Category Archives: Memoir 44

At my signal, unleash hell.

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I wish there was a better solo system for this game.

I’ve had this game in my collection for a while, probably over a decade, but I can count the number of times I’ve played on one hand.

I’ve played more games of Memoir ’44, also by the same designer (Richard Borg), than I have this game, and the only time I played against a human opponent was at Dice Tower 2019.

I decided to revisit C&CA because I had preordered a Samurai version of the game sometime last year.  As I was browsing Amazon for expansions (I got the 1st and 6th expansions over the years, Greece and Eastern Kingdoms, and Spartan Army, respectively) I saw a damaged copy of C&C Napoleonics on sale for almost 50% off retail price.  I’d never played any Napoleonic wargame, but it’s been something I’d wanted to try, so I ordered it.

Cool, I thought, I’m going to play this one as soon as it comes in.  I was planning to develop a bad French accent to use while playing.

The next day I got an email that the game I had preordered had shipped.

Welp.

So in the span of a week I’ve gone from 1 of these games to 3 variants, or 2 to 4 if you include Memoir ’44.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still possible to play these games solitaire, with one of my plushies or action figures on the opposite side of the board to represent my opponent, but they’re more fun and challenging when playing against a live person.

For now, it’s time to assemble the playing pieces for the Samurai Battles game.

Stand by!

After Further Review

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In the handful of games of Memoir 44 that I’ve played, I’ve had the opportunity to use the ‘Air Power’ card only a couple of times, and usually as the Axis, which is a weaker (1 battle die) attack than an Allied attack (2 battle dice).  So for the most part I’ve thought of this game as primarily a ground assault game.

A few years back and long before I plunged into this game there was an Air Pack expansion that expanded the air combat rules for the game.

At first glance I believed that it was not necessary, since there was an ‘Air Power’ card in the game already.  Many players appeared to feel the same, but others felt it was a necessary addition.

The Air Pack is out of print (like most expansions for this 15 year old game) but Days of Wonder is now planning to release the New Flight Plan expansion.

The rules are posted on the site, and after reviewing them, I decided to preorder a copy of the expansion.

It comes with plane miniatures, like my beloved B-17 Flying Fortress.

Looks like the ‘G’ variant.

Stand by.

Pumping the Brakes

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I’m still waiting on a couple of Memoir 44 items to arrive in the mail, but yesterday I bought the last expansion that I intend to for now.

This has much larger maps, for much larger scenarios, which I saw in the Winter Wars expansion.

I’m a completest, but even I gotta hold off on some stuff, like the Operation Overlord expansion, which bumps up the game to up to 8 players, and requires a SECOND core set in order to play.  I like the concept, though: team of up to 4, with 3 field generals and one commander who gives the combat cards drawn to the generals, who play them as they see fit to do.

My gaming group is less than 8, and we’re not ready for something like that, I think.

For now, I’ll just enjoy solo or 2 player games.

Axis and Allies

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By the end of the month I’ll have enough of the core game and expansions for Memoir 44 to cover practically all theaters of World War II

  • The core set has US and German army playing pieces.
  • Mediterranean Theater has a British army and rules for Italian troops, using the German army pieces.
  • Eastern Front has a Russian army.
  • Pacific Theater has a Japanese army.
  • Winter Wars expands the ETO to cover Christmas 1944 and the Battle of the Bulge.
  • Winter Desert Map is more for aesthetics than anything else.

I have plenty to keep me busy with this game, I think.  Though I am looking at the map series expansions, specifically the one with Japanese and Russians fighting early in the war.

Incoming: Memoir 44

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Remember when I mentioned a rabbit hole?

Arriving today (March 21):

Arriving tomorrow (March 22):

 

Arriving next week (I hope):

I think that covers everything I need for now.  The Winter Wars expansion may come later.  And I’m still not sure about the air power expansion.

 

The New Rabbit Hole?

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15 years after it was released, we played a game of Memoir 44, at Dice Tower West in Las Vegas.

The game itself was on my radar for many years, but for one reason or another I simply ignored it.

But once Nels and I played a game, we both agreed that it was a good game.  So much so that I finally ordered a copy of the base set, which appears to be out of print.  Along with all of it’s expansions.

I’ve been able to find a few of the expansions locally and online, and I’ve picked up a couple and may end up getting more of them in the future.

Right now my white whale/holy grail is the Pacific Theater expansion, which has always been my chosen area of interest in World War II.  I seem to be able to find all of the expansions EXCEPT this one.

Here’s hoping I can find a copy.  Or it gets reprinted in the near future.