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

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 an 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.

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.

Death Among the Vines

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