315 Aspern-Essling - Day 1 Aspern (21 May 1809)

315 Aspern-Essling - Day 1 Aspern (21 May 1809)

Reduce the town Objecive Banners from 3 to 2 and you have
a excellent and very interested scenario

Played this a couple of days ago. I had the Austrians. It was a rout, with the French winning 12-2. The French had a Cavalry Charge card in their original hand, so moved cavalry up on their right flank to be ready to charge. The Austrians moved on the center preparing to Bayonet Charge when ready. The French played their Cavalry Charge card and eliminated an Austrian CU. Other Austrian cavalry moved up to help. French played a second Cavalry Charge and wiped out the Austrian LC and Lancers. Next run the French played a third Cavalry Charge, eliminating one Foot Artillery and knocking the other one back to the baseline. After another turn the Austrians couldn't put any more Battalion Mass counters down and the French cavalry finished the game.

Austrian Bayonet Charge in the centre? Remember Austrian Line only charge 1 hex. Also, there is no limit to the Austrian Battalion Mass. It is not like squares.
3 sequential Cavalry charges is pretty unusual too! That is itself would make the match an exceptional result.

The 1 hex movement of the Austrians is what didn't allow them to get into range soon enough. I was trying to get 4 Austrian LN in position, but French cavalry wave made it impossible, as I was scrambling trying to save my left flank. Yeah, the 3 Cavalry Charge cards in quick succession was very unusual.
Battalion mass is limited to the total command cards the Austrians start the battle with, which means I had 5 units in square.

Nei primi turni i Francesi giocano la carta "Force March" e conquistano Aspern. Gli Austriaci contrattaccano ferocemenete sulla loro destra e nel centro e dopo una carta "Bayonet Attack" riescono a conquistare uno degli hex di Aspern. Il costo in perdite per gli Austriaci e' troppo alto. La battaglia finisce 12 a 8 per i Francesi che alla fine sono ancora in possesso di Aspern.

Overwelming Austrian victory +12/6. Good cards on the Austrian right for a fast approach to the mill that wipped out French forces on that flank. French cavlry on the right never came on play effectively. An assault and a take command in the center allowed Austrians to take positions on the hills with a grand battery. An awfull French die roll for an Elan counterattack did the job!

Massena and Lannes save the French left at Aspern. It became impossible for the Austrians to capture the town with the forces on their right after a cavalry attack disrupted their artillery positions. Then a desperate cavalry attack ensued which ended in disaster for Bellegarde.

12-10 the French, who held on to win by controlling the majority town hexes objective for an extra 3 victory banners.

The Austrians launched an attack on the Aspern and the church and were repulsed with heavy casualties. The centre tried again and were also repulsed with heavy casualties. Soon it was 9 (6+3) to zero in the French favour, with several other Austrian infantry units hanging on by their fingernails. The French moved up their cavalry wing to launch the killing-blow only to receive and Austrian Cavalry Charge on the Austrian left which destroyed 3 French cavalry units, an artillery unit and killed two generals. Suddenly it was 9-6 and game-on!

Another French heavy cavalry fell to the Austrian central cavalry unit and more units fell on each side, until it was 10 (7+3) to 10. Some Austrian shooting could have won the day but failed to finish off damaged units. The last French two-block light cavalry unit rode over the hills and destroyed two one-block Austrian squares to win the game, 12-10.

I have always felt that to hit or destroy a square (or Austrian infantry mass) is a little unfair on the infantry, as a square is not expected to retreat and technically has no flanks. That a dice roll already has a 50:50 chance of a hit (2-infantry and 1-sabre facing) should be enough of an advantage.

The Austrians start, so the first move is mine. And that was to close in with the Austrian right and fire across the low-lying marshes. Then the Austrian centre pushed forward to shoot at the French in the main part of the town. First blood went to the Austrians, clearing the church with their gunfire. That takes the score to 1:3.

A "La Grande Manoeuvre" card from Evert let him re-occupy the church and shift French cavalry forward on the right. Fighting continued around the church and that side of Aspern. I lost a unit of Grenzers, took out the French artillery and occupied most of the village. As Evert lost the banners for the village, the score is now 2:1. The French counter-attacked into the left side of the village, taking out two Austrian Line for one of theirs (that's 3:3). But the Austrians removed another French Line, General Molitor falling with his men to make the score 5:3.

However, the French now had the majority of the village again, so the score went to 5:6 at the start of Evert's next turn. Then the French attacked across the board. On the left, they eliminated a Line and Gen Vogelsang. While the French cavalry launched into the Austrian horsemen on the right, killing off Cuirassier and Lancer units. Suddenly the score is 5:10!

Still attacking in the village, the Austrians eliminated another French Line and the other, battered units skedaddled to the right (Evert taking the better part of valour). The French cavalry took out another Austrian Light cavalry on the right and, at 6:11, Evert's just one away from the win. So I re-occupied the church, depriving Evert of the banners for the village, and killed off another Line infantry - 7:8 feels a lot better.

The French cavalry moved on to the Austrian artillery and demolished one (7:9), but I used a "La Grande Manoeuvre" to rescue the other and move some full-strength units into the village. The three banners for the village (next turn) took me to 10:9 and a final attack in the centre eliminated two of those battered French units to win 12:9.

That was a terrific fight, swinging back and forth (thanks to that three-banner haul for the village). It lasted 33 turns and took nearly two and a half hours.

I’ve also posted this report on my BGG blog (with pictures!): www.boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/175846