Memoir '44: The Vercors Campaign

Memoir '44: The Vercors Campaign Rulebook

Table of Contents

Requirements

This book is an expansion for the Memoir '44 boardgame. This campaign is a promotional expansion for Days of Wonder's classic Memoir '44 board game. A copy of the base game and its Terrain Pack and Campaign Book expansions are required. The Air Pack expansion is also recommended (notably for some of the terminology introduced in it) although not strictly necessary to play this particular Campaign.

Campaign Notes

January – July 1944

Briefing

This Campaign plays out in the order in which the 5 scenarios are introduced, with the last 3 battles occurring almost simultaneously from a historical standpoint. Use the core campaign rules described in Campaign Book Volume 1.

Note: Unlike with other more traditional campaigns, Reserve rules need not apply here: The German units participating in the Vercors campaign were Reserve units to start with; As for the hapless maquisards, they could not count on any reserve reinforcement, unfortunately!

Like in 1944, the Axis player has the upper hand, having received more troops and better equipment. In each scenario, he has the initiative and specific objectives to achieve. The Victory conditions are less favorable to him however, in a bid to balance the Campaign out and highlight the danger of letting this uprising develop into something broader.

The Allied player has fewer, but more nimble troops, benefiting from their superior knowledge of the Plateau. But he will never be able to call on Air or Heavy Artillery support, hence the "Air Power" and "Barrage" command cards remain out of his reach throughout the campaign.

Air rules are not in effect in this campaign. Remove all "Air Sortie" cards from your deck before the start of the game.

Victory Conditions

The Axis forces eventually achieved victory on the ground, but the Vercors Campaign cost them dearly: The 157.Reserve-Division suffered heavy losses and was pinned down in Vercors when it could have brought much needed relief to the German 19th Army fighting the Allied landings in Provence.

As for the maquisards, although thoroughly defeated - and for many of them killed in combat or executed after the fight - their brother-in-arms would go on to carry the indomitable spirit of the French Resistance well after the battle.

Victory Points are thus tallied as follows, in this campaign:

1 Victory Point for each Medal (objective reached or unit killed) won in each scenario
1 additional Victory Point for each Objective medal captured, as reported on the Objective Track
and 1 additional Victory Point for each battle (scenario) won in this Campaign. Those points are added in the Bonus spot on your Campaign Sheet.

The Campaign

January 29 – July 23, 1944

"Zone libre" is occupied, our Army has laid down arms, and the occupier rules with an iron fist all over France. But our pride is intact - and so is the spirit of the Resistance. Vercors is the tinderbox from which we will light the uprising of all free men and women. The battle for the Liberation of France has only just begun.

The campaign is played through the five scenarios in the order introduced in the booklet. The campaign sheet shows, for each scenario, the result for each side and the instruction for the next scenario.

Scenario sequence

Maquis of Malleval (p.6). Play 'Battle of Saint-Nizier' next.
Battle of Saint-Nizier (p.7). Play 'Massacre at Vassieux-en-Vercors' next.
Massacre at Vassieux-en-Vercors (p.8). Play 'Battle of Valchevrière' next.
Battle of Valchevrière (p.9). Play 'Battle for the Passes' next.
Battle for the Passes (p.10). End of the campaign.

Allies win

Maquis of Malleval: During the next scenario, lay down 3 minefields (drawn at random) and 4 barbed wires on the hexes of your choice.
Battle of Saint-Nizier: Special: In case of Victory, score 2 bonus Victory Points for this scenario, instead of the standard 1. During the next scenario place a sandbag on each village hex you occupy before the start of battle.
Massacre at Vassieux-en-Vercors: Receive 1 unit of French Resistance as reinforcement for your next scenario. Place it in the Chapel next to the Belvédère, before the start of the game.
Battle of Valchevrière: Special: In case of Victory, score 2 bonus Victory Points for this scenario, instead of the standard 1. Receive 1 unit of French Resistance as reinforcement for your next scenario. Place it on vacant hex of your baseline, before the start of the game.
Battle for the Passes: End of the campaign.

Axis win

Maquis of Malleval: Receive 1 Armor unit as reinforcement for your next scenario. Place it on vacant hex of your baseline, before the start of the game.
Battle of Saint-Nizier: During the next scenario, you may attempt one paradrop action (Actions 20 - Paradrop), at the start of your second turn of play.
Massacre at Vassieux-en-Vercors: Receive 1 Combat Engineer unit (Troops 4 - Combat Engineers) as reinforcement for your next scenario. Place it on vacant hex of your baseline, before the start of the game.
Battle of Valchevrière: Receive 1 Combat Engineer unit (Troops 4 - Combat Engineers) as reinforcement for your next scenario. Place it on vacant hex of your baseline, before the start of the game.
Battle for the Passes: End of the campaign.

If you win the Campaign

Allies: This was a glorious fight. The enemy won't soon forget our tenacity in Vercors, and the bright light of the Resistance will now spread like a wildfire!
Axis: They held us up and we took some losses, but what's a few weeks and a few soldiers in the glorious history of the Third Reich? Victory is now ours!

Campaign Sheet

The campaign sheet's totals are printed as: MEDALS + OBJ. TRACK + BONUS = VICTORY PTS.

Objective Track (as printed on the campaign sheet):

Objectives	none	1	2
Points	0	1	2

Scenario 1: Maquis of Malleval

Western Front, January 29, 1944 (booklet p.6). Historical background omitted as flavour.

Setup order

Briefing

Axis Player (Germany): Take 5 Command cards. You move first.
Allied Player (French Resistance): Take 5 Command cards.

Conditions of Victory

5 Medals.

Special Rules

All Allied units are French Resistance (Nations 1 - French Resistance). Badges are not required.
Special Weapon Asset Rules (SWAs 1 - Special Weapon Assets) are in effect for the unit equipped with a mortar (SWAs 3 - Mortar).
Air rules are not in effect. Remove all Air Sortie, Air Power and Barrage cards from the Command deck before the start of the game.

Scenario 2: Battle of Saint-Nizier

Western Front, June 13-15, 1944 (booklet p.7). Historical background omitted as flavour.

Setup order

Briefing

Axis Player (Germany): Take 6 Command cards. You move first.
Allied Player (French Resistance): Take 5 Command cards.

Conditions of Victory

6 Medals.

Special Rules

All Allied units are French Resistance (Nations 1 - French Resistance). Badges are not required.
Special Weapon Asset Rules (SWAs 1 - Special Weapon Assets) are in effect for the unit equipped with a mortar (SWAs 3 - Mortar).
The slopes of all Hill hexes facing the outside of the Vercors Plateau are Steep Hills (Terrain 13 - Steep Hills). All Country-side hexes inside the Vercors Plateau are considered at the same height as the Hill hexes bordering the Plateau.
The Massif de Moucherotte is impassable to all units.
Air rules are not in effect. Remove all Air Sortie, Air Power and Barrage cards from the Command deck before the start of the game.

Scenario 3: Massacre at Vassieux-en-Vercors

Western Front, July 21, 1944 (booklet p.8). Historical background omitted as flavour.

Setup order

Briefing

Axis Player (Germany): Take 5 Command cards. You move first.
Allied Player (French Resistance): Take 5 Command cards.

Conditions of Victory

5 Medals.

Special Rules

All Allied units are French Resistance (Nations 1 - French Resistance). Badges are not required.
The Air Power card cannot be played by the Allied player. When drawing one, the Allied player should immediately discard it and draw a new one instead.
Air rules are not in effect. Remove the Barrage and any Air Sortie cards from the Command deck before the start of the game.
If you do not possess the Air Pack or Terrain Pack expansion, no worry: The Airfield hex has no effect in this scenario.

Scenario 4: Battle of Valchevrière

Western Front, July 22-23, 1944 (booklet p.9). Historical background omitted as flavour.

Setup order

Briefing

Axis Player (Germany): Take 5 Command cards. You move first.
Allied Player (French Resistance): Take 5 Command cards.

Conditions of Victory

Axis player: 7 Medals, including the Medal token of "Ferme d'Herbouilly" which is a Permanent Medal Objective that the Axis player must capture in order to win the game.
Allied player: 6 Medals.

Special Rules

All Allied units are French Resistance (Nations 1 - French Resistance). Badges are not required. The Belvédère hex is a Mountain hex (Terrain 30 - Mountains).
Special Weapon Asset Rules (SWAs 1 - Special Weapon Assets) are in effect for the unit equipped with a mortar (SWAs 3 - Mortar).
Valchevrière is on a hill (Terrain 49 - Hills with Villages).
The Allied player lays out the minefields (Terrain 29 - Minefields).
Air rules are not in effect. Remove any Air Sortie cards from the Command deck before the start of the game. In addition, the Air Power and Barrage cards cannot be played by the Allied player. When drawing one, the Allied player should immediately discard it and draw a new one instead.

Scenario 5: Battle for the Passes

Western Front, July 21-23, 1944 (booklet p.10). Historical background omitted as flavour.

Setup order

Briefing

Axis Player (Germany): Take 6 Command cards. You move first.
Allied Player (French Resistance): Take 5 Command cards.

Conditions of Victory

Axis player: 5 Medals. The "Grande Cabane" is a Permanent Medal Objective worth 1 Medal for the Axis player; he must capture it in order to win the game.

Special Rules

All Allied units are French Resistance (Nations 1 - French Resistance). Badges are not required.
Special Asset Weapon rules (SWAs 1 - Special Weapon Assets) are in effect for the unit equipped with a mortar (SWAs 3 - Mortar).
The Allied player lays out the minefields (Terrain 29 - Minefields).
Air rules are not in effect. Remove any Air Sortie cards from the Command deck before the start of the game. In addition, the Air Power and Barrage cards cannot be played by the Allied player. When drawing one, the Allied player should immediately discard it and draw a new one instead.