Friday, April 15, 2016

M is for Memoir 44 - #atozchallenge

Today's post is about the board game Memoir 44.  Memoir 44 is a wargame that is based on the Command and Colors system.  The game takes place in WWII and the base game focuses on D Day and the following Allied invasion of Europe.  Memoir 44 is in my top ten board games.  One reason why I like it so much is that it uses little plastic army men as pieces.  I loved to play with army men as a kid and using them in the game has a big nostalgia factor for me.



I also like the game system.  In order to move and attack you have to play a card from a hand.  The card you play tells you which units on the board you get to move that turn.  I like this mechanic because it causes you to have tough choices during the game.  Your actions are a finite resource and you must manage them carefully.  I also like how the scenarios of the game start out simple and them increase in complexity.  The first scenario uses only infantry and then the game slowly adds, artillery, tanks, special units, and so on.  The only complaint I have about the game is that it uses special dice which have symbols painted on the sides.  I always prefer my dice faces to be engraved.



Memoir 44 is simple and you can easily play a couple of scenarios in an evening.  It is perfect for introducing casual gamers to historical wargaming or for a beer and pretzels night with a die hard grognard.  I highly recommend it.