Memoir ’44 – Operation Overlord and Battle Map expansions

Are you ready for your battlefield promotion? Willing to take command with your field commanders in expanded Memoir ’44 gameplay? Then move up the ranks with the Operation Overlord and the Overlord BattleMap expansions and prepare for your biggest Memoir battles yet!

Many fans say that the most fun they have playing is when playing Memoir ’44 Overlord scenarios with a group of friends or at a convention. The downside was always the long setup or the need to combine cards and figures from two different copies of the game. These two new expansions not only remove those barriers, but take Memoir ’44 Overlord to the next level of fun.

The Operation Overlord expansion was specifically created to aid setup and enhance the play of multi-player Overlord scenarios Included are: 2 special decks of updated Command cards that provide players with the correct card makeup for Overlord games, 2 punchboards of Army figure tokens that are used to represent figures from different nations and make it possible to play Overlord with only a single copy of the base game. Also included are 8 Memoir ’44 dice for the additional players and an updated version of the Overlord Rules.

The Hedgerow Hell Memoir ’44 Overlord BattleMap expansion includes a large-scale, double-sided map with two new Memoir ’44 Overlord Scenario’s – Hedgerow Hell and The Cadets of Saumur, plus 6 new Dodge Truck miniature figures. The oversized map, which is 57 x 27.5 inches in size, is ready-to-play with all terrain, obstacles and unit positions pre-printed – just add figures! It also features the scenario rules, terrain and unit summary cards, and historical background.

Perfect for group play at home or gaming events with fellow Memoir ’44 friends, the Overlord BattleMap series is designed for 2 to 8 players and requires either 1 copy of the original Memoir ’44 board game, plus the Operation Overlord Expansion; or 2 copies of the board game.

Operation Overlord and the Hedgerow Hell Overlord BattleMap expansion will be available in early October from the Days of Wonder web site and your local game retailer. You can preorder yours now from the Days of Wonder Web Store.

Operation Overlord and the Hedgerow Hell BattleMap will debut this week at GenCon in Indianapolis. A limited number of copies will be available at the Days of Wonder Booth #121.


This post is also available in: French

19 Responses to “Memoir ’44 – Operation Overlord and Battle Map expansions”

  1. rasmussen81 says:

    Thank you once again for great expansions, DoW! This looks like a wonderful addition to the Memoir collection. I look forward to more information and more expansions. Keep up the great work!

  2. Geoff Heintzelman says:

    So does Operation Overlord come with a blank paper map? Otherwise, it’s going to be difficult to play Overlord battles with only the map included in the base game.

    How often will new Overlord battle maps be released? Are there any other expansions in the works?

    I never got around to buying a 2nd base game, but I wonder how it will look with counters mixed with figures.

    Geoff

  3. Eric Hautemont says:

    Operation Overlord does not come with a blank paper map. But we plan on releasing additional Overlord battles around major events (Gencon, Essen, etc…). These are designed primarily for Organized Play, ie playing in public venues such as Conventions, Game Stores, etc…

    And yes there are other, unrelated expansions in the works.

    As for mixing counters with figures, we only provide counters as placeholders for people that do not have a second copy of the game or any of the Army expansions (or who don’t want to mix these figures with those of the base game).

    But this expansion (and other battle maps for M44 and BL) are primarily designed for play in a public venue where figures availability is not likely to be an issue (or at least not any more than gathering the ideal number of players for Overlord, ie 8).

  4. ColtsFan76 says:

    Since the battle map is designed for tourneys and such, are you going to make the dodge trucks, and their associated rules available elsewhere? You know, since the base game was designed to be played in homes and such.

  5. Brady says:

    Will there be a scenario booklet with Operation Overlord?

    Looking forward to these items at my FLGS!

  6. Sniper says:

    How does the Overlord expansion make overlord scenarios possible without a blank overlord map (with just one base game)?

  7. AndrewN says:

    I’m with Sniper. If you still need two maps, then you still need two copies of the base game; why should you buy Operation Overlord Expansion? For the convenience of the presorted card deck? The extra dice and figures could easily be swiped from the second base game that you already have…

    Color me confused. I’d love to buy an expansion that makes it easier for me to play Overlord scenarios without having two base games, but based on the description, I fail to see how this expansion serves me.

  8. Sniper says:

    I think it is a big mistake not to include a blank map with the expansion; since without it the only Overlord scenarios you can play with one set are the two that come with the Battle Map exp (not any of the other existing overlord scenarios). So to make the expansion work I have to buy both expansions and then I can play a total of two overlord scenarios?

  9. Bruce says:

    Does this mean we’ll see a reprint of the Winter/Desert board sometime soon?

  10. MWAlbion says:

    @ Bruce

    Reprints are due Sept 08.

  11. Shawn Kehoe says:

    Eric,

    I must echo the perplexed responses in this thread. I haven’t played a Memoir Overlord game because the price tag of buying a second base game seemed excessive. I was quite pleased when I saw a cheaper, dedicated Overlord expansion was in the works.

    But seriously … no map? What’s the point of an Overlord expansion if I don’t have the components to assemble an Overlord board? I’m really not seeing the goal here.

    Clearly we don’t have all the details yet, and maybe the new Overlord rules address this issue. Right now though, it looks mighty confusing to me.

  12. ColtsFan76 says:

    Shawn,

    The point must be for you to buy a 2nd set. Here is the statement in the rules:

    “If you own a single copy of Memoir ’44 …All of the scenarios published in our Memoir ’44 Battle Map series contain ready-to-play pre-printed battle maps…”

    So here are your options. You can spend 420 to get the Overlord Expansion which gives you the needed dice and cardboard tokens. You then need to spend $18 a battle map to be able to play two scenarios. If you stop there, you have spent $38 to cobble together a “poor man’s version of Voerlord (there words, not mine).

    Or, you can go to any decent online store and pay $34 for the real thing. You will then have real plastic figures, real terrain, real boards, your own set of dice, and a free supply of scenarios you can play over and over again.

    So this whole thing turned out to be a “buy a 2nd copy promotion.” Brilliant!

  13. Sniper says:

    I can’t figure out who the first expansion is for, the second is obviously for people who own two sets. If you have one set and buy the first expansion you still can not play any Overlord scenarios, if you have two sets why would you buy it?

    DoW what the heck are you thinking?

  14. AndrewN says:

    I think the marketing people have taken over from the game designers.

    Reasons I’ve bought Days of Wonder games in the past:
    1) Great components.
    2) A commitment to interesting expandable content.

    Reasons to stop buying Days of Wonder games?
    1) Expansions that seem to be placed out there merely for the purpose of taking more of my money.
    2) A worrying decrease in quality of components.

  15. Sniper says:

    If it were being run by maerketing they would be doing a better job of listening to their customers. They seem to be more in the build it and they will come mentality of late.

  16. Caboose says:

    Like others, I’m kinda confused, since other than the rulebook and the 2 different card decks, it would seem that a board would be in order as well.

    Also it would be nice to know if the rulebook is like the AirPack rulebook and it has scenarios in it as well. It is very hard to tell based on the description in the store.

    Likewise confused with the extra dice – since we do have quite a bit of dice already (unless these dice are better quality than the originals ??), it seems a tad odd as well. Hopefully we’ll get some discussion going on what DoW plans since like others, it just seems like a half done deal in my opinion w/o some sort of board to go with it.

  17. Taronstar says:

    Since I am at Gencon and holding an Overlord box in my hand, the Overlord expansion is keyed to work with the new map packs that are coming out. The map packs come pre-printed (no extra terrain needed) and this way you can choose which scenarios you want.

    Now yes, if you want to play the original Overlord scenarios or make your own, the Overlord expansion does not remove the need for a second board. However, they have a lineup of scenarios and map packs on the way, and if you want to play those it is cheaper to buy the Expansion and then just pick out which maps you want then buy a second copy of the game.

    The Overlord box is not the “be-all end-all” for Overlord, think of it more as the key that gives people the option to play Breakthrough and Map Packs without buying the second copy.

  18. Sniper says:

    No big deal, I just won’t be purchasing these items. It seems that these products will have very narrow appeal. I’ll just save my money for the British exp (hopefully it will come out this year).

  19. Matteo says:

    I’m very disappointed too for the same reasons.

    People, you can live without spending 20+ euros everytime there is
    a new expension with a few pieces of paper and plastics…

    I proudly own memoir’44 and share Battlelore with my friends…. though we played a hundred games there are more than half of the scenarios still to play.

    If you buy this expansion, the next ones will be worse.

    Dow, I enjoy myself sharing time with my friends playing meoir and battlelore but I’m not going to waste my money for poor expansion….

    A LOT OF PEOPLE THINKS THE SAME THINGS
    IF YOU CONTINUE TO SELL OVERPRICED EXPANSION PEOPLE WILL
    TRUST YOU NO MORE YOU AND WILL NOT BUY EVERYTHING.

    For instance , instead of buying an unuseful CAMPAIGN BUG (40 euros) I buy FANTASY FLIGHT BRITANNIA(40 euros) .. i.e. an old but WHOLE and EXCEPTIONAL new game that was worth the money.

    Now I have seen that horrible overlord expansion and the paper maps:
    I and my friend Nicola own two memoir’44 base boxes and other expansion…. the operational overlord expansion is unuseful for us….
    but we will gladly buy a new set of dice (they wear off playing much) and
    two set of overlord cards (every time after playing we have to separate our cards)…but 20 euros are too much… with that money we could buy an half new game.

    About the overlord paper maps… we like overlord scenarios but they are
    really few… having two base sets, two pacific expansions, a terrain pack,
    two air packs, an eastern front expansion and a winter/ desert board
    and a lot of other things I want other OVERLORD SCENARIOS FOR FREE
    not spending every time 16 euros for just one map….

    There are also a lot of unuseful thing in what I bought…Cavalry, rope bridges, Carriers, Chindits that are not used in scenarios.

    The awesome Sinipers rules (Stalingrad red barricades is a wonderful scenario, I won it 10-9 after two hours) are used in only one scenario.

    I want new scenarios using what I already have…

Loading Facebook Comments ...