Frequently Asked Questions about Terrain

This is a forum adapted version of the Official Memoir '44 Advanced Play FAQ, and this topic contains the most asked questions about Terrain. The authors of the FAQ deserve all credit for their creation:

  • Jesse Rasmussen (original creator of the FAQ)
  • Stig Morten «ad79» Breiland
  • Steven «PanzerRunes» Erikson
  • Sam «sam1812» E.
  • Geoff «gheintze» Heintzelman
  • Jim «stevens» McCann
  • James Hebert
  • Richard Borg (creator of the game)

Here is the original FAQ Foreword by Richard Borg:

Welcome to the Official FAQ Document for Memoir ’44.

As many of you have discovered, Memoir ’44 by design is not a complex game. With this in mind, our goal from the very outset was to present the rules for the core set and all expansions in a logical and concise manner. The only problem is that players sometimes have different interpretations of how to play no matter how concise the rule, and they look for clarification to be sure they are playing correctly. An official comprehensive clarification is finally here in this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document for Memoir ’44.

The FAQ document covers all card questions and mirrors the Official Card Compendium. The Card Compendium can be found at www.memoir44.com and is the most up-to-date location for future questions. In addition to card questions, this document covers general Memoir ’44 questions, overlord questions, and questions about specific scenarios. We encourage players to print this document and keep it in their Campaign Bag for easy reference.

A special thanks goes out to Jesse Rasmussen whose dedicated effort on this project was inspiring. Thanks Jesse! Have fun and enjoy!

Quick access index

Terrain

Beaches
Bunkers
Forests
Hedgerows
Hedgehogs
Hills
Oceans
Bridges
Sandbags
Cliffs & Sea Bluffs
Sea Wall
Steep Hills
Towns & Villages
Wire
Airfields
Dams
Minefields
Mountains
Pontoon Bridges
Railroad Bridges
Road Blocks
Roads
Wadis & Gullies
Frozen Rivers
Caves on Hills and Mountains
HQs & Supply Tents
Jungles
Fordable Streams
Rope Bridges
Ergs & Ridges
Balkas
Abatis

Terrain

Beaches

✪ Maximum movement onto beaches is 2 hexes.

✪ No combat restrictions

✪ Taking Ground and Armor Overrun remain possible

✪ Do not block line of sight

Q. When an Armor unit moves two hexes along clear terrain, may it enter a Beach hex as its third hex of movement?

A. No. A unit that moves onto a Beach hex during any part of its movement phase (it does not matter if it’s the first or second hex) may only move two hexes for its total movement this turn. The unit, however, may Take Ground or Armor Overrun and gain an additional hex of movement that way.

Examples:

  • An Armor unit moves ashore from the Ocean. The first hex is a Beach. The Armor can only move one more hex because it is limited to two hexes total.
  • An Armor unit moves from one Beach hex to another. The next hex is open ground, but the unit must stop after entering the open ground because it moved onto a Beach hex first and is limited to two hexes.
  • An Armor unit moves across one open hex then onto a Beach hex. It must stop when it enters the Beach hex because the two hex limit applies when the unit enters the Beach hex.

Q. Can a unit move (not retreat) from a Beach hex back onto an Ocean hex?

A. Yes. Although it seems strange, units can move from a Beach hex onto an Ocean hex or from one Ocean hex to another.

Q. Is Desert terrain different than Beaches, even though they look similar?

A. Yes. Desert terrain is played just like open countryside terrain.

Bunkers

✪ Infantry may move in and battle

✪ Bunkers have 360° arc of fire

✪ Impassable by Armor & Artillery

✪ Block line of sight

✪ Original owner’s units may ignore 1 flag

✪ Artillery in bunker may not retreat, must take loss instead

Q. When the Special Rules say that “only the Axis can claim Bunkers as a defensive position”, does that mean that Bunkers are impassable to Allies?

A. No. Allied Infantry units can move onto the Bunker hex, but they will not benefit from any terrain protection; it is like Allied Infantry are on an open countryside hex.

Q. If a Bunker is sitting on a Hill, do the terrain modifiers stack? Meaning that tanks are at -3 and Infantry -2 to shoot into the hex?

A. No. Battle dice terrain reductions in the same hex are not cumulative. The highest modifier is the only one that applies (so the Bunker on a Hill offers the same defense as the Bunker on a countryside hex).

Q. Bunkers state that units may ignore the first Flag, but the Barrage and Air Power cards state that Flags may not be ignored. When attacking a unit in a Bunker with one of these cards and a Flag is rolled does the unit in a Bunker have to retreat?

A. Yes. Flags rolled against the unit in a Bunker from a Barrage and Air Power attack may not be ignored.

Q. For Artillery in Bunkers, Flags are treated as a hit. Does Artillery in a Bunker still ignore the first Flag?

A. Yes. Basically an Artillery unit in a Bunker may not retreat. Therefore it must lose one figure for each retreat Flag that cannot be completed. But like all other units in a Bunker hex, it may ignore the first Flag rolled against it. In other words, it takes two Flags to force it to retreat and take one hit, and three Flags for two hits.

Q. Does moving onto a Bunker stop movement for an Infantry unit?

A. No, Infantry movement is not limited, but the presence of a Bunker makes a hex impassable to Tanks and Artillery.

Q. Does moving onto a Bunker let a standard Infantry unit battle even if they moved twice to get there?

A. No. Certain cards will allow standard Infantry units to move two hexes and attack, but Bunkers themselves do not create that ability.

Forests

✪ Unit moving in must stop and may move no further on that turn

✪ Unit moving in cannot battle

✪ Block line of sight

Q. My unit is located on a Forest hex, and is attacking an adjacent unit which is also on a Forest hex. Does the Forest protect the target unit or, like Hills, is there no protection because both units are on Forest hexes?

A. Each Forest hex is considered separate, so the protection and terrain effects always apply.

Hedgerows

✪ Unit moving in must stop and may move no further on that turn

✪ Block line of sight

✪ Unit moving in cannot battle that turn

✪ To enter or take ground, unit must start its move from adjacent hex

✪ When exiting, unit must stop on adjacent hex, may still Take Ground

Q. Can a unit retreat onto a Hedgerow hex even if they didn’t start the turn adjacent to the hex (e.g. they get two retreat Flags against them and would end their turn in a Hedgerow)?

A. Yes. Retreating allows you to ignore normal terrain movement restrictions. Note: Impassable terrain is still impassable to retreating units.

Q. If a unit moves one hex out of a Hedgerow and makes a successful Close Assault, can the unit Take Ground or Armor Overrun?

A. Yes.

Q. May a unit start adjacent to Hedgerow hex, move to another hex adjacent to the Hedgerow, attack an enemy unit on a Hedgerow hex and then Take Ground into the Hedgerow hex?

A. No, Hedgerows slow troops down. If a unit wants to move onto the Hedgerow hex, the unit cannot move on the same turn it enters a Hedgerow hex.

Hedgehogs

✪ Infantry may move in or through, and battle

✪ Do not block line of sight

✪ Impassable by Armor & Artillery

✪ No combat restrictions

✪ Infantry in hedgehogs may ignore 1 flag

Q. Do Hedgehogs block Landing Craft from moving onto the hex?

A. Yes.

Hills

✪ No movement restrictions

✪ Block line of sight (except from adjacent contiguous hills at same height)

Q. Is there a die reduction when a unit is attacking from one Hill hex to another Hill hex?

A. No. There is only a reduction for attacking from a lower elevation.

Q. Can an Infantry or Armor unit on a Hill hex see over a terrain hex that blocks Line of Sight?

A. No. Terrain (Towns, Forests, Hedgerows, Bunkers, etc) and units, both friendly and enemy, still block Line of Sight.

Q. Can an Infantry or Armor unit on a Hill hex see over a terrain hex that blocks Line of Sight if the target unit is also on a Hill hex?

A. No. Also note that when there is a group of Hill hexes together, an enemy unit on ground level, or on a nearby but separate Hill, will only have Line of Sight to the front Hill hexes (the first rank). The same is true in reverse; a unit cannot see over a Hill to an enemy at ground level or on a nearby but separate Hill. The plateau explanation in the rules is there because Hills (along with Mountains and Ergs & Ridges) don’t block Line of Sight when they are in a contiguous group with terrain of the same elivation. Note: Look for the scenario Hills (Examples of Line of Sight) in the Official Scenarios section online for a visual explanation, or go to the following link: http://www.daysofwonder.com/memoir44/en/editor/view/?id=1096

Oceans

✪ Maximum movement in ocean is 1 hex

✪ Unit cannot battle when in ocean

✪ Unit cannot retreat onto ocean

✪ Do not block line of sight

Q. How many Ocean hexes are there on the Beach side of the board?

A. There are two Ocean hexes. The row that has some sand on it acts as Ocean for the purpose of terrain. If a unit is on any of the first three hexes and is forced to retreat, it must lose a figure because it cannot retreat into Ocean hexes.

Q. What is a Shore hex?

A. For reference, an Ocean hex adjacent to a Beach hex is considered a Shore hex. A Shore hex contains both Ocean and Beach, and the movement and battle details can be found on the Terrain 7 - Ocean summary card.

Q. Does a unit have to move from an Ocean hex to a Beach hex?

A. No. A unit can move from an Ocean hex to any terrain hex, as long as the hex is not impassable for the unit.

Q. Can a unit move (not retreat) from a Beach hex back onto an Ocean hex?

A. Yes. Although it seems strange, units can move from a Beach hex onto an Ocean hex or from one Ocean hex to another, though movement is still restricted to one hex in the Ocean.

Q. How do you play the Coastline Hexes that are found in the Mediterranean scenarios, since they are not listed in the Card Compendium and don’t have their own summary card?

A. Essentially, Coastline hexes are treated exactly the same as Ocean hexes. A Coastline hex contains both water and Beach, with movement and battle details on Terrain 7- Ocean summary card.

Bridges

✪ No movement restrictions, unless the bridge is destroyed

✪ No combat restrictions

✪ Do not block line of sight, unless stated otherwise in Special Rules

Q. Does a Bridge block Line of Sight?

A. No, unless stated otherwise in a scenario’s Special Rules.

Q. Do you have to be adjacent to the Bridge to blow it?

A. No. Blowing up a Bridge is a card play that does not require a unit to be adjacent to the Bridge unless stated otherwise in the Special Rules. Note: The rules for blowing up a Bridge are not permanent rules, but rather scenario-specific additions, outlined in the Special Rules section of each scenario.

Q. Does the orientation of the Bridge matter, or can a unit move onto the Bridge from any adjacent non-waterway hex?

A. A unit may move onto a Bridge from any adjacent non-waterway hex.

Q. Can I move from a River hex onto a Bridge?

A. No, because a River hex is impassable terrain. Units cannot move directly from a Collapsible Raft or Boat to a Bridge either. Note: Units may not move or retreat from a Frozen River onto a Bridge or vice versa.

Q. Can I move sideways from one Bridge to another Bridge if they are right next to each other?

A. No. A unit may only move onto a Bridge from an adjacent non-waterway hex.

Q. Does a Bridge over a River prevent a unit from moving one additional hex of Road movement?

A. Yes. A Bridge will cut off the Road movement bonus.

Q. In the Nijmegen Bridges scenario, can a Special Forces Infantry unit, moving along the River, directly capture the Bridge?

A. No. A unit may only enter a Bridge hex from a land hex not directly from a Collapsible Raft & Boat. A unit could battle and eliminate an enemy unit on the Bridge but could not Take Ground onto the Bridge.

Q. Can an Infantry unit in a Collapsible Raft or Boat go under a Bridge?

A. No.

Q. Does a Bridge on a River Y hex or River Branch limit movement across this forked waterway?

A. Putting a Bridge on a River hex of any kind allows that hex to be treated as if it were open terrain. So as long as a unit moves from a non-water terrain hex to another non-water terrain hex across a Bridged River hex it will not be limited in any way.

Sandbags

✪ If occupant leaves, remove sandbags

✪ Occupant may ignore 1 flag

✪ Do not block line of sight

Q. When a unit with Sandbags in its hex leaves (moves or retreats) or is destroyed, are the Sandbags removed?

A. Yes.

Q. If defense is not cumulative, what is the advantage of putting Sandbags on a building terrain?

A. It allows the unit to ignore the first Flag.

Q. Are there any restrictions to placing Sandbags?

A. Sandbags may be placed on any countryside or terrain land hex, including a hex with a Bridge. This means they can be placed on hexes with Bunkers, Hedgehogs, Barbed Wire, Dams, and Marsh hexes. Note: Sandbags may not be placed on Ocean hexes or Fords as they are not considered land hexes for this purpose.
Examples:

  • When a unit does not benefit from any protection for its terrain, the Sandbags reduce the number of Battle dice rolled by one when attacked by Infantry or Armor.
  • Battle dice terrain reductions and the Sandbag Battle dice reduction are not cumulative when Sandbags are placed on a hex with other terrain.
  • Sandbags will allow a unit to ignore the first Flag rolled against it. Note: A unit may ignore the first Flag rolled against it each time it is being attacked.

Q. Does a Sandbag on a Hill protect the unit behind the Sandbag from an enemy unit firing from another Hill?

A. Yes, since the attacking unit is firing from the same level the Sandbags provide -1 dice as well as permit the defending unit to ignore one Flag.

Q. On the Dig-In card it says to place an “available” Sandbag on a hex. Does it mean only my color or any color Sandbag?

A. The statement means that you are limited to the 12 Sandbag pieces found in the game. The color of the Sandbag piece does not matter.

Q. On the Dig-In card, it says, “Issue an order to 4 Infantry units. The units improve their position by…” Since the card says the Infantry receive an order, does that mean they can move and fire in addition to placing Sandbags?

A. No. They may only place the Sandbags, with no movement or combat.

Cliffs & Sea Bluffs

✪ Moving up from/down on beach is a 2 hex move for Infantry

✪ Armor/Artillery may not move up/down from beach

✪ Cliffs only - Infantry may not Take Ground from the beach

✪ Treat as normal hill from inland side for movement and battle

✪ Treat as normal hill from both sides for retreat

✪ Block line of sight (except from adjacent contiguous hills)

Q. On the Omaha Beach scenario do Hills only count as Cliffs from Beach hexes or is it the direction you’re coming from that matters? Are the Hills above the Beach line just normal Hills?

A. The Hills on Omaha Beach next to a Beach are Cliffs & Sea Bluffs. Moving up a Sea Bluff Hill hex from a Beach hex is a two- hex move. From a countryside hex, moving up the Sea Bluff Hill hex is the same as moving up a normal Hill.

Sea Wall

✪ No movement restrictions

✪ If initial occupant leaves, do not remove sandbags

✪ Unit behind Sea Wall may ignore 1 flag

✪ Does not block line of sight

Q. In the Omaha Beach scenario two Sandbag pieces act as a Sea Wall, a permanent improved position feature. Does this mean that they stay on the board, even if the hexes they protect are abandoned?

A. Yes. The Sea Wall may not be removed and units may move through the Sea Wall hex as normal.

Q. May the Axis player use the Sea Wall as a defensive position?

A. No. The Sea Wall only protects the Allies.

Q. Is this FAQ book current and official?
A. This document is the Official Memoir ‘44 FAQ, but may not include all of the most recent questions. Check the bottom right corner of any page to see how current this version of the FAQ document is. If you have a question and can’t find the answer in this FAQ Book, check the FAQ thread on the forums at www.memoir44.com because that is
where questions are asked and answered before they make it into this FAQ document.

Steep Hills

✪ Some scenarios may designate hills as being steep

✪ Movement up onto steep hill is a 2 hex move

✪ Movement down hill, or from hill to hill, is a 1 hex move

✪ Block line of sight (except from adjacent contiguous hills at same height)

Q. Can an Armor unit on an open terrain hex that has Close Assaulted an enemy unit on a Steep Hill Take Ground and Armor Overrun if that enemy unit is eliminated or retreats (even though movement up a Steep Hill is a two-hex move)?

A. Yes. Taking Ground up a Steep Hill is possible. An Armor unit may Take Ground and then do an Armor Overrun attack.

Towns & Villages

✪ Unit moving in must stop and may move no further on that turn

✪ Unit moving in cannot battle

✪ Armor battles out at -2 dice

✪ Block line of sight

Q. Can an Armor unit ever attack from a Town hex and target an enemy unit in another Town hex?

A. No. Armor attacking out of a Town hex is -2 dice and targeting a unit on a Town hex is -2 dice resulting in no dice rolled. The only possible exception would be a Flame Thrower Tank or a Tank Destroyer (see below).

Q. How can a Flame Thrower Tank unit or a Tank Destroyer attack from one Town hex into another Town hex?

A. Flame Thrower Tanks battle with three dice, +1 die when ordered by Their Finest Hour, Armor Assault or Close Assault = 4 dice. Battle out of Town -2 dice, target enemy unit in adjacent Town hex -1 die (Flame Thrower Tanks terrain Battle dice reduction limited to one max in Close Assault) so in the end, the attack would be with one Battle die. The same would be true for a Tank Destroyer that does not move, except it would not have any reduction for the target Town hex. Note: Combat Cards could also be used to increase attack dice enough to allow Armor to attack from one Town hex to another.

Wire

✪ Unit moving in must stop and may move no further on that turn

✪ Does not block line of sight

✪ In wire, infantry battles out at -1 die

✪ Infantry may remove wire instead of battling

✪ Armor removes wire and may still battle

Q. Can an Infantry unit battle on the same turn in which it enters Wire?

A. The Infantry unit must make a choice between fighting at -1 die OR removing the Wire and not battling this turn. When an Infantry unit moves onto the Wire hex after moving two hexes and is not able to battle this turn, it may not remove the Wire.

Q. Terrain has no effect on retreat moves. Is this true for the Wire too?

A. Yes. A unit’s retreat is not stopped when retreating through a hex with Wire. Note: Wire is a subset of Terrain along with other obstacles like Bunkers, Hedgehogs, and Sandbags.

Q. May an Armor unit that retreats onto a hex with Wire remove the Wire?

A. No. Look at the act of removing Wire by an Infantry or Armor unit as an offensive action. Therefore an Armor unit retreating onto or through a hex with Wire will not remove the Wire. Note: If an Armor unit attacks out of Wire it had to retreat into, the Wire is removed after the attack. If an Armor unit simply moves out of Wire it had to retreat into, the Wire is not removed.

Q. Can you Take Ground or do Armor Overrun after moving into Wire?

A. No. You cannot move any further on the turn you move into Wire.

Q. If an Armor unit moves onto a hex with Wire, does it have to remove the Wire?

A. Yes.

Q. Can a Standard Artillery unit remove Wire?

A. No.

Q. What advice do you have for players who are trying to create their own scenarios?
A. Scenarios you design should be playtested more than one time. Playing a scenario solo does not count as a good playtest. Don’t add a lot of Special Rules to your scenario; Memoir already has its fair share of rules. Besides, we have played hundreds of scenarios with lots of rule ideas, so limiting rules to what has been officially published will actually help maintain consistency and continuity. I sure would like to avoid contradictory statements between official and community designed scenario rules.
– Richard Borg ⟨Designer of Memoir ’44⟩

Airfields

✪ When Air rules are in effect airplanes may take-off from, or land on, Airfields

✪ No movement restrictions

✪ No combat restrictions

✪ Do not block line of sight

Q. What is a friendly Airfield?

A. Any Airfield hex or a group of hexes (in the case of a large Airfield) whose hexes are not currently occupied by any enemy unit(s). As strange as it sounds, this might mean that a friendly Airfield can be found behind enemy lines, although be careful when landing near enemy ground units because Airplanes are vulnerable when they are on the ground.

Q. When an Airfield is made up of several contiguous hexes, may an Airplane land on a vacant Airfield hex, if units occupy one or more of the other Airfield hexes?

A. Yes, provided that none of these units are enemy units.

Dams

✪ No movement restrictions for Infantry

✪ Block line of sight

✪ Impassable to Armor and Artillery

✪ No combat restrictions

✪ Unit may ignore 1 flag

Q. When a Dam is Sabotaged, is the unit on the Dam eliminated?

A. No. Sabotaging a Dam does not mean the Dam is blown up. The Dam terrain hex, when Sabotaged, is not removed and the unit on the Dam is not eliminated.

Q. Are dice rolled each turn, after the sabotaging player’s Command Card is played, regardless of the sector? For example, if you were playing a center section card, would dice still be rolled if the Dam was in one of the flanks?

A. Yes. You roll to Sabotage as long as one of the Dams is occupied by a sabotaging unit.

Minefields

✪ Drawn at random from all minefield counters available and set up by controlling side before start of battle

✪ Unit moving in must stop and may move no further on that turn

✪ Friendly unit: Minefield is not revealed

✪ Enemy unit: Minefield is revealed; roll dice equal to Minefield value; unit’s symbol and grenade score hits; all other symbols are ignored

✪ Decoys (0 strength) removed; other strength mines remain in hex, face up

✪ Retreat through or onto a minefield does not trigger it

✪ Do not block line of sight

Q. If a unit is still eligible, can it battle out of a Minefield if it survives the explosion?

A. Yes. However, units cannot Take Ground or Armor Overrun even if they have a successful Close Assault because Mines, like Wire, do not allow units to move any further that turn.

Q. If a Combat Engineer unit moves onto a Minefield hex and it turns out to be a decoy (‘0’) does the Engineer get to battle?

A. No. As the rule is written - An Engineer unit that moves onto a Minefield hex and that is eligible to battle must clear the Minefield hex instead of battling. A Minefield token represents a Minefield no matter what the value of the token. A Minefield token with a “0” will still require an Engineer unit to clear the “0” token instead of battling.

Q. If an Engineer unit starts its turn in a Minefield and chooses not to move, can he battle or is he required to remove the Mine?

A. When an Engineer unit starts on a Minefield hex and is ordered, but chooses not to move, instead of battling he must clear the Minefield in the hex.

Q. Does an Engineer unit have to move to be able to remove a Mine token? Or can he start his turn in the hex and still remove the token?

A. An Engineer unit does not have to move to be able to remove a Mine token. When the unit starts on a Minefield hex and is ordered, but chooses not to move, instead of battling he must clear the Minefield in the hex. If the Engineer unit chooses to move, the Minefield hex does not detonate.

Q. I know that whoever lays a Minefield controls it, but several scenarios don’t outline who lays them. Which side lays the Minefields for these scenarios?

A. Usually the defending force controls a Minefield. Outlined below are the sides that lay the Minefields for these official scenarios:

  • 37A [Operation Grenade] Across the River Roer: Axis lay Minefields
  • 41A [Stalingrad] Red Barricades Factory Complex: Russians lay Minefields
  • 42A [Kursk] Ponyri: Russians lay Minefields
  • 59A [Barbarossa] Sea of Azov: Russians lay Minefields
  • 54A Peleliu Landings - Overlord: Japanese lay Minefields
  • 55A [Iwo Jima] The Meat Grinder: Japanese lay Minefields

Q. What if I move a Tiger tank into a Minefield? Is the Tiger destroyed if it receives one hit from a Mine?

A. No. Your opponent re-rolls all Battle dice from a Minefield that score a hit. If at least one re-roll is a Grenade, the kill is confirmed and the Tiger is eliminated; all other symbols are ignored.

Mountains

✪ Infantry may only move up or retreat onto a mountain from adjacent hill or mountain. Infantry may only move down or retreat from a mountain to an adjacent hill or mountain.

✪ Impassable by Armor & Artillery

✪ Block line of sight (except from contiguous adjacent mountains)

✪ Artillery set on mountain fires at: 3,3,2,2,1,1,1

Q. Can an Infantry or Armor unit on a Mountain hex see over a terrain hex that blocks Line of Sight since Mountains are at such a high elevation?

A. No. Terrain that blocks Line of Sight, even though it may be low elevation, prevents units from seeing more distant targets. Note: Unless noted otherwise in the scenario’s Special Rules, Mountains are impassable to Armor and Artillery units.

Q. What is the battle reduction when targeting an enemy unit on a Mountain hex?

A. Infantry and Armor Battle dice are reduced by two when attacking from below (Hill or countryside hex) or from another Mountain hex that is not part of the same Mountain range. Note: Units attacking from Hill hexes still suffer -2 battle die when attacking units on Mountain hexes.

Q. Do Mountains and Escarpments block Line of Sight for Artillery units?

A. No, unless stated otherwise in the scenario’s Special Rules.

Q. Are House Rules allowed with Memoir ’44?
A. House rules are always allowed, as long as all of the players involved in the game agree to them. The goal is to have fun with Memoir ’44, and if House Rules make the game more fun for you, enjoy!

Pontoon Bridges

Bridges

✪ May only be built when specified by scenarioʼs Special Rules

✪ To build a pontoon bridge, play an Attack command card but order no units; instead, place a pontoon bridge on a river hex in same Section as Attack card

✪ No movement restrictions

✪ No combat restrictions

✪ Do not block line of sight unless stated otherwise in scenario Special Rules

Q. Does one of my units have to be adjacent to the River hex where I want to build my Pontoon Bridge?

A. No. Building a Pontoon Bridge is a card play and does not require any units to be present. Note: Building Pontoon Bridges is a scenario-specific rule.

Q. If I’m allowed to build Pontoon Bridges, and my opponent is allowed to blow up Bridges (like in Cadets of Saumur), can my opponent blow up a Bridge I just built?

A. Yes.

Railroad Bridges

Bridges

✪ No movement restrictions for Infantry

✪ Do not block line of sight, unless stated otherwise in scenarioʼs Special Rules

✪ Armor and Artillery moving onto must stop

✪ No combat restrictions

✪ Armor may Take Ground and Overrun

Q. The description on p. 12 (Terrain Pack expansion) says there are no Infantry movement restrictions and Armor must stop on a Railroad Bridge, but what about Artillery?

A. An Artillery unit, as stated for Railroad Tracks, must stop when moving onto a Railroad Bridge hex.

Road Blocks

Blocks

✪ Infantry moving in must stop and may move no further on that turn

✪ Impassable by Armor & Artillery

✪ Unit may ignore 1 flag

✪ Do not block line of sight

Q. Is it possible to remove Road Blocks?

A. An Infantry unit may not normally remove a Road Block, unless stated otherwise in a scenario’s Special Rules. An Engineer unit that moves onto a Road Block may remove the Road Block instead of battling.

Roads

✪ Unit that starts its move on a Road and stays on it may move 1 additional hex

✪ No combat restrictions

✪ Do not block line of sight, except when over Hills

Q. Does the Road on Hill hex afford the same protection as being on a normal Hill?

A. Yes.

Q. How should units moving along Roads be played?

A. If a unit starts on a Road and stays on the Road for the entire move, here’s how it should be played:

  • Standard Infantry - 2 hexes and battle, 3 hexes no battle
  • Specialized Infantry (Elite, Rangers, Commandos) - 3 hexes and battle
  • French Resistance Infantry - 2 hexes and battle, 3 hexes no battle
  • Combat Engineers - 2 hexes and battle, 3 hexes no battle
  • Sniper - 3 hexes and battle
  • Cavalry - 4 hexes and battle
  • Ski Troops - 4 hexes and battle
  • Japanese Infantry - 2 hexes and battle, 3 hexes no battle unless they can Close Assault - US Marine Infantry - 2 hexes and battle, 3 hexes no battle
  • Supply Trucks - (move an additional 2 hexes on Road) 4 hexes and resupply
  • SWA Unit - 3 hexes no battle
  • Armor - 4 hexes and battle
  • Artillery - 2 hexes no battle - on Bombard card may move 4 hexes no battle

Q. How should Infantry moving along Roads when ordered with the Infantry Assault card be played?

A. If the Infantry start on a Road and stay on the Road for the entire move, here’s how it should be played:

  • Standard Infantry - 3 hexes and battle, 4 hexes no battle
  • Specialized Infantry (Elite, Rangers, Commandos) - 3 hexes and battle, 4 hexes no battle - French Resistance Infantry - 3 hexes and battle, 4 hexes no battle
  • Combat Engineers - 3 hexes and battle, 4 hexes no battle
  • Sniper - 3 hexes and battle, 4 hexes no battle
  • Cavalry - 4 hexes and battle
  • Ski Troops - 4 hexes and battle
  • Japanese Infantry - 3 hexes and battle, 4 hexes no battle
  • US Marine Infantry - 3 hexes and battle, 4 hexes no battle
  • Supply Trucks - 4 hexes and resupply
  • SWA Unit - 4 hexes no battle
  • Long Range Patrol Cars (Jeep) - 4 hexes and battle
  • Command Cars - 4 hexes. Command Cars may not battle.
    Note: When ordering Cavalry or Ski Troops with an Infantry Assault card, they may move 4 hexes and battle. The Infantry Assault card does not limit their movement.

Q. If an Infantry unit is ordered with the Behind Enemy Lines card and stays on the Road for the entire turn, does it get the extra hex of movement?

A. Yes. An ordered unit that starts on a Road hex, moves along the Road and ends its move on a Road hex may move one additional hex; the Behind Enemy Lines card does not change that.

Q. If I play Behind Enemy Lines on a unit that starts on a Road hex, I can move up to four Road hexes and then attack because of the +1 Road bonus. In my second phase of movement, can I use the +1 Road bonus again to move an additional four hexes if I still stay on the Road?

A. Yes.

Q. If a unit is moving on a Road and encounters a Bridge, does the Road extra hex movement benefit end?

A. Yes.

Q. If a unit is moving on a Road and the Road crosses a Railroad, does the Road extra hex movement benefit end?

A. No. Also, an Armor or Artillery unit does not have to stop its movement when moving onto a Road crossing a Railroad hex and both types of unit still get the +1 movement bonus. Note: This answer is an update from previous FAQ documents and changes the answer from before.

Q. If Road hex tiles are adjacent on the board, although the Road images themselves are not visually connected, will I still get the Road bonus of one extra hex since I’m on Road hexes the entire turn?

A. No, you will not receive the Road movement bonus of moving one additional hex unless the unit moves directly along the connected Road images.

Q. If Road hex tiles are adjacent on the board, although the Road images themselves are not visually connected, may I move across these hex tiles my standard number of movement points.

A. Yes you may. However, you forfeit the Road movement bonus of moving one additional hex unless you move directly along visually connected Road images.

Q. If I want to buy an expansion, which one should I get first?
A. You can’t go wrong when buying a Memoir ’44 expansion; they’re all great. Many players choose what to get based on which theater they like the most or which aspect of the war they find the most interesting. The Army Pack expansions are designed so that you only need the base game, while the Air Pack and Campaign Books might require other expansions to fully appreciate (the Air Pack and Campaign Book #1 are both available as PDF downloads only). The Overlord expansions will help you streamline Overlord play and are ideal for game clubs and conventions, or for players who simply enjoy Overlord battles. You can find more advice about which expansion to buy on the Memoir ’44 Forum at www.memoir44.com.

Wadis & Gullies

✪ Side slopes impassable, both in and out

✪ No movement restrictions through open ends

✪ Infantry or Armor battling in or out of a Wadi or Gully must be adjacent to target

✪ Do not block line of sight. Unit in Wadi or Gully blocks line of sight as normal

Q. In the Mediterranean Expansion rule book it says that Wadis have an Air Check value of 2, on the summary card it says 1. Which is correct?

A. The correct Air Check value is on the summary card, i.e. 1.

Frozen Rivers

✪ Frozen Rivers may be crossed, at a risk

✪ Moving or retreating onto a Frozen River hex, roll 2 Battle dice; for each star rolled, lose 1 figure

✪ No combat restrictions

✪ Do not block line of sight

Q. An Infantry unit is attacked and forced to retreat onto a Frozen River. It has one figure left. Two dice are rolled. A Star comes up and the Infantry figure is eliminated. Does this count as a medal for the opponent?

A. Yes. When rolling for units moving or retreating onto a Frozen River, we have the opposition player roll to see if the ice is thin and figures are lost. Note: Frozen Rivers are the only terrain where its effect is still applied when a unit retreats onto it.

Q. When a unit is already on a Frozen River hex, does it need to roll if it does not move?

A. No

Q. If a Tiger Tank tries to cross a Frozen River but rolls a Star, is the Tiger destroyed or do we re-roll each Star?

A. The rules for Frozen Rivers say that for each Star rolled, one figure is lost. A Tiger Tank unit only has one figure, no re-roll is required to eliminate the single figure Tiger Tank unit. Crossing a Frozen River with a Tiger Tank unit is indeed a risky move.

Q. Can a unit move or retreat directly from a Frozen River to a Bridge or vice versa?

A. No. This move or retreat move is not possible.

Caves on Hills and Mountains

✪ No movement restrictions for Infantry on Hills

✪ Impassable by Armor & Artillery

✪ Block Line of Sight (except from contiguous adjacent Hills at same height)

✪ Japanese Infantry may move from cave to empty cave as full turn move and still battle; Japanese unit in cave must ignore all flags

✪ Allied Infantry moving onto Cave hex may seal it by rolling a Star in Close Assault, in lieu of battling, if adjacent hexes are clear of enemy

✪ Infantry may only move up or retreat onto a mountain from adjacent hill or mountain. Infantry may only move down or retreat from a mountain to an adjacent hill or mountain.

✪ Impassable by Armor & Artillery

✪ Block line of sight (except from contiguous adjacent mountains)

Q. When a Japanese Infantry unit wants to move between Cave hexes, can it move anywhere on the board or can it only move to adjacent Caves?

A. A Japanese Infantry unit can move from one Cave to any other empty Cave hex on the board; they do not have to be adjacent.

Q. After moving through a Cave network, can a Japanese Infantry unit Take Ground after a successful Close Assault?

A. Yes

Q. Only the Japanese units benefit from the defense of Caves, but if an Allied unit is on a Cave hex do they enjoy the defensive benefit of the underlying terrain?

A. Yes. Allied units receive the battle benefit from the underlying Hill (-1 from below) or Mountain (-2).

Q. After reading the rule book and Summary Cards, I’m not clear on what the battle die reductions are for this terrain.

A. The statement at the bottom of these cards has caused some confusion. The correct rules are: Armor and Infantry will battle at -2 when attacking a Japanese Infantry unit on any Cave hex, regardless of elevation. Armor and Infantry will battle at -1 when attacking a non-Japanese Infantry unit on a Caves on Hills hex from below (just like normal Hills).

HQs & Supply Tents

✪ No movement restrictions

✪ No combat restrictions

✪ Block line of sight

Q. The HQ & Supply Tent rule states that you must re-claim this hex before you get your full hand of cards back. Can I just eliminate the enemy unit, or do I have to move a friendly unit onto the hex to re-claim it?

A. A friendly unit must move onto the HQ & Supply Tent hex and occupy it. When you reoccupy the hex, immediately draw a Command Card to replenish your hand.

Jungles

✪ Unit moving in must stop

✪ Unit moving into may battle if unit starts its move in adjacent hex

✪ If Armor unit starts its move in adjacent hex and makes a successful combat against unit in a Jungle hex, it may Take Ground and do an Armor Overrun

✪ Block line of sight

Q. When it says that a unit can attack if it moves onto a Jungle hex from an adjacent hex, does it have to start from an adjacent Jungle hex when the unit is ordered to move or can the unit come from any terrain?

A. To battle when entering a Jungle hex, your unit must be adjacent to the Jungle hex when ordered. It does not matter what type of hex the unit moves from.

Q. When ordered by the Behind Enemy Lines card, if an Infantry unit moves three hexes into a Jungle hex, may it battle?

A. No. Units must start in a hex adjacent to a Jungle hex to move onto the Jungle hex and still battle.

Q. Can a Sniper move two hexes into a Jungle hex and still battle?

A. A Sniper moves like a Special Forces Infantry unit, one or two hexes and battle. Jungle terrain rules do not allow a Special Forces Infantry unit to move two hexes into the Jungle hex and still battle. Therefore a Sniper cannot move two hexes into a Jungle hex and battle.

Fordable Streams

✪ Unit entering Fordable Stream must stop

✪ Unit may still Take Ground and Armor Overrun

✪ No combat restrictions

✪ Do not block line of sight

The Air Pack manual had a misprint for the following Pacific Theater scenarios:

  • 3 - Tenaru (page 72)
  • 5 - Matanikau River (page 74)
  • 7 - Clearing Matanikau River (page 76)
  • 8 - Guam Landings (page 77)
  • 9 - Japanese Counter-Attack (page 78)

All the streams in these scenarios are Fordable Streams (Terrain 61 - Fordable Streams), not Fords & Fordable Rivers (Terrain 41).

Q. In Hedgerow Hell, the text says “Fordable Streams” but the reference card is #41 for Fords & Fordable Rivers. Which is the correct water feature?

A. None of the water courses in this area could be classified as large rivers, so the Special Rules as written - All the streams are fordable (Terrain 41 - Fords & Fordable Rivers) is the correct summary card for the Hedgerow Hell scenario.

Rope Bridges

✪ No movement restrictions

✪ No combat restrictions

✪ Do not block line of sight

Q. May Armor or Artillery use a Rope Bridge?

A. No. Infantry has no movement restrictions but it is impassable to Armor and Artillery units.

Ergs & Ridges

✪ Unit moving up the ridge must stop and may move no further on that turn

✪ Block line of sight (except from adjacent contiguous terrain at same height)

Q. Are Ergs & Ridges really treated like Hills in regard to Battle dice?

A. Yes. When battling a unit on a Hill (or Erg & Ridge) with another unit on a Hill (or Erg & Ridge), there is no dice reduction if they are at the same height, which they are unless otherwise stated. This is true regardless of whether the terrain is connected (i.e. contiguously adjacent or not). This is consistent with the summary cards, and with the general spirit of keeping the game simple. Sorry for the extraneous and erroneous mention in the rules of the Mediterranean Theater

Balkas

✪ Unit moving in, or exiting a Balka hex must stop and may move no further on that turn

✪ Unit may move out of a Balka directly onto a Bridge and vice versa, but must stop when doing so

✪ Unit battles out at -1 die

✪ Do not block line of sight. Unit in Balka blocks line of sight as normal

Q. The card says that when moving into or out of Balkas, units must stop and move no further. Does that mean units can’t Take Ground or Armor Overrun?

A. Yes. Units may not Take Ground or Armor Overrun on the turn they move into or out of Balkas.

Q. If a unit starts its turn in a Balka hex and moves into an adjacent, contiguous Balka hex, does it still have to stop and move no further on that turn?

A. Yes. Even though it may seem counterintuitive, units must stop whenever they enter a Balka hex even if they are moving from a connected Balka hex. Note: Units still may not Take Ground or Armor Overrun when they move from adjacent, contiguous Balka hexes.

Q. The rule about stopping when moving onto a Bridge seems superfluous given the fact that units must already stop when exiting a Balka hex. Why is this example mentioned specifically?

A. The reason for this statement was to avoid players thinking a unit on a Balka hex could be hiding under a Bridge and protected by the Balka die reductions. A unit on a Balka/Bridge hex is considered on the Bridge just like a unit on a Bridge over a Fordable River is not considered on the Fordable River.

Abatis

✪ Impassible by Armor and Artillery

✪ Infantry moving in must stop and may move no further on that turn

✪ Infantry battles out at -1 dice

✪ Infantry may remove abatis instead of battling

✪ Do not block line of sight

Q. It says in the Campaign Book #1 that Abatis is like Wire except impassable to Armor and Artillery. It also says in the Terrain pack that the Engineer units may remove Wire and battle with -1 die. So may an Engineer unit enter an Abatis hex, remove the Abatis and battle out at -1 die?

A. No. An Engineer unit that moves onto an Abatis may remove the obstacle instead of battling.

Q. What was your inspiration behind creating the Commands & Colors game system?
A. I started playing Avalon Hill board wargames and historical miniatures in the late Sixties. As time went by I found that I could not devote as much time to gaming. Many of the guys in the game group, because of family and job pressures, were in the same boat. I had already written several sets of traditional miniature wargame rules for the group, but knew that we needed something different. I had lots of American Civil War (ACW) miniatures so my focus was on ACW. Taking what I liked about miniatures and combining this with the best elements of board games, the first Commands & Colors rules set was written around 1975. The group enjoyed the ACW game so much that in time we had expanded the system to include our Napoleonics and the American Revolution miniatures we had collected. In 1999 we finally licensed Battle Cry to Hasbro and the rest as they say, is Commands & Colors History.
– Richard Borg ⟨Designer of Memoir ’44⟩