The Tatsinskaya Raid

by GeneralHowitzer | Sep 22, 2025 | 1942, Armor, Artillery, Breakthrough Game, Infantry, Location: Russia, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Eastern, Winter

The Tatsinskaya Raid

By late December ’42, Paulus’ 6th Army was choking inside the Stalingrad pocket, and the Soviets slammed the door tighter with Operation Little Saturn. They tore through the Italian 8th Army like paper, and Badanov’s 24th Tank Corps drove a steel fist 150 miles deep into German lines. His T-34s rolled right onto Tatsinskaya airfield, smashing up Junkers 52s that were the lifeline to Stalingrad.

The Germans scrambled the 11th Panzer and 306th Infantry to hit back, and they hit hard. Badanov’s tanks took a pounding, but he held that airfield for four bloody days before clawing his way back to his own lines. The cost was high, but the result was clear: the German relief effort was crippled, Stalingrad was left to rot, and the mighty Wehrmacht had been dealt another hammer blow on the Eastern Front.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s

10 including the Airport Permanent Objective Medal

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 5

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Winter

Context:

Historical

Location:

Russia

Year:

1942

Codename:

Operation Little Saturn

Summary:

Victory Points:

10 Medals, including the airport Permanent Medal Objective

Terrain:

Winter terrain

Troops:

Allies – Infantry, Armor, Artillery

Axis – Infantry, Armor, Artillery

Allies:

1. Your forces have a massive armor advantage over the Axis in this raid scenario. You need to coordinate your efforts and arrive at the frontlines of battle together.

2. Your very first challenge is to deal with the Artillery and Infantry hidden in the forest right in the front center of the battle field. Until you deal with them, they will hamper all of your attack efforts.

3. If you can deal with the Artillery quickly, before the Axis bring down their other units, you can gain a couple of medals very quickly, as that Artillery is the key defensive point on this end of the battlefield. But if you do not have the cards and forces to take it out quickly, you will destroy several units during the attack. [Athafil, Italy]

4. The airport is a Permanent Medal Objective. You don’t need to stay on the hex, so you can just grab it and then leave to a more defensive position.

Axis:

1. This is primarily a defensive scenario for the Axis. You need to engage the enemy, but if you attempt to battle the massive armor forces out in the open, your forces will get decimated.

2. Your forces are stuck behind the forests. You need to get them, especially the armor, forward as quickly as possible to support your advance forces which are defending the airport.

3. The airport is a Permanent Medal Objective for the enemy. Hold it as long as you can. Make them pay for it with a lot of units.

4. Your Artillery in the center frontline is your strongest asset. Use it at every opportunity.

5. You have many assets stuck in the forests and marches in the back. Get them out as quickly as possible and forward to provide additional attack strength and support with your forward Artillery.

Author.

URL

The Battle of Sokolovo

by GeneralHowitzer | Sep 13, 2025 | 1943, Armor, Artillery, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Eastern, Winter

The Battle of Sokolovo

Historical Summary

8 Medals plus for Axis, the death of the heroic leader

Card Balance:

Allies (Czechoslovak)- 4

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Winter

Context:

Historical

Location:

Year:

1943

Theater:

Easter

Campaign:

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

8 VP’s, plus special rules (see the PDF).

Battlefield:

Winter countryside with a river, roads, hills.

Troops:

Allies – see PDF

Axis – see PDF

Allied Strategy:

1.

Axis Strategy

1.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Tigers in the Snow

by GeneralHowitzer | Sep 13, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Overlord Game, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western, Winter

Tigers in the Snow

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“Tigers in the Snow”—that wasn’t just a clever title, it was the actual truth of what happened in the Ardennes. Peiper and his SS boys came charging with their big, shiny King Tigers, the heaviest brutes the Germans could throw on a battlefield. They thought those monsters would smash through anything in their way.

But tanks don’t win wars by themselves. The snow was deep, the roads were narrow, and fuel was scarce. Our boys—American infantry, artillery, and tankers—kept hammering them from every side, day after day, bleeding them dry. Those great Tigers ended up stuck in the woods, running on fumes, while our men boxed them in.

In the end, Peiper’s vaunted force had to abandon their precious tanks right there in the snow. The lesson? I don’t give a care how thick your armor is—when you run into Americans who won’t quit, you’ll find out that guts, brains, and relentless pressure beat steel every time.

13 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 9

Axis – 9

Complexity:

5 (Overlord)

Conditions:

Winter

Context:

Historical

Location:

Normandy, France

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Normandy

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

13 VP’s, including a bridge Territorial Objective Medal.

Battlefield:

Winter countryside with a river, roads, hills, and many hedgerows.

Troops:

Allies – 13 Infantry, 10 Armor, 4 Artillery

Axis – 14 Infantry, 8 Armor, 4 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1.

Axis Strategy

1.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Battle in the Schnee Eifel

by GeneralHowitzer | Dec 10, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Special Weapons, Strategic, Winter, Winter Wars

Battle in the Schnee Eifel

The Battle of Schnee Eifel occurred in December 1944 during the early days of the Battle of the Bulge, the last major German offensive on the Western Front in WWII.

The Schnee Eifel, a forested ridge in eastern Belgium, was held by U.S. forces, mainly the 106th Infantry Division. On December 16, 1944, German forces launched a surprise attack, encircling and overwhelming two regiments of the 106th. After intense fighting and lacking supplies, around 6,000 American soldiers were forced to surrender—one of the largest mass surrenders of U.S. troops in the war.

The loss was a setback for the Allies but did not stop their eventual counteroffensive and victory in the Ardennes.

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 6

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Winter

Context:

Historical

Location:

Belgium

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Battle of the Bulge

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s, plus three Permanent Medal Objectives for the Axis (Turn Start) for Roth by Prum, Auw by Prum and Pleialf), plus a Sudden Death Exit hex for the Axis

Battlefield:

Winter countryside with a hilly ridge across the center, with scattered forests, and a road encircling almost the entire battlefield.

Troops:

Allies – 8 Infantry including two Engineers, 3 Armor (Tank Destroyers), 2 Artillery

Axis – 9 Infantry including one Machine Gun unit and five Elites, 2 Armor, including one Tank Destroyer, 1 Artillery

Special Weapons: Tank Destroyers, Machine Guns.

Allied Strategy:

1. Historically, the Allies got routed, so the primary goal here is to protect the permanent medal objectives and the exit hex.

2. Get your two Artillery into play quickly and use them as much as you can to take out the enemy.

3. Your two Tank Destroyers on the left flank should move forward, in and around to defend the city of Roth by Prum, which is a Permanent Medal Objective.

4. Your other Tank Destroyer and two Artillery should defend the city of Blelaif, which is another Permanent Medal Objective.

Axis Strategy

1. Historically, the Axis had the largest victory of the war in this battle, so speed and attack are your principle tools.

2. Get your Tank Destroyer and Infantry on the right flank mobile and engaging the enemy as soon as you can.

3. On your left flank, you have overwhelming advantage with your four Infantry units, and one Armor. Use it to overwhelm the defenses at the town of Blelaif to gain the Permanent Medal Objective.

Author:

Days of Wonder

Wardin

by GeneralHowitzer | Dec 10, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Winter, Winter Wars

Wardin

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December 19th, 1944:

At Wardin, in the frozen hell of December ’44, the Germans came on hard, hunting roads and junctions like wolves looking for a gap in the line. They wanted Bastogne, and Wardin was one of the doors they had to kick in to get there.

The men of the 28th Infantry Division didn’t run. They fought. Outgunned and pressed by armor, they traded ground for time—yard by bloody yard—smashing the enemy’s schedule and making him pay for every step forward. Wardin fell, but the Germans lost something far more valuable: momentum. That stand helped slow the drive on Bastogne and proved once again that determined American soldiers, fighting smart and stubborn, could wreck even the best-laid German plans. That’s how you beat an enemy—make him bleed for every mile.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s: 7

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Winter

Location:

Belgium

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Battle of the Bulge

German Name:

Unternehmen Wacht Am Rhein

Summary:

This is a fun and exciting scenario as the Americans attempt to hold off a German onslaught of tanks and infantry in the Battle of the Bulge.

Objectives:

Seven Medals. There are also four Temporary Objective Medals for the Germans to reach, and a Temporary Majority Objective for the five hexes of Wardin.

Battlefield:

Winter conditions, with roads, rivers, and ridges cutting through the battlefield with the town of Wardin dominating one section.

Troops:

Allies – 7 Infantry including 2 Engineers, 6 Armor including a Tank Destroyer, 1 Artillery

Axis – 7 Infantry, 6 Armor including 2 Half-Tracks, 1 Artillery

Special Rules:

1. Winter Combat rules – two hex armor movement

2. Reduced Visibility rules – only hit with Grenades unless in Close Assault

3. Tank Destroyer (2,2,2,2), and hits Armor on Stars

4. Half-Tracks – move 0-2 and attack (2,2)

5. The river is frozen, but impassable.

6. Winter Combat Cards – play the Winter Combat cards in addition to regular Combat cards, two per player

7. Allied mines

Overall Strategy:

1. The Winter Weather rules and Limited Visibility rules totally change the strategy for this battle. Any units which are not in Close Assault can only hit when they roll a Grenade. That means the the distance power of Armor and Artillery is really limited, as they too, can only hit on grenades. In fact, Artillery is quite useless in this scenario unless they are right next to you. So all planning goes into how to mass your troops for multiple Close Assault attacks at once during a single turn.

2. The name of the scenario is Wardin, and for good reason. The five-hex town dominates the right half of the battlefield. And the battle to control the majority of its hexes becomes a focal point for those forces.

Allied Strategy:

1. Defend the four Temporary Medal Objectives.

2. Defend the town of Wardin from take-over by the Germans.

3. The enemy Tank Destroyers are glass cannons which can be quickly eliminated because they are also hit when Stars are rolled. (They also hit when they roll Stars.)

4. The Half-Tracks only roll two-dice each time, so use them in conjunction with your forces. They should not go out to battle alone.

Axis Strategy:

1. Overall objective is for you to breakthrough on both fronts, through the minefield and the town of Wardin to the Objective Medals near the battlefield edge. If you can keep both of these objectives in mind you can put more pressure on the enemy as they will have to both defend their own forces from getting destroyed, but also defend the Medal Objectives on the edges of the battlefield.

2. The two Axis Engineers can be either used to clear the minefield on your left flank, or even better, they are best used to clear the town of Wardin, because they can attack the forces within the town hexes with full power since Engineers can ignore battle terrain restrictions. Don’t be distracted by the minefield; get them over to Wardin!

3. You can obtain two goals with one Armor unit if you move it onto the Temporary Medal Objective just past the town of Wardin. From that vantage point you will both get the medal as long as you stay on the hex and still be within range to attack the Allied forces with the town of Wardin.

4. You have many forces stuck on the back row behind the row of forest hexes. You need to move them out of either side, and also just directly through the forest so that you can get into the battle in the center section.

Author: Days of Wonder

URL

Twin Villages

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Winter

Twin Villages

The Battle of the Twin Villages took place in December 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Located near Krinkelt and Rocherath in Belgium, these “twin villages” became key defensive positions for American forces as German troops launched a surprise offensive in the Ardennes.

U.S. infantry and armored units held strong defensive positions in the villages, facing fierce attacks from German forces, including tanks and infantry. Despite being heavily outnumbered and subjected to intense artillery fire, the American defenders managed to delay the German advance through skillful use of terrain and resilient fighting.

At Krinkelt-Rocherath the Germans thought they could roll through and keep their offensive charging forward—but the men dug in there had other ideas. Those towns became roadblocks of fire and steel. The resistance was fierce enough to choke the enemy’s advance, bleed their momentum, and give the rest of our forces time to regroup and fortify the Ardennes. That stand wasn’t just stubborn defense—it was the kind of fight that blunted the Bulge and helped turn the tide toward ultimate Allied victory.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 4

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Winter / Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

Belgium

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign:

Ardennes

“Battle of the Bulge”

Codename:

Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein

Summary:

In Twin Villages, the Axis commander begins with almost all of their forces locked behind a wall of forest. The goal for Axis is to get out of the forest as quickly as possible in order to be prepared for battle. For Allies, the goal is to take out as many Axis units as possible before they break free.

Objectives:

6 VP’s ; no territorial medals

Battlefield:

The twin villages of Krinkekt and Rocherath are in the center of the map, and provide cover for whomever can control them. There is a large forest towards the Axis side, blocking their initial movement.

Troops:

Allies – Infantry 9, Armor 3, Artillery 1

Axis – Infantry 9, Armor 5

Allied Strategy

1. Remember, that historically, the Allies are on the defensive early in this campaign. But you have the opportunity to score some hits with your advance Infantry units, before you are forced to pull back. Once you remove (or lose) your Infantry at the Lausdell Crossroads, the path is clear for your tank to blast any enemy units that attempt to make their way up through the gap in the trees.

2. Early goals are to get your Infantry into the Twin villages, prepared to defend. Also, get your tanks mobile on the flanks to prevent any advances from the enemy.

Axis Strategy

1. Mobility is the first order of the day. Your Infantry and Armor are congested and need to start advancing.

2. Your infantry at h8 is only two hexes from the enemy, with no means of retreat. You need to move and attack with that unit ASAP.

3. Your right flank is very weak, with just a single infantry unit. Do not launch attack there until you move more units into the section. Once the infantry advances into the woods, your back row will be clear for the armor to move out into attack position on the right flank.

4. An early goal will be to target the two advance Allies infantry near the Lausdell Crossroads.

5. Until you get the gap cleared on the way to the Crossroads, your armor is trapped in the woods, and it will take you two turns to get them into play.

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

57%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link: