ORIGINAL: Grognerd
I'm fooling around with Bulge 44 and I'm trying to hold Elsenborn ridge without taking serious losses based on overstacked conditions. Seems like the German PO can pretty much take any hex at will (which may be correct). Elsenborn historically was a tough nut due to the corps artillery and the terrain.
I still want to maximize my understanding of the game, and defense is something I still need to work on!
This is one of my favorite scenarios. I would say that against a human German or the PO German, any objective is difficult to hold due to Toaw's ability to pound you for multiple rounds. I've found that defense in depth is best, but trying to hold certain features (like Elsenborn) would be chasing an historical outcome that may not be realistic in a game. For this scenario, it is certain that the Allies will lose ground somewhere at an alarming rate. But if you are the Allies, you can take Patton's position - 'Let them go all the way to Paris!'. The Germans do not have the proper force to hold the flanks of any penetration.
Elsenborn, St. Vith and Ettlebruck were some of the 'tough nuts' in the Ardennes. But this was due to the German lack of offensive concentration, not the the Allied defense. The player or the PO can always do a much better job of force concentration.
As for overstacking, it is dependent on the situation, there are no guarantees. Once when I took Spa, and realised the Allies were coming hard to retake it, I stacked nine of my best there, backed by HQ's and artillery. I figured it looked to be suicide to attack it, but after six 'rounds' my units broke up and retreated, and the next two rounds caused devastation that were very difficult to remedy. Against a determined attack, better to have fewer units up front and more in reserve.
Not to mention variable initiative, what a mess!
