News From The Front

Yes, I may be "hip deep in the big muddy" of the Kid Games 100 and the Five & Dime reports, but that hasn't kept me from playing a good bit of Memoir '44, which is very possibly my favorite "war game." (I can hear all of you serious grognards now, wincing & whining that I called Memoir '44 a war game and somehow sullied the clipped counter purity of your lovingly preserved copy of War in the East. Sorry 'bout that.)

Still speaking to the wargamers out there: yes, I like Command & Colors: Ancients, but not as much as Memoir '44, Battlelore or Battle Cry. (They're all part of a family of games called Command & Colors, designed by Richard Borg, for those of you who don't recognize any of the names.) I often wonder if the reason wargamers like C&C: Ancients so much is that it has charts & doesn't have minis. (OK, I'll admit I'm trolling a bit with that last statement.)

Attack on Normandy

Braeden & I are three battles into our first Grand Campaign, thanks to the new Campaign book. He's the Allies (currently British troops) trying to flank Caen in order to punch an exit out of the immediate area around the D-Day beaches. I (playing the Axis) am currently holding him back... but it's still early in the battle - there are nearly 20 scenarios here.

• Securing the Flank (#1): Axis 6 - Allies 1 (an ugly blowout involving a huge tank attack on my part)
• Capturing the Crossing (#2): Axis 6 - Allies 5 (a slugfest that finally came down to a last ditch surge)
• Withdrawal from Hill 112 (#3): Axis 6 - Allies 3 (another tank-led blitz pushed him back)

If all goes well, we'll be fighting Hill 112 (#4) tonight. While he can't make up the points for this section of the campaign, every medal counts for the Grand Campaign.

Tigers in the Snow

Days of Wonder has just announced that they'll be releasing another Battle Map set for the Overlord (multi-player) version of the game that will feature a Russian/German tank battle on one side & an Operation: Market Garden scenario on the other. It'll also have 6 Tiger tank figs & 2 extra "regular" scenarios.

Yep, they know how to pick my pocket. (Seriously... after playing Hedgerow Hell back in January, I'm sold on the battle maps & the Overlord expansion box. It was easy to set up & easy to bring new players into the game.)

New Recruits

Speaking of new recruits, my best friend from college (and best man at my wedding!), Tim Formby & his son, Nathan, have recently been drafted into the Memoir '44 forces.

Nathan - don't let your dad play his silly waiting/defensive game - go out there & attack him with wild & crazy near-suicide attacks. You won't always win, but you're guaranteed to make him crazy - it certainly worked when I did it to him in Conquest of the Empire all those years ago!