Rongammers' air rules

for Memoir '44

requires memoir '44

base game and air pack
or toy airplanes

Version 01.05.05

Sentences marked in red are new to version 01.05.05

 Memoir 44 Air Rules v1.05.05

1. Starting Air Units:

Air units can start from any airfield hex or aircraft carrier, or if none of these are on the board,
air units can start from off-board. If starting off-board, place the air unit where the other player
can see that it will soon be “in play”. Air units are only on the board when they are starting or
when they make their attack then they are either destroyed or continue their move off the
board. Each side can only have one air unit "activated" at a time. After playing an air sortie, the
deck is reshuffled to that the air sortie cards will be more frequent.

2. Activating Air Units:

A) Air units must spend the turn prior to their activation on the airfield, aircraft carrier, or edge of
the board where that unit starts from. If the controlling player has no airfield hexes or aircraft
carrier markers, the air unit starts off-board behind the controlling players side of the lines.
While the air unit is waiting for activation, any air unit on an airfield hex, or aircraft carrier is
susceptible to attack from other units. Any air unit starting off-board is not susceptible to
attack before its activation. Any air unit on an airfield hex, or aircraft carrier may be targeted by
any unit that has a valid shot (infantry, artillery, armor, or other activated air unit). The attack
proceeds normally and the air unit is removed on a grenade result. If the air unit is destroyed,
the controlling player may, on his next turn, replace the destroyed air unit with another, so long
as there are no enemy units in any adjacent hexes.
B) Any air unit that survives until the following turn after it was placed, may be "activated" by an
air power, air sortie, (or if no air sortie cards any recon card for that section [including recon in
force]. (If used for activation, a recon card cannot be used to activate any other units). For
example an air unit on an airfield hex in the center may be activated by a recon1card for the
center). Once the air unit is "activated", it is removed from the board and placed along the
edge of the board (not in a victory medal spot) where it can be seen by all players as “in play”.
Place a “ready to take off” marker on the airfield (if you have one). The unit remains “in play”
until used to strafe or bomb, then the air unit, if not destroyed, is returned to the airfield hex,
aircraft carrier, or off-board where it started. If the air unit is Japanese, it can also be used for a
“Kamikaze” attack on ships.

3. Ordering air units:

A) Once an air unit is activated and is "in play", it
can be ordered by any section card (as long
as the first targeted unit is in that section), or a
"Direct from HQ" card, or any card that allows
you to order a unit of your choice.(Other units
are activated as normal by section or tactic
cards)
B) Once the air unit is ordered, it can be used to
make an air to ground attack as described
below.

4. Air Unit Ground Attacks:

Air units can strafe, bomb, kamikaze, recon, or perform air or ground interdiction.
A) Strafing is done per normal air power tactic card (pick up to four targets that are
adjacent to each other) with the exceptions that the four hexes must form a straight line
from the hex in front of the air unit, and that from 1939-mid1943 German air units can roll two
dice on each targeted hex, Allies roll one, Japanese roll two and Soviet air units always rolls
one die per hex. After mid 1943, Germans roll one, Japanese roll one, and Allies roll two.

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B) Bombing is done by attacking a row of two

hexes. The two hexes must form a straight
line starting from the target hex, to the
adjacent hex, and is done in the following
manner:1) the controlling player rolls one
die and if the result is not a blue infantry
figure, the first hex bombed will be the target
hex. If the blue infantry figure is rolled, then
the next hex in the row will be the first hex
bombed, and the next hex in the row will be
the second. (Bombing was imprecise in
WWII). 2)For each hex being bombed, roll as
many dice as there are figures in that hex. If
rolling against a train, roll four dice, or three
dice against a ship. If you roll that units
symbol, grenade, or star, the figure is
removed. So for an attack on a full strength
armor unit that has three figures, roll three
dice. On a armor symbol, grenade, or star,
remove one figure for each rolled. Continue
this procedure for the next target hex. 3)If the
targeted unit is in a hardened bunker (not a
field bunker) the first grenade hit removes the
bunker. If a grenade was not rolled, then
halve the damage (rounded down) and apply
to units inside the bunker. So if there are four
infantry figures in the bunker hex, and three infantry, or star figures were rolled, one infantry
figure would be removed from the hex. 4)For Japanese infantry in caves, only grenades count
as hits. After all units are removed, any hex that lost all units also loses sandbags,
wire,hedgehog, hedgerow, (place crater marker) field bunker, or minefield counter that was in
that hex.
C)Kamikaze attacks are done by placing a Japanese air unit next to a ship marker. The ship
gets to defend first (see below). If the air unit survives the anti-aircraft barrage, the air unit is
removed and one hit is recorded on the ship.
D)Recon is done with any air unit and is activated in the usual manner (see #2 above). The
recon unit is placed on the board, using a section or tactic card, and the air unit can see any
unit on the board unless it is camouflaged. Camouflaged units are detected on a unit symbol or
grenade on 2 dice. Then any two artillery units the recon player owns can attack the detected
units at one additional die when activated by the same card on that turn. Only one camouflaged
unit can be detected per turn.The air unit is then returned to the airfield, carrier, or off-board
where it started. Another use of the recon air unit is to pick up a “heroic leader” and move him
from harm, or where he can do more good. See rule 8B below for details.

5. Anti-aircraft defense:
A) All ship counters attack air units before they can make their attack. Warships roll two dice to
attack an oncoming air unit. Any grenade or star rolled destroys the air unit and the attack is
over. Ships can shoot air units up to two hexes away.

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 Memoir 44 Air Rules v1.05.05

B) Any other units (except artillery as noted below)

in adjacent or same hex, roll one die and destroy
the air unit on a grenade symbol. (If the first
adjacent unit targeted in a bombing, or strafing
attack destroys the air unit, the last unit (or units) are
not attacked. But the attack on the first unit is
considered simultaneous.
C) At the beginning of the game, during set up, if air
units will be present in the scenario, a player may
designate any full strength artillery as having an
anti-air artillery component. This can only be done
with artillery that starts with two figures. To
designate a full strength artillery unit as having an
anti-aircraft artillery component, place a round
marker under one of the artillery figures. This artillery unit attacks ground units as per
standard rules (see below) but can also target any air unit within two hexes on the board. Like
warships, this unit attacks the enemy air unit before it makes its attack. The anti-aircraft artillery
component rolls three dice and destroys the air unit on a grenade result. If this special artillery
is attacked by ground, or air units and must lose a figure, the controlling player must decide to
remove the regular artillery figure, or the anti-aircraft component.

6. Air Interdiction:
A) If you have an air unit “in the air” or activated, and an enemy air unit has been ordered by a
section card, or tactic card, when the enemy air unit is placed on the board before any dice are
rolled, you may place your air unit adjacent
to the enemy air unit and attempt to “shoot
it down” Roll two dice and a grenade
result destroys the enemy air unit before it
finishes it's ground attack. If successful, Both
air units are then returned to their airfields,
carriers, or off board. If not successful,
attacker is returned to airfield or off board and
enemy air unit resumes it's ground attack.

7. Ground Interdiction:
A) An air unit may perform a ground
interdiction attack against the following
targets; road hexes, rail hexes including rail
station, bridges, airfield hexes, radar station,
supply depot, hospital, castle, HQ, Pier or lighthouse. To attack, place air unit in adjacent hex
when ordered by section card, or tactics card, and roll two dice. The attack is successful when
a grenade or star is rolled. Place a crater marker on the hex. If the target is a bridge, and you
have the air pack, use the destroyed bridge obstacle. The effect is that the attacked hex is not
there; i.e. a break in a rail or road, or resupply or reinforcements at a rail station is stopped, ect.

8. Other rules regarding air units:

A) If an air unit is destroyed, it does not count toward a victory medal.
B) A Storch may be used to ferry a heroic leader from a clear hex to a baseline hex as no
enemy units are adjacent to the clear hex. Any enemy units adjacent to or in the flight path, are

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 Memoir 44 Air Rules v1.05.05

allowed to attack the air unit as per rules in section 5 above. So if an air unit flies from hex a to
hex b and there are three hexes in between a and b, any unit in, or adjacent to those three
hexes can attack the air unit before it lands in the clear hex. If the air unit is destroyed, the
heroic leader is killed as well. Immediately after play, the air unit returns to the hex or off-board
where it started from.
Note: in photo below, ready to take off marker is just used to show where flight path ends. Do

not use. Examples at right are ground

interdiction examples. A star or grenade
indicates success. In the first example, replace
the bridge with the destroyed bridge obstacle if
you have it from the air pack.
9. Using Air Rules with Eastern Front and Overlord
A) When using the air rules with Eastern Front,
never place air sortie card under chip. It is
always played from the hand. Then after the air
unit is “in play” or “in air” an air unit is ordered
like any other unit, by a section card, or tactic
card played from the commissar chip or in the
case of the recon 1 card, or counter attack card,
from the hand.
(B) When using the air rules with operation
overlord, you may use two air units per side.
These two air units may never be ordered in
the same section, but may be activated at the
same time by two field generals playing air
sortie cards. Remember the deck is always re-
shuffled after playing an air sortie card so that they will come up more frequently. When an air
unit is attacking multiple hexes, such as strafing or bombing, the hex where the air unit is
placed (must be adjacent to one of the first targets) is considered the section where the air unit
is ordered from. So while an air unit is attacking one section, the second air unit can be in the
next section attacking a string of targets that cross the sectional boundary, into a section with
the other air unit. This is accepted because the air units were not placed in the same section.
Air sortie cards are never played by the command in chief himself, but are played by field
generals.

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 Memoir 44 Air Rules v1.05.05

(C)-When playing with overlord and Eastern Front rules, remember these two things: air
sortie cards are always played from the hand, not under the commissar chip. And air sortie
cards are only played when there are less than three cards under the commissar chip (or one
card if playing two air sorties).

10. Tactic Cards and Air Units

(A) Ambush Card- The ground unit adjancent to an air unit may play an ambush or ambuscade
combat card. The ground unit would then roll two dice and destroy the air unit on a grenade
result.
(B) Firefight and Close Assualt Cards- Since units cannot move when these cards are played,
Air Units cannot be ordered using these cards.
(C) Medics and Mechanics Card- An Air Unit cannot be ordered or repaired using this card.
(D) Their Finest Hour Card- When a star is rolled, an air unit may be ordered using this card.
When Air Unit is ordered by TFH card, don't forget added die to roll(s).

Thank you for downloading these

rules, I only hope you enjoy
playing them as I did in creating
and in playing them!
Memoir '44, Overlord, Air Pack, and Eastern Front are all
games and game expansions by Days of Wonder
and are copyrighted by Days of Wonder
Pictures by myself, but graphics are by Days of Wonder

By “Rongammer” on Boardgamegeek.com
also known as “50th” on Days of Wonder forums

01/28/13 Page 6 by Ron “50th” and “rongammer”