La Bataille de Aspern-Essling 1809

Player’s Aide: The Troops at Aspern-Essling

especially as they advance. The Austrians are at their weakest when advancing extended distances. Once you let them deploy, then their combined arms fire power will work against you. So in an effort to exploit the weakness of the lack of cavalry and the low movement rates of the artillery. If you as the French can use your light cavalry to harass the approach march of the Austrian and force a deployment 1000 yards away you buy 20 or 40 minutes. You for the most part have access to a Light Cavalry Brigade of 2, 3 or 4 Regiments which has been attached to your Corps. The use of these Regiments is the key to your defense. A quick review of the reaction and opportunity charge rules for the system would be of benefit to almost everyone, and especially if you want to try these thoughts. But you get the basic picture, the French or Rhinebund Cavalry versus the approaching Austrian Infantry. Forcing the Austrian to deploy (unlimber) his artillery you may be able to push back the clock even further. Absent the deployment of the brigade artillery with the Line battalions leaves the Austrian as a large slow target with limited offensive power. So where does this take us, you need to have your light cavalry to the front. If you are fortunate enough to has a horse battery or two, so much the better. As the Austrians attempt to advance into the 1000 yard zone in your front, the light cavalry and horse batteries must be aggressive and bring the enemy infantry and artillery into danger, even better is to put his cavalry at risk. As a simple concept; if you have cavalry parity press the enemy artillery and infantry by the use of disciplined charges, if you have cavalry superiority attack the Austrian Cavalry to sweep it into ineffectiveness. It is a great feeling to have the enemy trying to attack you, when you have fresh cavalry and he has none. The experienced Austrian Player will support his infantry in line with artillery and this takes time and space to deploy, and advance. Further as a concept, the closer to you the enemy comes, the more risky for him it can become. We all have been advancing to an assault, and found a battalion or regiment routing away because of some unlucky die roll, and are staring at a hole in the line where cavalry could wreak havoc. On the defense, these times when the fates smile upon you, must be exploited. At Aspern-Essling the French must cling to these key towns and the features within; the Church and the Granary. Rotate units in and out of the town, and support the wings of the town with artillery and cavalry. The loss of a town is a decisive blow to the French. The Austrians will attack in waves. No one division is durable enough to fight for extended periods. When an Austrian Division reaches level one at the hour, the Austrian player has a difficult decision. If the division keep fighting and reaches level two there is a real danger it will not recover. If th division reaches level three it is basically lost. If you are playing the two day battle, the French will go on the offensive on the second day. The French will be reinforced by fresh corps or more. Therefore the Austrians cannot afford to grind down every division with multiple increment loss and have them on levels. Look for an edge, look for a weakness, look for a fault in the enemies march, they are there if you look, and the first time you take a piece of the pie from the table, he will then become that much

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