HPS Simulations is proud to announce the release of
A Paul Bruffell Game:
Marching Eagles: Austerlitz
'One sharp blow and the war is over'. -Napoleon to Soult, just before ordering the assault on Pratzen Heights
It is 8am on the December 2nd, 1805. Napoleon Bonaparte is standing by his headquarters on the Zuran Hill. He hears musket and artillery fire coming from the South around the village of Sokolnitz, as the battle there has been raging for over an hour now. He has his suspicions on what is happening along the line, but though he strains with all his powers of sight, the conditions win. He remains blind as to the action around the village itself, and of nearby Pratze and the heights beyond.
Though, as the sun slowly rises like a great golden orb, the morning fog starts to melt away from the Pratze plateau. The fog's victory was short lived, and it is now clear to Napoleon that the Allied left is moving off the plateau to the South, just as he had hoped. In an hour, at 9 am, he will release the two divisions of Soult's IV Corps and spring his trap on the Allied armies. It is an audacious move against a larger force, but Napoleon is confident. As he should be. It will ultimately seal the victory in the battle known to history as Austerlitz, as well as the eternal fame of Napoleon himself.
In the fullness of time the path from the Heights would lead Napoleon, and France, to ruin. But the actions on this day, and in this place, would result in one of the greatest, and most momentous, victories for them both.
A Legend Is Born
(Click for full size)
Marching Eagles: Austerlitz is the third game in the Marching Eagles series. It builds on the previous titles, Waterloo and Marengo, and provides a true battle between three nations. With a impressive map stretching for over 7 miles from North to South, and spanning the whole of the Austerlitz battlefield, the battle comprises over 150,000 men split into three national armies - French, Austrian and Russian.
Covering the complete battle, start to finish, the game also delves into specific sub-actions within it, recreating all of the action on that fateful day of 2 December, 1805. While in the end Napoleon made it look easy, players will find themselves challenged at every turn, with each side having unique difficulties that must be overcome. But each side also has their strengths, and the outcome is never by any means certain. The key to victory, as always, is in accurately assessing your own capabilities and then making the enemy play to your hand.
BUY NOW:
Through the Freezing Mist
In Marching Eagles: Austerlitz, players command units at the regiment, brigade and division level. The map is comprised of irregular-shaped areas, which conform to the actual terrain, and recreate the land as experienced by the actual troops on the field. Combat occurs either during movement as 'charges', or at the end of each orders phase, with players restricted in the number of actions they can take during their turn to reflect historical command limitations.
The game also includes optional Event Cards, leadership, Command and Control, Fog of War, artillery, and special units such as the French Guard and dismounted cavalry. and special features for the Russian Cossacks. It also affords players a Tactical Play option, which allows selection of specific offensive/defensive tactics for a given encounter.
Throw in a unique troop quality and order system, and players can expect to be challenged. Morale and effectiveness determine unit reactions under combat conditions, and as a unit is ultimately worn down by combat and maneuver the unit's order deteriorates and the unit may rout from the battlefield.
(Click for full size)
Death Among the Vines
(Click for full size)
The game includes the following scenarios, which span all of the action. In addition a number of hypothetical 'what-if' scenarios are also included:
The Full Battle, starting 7am on 2 Dec
Attack in the South (Columns 1, 2 & 3 south of Kobelnitz)
The Attack in the North (Bagration vs French V Corps)
Attack of the Imperial Guards (Clear the Vineyards)
Soult's Attack in the Center (the French attack the Pratzen Heights)
The Retreat of Buxhowden's Wing (the Allies try to escape to safety)
French Return to Sokolnitz (The French move to destroy the Allied left)
Many scenarios also include a 'What If' version with no FOW and other suppositions
The Merest Trifle
The Marching Eagles system is innovative, easy to play, and historically enlightening. The action moves quickly, and there is almost nothing more satisfying than watching a nail-biting cavalry charge clear the enemy out of a defending position. And special features such as Fog of War, Battlefield Smoke and Local Initiative also work to immerse players in the real-life command difficulties of the Napoleonic Wars. Vision and influence over the battlefield is limited, and frustration can be the order of the day in getting units where they are wanted, as quickly as they are wanted.
In real life the Allied command encountered considerable difficulties in managing congestion caused by the Austrian and Russian units. And while it is often overlooked in favor of aspects of their forces, it was a significant handicap and greatly contributed to their defeat. But its management is a task that the Allied player will soon discover for himself, and woe to he who overlooks it. While at the same time, the French commander will need to use it as his ally, as Napoleon did, in order to win the day against the odds. The men are yours, the day is yours. However, whether or not Austerlitz is to be forever known as 'Napoleon's greatest success', is up to you.
(Click for full size)
Features
Play single-player against the AI.
Play two-player Hotseat or PBEM.
Detailed unit readouts.
Historical unit formation types and effects.
Multiple Fog Of War options.
Command and Control limitations.
Unit morale effects including effectiveness, routing and recovery.
