Nemesis: Burma 1944

About this board game

Nemesis: Burma 1944 is a two-player World War II strategy game with a play time of approximately 600 minutes, set during the Japanese offensive and subsequent defeat in Burma in 1944.

The game brings together British, Chinese, Japanese, and other forces amid competing military and political priorities. General Stilwell, General Slim, Wingate, Mountbatten, Chiang Kai-Shek, and Churchill each represent the conflicting ambitions and difficult decisions surrounding the campaign.

Nemesis uses an Open Game Turn system in which four phases are drawn as chits, leaving players uncertain about their order. The phases are Assault, Attack, Supply Check, and Reinforcement. Players take turns drawing their own phase chits, while the first chit of each turn is selected from the first three drawn during the previous turn.

• Unit quality: Quality influences combat, zones of control, supply endurance, and the ability to make operational moves.
• Active Combat: Attacks can cause step losses and retreats, but the attacker may need to spend losses to enforce a retreat.
• Japanese combat option: The Japanese player may gain a favorable die-roll modifier in attack or defense, at a price.
• Two-layer victory points: Satisfaction tracks reward some objectives while allowing opposing control to reduce a commander’s standing over time.

Because zones of control mainly matter when stopping operational moves, positioning is crucial—especially when the remaining phases are unknown. Players must weigh immediate attacks against supply, reinforcement, and longer-term objectives.

With its uncertain turn structure, quality-driven forces, and competing priorities, Nemesis: Burma 1944 is designed for tense decisions and high replay value.