Played option 1 with 4.5.
It works just fine.
I pretty much clobbered the enemy, destroying all enemy AFVs and most of the on map artillery but lost two APCs to artillery fire and three tanks to T72 fire..!!!
All three fell victim to the same T72.
It must have been the Michael Wittmann of the AI commanding that T-72 lol. It advanced then stopped for two turns and zap, zap, zap, three M60 burning..., it then advanced into the centre town and shrugged off four sabot rounds at 100 meters before being taken out..., respect!