I advocate using only one half of the Up Front deck at any time...when you get to the end just reshuffle the whole deck and cut it in half again.  That way you aren't guaranteed to get a Minefield card every hand.  A good rule of thumb for game length is to assume that the game will require half again as many turns to complete...however some of those turns will be quick since you may not have any Move cards to do anything.
This system also emphasizes the differences in the nationalities, with the Russian's lack of leaders and poor hand size you soon find that Human Waves are a great way to move that horde of troops.  Or a handful of German tanks wastes a company of Russian tanks...because the Russians didn't have enough cards to move and fire them all.  Suddenly all the accounts you've read about in the history books seem like they might work in the game...if you get the right cards.

National Hand Capability Chart

Hand Size is determined by the number of Leaders (not Commissars) and groups of Armed vehicles (see below) available in the scenario.  These groups are called Maneuver Elements (ME).

For infantry, every three (3) Leaders allows a full hand, the size of which varies by nationality.  Each leader less than three reduces the hand size by one card, thus a ME with no leaders would have a hand size three less than normal for that nationality.  The best Leader in each ME grants additional cards equal to their (negative) Leadership DRM (-3 adds three cards, +1 subtracts one).  These bonus cards are only gained when the Leader is Good Order, if a Leader is not Good Order the cards are not lost, but they may not be replaced once played.  Cards are drawn to bring your hand to full size during phase 8.46A at the very end of the CCPh. 

                Pre-Game Planning Hands should be allowed in any scenario that involves a specific attacker and defender. The planning hand purchase points should be limited to a number of dice equal to the side’s ELR plus best leader modifier.  (Example: a side with an ELR of 3 and a 9-2 would be allowed a (3+2=5) five dice planning hand (normal modifiers apply)).

                Movement is accomplished using either Movement or Terrain cards.  A card that allows movement can be used to activate either all the units in a location or a leader and all units within two hexes that that leader has an LOS to.  Conceivably, a single card could activate a string of units, connected by leaders that were all within 2 hexes and LOS of each other.  A Pinned leader may only activate units in his location.  A Berserk unit, Hero or Heroic leader needs no card to activate and a Berserk/Heroic leader may activate other units just as a regular leader.  A unit within an FFE also has the freedom to move without a card until it has exited the FFE.

                A single card may activate all vehicles in a platoon regardless of proximity or LOS (EXC: radioless AFV).

A vehicle which starts its turn in Motion may continue to use ½ of its MP without a card being used, it may also end the turn in Motion.  Motion Attempts do not require the playing of a card and are a useful way to get vehicles mobile when Movement cards are scarce.

                Radioless AFV’s must still remain Adjacent or in the same hex in order to use a single card for the entire platoon.  If separated, a radioless AFV need not pass a TC to move, but must instead be individually activated.  AFV’s with Morse Code radios may use a single card to activate the entire platoon (even if separated), but only receive ½ their normal MP’s.

                Units that enter from offboard may choose to arrive in Convoy or Column formation.  This may be done even without an SSR allowing it, and permits the Convoy/Column to move without the use of cards.  A Convoy/Column may move at its normal rate with the use of a single card (from any hand if there are more than one present).  A Convoy/Column that does not use a card may move at half its normal speed and may still remain in Motion at the end of the turn.  All the normal rules for Convoys/Columns are otherwise in effect.

                Advance Movement is treated just like regular movement as far as card use is concerned.  However, a unit may freely use Advance Movement without a card if an enemy unit is within its Free Activation Range (FAR) and its LOS.  A unit may also use Advance Movement to leave a FFE without using a card.  You are also allowed a number of free activations equal to your ELR.

                Human Waves & Banzai Charges may be commenced under the normal circumstances, but require either the use of a Fire/Terrain and a Move/Terrain card at the same time or a single, nationality specific Movement card.  If desired, Marching Fire may be used if the required cards are spent, (see below).

                Forming new ME’s or swapping parts of a ME may be accomplished during a friendly Rally Phase by using a rally or a radio card (which can be from a planning hand).  There are no hard and fast rules regarding this activity.  A hand may be for any sized ME that you would like, however players should try to play by the spirit of the rules and not have each SS squad have its own 2-card hand!  A good rule of is to use individual companies (as with RB) or you can use the Nationality LG number and try to keep troops in multiples of LGx3.  The simplest rule of thumb is to treat each multiple of 3 leaders as a hand and any excess leaders form a leftover ME.

                Optional Rule Stuff (from TOT, if you don't have access to it, just ignore it)

                Marching Fire: units that have Assault Fire capability and use a Move/Terrain and a Fire/Terrain card at the same time may use marching Fire.  This may be used to activate multiple units just as with a normal move, (EXC: All units must have Assault Fire capability).  Units without Assault Fire capability may still use Marching Fire by spending either two Move/Terrain and one Fire/Terrain card or one Move/Terrain and two Fire/Terrain cards (a total of 3 cards in either case).

 (Example: A squad with an ELR of 3 stacked with a 7-0 would be able to Defensive Fire without a card at targets out to 4 hexes.  The same squad without the leader would only be able to fire out to 3 hexes.  An elite King Tiger would be able to Defensive Fire without a card at targets within 9 hexes, if there was a 10-2 Armor Leader with them they could fire out to 12 hexes).

Special Cards

Open Ground cards may not be used; you must play a specific Terrain or Movement card.

 Breeze cards are used in conjunction with Fire cards to reduce the effects of LV DRM’s and Hindrance DRM’s.  Each Breeze card that is played with a Fire card allows the firer to ignore two points of LV or Hindrance DRM’s.  During a Night scenario the NVR may be treated as being two greater for each card spent.  In all cases the cards only affect the fire attack they were used in conjunction with.

 Cower cards are of no use at all and are only there to waste space in your hand.  They should be discarded as soon as possible.

 Concealment cards may be used for several purposes.  They can be used as a Hindrance DRM versus any applicable attack.  They may be used to modify the Ambush dr when involved in CC.  They may be used to automatically grow a Concealment counter on any Good Order unit or stack, even if otherwise unable to gain Concealment (i.e.: in LOS of enemy unit, not in Concealment terrain).

 Fire -or- Terrain cards are used to Prep Fire or to fire at units beyond a unit’s FAR during DFPh and AFPh.  A single Fire card may activate all the units in a Location or a leader who can activate all units within 2 hexes and his LOS, just as with movement.  All vehicles with radios in a single platoon may fire using the same Fire card, even if not adjacent and firing at different targets.

 Hero cards may be used at any time, during either player turn.  They are immediately replaced and do not count as a card used for discard purposes.  This card may be played on any non-crew MMC to allow it a roll on the HOB table with all normal DRM’s.  Any results take effect as normal (EXC: a Surrender result is treated as Berserk).
**Optionally, this card may be placed on a vehicle, in this case all non-Berserk results are treated as Battle Hardening, which grants either an Armor Leader or negates the effects of an Inexperienced Crew.  A Surrender or Berserk result will force the vehicle to attempt an Overrun against the nearest, in LOS eligible target, and to continue Overrunning it until the target is destroyed.

 Marsh cards may be played as normal Terrain cards or they may be discarded onto the enemy.  If played normally, they allow only half the normal MF/MP if used for Movement or an Area Fire attack if used as a fire card.  
If discarded, choose a random location (as with a sniper attack) to determine the hex that is affected.  All the units in one Location of the chosen hex become TI for the duration of their turn, random selection if more than one Location in the hex.  Any vehicles in the chosen Location must also roll for Bog with any applicable DRM’s.  There is no DRM from the card itself, i.e.: the vehicle is not treated as being in a marsh.

Minefield cards are discarded onto the enemy and cause a Booby Trap result in a hex chosen as if this were a Sniper attack.  If the target is a vehicle, treat the attack as a 6FP OBA that only makes one attack with no Collateral Damage.

Movement cards are discussed in the main rules, however there are two types of special movement cards that exist.
    Flank cards may be played in conjunction with Fire cards to cause the target to be treated as Encircled until the end of the current turn.  If the target is already Encircled, the effects are simply doubled until the end of the turn.
    Ford cards are played just like normal Move cards however they allow the unit(s) using the card to use Double Time without the effects of becoming CX.  The unit could also opt to actually become CX and thus gain 4 extra movement points.  Vehicles may gain an additional ¼ (FRD) of their MP allotment without any chance of ESB.

Pillbox cards may be used to automatically Entrench any unit or stack of units that are in applicable terrain.  No Entrenching DR is required and the unit(s) is not TI.  It may also be used to Fortify a building hex that is occupied by a friendly MMC.

Radio cards may be used either as an automatic Radio Contact result, or they may be used in lieu of a draw from the Battery Access pile.  If used for Battery Access it does not affect the draw pile in any way, it is treated as an extra black chit.  Optional: If two Radio cards were used together you could gain Radio Contact and Battery Access even without OBA.  In this case immediately convert the SR into a FFE2 attack by the smallest OBA type available on the DYO OBA chart. 
·          Or a Radio (or Rally) card may also be used to transfer units from one ME to another, or to create a new ME.
·          Or it may be discarded (at any time) along with any number other cards.  You may then immediately draw a number of cards equal to those you discarded.

Rally cards are used to help rally units.  The card’s modifier is used as a DRM for the rallying of any units in the Location it is played on.  They may also be used to transfer units from one ME to another, or to create a new ME.

Rally All cards automatically rally all of the units in any one Location; in addition, any units that are in adjacent hexes and stacked with Leaders may automatically rally as well.  A vehicle may use it to guarantee the Crew Survival DR.

Smoke cards are used to place a Dispersed Smoke counter in any hex that a unit is in or adjacent to.  The Smoke must be placed during the normal smoke placement phase, but requires no DR of any kind and does not count as movement for any purpose.

Sniper cards are discarded on the enemy.  After a Sniper card has been played a dr is made to determine the severity of the sniper attack.  Use the Pin and KIA numbers on the card to determine the effect.  Pin is the equivalent of a “2” result on a regular Sniper Attack, and a KIA result is the same as a “1” on the Sniper Attack dr.

Stream cards may be played as normal Terrain cards or they may be discarded onto the enemy.  If played normally, they allow only half the normal MF/MP if used for Movement or an Area Fire attack if used as a fire card. 
If discarded on the enemy it causes all the units in a location to become TI for the duration of the upcoming player turn.  When used, choose a random location (as with a sniper attack) to determine the hex that is affected.  A vehicle that is affected by the card must also roll for Bog, with any applicable modifiers.  The vehicle is not treated as being in a stream because of the card.

Terrain cards may be used as either Fire or Movement cards.  See the Fire entry for details.

Wire cards are discarded on the enemy and cause all the units in a location to become TI for the duration of the upcoming player turn.  When used, choose a random location (as with a sniper attack) to determine the hex that is affected.  Vehicles must roll for Bog with no additional modifiers for the card.

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