Command Tokens for Multi-Player Games

Most all of my Memoir 44 games are multi-player with my gaming group. In order to ensure greater player engagement I came up with this set of Command Point rules shamelessly cribbed from other Richard Borg games such as The Great War.

In playing with these rules over the past year they don’t appear to affect overall play balance, they just give players more options. I don’t really recommend Command Points in a 1 v 1 unless you really want the added “chrome”.

COMMAND TOKENS

At the beginning of the game each side receives a quantity of Command Tokens equal to the number of Command cards halved rounded up. (i.e., 7 command cards is 4 Command Tokens, 7/2 = 3.5 rounds up to 4).

Each time the side rolling battle die gets a STAR a token is awarded. Players may not spend a token the same PHASE it is earned.

Players may spend Command Tokens (CT) to accomplish various actions or tasks. The player may spend as few or as many as is possessed.

  • Ordering Stands: Sectors that have not received an order from a Command Card either directly or via On The Move the phasing player may expend Command Token.
    • A Maximum of 1 CT may be issued to an un-ordered sector.
    • When playing Russian Commissar rules a max of 1 CT may be issued to an un-ordered sector in a given turn.
    • Sectors that order using CTs may not also roll using Initiative (or use “On The Move”).
    • Conversely, a Sector that rolls using Initiative or uses “On The Move” may not then use a CT to Order a stand.
  • Add Movement: The moving player may give 1 CT to a stand to increase its move by 1.
    • Treat as increasing move by 1 for road.
    • See page 5 TP for effects
    • This bonus can only be given to a stand once per phase but can be given to as many ordered stands as the player has a supply of CTs that phase.
    • A stand that is ordered by a CT may be given a bonus move CT in the same phase.
  • Add 1 Battle Die: The Phasing player my spend 2 CTs to add 1 Battle die to any Battle other than Artillery.
    • The number of times this can be done is limited to the number of Tokens possessed at the start of the phase.
    • If more than one stand attacks a given defender, each Battle – in turn- may be given 2 CTs to add a Battle die.
    • The 2 CT bonus man be given to a stand only once per phase.
      • An Armor unit that overruns may be given 2 CTs in its initial attack, or in its overrun attack, but not both.
      • 4 Tokens can’t be used to add 2 die to a Battle.
    • May NOT be used with a Battle Back Command Token.
    • May be used to add a battle die for Actions such as Blowing a Bridge.
    • May be combined with other Command/Combat cards effects but effect is not GLOBAL. Spending the 2 CTs adds only 1 die to a specific Battle.
  • Ignore Retreat: The defending player of a Battle my elect to spend 1 CT to ignore 1 Flag.
    • May be used any number of times limited to the number of CTs possessed at the start of the phase.
    • May be used in addition to any terrain effects.
    • May give NO more than one CT to the same stand for a single Battle.
  • Battle Back. The non-phasing player may spend a CT to allow a stand which was not eliminated or retreated from a Close Assault to Battle Back against the stand which just Battled.
    • The non-phasing player may only spend a CT to Battle Back using only the tokens possessed at the START of the phase.
    • Example: at the start of the German turn the Allied player has 2 CTs only those 2 Tokens can be used to Battle Back.
    • CTs that are rolled when Battling Back are given to the player for later use (they may not be used to Battle Back this phase).
    • A stand which is attacked multiple times may receive multiple CTs to Battle Back up to the quantity at the start of the phase.

I ran " Hedgerow Hell" the At the Bayou Wars gaming convention Biloxi, MS last June and used my Command token rules to add flavor where they were well received by the players.

I look forward to any feedback or questions you may have.

2 Likes

This is very interesting. Like a lot of homebrew content, I think it best serves its particular master. I’ve not played any larger games, only with limited numbers, so as you suggest I think I would be put off by the extra footwork involved. I imagine for a larger group, especially those who had played a lot beforehand, there would be a lot of appeal in what you’re doing. I think Memoir 44 is really good as a comparatively simple game with a lot of scope for fiddling about with!
I can see a variant of what you’ve suggested, in which only one side at a time can use the CT. Only when they have used it can the other team use one. This allows for some ‘cheating’ of the standard rules, but not to the point where the outcome of the game would be decided by it. Also, if one team gained an advantage from using a CT, then the other team have a chance to counter that advantage before the advantage becomes too great. If there is a big imbalance in the scenario setup, the CT system could be used somehow as a means of handicapping with a pre-agreed difference in number of tokens.
Anyway, this is great stuff, and I will look into playing about with it when I get the chance to play a larger-scale game.

2 Likes