Memoir '44: New Flight Plan Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• I. How and When to Use Air Rules
• Air Superiority Table
• Set Up with Air Rules
• II. Air Combat Cards
  • Notes about Air Combat Cards
• III. Order an Air Unit
  • Deploy an Air Unit onto the Battlefield
  • Air Unit Movement
  • Terrain Restrictions
  • Other Units
  • Objectives
  • Air Unit Landing
  • Ammo Types
• Air to Ground Combat
  • Air Unit Attack Run
  • Strategic Bombing
  • Downing an Enemy Air Unit
  • Dogfight
  • Air Unit Withdrawing
  • Ground to Air Combat
  • Nation Command Rules
• IV. Command Cards
  • Recon 1
  • Close Assault
  • Ambush
  • Their Finest Hour
  • Barrage
• V. Compatibility
  • Pacific Theater - Night Battles
  • Breakthrough
    • On the Move orders
  • D-Day Landings - Special Rule
  • Overlord - Special Rule
  • Other Combat Card Decks
  • Anti-Tank Weapons
• VI. Additional Play Examples
• Air Units
  • Fighters
  • Fighter-Bombers
  • Bombers

I. How and When to Use Air Rules

The New Flight Plan - Air Rules may be used with any scenario in this expansion, as well as with any existing official Memoir '44 scenario, when both players agree to use these new rules.

If you decide to play with New Flight Plan - Air Rules, make sure to remove the Air Power Command card (and Air Sortie, if any) from your deck before any game. These cards are never used with the new Air Rules.

This expansion features a new Combat Deck: the Air Combat cards. If you already played with previous Combat cards (Urban Combat, Winter Combat, Desert Combat, Jungle Combat), then you already have an idea of how they work. The Air Combat cards allow you to manage your air units and allow them to deliver their full firepower on the battlefield.

The New Flight Plan - Air Rules supersede all previous Air Pack rules, Summary Cards and any previous scenario specific Air rules.

Air Superiority Table

With this expansion, Air Superiority Rules are always in effect. Now, when a player has Air Superiority, he will simply start the game with an extra Air Combat card (see next page).

The following Air Superiority Chart will indicate which side has Air Superiority in a theater, by year. Simply check the year of the scenario and apply Air Superiority to the corresponding player. Sometimes, there is no Air Superiority: in this case, both players receive the same number of Air Combat cards at game start.

Front	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945
Western Front	Axis	Axis	Axis	Axis	Axis	Allies	Allies
Eastern Front	Axis	Axis	Axis	Axis	--	--	--
Pacific Theater	Axis	Axis	Axis	Axis	--	Allies

Set Up with Air Rules

When Air Rules are used, follow this setup:

• Shuffle and place the Air Combat Cards beside the game board.
• Create a common pool of ammo markers next to the Air Combat Cards.
• Each player takes 3 Aircraft Summary cards, as well as 3 aircraft figures & 1 stand.
• Each player draws 2 Air Combat cards at game start.
• The player with Air Superiority (see above chart) draws 1 additional combat card.

Important Note: When you play a landing scenario (beach map), both players draw 1 less Air Combat card.

The rest of the rules remain unchanged.

II. Air Combat Cards

Air Combat cards allow you to grant your air units special actions. They are also used to deploy an air unit (see Deploy an Air Unit onto the Battlefield on next page).

Every Air Combat card contains the following information:

• Card Title: the name of the Air Combat card.
• Air Unit type restriction icon: if there is an Air Unit icon (fighter, fighter-bomber, or bomber) only that unit can perform the card special action.
• Phase of Play: when necessary on some cards, this text explains when the Air Combat card must be played in a game turn.
• Card Action: details the special action of a card.

Notes about Air Combat Cards

• Most of Air Combat cards allow an air unit to do something special.
• Some Air Combat cards will be used by a player's ground unit, some others during the opponent's turn.
• A player may only play one Air Combat card during his turn.
• A player may only play one Air Combat card during his opponent's turn.
• When a Recon 1 Command card is played the player will also draw one Air Combat card, at the end of the turn.
• When Their Finest Hour Command card is played, both sides will draw one Air Combat card at the end of the turn, after the cards are shuffled.
• Unlike other Combat cards, players are allowed to play an Air Combat card against a unit that has already been affected by another Combat card.

III. Order an Air Unit

Deploy an Air Unit onto the Battlefield

To bring an air unit onto the battlefield, you must play an Air Combat card alongside the Section card that you play at the beginning of your turn. You must then use one order from this Section card for the air unit. This is called deploying an air unit onto the battlefield.

You may not deploy an air unit if you already have an air unit on the battlefield.

You may not deploy an air unit with a Tactic card.

When you deploy an air unit onto the battlefield, choose an air unit of any type, no matter what Air Combat card you played. Take the matching summary card and corresponding ammo from the ammo pool and place the matching figure and Nation Marker on your stand.

The next step depends on the Air Combat card you played to deploy your plane:

• if the type of air unit deployed does not match the air unit type restriction icon (or if there is none) on the Air Combat card: the special action of the card is ignored but the air unit can perform a standard attack run (see below).
• if the type of air unit deployed matches the air unit type restriction icon (if there is any) on the Air Combat card: the special action of the card MAY be used instead of a standard attack run.

Then, perform the standard attack run or the special action, starting the air unit's movement from any hex in the section of the card just played. This can include hexes that are occupied by an enemy or friendly ground unit or any type of terrain. The hex an air unit starts on is counted as the first hex of the air unit movement.

Example: That player plays the Saturation Bombing Air Combat card along with a Probe Left Command card. This allows them to use one of their two orders to deploy any type of air unit on the left section of the battlefield. They choose to activate one infantry and to deploy a fighter. That fighter will fight as normal, but it won't benefit from the Saturation Bombing effects.

Example: The player could have played a Rake the Enemy Air Combat card alongside the Command card to allow their fighter to use the card's special action instead of its normal battle action.

Example: That player now plays an Attack Left card to order three units: two ground units and the air unit that was previously deployed.

Once an air unit is deployed (see Deploy an Air Unit onto the battlefield rule section) it will follow, for the most part, the basic rules that apply to Memoir '44 ground units.

Any deployed air unit that is already on the battlefield can be ordered like any other unit. When ordered, an air unit will use its standard movement and battle (see below).

It is important to note that an air unit occupies the hex it is on and will therefore block line of sight.

If you want to enhance the air unit capabilities, then you can play a matching Air Combat card along side your Command card to apply the card's special effects instead of your standard attack run.

If an air unit does not receive an order, it remains on the battlefield as any other unit would. The pilot is simply patrolling the area, waiting for new orders.

Example: The enemy air unit blocks the way! An air unit may not move through a hex with an enemy air unit.

Example: This infantry unit may move under the cover of their aircraft... but they may not move through a hex occupied by an enemy air unit.

Example: The air unit can fly over this infantry unit... but it may not end its move above it!

Air Unit Movement

When ordered, an air unit may move up to 4 hexes. However, it may not move onto the same hex twice, including the hex where it started its turn.

An air unit moves during the move phase and battles during the combat phase, like any other unit. However, it may attack several targets, that it flew over during its move. This is called an Attack Run. The attack run is decided during the move phase and resolved in the combat phase. See Air Unit Attack Run on next page for more information.

Regardless of the Attack Run result, an air unit may never Take Ground.

Terrain Restrictions

An air unit ignores any movement restrictions. It may move onto or through a hex with terrain, regardless of its nature (impassable terrain, obstacle, minefield, etc.).

Other Units

An air unit may move through a hex with an enemy or friendly ground unit. It cannot end its move on the same hex as another unit though.

An air unit may not move through a hex with an enemy air unit.

A ground unit may move through a hex with a friendly air unit. However, it may not move through a hex with an enemy air unit (this is called ground interdiction).

Objectives

An air unit may neither take an objective medal, nor score an Exit medal. A bomber or a fighter-bomber unit may, however, attempt to bomb the objective (see Strategic Bombing).

An air unit may not move off the battlefield. If you want to withdraw it, you may announce it at the beginning of your turn (see Air Unit Withdrawing).

Air Unit Landing

When an air unit ends its movement on a friendly airfield hex (i.e. an airfield hex that is not under enemy control), the air unit is considered landed and on the ground. Fighters and fighter-bombers can also land on a hex with an aircraft carrier. In this special case two units can occupy the same hex.

At the start of the player's next turn, the landed air unit is resupplied and its ammo is brought back to full strength.

An air unit may perform an attack run before landing. However, it may not dogfight.

When on the ground, an air unit is targeted and attacked like a regular ground unit. A unit does not need to be adjacent to attack a plane (see Ground to Air rule section), as long as it is in range.

Any grenade or flag will score a hit against a landed air unit, destroying it immediately (do not reroll to confirm the hit). The attacker places the Nation Marker on his medal stand, and draws a new Air Combat card as a reward. The defender must return any unused ammo to the ammo pool, and loses the ability to deploy that kind of air unit for the rest of the scenario.

Note: A landed air unit on a friendly aircraft carrier may not be attacked; combat is conducted against the aircraft carrier. However, a landed air unit is eliminated if the aircraft carrier it is on is sunk. The enemy only collects a victory medal for the aircraft carrier sunk, not for the air unit it may still contain. Its owner loses the ability to deploy that kind of air unit for the rest of the scenario, though (see Downing an air unit on next page).

Ammo Types

• Machine Gun: Roll 1 die per marker (ignore all Terrain battle die reductions), score a hit for each icon of the targeted unit rolled. Note: contrary to usual combat rules, grenades are NOT hits when rolled for Machine Gun ammo.
• Bomb: Roll 1 die per marker (ignore all Terrain battle die reductions), score a hit for each icon of the targeted unit and grenade rolled.

Air to Ground Combat

Air Unit Attack Run

The attack run is the air unit's standard battle action. It is conducted against a maximum of 3 enemy hexes and targets ground units. To battle an enemy ground unit, an ordered air unit must move over the enemy hex and place an ammo marker.

A single ammo marker is placed on each hex along the attack run. Markers must be placed during the Move phase and will be resolved in the Battle phase. The hexes where the markers are placed must be adjacent and contiguous hexes. You cannot skip a hex along your path.

A standard attack run is resolved with 1 battle die per marker. Air Combat cards, however, can modify the number of dice rolled and what will score a hit. An air unit that is attacking a ground unit always ignore all terrain battle dice reductions. Terrains or abilities that allow to ignore flags apply normally, unless stated otherwise on an Air Combat card.

When played, most Air Combat cards allow planes to perform a special attack run, more powerful than the standard run.

Example: This fighter conducts an attack run against three targets, placing 1 machine gun ammo marker on each.

An attack run can be resolved at any point in the Battle phase (before or after battling with any other ordered unit). When an attack run is resolved, all air combat markers must be resolved in the order of the run, including an air units's dogfight, if any, before starting another unit's combat. If the air unit declared a strategic bombing, resolve it immediately after the attack run.

If an enemy unit with an ammo marker along an air unit's attack run is eliminated or forced to retreat by other friendly units before you resolve the attack run, remove the ammo marker. When the attack run is resolved, ignore these units and resolve the rest of the attack run as planned.

After an attack run is resolved, remove the markers and return them to the ammo pool.

Strategic Bombing

An air unit may never claim an objective medal by occupying the hex. However, a bomber or fighter-bomber that ends its move on an objective hex may try to bomb it, as long as it is unoccupied.

When you want to bomb an objective, simply declare it at the end of your air unit's move. Place an ammo token (bomb) on the objective. It should be noted that the bomb is not part of an attack run and cannot be affected by Air Combat cards.

Resolve the bomb token during the Battle phase, after any attack run and dogfight, if any. If a grenade is rolled, claim the medal on the objective hex.

Example: After a successful bombing run, the bomber ends its move above the town and declares a strategic bombing.

If an objective hex is reoccupied by an enemy ground unit, the medal is lost and either placed back on the objective hex or captured by the other player, depending on the scenario.

Once an objective has been bombed by a player and claimed, it can no longer be bombed by their opponent to reclaim the objective. Depending on the scenario, the opponent may still try and reclaim the objective with ground forces, though.

Majority Medal Objectives cannot be claimed with Strategic Bombing.

Downing an Enemy Air Unit

Any hits against a flying air unit (usually, grenades) must be confirmed. Reroll all the dice that scored a hit. If at least one grenade is rolled, the hit is confirmed and the enemy air unit is shot down. The attacker collects the Nation Marker, places it on their medal stand, and draws a new Air Combat card as a reward. The defender must return any unused ammo to the ammo pool, and loses the ability to deploy that kind of air unit for the rest of the scenario.

If the attacker does not roll a grenade but rolls a flag on the confirmation roll, the enemy air unit must retire from the battlefield but is not destroyed. Remove the aircraft figure from the battlefield. The attacker does not gain a medal, or any Air Combat card reward. The defender must return any unused ammo to the ammo pool, but does not lose the ability to deploy that kind of air unit since it was not shot down.

Example: This player decided to engage in a dogfight with their fighter against an enemy bomber. The player rolls three dice and gets two grenades, scoring two hits. At least one of them must be confirmed to destroy the air unit. The player re-rolls the two dice and obtains one grenade and one infantry. Because of the grenade, the air unit is destroyed: That player places the Nation Marker on their medal stand and draws a new Air Combat card. The opponent can no longer deploy a bomber during this game.

Dogfight

When an ordered air unit ends its movement in a hex adjacent to an enemy air unit, the ordered air unit may declare a dogfight. This is in addition to any attack run conducted this turn.

To resolve a dogfight, the attacker rolls a number of dice equal to its dogfight value against the enemy air unit. Only the attacker rolls dice; the defender cannot counter-attack, unless they have an Air Combat card that allows to do so.

Note: When dogfighting, an air unit does not spend any ammo markers.

Each grenade rolled scores a possible hit (see Downing an enemy air unit above). All other results are ignored.

An Artillery or Destroyer unit can battle a flying air unit that is adjacent or two hexes away (it does not need Line of Sight to the air unit). Artillery or Destroyers battle an air unit with 1 additional die (4 dice).

Remember that an air unit is never protected by terrain.

Note that even if the air unit is flying, it is considered adjacent if you occupy the adjacent hex. This means that standard close assault rules apply:

• You may not choose to attack a distant unit if you are adjacent to an air unit;
• You may Take Ground with Infantry and make an Armor Overrun with Armor if you eliminate the air unit or force it to retire;
• Some cards such as Armor Assault or Close Assault may be used, while others such as Firefight may not (Artillery can still use Firefight if it is two hexes away).

Each grenade rolled scores a possible hit (see Downing an enemy air unit above). All other results are ignored.

Air Unit Withdrawing

At the start of their turn, before playing a Command card, a player may decide to withdraw an air unit off the battlefield. If the air unit is out of ammo, it must be withdrawn.

When an air unit withdraws, pick up the air unit figure from the battlefield and set it aside. No medal is awarded when an air unit withdraws. Any unused ammo if any is returned to the ammo pool. The air unit can be brought back onto the battlefield on a later turn by playing an Air Combat card.

Note: a player cannot withdraw an air unit from the battlefield at the start of their turn and deploy another air unit during the same turn.

Ground to Air Combat

Ground units may attack air units. An Infantry or Armor ground unit must be in an adjacent hex to battle an enemy flying air unit. Infantry and Armor roll their regular battle dice (3 dice).

Nation Command Rules

Air units cannot be targeted by Nation Command Rules. For instance, a BCF ground unit cannot use Stiff Upper Lip against an air unit, and Japanese Infantry units cannot use their Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine or Banzai War Cry to charge an air unit.

IV. Command Cards

Make sure that you apply the following changes when using your Command card deck with the new Air Rules.

Recon 1

A Recon 1 card allows you to draw 2 Command cards at the end of your turn and keep 1 of them. With the Air Combat Deck, it also allows you to draw a new Air Combat card at the end of your turn.

Close Assault

Close Assault may be used by a ground unit to target an adjacent air unit with an additional die. It may not, however, be used by an air unit against a ground unit.

Ambush

Ambush can be used by a ground unit being attacked by an air unit. The Ambush must be declared in the Move phase when the air unit places an ammo marker on a ground unit. The Ambush is resolved immediately. If the air unit is not eliminated or forced to retire, it may complete its attack run.

Ambush may not be used by an air unit.

Their Finest Hour

When a Star is rolled, you may order an air unit that is already on the battlefield (it may not be used to deploy an air unit, though). The ordered air unit battles with one additional die for each marker that is placed. Reshuffle both the Command and Air Combat decks with their matching discard piles. Then, both sides draw a new Air Combat card.

Barrage

Only ground units may be targeted with this card, so it has no effect on flying air units.

V. Compatibility

If you play with other M44 expansions, make sure to check the following rules.

Pacific Theater - Night Battles

Air units cannot be deployed until full daylight.

Breakthrough

Before playing with the Breakthrough Command deck, remove the Air Power and Air Sortie cards from the deck. Apply the updated rules for Command cards.

On the Move orders

An air unit that is already on the battlefield can be ordered to move, but the air unit may not battle (it may not place markers or declare a dogfight). You may not use a "move" order to deploy an air unit.

D-Day Landings - Special Rule

Before playing with the D-Day Landing maps, remove the Air Power and Air Sortie cards from the Breakthrough Command deck. If you play with several maps, each player may deploy their own air units, following the normal rules (you will need one New Flight Plan expansion per map). There cannot be more than 1 air unit of each side per map, which means that you cannot order your air unit to move to the adjacent map if your teammate already has an air unit flying there.

Overlord - Special Rule

Before playing with the Overlord Command deck, remove the Air Power and the Air Sortie cards from the deck. Apply the updated rules for Command cards.

In an Overlord scenario, the Commander in Chief will handle the Air Combat cards. The CiC will decide when to deploy an air unit by giving one of their Field Generals an Air Combat card at the beginning of their turn, along with a Command card.

Once an air unit is brought onto the battlefield, the Field General commands the air unit. On later turns, the CiC can pass out an Air Combat card to the Field General that commands the air unit. The CiC will follow the rules for replenishing their Air Combat cards.

If the air unit leaves a Field General's section, it may be ordered by the Field General of the new section on the next turn. Remember that you cannot order a unit twice per turn however.

The rest of the New Flight Plan Air Rules remain the same.

Other Combat Card Decks

The Air Combat Card deck can be played with any other Combat Card Deck. (Urban Combat, Winter Combat, Desert Combat, Jungle Combat)

When playing a Recon 1 Command Card, you draw a new Combat Card from each deck.

An air unit cannot be affected by non-Air Combat cards.

Anti-Tank Weapons

Air units are not considered Vehicles.

When attacked by anti-tank units such as Anti-Tank Guns or Tank Destroyers, Stars do not hit.

Other rules remain unchanged.

VI. Additional Play Examples

Example: On a turn, a player plays a Command card Probe Center which orders two units. The player also plays an Air Combat card Fighter-Bomber Boom & Zoom. The first order in the center is used to order an infantry unit and the second order to deploy a fighter-bomber air unit. The player takes the plane, three ammo markers and three bomb markers from the pool and puts them on the aircraft card.

Example: The fighter-bomber may move up to 4 hexes. As it has just been deployed, it may appear on any center section hex the player wants, counting the hex as its first movement (here, the hex (1) with an infantry unit). The player decides to start their attack run by placing a machine gun marker from the aircraft's ammo on that infantry. The fighter-bomber moves to the adjacent hex with an armor unit (2) where the player places a bomb marker, then another machine gun marker on the second infantry unit (3). The fighter-bomber moves its fourth and final hex onto a hex that does not have any unit (4).

Example: The player can now choose to battle first with their Infantry or resolve the fighter-bomber attack run. The player chooses to resolve the attack run. A normal attack, without any Air Combat Card, would have allowed them to roll 1 die for each marker, with the machine gun scoring a hit on a symbol of the targeted unit and the bomb scoring a hit on a symbol of the targeted unit or a grenade. Thanks to the Fighter-Bomber Boom & Zoom card, they can roll 2 dice for each machine gun marker and a hit is scored for each star rolled too. The attack is resolved in the order of the run, then the markers are sent back to the common ammo pool.

Air Units

Aircraft listed by air unit type, with the nation printed on each card.

Fighters

• North American P-51 Mustang (U.S.A., European Theater)
• Chance Vought F4U Corsair (U.S.A., Pacific Theater)
• Supermarine Spitfire (Great Britain)
• Messerschmitt Bf 109 (Germany)
• Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" (Japan)
• Yakovlev Yak-9 (U.S.S.R.)

Fighter-Bombers

• Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (U.S.A.)
• Hawker Typhoon (Great Britain)
• Junkers Ju 87 Stuka (Germany)
• Aichi D3A "Val" (Japan)
• Iliouchine IL-2 Sturmovik (U.S.S.R.)

Bombers

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (U.S.A.)
• Avro 683 Lancaster (Great Britain)
• Heinkel He 111 (Germany)
• Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" (Japan)
• Iliouchine IL-4 (U.S.S.R.)