Rats in a Factory

by GeneralHowitzer | Apr 29, 2025 | 1942, Armor, Artillery, Infantry, Location: Russia, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Overlord Game, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Eastern, Urban

Rats in a Factory [ Overlord ]

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“Rats in a Factory”—Stalingrad, late ’42. You want to know what hell looks like? This was it.

The Germans thought they could storm into those Red October, Barrikady, and Tractor factories like it was just another checkpoint. What they walked into was a damn grinder. Concrete, steel, smoke, and blood—that’s what those factories became.

The Soviets didn’t fight for blocks—they fought for bricks, for stairwells, for every bolt and beam. One room would belong to the Germans, the next to the Soviets. Sometimes they were fighting in the same building—on different floors. It was war in a cage, and every inch came with a cost.

The term “Rats in a Factory” wasn’t poetry—it was reality. Men crawled, fought, and died like animals in a twisted maze of rubble and twisted metal. **Snipers in shadows, ambushes around corners, grenades down stairwells—**no rules, no rest, no mercy.

And guess what? The Soviets held. They bled the German 6th Army dry, right there in that industrial slaughterhouse. That stand helped snap the spine of the Nazi push in the East.

You want a lesson in raw, unbreakable resolve? Look no further. That’s what it means to fight like you’ve got nothing left to lose—and no intention of backing down.

~~ General Howitzer

18 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 9

Axis – 10

Complexity:

5

Conditions:

Urban

Context:

Historical

Location:

Stalingrad

Year:

1942

Theater:

Eastern

Campaign:

Summary:

This is an Overlord game.

Objectives:

18 Medals including both Permanent and Temporary Medal Objectives.
The 5 road hexes exiting the Axis player’s baseline are Permanent Medal Objectives for the Allied forces. The Allied player gains the Medal when he occupies the hex at the start of his turn.
The 5 road hexes on the Allied player’s baseline are Permanent Medal Objectives for the Axis forces. The Axis player gains the Medal when he occupies the hex at the start of his turn.
The 9 factory hexes of the Dzerzhinskiy Tractor Factory form a Temporary Majority Medal Objective worth 2 Medals for whoever controls the majority of its hexes.
The 7 factory hexes of the Red Barricades Factory form a Temporary Majority Medal Objective worth 2 Medals for whoever controls the majority of its hexes.

Terrain:

Urban factory complex with any factory and city hexes.

Troops:

Allies – 21 Infantry, 6 Armor, 3 Artillery

Axis – 20 Infantry, 12 Armo, 4 Artillery

Special Rules:

1. Temporary Medal Objectives

2. Permanent Medal Objectives

3. Temporary Majority Medal Objectives

Allied Strategy:

1.

Axis Strategy

1.

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Operation Market Garden (Overlord)

by GeneralHowitzer | Apr 29, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: Netherlands, Medal Objectives, Overlord, Overlord Game, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western

Operation Market Garden (Overlord Map)

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Operation Market Garden, fought in September 1944, was a major Allied offensive during World War II aimed at ending the war quickly by capturing key bridges in the Netherlands and entering Germany’s industrial heartland.

The operation combined a massive airborne assault (Market) by British, American and Polish paratroopers with a ground advance (Garden) by British XXX Corps. The goal was to seize bridges over several rivers, including the Rhine at Arnhem, to create a direct route into Germany.

Listen up, men—Operation Market Garden was bold, daring, and damned near brilliant on paper. Our boys dropped from the sky and stormed bridges across Holland like thunder on the move. They seized their early targets with guts and grit—but at Arnhem, the lion met the cage. The British 1st Airborne fought like hell for every inch, surrounded, outgunned, and cut off from relief.

In the end, the last bridge stayed in enemy hands. The link-up failed, and what was meant to end the war early turned into a costly lesson in overreach. We aimed for glory—and came up “a bridge too far”.

~~ General Howitzer

13 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 13 (!)

Axis – 3 (!)

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

Netherlands

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Codename:

Operation Market Garden

Summary:

Objectives:

13 VP’s with Temporary Majority Medal Objectives for whomever holds the majority of the 13 town hexes; plus Turn Start Temporary Uncontested Medal Objectives for the three key bridges.

Battlefield:

Countryside with many roads, towns, rivers, and forests

Troops:

Allies – 20 Infantry, 8 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 17 Infanty, 7 Armor, 1 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1. The Allies have an overwhelming tank force on their right flank. They will need to attack vociferously and eliminate all enemy forces in that section, so that they can turn their armor to attack the central sections.

2. You can get some early medals by attacking the enemy forces which were surprised and surrounded by your forces in the left and right sections. There are two infantry units on each side which you can quickly take out, and gain some early medals.

3. Watch out for the Tiger Tank on your left flank. It can only be taken out with two successful rolls, first an armor or grenade roll, and then the second roll must be a grenade.

Axis Strategy

1. As Axis, because of the surprise nature of this attack, you only start with three Combat Cards vs. the Allies 13!. But every time you take out an Allied unit, the Allied Commander loses a card (which you get to pull from his hand), and you are given a new card from the deck (not the one from his hand) and your total cards to use each turn increases. So as the battle progresses the card ratio will begin to even out, until eventually the Axis will have more cards than the Allies. Cards are attack-ability, so your attack-ability will increase, as the other’s declines.

2. Your tanks, since you were not suspecting the airborne attack, are not in play at the start of the game. You will need to use some of your early turns to get them into attack positions. And because the tanks can only move two hexes in this scenario (unless start and ending on a road, when they can move 4 hexes), it will take two to three turns to get them into place. So you need to start early.

3. Control of the three bridge medals is based on being either on the bridge hex, or in the nearby vicinity of the six hexes surrounding it. But note that if the enemy is able to get into the proximity of the bridge, you will lose that bridge medal until you clear them out. If the bridge is contested, then no one gets the medal. So keep the enemy forces well away from your bridges!

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Martinville Ridge

by GeneralHowitzer | Jan 10, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical

Martinville Ridge

“Listen here, men! The Battle of Martinville Ridge was a mean slugfest in July ‘44, right in the thick of the Normandy bocage. That damn hedgerow country turned every field into a fortress, and every ridge was a death trap. Our boys from the 35th Infantry Division went up that ridge with grit and guts, trying to crack those Nazi defenses wide open.

The Germans had the high ground and those thick hedgerows, making every inch of dirt a hellhole to fight for. We took the ridge at first—bayonets and grenades leading the way—but those Germans counterattacked like devils, forcing us to pull back and regroup. But I’ll tell you what: every drop of sweat and blood we left on that ridge kept the enemy tied up and bleeding too.

We didn’t take Martinville Ridge outright, but we sure as hell rattled the Germans’ cages and cleared the way for our breakout later in Cobra. That’s the price of victory, boys—no easy ground, no easy days. Keep pushing, keep killing, and never give ‘em an inch!”

~~ General Howitzer

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

France

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign:

Normandy Campaign

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s, plus territorial objectives for each side.

Allies can target St. Lo and the ridge by Martinville. Axis targets Hill 122.

Terrain:

The battlefield is scattered with hills, towns, hedgerows, and forests.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry, 4 Armor

Axis – 7 Infantry, 2 Armor, 1 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1. Your forces are scattered and in disarray. You need to coordinate them into a cohesive attack force.

2. Be aware that the enemy will quickly mass their forces for an attack against your forward infantry unit at d8. If you can move your left flank Armor up to support it, you may be able to hold the position for a while and inflict some damage on the Axis.

3. Beware the enemy Artillery in the corner of your right flank. Although he is locked in there, he can still roll powerful attacks on that flank. Stay away and nullify any firepower from there.

4. Your strategy should include plans for a continual push up the center in order to bring pressure to bear upon the two Medal Objectives on the hill and in the city of St. Lo.

5. Possible Attack Vector: One attack plan you can pursue is on the left flank. You only need five medals to win, and there are three enemy units up in the corner. If you get a good set of attack cards, such as Infantry Assault you can quickly surround them and take them out.

Axis Strategy:

1. Your forces are outnumbered, so you will need to get your armor out of the town into attack positions. You also need to move your infantry from the corner on your right flank and into a more centralized position. An early win for you can be the forward Allied Infantry unit at d8.

2. You have two Territorial Medals to protect. Be aware of the mobility range of their Armor should they push up the center. If you move your units off of those hexes, be certain the enemy cannot sneak in at the end and grab a final medal.

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Guadalcanal [ Overlord ]

by GeneralHowitzer | Jan 5, 2025 | 1943, Artillery, Infantry, Jungle, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Overlord Game, Pacific Theater, Scenario, Strategic, Sudden Death

Guadalcanal

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Guadalcanal. August ’42 to February ’43. The place where the tide started to turn in the Pacific—and where the United States Marine Corps showed the world exactly what American grit looks like.

The Japanese thought they were building themselves a nice little airfield to dominate the Solomon Islands and choke off our lifeline to Australia. Big mistake. We hit that island hard, landed the U.S. Marines, and made damn sure that airstrip—Henderson Field—was going to fly our planes, not theirs.

It wasn’t a cakewalk. It was jungle rot, mud, bugs, no sleep, and short supplies. The enemy threw everything they had at us—infantry assaults, air raids, naval bombardments. But we held. We bled. And we broke them.

By the time it was over, the Japanese were down thousands of men, ships, and planes. They’d lost their shot at controlling the Pacific, and we took the initiative. From then on, it was our war to win, and we were going to take it island by island, all the way to Tokyo.

Guadalcanal wasn’t just a battle—it was a message: The United States doesn’t back down. We plant our flag, we dig in, and we don’t leave until the job’s done.

~~ General Howitzer

13 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 9

Axis – 7

Complexity:

5

Conditions:

Jungle

Context:

Historical

Location:

Solomon Islands

Year:

1943

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Guadalcanal Campaign

Summary:

This is an Overlord game, so make use of the Jungle Command cards, two per side.

Objectives:

13 Medals including Territorial Control, and Exit Row medals and a sudden death hex all for the Japanese.

Terrain:

Jungle terrain with a 21-hex hill in the center which is a majority-control objective for one medal.

Troops:

Allies – 21 Marine Infantry, 3 Artillery

Axis – 24 Japanese Infantry, 3 Artillery

Special Rules:

1. Majority Temporary Territorial Control – whomever controls most of the 21-hill hexes gains 1 Medal

2. Exit Row Medals – to any Japanese forces that exit

3. Sudden Death Hex – to any Japanese forces that maintain control of the hex at the start of their next turn, total win for the Japanese

Allied Strategy:

1. Big Picture Plan when defending against the Japanese onslaught, is to reduce every full-power unit by at least one hit in order to cancel our their Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine.

2. Because of the special Rules, it is imperative that the Marines defende the center section, and prevent the Japanese forces from overwhelming the hill, to gain that point; or exiting out the back, to get those points, or most importantly, never let them gain access to the sudden death hex.

Axis Strategy

1. Big Picture Strategy for Axis; while the flanks provide an excellent attack possibility, if you have the cards, they should always be considered secondary to your primary objective of overwhelming the 21-hex hill and gaining all the extra win points associated with it, and the exit hexes, and the sudden death hex.

2. When given the opportunity on your flanks, move your forces towards the central section to continue to put pressure on the enemy and eventually overrun his position.

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Clearing Matanikau River

by GeneralHowitzer | Jan 3, 2025 | 1943, Artillery, Infantry, Jungle, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Pacific Theater, Scenario, Tactical

Clearing Matanikau River

The Battle of the Matanikau River was a series of engagements during the Guadalcanal Campaign in late 1942, part of the Pacific Theater in World War II. The battles focused on clearing Japanese forces from the Matanikau River area on Guadalcanal to secure the perimeter around the strategic Henderson Field airbase, held by U.S. Marines.

In several operations between September and November 1942, U.S. Marines, supported by naval and aerial bombardment, launched attacks against well-entrenched Japanese positions along the river. These actions disrupted Japanese attempts to launch counterattacks against the American-held airfield.

General Howitzer’s summary:
We swept the jungle clean—rooted out every last Japanese fighter and locked down the western flank of Henderson Field. Those clearing fights weren’t just mop-up—they were the nail in the enemy’s coffin on Guadalcanal. That island was the start of our long march west, and by God, it was the turning point that broke their back in the Pacific.

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 5

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Jungle

Context:

Historical

Location:

Gaudalcanal

Year:

1943

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Guadalcanal

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s

Terrain:

The Matanikau River cuts horizontally across the battlefield.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry, 2 Artillery

Axis – 9 Infantry, 1 Artillery

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Allied Strategy:

1. Big Picture Strategy: your job is to clear the Matanikau River of all enemy belligerents. This will require advancing across the river, but do not do so until your two Artillery units have softened up the enemy forces. This primarily means to hit each unit at least once, thus eliminating the Seshin Kyoiku Doctrine with their powerful plus 1D attack powers.

2. Once they have been sufficiently softened up, and you have the right card combination in hand for an attack, then advance and win!

3. Be aware that the enemy infantry on your left flank at a4 is both a danger and an opportunity: a danger, because they are close enough to attack and gain a tactical medal win; but an opportunity, because they are trapped across the river, separated from their forces without a quick escape.

Axis Strategy

1. Big Picture Strategy: As you are outnumbered, this is primarily a defensive scenario for the Axis. But if you can build up the cards to mount an attack in on one side, you should do it. For example, your Infantry at a4 on your right flank is within striking distance of the enemy Artillery, if you had a Behind Enemy Lines card.

2. Be wary of the powerful Allied Artillery, which historically, was able to turn the tide in many engagements in the Pacific. Keep at least five hexes away from them until you are ready.

3. Make use of your Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine and the Banzai War Cry to overwhelm the enemy when they get too close.

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link: