For my second run at Spearhead, I chose a scenario that took place in November 1944 (since we're currently in November): #9, Bad Road to Hastenrath.

With the seven-hex town being the major prize, the Germans concentrated there (though with too few troops to secure every hex strongly) and placed the minefields, wire and entrenchment to cover as much of the outskirts as possible. The 75mm ATG was dug in on the southernmost projection of the ridge west-southwest of town, while the StuG took position in the one-hex town at the tip of the east-southeast ridge. The Americans set up warily, with as much as they could fit inside town hexes (including the M10 and both M4/76's in the easternmost town on Board 22, within range of the StuG.

The Americans opened the ball by advancing a Sherman to within spotting range of the StuG, which of course drew fire. But the Sherman remained unscathed, and the fire from the more potent platoons in the town reduced and disrupted the StuG, which was eliminated by Turn 3 without causing any damage. But the other half of the forward German AT defense worked much better. A number of tanks were able to close on it with no damage, but when several charged in to assault (with a great deal of strength), somehow the gun - with one accompanying leader - held out the rest of the game, eventually blasting a couple of tank steps (by using its AT instead of assaulting.) Prior to being swamped, it had also destroyed a loaded M3, including a leader and one of the few ARM platoons.

Although the continued existence of the ATG platoon defied all odds, at least it was kept busy, and with the StuG gone - and soon after that the 75mm IG, with its limited AT capability - the remainder of the armor, and the loaded M3's, were able to close on the town. (Thanks to the mud, all advances were slowed, and the wire and minefields also presented additional delays.) Tank platoons formed several strong stacks (some joined with halftracks). Because there was so little accompanying infantry (as it was, the ENG was lost and the HMG spent most of its time recovering from bombardment-induced demoralization), the tank stacks had limited success in assaults against German infantry in the town, but several stacks became lethal close-range DF combinations. Meanwhile, the M10 and a couple of M3 platoons went after the German mortars, but - although both eventually had to flee their dug-in position - both of them somehow survived as well.

But that was close to all the Germans had left. At game's end, the Americans had worked their way through the wire, around the minefields and entrenchment, and had taken possession of 5 town hexes. A sixth was under control of a lone (albeit disrupted and reduced) GREN, and one hex was an ongoing assault between the remaining US ARM's and a reduced German HMG. Everything else, except the invulnerable ATG and the mortars, was gone, plus one leader. In fact, the Germans had as many surviving leaders (5) as combat units.

The Germans got 12 VP for US losses and 2 VP for holding one town hex. But the Americans scored 17 for German losses and 10 for 5 town hexes. The resulting 13-point advantage was a major victory for the Spearhead boys.