Hand Management
Hand Management in Memoir 44 refers to how you use, save, and plan for the cards which you have in your hand.
You need to take the time to build your attack hand. If you are not ready, then you need to stall by playing off the cards in your weak section, in order to hold off the enemy for a while.
Do you have enough Firepower for the attack?
If you are going to attack the enemy in a section, you need to make sure you have enough cards for that section, (or helpful Tactic cards), to finish the attack victoriously.
If they are sent into a section, and mount an attack, and do not instantly succeed on the first try, they are going to have to be able to endure a counter-attack – presumably – and have enough attack cards to try a second or even a third time until the enemy is annihilated.
How many cards are needed for a successful attack?
For a simple tactical maneuver to destroy a one or two figure infantry, a single card may be enough.
For an armored unit with 1 or 2 figures, based on the typical 1 in 3 success rate, you are going to need at least two cards.
For a full-force infantry unit with four figures, you will typically need three cards. This is also affected by the unit type, as many Engineers can ignore terrain restrictions, which increases firepower, and decreases the need for many attack sequences.
For a number of units in a section, you will need a full hand of at least three cards which can be applied to that section (both Section and Tactics cards combined). (And close combat engineers help also.) More of course is better, as you do not want to go into battle ‘hoping’ that you will get the additional cards you need. You need certainty before you begin an attack.
Quickly use the cards with low potential
Before things get too heated, you need to dump the cards that will not help your attack plan. You can use the less helpful cards, by attacking the enemy where you are NOT going to be. This is a feint and a diversion, which will give you time to build up your attack hand. Follow the advice of Sun Tzu in The Art of War, “Act strong where you are weak, and act weak where you are strong.” That is, until your hand is built up for the attack. Then, let them have it!
Go for the Center!
If you can build your hand for a center assault, you should pursue that course of action, because of the “Card Removal Effect”. Every card you play towards the center section is one less which your opponent will have. If you build a strong hand, your opponent will have limited responses to your attacks. Vertical offensive operations (all concentrated in one section) make for a powerful attack.
Seek to develop the hand for a deep assault in the center, so that you can keep attacking and attacking.
