Age of Napoleon: Battle of Cassano

 

 Age of Napoleon is a map campaign starting in 1805 where one player takes the role of  Napoleon while the other handles the allies. It's based on the Sport of Kings system. First both players deployed their 25 strength points, 20 ships of the line and three transports on the map. Ottomans and Prussians enter the campaign in 1806, on on each side, however the prussians can't attack the turks and these can only attack neutrals and russians.

Each season is one campaign turn. Before issuing orders both players spent their income on extra land forces. The french reinforced their european frontiers while the british raised some troops in Jamaica and Naples, the austrians reinforced their army in Venice and the russians recruited in Kiev.

Then orders where issued, the french did nothing, meanwhile the british embarked Wellington and the caribbean expeditionary force, the russians attacked Galicia and Southern Russia and the Austrians attacked Murat in Padania. The two main enemy fleets meet in the east Atlantic.

The russians conquered the neutral territories without breaking sweat.

 Murat and Charles meet in Cassano, next to Milan, to decide the fate of northern Italy

 The kaserlichs are for once on the offensive

 Well trained french await the imperials

 Due to bad deployment the austrian objective is exposed, Charles launches his army against it

 French cavalry advancing in the center

 The infantry marches on Cassano

 The austrian left is anchored in a village bristling with guns and sabres

 The cavalry clash

 While the cuirassiers march in the center, an austrian division comes out to act as bait

 French muskets take their toll on the attackers

 The fight on the left is inconclusive

 And will drag on for several turns

 Archduke Charles is killed in the futile struggle

 And Murat wounded

 The first austrian attack is bloodly repulsed

 The french right has come into the action

 Behind Cassano the ulhans charge french infantry

 Another austrian division throws itself into the village under cover of musketry

 Still on it

The second attack takes Cassano and captures the objective

 For unfathomable reasons the dragoons throw themselves in front of the guns

 The french forces struggle to retake Cassano

 Their cuirassiers approach the grenadiers

 A volley of fire routs the dragoons

 Grenadiers form square

 The ulhans keep the french pinned in square

Eventually Murat fails the morale roll for losing the objective and his army retreats from the field

The austrians conquer Padania, increasing their resources and lowering the french, general Radetzky replaces the heroically killed Charles