[gaming] Memoir '44 - Air Pack

Dollar and I picked up a few more expansions for Memoir '44 while we were at Carnage this year. (I think we have them all now, besides a couple Overload scenarios.) We tried the Air Pack first, which comes with 8 painted planes (and stands), new cards for every single Terrain, Special Rule, Action, Nation, Airplane, etc. This expansion also comes with a book of all the scenarios published so far, with revisions for new tiles and air rules.

I chose the Utah Beach scenario to set up. (By the way, I need to get a fishing tackle box and/or cases for all the troops, hexes, tiles, markers, blah-biddey blah-biddey blah. Looking for all the set-up pieces has me rummaging through the main box, the terrain pack, the eastern front, the pacific theater, the mediterranean theater, the air pack. Jeezum crow!)

Dollar and I usually play through once, re-set the board and then switch sides. This scenario started with Germany in strong defensive positions but they were way outnumbered by the US infantry and tanks. I played USA first and generally pushed all my troops up to overwhelm the Axis side. I was able to win 5 medals before Dollar was able to take any (having consistently awesome die rolls helped, too).

We set up again and I took the Axis side. Dollar could have done the same thing as me but he decided to be more... I don't know, slow and careful about it. Which resulted in higher losses for him. Allied still won, but it was close- 5 medals to Axis' 4 medals.

It was fun playing with the planes. Here Dollar's Lockheed P-38 Lightning intimidating some of my Germany infantry:



I launched my Fieseler Storch to do some recon of the US troops (just to the right of the top center):



I was able to perform a rescue of one of my lone infantry troops with the Storch as well.

It was a lot of fun with the addition of the planes. The planes click nicely into their stands and they are painted very well.