This scenario is a pretty interesting twist. The objective is reconnaissance with some combat thrown in. The Soviets must spot several hidden units/entrenchments belonging to the Norwegians, while both sides have to inflict some step losses on the other. It’s a small fast moving scenario starting at night, so the Soviets have a good chance to make it to the west before getting caught up in combat, while the Norwegians have a better chance to hide.

The Norwegians set up Ski units in triplets of entrenchments in the NW woods and the SW wood hex, extending north and west to cover the area off the end of the river. The board 10 units try to funnel the Soviets into the location where the north and south woods almost meet.

The Soviets eventually come to the pincer trap, but the pincering goes more the Soviet way, and they launch an assault against a lone Inf unit (with a very bad Lt) in the southern woods while avoiding the northern woods. The assault eventually causes the Lt to demoralize and then desert, but the lone Inf manages to demoralize a Soviet Inf, leaving an Inf and an HMG (with the Maj) squaring off against the mighty Norwegian Inf, which manages to hold out through turn 14. But more on that later.

The other Soviet stacks are racing onto the western board, looking for Norwegians in the nearer woods and on the hill. The night turns mean they are on a tight schedule, and they spend several turns looking for Norwegians. The Norwegian MG and Inf not in the assault hex hide in the southern woods (originally fields) hexes, awaiting the coming dawn.

A stack of three Soviet Inf find the entrenchment near the river. It costs them an Inf unit, but as the sun begins to arise they do manage to spot all three entrenchments, then haul north before they die. The Norwegians leave their entrenchments to follow. The remaining Soviets get embroiled with the Norwegians hiding in the (field) forest, get pummeled hard, but Soviet artillery manages to eventually turn the Norwegians to mush, and combined with point blank Soviet direct fire, the Inf succumbs to a couple compound demoralizations while the MG flees.

The running Soviets finally come into view of the NW entrenchments. A ballet of Inf units on both sides, combined with some opfire, leaves one Soviet Inf unit within spotting position of the last entrenchment, but with no officer to spot it. Meanwhile Norwegians are coming in from the north, south, and west, trying to trap the Soviet Captain and/or the disrupted Soviet Inf that didn’t move into view of the last entrenchment. On turn 15 it comes down to the initiative roll.

And the Soviets win the initiative, with extra activations! The Captain runs around the Norwegian skiers to join the unit that succeeded moving forward, and spots the last entrenchment and ski unit. They also conduct another assault in the assault hex on board 10. The Norwegian unit demoralizes! And during its recovery attempt it fails and flees! The Soviets take their free shot and score a 2X, killing the unit and meeting the conditions for a major victory on the last activation of turn 15. But the Norwegians don’t roll over. The Norwegians win initiative on turn 16, and three ski units jump on the Soviet Inf that was disrupted by opfire, and inflict a step loss against it and demoralize it. Before FOW can end the turn, it also fails to recover, attempts to flee, and the free shot kills it! The Norwegians score four step losses against the Soviets to score a minor victory. The Soviets win by managing a higher victory level, but it’s a near thing.

I rate this a 4. Interestingly different objective, well matched forces, tight timelines, good maneuver. The Norwegians had horrible direct fire, so it could have been even closer with one or two better shots. Excellent small scenario, but in a face to face this scenario may have some issues since the Norwegians would be truly hidden and the Soviet timeline is tight given the area they need to cover.