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All Hail Knucklebeard!
Australia
Wodonga
Victoria
Thanks International SS for A Few Acres of Snow!
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This continues a series of strategy guides for Memoir ’44.
These guides are meant to be short and to the point. I invite any alternate opinions as I can always learn something new. The key focus will be on the opportunities and weaknesses of each side in the battle and where possible I will make reference to cards that ‘could be key’ if you are lucky enough to pull them. All that said I hope someone finds these useful at best or interesting at worst.
In the time it has taken for me to get through the base scenarios, Days of Wonder have released the Air Pack Expansion.
I still want these guides to focus on the original scenarios, but I will add an Air Pack Section at the bottom to highlight changes and additional implications as a result of those changes.
Omaha Beach (First Assault Wave)
History – This scenario has the Germans as almost un-backable favourites. They enjoy a 79% winning margin after 721 logged reports (at time of posting this report - taken from DoW website).
This is interesting as 721 battles qualifies Omaha as the 3rd highest logged scenario from the base game. This evidence suggests that 'Scenario Balance' may not be the key factor in what scenarios people play, but perhaps the nature of the battle. Omaha Beach uses all unit types, hedgehogs, barbed wire and temporary medals, so there is a lot going on.
Axis
Ok I feel like I'm repeating myself a little now, but what can I do?! This is another Beach Landing and the Germans hold the defensive positioning. They have prepared well, using the natural terrain, barbed wire and bunkers to their advantage.
 Bring it on - The Germans really only have to sit put and see what the Allies do. With the exception of a couple of options, the Germans can afford to react to their enemy. The bluff provides excellent protection and the Hedgehogs can actually be useful here in restricting the movement options of the Allied Armour.
 Dem Guns, Dem Guns, Dem..Big Guns - The Germans are lethal at Omaha thanks largely to their Artillery positioned on the hills. It really is a case of blaze away as often as you can. Targeting units in the ocean hexes will also earn hits on flag results. Likewise the Infantry at E-3 also begins the battle within firing distance of water-based units. The Axis are first to act at Omaha, so there really should be plenty of Allied fatalities on the sands of Omaha Beach.
 Don't be Complacent - Even though the Germans have the upper hand, it pays to prepare for the worst case scenario. I like to move the units from the villages of Saint-Laurent sur-Mer and Vierville sur-Mer up to support their brothers on the bluff. The Allies greatest chance of success is to storm the beach. That means the Germans must bring every gun to bear to repel the attack.
 Defence is the best form of Attack - The Infantry on hill E-3 stand a good chance of being pounded. Sometimes I like to retreat them to the hill at the rear to try and save a medal. This of course will not always work but it will force the enemy to come further forward in pursuit of that medal, giving your Artillery more dice in attack. The only time I won't retreat that unit is if I have an enemy unit all but dead. In that situation I use the 'eye for an eye' principle and take my medal.
 Identify Your Threats - We've all come to fear Armour units but they really are not the major threat in the early stages of this battle. With the exception of the German Infantry unit near D-1, the Armour units will suffer a -2D penalty everywhere else. The Infantry are the real threat and because they are easier to hit the decision to target them early is a 'no brainer'.
The Allied Tanks can become a worry though if they manage to break through the German line and head for the villages. This usually spells trouble for the Germans. Be flexible and change targets when you deem it necessary.
 Cards to Dream of - The best possible card is probably 'Artillery Bombardment'. Four attacks at 2 dice per attack (at start of game, possibly more as the Allies advance) makes for some serious carnage. The Allies have a tough time of it so they tend to try and engage in Close Assault Combat to maximise their attack dice (2 at best). This makes cards like 'Close Assault' and 'Ambush' rather handy. 'Air Power'and 'Barrage' can also be very useful as flags can't be ignored and they allow the Germans to halt the Allied advance, even when in a hex containing a Hedgehog. Get these cards and your opponent will likely tear their hair out in frustration.
Allies
By now we know that the Allies have a tough time. But it's not all doom and gloom and like any good Memoir Scenario, sometimes it's all about losing well in order to give you a fighting chance on the return leg.
You Have Choice - Some scenarios offer an obvious attack plan, but Omaha is a little more open. Attacks really are feasible in all 3 sections so it is a matter of assessing your hand and identifying where you can 'maintain the rage'.
Left Flank Assault - My personal experience tells me that I am most successful on the left flank. With 5 Infantry Units, it is possible to make excellent use of cards like 'Infantry Assault' and 'All unit' cards there. With a bit of luck it is possible to take out the Artillery and once that unit falls, the Allies can take a breather before going on to take the villages of Colleville-sur-Mer and Saint-Laurent sur-Mer. The Germans are in serious trouble now.
Central Incursion - This is a much harder option as you have 2 Armour Units to utilise, which must negotiate a maze of Hedgehogs and then lose -2D in attack against bunkers. I only tend to favour this option if I have a card like 'Armour Assault'. In this instance I will try to creep up my Armour Units with a 'Recon in Force' or 'General Advance' card and then use 'Armour Assault' to get them into Close Assault Range and earn the extra dice.
When doing this though it is best to keep pushing forward with those Tanks and put pressure on the Villages. This can divert the Germans attention away from your Infantry, buying you time to get your really dangerous units (Infantry) into attacking positions.
Right Flank Assault - This is also a tough task to achieve, but it is made possible by 2 factors. First is the Sea Wall, which allows units to ignore 1 flag (allowing you to hold your position in most cases) and causing a -1D penalty to the German Infantry. The 2nd factor is the exposed (no Bunker) German Infantry unit near D-1. This unit can be attacked with 2D by the Allied Armour Unit. If it can be eliminated, it paves the way for an attack on the village of Vierville sur-Mer.
Of course it is the German Artillery that cause most of the problems. Getting Infantry into position to attack is critical and the Rangers can be key.
Perhaps the greatest reason for going after this flank (cards permitting) is that if you can eliminate the 3 German Units located there, you can effectively claim 5 of the 6 medals needed for victory by taking the village.
General Tips - Like any beach scenario, Infantry should always take cover in Hedgehog hexes, allowing them to ignore 1 flag result. Being pushed back is disaster for any beach assault, so use Hedgehogs to your advantage.
Of course Hedgehogs do cause headaches for Armour Units. Be careful when moving Armour to ensure that they don't block a line of attack you had planned to use with your Infantry in future turns.
Armour should always try to end a turn on Barbed Wire so it is removed. This paves the way for Infantry later on.
Cards to Dream of - In this scenario it isn't so much any single card that is key, but having a hand of cards that allows a sustained attack in one or more sections. 'Barrage' is wonderful for targeting key Artillery or other targets and any cards that allow multiple unit movement such as 'Infantry Assault' and 'All Section' Cards are vital. Also any cards that offer extra dice in attack are handy to clean out Bunker based units.
Summary
I've always liked the challenge of Omaha Beach. I think it is a perfect example of a scenario that emphasises the skills needed to be a good Memoir player. Those skills include hand management, formulating a sustained attack and taking advantage of your strengths whilst exploiting your opponent's weaknesses.
For me Memoir is only worth playing if each player plays both sides, adding their victories and medal count for both battles to identify the overall winner.
Using that system, Omaha is a very tense affair and sometimes 'losing well' as the Allies is all it takes to gain a narrow victory.
Omaha Beach (First Assault Wave) with Airpack
Changes - The 3 changes are that all deep sea Allied Units are now on Landing Craft, there is an Allied Destroyer Unit in the Central Section (in the hex behind the Armour and Allied Unit) and Air Sortie Rules are optional. If used they give the Allied player 1 Air Sortie Card, with the other being shuffled into the deck.
Implications - Omaha Beach is the 1st scenario that I have come across where changes in the Air Pack have the potential to totally change the course of the battle.
The Landing Craft, allow the Allies to storm the beach quicker and make better use of lethal Command Cards. This can allow the Allied Ranger Unit to enter into hostilities in as little as 2 turns.
However we have seen Landing Craft before. What really causes the Germans some problems is the addition of the Destroyer Unit. This evens things up somewhat as the Allies can now launch long-range attacks on German defensive positions. Suddenly Central Command Cards are far more valuable and cards like 'General Advance' and 'Recon in Force' Cards allow the Destroyer Unit to support attacks in any section.
There are probably a million variables possible with the Air Sortie rules in effect. Go and find them. 
I can't wait for DoW to get the Air Pack Scenarios up so fans can start to log these battles separate from the originals. I suspect that the margin of victory will be much narrower than the current 79%.
Links to other Strategy Guides
Pegasus Bridge
Sainte Mere-Eglise
Sword Beach
Pointe-Du-Hoc
Mont Mouche
Vassieux, Vercors
Operation Cobra
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Thanks International SS for A Few Acres of Snow!
