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I'm a bit of a born-again wargamer! I played many of the Games Workshop games when I was in my teens and early twenties, but left the hobby behind when I went to University. Over the last few years I have gradually got back into it and am literally having a ball! I'll play pretty much anything now, ranging from ancient historical to the far future! I think that I get more out of the painting side of things than actually playing, but that might just be because I get more opportunity. Hence the title...this blog is all about the colour of war!!

Wednesday 31 October 2012

Memoirs of a boardgame!


I picked up Memoir '44 a while ago and it's become my 'go to' game for evenings where my brother comes round, so I thought I'd post some thoughts about it. There are a couple of reasons Memoir '44 has bubbled to the top. First, the box is nice and light and smaller than Battlecry. It's a small detail, but it matters when you're reaching up into a cupboard. Second, it's a bit quicker to play than CC:Ancients. Like BC, it's more lightweight than CC:A and therefore each turn is a bit more straightforward. And last, I think it's a bit more flavoursome than Battlecry. Perhaps it's just that WW2 appeals a bit more, but the synergy of the artillery, armour and infantry seems to suit this game a bit better. It also seems that infantry firefights can be a bit more protracted in dense terrain, due to the fewer dice thrown, which makes infantry a touch more durable than in Battlecry.


As far as components go, this is right up there with Battlecry. The box is nicely organised and the pieces are very nice. I had a slight issue with some barricades that were missing, but Days of Wonder provided them quickly and without fuss. A couple of the terrain tiles also have a slight printing error, but I can live with that. All in, a good quality set. The rules are well laid out and you get some nice touches, like cards that summarise all terrain penalties and such. The Command Cards are of a decent stock and feel like they'll last well. Overall, I'm happy with this game and so far it's given some pretty good, tense battles. The scenarios are well thought out and ones that you might think would give this system a hard time, like Omaha Beach, actually deliver a tight and plausible game. The other plus is that there are plentiful expansions that are mostly in print and cover the major theatres - the Pacific, the Med and the Ostfront. I've asked Santa for the Pacific one as it should provide some pretty interesting scenarios and it gives me a fix of the Pacific ground warfare without a high entry cost.

 

4 comments:

  1. Nice synopsis...M44 is one of our go to games as well. I have two tennage sons and it is perfect since I can only get an hour or so of their attention at a time. My younger does still like Battlecry, but they are almost interchangable. You will not be disappointed with the expansions especially overlord or breakthrough which will require a second set. We currently own all but one of the scenario packs which is now OoP, but we have definatley made our money on this game as you cannot put a price on quality family time with growing children.

    Enjoy!

    Aaron

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    1. My kids are a bit too young yet, but I'm looking forward to being able to play this with them. After all, it's plastic army men...! What kid doesn't like that?

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  2. I play Memoir'44 online and it's a great way to pass an hour or two. I'm sure the game would transfer to the tabletop too!

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    Replies
    1. How do you play it online? Is it a VASSAL module?

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