Wardin

Wardin

Wardin

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

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. 

medal alliesAllied 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. 

medal axisAxis 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. 

0
BR - Wardin

Author: Days of Wonder

URL

Twin Villages

Twin Villages

Twin Villages

Memoir 44

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%

15
BR - Twins

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Suomussalmi – Russo-Finnish War

Suomussalmi – Russo-Finnish War

Suomussalmi

scenario_Suomussalmi_start

Let me tell you about Suomussalmi, a frozen corner of Finland where, in the winter of ’39, a handful of tough, stubborn Finns showed the world how a smaller force—if it’s smart, fast, and mean enough—can tear a lumbering giant to pieces.

The Russians came in heavy, marching two full divisions down those narrow forest roads, thinking they could just roll over Finland and split the country in half. But those Finns didn’t fight the war the way the textbooks said. They didn’t stand still and get crushed. They moved. They lived on skis, slipping through the woods like ghosts, striking the Soviet columns where they were weakest—supply lines, roadblocks, isolated pockets of troops.

While the Russians froze in the open and bogged down in snowdrifts, the Finns carved them up piece by piece. They cut those long Soviet columns into little “motti” bundles—isolated groups with no food, no ammunition, no rescue. And then they finished them.

By early January, the Finns had smashed one Soviet division entirely and sent the other running back the way it came. What happened at Suomussalmi wasn’t luck; it was proof that speed, ingenuity, and the will to win can turn a frozen forest into a fortress and a small army into a battering ram.

The Finns didn’t just win a battle—they delivered a lesson every commander ought to remember:
Victory belongs to the side that fights smarter, moves faster, and never stops hitting.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Russian – 4

Finnish – 6

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Winter

Location:

Finland

Year:

1939

Theater:

Eastern Front

Campaign:

Russo – Finnish War

Summary:
The Finns switched sides during WW2, all in the name of defending themselves.  

Objectives
Six VP’s, plus if the Finns occupy three of the four hexes of Suomussalmi, they win immediately, which I have done, and is a very satisfying win.

Battlefield
The battlefield for this scenario is marked by three frozen rivers cutting across the field of play and creating hazardous conditions for troop movements.

Troops:
Finns: 10 Infantry, 1 Artillery
Russians:  10 Infantry, 2 Armor, 1 Artillery

 

🔥 Winning as Russians

1.  The Russians must defend the town of Suomussalmi, as it will be instant defeat if the Finns occupy 3 of the 4 town hexes. But the town is heavily defended with sandbagged troops, so your best course of action is to stay behind the sandbags and make the enemy throw themselves against your hardened defenses. 

2.  You have an Armor and three Infantry units in your lower right flank.  They are being prevented from assisting the defense of Suomussalmi with what was historically a roadblock across the river.  Quickly breakthrough the defending Infantry units by moving in for the attack and freeing up your Armor for some long-distance attacks which will blow that blockade away.

3.  Use, at every opportunity,  your heavily defended Artillery in the town of Suomussalmi to attack any Finish troops who would dare come near you. 

4.  Use your Armor in your left flank to attack any Ski Troops who are caught out in the open.  Don’t waste your ammo on shooting into the woods until you have dealt with the easy targets. 

Big Picture Strategy

1.  This is a confusing scenario, as the Finns are not actually formally aligned with the Allies at this point (1939) in the war.  They had to fight the Russians alone.  Then from 1941-44, they were aligned with Germany. Finally in 1944-45, they made peace with Russia and began to attack the Germans in their country.   The key power of the Finns are their Ski Troops. Use them to attack from the protection of cover.  No need to leave them exposed in the open. 

 

🔥 Winning as Finns

1.  Finnish ski troops have a major movement advantage. They can move 0-3, and fire at 3 or 2. Plus they can move onto any terrain and still fire. So your infantry movement cards will allow you to quickly mass your troops for an attack.

2. You have an Artillery in your left section. Take every opportunity to move it forward to assist your Ski Troops in their attack. 

3.  Remember that your Ski Troops can move into terrain like woods and still attack the enemy.  This is a powerful advantage you should use whenever you can.

4.  Because your Ski Troops only have three figures per unit they are much easier to destroy, so save your attacks until you have massed your troops together to hit the enemy repeatedly in a single attack.  If you try to attack with just one or two units at a time, you are likely to get wiped out.

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

54%

28
BR - Suomussalmi
Scales-Allies-Weighted

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Rzhev – The Meat Grinder

Rzhev – The Meat Grinder

Rzhev (the Meat Grinder)

Memoir 44 Rzhev Scenario

“Listen up, men! The Battle of Rzhev in that God-forsaken winter of ‘42 was a real bloodbath—some called it the ‘Rzhev Meat Grinder’ and they weren’t kidding. Those Russians threw everything they had at the Germans, trying to smash their lines and give Stalin a breather for Moscow. But the Germans had their trenches dug deep and those Red boys paid for every inch of dirt with buckets of blood.

The snow and ice turned the whole mess into a living hell—no damn place for a man or a tank. Despite all that, the Soviets never stopped coming. Sure, they didn’t take Rzhev right then and there, but they hammered the Germans so hard they finally had to pack up and haul ass out of there later on.

So here’s the lesson, boys: courage is the fuel, and persistence is the blade—but even the toughest steel can wear down when you keep pounding it. The Rzhev campaign was brutal, but it was one more nail in the coffin of that damn Nazi war machine.”

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 6

Complexity:

4

Conditions: 

Winter

winter

Location:

Russia

Year:

1942

Theater:

Eastern Front

Summary:

Rzhev is a complex scenario recreating the Soviet counter-offensive with a 10 VP goal. This requires a long-term plan, as quick tactical hits will not win such a long battle.  Night rules are in effect.

Objectives:

10 VPs,
including Objective medals for both Axis and Allies, plus Exit objectives for Allies.

The town of Belyi is a temporary medal objective worth 1 medal for both sides. If any unit occupies any of the three hexes marked with an ‘A’ they gain a medal irregardless if an opponent occupies any of the other hexes. Both sides can earn 1 medal at the same time.
The town of Rzhev is a temporary medal objective worth 2 medals for both sides. If any unit occupies any of the 3 hexes marked with a ‘B’ they gain 2 medals irregardless if an opponent occupies any of the other hexes. 

Terrain:

The Axis forces already control much of the battlefield, as sandbagged troops who are very difficult to dislodge, while the Russians are pressed up against the wall.

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry including a Sniper, 5 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 10 Infantry including a Sniper, 4 Armor, 1 Artillery

medal allies

🔥 1. Winning as the Soviets (Allies)

Soviets must be surgical, not brute-force.
Your troops have numbers but terrible defensive terrain.

So your victories come from forcing the Axis out of their woods and the two key towns of Rzhev & Belyi.

 

Do NOT Push the Center First

The center looks juicy… but it’s a trap.

If you push center:

  • You feed medals to the German artillery in the woods
  • You take 2-dice fire from multiple directions, such as the towns on each side of you.
  • You lose tempo
2.   You can attack the well-protected Axis Infantry units by placing your Armor in the forest and degrading them over several turns. Time is on your side, so there is no need to rush the attack until you are ready.

 

3. You have a well-placed Artillery right in the center of the battlefield.  Use it at every opportunity to take out enemy forces. If you get the chance to concentrate firepower using a card like Firefight, Barrage, or Airpower, then use it to destroy the enemy Artillery against the back border before it moves forward.

4.  Possible Attack Vector: Your left flank. The enemy is weak and will have to work hard to get Armor over there to defend.  You can push down towards the Medal Objective.

icon_strategy

Big Picture Strategy

1.  The way to win this scenario is to control the towns of Rzhev and Belyi. Rzhev is worth two Medals and Belyi is worth one.  That is a total of 3 Medals in a 10 Medal game.

2.  Note the BOTH sides can earn medals from the towns at the SAME TIME. If either side has a unit in any of the three town hexes of Rzhev or Belyi, they can each earn medals.

3.  FLAGS ARE KEY: So the goal is to push the enemy out, or stay in control. In this scenario, Flags are actually a powerful tool to win the game.  You do not have to destroy every unit in the towns; just push them out with Retreat Flags and the Medals can be yours!

medal axis

🔥 1. Winning as the Germans (Axis)

Because this is a Russian counter-attack scenario, the Germans are primarily in a defensive position and out-numbered. So use your protections well.  You must get your Armor into a good defensive tactical position to allow for mobility when needed, and defense of open terrain in the center and left section.

2. Your artillery is well-placed in the center. Use it to good effect before it is overwhelmed by the enemy.

3.  Your weak sector is your right flank.  There is a lot of open territory undefended.  With the right cards, the enemy will be able to push their way down toward the Medal Objective. 

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

31%

42
BR - Rzhev
Scales-Axis-Weighted

Author:

Days of Wonder

Red Barricades Factory (Stalingrad)

Red Barricades Factory (Stalingrad)

Red Barricades Factory (Stalingrad)

By October ’42, the Germans were throwing more and more of their 6th Army into the meat grinder at Stalingrad. On the 22nd, the 79th Infantry, backed by engineers, tanks, and guns, went charging across the railroad embankment straight at the Red Barricades Factory.

It was hell—Russian snipers in every shadow, tanks dug in like fortresses, fire pouring in from every angle. The Germans clawed their way forward inch by inch, breaking the Soviet line by sheer weight. But after all that blood and fury, by nightfall they had only managed to seize a corner of the factory. A costly gain, proving again that in Stalingrad, every brick was paid for with lives.

~~ General Howitzer

10 VP’s

Card Balance:
Allies – 3
Axis – 5

Complexity:

5

Conditions:

Urban / Winter

Location:

Stalingrad

Year:

1942

Theater:

Eastern Front

Campaign:

Battle of Stalingrad

Summary:

The scenario is complex battle with a lot of different terrain, both urban and winter, that complicates troop movement. There are also snipers which add an extra element of suspense.

Objectives:

10 VP’s , including 3 Objective Medals for either side

Battlefield:

Battlefield is the Red Barricades Ordnance factory in the winter, surrounded by rubble.

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry, 2 Armor, 2 Artillery, and 2 Sniper

Axis – 9 Infantry, 4 Armor, 2 Artillery, and 1 Snipers

🔥 Winning as Allies

1.  You can quickly grab the Medal Objectives which are very close to you in the city ruins and the factory, and then try to hold them for the game. This will give you an early advantage and force the enemy to come to you, and fight against you while you are in a well-protected positions.

2. You have two Snipers which can fire five! hexes away. You can use them to harass the enemy and force them to pay attention to the Sniper, even though it doesn’t count as a VP, thus diverting energy away from other units.

3.  Use your forward infantry to attack the enemy before they destroy you.  At two hexes away, you should be able to get some good hits in first.

4. The strategic reality is that your forward units will get destroyed rather quickly, so the real battle will take place along the second front in rows 3,4,5 where you have armor protected behind sandbags, and city ruins for your infantry.

5.  Give careful consideration before moving your armor away from their sandbags. The enemy outnumbers your armor two to one, and once they become mobile, will be coming for yours.

6.  This scenario makes it easy for Allies to quickly grab 4 medal objectives by entering the town and factory hexes, but the trick comes in trying to hold them. The enemy will push through your first line of defense pretty quickly, and then you will need to hold your second line on rows 3,4,5, in order to prevent the enemy from taking out your units on those town and factory hexes.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1.  Mobility is the first order of business when you start. In fact, at the start of the game, the Axis have 16 units, and not  a single one can retreat. [ Admiral Frigate ] You have a lot of firepower stuck against your back wall, and hidden behind the hills.  You need to move it out and begin attacking the Allies immediately.

2.  You have three no-retreat Infantry units that are only two hexes away from the enemy.  You either need to bring your Armor up between the enemy and your infantry, or, better yet, move in and attack the enemy at close assault range.

3.  Once you get some mobility going to avoid the no-retreat attacks, you can use your Artillery to degrade the forward enemy units which are barricaded in the City Ruins.

4.  Use your Sniper to good effect. They can move two and battle against Infantry, hitting on grenade, infantry, or star dice faces, increasing your odds of a hit to 67%.

5. Most of the middle game of this battle will take place with your forces arrayed across the sixth row, while the Allies are defending from rows 4 and 5. So once you take out the advanced Allied forces, you can overtake those same city ruins and launch your attack from there against the Allies.

Battle Reports
( percentage of Allied victories ):

57%

39
BR - Barricades

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Longvilly Trap

Longvilly Trap

Longvilly Trap

December 19th, 1944: They sprang the Longvilly Trap because we were stretched thin and caught standing still—never a good idea in a shooting war. Near Longvilly, ahead of Bastogne, the enemy pushed armor hard through the Ardennes and found American units sitting exposed on narrow, jammed roads with broken communications. The Germans hit fast and coordinated tanks with infantry, rolled right over isolated formations, and smashed them before they could maneuver. It was a bloody setback, no question—but it bought the enemy only time, not victory. Longvilly opened the road to Bastogne, yes, but it also set the stage for us to dig in, turn, and hit back harder—because wars aren’t won by trapping men, they’re won by destroying the enemy, and that bill was coming due.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s: 6

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 5

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Winter

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 survive the seige of Bastogne and open up an escape route.  The Axis are able to pummel the Americans from all directions with Artillery, Mortars, and Tanks, while the Americans force their powerful Armor across the countryside and toward the Exit hexes.

Objectives:

The Americans need to break through the German roadblock and open the way to Bastogne.

Six Medals.  There are also two Exit Medal Objectives for the Americans to breakthrough.

Battlefield:

Winter conditions, with roads and rivers cutting through the battlefield.

Troops:

Allies – 5 Infantry, 6 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 5 Infantry, including some SWA’s (Mortars), 6 Armor including two Tank Destroyers (2,2,2,2),  3 Artillery

Special Rules:

1.  Winter Combat rules – two hex armor movement

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

2.  Special Weapon Asset rules for Mortars – 3,2,1,1

3.  The river is frozen, but impassable.

4.  Roadblock rule

5.  Also play with Winter Combat cards in addition to regular Combat cards

medal allies

🔥 Winning as Allies

1.  Primary Objective is to break through and provide a passage to Bastogne so the troops can be rescued, as they were, historically.  You may want to keep the roadblock in place, so that your Armor can exit to the east without worry about rearguard action.

2.  Your forces are congested in the town of Bastogne.  Retreat flags from the enemy will cause losses, so you will want to spread them out by moving your forces east along the road toward the Exit hex.  Remember that with winter conditions, you will only be able to move your Armor three hexes at a time on the road (instead of the usual four).

3.  If you have the cards for it, some gains can be had by removing the roadblock and heading west to attack the enemy directly. Otherwise, they will continue to pummel you from the woods in the north, and with their Artillery and Mortars to your southwest.

medal axis

🔥 Winning as Axis

1.  You have the enemy completely surrounded, except for that pesky escape route along the road.  Move to block the Exit hexes ASAP.  It will only take two turns for the Allies to begin evacuating along the road.

2.  With three Artillery and two Mortar units, you can continuously attack the enemy and decimate their forces.

3.  Remember that the Limited Visibility rules require that, unless you are in Close Combat, typically only Grenades will score a hit.  But Retreat Flags can be a very effective way to reduce the enemy in their congested situation in Bastogne.

3.  Move the two Armor on your right and center section into the two forest hexes across the river from Bastogne.  From there you will be able to safely pick off the enemy bit by bit throughout the battle.

4.  Take the time to move the Artillery on your right flank forward at least one row forward.  It will pay off every turn afterwards with increased firepower against the enemy hiding like cowards in Bastogne.

1
BR - Longvilly Trap

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