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

Evert goes first as he's playing the Austrians this time. However, first blood went to the French when an artillery duel in the centre removed an Austrian unit (4:0). The Austrians struck back with their muskets, eliminating a French Line infantry in the village (4:1).

Some manoeuvring followed before I attacked on the right with the French cavalry and took out one of the Austrian Cuirassiers (5:1).

Evert threw the Austrian horsemen back at their French counterparts (with a "Cavalry Charge"), only to lose his Lancers in exchange for removing a French Cuirassier unit (6:2). I flung a Cuirassier and a Light cavalry at the Austrians with little effect and the Austrians removed both of them to make the score 6:4.

The Austrian infantry on their right advanced en masse (Evert played a "Force March") towards the village, but the French defenders saw off a Line and a Grenzer: 8:4. However, the Austrian momentum saw them occupy enough of the village to deprive me of its banners along with an exchange of Line infantry units. This swings the score to 6:5.

I used a "Bayonet Charge" to push back into the village. At the same time, a French Line that had infiltrated the Austrian lines (on the hills right of centre) finished off a one-block Austrian Light cavalry trapped against the baseline: 7:5. However, they immediately fell to the Austrian artillery: 7:6.

The French infantry re-took the church by taking out the militia holding it: 8:6. The Austrians eliminated a French Light infantry (8:7), but regaining the banners for the village made it 11:7. The infantry in the village finished off another Austrian Line for the win: 12:7.

That was another great back-and-forth fight. It lasted 26 turns and took just over an hour and a half, so went more quickly than the first game. And the aggregate score is 24:17 in my favour.

I’ve also posted this report on my BGG blog (with pictures!): www.boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/176001

Evert and I re-visited this scenario as it’s another where I won decisively as both French and Austrian the first time we played. Evert plays the French in our first game, but my Austrians move first in this scenario. The initial fighting was on the left where both sides lost a Line infantry (takes the score to 1:4 as Evert has the banners for the village).

I'd got the Austrian artillery onto the hills and opened up, obliterating the French artillery in the village (2:4). With infantry moved up in support, the guns removed another French Line infantry from the village (3:4). And another (4:4), General Viviez hot-footing it back to the church. Then I played "La Grande Manoeuvre" to occupy parts of the village with Austrian infantry. That's 4:1 now.

Evert used a "Bayonet Charge" to attack the Austrian infantry, but my "Counter-attack" was more effective, bringing more Austrian infantry into the fight and removing another Line infantry. That's 8:1 with the banners for the village, only to go to 5:3 when the French eliminated two of the Austrians there (while the cavalry moved up on the right).

Fighting continued in the village, the French losing an infantry before taking out two Austrians (helped by an "Elan" card) - 6:5. At the same time, Evert threw a couple of cavalry against the Austrians on the right.

This started a cavalry battle that saw the French lose three units to two Austrians: 9:7. Continued fighting in the village saw more French infantry bite the dust (10:7). Austrian cavalry on the left finished off one that had retired from the battle (11:7). The French secured the village, but the Austrian cavalry pounced on another battered infantry hiding at the back before the banners for the village could kick in: 12:7.

That was a hard-fought win and an absorbing game. It was, indeed, longer than usual: 33 turns and over two hours play. We reconvened a week later for the re-match.

First blood went to the Austrians with musket fire into the village taking out a French Line infantry and General Viviez to make the score 3:2 in my favour. I pushed more French infantry into the village as the Austrians manoeuvred for an attack. Grenzers trying to outflank the French on the left fell to a lucky die roll and were followed by a Line infantry: 5:2.

Austrian attacks in the centre damaged the French troops occupying the village, but the Austrians lost a Light infantry and Foot artillery (another lucky die roll) - 7:2.

Then I unleashed the French cavalry on the right, where they crushed their Austrian counterparts - 10:2.

With nothing much left of the Austrians on the right side of the battlefield, the French cavalry swung into the centre and removed a Foot artillery - 11:2. The coup de grace was on the left as French muskets in the village took out an Austrian Line.

I certainly had some luck in that game, which finished in 24 turns and took under 90 minutes. Rather than redeeming his earlier loss, Evert did worse this time around: 24:9 to me is the aggregate score, versus 24:16 before.

I’ve also posted this report on my BGG blog (with pictures!): boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/181666

A third go at this scenario - mainly because we've played it four times and I've won every time!

I took the French first this time, which means Evert gets the first turn. Given the disposition of the Austrian forces, it's no surprise that they attacked on the left toward the village hexes - as has happened in every game so far. Initially, the Austrians lost a Line infantry and a militia to the French muskets, but then picked off a French Line and a Light infantry. That's 5:2 to me (including the three banners for the village).

The French infantry then eliminated the Grenzers trying to sneak along the bottom of the board before I played my "Cavalry Charge" and launched the cavalry on the right. After a bit of a fight, the Austrian Lancers, Cuirassiers and artillery fell: 9:2.

The French cavalry now swung into the centre, taking out another artillery and then the last cavalry. Finally, infantry attacked out of the village to remove another Austrian Line infantry for the win 12:2 - equalling my best result at this scenario.

That was a mere 22 turns and took under 90 minutes. A week later we swapped sides for another go. No surprise: my Austrians attacked on the left. The infantry scored first by eliminating the French Light infantry lurking in the woods at the bottom. Followed by the Line infantry that had retired out of the church: 2:3.

Evert re-grouped and threw the Guard Heavy cavalry into the Austrian horsemen on the right, taking out the Austrian Cuirassiers: 2:4. This started a cavalry battle as the rest of the Austrian cavalry attacked the Guard Heavies. Evert brought up the rest of the French horse, but both the Guard Heavies and a Light cavalry fell with no further losses amongst the Austrians. That's 4:4.

Evert pushed more French units forward into the village, but the Austrians on the hills took out the French artillery for 5:4. However, this was the high point for the Austrians as the French infantry in the village eliminated an Austrian Line on the left.

The French removed a second Line infantry, General Vogelsang falling with his men, and a Light infantry: 5:8. Austrian infantry pushed towards the village, but another Line infantry fell (5:9). The French cavalry on the right found their second wind and took out the Austrian Lancers and Light cavalry for 5:11.

Facing imminent defeat, I marched Austrian infantry into the village to deprive Evert of those three banners. And killed off a Light infantry to make it 6:8.

However, Evert immediately got back into position to reclaim the banners and then eliminated one of the Austrian infantry in the village: 6:12 and Evert finally wins the scenario!

That took 34 turns and nearly two hours - noticeably longer than the week before. However, the aggregate score is 18:14 to me.

Evert and I have now played 52 games with the Austrian expansion. I won 28 to his 24, which is pretty close. However, looking at the 26 match-ups (that is, scenarios played from both sides), I won 14 to Evert's 8 with 4 draws. Which suggests Evert's losses have been worse than mine. However, two-thirds of the games I won were the second time we played that scenario, so maybe I'm learning more from the first play (or watching the aggregate score!).