Aspern-Essling 1809 in 15 mm at Jared's , with FoB 3.T

 

A week ago, Mike and I journeyed to Jared's (of the excellent Twenty-sided Gamified Podcast)  home in Torrington for some Napoleonic wargaming with Field of Battle, 3rd edition. Jared used the Bloody Big Battles scenario for Aspern-Essling as a basis for this highly "bath-tubbed" version (one infantry unit is about 4,000 men, if I recall correctly). As such, it fit on a 5 x 8 foot table using Jared's extensive 15mm collection. In the photo above (courtesy of Mike, along with the next 2), the pins are color coded to the command the unit and leader belong to. The blue pins denote Hohenzollern's Corps. 

As more of their Corps advance, The Austrians press the attack!

Later in the day, Austrians threaten  Essling (Class III terrain to account for the Granary, etc.). 

  There were a few minor variations to the QRS to allow for the smaller figures and tables (decreased movement, ranges, etc.), and a deployed Skirmisher rule (essentially, a unit with such a stand gains an UP 1 when shooting and a DOWN 1 when shot at; it is removed whenever the unit first suffers a UI loss). The rest of the special rules for the scenario follow...

The "Torrington Transmutation" Sequence Deck Variant
Use the standard FoB3 rules to determine the composition of the Sequence Decks for both sides. Add an extra card (let's call it Brilliant Leader, after the usage in classic Piquet). This card allows one command to use it as any action card they wish (Move - Melee - Infantry Fire - Artillery Fire - Leadership). Remove the MOVE cards (but not any Move One Command cards) from the deck and place them face up

Each initiative, without looking at any of the cards drawn, the player may choose to replace ONE of the cards from that initiative's play deck with a MOVE card. Thus, it could be the first card, the last, or any in between. Shuffle the decks on any tied initiative roll as usual. 

This idea worked really, really well!

Aspern - Essling Special Rules:

French Special Deployment Rules:

Each Move Card, new units become Available to cross the bridge.  Roll LD vs D6.  Lose= no troops cross.  Win= 1 unit crosses  Win Even= 2 units cross

Units may only be chosen to cross if they are Available as specified by the OOB.

Austrian Special Deployment Rules:

Make standard LD checks per command at the specified destination.  If a 1 is rolled, place the command on the table, on the board edge.

General Deployment Rules:  Any troops that have the name of a place listed as their destination are deployed in that location at the beginning of the game.

Artillery: No more than 2 Artillery units may be attached to a single Corps. Once attached, Artillery units must remain with that Corps throughout the battle.


Austrian Battalionmasse- it is assumed that all Austrian infantry utilize this formation, unless formed into Square, March Column, or Assault Column.

Night Interval:

Lannes Corps arrives during the Night Interval and become Available..  The Night Interval occurs when the French have played through their full deck.  If a tie occurs, the Night Interval starts early!  Follow BBB rules for Night Interval redeployments, rallies, etc.  Each army will count as getting a free Leadership card.

Deploy up to 4 Infantry, 1 Cavalry, and 1 Artillery.  These troops may come from Lannes Corps and/or troops from other commands that are Available.  The deployment zone is anywhere  9” from the bridge, and more than 6” from Austrian units.

Objectives:  Gain a Morale Chip for controlling any of the following objectives.  When an objective is taken by the enemy (by driving the enemy out and occupying the location for at least 1 turn- units do not have to camp on the location), lose the Morale Chip and give to the enemy.

Aspern

Essling

The Danube Bridge

Gross Entzersdorf

Gemeinde Au Wood

Bohemia Road Exits

When the second day of battle starts, the French may remove Gross Entzersdorf as an Objective and replace it with a different village.

 

Napoleon Bonaparte C-in-C  LD12   27 Morale Chips

Archduke Charles C-in-C  LD10   32 Morale Chips

Both Napoleon and Charles may reroll a single command roll using their own integral leadership.  The command must be within 10” of Napoleon or Charles.  Doing so puts them in danger of being removed from the battle. (i.e., they are subject to Leader Survival test on the  next Army Morale card).

AUSTRIA OOB

Army Artillery	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Artillery	CD12  / DD6	NA	Attach
Artillery	CD12 / DD6	NA	Attach
Artillery	CD12  / DD6	NA	Attach
Artillery	CD12 / DD6	NA	Attach

VI Korps/ Hiller LD8	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	Yes	Hirschstadten
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	No	Hirschstadten
Artillery	CD12 / DD6	NA	Hirschstadten
I Korps/ Bellegarde LD8	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	Yes	Hirschstadten
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	No	Hirschstadten
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	No	Hirschstadten
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	No	Hirschstadten
Light Cavalry	CD10 /DD6	NA	Hirschstadten

II Korps/ Hohenzollern LD8	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	Yes	Breitenlee
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	No	Breitenlee
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	No	Breitenlee
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	No	Breitenlee
IV Korps/ Dedovich LD8	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	Yes	Rassdorf- M2
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	No	Rassdorf- M2
IV Korps/ Hohenlohe LD8	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	Yes	Arrive M2- Pressburg Exit
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	No	Arrive M2- Pressburg Exit
Light Cavalry	CD10 /DD6	NA	Arrive M2- Pressburg Exit
Reserve Cavalry/ Liechtenstein LD10	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Cuirassiers	CD12 /DD8	NA	Arrive M2- North Edge
Cuirassiers	CD12 /DD8	NA	Arrive M2- North Edge
Dragoons	CD12 /DD6	NA	Arrive M2- North Edge
Dragoons	CD12 /DD6	NA	Arrive M2- North Edge

Reserve Infantry/  Lindenau LD10	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Grenadiers	CD12 /DD8	NA	Arrive M2- North Edge
Grenadiers	CD12 /DD8	NA	Arrive M2- North Edge

FRANCE OOB

4th Corps/ Massena LD10	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Infantry	CD10 / DD8	Yes	Aspern/Essling
Infantry	CD10 / DD8	Yes	Essling
Infantry	CD10 / DD8	Yes	Aspern
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	Yes	Bridge
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	No	Available M2
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	No	Available M2
Light Cavalry	CD10 /DD6	NA	Aspern/Essling
Hussars	CD10 / DD8	NA	Aspern/Essling
II Corps/ Lannes LD12	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Infantry	CD10 / DD8	Yes	Night Interval
Infantry	CD10 / DD8	Yes	Night Interval
Infantry	CD10 / DD8	Yes	Night Interval
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	Yes	Night Interval
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	Yes	Night Interval
Infantry	CD10 / DD6	Yes	Night Interval

Imperial Guard LD10	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Guard Infantry	CD12+1  /DD8	Yes	Available M3
Guard Infantry	CD12  / DD8	Yes	Available M3
Guard Cavalry	CD 12+1 / DD8	NA	Available M3

Cavalry Reserve/ Bessieres LD10	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Hussars	CD10 / DD8	NA	Available M1
Cuirassiers	CD12  / DD8	NA	Available M1
Cuirassiers	CD 12  / DD8	NA	Available M1

3rd Corps/ Davout LD12	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Infantry	CD10 / DD8	Yes	Available M5
Infantry	CD10 / DD8	Yes	Available M5
Infantry	CD10 / DD8	Yes	Available M5
Infantry	CD10 / DD8	Yes	Available M5

Army Artillery	CD / DD	Skirmisher?	Deployment:
Artillery	CD12  / DD6	NA	Attach
Artillery	CD12 /  DD6	NA	Attach
Artillery	CD12  / DD6	NA	Attach

Situation at the start of the game, Jared is playing Napoleon, and is looking pretty outnumbered with just 3 Austrian Corps on the table; more will be arriving shortly. I took the two right hand Corps  (Hiller and Bellegarde) plus, eventually, the Cavalry Reserve (Liechtenstein), and Mike commanded the rest of the "White Menace". We assigned 5 of our 6 allowed artillery batteries to the starting Corps, holding one to allocate the the Corps that would enter opposite Essling. 

Austrian reinforcements, below - ALL of these will arrive by the 2nd MOVE card. French reinforcements, above - unless the bridge across the river holds up especially well, many of these Frenchmen may not see action, being stuck on the far side of the mighty Danube!

In the early going, my guns eliminate an exposed French battery near Aspern, and prepare to assault the village. Some French troops are arriving, but they are finding the wooded terrain near the bridgehead slow going. Note that ALL of the Austrians are now on the table!

Aspern is under attack, whilst the Austrians try to eliminate another French battery that is wreaking havoc on the densely packed whitecoats!

Assault on Aspern; opposing French and Austrian Light Cavalry face off near the Gemeinde Au (wooded terrain). 

Aspern falls to Hiller's men fairly swiftly! Ka-ching!  An additional French Morale Point is lost!

Austrians seize control of the Geminde Au - another French Morale point lost! The French battery near Aspern has been eliminated, but he French are forming a defensive position along the embanked road between Aspern and Essling. 

View from the Austrian Center. Two Divisions (units) each of Cuirassiers and Dragoons threatens to charge any unwary Frenchmen!

Meanwhile, the later Austrian Arrivals close in on Essling. 

Situation at dusk on Day 1, prior to "working on a Night Move". 

French troops still waiting on the far side of the Danube!

Between the night move and the first initiative, the French finally have some troops to work with, including all of the vaunted Imperial Guard!

Needing to buy time and space, the French counter attack! One Austrian Cuirassier Division is routed, but the remaining Hapsburg Horse battle on. 

The French counter attack is making good progress in he Gemeinde Au, where the wooded terrain favors the French skirmish tactics. The Austrians have ejected the French from Essling, however. Who will claim the village (and the Morale point for it's control)? 

French successes in the Gemeinde Au make it possible for them to try to retake the village of Aspern!

The French re-garrison Essling, but face overwhelming numbers of Kaiserlicks, including two Grenadier Divisions!

Overview, late morning, Day 2. With suboptimal Leadership values, the Austrians have a lot of difficulty rallying their troops... but French Morale is sinking fast!

Aspern holds... for now!  But Essling is lost and that flank of the French position is being overwhelmed. Meantime, the French Imperial Guard has performed more like the National Guard!!! Disgusted, Napoleon concedes and orders a withdrawal over the Danube. The exhausted Austrians are content to let him go, and claim the first ever outright defeat of an army commanded by Napoleon himself. There would be much celebration in Vienna... except that the Austrian capital is still held by the French.  

What a great game! Jared's modifications worked great, and Mike and I were fortunate to do as well as we did. I do so love Field of Battle! I think I will steal many of Jared's ideas for my Salamanca game at Historicon in July. Thanks so much to Jared for hosting! Plans are being made for a rematch later this spring... at Wagram.