I like Richard Borg's wargames, and own quite a few of them, including both the early and later versions of BATTLE CRY and COMMANDS & COLORS: NAPOLEONICS. My largest collection of his games consists of MEMOIR '44 and most of the expansion sets ... and I have just added the latest of the latter to my collection.
The MEMOIR '44 NEW FLIGHT PLAN expansion set is a more streamlined and simplified version of the earlier AIRPACK (which I have used but never owned) and includes
Although I have yet to use the rules, I have read through them, and they are not unlike my own air combat rules as featured in DEVELOPING THE PORTABLE WARGAME ... which isn't all that surprising considering they both use individual aircraft models on a hexed board!
For more information about this expansion set (including links to downloads of the rules in four languages and ten of the scenarios), go to the relevant page on the DAYS OF WONDER website.
Please note that the photographs featured above are © DAYS OF WONDER.
The MEMOIR '44 NEW FLIGHT PLAN expansion set is a more streamlined and simplified version of the earlier AIRPACK (which I have used but never owned) and includes
- 16 unpainted aircraft models that look approximately 1:300th-scale
- US North American P-51 Mustang fighter
- US Chance Vought F4U Corsair fighter
- US Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bomber
- US Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber
- UK Submarine Spitfire fighter
- UK Hawker Typhoon fighter-bomber
- UK Avro Lancaster heavy bomber
- German Messerschmidt Bf 109 fight
- German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber
- Heinkel He 111 medium bomber
- Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter
- Japanese Aichi D3A Val dive bomber
- Japanese Mitsubishi G4M Betty medium bomber
- Soviet Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter
- Soviet Ilyushin IL-2 Sturmovik ground attack aircraft
- Soviet Ilyushin DB-3/IL-4 medium bomber
- 3 aircraft stands for the models to use when 'flying' over the terrain boards from the original MEMOIR '44 games
- 30 Air Combat Cards
- 8 Summary Cards
- 15 Nation Markers
- 18 Machine Gun and 12 Bomb Markers
- A Rules Booklet
- A Scenario Booklet with scenarios for 21 new battles most of which that can be used with or without the MEMOIR '44 NEW FLIGHT PLAN expansion set
- Western Front
- Isneauville Junction
- Battle of Pico
- Battle of La Heunière
- Groesbeek Heights
- North of Oosterbeek
- Reinforce Arnhem
- Elst
- Koevering Corridor Raid
- Mediterranean Theatre
- Kalamata Waterfront
- Fort Capuzzo
- Attack of the Sabratha Division
- Gambut
- Eastern Front
- Luftwaffe Air Attack
- Soviet KV-2 tanks at Lutsk
- The Grain Elevator
- Battle of Maciejow
- Cherkasskoye
- Pacific Theatre
- Battle of Wau
- Main line of resistance
- Hill 107
- Capture of Meiktila
Although I have yet to use the rules, I have read through them, and they are not unlike my own air combat rules as featured in DEVELOPING THE PORTABLE WARGAME ... which isn't all that surprising considering they both use individual aircraft models on a hexed board!
For more information about this expansion set (including links to downloads of the rules in four languages and ten of the scenarios), go to the relevant page on the DAYS OF WONDER website.
Please note that the photographs featured above are © DAYS OF WONDER.
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Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteWell- you certainly obtain a lot of very useful things in this set. One of my all time favorite planes is the 'Corsair'- I just admire it's shape - and being a US Navy plane too. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteThis expansion set fills a gap in my collection, and will be put to good use in the future.
I must also admit to a sneaking regard for the Corsair, which I always thought was rather underestimated by the US Navy until the RN and the US Marines had shown its potential as a fighter bomber.
All the best,
Bob
I don't believe the USN underestimated the Corsair. They had a problem with landing them on carriers - the wing configuration blocked the pilot's view for final landing (you know the most dangerous part) and the landing gear was a bit "springy".
DeleteThe Marines were more often than not shore based so the final approach wasn't as much of a problem. I'm not sure how the RN coped with the visibility problem but reduced the shock absorber action (removed some of the fluid in the shock unit?) making for a less of spring board action when landing.
William Stewart,
Delete'Underestimated' was probably the wrong word to use (undervalued might have been a better choice), but the cheaper and easier to fly Wildcat was the US Navy 'standard' until 1944.
The RN clipped the wings slightly, which helped reduce the aircraft's tendency to 'float' slightly just as it was landing. They overcame the visibility problems by using a gentle left-hand turn during the landing approach which enabled the pilot to see the deck until just before touchdown, I understand that the US Marines and US Navy copied this method, and it reduced the number of landing accidents.
All the best,
Bob
William Stewart,
DeleteI must had a brainstorm when I wrote that the Wildcat was the US Navy's standard fighter until 1944; I should have written Hellcat!
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteI own and have used the original M44 Air pack-it's game mechanics certainly were clumsy. I aim to get the new version next month.
Best wishes
Anthony
Anthony Morton,
DeleteI never managed to buy the original M'44 Air Pack, but the rules in this set seemed fairly simple to use.
All the best,
Bob