[Review] Memoir '44: Terrain Pack Expansion

(I assume that readers of this review already know how to play Memoir
'44)

When Memoir first came out, I wrote a review, reveling about how rumors
of expansions were in the works - and how exciting it was to anticipate
them. Memoir itself was a game that promised endless variety, and
there were tons of scenarios posted on the internet, covering virtually
every battle of the European World War II. Still, the game was just
screaming for a few more terrain types and rules.

Well, Memoir 44' Terrain Pack (Days of Wonder, 2005 - Richard Borg)
adds all of this and more. There was more terrain in the pack than I
ever dreamed they would add and certainly enough to satisfy the
cravings of anyone who wants to build a custom made scenario. From
railroads to mountains to desert terrain to collapsible boats - enough
was added to allow players to recreate almost any battle imaginable.
While the rules still don't come close to the monster simulation rules
of games such as Advanced Squad Leader, the expansion does raise the
level of Memoir, adding more complication and variety. And, of course,
more fun.

While I don't have the time to detail everything in this review, I'll
mention some noticeable points about the expansion...

1.) Components: The game comes with literally piles of double-sided
hex terrain - more than will ever be used in any one scenario. The
artwork on the tiles is excellent and really brings flavor to the board
- whether adding dams, airfields, cemeteries, or a lighthouse. The
extra rules for each of these items (if any) are nice, but it just
brings a much more intriguing aesthetic to the board. All of the
tiles are of extreme quality - as well as the pile of smaller counters
included. Badges, mines, field bunkers, and trains are a few of the
new counters. I've read some criticism of the packaging of the
expansion, which is indeed in a flimsy box; but I'm unsure of why this
is a problem, since the expansion can easily be packed into the main
box (isn't that what expansions are for?) One definitely gets their
money's worth from this box.

2.) Rules: The rulebook comes with twenty-two pages of rules, which
include four new scenarios. I would have preferred a few more
scenarios, since I want to use all the new tiles in the expansion; but
as I said earlier, dozens of new scenarios are downloadable from the
internet. All the new tiles and rules are explained easily with color
pictures shown. Each of the scenarios only adds a few of the new
rules/tiles, and therefore players need only look up the rules for what
they are using that particular scenario. The only thing I missed were
the cards that showed each type of terrain and what they do (although I
will admit that with the vast amount of tiles this would be too much to
ask for). Fortunately, a reference *** can be downloaded from
www.daysofwonder.com that I found immensely useful in this regard.

3.) Minefields: One of my favorite new items/rules from this expansion
(also found in the Eastern Front expansion) is the minefields. A pile
of tokens, numbered from zero to four on one side, are shuffled and
placed face down in spaces as indicated by the scenario. If an enemy
unit enters these spaces, they must stop, flip the tile over, and roll
that many dice as an automatic attack against their unit. If there is
a "0" number, then the mines are simply decoys. Minefields do not go
away, although they stay face up; and players can only deactivate them
with an engineer unit. Mines make the game much more interesting -
will a player gamble and drive straight through the minefield, taking
any casualties that might occur, or go the slower way around?

4.) Railroads: Railways were an important objective in World War II,
and a lot of interesting battles can be formed around them. Plenty of
tiles are provided to put tracks all over the boards as well as rules
for moving trains back and forth on the tracks. Trains can be
attacked, carry units, and simply provide a load of interesting
features to the game.

5.) Sabotage: Dams are added to the game, which of course means the
ability to blow them up must be included. Players use the dice to
attack terrain (upon rolling a star, they add a damage token); and when
they've done enough damage, the objective is destroyed. This adds a
layer of tension, as a team of soldiers stays in a possibly dangerous
situation, trying to achieve their objective while not get blown apart.
Blowing up bridges is even more interesting; it can be very simple, as
the player need only play a card from that section. However, the
player does not get the card back, reducing their hand size
permanently, which is a very unfortunate event.

6.) Roads: Most miniature games have some sort of road rules - even
Heroscape. So it's of no surprise to see roads added in this game,
which increase the movement of all units that start and end their
movement on them.

7.) Mountains: Taller than the hills included in the original game,
mountains not only make line of site more difficult but are almost
impassible except by infantry who clamber up from a nearby hill. If
you are lucky to get artillery on top of a mountain in a scenario, then
their range is lengthened.

8.) Desert Terrain: A pile of sand hexes are included with the game.
These go especially well with the Winter/Desert map (expansion # 3) but
can be used on a regular board (I wouldn't, it looks odd). Many of the
pieces, the palm forests and towns, are the same as the original game
counterparts; but a few new ones are included, such as an Oasis and the
Wadis. The Oasis acts similar to a town, except that it's not as
strong defensively. The Wadis acts as a tunnel of sorts in the desert,
except that it can be seen down into. It's a dangerous way to travel,
but sometimes it is the only option in a scenario.

9.) Misc: There are many other different things that the expansion
adds, from calling in air strikes, to pontoon bridges, to "big guns"
(which I really enjoy - they can shoot eight spaces away and "acquire"
targets), to combat engineers, to flooding fields. Yes, this is still
a very simple, easy game. But all of this adds more flavor to the
original game. The game also includes a slew of nationality badges
that while not necessary help add a bit of historicalness to the game.

If you thought that Memoir '44 was a good game but lacked a certain
"something", then that "something" is this expansion. If you love
Memoir '44, then picking up this expansion is a no brainer. And if you
are a person that loves to make countless scenarios simulating all
parts of the war, then this is the expansion of your dreams. Memoir
'44 Terrain Pack may not have all the complexities of a "grognard's"
vision, but it has more than enough punch for the casual gamer who
wants a little bit more from their light war games. I've already said
that Memoir '44 is the definitive light war game. This expansion
simply solidifies that statement.

Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"
www.tomvasel.com

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