Memoir '44

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Manufacturer: Days of Wonder  Visit their site Designer: Richard Borg Players: 2 to 8 Time: 30 to 60 Minutes Categories: Wargame World War II Mechanics: Modular Board Campaign/Battle Card Driven Hand Management Dice Rolling Ages: 8 and up

Availability: In Stock  Sale Price: $33.45 - Retail $50.00 Reward Points: 3,345

From the opening minutes of D-Day to the liberation of Paris and beyond - Memoir '44 airdrops you into the key battles that turned the tide in Western Europe. Take command at some of the most historic battles of WWII including: Omaha Beach... Pegasus Bridge... Operation Cobra... and the Ardennes. Memoir '44 is a unique historical boardgame with luxurious miniatures that celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings. Easy to learn and fast-paced, the game requires strategic card play, timely dice rolling and an aggressive, yet flexible battle plan to achieve victory!

NOTE: If more than 2 players, then it's a 'Team Play' game.

Here's a review from Mike Petty:

Memoir ’44 is the latest release from Days of Wonder. It’s a two-player or two-team game billed on the box as the official game of the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Some gamers may also be interested to know it’s based on Richard Borg’s Commands and Colors Game System which was also used in the Hasbro/Avalon Hill release, Battle Cry. I have had a lot of fun with Battle Cry over the years and I’m always happy to play another beautiful game from Days of Wonder, so I hope readers will not be surprised to know I have many great things to say about Memoir ’44.

Do I even need to comment on the components of a Days of Wonder game? As we’ve come to expect, the many infantry, armor and artillery figures are very well done. The artwork on the cards is stunning. I’m always impressed with the level of detail put into these productions. With reference cards, detailed examples in the rules and in this case, even some detailed WWII historical information, I get the impression the Days of Wonder crew stops at nothing to make a great experience for the gamers who buy their products.

I was glad I was familiar with the Commands and Colors system when I first saw the 35-page rulebook for Memoir ’44! Even if you haven’t played Battle Cry, though don’t be intimidated by the large booklet. Much of it is devoted to the various scenarios you can set up. The somewhat long rules section is full of many clear examples throughout. The combat system itself is actually very simple. The new players I taught the game to were able to set up their first scenario and start playing within 20 minutes.

For those not familiar with Battle Cry, I’ll briefly sum up the system. On a turn a player will play one card from his hand. Typically the card will specify a number of units he can give orders to in one of three flanks – left, right or center. Some cards grant special actions allowing for different combinations of units to order. An order consists of a move and possibly a battle. Each type of unit – infantry, armor or artillery – has its own rules for movement and battles. Battles are carried out by rolling a number of special dice. One figure is removed from the targeted hex for each die showing an icon matching the targeted unit type or a hand grenade (which is wild). After battles are resolved, the player will draw a card. Though there are some special cases that arise and terrain affects the rules considerably, I hope it’s evident the basic play of a turn is quite simple.

I really appreciate the summary cards included with the game. While I still have to refer to the rulebook occasionally, the cards are a great help during play. They summarize unit abilities and terrain effects very briefly through the use of icons. Rather than passing the rulebook around and trying to sift through all the pages, the cards can be readily at hand to all players.

Are there any negatives to this game? Well, I can think of a couple. First, I’m sure some might say it’s too simple. I’m not a serious wargamer, so I can only speculate, but the dice-driven combat and use of cards to issue orders make it very possible a great strategy can crumble under the weight of the luck involved. Personally I don’t take this too seriously, as the game clearly excels at what it’s meant to be—a lighter wargame to be enjoyed by teens and families. The rulebook refers to the system as “stylized” and I think that sums it up very well. Details of combat are ignored, offering a fast-paced gameplay that leaves room for some strategy as well as unexpected turns of events. I’ve found the game plays very quickly and I think that will appeal to today’s younger gamers far more than the detailed charts and long turns associated with more traditional wargames.

My biggest complaint is that it takes awhile to set up scenarios, especially at first as players ge

Other products in the "Memoir '44" series.
Memoir '44	Memoir '44 - Terrain Pack Expansion	Memoir '44 - Eastern Front Expansion Pack	Memoir '44 - Winter/Desert Board Map	Memoir '44: Pacific Theater Expansion
Memoir '44 Air Pack Expansion	Memoir '44 Campaign Bag	Memoir '44: Mediterranean Theater Expansion	Memoir '44 Operation Overlord Expansion	Memoir '44 BattleMap Hedgerow
Memoir '44 Campaign Book Expansion	Memoir '44: Battle Map - Tigers In The Snow/operation Market Garden	Memoir '44: Battlemap Volume 3 - Sword Of Stalingrad

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Ticket to Ride	Pirate's Cove	Memoir '44 - Eastern Front Expansion Pack	Memoir '44 - Terrain Pack Expansion	Ticket To Ride - Europe
Shadows Over Camelot	Power Grid	Bang! 4th Edition	Lost Cities card game	Puerto Rico

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Chad Krizan - Madison Board Gamers