Memoir '44 - The Fall Gelb Campaign (Part 4)

Game 6, The Diversion campaign, Battle of Hannut-Merdorp scenario

To start, you roll for "attrition" (called Victory Event Rolls) and see if some of the units are depleted, or must retreat. This scenario led to some interesting questions.We did not read the rules closely enough and applied the die rolls in any order, which allowed Don to kill my artillery unit (he rolled a Flag and a Grenade). We found that was wrong as Flags must be applied before Grenades and Grenades can only affect units that are not depleted. As the Flag forces a retreat, and the unit was on the baseline, it lost a figure, making it depleted. That means the Grenade could not be used.

Nonetheless, we did not know that at the time so Don smashed my artillery unit with a Grenade and a Flag and I destroyed his with two Flags. That's one way to make sure artillery has no effect in a game. (By the way, I think my applying two Flags is still legal, but I am awaiting an answer on the Memoir '44 forum.

When it came to the Reserve rolls, I was looking for an armor reinforcement and got ... two Flags. That only allowed me to dig in with two units, most of which were already dug in. : ( This scenario was not going well. The Allied winning streak was looking shaky...

With Don killing my artillery, getting no reinforcements, Don bringing on an artillery reinforcement, and Panzers everywhere, I did not do well. The Allies lost 2-6. In addition, I did not even get a single objective (for killing Panzer units.

Game 7, The Diversion campaign, Resistance in Gembloux scenario

Winning this scenario will allow me to mine the bridge in the following scenario. Having lost the previous scenario, Don's infantry units on the baseline were allowed to advance one hex. The Victory Event Roll produced some casualties, but nothing significant on my end. I was able to roll up an armor reserve, which I staged in case I would need it. (I did.)

The first thing I did was count the range from the German artillery. Being only four hexes from a German artillery unit, my infantry in Ernage was dead meat. On my right flank, the infantry in the railway station was within 6 hexes of both German artillery, so it would not survive either. Only the last two rows of hexes on my side was out of range from at least one artillery unit.

Early play had the Axis getting the Artillery Bombardment card, allowing Don to knock out Ernage and the railway station before I could evacuate it. I was able to use Barrage to knock out the artillery on the Axis left flank. That gave me breathing room to maneuver on my right. Eventually my tanks and artillery won on the right flank and my infantry starting chasing down the remnants of German units. The Allies squeaked out a victory, 7-5. In addition, I was able to knock out 2 Panzer units.

Game 8, The Diversion campaign, Dug-in Behind the Dyle scenario

Having won the last scenario I was able to mine the railroad bridge over the Dyle River. I got a '4' mine, but it never came into play; Don made a run for the right flank (my left flank).

I wasn't really sure how to fight this one. Rolling 2 Flags for Reserves meant I received no reinforcements. With 5 infantry and 1 artillery (I lost one, on the left flank, to the Victory Event Rolls) versus 10 infantry and 1 artillery, this was going to be a hard fight, dug in or not.

My first task was to retreat the infantry out of Court-St-Etienne, as that position is simply too vulnerable (I retreated them to the woods behind the ford). The second was to advance my remaining artillery, out of the woods behind the towns on the right flank so it could reach out and hit the attackers with an extra die.

Don's attack on my left flank went very well in the beginning, but he slowly lost momentum and I was able to counterattack and pick off depleted units on my right while holding off the left at various strong points. With Don's dice failing, I was able to launch a last-ditch attack and win 5-3.

Game 9, The Diversion campaign, Battle of the Lys scenario

As this was the last game of the campaign, I used my last Reserve Token, an armor unit, to try and win the scenario and the campaign. I was able to eliminate the Axis artillery unit (the last scenario allowed me to apply an additional Flag to my Victory Event Roll), so that created a weakness on the Axis left flank.

I attacked on my right flank while Don did the same. I slowly pulled back from the left hopping from terrain to terrain while I chopped up the right. Unfortunately, Don chopped me up faster and the Allies lost, 4-6.

Final Score, The Diversion campaign

The Allies scored 18 medals and earned 1 objective point for destroying 5 Panzer units. The Axis scored 20 medals, but got no objective points. This resulted in a Campaign Score of 19-20, with the Axis winning a Minor Victory in the campaign. The Grand Campaign Score was now 41-35 with the Allies leading.

With the Axis winning the The Diversion campaign, they got to choose the next campaign and Don chose The Sickle Cut.