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Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: The Battle of Aspern-Essling
1986
Rules assistance for Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: The Battle of Aspern-Essling
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.3/5
Rules assistant for Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: The Battle of Aspern-Essling
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: The Battle of Aspern-Essling is a board game released in 1986 for 2 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Keith Poulter and its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
Part of 3W's 'Bonaparte' Series by Keith Poulter, this game was first published in The Wargamer Magazine (#49). The portrait on the magazine cover is of French Marshal Jean Lannes, who died at Aspern-Essling. The game is a two-player simulation of the Battle of Aspern-Essling, May 21-22, 1809. One player leads Napoleon Bonaparte's Grande Armée d'Allemagne, the other player commands the Austrian Army of Archduke Charles of Austria. Victory Points are awarded each player for the elimination of strength points, elimination of leaders, and control of Aspern and/or Essling. (Exception: The Austrian player wins immediately if Napoleon is a casualty.) The difference in points between the players determines the level of victory. A pyrrhic Austrian victory, Aspern-Essling turned out to be Napoleon's first ever setback in Europe, and the first time the Austrians ever defeated Napoleon in the field of battle.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- 3W (World Wide Wargames)
Questions and answers
Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: The Battle of Aspern-Essling supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: The Battle of Aspern-Essling is 120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: The Battle of Aspern-Essling for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: The Battle of Aspern-Essling has a complexity rating of 3.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: The Battle of Aspern-Essling belongs to these categories: Wargame and Napoleonic. Its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: The Battle of Aspern-Essling are: Keith Poulter. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: The Battle of Aspern-Essling as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.