Having taken the AWI project to it's logical conclusion - each side now consists of 10 infantry bases, 4 skirmish bases, 4 artillery bases, 2 cavalry bases plus Generals - I have decided to make Memoir 44 the follow up. It's won't be a huge project, but does look so much fun. I have decided to focus upon the fights between US airborne troops and German forces based upon the Band of Brothers series. I was delighted to see that the published scenarios include the very same battles featured in the series, perfect.
I'll be getting a copy of the box game - lovely graphics on the cards, medals and additional hexes etc - but I'll be making all of the new terrain tiles from MDF hexes for my board and replacing all of the supplied plastic figures with 15mm metal figures from Peter Pig. The first order for figures is in so I hope to get started at the weekend. The armour units (3 blocks) will be replaced with a single scale model tank and hits marked on the base. It's been a very long time since I played WW2, in fact it was at SELWG club nights in the late Seventies!
Memoir 44 is a relatively simple game, typical of what was to become the Commands & Colors system, but this suits me well as I'm no student of the period I must be honest. But like C&C it offers many subtle command and control challenges and decision making and the emphasis for me is to have fun and enjoy playing the games.
For a peek at the rules (PDF) click here. Note it's for ages 8 and over!
There are literally pages of scenarios available, this is the 'Carentan' scenario for example as featured in Band of Brothers. Here.
Other news.
I'm ready to write up the report of the AWI game played recently completed. I won't spoil it, but suffice to say that the British Guards and Grenadiers suffered heavily in the action as a result of an impetuous early attack. Back soon.
Slight word of warning, Memoir 44 hexes are 53mm side to side rather than 55/56mm in C&C. Probably won't affect you if you are completely replacing the tiles, but if you use the M44 terrain tiles to sit on top of your 55mm tiles then there will be a small margin. On the plus side the RDOXX battlehex tiles (if you use them) fit pretty well exactly.
ReplyDeleteKeith