Hauts-Vents is Taken

by GeneralHowitzer | Oct 12, 2025 | 1944, 2025 Refresh, Armor, Artillery, Base Game, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western

Hauts-Vents is Taken

Listen up. We broke Panzer Lehr’s punch, then Task Force Z, beefed up with three companies from Task Force X, did exactly what winners do—drove straight for the high ground at Hauts-Vents. Our armor blasted through the wreckage, clawed onto the forward slope of Hill 91, and held under heavy pressure. The enemy tried to rip it back—tanks in column, bravado first, brains second. We’d already hauled the guns up; artillery smashed the counterattack, and their armor scattered to the hedgerows.

Result: Hill 91 captured—the day’s decisive prize. Flanks inched forward, but the center took the crown. Lesson: seize the height, bring the guns, break the counterpunch—then keep rolling.

~~ General Howitzer

Medals

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 4

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Location:

France

Year:
1944

Theater:

Western Front

Summary:

The asymmetrical starting pattern of this game makes for an interesting and challenging battle for both sides.

Objectives: 6 Medals
The three hexes of Hauts-Vents are each a temporary medal objective for the Allied player.

Hill 91 is composed of six hexes. If the Allied player controls at least two of those hexes at the start of their turn, they earn TWO temporary medals. If there are less than two Allied forces on the hill, then both medals are returned.

Terrain:

Countryside with hedgerows and hills.

Troops:

Allies – 7 Infantry, 5 Armor, 2 Artillery

Axis – 6 Infantry, 3 Armor, 1 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1. The three hexes of Hauts-Vents are Temporary Medal Objectives for the Allies. And Hill 91 counts as two medals if the Allies control at least two of the six hexes. These objectives should shape your attack vector.

Axis Strategy:

1. The enemy will try to take Hauts-Vents, as occurred historically, so move into defensive positions and finish them off as they try to move in.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder, part of the 2025 Refresh of the Base Game

Link:

Panzer Lehr at Hauts-Vents

by GeneralHowitzer | Oct 8, 2025 | 1944, 2025 Refresh, Armor, Artillery, Base Game, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western

Panzer Lehr at Hauts-Vents

Listen up. Just after midnight, 11 July ’44, Panzer Lehr—Germany’s showpiece—came rumbling through Hauts-Vents, tanks up front, infantry in tow. We didn’t wait for introductions. Our guns spoke first.

Lehr was fresh in January; by July they were tough but tired. In the hedgerows, strength on paper doesn’t matter—fire discipline and nerve do. My units cut their infantry to pieces in a string of sharp dawn fights and bloodied the panzers until their thrusts lost steam. By mid-afternoon, our lines were firm, their armor still dribbling in without mass, and the initiative was back in American hands.

Lesson: meet steel with steel, kill the spearhead, and the rest of the phalanx goes nowhere. Hold the line, then drive.

~~ General Howitzer

Medals

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Location:

France

Year:
1944

Theater:

Western Front

Summary:

The asymmetrical starting pattern of this game makes for an interesting and challenging battle for both sides.

Objectives: 6 Medals
Plus, the two hexes of the town of Le Rocher are temporary medal objectives for the Axis player.

Terrain:

Countryside with hedgerows and hills.

Troops:

Allies – 7 Infantry, 2 Armor, 2 Artillery

Axis – 5 Infantry, 5 Armor, 1 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1. Your Armor is outnumbered five to two. You will need to coordinate your forces of both the Infantry and Armor working together to fend off the Panzer Lehr forces.

Axis Strategy:

1. You have an overwhelming Armor advantage, but your tanks are blocked and far away from the action (which is more than likely the village of Le Rocher), so you need to get them there as soon as possible.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder, part of the 2025 Refresh of the Base Game

Link:

Belle-Lande

by GeneralHowitzer | Oct 2, 2025 | 1944, 2025 Refresh, Armor, Artillery, Base Game, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical, Theater: Western

Belle-Lande

Listen up. Our attack on Hauts-Vents bogged down. Hobbs did the right thing—shifted weight to the 119th and drove on Belle-Lande to turn the enemy’s flank. Task Force X pressed; Task Force Y moved to back up the 2nd and 3rd Battalions. Then the surprise: Belle-Lande, reported empty, lit us up—tanks dug in, infantry stiff as a board. That unexpected fire choked the relief and killed momentum.

We clawed to the village edge, took the measure, and found steel in the hedgerows. With darkness closing, we pulled the forward elements, called in the guns, and set to blast a path for dawn. End of the day: no objectives taken.

Lesson: never trust last night’s report—recon twice, flank hard, and keep artillery married to the advance. Momentum is earned; when it stalls, you reset and hit harder.

~~ General Howitzer

Medals

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Location:

France

Year:
1944

Theater:

Western Front

Summary:

The asymmetrical starting pattern of this game makes for an interesting and challenging battle for both sides.

Objectives: 5 Medals
Plus, the town of Belle-Lande is a complete set of temporary medals for the Allies.)

Terrain:

Countryside with hedgerows, hills, and 8 hexes for the town of Belle-Lande

Troops:

Allies – 7 Infantry, 6 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 6 Infantry, 5 Armor

Allied Strategy:

1. Historically, the Allies had a hard time attacking Belle-Lande, so your forces on the right flank will be facing a challenge if they attempt to cross the open land into the two defended hexes on the right. It may be better to pursue the ridge on the right and the hedgerows on the left for the Infantry forces. Then your Armor can attack from a distance to soften the town defenses before you launch your Infantry against it.

2. Every hex of Belle-Lande is a Temporary Medal Objective. Taking out just two hexes of Infantry and moving in, will gain you four of the five Medals needed to win.

Axis Strategy:

1. This is primarily a defensive role for the Axis. Stay behind your sandbags and fire away.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder, part of the 2025 Refresh of the Base Game

Link:

Battlegroup Heintz at Hauts-Vents

by GeneralHowitzer | Oct 1, 2025 | 1944, 2025 Refresh, Armor, Artillery, Base Game, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical, Theater: Western

Battlegroup Heintz at Hauts-Vents

Listen up. Hauts-Vents was a knuckle of roads west of St-Lô—the kind of crossroads that decides a campaign. The Germans threw together Kampfgruppe Heintz from the 275th Infantry to sit on it. We pushed XIX Corps—30th and 9th Infantry up front with 3rd Armored’s CCB—to rip that hinge off the door.

They fed in Panzer Lehr on the 10th and counterattacked hard on the 11th. Didn’t matter. We took Hill 91, smashed their thrusts, and CCB seized the Hauts-Vents crossroads. Result? Their screen cracked, their line started to sag, and St-Lô’s fall became a question of hours, not weeks.

Lesson: take the crossroads, break the spine, keep moving. Momentum wins France.

~~ General Howitzer

5 VP’s

4 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Location:

France

Year:
1944

Theater:

Western Front

Summary:

The asymmetrical starting pattern of this game makes for an interesting and challenging battle for both sides.

Objectives: 5 Medals
The town of La Rocher has two hexes worth one medal each.)

Terrain:

Countryside

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry, 2 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 7 Infantry, 1 Armor, 1 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1. Since you only need five medals to win, the town of Le Rocher is of great tactical value for you. It is close, and it is worth two victory medals. When you take out the two Infantry guarding it, and move into the town, you will have four of the five medals needed to win.

Axis Strategy:

1. While Hill 91 needs to be protected, you should consider moving your Infantry from the hill in the direction of Le Rocher in order to lend some support against the forces of 120th Infantry.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Sword Beach (Breakthrough)

by GeneralHowitzer | Sep 23, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Beach, Breakthrough Game, Countryside, D-Day, Infantry, Location: France, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western

Sword Beach (Breakthrough)

The Battle of Sword Beach took place on June 6, 1944 (D-Day) — the easternmost of the five Allied landing beaches during the Normandy invasion. It was assigned primarily to British forces, with support from Free French commandos, as part of Operation Overlord.

By nightfall on June 6, the Allies had:

Landed over 28,000 troops
Secured a beachhead about 5 miles deep
Linked up with Canadian forces from Juno Beach
Held their positions despite German counterattacks

Listen up, men — Sword Beach wasn’t just another patch of sand; it was the gateway to Caen and the key to cracking open Hitler’s Atlantic Wall on the eastern flank. At dawn on June 6th, the British 3rd Infantry hit that beach under a storm of lead and steel. Mines, wire, and concrete — it didn’t matter. They went straight through it, methodical as a tank rolling downhill.

While naval guns thundered from offshore, the Royal Engineers cleared obstacles like veterans of a hundred storms. And those Free French commandos — they fought like lions, linking up with the boys from Pegasus Bridge to lock down the flank before Jerry could regroup.

The Germans tried to hit back with their 21st Panzer Division, and for a moment, they even reached the coast — but our airmen and artillery smashed them flat. By nightfall, the British held Sword, linked up with the Canadians at Juno, and built a bridgehead five miles deep.

Caen didn’t fall that day — but Sword showed the world how an army fights when it’s trained, disciplined, and led with purpose. That’s how you take a beach — with steel in your hands and fire in your gut.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s

12

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 4

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Beach

Context:

Historical

Location:

Normandy

Year:

1944

Codename:

Operation Overlord

Summary:

12 Victory Points:

12 Medals, including Permanent Medal Objectives for Allied control of Casino Riva Bella, Strong-point Cod, and Strong-point Trout. Also a 2-Medal Temporary Objective for which ever side controls the Orne River and Canal. Finally, massive 3-Medal Temporary Objective for whomever controls the two Hexes representing Caen. Initially the Axis player gets these three medals at game start.

Terrain:

Countryside and Beach

Troops:

Allies – 8 Infantry including 3 Elites, 5 Armor, 2 Artillery

Axis – 10 Infantry, 3 Armor, 2 Artillery

Allies:

Big Picture Strategy: Like all beach scenarios, the number one primary goal for your forces is to Get Off the Beach!. Do not pause to capture the three frontline enemy medals. You can encircle them and then attack from all sides.

1. Once you have gotten your forces out of the water, then you can encircle the enemy at the three Permanent Medal Objectives at Casino Riva Bella, Strong-point Trout and the Chateau. Those medals are almost a given, so do not lose an excessive number of forces attacking them before you are out of the water.

3. Get your Artillery out of the water as soon as possible. They will be vital to breaking through the strongholds of the enemy on the beach. It will be especially important to take out the Artillery in the bunker as soon as possible, or it will destroy your forces.

Axis:

Big Picture Strategy: Get your forces forward. Bring the battle to them.

1. You have Armor stuck in your lower left flank which you need to get forward to the beach as quickly as possible. Practice some delaying techniques for a couple of turns to allow your Armor forward. You will be in a much better position to repel the enemy forces.

2. Two approaches to deal with the enemy forces in your lower right flank:

Option A: Eliminate the enemy forces on your lower right flank along the Canel de Orne as quickly as possible so that you will not have to worry about a rear-action attack. Then you can move your forces forward towards the beach.

Option B: Surround them and slowly pick them off throughout the game, saving the coup-de-grace for the end, when you can kill off the final Infantry for one Medal, and then move onto the bridge for two Medals. This will earn you three! medals in a single turn. Save it for last to win the round.

Author: Days of Wonder

URL

Opportunity at Falaise

by GeneralHowitzer | Aug 31, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Special Weapons, Tactical

Opportunity at Falaise

Operation Tractable was no walk in the park—it was a slugging match to crack open Falaise and slam shut the German retreat. After Totalize stalled at Hill 195, General Simonds didn’t waste time crying over it—he drew up a new plan and hit them again on August 14.

This time the Canadians rolled in daylight, the 4th Armoured hammering from the west, the 3rd Infantry grinding from the east. Smoke screens masked their advance, Kangaroos hauled men through fire, and German anti-tank guns spat death every step of the way. The enemy counterattacked hard, slowing progress, but the Canadians kept pushing. By the 16th, they broke into Falaise, and after two more days of brutal house-to-house fighting, the city was theirs.

It wasn’t the end, but it was the first crack in the Falaise Pocket. With Falaise in Allied hands, the jaws were closing on the German 7th Army—and they knew it.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s

5

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

Normandy

Year:

1944

Campaign:

Battle of Normandy: Operation Tractable

Summary:

Victory Points:

5 Medals, including a temporary medal for the town of Falaise.

Terrain:

Countryside with a river running across two thirds of the battlefield.

Troops:

Allies – 8 Infantry, 4 Armor

Axis – 8 Infantry including 1 Anti-tank gun, 1 Armor, 1 Artillery

Allies:

1. This scenario has a unique feature for the Allies, in that they can layout smoke screens on three hexes. It is probably best to put those in front of the closest enemy forces so that they cannot fire, while you prepare your attack.

2. Your best opportunity as Allies will be in your right flank. You can attack the units on the hill, and then begin putting pressure on the central section, and push towards the Medal in the town. The units in the woods in the center section are particularly hard to kill as the fordable river causes you to lose one attack dice, so you will be hitting the woods with just 1D per close assault Infantry unit.

Axis:

1. Your weakest area will be your left flank. With the river to protect the rest of your forces, you will need to get your armor to the left side in order to defend against the forces coming at you on that side.

2. You have an Anti-tank Infantry unit on the hill, which you can use to hit any Armor that comes your way, since it will also score a hit with Stars.

3. Protect the Medal Objective in the town. Do not allow the hex to remain empty if the enemy Armor gets near it.

Author.

URL