In this scenario we find out if the German player can read. If they can they will see that the group that arrives from the north comes without transport. In such a situation one has to question a choice to defend the northern town. Certainly such a defense can delay the movement of this group and its Stuarts to support the Shermans and the mechanized infantry that arrive from the west but at the same time, it seems likely that the force will be destroyed to no real purpose and will deprive the southern town of the weight of troops necessary to hold out to the end of the scenario.

I was a wimp and clustered my hidden Germans around the crossroads in the light woods on the middle board. I was counting on getting a couple steps worth of armor as they ran into the 75/41 which was hidden there.

Unfortunately the American player can also generally read and leads with infantry to scout out both the northern town and the crossroads (the Germans set up only in the towns or in hexes on or adjacent to the north south road. So the infantry arrives from the west mounted and dismounts then runs towards the crossroads "finding" the Germans there. Yes they lost some steps but the attempt to get to 10 steps destroyed doesn't really get there (they end up with 9 including two steps of Stuarts which were eventually knocked out in the fight for the southern town).

The western force destroys the crossroads German defenders and, joined by the northern force, advances on the southern town. Had I put any force into the northern town it would have substantially held up the northern force and given the Americans fits. So throw caution to the wind and drop a GREN platoon there and force the American force to root you out. Heck it doesn't even have to be hidden.

Assaults on the southern town using the engineers, tanks and leaders ultimately crush the Germans with one turn remaining in the scenario. If they had not done so, the Germans would have won the scenario. That one ENG unit is gold in this one as it provides the necessary "oomph" to move the Germans out of town. Get it demoralizaed (as I did) and you can see the entire scenario drifting away from you.

This one was a nail biter and would be even better ftf with the hidden units. While I try to replicate the tactics that I use ftf against hidden units when I play solo I can never be completely unaware of where my troops are.

I give this one a "4" with a possible higher score played ftf.