Memoir '44 - The Fall Gelb Campaign (Part 2)

Game 3, Airborne Operations campaign, Unternehmen Niwi scenario

As I won game 2, I was allowed to bring on an additional infantry unit in this scenario - the linked games portion of the campaign. Wouldn't you know it I forgot to place the unit! I was so focused on making sure I did the Campaign Events and the Reserve Roll correctly it completely slipped my mind. Ah well!

This is an interesting scenario in that the French are counter-attacking a surprise German airdrop. There are three objectives (three separate towns) and these not only count towards winning the scenario, but count additionally in the campaign. As the Belgian and French player, I cannot simply slug it out with the Germans and hope to eliminate more units; I have to capture at least two objectives by the end of the campaign or suffer a penalty in campaign points. I have three possible objectives here, one in Game 4, and three in Game 5, for a range of -2 to 4 campaign points.

Looking at the scenario victory results, if I win this scenario I get one Reserve Token added to my Strategic Reserve Pool.

At this point it might be useful to describe the Reserve rules for the campaign. Each campaign allows each side a specific number of Reserve Tokens - 2 for the Allies and 3 for the Germans in this campaign. At the beginning of each scenario both players roll two dice to determine the number and types of units that may be used to reinforce the scenario. For each token spent, you can bring on one of the indicated units. These tokens, however, represent your strategic reserve for the entire campaign. (Note a Grand Campaign consists of two or more Campaigns, so each of those having their own number of tokens.

So, with three more games in the campaign, and a roll of Armor for a reinforcement, I decide to commit an armor unit to this scenario. If I win, it will automatically be replaced.

Looking over the board, I decided to try and attack Leglise (the right sector). It has only two infantry units guarding an objective. If I am successful, I can use one of the depleted T-15 armor units (a scenario special rule) to garrison the town while I sweep left and attempt to take Witry (the center sector), which is a bit more closely guarded. Finally, I will try a drive on Nives (the left sector), assuming I haven't already won on victory points.

For the most part, my plan worked. I was able to take Leglise fairly quickly, despite a German armor reinforcement showing up in that sector. However, I depleted it quickly and it took a quick victory point by exiting the board on the road to Neufchateau (another scenario special rule). I was driving to Witry when I won. The Allies won 5-2.

Don and I stopped for the day at that point. We had played three games - most of the time was in setting up the board - and he had won the pre-campaign game (as Don put it, a warm up) and I had won the two campaign games, so things were looking pretty good for the Allies.

Game 4, Airborne Operations campaign, Valkenburg Airfield scenario

This scenario has the Allied forces split  by the German forces in the center. Both sides have nine infantry units, but the Germans are all elite. To counter that the Allies have one additional artillery and armor unit.

My plan was to attack from the Allied baseline, using the artillery and armor as the point of the spear, driving straight for the airfield. Having played this scenario before, I realized that the woods were the key, as they give you firing positions directly onto the airfield (which is open ground).

Again, I was able to roll up an armor reinforcement from the reserve, so I deployed it in the center to help with the thrust. The Germans rolled up an elite infantry unit as reinforcements (which makes sense, given that all of their units were elite).

Again, my plan went as expected, but the fight was very hard. Honestly, I should have lost but Don'd dice, which were good at the beginning, failed him in the end. A loss of a single infantry figure would have won him the game. As it was, the Allies won 6-5.

What happened at the end forced me to look at the Memoir '44 FAQ for a ruling. When I killed the sixth German unit, making it 6 VP, I was in close combat. So, if I advanced after combat, it would put me on the airfield, giving me the objective. Unfortunately, the FAQ states that as soon as you hit the necessary Victory Point, the game instantly ends; you do not finish the move, much less the turn. That means the unit did not get to Take Ground, thus not capturing a key campaign objective.