Mine Clearance: What's the best way?

[Mr Grumpy]

Here's a topic I have been pondering for a few days. What's the optimum way to clear mines? I have read some articles on Glenn's site that have helped guide me in the right direction. Should you....?

1.) Move the engineer unit and pray disruption does not occur. After successful mine removal, move units in cleared area.
2.) Move cannon fodder, usually low quality units such as Penal Units or D morale units. They will usually disrupt, and subsequent engineer movement follows. I thought that the morale check will be for the lowest rated morale unit, which could make the engineer unit disrupt easier if it becomes focus fired by your opponent.
3.) Zerg the desired hex with multiple engineer units and hope one can clear the mines in time for followup units.

For the sake of argument I am referring to a hex w/ x1 mines in a clear terrain hex. For more heavily mined areas, clearance would obviously be more difficult.

So, how do you guys approach the mine problem?

The most desirable situation is if you have multiple engineer units to swamp the hex and so increase the chances of at least one not being disrupted and hence the hex will be clear, but that is a "best case" situation 3), your idea 2) is also fine if you have less engineers, although the penal units may draw some fire of course it is possible they might not and your engineer gets all the defensive fire!

Another conundrum is if you have a single battalion of engineers available, do you break them down into company's which will take more fatigue or do you keep the unit combined but then it can be disrupted by a single shot? Not any easy choice....:chin:

Although your example is a clear hex, if there are a line of mine hex's then most players would pick a hex with a defensive benefit to try to help the engineers survive one turn, in the end a x1 hex of mines is not a serious obstacle even if you are forced to move units through it, the x2 and x3 mines hex's are the real challenge!