
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,953
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Flying Colors
- 1–4 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2003

Expansion for Advanced Tobruk: Tank Battles in North Africa 1940-43
2007
Rules assistance for ATS: Surprised Outside of Strass
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
ATS: Surprised Outside of Strass is an expansion for Advanced Tobruk: Tank Battles in North Africa 1940-43 released in 2007 for 2 players and 60 minutes per game. It was designed by Mike Nagel and its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid.
This is an expansion for use with any Advanced Tobruk System game containing US and German forces. The Hurtgen Forest is the setting for SURPRISED OUTSIDE OF STRASS and an all new 24” x 18” map brings you to the shattered village of Strass and its outskirts. It is December 1944 and the men of the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the 330th Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division are advancing out of the dark, damp Hurtgen Forest.. Includes four brand new scenarios that play on a 24" x 18" historical map, Battlefield Walkaround, and ALL AFV CARDS needed for play. Expands: Advanced Tobruk: Tank Battles in North Africa 1940-43
ATS: Surprised Outside of Strass supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for ATS: Surprised Outside of Strass is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
ATS: Surprised Outside of Strass has a complexity rating of 3.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
ATS: Surprised Outside of Strass belongs to these categories: Wargame, World War II, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of ATS: Surprised Outside of Strass are: Mike Nagel. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists ATS: Surprised Outside of Strass as an expansion for Advanced Tobruk: Tank Battles in North Africa 1940-43. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Advanced Tobruk: Tank Battles in North Africa 1940-43 to use it. Check that your edition of Advanced Tobruk: Tank Battles in North Africa 1940-43 is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.