Memoir '44
From: Days of Wonder
Reviewed by: Travis Lee
Memoir '44 is a new tabletop war game from Days of Wonder.
I'll be the first to admit I've not got the mentality or temperament for tabletop war gaming. Definitely not Strategy Guy or Tactical Guy. But every once in awhile something comes along that perks up my ears and gets me interested. Why? Lets take a look.
From page #2 :
“Memoir '44 is a unique historical game that allows players to effectively portray stylized WWII battles."
Since I don't have experience with war gaming, I set down with those who did and took a hard look. First off we went over the rules. Presenting in an attractive, magazine style, rule book, these are some of the simplest pieces of game play, well, ever.
We start with the game board. A large and sturdy fold-out piece with greenery on one side and Normandy beach on the other. There's little detail on the board though, that's were the Terrain Hex Pieces come in. These pieces represent such features as rivers, villages, and forests and are laid out according to the particular scenario instructions. There are sixteen scenarios, each representing battles from right before D-Day through the liberation of France and Germany.
There are two players, or two teams, and each person/group is in charge of either the Allies or Germans. Their forces are represented by plastic figures. Each side has Artillery, Infantry, and Armored Vehicles. For stopping the enemy in their tracks, you have Hedgehogs, Barbed Wire, and Sand Bags. Each side is color coded. There are also French Resistance units which, unlike standard units, may battle in villages and forests.
On your turn, you act by playing a Command Card. These cards indicate which area of the board you may effect with commands (left, right, or middle flank), or which specific units you can command (i.e. 4 armored units). And of course there's some Special Tactics to throw at your enemies too. You get one order per unit. Players may then move and/or battle opponents units. Damage is reflected by removing one of the plastic figures representing a unit. Units can also be destroyed by being driven off the board (retreat, driven into the sea, etc). To battle, each player rolls a number of dice which have unit-type symbols on them. Each time a die rolls the opposing unit symbol, remove a figure. A roll of a flag represents retreat.
How do you win? By acquiring Victory Medals. You get these either by taking and holding specific objectives, or by destroying enemy units. An example: in the Pegasus Bridge Scenario the allies must capture and hold two bridges. Each Bridge has a metal, so the Allies must capture both and kill two units, or gut the German forces. The Germans must destroy four allied units to succeed. Of course this gets more complicated in later scenarios as larger battles with more objectives come into play. To ad further interest, certain units may be designated 'special units' with new abilities.
There are of course, more considerations than this. But such things as line of site for battles, and special units, are accounted for with equal ease and competence.
From page # 2:
“The Scale of the game fluctuates from battle to battle. For some scenarios, an infantry unit may represent an entire battalion, while in other scenarios a unit may represent a single company or platoon.”
"Designed to commemorate the efforts and sacrifices of the men & women of the Second World War, we trust it will provide you with a sense of history and the desire to learn more about that Greatest Generation of all.
Historical Accuracy and ease and simplicity of play are the watchwords of Memoir '44. As you can see, the core rules are simple enough as it is. Things are simplified even further by the inclusion of Terrain and Unit Cards which give capsule rules for the units and types of land. This saves large amounts of time by removing the need to dig through the book every time one needs a basic rules clarification.
This is important because the game is intended to be fast paced. Real battles move quickly, and so does this game.
The attention to teaching history is great. Each Scenario description starts with exciting flavor text describing the lead up and actual battle outcome and strategy. Then there are the side restrictions, controlled by number of command cards. In the Pegasus Bridge introductory scenario, Allies have access to six command cards while the Germans only have two. Field Marshall Rommel, who was in command of the area, had taken a vacation at the time, thus weakening the German forces. I loved this. Too many computer and board game designers feel everything has to be 'fair' so they completely ignore realism. To avoid making things to difficult for one side, final victory can be determined by match play (i.e. best two out of three) battles move swiftly enough for this to be a viable option.
This is the sort of game I (and all the other players) would have loved to have played in school. The accurate, yet easy setup and use would make this a perfect format for discussing world war 2 history, then letting the students play it out for themselves.
And if you finish up all sixteen scenarios and want more? Go for it. Each game comes with a registration number that can be entered at the website for more scenarios and other goodies.
Of course I'm required to look for any problems with a reviewed product. And, since Memoir '44 was created by human hands there were a few. First, the plastic figures where a bit flimsy. On or two came 'pre-broken'. Also, the art for the Command cards was repetitive and kind of boring. More involved and unique pictures, or even real WWII photographs would have been better.
The last issue really isn't a problem, more a matter of taste. This is definitely a game for those who like to keep it basic. It certainly isn't for those who want a myriad details on every unit and what they're doing. But for those who like it simple, they will find that Memoir '44 is a lot like chess. Easy to learn, hard to master. The immense replay value and breadth of movement allows for some really interesting strategic potential. And if you know someone with another copy, you can put your boards together and enter Overlord mode. The box contains rules for D-Day, and apparently registering will get you more details. Essentially, this is the Warcraft of the table top gaming world.
In conclusion,
While the price is a tad steep, its still worth every penny. If your at all interested in table top war gaming, or your like me and normally have difficulties but like the idea, shell out the cash. Its very, very worth it.
For more details on Days of Wonder and their new tabletop war game “Memoir '44” check them out at their website http://www.memoir44.com/, and at all of your local game stores.
(Product Summary)
Memoir '44
From: Days of Wonder
Type of Game: tabletop war game
Written by: Richard Borg
Game Design by: Richard Borg
Developed by: Pat Kurivivial, Roy Grider
Artwork by: Julien Delval
Game Components Included: One board map, 44 dble-sided terrain hex pieces, 10 dble sided victory medals, 14 special forces badges, 4 dble sided rectangle bunker and bridge tiles, two sets of miniatures (each side-42 infantry, 24 armored, 6 artillery, 18 obstacles, 3 cardholders), 1 deck of seventy cards (60 command cards, 9 summary cards)
Retail Price: $ 49.95 (US)
Number of Players: 2 Players or Two Teams
Player Ages: Type Age Range
Play Time: 20-40 Minutes
IBSN: 0-9752773-3-2
Email: Info. at info@daysofwonder.com OR technical support at support@daysofwonder.com
Website: www.memoir44.com/
Reviewed by: Travis Lee
