Memoir '44: Overlord
Memoir '44: Overlord Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Battlefield
The battlefield is made of two (or more, if required by the scenario) board maps set side by side. Together, they form an additional row of hexes in the center, joining to create a single battlefield 26 hexes wide by 9 hexes deep.
The boards' sections combine in pairs to create double-sized right, center and left sections respectively.
Left Flanks | Center Flanks | Right Flanks
Number of Players
To experience the full benefit of these massive scale scenarios, we recommend that you play them with the optimal four players to a side. Each camp has a Commander-in-Chief and three Field Generals. Each Field General commands a single, double-sized section of the combined board map, on the right flank, center, or left flank.
If you only have six players, play Overlord scenarios with three players to a side: in this case, the Commander-in-Chief also acts as the Center Field General.
Finally, if you feel really brave, you can always play Overlord scenarios one-on-one!
Set Up
Choose a Memoir '44 Overlord scenario and pick sides. Set up the game board per the battle map. Review the briefing notes for any special rules and victory conditions that apply for the battle. Deal to the Commander-in-Chief the proper number of Command cards as indicated in the briefing notes. Memoir '44 Overlord uses two complete decks of Command cards, shuffled together.
Game Turn
The side listed in the briefing section goes first. Sides then alternate taking turns. A Memoir '44 Overlord turn consists of the following sequence:
1 - The Commander-in-Chief selects 1, 2 or 3 Command cards from his hand (see section on Command cards, below) and passes those to his Field Generals. He may give one card to each of his Field Generals, or give two cards to one Field General and one card to another, or just give one card to one Field General and nothing to the others, etc.
Section cards that indicate a specific flank must be given to the proper Field General. For example, a Probe card on the right flank may only be given to the Field General on the right wing.
When issuing Command cards, the Commander-in-Chief may talk in detail about the current battle situation, tactics and future strategy with one (and only one) of his Field Generals, but he may not show - nor should he state - what Command cards he holds.
Once the discussion is complete, the Field General carries out the Command card. However, he does not have to follow his Commander-in-Chief's advice or wishes.
The other Field Generals receive their orders by wire or courier; the Commander-in-Chief may not talk with these Field Generals. He simply passes them the Command card(s) of his choice, hoping for the best.
To keep the game moving briskly, first pass cards to Field Generals that receive them via courier, then hand deliver orders to the Field General of your choice and discuss strategy.
Field Generals may discuss tactics with each other at any time, but the Commander-in-Chief must limit his input to the time he is visiting the front.
2 - A Field General must play the Command cards he receives, face up, in the section he is ordering troops. If he receives two cards, he must play one in each of his two sections.
As in standard Memoir '44, all unit movement must be completed before any battling. Field Generals should make sure all movement is completed for all sections of the battlefield before any battling starts. A unit may only be given one order in a turn. A unit in a section may cross over into another section under the command of a different Field General, but it may not be immediately ordered again in this new section.
3 - If a Field General does not receive a card from his Commander-in-Chief during a turn he may decide to act of his own initiative. A Field General acting on his own initiative rolls one die, with the following effect:
- Infantry: 1 Infantry unit of your choice is ordered.
- Armor: 1 Armor unit of your choice is ordered.
- Star: 1 unit of your choice (Infantry, Armor or Artillery) is ordered.
- Flag: 1 unit of your choice must retreat 1 hex. The unit may not battle.
- Grenade: 1 unit of your choice must lose 1 figure. The unit may not battle.
If the symbol rolled does not correspond to any unit under the command of the Field General taking the initiative, no unit is ordered. The roll has no effect.
4 - Once all the actions (movements and battles) of the Command cards given are complete, the Field Generals return the used Command cards to their Commander-in-Chief. He discards them, and draws two new Command cards, regardless of the number of cards he gave out and played during the turn.
When drawing new cards, the Commander-in-Chief can never hold more Command cards than allowed by the scenario's briefing section.
A Commander-in-Chief can never give out all the Command cards in his hand during a turn. He must always keep at least one in his hand, so that at the end of his turn, after drawing two new replacement cards, he has at least three cards in his hand.
Command Cards
The Commander-in-Chief may only give a Field General two cards if both cards are Section cards. He may not give a Field General a Section card and a Tactic card, or two Tactic cards.
Section Cards
Section cards are given to Field Generals and played as in a standard Memoir '44 game, except as follows:
Section cards that indicate a specific flank must be given to the corresponding Field General. For example, a Probe on the right flank may only be given to the Field General commanding the right flank of the battlefield.
A Field General who receives two Section cards must play one in each of the sections under his command, during his turn. A Section card played must always be put face up, next to the section it is played on.
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Recon: Order 1 unit in 1 section of the receiving Field General's choice. The Field General receiving a Recon card orders one unit of his choice, in a single section under his command. When discarding one or more Recon cards, the Commander-in-Chief draws three cards back instead of the regular two, at the end of his turn. All three cards are kept, no card is discarded. If drawing three cards would give the Commander-in-Chief more cards in hand than allowed per the scenario's briefing notes, reduce the number of cards drawn accordingly.
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Probe, Attack, Assault: Order 2, 3, All units in 1 section of the receiving Field General's choice. Probe, Attack and Assault Section cards are played as normal, in a single section under the command of the receiving Field General.
Example cards as printed: RECON - "Issue an order to 1 unit on the Left Flank"; ATTACK - "Issue an order to 3 units on the Left Flank"; ASSAULT - "Issue an order to all units in the Center." The Recon card's text reads "Order 1 Unit. When drawing a new Command card, draw two, choose one and discard the other."; the Attack card reads "Order 3 Units"; the Assault card reads "Order ALL Units."
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Recon in Force: Order 1 unit in each of the sections under the command of the receiving Field General (i.e. a total of 2 units when playing a double-board scenario). A Field General receiving a Recon in Force card may not be given any other Command card during the same turn.
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General Advance: Order 2 units in each of the sections under the command of the receiving Field General (i.e. a total of 4 units when playing a double-board scenario). A Field General receiving a General Advance card may not be given any other Command card during the same turn.
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Pincer Move: Order 2 units in one of the sections under the command of the receiving Field General. The Pincer Move card must be given to one of the two Field Generals sitting on the end of the boards (right or left flank), never to the Field General in charge of the center. A Field General receiving a Pincer Move card may not be given any other Command card during the same turn.
Tactic Cards
Tactic cards are given to Field Generals and played as in a standard Memoir '44 game, except as follows:
A Field General who receives a Tactic card may not receive or play any other Command card during the same turn.
When a Tactic card refers to a specific number of units (e.g. Armor Assault) or all units of a given type (e.g. Artillery Bombard), these units can be selected from either or both of the sections under the command of the receiving Field General.
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Air Power: The Air Power card is not given to a Field General; it is played by the Commander-in-Chief himself.
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Ambush: The Ambush card requires the Commander-in-Chief to keep a close watch on the battlefield. The card is given to a Field General when his opponent declares a Close Assault combat. The Commander-in-Chief draws one replacement card after the ambush is completed.
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Barrage: The Barrage card is not given to a Field General; it is played by the Commander-in-Chief himself.
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Counter Attack: The Counter Attack card requires the Commander-in-Chief to keep a close watch on the specific sections in which his opponents play their Command cards. For this reason, it is crucial that Section or Tactic cards relevant to a specific section be put face up next to the section they are applied to, during play. When a Field General receives a Counter Attack card, he must order his units in the section directly opposite the one his opponent just played on using his section or tactic card. The Commander-in-Chief may also play a Counter Attack card directly himself, in reaction to an Air Power or Barrage card played by the opposing Commander-in-Chief. In this case, the counter attack, using the same tactic, may be made in any section of the battlefield.
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Infantry Assault: The receiving Field General may order all Infantry units in only one of his sections, not both.
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Medic & Mechanics: The Field General selects a unit he wants to heal or repair, and rolls 4 battle dice. The card is then played normally: for each roll of a star or symbol that matches the unit selected, one lost figure of that unit is returned to duty. A unit may not gain more figures than it originally had. If the unit recovers at least one figure, it is also ordered.