some interesting strategic decisions.

Also there are lots of uses for battle star tokens, and rules for their use, such as blowing up bridges, freeing prisoners and capturing equipment. Only two, however, are used in the included scenarios: collapsible boats and sabotaging a dam.

No figures are included in the Terrain Pack.

Scenarios:

Three of the four scenarios are excellent.

Knightsbridge: This is the only desert scenario, and while it gives a very good sense of the wide-openess of desert warefare, it is not the most interesting.

Nijmegen Bridges: One of my favourite scenarios of all the expansions. Lots of strategic and tactical decisions, and lots to deal with when you are having difficulty co-ordinating your attack or defense.

Schwammenauel Dam: Very cool scenario, in which the Germans can sabotage dams and gain four medals if successful, making for a sense of urgency in your battle plans. Mountains, lakes, and fordable rivers are part of this scenario, and it makes good use of the Terrain Pack.

Operation Grenade: Again, an excellent scenario, with minefields, roads and lakes, making good use of the included tiles.

The rule book itself is nicely laid out, illustrated, and is clearly written.

The box, as others have noted, is not that pleasant. While it has a colourful but flimsy sleeve, the box itself is drab and flimsy. The insert lacks finger space to facilitate removal of some of the hexes and that is not much fun either.

Conclusion:

If this expansion included another four scenarios of the quality of those included, I would be rating it a nine or ten. I have heard that DoW will be releasing, in some form, more official scenarios, and such an addition would make the Terrain Pack much more valuable. However, the Terrain Pack currently available only has four scenarios and that is, without question, the main drawback of this expansion.

For myself, I will probably not make full use of the Terrain Pack and design my own scenarios, but have no problem downloading them from the DoW website. The four scenarios included are very good, so I think it is worth it -- just. I give it a 7 for its potential.

Thread: Knightsbridge, in which the Brits take a Drubbing

ccarlet1 — 2006-11-25T19:04:40+00:00

My wife and I had played this scenario once before and the Brits got wiped. This time I wanted to see if there was a way the Brits could, if not win, put up a better fight. To make a long story short: no such luck.

Penny started as the Germans and I was the Brits.

Round 1:
The Germans started with an assault against the left flank. Although against superior numbers, the Germans initiative paid off. With little room to retreat, two of my tank units were reduced to one.

The Brits countered with Direct From Headquarters and concentrated on counterattacking on its right flank. In an attempt to not get too close to German artillery, the Brits held in formation and kept at maximum range. Unfortunately, the Germans retreated when the first shots were fired, making the counterattack ineffective.

Round 2:

The Germans continued to concentrate on the left flank and launched an air attack, which eliminated the two British tank units damaged by the initial German assault.

The Brits then made a General Advance. On the left flank they took advantage of one of the few terrain features on the battle field and got two tank units into the hills. In the centre and right flank, firepower was concentrated on the Germans special tank unit, eliminating three out of its four tanks.

Round 3:

The Germans opened with an artillery bombardment. With three artillery units, firing twice each, the Brits sustained heavy damage, and two units were lost on the right flank.

The Brits tried to capitalize on the hill cover on the left flank with an attack, with no significant damage inflicted on the Germans.

Round 4:

A German barrage finished the match.

Germans: 5 Brits: 0

Now we switched sides. I knew I would have to shut out the Brits to just get a tie out of this game.

Round 1:

The Germans moved two tank units into the hills on the right flank and took out one British tank unit.

The Brits countered with an attack on the left, causing one German unit to retreat.

Round 2:

A German centre assault was, in effect, a maximum-range artillery bombardment, in which the British artillery was eliminated.

The British responded with an assault on the right flank, which took out one of the German artillery units.

Round 3:

The Germans then counterattacked, and took out a British tank unit. The German advance was going slower than hoped.

The Brits attacked on the right, but the Germans retreated before the advance.

Round 4:

A German armoured assault changed the tides radically in this round. Seven British tanks were destroyed, with two units eliminated.

The Brits responded with a recon in force, which did little damage.

Round 5:

A German probe on the left finished off the Brits.

Germans: 5 Brits: 1

Final:

Penny: 6 Me: 5

What is the best anyone has done with the Brits in this scenario?

It seems that the challenge here for the Germans is to shutout the Brits and for the Brits to get more than two German units.

Thread: Re: Poor tile quality

furryshark — 2006-11-02T17:35:02+00:00

I don't mind it - it's easier to separate the tiles from the original game based on the texture

Thread: 37 - [Operation Grenade] Across the River Roer

bigcheese — 2006-10-03T20:49:52+00:00

Dominating this scenario are three new terrain features: a fordable (for infantry) river, a road and a minefield. Also dominating the battle is artillery both on the Allied and Axis sides; the latter guarding the more vulnerable Axis Right flank.

Matthew: Axis
Steve: Allies

Steve advanced on both the Left and Right flanks, succeeded in taking the first objective on the Axis Right. The move on the other side was met by the Axis armour with one unit eliminated in the minefield. The score stood at 1-1. However Steve had successfully moved his artillery up to the river and proceeding to follow history by pounding and eliminating my forces in Linnich as well as a tank unit. I then was forced to use an Armour Assault to retreat my remaining single tank unit to the rear!

The score stood at 1-4 and I had no multi-section cards. I played Their Finest Hour and managed to retake the objective on the Axis Right. Steve responded with Air Power against the remnants of the Axis Centre huddled near the road at the rear reducing my Artillery unit to single figure. This is when my luck changed. I used a Barrage against a lone figure that had retreated to the Allied Left rear and used Artillery Bombardment to eliminate another. The score was 5-5. However my artillery was still in range and a single die roll ended the battle.

Score: 5-6

I started the battle with a move on the Allied Right that was met by a Firefight. I responded with Counter Attack, managing to severely reduce the forces in Linnich. I did manage to take the first objective on the Left by eliminating a unit but then retreated to the neighbouring woods out of Artillery range. I also made a move on the Right Flank to threaten the objective on that side as well as facilitating the advance of my artillery. Steve responded as I had done, with his armour; catching my unit on the River in a cross fire from either side of the lake. The armour continued by attacking my Artillery several times, forcing it to retreat. He also retreated all forces back down the road from Linnich. I was finally able to play the Artillery Bombardment I had been dealt and destroyed all the Axis armour.

The score stood at 3-3 and I began a campaign to remove the Axis artillery that was preventing my holding the object on that side. My own artillery fire had reduced it to a single figure and caused the unit to retreat to the rear where it was protected by sandbags after Dig In. I tried Barrage and then Behind Enemy Lines with my unit still in the woods by the objective but both actions failed.

With all the Axis forces at the rear, including at least one with a single figure, I tried a new tactic: a move in the Centre. I planned to take the town objectives on both the Left and Right which combined with a single Axis unit from the Centre would give me victory. Steve responded by advancing to meet me at the minefield with Firefight. But even with a Barrage card played against a lone Allied figure at the rear it was too late. After several unsuccessful attempts with my Artillery I eventually eliminated a lone Axis unit in the Centre then advanced on the Left and without casualties on the Right through the minefield to take the objectives and win the battle.

Matthew: Allies
Steve: Axis

Score: 6-4

Final Score: 11-10

In this battle I managed to even the score at 2-2 for the Terrain Expansion by avoiding any serious mistakes. In the second battle we had almost exhausted the whole pack of cards. In future we will consider removing one or more Tactics cards as suggested on BGG to remove the certainty of certain powerful cards.

Thread: 36 – Schwammenauel Dam

bigcheese — 2006-09-26T21:50:41+00:00

This scenario introduces a number of new terrain pieces from the expansion including dams, fords and mountains (that are impassable due to the lack of neighbouring hills). It’s clear from the notes that the clock is ticking for the Allied player: although each dam offers a victory medal once a damn has reached four stars it’s probably game over. Perhaps what isn’t do clear is how critical a part luck plays in the scenario.

Matthew: Axis
Steve: Allies

Steve started the battle with an Infantry Assault on the Allied Right that, despite the use of both an Ambush and Air Power, resulted in the ejection from the Woods and eventual elimination of both my two units: dams offer little defensive advantage. I decided not to reinforce with my unit in the Centre and concentrate on defending the other dam. Steve didn’t take the objective immediately; partially through lack of cards and partially through lack of concentration that was corrected later by my prompting (we tend to help each other like that). Score 0-2.

I managed to accumulate three Stars but the unit on the dam was eliminated through a clever combination of Behind Enemy Lines, from the woods immediately in front, and Firefight. The battle then entered a game of back and forth with Steve advancing his forces into Kommerscheit an me repelling them. I had reinforced the dam from the Axis Right rear but, despite the length of the battle, the Stars were not falling. The score stood at 0-4 and with the Urft Dam still unclaimed I decided to play for points. My first chance came in the Centre when I eliminated a Special Forces unit with a Close Assault (played on just a single unit) followed by Barrage on a single Allied figure that had retreated to the rear. Shortly afterwards an assault on the woods near the Schwammenauel Dam sealed the Allied victory.

Score: 2-6

Matthew: Allies
Steve: Axis

I began with an advance on the Allied Right and a move in the Centre by my Special Forces to take Kommerscheit. However my units were repelled and decimated by a combination of Firefight and Direct from HQ leaving the score at 0-1. That’s when things went from bad to worse. Some lucky rolls had given Steve a Star on every turn and the total now stood at three on the Schwammenauel Dam. Unfortunately I had no cards in the Center with which to attempt any last ditch attack. On the next turn Steve rolled another Star and the score stood at 0-5. I made an advance on the Allied Left in an attempt to salvage some honour from the battle but to no avail.

Score: 0-6

Final Score: 2-12

This is the type of result is used by those that dislike Memoir ’44 to suggest that it isn’t a wargame. However I feel more sanguine about the game. As the Axis I played the cards I was dealt and got the best result I could. As the Allies, while I made a couple of small mistakes, I was at the mercy of the dice.

Thread: 34 – [Battle of Gazala] Knightsbridge

bigcheese — 2006-09-18T21:06:24+00:00

It was clear from reading the scenario notes that this was a question of the British looking to score one or maybe two points, and I was right. There is virtually no terrain cover and the Axis, who moves first, can engage immediately with superior forced. I lost the game through a combination of a tactical error (playing the Axis) a couple of mistakes and a little bad luck.

Matthew: Axis
Steve: Allies

I had only one card on the Right Flank so decided to move on the Left. I had a Direct from HQ and an Armor Assault which I played in that order. I followed this with an Assault and finally a Close Assault and the battle was over. Unfortunately I had lost two units. This was my tactical error: attacking the stronger Allied force.

Score: 5-2

Matthew: Allies
Steve: Axis

Either learning from my mistake or more likely from a better assessment of the battlefield Steve made his advance on the Axis Right Flank. The ensuing battle me cost all three Allied armour units while the artillery was reduced to a single figure and forced to retreat. There were Axis casualties but no eliminations. Now my first mistake: instead of using my Medics and Mechanics to restore the strength of my artillery and retreat into the oasis I attacked a lone armour figure and missed. My artillery was eliminated on the next turn. Then I tried Barrage, usually a guaranteed success on a single figure, and missed. Finally I made second mistake: I didn’t play my Air Power against a pair of Axis units, with 3 figures between then, that could have given me the draw I was seeking. I hadn’t been counting my casualties an on the next turn I lost my fifth unit an the battle.

Score: 0-5

Final Score: 5-7

The C&C system doesn’t seem to work well with tank battles, especially early war scenarios where the Axis amour has such an advantage. One attack can leave an opponent with nothing to reply. Perhaps one solution would be to remove the Tactics cards.

Thread: [Market Garden] Nijmegen Bridges

bigcheese — 2006-09-07T22:33:18+00:00

After a break of nearly 3 months during which we played “Gettysburg: Badges of Courage” I decided we would play the four scenarios from the Terrain Pack and finish of last year’s purchases before getting stuck into an eight scenario campaign from the recently arrived Pacific Theater. The first scenario “[Battle of Gazala] Knightsbridge” is quite simple, giving us a chance to refamiliarize ourselves with the game. Unfortunately I forgot the Winter/Desert board and I like my flavour so we played “[Market Garden] Nijmegen Bridges” instead.

Monday
Matthew: Axis
Steve: Allies

There’s a lot going on with this scenario including new rules (boats, railways, fortresses and big guns) and plenty of terrain. Steve made his first attack on the left towards Fort Hof Van Holland using his boats but without armour support, which proved to be a mistake. Some good dice rolls eliminated one unit on the river and after a brief occupation of one fortress hex another went the same way. I had only one card for the Right Flank so threw everything at it including “Their Finest Hour” and “Firefight”. Now the attention shifted to the Centre where my advanced units took a pounding from “Artillery Bombardment. The score stood at 3-1.

Now the real battle started. My advanced forces had little chance to take advantage of the Allies being pressed against the back of the board (with flags counting as grenades). I moved my armour across the river to check the infantry advance on the Allied Right but this proved to be a mistake. Steve had moved his artillery forward into the forest on the Center/Right and he eventually took out the tanks along with a unit in Nijmegen. But an “Armour Assault” on the village guarding the railway bridge was repulsed but at the cost of 2 infantry units. Meanwhile Steve had advanced his armour on the Allied Left as far as the river and in the absence of any cards to respond on that side my units were down to 1 figure apiece. The score stood at 3-4.

Steve decided to take the railway bridge and finish the battle. I had 3 vulnerable units, each with a single figure, but one using a “Behind Enemy Lines” managed to eliminate an armour unit advancing along the tracks. I then used “Dig In” to protect them. My Big Guns were of little use and on the one or two occasions I managed to hit the mark the unit moved immediately. Then Steve took the bridge and played his “Barrage” and it was all over.

Score: 4-6

Thursday
Matthew: Axis
Steve: Allies

I had just one Tactic Card and that was for the Left Flank but decided not to make the same mistake as Steve. I opened with “Artillery Bombardment” and “Air Power” but Steve got his revenge with “Counter Attack”. So responded with “Their Finest Hour” and rolled 6 qualifying dice giving my armour a chance with 2 dice against the Axis forces in the villages. Steve advanced his amour and I had no choice but to respond with “Armour Assault” flushing out the unit guarding the railway bridge and eliminating the Axis armour. After further exchanges the score stood at 3-0. This looked like a whitewash.

But Steve responded well with his Big Guns and cornered infantry and much of my Allied armour, already weakened by the opening “Air Power” attack, was eliminated. With the score at 3-3 I had to avoid the draw, or even worse, defeat.

To defend the bridge Steve had advanced from Fort Hof Van Holland (it later transpired that all his cards were on this side) and I decided to attack with the infantry on my Left. This combined with another (perhaps slightly lucky) “Air Power” brought the score to 5-4. Victory was in reach. In a last ditch attack Steve played a “Behind Enemy Lines” against my amour advancing on the bridge but instead of being eliminated it was forced to retreat. I simply moved my infantry from the neighbouring village and the battle was over.

Score: 6-3

Final Score: 10-9

Thread: Re: Blowing the dams in the Schammenauel Dam scenario

chaddyboy_2000 — 2006-05-11T18:41:40+00:00

1) If the German player plays the DIG IN card on a unit on one of the dam hexes, can that unit then ignore two flags? Is the ability to ignore flags stackable?

Nope, terrain bonuses are not stackable, so you could still only ignore one flag.

2) When a dam is blown, what happens to the units and sandbags (if any?) on the dam? Does the tile stay as a defended obstacle? Does the unit? What the heck happens?

Hmm, I actually don't know about this one. The only time I've seen the dam blow, it ended the scenario.

3) Even if both dams are in the process of being blown, no matter what is rolled, a dam can only obtain one token a turn, yes?

Correct. If you were to roll two stars, you would put one token on each dam.

Thread: Blowing the dams in the Schammenauel Dam scenario

Natus — 2006-05-11T17:55:04+00:00

1) If the German player plays the DIG IN card on a unit on one of the dam hexes, can that unit then ignore two flags? Is the ability to ignore flags stackable?

2) When a dam is blown, what happens to the units and sandbags (if any?) on the dam? Does the tile stay as a defended obstacle? Does the unit? What the heck happens?

3) Even if both dams are in the process of being blown, no matter what is rolled, a dam can only obtain one token a turn, yes?

Thanks!

Thread: Re: Poor tile quality

rjpomeroy — 2006-04-11T01:39:31+00:00

I just purchased this expansion. I didn't notice the difference until I read this thread. Colors are slightly more washed out. Does this = poor quality? Hardly. Disappointing? No.

Thread: Re: Review of physical aspects only - all three expansions

JasonRMax — 2006-03-30T19:42:15+00:00

I finally got the Eastern Front and Winter/Desert board. I was just barely able to fit everything into the main box, but the extra scenarios and overlord rules I printed out from the DOW website had to be left out.

Thread: Re: Review of physical aspects only - all three expansions

GeoMan — 2006-03-01T00:53:46+00:00

JasonRMax wrote:
I've already discarded the Terrain Pack box. What I did:

Take everything out of the Terrain Pack and the main game
Discard the main game's plastic insert and Terrain Pack package...

That isn't going to work for me: i have the contents of two Memoire boxes + Desert board in one box