Unlike the previous scenario, this one seemed like a natural fit for a forward defense, at least in part. As the Soviet player, I committed a lot of tanks and infantry very close to the German advance. I had a few tanks on the hill, and another few tanks in the field near the center of the map to catch any clumsy advances by the German tankers. There were a few infantry and guns under cover or dug in down the depth of the left side of the board (From the Soviet perspective), but I was willing to cede most of the left side and use the hill as a natural fortress. (It turns out my tankers just couldn't shoot straight, at least in the middle of the board. I feigned a retreat from the hill using the "double blind" rules to my advantage; but when the Germans pulled right into the killing zone, I only got one half platoon for ten or twelve shots, even allowing for crossfire!)

I anchored my entire right flank in the far forward field- the tough nut of the title. I had probably 8 or 9 T34 platoons there, backed up by infantry and MGs. When the Germans ran into that, they decided to go around, which cost a lot of time, a commodity that seems increasingly scarce in these final scenarios.

Although the Germans were relentlessly advancing on my left and driving up the middle, their commander conceded defeat- there was not enough time to get the required steps off the board.