Since the Austrian army outnumbered De Gages' army by some 15,000 men, he worked out a plan which would make an Austrian assault costly and invite a Spanish counterstroke. He hoped this plan would win him the battle. Rejecting a stand in the crumbling town of Piacenza, Gages ordered ditches and artillery emplacements to be dug which would become a defensive line that the Austrians would have to attack. De Gages also ordered his troops to scout the areas to the north of Piacenza. Maillebois' arrival gave the Spanish general a combined strength of 40,000. However, this began to put a severe strain on the food supplies in the area. Additionally, a Piedmontese army of 10,000 men was approaching from the west which would firmly tip the balance in numbers in favor of the Austrians.