Post by Whiterook on Oct 22, 2022 9:22:19 GMT -5
A game from the Days of Wonder company, Memoir ‘44 is one of my Top 5 favorite Wargames!
L
Just a wonderfully fun game all around, which has it all for me, for WWII action, but at a low learning curve level…I’d put it at a mid-range of complexity. I knew nothing of the Commands & Colors system when I bought it, and it was definitely a departure from what I usually played, being largely card-driven — yiu are dealt a number of cards in your hand and those determine which section of a Tri-sectioned gameboard you can act; left flank, center, right flank, or a combo. Quite brilliant, really! …and it is just that card-driven mechanic that makes it so solitaire friendly, IMHO. The miniatures are like a cross between toy army men of old and Axis & Allies game pieces… simple, but quite representative of the pieces modeled. Tons of expansions and added playability, but it’s in that where the mystery at hand develops: the Multiplayer versions.
Being a 2-Player game, there are four official and unofficial expansions to make it a multiplayer game, and only two of them are truly spelled out briefly. Trying to hunt down the specifics of each, and more importantly the game components (other expansions) required to play, is like pulling teeth. Those that know, don’t want to talk, and those that don’t know are in the majority and clueless.
This thread will be my investigative efforts to solve this mystery, starting with what I know, and then piecing the puzzle together. I’ll likely focus on each of the four individually in their own separate thread, but referred back and forth from here, with this being a more “summation and conclusion” vehicle.
Hang in tight!
LMemoir '44 is a historical boardgame where players face-off in stylized battles of some of the most famous historic battles of World War II including Omaha Beach, Pegasus Bridge, Operation Cobra and the Ardennes.
Memoir '44 includes over 15 different battle scenarios and features a double-sided hex game board for both beach landings and countryside combat. Each scenario mimics the historical terrain, troop placements and objectives of each army. Commanders deploy troops through Command and Tactic cards, applying the unique skills of his units -- infantry, paratrooper, tank, artillery, and even resistance fighters -- to their greatest strength.
"By design, the game is not overly complex", says Memoir '44 designer, Richard Borg. "The game mechanics, although simple, still require strategic card play, timely dice rolling and an aggressive yet flexible battle plan to achieve victory." In addition to the large, double-sided gameboard, Memoir '44 includes 144 amazingly detailed army miniatures - including historically accurate infantry, tanks and artillery; 36 Obstacle pieces, 60 illustrated Command cards, 44 Special Terrain tiles, and 8 Custom Wooden dice.
Memoir '44 is designed for 2 players but easily accommodates team play. And with Memoir '44 Overlord scenarios, players can use multiple boards and up to 8 players to conduct large scale operations, experiencing the challenges of troop coordination and military chain of command on a large scale battlefield. Average game length is between 30 and 60 minutes, encouraging match play where players can command first one side and then the other.
The Memoir '44 series consists of the base game and a number of expansions.
This game is based upon Richard Borg's Command and Colors system.
— BGG
Memoir '44 includes over 15 different battle scenarios and features a double-sided hex game board for both beach landings and countryside combat. Each scenario mimics the historical terrain, troop placements and objectives of each army. Commanders deploy troops through Command and Tactic cards, applying the unique skills of his units -- infantry, paratrooper, tank, artillery, and even resistance fighters -- to their greatest strength.
"By design, the game is not overly complex", says Memoir '44 designer, Richard Borg. "The game mechanics, although simple, still require strategic card play, timely dice rolling and an aggressive yet flexible battle plan to achieve victory." In addition to the large, double-sided gameboard, Memoir '44 includes 144 amazingly detailed army miniatures - including historically accurate infantry, tanks and artillery; 36 Obstacle pieces, 60 illustrated Command cards, 44 Special Terrain tiles, and 8 Custom Wooden dice.
Memoir '44 is designed for 2 players but easily accommodates team play. And with Memoir '44 Overlord scenarios, players can use multiple boards and up to 8 players to conduct large scale operations, experiencing the challenges of troop coordination and military chain of command on a large scale battlefield. Average game length is between 30 and 60 minutes, encouraging match play where players can command first one side and then the other.
The Memoir '44 series consists of the base game and a number of expansions.
This game is based upon Richard Borg's Command and Colors system.
— BGG
Just a wonderfully fun game all around, which has it all for me, for WWII action, but at a low learning curve level…I’d put it at a mid-range of complexity. I knew nothing of the Commands & Colors system when I bought it, and it was definitely a departure from what I usually played, being largely card-driven — yiu are dealt a number of cards in your hand and those determine which section of a Tri-sectioned gameboard you can act; left flank, center, right flank, or a combo. Quite brilliant, really! …and it is just that card-driven mechanic that makes it so solitaire friendly, IMHO. The miniatures are like a cross between toy army men of old and Axis & Allies game pieces… simple, but quite representative of the pieces modeled. Tons of expansions and added playability, but it’s in that where the mystery at hand develops: the Multiplayer versions.
Being a 2-Player game, there are four official and unofficial expansions to make it a multiplayer game, and only two of them are truly spelled out briefly. Trying to hunt down the specifics of each, and more importantly the game components (other expansions) required to play, is like pulling teeth. Those that know, don’t want to talk, and those that don’t know are in the majority and clueless.
This thread will be my investigative efforts to solve this mystery, starting with what I know, and then piecing the puzzle together. I’ll likely focus on each of the four individually in their own separate thread, but referred back and forth from here, with this being a more “summation and conclusion” vehicle.
Hang in tight!