Hapsburg Eclipse: The Great War in Eastern Europe 1914-1918 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• [0.0] Using These Rules
• [1.0] Introduction
• [2.0] Game Equipment
  • Parts Inventory
• [3.0] Set Up
• [4.0] Sequence of Play
• [5.0] Event Cards
• [6.0] Event Resolution
• [7.0] Army Movement
• [8.0] National Loyalties
• [9.0] Player Actions
• [10.0] Kaiserschlacht
• [11.0] National Will
• [12.0] Victory & Defeat
• [13.0] Optional Rules
• [14.0] Two Player Game
• [15.0] Example of Play
• [16.0] Designer's Notes
• Two Player Combined Game Effect Table
  • Ottoman Sunset
  • Hapsburg Eclipse
  • Both
• Game Credits

[0.0] Using These Rules

New gaming terms, when they are initially defined, appear in dark red lettering for quick referencing.

The instructions for this game are organized into major "Rules" sections as shown in large green CAPS font, and represented by the number to the left of the decimal point (e.g., Rule 4.0 is the fourth Rule). These Rules generally explain the game's components, procedures for play, the game's core systems and mechanics, how to set it up, and how to win.

With each Rule, there can be "Cases" that further explain a Rule's general concept or basic procedure. Cases might also restrict the application of a Rule by denoting exceptions to it. Cases (and Subcases) are an extension of a Rule shown in the way that they are numbered. For example, Rule 4.1 is the first Case of the fourth Rule; and Rule 4.1.2 is the second Subcase of the first Case of the fourth Rule.

Important information is in red text. References to examples of a Rule or Case are in blue text and this font.

Text in shaded boxes, like this, provides the voice of the game's designer, who is addressing you to explain an idea or concept that is not, itself, a Rule or a Case.

[1.0] Introduction

Hapsburg Eclipse is a solitaire States of Siege™ game on World War One in Eastern Europe from 1914-1918. The player controls the leadership of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and, peripherally, the German Central Staff who assumes greater and greater control over their ally.

COMBINED GAME: Hapsburg Eclipse has a sister game titled Ottoman Sunset, depicting the struggle of their Central Powers ally, the Ottoman Empire. If in possession of both games, a Combined Game is playable as a two player co-op game. The Rules for the Combined Game are included with Hapsburg Eclipse and modify the Rules for each individual game.

[2.0] Game Equipment

Parts Inventory

• 1 11" x 17" map
• 66 game pieces
• 15 Morning Event cards
• 16 Mid-Day Event cards
• 19 Dusk Event cards
• 1 Rules booklet
• 2 6-sided die

[2.1] The Game Map: The game map depicts Eastern Europe and the Balkans as they existed at the time of the First World War. Vienna is the central hub of the game's activity and five tracks emanate outward from it like spokes (Italian, Polish, Carpathian, Romanian, and Balkan). The map also includes various holding boxes, tables, and data tracks to facilitate play.

There is a half-box located in the Southeastern corner of the map ("Berlin"). You'll find the remaining half of the marker box on the Northwestern corner of the Ottoman Sunset map. This box is used to hold a marker indicating the Berlin-Baghdad Railway is open, allowing for transfers of reserves and other military assets in the Two Player Game. The Rules governing its use are included with Hapsburg Eclipse. This box is not used when playing Hapsburg Eclipse alone.

[2.2] Event Cards: These cards regulate the activity in the game; pronouncing headlines, providing history, listing advancing Fronts and the Actions you have available each turn. In addition, special effects or occurrences appear on some cards and must be taken into account during play.

The full deck of cards enters play in three "Epochs:" Morning (with the blue headline background color), at game start; Mid-Day (with the yellow headline background color), when the War Status reaches Expanded War; and ending with Dusk (with the gray background color), the period up to the end of World War 1, with the player trying to survive each card.

[2.2.1] Iron Cross Symbol: This symbol indicates that the card is handled differently when playing the Two Player Game using Ottoman Sunset. The Rules for that card in the Combined Game are separately described in the Two Player Rules set out in section 14.0 and take priority over the individual games' Rules.

[2.3] The Playing Pieces: The square playing pieces come in two basic flavors: "Front" units and information markers.

Front units ("Fronts") represent the military forces arrayed against the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Some are coalitions of Allied nations (e.g., the Balkan Front and, to some extent, the Romanian Front), while others represent homogenous forces operating against the Austrians, such as the Italian and Russian armies.

The various information markers indicate the status, possession, or effect of an important game activity or situation. Markers are also provided to keep quantitative information on tracks, such as the levels of National Loyalty.

[3.0] Set Up

Follow these steps to set up the game:

1. Place the Polish Russian Army marker on space 5 of the Polish track. The Army should be on its Plehve side (Battle Value of 3).
2. Place the Carpathian Russian Army marker on space 6 of the Carpathian track. The Army should be on the Brusilov side (Battle Value of 4).
3. Place the Przemyśl Fortress marker at strength "3/3" on the Przemyśl box.
4. Set aside the Romanian, Italian, and Salonika/Balkan Front units. These enter play later.
5. Place the National Will marker in the 0 space on the Austro-Hungarian National Will track; keep the individual Battle markers nearby, just off the map.
6. Place the Czech, Croat, and Hungarian Loyalty markers on the furthest space to the right (Loyal) on the National Loyalties track.
7. Set aside the Resources/German Staff, National Revolt markers, and other markers off-map in a convenient location.
8. Sort out the Morning (blue title bar) Epoch cards, shuffle them together, and place them face down to form the Draw Pile. Sort out the other two Epoch's cards (Mid-Day / yellow and Dusk / gray) and set them aside; they may enter play later.
9. Place the War Status marker in the "Mobilization" box on the War Status track.

[4.0] Sequence of Play

Each turn conduct the following Phases in this exact order:

1. Headline Phase: Reveal the top card in the Draw Pile and place it, face up, in the Event Pile (a.k.a., the Discard Pile). That card becomes the new current Event card that you resolve that turn.
2. Event Resolution Phase: If an Event is listed on the current Event card (other than the Kaiserschlacht; see 10.0), it is resolved during this Phase.
3. Army Movement Phase: Move all active Allied armies as indicated on the current Event card. If any Advance into the Vienna (0) space, you immediately lose the game (see 7.8).
4. Loyalty Adjustment Phase: If the card lists one or more nationalities for possible adjustment, roll for a change in Loyalty for each nationality referenced. If the card indicates a random trigger, roll to see which track is affected, then roll for Loyalty on the track randomly selected. If all nationalities are in Revolt, you immediately lose the game (12.1.1).
5. Action Phase: The current Event card usually confers a number of Actions to the player. These are used to: 1) launch Offensives against Army units and push them back; 2) allocate Resources to other, Off-Map Theaters; 3) attempt to influence national loyalties; or 4) to increase the strength of the Przemyśl Fortress. Players may also spend previously allocated Resources as additional Actions in the form of German Staff Operations during this Phase (see 9.8).
6. Kaiserschlacht Phase: Only after the Kaiserschlacht occurs, roll a Western Front Off-Map Battle during this Phase each turn (see 10.0).
7. Fortress Reduction Phase: If the Carpathian Front is positioned in a space ahead of Przemyśl, reduce the strength of the Fortress by one. If Przemyśl is at level 0 ("destroyed"), no adjustment is necessary.
8. National Will Phase: Determine the Austro-Hungarian National Will and place the National Will marker in the corresponding box of the National Will track. If National Will falls past -5 the player is defeated (see Rules 11.0 and 12.1.3).

A complete game continues until all the cards have been revealed and played or victory / defeat occurs (12.0).

[5.0] Event Cards

The use of the Event cards is largely self-evident. The notations on each card are presented in the strict order that they are applied during the Sequence of Play and are performed from top to bottom and left to right.

Adding Event Cards: Twice per game, at crucial junctures of the Great War, new cards are shuffled into the Draw Pile.

Red-circled Events (i.e., #15, #17, and #21) instruct you to move the War Status track 1 to the right. When the War Status track is moved to Expanded War or Great War, add the Mid-Day or Dusk cards (respectively) to the deck, take that stack of cards (set aside during set up) and shuffle them together with whatever remains of the Draw Pile to form a new (larger) Draw Pile.

[6.0] Event Resolution

Events occur first when listed on a card. Many are self-explanatory, some are explained here:

[6.1] Activating Fronts: When placing a Front unit on the map, it is placed as directed by the card event. That Front then becomes "Active," and its unit moves normally via Event cards.

[6.2] Off-Map Battles: Several cards call for conducting a Western Theater, Eastern/Near Eastern Theater, Naval, Serbian, or Miscellaneous Battle.

Procedure

To resolve an Off-Map Battle, roll a die and modify the result as follows:

• +1 for each Resources marker in that Theater's box (up to a maximum of +2)
• -1 if War Weariness (card #45) is in effect

These modifiers are cumulative, but see 9.1. Note that these modifiers are not removed after the Battle.

Compare the modified result with the Battle Value on that Off-Map Battle's marker.

• If it is less than (<) its Battle Value or a "1," the result is a Defeat; place that Battle's marker in the Defeats box.
• If it equals (=) its Battle Value, the result is a Stalemate; place that Battle's marker in the Stalemates box.
• If it is greater than (>) its Battle Value or a "6," the result is a Victory; place that Battle's marker in the Victories box.

Morale in the Central and Eastern European Theater was greatly influenced by the successes and failures of operations in the other theaters of the war.

Example: The current Event, Nivelle Offensive, means this West Front Battle must be conducted. War Weariness is not in effect, and the player has one Resource marker in the West Front box. The die roll is a 2, and with a net +1 DRM the modified result is "3," resulting in a Stalemate. The player takes the Nivelle marker and places it in the Stalemates box. National Will is unaffected.

[6.3] Miscellaneous Battles: Miscellaneous Battles and Serbian Battles (distinguished by green and burgundy markers respectively) cannot be modified by Resources, but are otherwise resolved in the same manner as Off-Map Battles. Please note that all Serbian Battles are abstracted as Miscellaneous Battles, even though they do not technically occur off-map. However, Miscellaneous Battles are affected by the -1 DRM for War Weariness (card #45).

One Miscellaneous Battle, the Trentino (card #26), has a geographic center listed (Udine) on the card. The Battle is conducted in exactly the same manner as a normal Battle; except a +1 DRM is added to the roll for each space behind the geographic point (Udine) that the relevant Front (Italian) is located, and a -1 DRM is applied for each space ahead of the geographic point the Front is located (i.e., if the Italian Front is in the 2 box, the Battle has a -1 DRM and if they are in the 5 box, the Battle has a +2 DRM). This same system is used in the Two Player Game for resolution of Battles that reference the other map.

[7.0] Army Movement

During the Army Movement Phase, you must move the Fronts specified on the current Event card. Generally, these Fronts Advance a single box closer to Vienna (i.e., to the next consecutively lower-numbered box) along their respective tracks. Occasionally, a Front will Retreat one space (i.e., away from Vienna, thus reducing their threat).

[7.1] Inactive Fronts: When a Front is not yet on the map, its unit does not move when instructed to do so. It simply remains off the map, ignoring any Advance instruction affecting it.

[7.2] Retreat Limit: No Front can be retreated beyond the highest numbered space on its track.

[7.3] Przemyśl Fortress: Unlike other games in the system, including Ottoman Sunset, the presence of a Fortress does not prevent an enemy Front from advancing. If the Russian Carpathian Front moves into the Przemyśl space or beyond, control of the Strategic Site does not pass to the enemy (see 7.7).

Further, while the Fortress is present any attack on the Carpathian Front when it is in the 3 box or ahead (i.e. the 1 or 2 box) receives a +1 DRM.

However, each turn that ends with the Carpathian Army positioned ahead of Przemyśl (i.e., in Budapest, Debrecen, or Ungvar), the Fortress is reduced by one level in the Fortress Reduction Phase.

The Fortress is not reduced if the Carpathian Front is in the Przemyśl space.

Two markers are used to reflect the level of the Przemyśl Fortress. When the Fortress is reduced to zero, it is considered destroyed and the marker should reflect that fact. After the Fortress has been destroyed, unless it is re-fortified, the Strategic Site is considered captured if the space or a space ahead of it is occupied (see 7.7). Occupation of the Przemyśl space counts as two Strategic Sites for National Will computation. Note that the Przemyśl Fortress may be fortified or re-built under certain circumstances (see 9.7).

[7.4] Bulgarian Trench Line: If the player builds the Bulgarian trench line in Veles, then the Balkan Front may be unable to Advance from Salonika to Veles.

If the trench system is not built or not in place, there are no restrictions on any Advance from Salonika to Veles. The Trench Line marker does not limit an Advance from Veles.

Procedure

When an Advance is indicated into space 4 (Veles) from space 5, roll a die (modified only by Croat Revolt): if the result is less than the Battle Value of the Balkan unit, it Advances normally. If the result is equal to or greater than the Battle Value of the Balkan unit, it remains in place and does not Advance.

The Trench Line marker is removed from the game if the Balkan Front Advances beyond the Veles space and remains there at the end of a turn. The Trench Line is also removed when card #48, "D'Esperey Breaks Out" is drawn, if the Balkan Front does not end the turn in Salonika (5).

After the arrival of the Armee d'Orient and its subsequent retreat to the port of Salonika, the Bulgarians built substantial trench lines and fortifications to discourage a breakout from the salient. These lines proved their worth in May, 1917, when General Sarrail tried and failed to breach the Bulgarian lines. It wasn't until September 1918 that the entrapped Allied forces were finally able to break out from the port and pierce the Bulgarian lines leading to Bulgaria's capitulation.

[7.5] Isonzo River Line: Much like the Bulgarian Trench Line, the Isonzo River slows down Italian Advances from Udine to Gorizia. It is, however, a permanent terrain fixture on the map. Any card calling for an Italian Advance from Udine to Gorizia requires a roll of less than the Front's Battle Value to occur.

If the Italian Front succeeds in advancing, the River Line remains in effect, but still never affects advances other than from Udine to Gorizia.

[7.6] Radio Intercepts Markers: When card #06 ("Russian Cipher Cracked") is drawn, the player receives three Radio Intercepts markers to be used in future turns. By spending one marker in the Army Movement Phase, the player can cancel one Offensive on the Romanian, Italian, Polish, or Carpathian Fronts before they attempt to Advance. They may not be used on the Balkan Front. Multiple markers may be used per turn but no more than one per Front.

[7.7] Strategic Sites: Spaces with Austro-Hungarian flags are Strategic Sites (e.g., Debrecen). Spaces with double flags are Strategic Sites with doubled value (e.g. Przemyśl and Budapest). If, during the National Will Phase, an Allied unit controls a Strategic Site, it is counted along with other Defeats when determining Austro-Hungarian National Will (see 11.0). If the space is a double Strategic Site (Przemyśl or Budapest), its occupation counts as two defeats.

An Allied unit controls the space it occupies, plus all higher-numbered spaces behind it along its track. All other spaces are Austro-Hungarian controlled.

Budapest: The capture of Budapest counts as two Defeats, whether it is controlled by both the Romanian and Carpathian armies or by only one of those armies. If one of them is pushed back beyond Budapest, but the other remains, it is still counted as two Defeats.

Further, as long as a Front remains in Budapest the player cannot launch an offensive against another Front behind Budapest.

Bucharest: Bucharest is a Strategic Site and the start space for the Romanian track. If the Romanian Front is not pushed out of Bucharest on the turn of Romanian entry, National Will falls by one point for the loss of the Strategic Site. National Will is unaffected before Romania enters the war.

Przemyśl: The two Strategic Sites at this location are not considered to be occupied until the Fortress has the "Destroyed" marker AND the Carpathian Army occupies the space or any space ahead of it on the track (see 7.3).

[7.8] Vienna Falls: When a Front enters the last space on its track (Vienna), the game immediately ends in Defeat (see 12.1.2).

[8.0] National Loyalties

Each of the three nationalities has a marker which is placed on the National Loyalties track: the Czechs, the Croats, and the Hungarians. While this does not fully represent the multiplicity of nationalities that were present in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to simplify the game, all national groups are lumped into these three larger categories under the heading of a prominent ethnic group. In the course of the game, the player will need to manage these loyalties as they can effect cohesion on the battlefield, national will, and even cause national collapse.

[8.1] National Identity Rating: Each National Loyalty marker has a number on it that is considered to be the National Identity Rating. This number ranges from a high of 4 for the Czechs, who were strongly revolutionary, to 2 for the Hungarians, who were more wed to the Dual Monarchy. During the course of the game, these National Identity Ratings will be tested.

Procedure

For each National Loyalty check called for by the Event card the player rolls a die and compares the result to the National Identity Rating:

If the die roll result is less than or equal to the National Identity Rating, the Loyalty marker should be moved one space to the left toward "Revolt." If the die roll is greater than the National Identity Rating, the National Loyalty marker is not affected.

There are no DRMs for these rolls. Loyalty can never be increased in the Loyalty Adjustment Phase as that can only be done through the use of Action Points in the Action Phase.

[8.2] Determining Which Nationality to Check: The Event card indicates which track checks for Loyalty adjustment. If the card says "None," no Loyalty Adjustment Check is done in this Phase. If the card specifies checks on more than one track, then multiple Loyalty adjustment determinations are made. If the card indicates "Random," then roll a die and refer to the random numbers next to the track to determine which one is checked for adjustment. Without modifiers, on 3 or less the Czech track is triggered, on 4-5 the Croat track is triggered, and on 6 or greater the Hungarian track is triggered. Some random checks have a DRM. This DRM is added or subtracted from the random check die roll. (Note: A negative DRM will make a check of Hungarian Loyalty impossible. A positive DRM will increase the odds of a Croat or Hungarian adjustment). This DRM does not affect the Loyalty Adjustment die roll.

If the nationality called for to make a Loyalty Adjustment Check is already in Revolt, then the trigger "cascades" and the nationality below them is triggered instead (or Czechs if the Hungarians are triggered and in Revolt).

Example: The current Event, Flight Over Vienna #47, has a Hungarian trigger. However, the Hungarians are already in Revolt, so the trigger cascades and the Czechs are triggered instead. The player rolls a 4 which is equal to the Czech's National Identity Rating, which means the Czechs move one box closer to Revolt.

[8.3] Heading Toward Revolt: Each Loyalty track has four spaces on it. Each marker begins in the space the furthest to the right, which is marked "Loyal." Should the Loyalty marker move to the furthest left space, the nationality on that track is considered to have gone into "Revolt." A Loyalty marker cannot be reduced further than the level of Revolt. Each time a Loyalty marker reaches the Revolt space, it causes the following effects:

[8.3.1] Political Effects of Revolt: In the event any nationality remains in "Revolt" during the National Will Phase (Phase 8), the "Revolt" counts as one defeat. As such, the Loyalty marker has the same effect as any other defeat, lowering National Will an additional level. In the event that all three Nationalities go into Revolt at the same moment, the game immediately ends with a catastrophic defeat due to ethnic collapse (see 12.1.1).

[8.3.2] Military Effects of Revolt: The following are the military effects of Revolt which are in effect in the Action Phase as long as the particular nationality implicated is in Revolt. In the event the Revolt is lifted in the course of an Action Phase, the military effect ends immediately. Markers are provided to remind players of the military effect. The military effects of each Revolt are as follows:

• Czech Revolt: -1 DRM on all Offensives against the Polish and Carpathian Front.
• Croat Revolt: -1 DRM on all Offensives against the Balkan and Italian Front, -1 DRM on all Italian or Balkan Advance attempts.
• Hungarian Revolt: -1 DRM on all Offensives against the Romanian and Carpathian Front.

Two Revolts can be in effect at the same time, but three Revolts can never be simultaneously in effect (See 8.3.1, above). These DRMs are cumulative with other DRMs, such as the Lodz victory and German Aid. Note that DRMs are applied exclusively as indicated. That is, Offensive DRMs do not affect Off-Map Battle die rolls or National Loyalty die rolls, and vice versa.

[9.0] Player Actions

Each Event card specifies a number of Actions conferred to you, the Austro-Hungarian player. You may "spend" Actions to:

1. Launch Offensives against enemy Fronts;
2. Allocate Resources to other Theaters;
3. Repair the Przemyśl Fortress;
4. Attempt to improve National Loyalty.

After using the Actions granted by the current Event card, you may expend additional Actions through German Staff Operations (see 9.8). Actions are spent one at a time; you can see the effects of one Action before deciding how to allocate your remaining Actions.

[9.1] Die Roll Modifiers (DRMs): Certain cards or conditions can impose a die roll modifier (abbreviated "DRM"). DRMs are cumulative, so in all such cases use the modified result of a die roll after applying all applicable DRMs.

For Example: Modifying a die roll is both a +2 DRM and -1 DRM. These are cumulative, so their net effect is to apply a +1 DRM to that die roll.

Thus, modified die roll results may end up being less than 1 or more than 6; such results cause failure or success as any other natural die roll result would.

Important: Regardless of the die roll modifiers, when conducting an Offensive (9.2) or Off-Map Battle (6.2, 6.3) a natural (unmodified) roll of 1 always results in failure, while a natural roll of 6 always results in success.

Thus, even these modified die rolls are never certain or impossible!

[9.2] Conducting Offensives: You use a military Offensive to try to Retreat a Front (move it back one box away from Vienna to its next-higher numbered box). It costs one Action to conduct an Offensive.

Procedure

When conducting an Offensive, designate which Front you are attacking and roll the die, applying all DRMs as appropriate.

If the result is less than or equal to (≤) the target Front's Battle Value, that Offensive is unsuccessful; there is no effect and that enemy Front remains in its current box.

If the result is greater than (>) the target Front's Battle Value, that Offensive is successful; move the targeted Front back on its track by one box. It cannot be "pushed off the map" in this manner; instead, it simply remains in its track's highest numbered box.

• Budapest: In the event that an Offensive is directed against Budapest and that box is simultaneously occupied by both the Carpathanian and Romanian Front units, you must specify which Front is being targeted by that Offensive; its results are applied only to that specific unit. You cannot attack a higher numbered box behind Budapest (i.e., the 2 box) if another Front occupies Budapest.
• Italian Rivers: The Isonzo and Piave Rivers presented a major barrier to Austro-Hungarian Offensive efforts. To represent this, it costs two Actions (or two Resources) to conduct an Offensive against a Front in the 3 box (Udine) or the 5 box (Piave) on the Italian track. This is identified by the double line connecting these boxes.

German Aid markers: When card #35 ("German Aid") is drawn, the player receives three +2 DRM markers to be used in future Offensives. By spending one marker, the player can add a +2 DRM to all Offensives on any one Front per Action Phase. You cannot use more than one marker in one Action Phase (German forces cannot be stretched that much). Remember that a natural roll of "1" is a failed Offensive, regardless of positive DRMs.

Mackensen markers: When card #16 ("Mackensen Takes Command") is drawn, the player receives five Mackensen markers to be used in future Offensives. By spending one marker, the player can roll two die in an Offensive and choose which result to use. You cannot use more than one marker for a single Offensive and you cannot use Mackensen markers on different Fronts in the same turn (Mackensen can only be on one Front at a time). You can use Mackensen in conjunction with a German Aid marker.

[9.3] Multiple Efforts: There is no limit as to how many Offensives may be directed against a specific Front per turn (save the number of Actions available to do so), nor how many boxes it might be Retreated in a single turn (up to and including reaching the highest-numbered box on its track). Failure or success on prior attempts does not limit future attempts. Similarly, you may make multiple efforts per turn to allocate Resources markers, or attempt to increase National Loyalty.

[9.4] The Great Retreat: Once the War Status track has moved to Expanded War or later, the player can initiate the Great Retreat at any time during their Action Phase in order to permanently remove the Polish Front from play. Upon initiating the Great Retreat, the player immediately expends two Actions or one off-map Resource and moves a Battle from the Victories box into the Defeats box. Then the player moves one Battle from the Victories box into the Stalemates box for each space the Polish Front is ahead of Brest-Litovsk (the 5 box) and removes the Polish Front from play, placing the Russian Retreat marker in Brest-Litovsk.

Example: The Polish Front is in the 2 box (Tarnow) when the Great Retreat is initiated, so the player spends two Actions, moves Cer from the Victories to the Defeats box, and moves Mons, Tannenburg, and Gallipoli from the Victories to the Stalemates box. Then he removes the Polish Front and places the Russian Retreat marker in the 5 box.

After significant German offensives and the capture of Warsaw on August 5, 1915, the Russian high command (Stavka) made the momentous decision to retreat from Poland and establish a new defensive line in Russia's heartland. The "Great Retreat" probably saved the Russian Army, but ended any offensive threat to Austria-Hungary from the North and lost Russia control of Polish territory.

[9.4.1] Russian Provisional Government: Once the player has initiated the Great Retreat, the Polish Front never re-enters play. The Polish Front is not placed even if the Bolshevik Revolution (card #36) occurred before the card "Provisional Government Takes Charge" (#27.)

[9.5] Allocating Resources to Other Theaters: There are three Off-Map Theater boxes: the Western, Naval, and Eastern/Near East Fronts. You must use two Actions to place one unallocated Resources marker in any Theater box, but no more than two may be in any Theater at the same time. You cannot shift previously allocated Resources markers between Theater boxes! You may later "spend" (permanently remove from play) these Resources markers if and when reclaimed as future Actions via German Staff Operations (see 9.8). You may only purchase a total of six Resource markers.

[9.6] Adjusting National Loyalties: During the Action Phase, the player can spend an Action Point to attempt to improve National Loyalty.

Procedure

When attempting to adjust National Loyalties the player picks which track he would like to affect and rolls a die: if the roll is equal to or higher than the National Identity Rating, then Loyalty is moved one box to the right. If the roll is less than the National Identity Rating, there is no effect.

Note: National Loyalty cannot be increased greater than the "Loyal" space on the track.

In the event that a successful National Loyalty adjustment raises a group's National Loyalty out of "Revolt," the effects of the Revolt are immediately negated for the remainder of the Action Phase and National Will will be readjusted. (see 8.3.2 and 11.0).

[9.7] Refortifying Przemyśl: If eligible, the player can increase the strength of the Przemyśl Fortress by one level by spending two Action Points or one German Staff Operation. The Fortress cannot be improved more than one level per Action Phase, but there is no limit to how many times the Fortress can be improved. Przemyśl can never be improved to a level greater than 3. The Fortress can be improved even if the marker is on its "Destroyed" side.

Przemyśl is only eligible for improvements if the Carpathian Front does not occupy Przemyśl or a space further along the Carpathian track.

[9.8] German Staff Operations: The player can gain one additional ("Reserve") Action by permanently removing from play one Resources marker from an Off-Map Theater box. Known as German Staff Operations, you liquidate in-play Resources markers one at a time so that you can see the result of one Reserve Action before deciding whether or not to spend another. Naturally, the number of available Resources markers currently allocated to Off-Map Theaters limits German Staff Operations.

German Staff Operations used to launch Offensives are subject to any and all restrictions on the current Event card!

[10.0] Kaiserschlacht

The "Kaiser's Battle" was a momentous event during The Great War. Germany threw their last reserves into a great offensive designed to break the fighting will of the French and British armies in France, before the arrival of the Americans altered the balance of power.

Initiation

Skip this Phase each turn until the Kaiserschlacht Event occurs (card #42). When it does, place the Kaiserschlacht marker in its holding box on the Sequence of Play near the bottom of the map as a reminder that you must conduct this Phase every turn for the rest of the game.

Procedure

After the Kaiserschlacht has commenced, each turn during the Kaiserschlacht Phase conduct an Off-Map Battle (see 6.2) on the Western Front against the lowest-numbered unfought Kaiserschlacht Battle marker (they are numbered 1 to 6, so fight 1 first, 2 the next turn, etc.). Use all applicable modifiers for Resources markers committed to the Western Front (+1 DRM each) and War Weariness (-1 DRM).

After fighting all six Battles and placing them in the various outcome boxes, then during this Phase, first roll a die to determine which Kaiserschlacht Battle marker is re-fought anew that turn, moving it to its new outcome box, if necessary, after refighting it.

Example: You have, over the past six turns, fought all of the Kaiserschlacht Battles and their markers now reside in the Victories, Defeats, and Stalemates outcome boxes. Now during this Phase, you roll a die to determine which of these Battles is re-fought. A die roll of 4 means the marker with the British flag and a Battle Value of "4" (currently in the Defeats box) must be re-fought. With War Weariness in effect (-1 DRM) and two Resources committed (+2 DRM), the roll to re-fight this Battle is a 4, which is increased to a "5." This is a Victory, so this marker is repositioned from the Defeats to the Victories box.

Ending the Kaiserschlacht

The Kaiserschlacht Phase ceases to be conducted, and the Kaiserschlacht marker is removed from play, when the game ends OR every Kaiserschlacht Battle marker is in the same box (i.e., they are all in the Victories or all in the Defeats box). If all the Kaiserschlacht Battle markers are in the Stalemates box, keep re-fighting the Battles.

At that point, this great campaign has permanently ended – one way or the other.

[11.0] National Will

During this Phase, you must calculate the current Austro-Hungarian National Will and adjust the National Will marker to reflect its current value.

Procedure

Add up the number of markers in the Victories box. From that value, subtract the number of markers in the Defeats box, the number of ethnicities in Revolt, and the number of Strategic Sites controlled by the Allies (see 7.7) at that moment. Ignore markers in the Stalemate box. Place the National Will marker in the corresponding box on the Austro-Hungarian National Will track (or the 5+ box if it is 5 or greater). If that value is less than (<) -5, the game ends immediately in an Austro-Hungarian defeat (see 12.1.3).

Players of Ottoman Sunset should be familiar with this system, but might notice that instead of losing at -4, you lose at -6 in this game. Historically the Austro-Hungarian Empire was much more stable than the Ottoman Empire and withstood crippling blows in the early war.

[12.0] Victory & Defeat

Defeat can occur in three ways at any time. You achieve a Victory by surviving the play of every card in the game and then measuring your final position on the board.

[12.1] Instant Defeat: There are three ways to instantly lose the game:

1. All three National groups go into "Revolt." This constitutes an "ethnic collapse." (see 8.3.1)
2. A Front unit Advances into Vienna (see 7.8)
3. Austro-Hungarian National Will collapses (11.0)

[12.1.1] Ethnic Collapse: As described in 8.3.1, if all three National Groups (Czechs, Croats, and Hungarians) go into revolt at the same time, the game instantly ends in a Crushing Defeat.

[12.1.2] Capture of Vienna: If an Allied Front Advances into Vienna (effectively reaching the 0 space on its track), the Austro-Hungarians drop out of the war and seek terms.

Determine the Level of Defeat by adding together the number of still-unrevealed cards (even those not yet added to the deck), and then subtracting the current Austro-Hungarian National Will (i.e., the box number where the National Will marker resides, remembering to add a negative number in this case, pursuant to the Rules of math). Then, add 1 for each nationality in Revolt (to a maximum of 2). Finally, compare that sum to the table below to determine the result:

Sum	Result
3 or less	Pyrrhic Victory
4 to 13	Strategic Stalemate
14 to 28	Marginal Defeat
29 to 39	Strategic Defeat
40 or more	Crushing Defeat

[12.1.3] Collapse of National Will: A collapse of Austro-Hungarian National Will is automatically a Crushing Defeat. Note that this was historically the fate of the Hapsburg Empire, although it was perilously close to ethnic collapse as well.

[12.2] Winning the Game: There is only one way to win the game, and that is to survive all of the Event cards without losing. After completing the last Event card, determine the level of your victory by scoring Victory Points (VPs).

Begin by adding the numbers of the boxes occupied by Allied Fronts and scoring that many VPs, or, in the case of removed Fronts, VPs equal to the highest box number on the track.

Example: At the end of the game, the Balkan Front is in Nis, its 2 box. That would add +2 Victory Points. Score each on-map Front separately and add them together.

You score 0 points for the Polish and Carpathian Fronts being inactive; we have already factored this in.

To that sum, add the final value of the Austro-Hungarian National Will (see 11.0; note that this can exceed 5; use the actual value) which, in this case, means subtracting that amount if it is a negative value. You also receive +1 VP for each box away from Revolt each ethnic group is at on the National Loyalties track.

Compare that sum to the table below:

VPs	Result
8 or less	Tactical Victory
9 to 17	Marginal Victory
18 to 22	Operational Victory
23 to 30	Strategic Victory
31 or more	International Victory

[12.3] Outcome Hypotheticals: To give more of a sense of what a game result would equate to in the real world, the game designer has included his speculation of what each result would mean to world history.

International Victory: Austria-Hungary emerges as a strong, unified, and enlarged Empire, on equal parity with its ally, Imperial Germany. Most of Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, and portions of Russia are annexed to the new superpower.

Strategic Victory: Austria-Hungary survives the war, weakened, but augmented in territory. Ultimately, Emperor Karl is forced to transform the Empire into a constitutional democracy, where each nationality is represented in Parliament, but foreign policy control remains in Hapsburg hands. Tenuous control over the enlarged domain is obtained with help from Imperial Germany.

Operational Victory: The Austro-Hungarian Empire survives, but as little more than a vassal of Imperial Germany. The weakened nation is buffeted by constant nationalist revolts and is continually forced to accede to greater autonomy. Fifty years later, Germany decides to annex the nation and removes the Hapsburgs from power.

Marginal Victory: The Austro-Hungarian nation survives, but makes no territorial gains as a result of the war. A decade after the conflict, Austria succumbs to a brutal civil war, pitting nationalities against each other. The war ends with the ceding of important territories and the creation of a pan-Germanic coalition with Imperial Germany.

Tactical Victory: With the defeat of Imperial Germany, Austria is able to cut a deal with the victorious allies to remain in possession of their pre-war Empire within current boundaries. Despite the efforts of Emperor Karl to reach accommodation with various nationalities and democratic forces, within a decade the country remains little more than a union of Austria and Hungary.

Pyrrhic Victory: The Austro-Hungarian Empire is converted into a Trans-Danubian federation, where the Hapsburg family plays a symbolic role. The federation plays a significant role in the early defeat of Adolf Hitler when it joins with France and Britain to repel a German invasion of Poland in 1935.

Strategic Stalemate: In an attempt to keep the Empire together, the Monarchy grants the Slavs equal status with the Austrians and Hungarians, expanding the government to a triple monarchy. This agreement causes the Hungarians to revolt, and during the brief civil war the fringes of the Empire declare independence. However, it is successful in keeping a core Empire revolving around Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Slavonia. This is maintained until Hitler invades and integrates it into his Reich. It is later split into communist and federal halves during the Cold War.

Marginal Defeat: Wiggling out of the German alliance, Austria-Hungary is able to make a "separate peace" with the Western Allies in the final days of war. The surviving statelet is merely a union of Austria and Hungary and territory is ceded to the new states of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia as well as Italy. Eventually, Romania allies with Nazi Germany to partition the struggling nation.

Strategic Defeat: The international powers try to craft an Imperial Federation that keeps the various nationalities of Austria-Hungary together. In the end, the scheme fails when the Soviet Union invades the remnants of the Empire. The Hapsburgs remain in power, but only govern a small Austrian state that is a bulwark in the "Cold War." The Balkans and Central Europe become Soviet satellites, at least until World War 2 pits the Capitalist Powers against them.

Crushing Defeat (Historical Result): With various declarations of independence, including that of Hungary, the Hapsburg Emperor abdicates on behalf of both himself and his family. The Empire is broken into various new nations, who become vulnerable to foreign intervention and authoritarianism in the years to come. Austria itself is forbidden to join with post-war Germany, although is ultimately annexed briefly when Adolf Hitler engineers its conquest.

[13.0] Optional Rules

You can add the following Optional Rules to vary the experience of playing Hapsburg Eclipse. Each Rule states whether it works to the Player's Advantage (making the game easier), Handicap (making the game harder), or is Neutral (may make the game harder or easier depending on how it plays out).

[13.1] The Historical Game (Neutral): Players desiring to encounter the events of the Great War in their historical sequence can simply play all of the cards in numerical order, #1 to #50.

[13.2] Coalition Victory/Defeat (Neutral): This Optional Rule may be used for Hapsburg Eclipse, Ottoman Sunset, or the Two Player Game. Under this Rule, in the event that all Kaiserschlacht markers are placed in the Victories box, not only does the Kaiserschlacht Phase end, but the game itself ends with a Coalition Victory. In the event that all Kaiserschlacht markers are placed in the Defeats box, not only does the Kaiserschlacht Phase end, but the game itself ends with a Coalition Defeat. This simulates the total success or failure of the final German offensive in the West.

[13.3] War Weariness (Handicap): To simulate the increased strain of controlling ethnic unrest while suffering from declining morale, when War Weariness is in effect apply a -1 DRM to all Loyalty checks and on all attempts to improve National Loyalty.

[13.4] Treaty of Spa (Handicap): German Aid markers cannot be used after the card "Kaiserschlacht Begins" or "Peace Feelers" has been drawn.

[13.5] Emergency Aid (Advantage): If this optional rule is in effect, a player may spend one Resources marker in the National Will Phase and put it in the Victories box to stave off collapse of National Will. This can only be done if the player would otherwise be defeated if the Resources marker is not expended.

[13.6] Przemyśl Must Hold (Handicap): If the Przemyśl Fortress falls the player receives both Przemyśl markers as Defeats and may not rebuild the Fortress. It may be rebuilt as per 9.7 prior to its destruction.

[13.7] Fair Weather Friends (Neutral): When National Will is below "-3" the player receives a -1 DRM on all Loyalty rolls. When National Will is greater than "3" the player receives a +1 DRM on all Loyalty rolls.

[14.0] Two Player Game

Hapsburg Eclipse can be combined with Ottoman Sunset to form a larger, Two Player Game covering the First World War in Southern Europe and the Near East, with each player trying to guide their respective nation through the First World War. The rules for the combined game are largely the same, though a few of the cards have different effects (identified by an Iron Cross in the upper left corner) and there are some new rules. The rules in this section take precedence over all prior rules for the Two Player Game.

[14.1] Turn Order: The game is still played as a series of player turns. The Austro-Hungarian player goes first and draws the first card, going through the turn order in Hapsburg Eclipse. Then, the Austro-Hungarian player draws the second card and completes the second turn. After completion of the Hapsburg player's second turn, the Ottoman player takes a turn. The Ottoman player's turn follows the rules of Ottoman Sunset, but with the exceptions described in this section. After the Ottoman player's turn the Austro-Hungarian player and Ottoman player alternate conducting turns. This continues until the players run out of cards or a player is removed from the game in which case the remaining player continues their game as a normal solitaire game.

[14.2] Berlin-Baghdad Railroad: The Berlin-Baghdad Railroad allows players to transfer resources between theaters to help one another.

The Berlin-Baghdad Railroad is only open and able to be used to transfer aid when two conditions are met.

1. Bulgaria has entered the war (card # 17 in Hapsburg Eclipse) and has not exited the war (card # 48 in Hapsburg Eclipse)
2. The Allies do not control Skopje (identified by the railroad symbol next to it).

Note that Bulgarian-oriented events in Ottoman Sunset have no effect on this rule.

Skopje being captured has no impact on the future operation of the Berlin-Baghdad Railroad if Skopje is recaptured. Skopje must, however, not be occupied by the Balkan Front at the time the Railroad is to be utilized. The Railroad can be opened and closed any number of times during the course of the game. The Railroad is permanently closed once Bulgaria exits the war as a result of certain outcomes on Hapsburg Eclipse card #48.

When the Railroad is open, the players may opt to use the Berlin-Baghdad Railroad marker and place it in the Berlin-Baghdad box formed by the union of the two game maps.

If the Railroad is open, either player can send the following kinds of aid to the other. Both players must agree to the transfer for it to occur.

1. A player can spend a Reserve Action/German Staff Operation in the other theater. The action affects the other board, but takes place in the active player's turn. (e.g., The Ottoman player may spend a German Staff Operation and then roll against the Italian Front in Hapsburg Eclipse as part of their turn).
2. A player can give the other player an action at the cost of two of their own actions. The action takes place during the giving power's turn but is conducted by the receiving player.
3. A player can send the Asia Corps or German Aid to the other player/theater during their turn. Mackensen, Radio Intercepts, and Yildirim markers cannot be sent to the other Front. The marker is simply spent from one map and used by the other player normally.

[14.3] Off-Map Battles: Most off-map Battles are conducted the same way as in the base game; however, the Battles called for by the cards with the Iron Cross are conducted differently, as explained below.

The Battles indicated by the Iron Crosses are Battles that occurred on the other player's map. The odds of winning these Battles are dependent on the position of the Front indicated on the Two Player Combined Game Icon Explanation Sheet.

1. If an enemy Front is on the indicated box, the Battle is conducted normally with the number listed serving as the Battle Value. Roll higher than the value and a victory is received on the active player's map. Roll less than the value and a defeat is incurred. Tie rolls result in a stalemate.
2. If an enemy Front is ahead of the box indicated by the card, the Battle is conducted as per the Battle Rules above; however, a -1 DRM is applied for each space that the enemy Front occupies ahead of the listed number.
3. If an enemy Front is behind the box indicated by the card, the Battle is a conducted as per the normal Battle Rules; however, a +1 DRM is applied for each space that the enemy Front occupies behind the listed box.
4. If the Front is not yet in play or has been removed from play, the Battle does not occur and the marker is placed in the Stalemates box.
5. If the other player has been removed from the game, the battle is automatically a defeat and placed in the Defeats box.
6. For the Palestine Battle Campaign (Hapsburg Eclipse card # 41), the Front referenced is the Sinai Front. The location of the Arab Front is not used in determining the Battle Value.

These Battles only effect the player who drew the card and do not affect the other player. No off-map Battle, with the exception of the Kaiserschlacht, affects the National Will of the other player.

Example: The Hapsburg player draws the Battle of Ctesiphon and the Mesopotamia Front is currently in its 4 box on the Ottoman map. The Hapsburg player rolls a 3, modified to a "4" due to the Front being behind the indicated box on the Combined Game Effect Table. Thus the player's result is greater than the Battle Value and he wins the Battle, placing it in the Victories box.

[14.4] Forcing the Narrows: The forcing of the narrows attempt in Ottoman Sunset is largely unchanged with the exception that when the card is drawn the Austro-Hungarian player can immediately spend up to two Resources markers in their Naval Off-Map Theater box to reduce the British Fortitude marker by one per Resources marker discarded.

[14.5] Kaiserschlacht: The Kaiserschlacht is conducted largely in the same way as in the base game. In the Two Player Game, the Kaiserschlacht is only triggered when both players have drawn their respective Kaiserschlacht card. The first player to draw their Kaiserschlacht card still gets the +1 DRM for their turn.

When the Kaiserschlacht is triggered, the Phase is conducted only once per Two Player Game turn, with the Ottoman player conducting the even Battles and Hapsburg player fighting the odd Battles during their Kaiserschlacht Phase. The Victories, Defeats, or Stalemates are reflected for both players and affect both players' National Will. If a player's National Will drops into Defeat due to a Kaiserschlacht result on the other map, the player will lose during their next National Will Phase. If one player drops out of the game before the Kaiserschlacht is completed, the remaining player conducts all the Battles as per a single player game.

Note that the DRMs for Resource markers are only applied based on the Resource situation of the player conducting the Kaiserschlacht Phase. For instance, if the Ottomans have 2 Resources Markers in the Western Front box and the Hapsburgs have none, then a +2 DRM is only applicable if the Ottoman player conducts the Kaiserschlacht Battle.

The Kaiserschlacht continues each turn until all the Battles end in the Victories or Defeats boxes. After all the Battles have been fought, as long as they are not all in the Victories or Defeats box, the players alternate rolling in their Kaiserschlacht Phase to determine which Battle is re-fought (starting with the Ottoman player). If the Battle being re-fought is in the box of the player not conducting the Kaiserschlacht Phase, the Battle is conducted by the other player immediately.

[14.6] War Weariness: Unlike the Kaiserschlacht, War Weariness goes into full effect whenever the card is drawn, but only for the player who drew it.

[14.7] Russian Exit: Whenever a Provisional Government Takes Charge or Bolshevik Revolution card is drawn on either map its effects are immediately applied to both. This means the Russians can leave, return, and then leave again (i.e., the drawing of one "Bolshevik Revolution" card does not change the effect of the other "Bolshevik Revolution" card).

[14.8] Victory and Defeat: Victory and defeat for each individual player is identical to that of the solo game. It is possible for one player to be defeated and for the other to win. However, to simulate the extra pressure the Allies would have brought to bear against the remaining power, the following rules apply to the survivor's map:

• There is a permanent -1 DRM against all offensives on the Balkan Front as well as on all advance attempts by the Balkan Front.
• The surviving player receives the defeated player's National Will marker as a Defeat, placing it in the Defeats box.
• Russia cannot leave the war. Ignore the effects of the "Bolshevik Revolution" card.

If a player is defeated and the other player wins, the victorious player receives one level of victory higher than their point total dictates.

[14.9] The Balkan Front: Even though both games have a Balkan track and "share" the Salonika box, they are independent. An Allied invasion of Salonika in Ottoman Sunset does not cause the Front to be placed in Hapsburg Eclipse and vice versa.

[14.10] Optional Rules: In addition to the standard optional rules of both games, players can add the following Optional Rules to vary the experience of playing the Two Player Game. Players need to agree on which, if any, optional rules they are playing with before beginning the game.

[14.10.1] Till Death Do Us Part (Handicap): In this optional rule the fate of both powers are intertwined; they win and lose as a team. If one player loses the game, the other player loses as well. The only way for either player to win the game is for both to make it through their entire deck of cards. If both players win, they can win by varying amounts.

The fate of the Central Powers were linked; if one collapsed, the Allies could put additional pressure on the others and lead to a cascade. This is what happened historically; the Ottomans dropped out on the 30th of October, with Austria-Hungary collapsing on the 3rd of November, leading to Germany's surrender on November 11th.

[14.10.2] Turkish Naval Effort (Advantage): The Turkish player can also discard placed Naval Theater Resources markers to reduce British Fortitude by one per marker so discarded. Note that this optional rule can be used when playing Ottoman Sunset solo.

[14.10.3] Resources Theft (Handicap): Players who want to play more competitively in the Two Player Game may choose to implement this rule. At the end of any player's game turn, whether or not the Berlin-Baghdad Railroad is open, the player can attempt to "steal" one placed Resources marker from the other. To do so, indicate the marker on the other board being targeted and roll a die. On a roll of "5" or "6," the steal attempt is successful and the Resources can be removed from one player's map and placed in an Off-Map Theater box for the stealing player. Note that this theft does not count against the purchase limit of six Resources markers; however, no more than two markers may ever be placed in one Off-Map Theater box. If the stealing player cannot reassign the stolen Resources marker, the Resources is considered to be eliminated.

In the event that the theft die roll is 1-4, then the player attempting the theft must take one Battle marker in the Victories box and move it to the Stalemates box. Note that since this happens at the end of the turn, this cannot result in an immediate defeat in and of itself. If the player attempting the theft has no victories in the box, then no reassignment occurs and the attempt is considered to have no effect. Please note that special victory markers (Kut, Russia Tires, etc.) or coup markers are eligible for reassignment during a failed resource theft.

[15.0] Example of Play

Austro-Hungarian Emperor Dan is doing his best to keep his nation together and to lead it safely through the Great War. The good news is that (despite the Italian betrayal) the forces of Germany and Austria-Hungary have kept the Russian bear at bay and, while the Czechs are acting a bit unruly, the loyal Croats and Hungarians are happy with Dan's benevolent rule; so, the war seems to be going well.

Dan draws the next card hoping for a successful Battle so he can bid auf wiedersehen to the pesky Polish Front currently in Tarnow. Much to his delight he draws Von Lettow-Vorbeck (#18), which is an easy Battle! Because it is a Miscellaneous Battle and War Weariness is not in effect, this Battle has no modifiers. Dan rolls a 3, which is just enough to win (6.2)! He takes the Von Lettow-Vorbeck marker and proudly adds it to his Victories box. Next, the card calls for an advance by the Carpathian Front to Ungvar, but Dan decides to spend one of his three Radio Intercepts markers to prevent the move (and the subsequent fall of Przemyśl). Further, because the Balkan Front is not yet in the game, he does not advance it. Dan then rolls a die for the Czech Trigger called for by the card and rolls a 6, more than enough to keep the Czechs from Revolting (8.1)!

During his Action Phase, Dan decides to use the card's two Actions granted to remove the Polish Front from play by initiating The Great Retreat (9.4). Dan takes his freshly won Von Lettow-Vorbeck marker and places it in the Defeats box and then moves Tannenburg, Drina, and Mons into the Stalemates box. After adjusting these Battles, he removes the Polish Front and places the Russian Retreat marker in Brest-Litovsk. The Kaiserschlacht Phase is skipped because that card has not yet been drawn (10.0). Since the Carpathian Front is in Przemyśl, the Fortress is not reduced and the two Strategic Sites are still under Dan's control (7.3). Dan then calculates National Will and reduces it down to -2, as (after The Great Retreat) he now has two Defeats to no Victories, with no Strategic Sites captured (11.0). "Hmm…" Dan mutters reassuringly to himself, "It's fine; it'll all be fine."

With the end of the turn, Dan draws another card and smiles; he knew everything would work out, and lo and behold, he drew Nivelle Offensive (#30), another easy Battle. Dan rolls a die and gets a 4, which is modified to a 5 due to his placement of a Resource in the Western Theater, and this results in another Central Powers victory! Beaming, he takes the Nivelle marker and places it in the Victories box. Dan then debates whether to use another Radio Intercepts marker to stop the Carpathian advance called for by the card, and ultimately gives in, discarding his second (of three) Radio Intercepts marker. He then rolls to see if the Hungarians stay loyal, which they do with a roll of a 5. Dan then uses his two Actions to place a Resource in the Naval box on the Off-Map Theaters display (9.5). Once again, there is no Kaiserschlacht and Przemyśl remains standing. Finally, Dan increases National Will by one to -1 thanks to his latest victory.

Feeling confident, Dan draws the next card and lets out a small laugh, as he just drew Battle of Dogger Bank (#12); his investment in the Naval Theater is very well timed, indeed. However, his smile quickly turns to a frown as he rolls a 2 which, even after it's modified to a "3", is still a defeat; so he reluctantly places the marker in the Defeats box. Since neither of the Fronts called for on the card are on the map, no Fronts Advance and he moves on to the Loyalty Adjustment Phase. He rolls a die to see if the Czechs revolt, wincing as he rolls a 3: the Czechs are now in Revolt and Dan places the Czech Revolt marker in its circle on the map (8.3). "I've got to make this count," Dan avers as he spends his one Action this turn to attempt to increase Czech loyalty. His optimism is quickly crushed as he rolls a 2, nowhere near enough to bring the Czechs out of revolt. Recalculating his National Will, Dan is concerned to learn his Will is now at -3 (-2 for Battles, plus -1 for the Czech Revolt); he is just three away from a Collapse of National Will (12.1.3). Shaking his head, Dan whispers, "Keep it together, Dan. You can still win this; you just need to keep it together."

Dan cautiously reveals the next card and exclaims, "Oh, come on!" The Brusilov Offensive (#21) is revealed. Despite his frustration, Dan realizes that he might be able to use this to his advantage and discards his last Radio Intercepts marker to limit the Carpathian advance to one box. Since the Czechs are in revolt, their trigger cascades and Dan rolls to see if the Croats make a disgruntled move, which they do not with a roll of a 4 (8.2). Since the card was a dual trigger, he then rolls to see if the Hungarians stay loyal, and is pleased that they do when he rolls a 3. He decides to use his Actions this turn to attempt to kick Brusilov back to Przemyśl, saying: "It's time for a sMackdown," and places one of his Mackensen markers on the Carpathian Front (9.2). Taking two dice, Dan rolls two 6s, each more than the 5 required to push the Carpathian Front back to Przemyśl, even with the Czechs in Revolt. Beaming, Dan uses his final Action to attempt to bring the Czechs out of Revolt; he jumps for joy when he rolls a 4, just enough to bring them back out and return things to order (9.6). Since the Carpathian Front is currently in Przemyśl, Dan receives the Russia Tires marker and places it in the Victories box. Thus bringing his National Will back to -1. "This turn has been just perfect," he declares, "I'm back on the road to victory!"

But the road to victory is seldom smooth and Dan's jubilation quickly diminishes when he sees that his next card is Death of Franz Josef (#25). Without a special effect on the card, Dan goes straight to the Army Movement Phase and checks to see if the Italians cross the Isonzo River. They will only advance into Gorizia on a roll of 1, but Dan rolls a 6, keeping them in Udine (7.5). Then Dan moves the Carpathian Front to Ungvar, and finally moves on to the Loyalty Adjustment Phase and must review the loyalties of all the nationalities. Dan starts by checking the Czechs, wincing when he rolls a 2, and the Czechs are back in Revolt. Dan then rolls for the Croats, frowning when it come up 3, and now the Croats are but one space from Revolt. "Come on, Hungary! Please don't hate me!" Dan's plea is answered as he rolls for Hungarian loyalty and rolls a 4, keeping them at Loyal.

Dan uses his first Action to try increase Czech loyalty and is pleased when he rolls a 5, bringing them out of Revolt. "Now it's your turn, Brusilov," Dan says, targeting the Carpathian Front with his final Action; however, Dan is disappointed when he rolls a 1, an auto defeat, even with the +1 DRM for the Carpathian Front being ahead of Przemyśl while the Fortress has not fallen (7.3). Dan decides that keeping Przemyśl intact is just too important and removes his Eastern/Near East Theater Resources marker and spends it as a German Staff Operations Offensive against the Carpathian Front (9.8). Dan is relieved when this time he rolls a 5, modified to a "6," enough to push the Carpathian Front back to Przemyśl and prevent the Fortress from falling. Thus, at the end of the turn there has been no change to National Will.

Dan draws the next card and is disappointed to see that Bulgaria Joins the War (#17). He immediately moves the War Status marker one space to the right to Total War and places the Salonika Front on the 5 space on the Balkan track, as well as the Bulgarian Entry marker on its space on the map. Fortunately, the war has not expanded to Great War, so Dan does not need to shuffle the Late War cards into the deck yet (5.0). He then checks to see if the Italians advance, which they do not with a roll of 4. Dan moves onto the Loyalty Adjustment Phase and rolls a 5, keeping the Croats out of Revolt. Dan struggles with the choice facing him: does he build the Bulgarian Trench Line, or use the two Actions on the card to push back the Carpathian Front? Ultimately, Dan decides that the Trench Line is a higher priority, and reluctantly forfeits his two Actions, placing the Bulgarian Trench Line marker in Veles (7.4). Once again, there is no change in the Fortress Reduction Phase nor in the National Will Phase.

Well into the Mid War, Dan's position seems strong albeit precarious, the fate of the Empire is in Dan's hands, and the war is far from over.

[16.0] Designer's Notes

Some years ago, I saw a corny black and white documentary entitled "the Doomed Dynasties." Melodramatically, it announced various heads of state of European powers in World War One and dismissed them one-by-one as "doomed." Included in its list was Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary, who actually died of natural causes during the course of the war, but his dynasty did not die a natural death. Despite a sense of comedy in its over-the-top depiction of the results of World War 1 on the royal houses of Europe, it inspired me with an interest in the final days of the Hapsburg regime.

Prof. Joachim Remak, who instructed me at UC Santa Barbara as an undergraduate, further inspired me as to the subject matter. He painstakingly recounted the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the event that started the war, and then went through the machinations and causes of the First World War. Relating his personal encounters with the dramatis personae of that fateful era (including meetings with one Serbian assassin and Alexander Kerensky), he wove an epic tapestry. Travels across Europe to Vienna, with its grand Imperial War Museum; Budapest, with its war memorials; and Prague, further interested me in the period.

With Ottoman Sunset behind me, I saw within the Austrian saga, an opportunity for a sequel and the possibility to take the States of Siege™ system to a place it had never gone to: co-operative play. When I designed Ottoman Sunset some years ago, I never really had a sequel in mind. It excelled as a stand-alone game, but it always made me think of the other junior partner to the Central Powers, Austria-Hungary.

The experience of both powers in World War One was essentially similar. The Ottomans suffered a tremendous defeat in the opening days of their war, incurred tremendous losses, and were crippled from then on, but limped onward through a protracted war. The Austro-Hungarians similarly suffered tremendous casualties in the opening offensive (although that was initiated by the Russians) and yet were able to carry on. The hidden hand of Imperial Germany also increasingly propped both Empires up until they could no longer manage.

The first challenge of design was to simulate the Serbian campaign. This was difficult, because unlike other Fronts in the War, the Serbian Front never posed a threat of conquest. I did not want a game where the Serbs would advance into Vienna; that just could never have happened. But, at the same time, I knew that it was important for Austro-Hungarian National Will that the Serbians be vanquished: the stated purpose of the War. After numerous proposals and much "gnashing of teeth," we decided to abstract the Front and convert it into a series of on-map "Off-Map" Battles.

The second challenge was to put in a "mini-game" like the "Forcing of the Narrows" in Ottoman Sunset. This was much easier. The polyglot Hapsburg Empire was unlike other nations in that it contained many ethnic groups. Part of the challenge of Austria-Hungary during this period was to keep that ethnic coalition intact amidst the struggle between the Germanic Austrians and the Hungarian elements of the ruling coalitions. In order to do this, I created a simple ethnic management system that amalgamated the rival ethnicities into groups of Czechs, Croats, and Hungarians. On top of that, I tied that system into National Will and battlefield performance.

The third challenge was the "Great Retreat." At first, I had this as a simple random event, but playtesters found that an early draw could be a "game breaker" and disliked the absence of strategic nuance. After many fits and starts, we came up with a system where the player chooses to influence the "retreat" at a cost, inserting more tension. Historically the "Great Retreat" was the result of German pressure on Imperial Russia through campaigns in Northern and Central Poland that are not modeled in this game.

The last major challenge was making the Two Player Game. I was committed to create not only an interesting stand-alone game, but also the first real multi-player States of Siege™ design. The process had some interesting challenges, including how to model the "Berlin to Baghdad Railway" (it never really got that far) and how to have the two theaters interact. I think we've hit the "sweet spot" here where a player can play a two-front solitaire challenge where they need to monitor both Empires and a two-player co-operative game where the two players need to work together to attempt victory.

I want to thank all the play testers who really put this game through the ringer. You can't please all the people all the time, but they can rest assured that I heard all that was said and tried to make their vision part of my own.

What you are left with is another game that creates its own narrative. You get the educational value of history as it was with the twists and turns of history as it could be. Each game tells a story: similar, but never the same. Will the Bulgarian lines break? Will the Italians be forced out of the war? Will ethnic collapse tear the Empire apart? Sit down and find out!

Two Player Combined Game Effect Table

Ottoman Sunset

• #12: Gorlice Tarnow: Conduct this Battle; Battle Value 2 - Location: Tarnow.
• #13: Italy Joins the War: Conduct this Battle; Battle Value 3 - Location: Udine.
• #18: Bulgaria Joins the Central Powers: No effect, the Balkan Front enters on the Hapsburg map as per normal Hapsburg rules.
• #29: Brusilov Offensive: Conduct this Battle; Battle Value 3 - Location: Przemyśl.
• #30: Asia Korps: The Asia Korps marker can be transferred to the Hapsburg player (per 14.2).
• #34: Yildirim (Thunderbolt): The Yildirim markers cannot be transferred to the Hapsburg player.
• #38: U-boat Campaign: The Hapsburg player can discard one Naval Resource to give the Battle a +1 DRM.
• #49: Vittorio Veneto: Conduct this Battle; Battle Value 4 - Location: Vittorio Veneto.

Hapsburg Eclipse

• #06: Russian Cipher Cracked: The Radio Intercepts markers cannot be transferred to the Ottoman player.
• #14: Gallipoli Campaign: Conduct this Battle; Battle Value 3 - Location: Chunuk Bair.
• #16: Mackensen Takes Command: The Mackensen markers cannot be transferred to the Ottoman player.
• #17: Bulgaria Joins the War: The Berlin-Baghdad Railroad is open and resources can be transferred between the maps (13.2).
• #19: Battle of Ctesiphon: Conduct this Battle; Battle Value 3 - Location: Kut.
• #35: German Aid: The German Aid markers can be transferred to the Ottoman player (per 14.2).
• #41: Palestine Campaign: Conduct this Battle; Battle Value 5 - Location: Jerusalem.
• #48: If the Balkan Front ends the turn in or ahead of the 4 box the Berlin-Baghdad Railroad is closed and cannot be reopened.

Both

• Provisional Government Takes Charge: All Russian units on both maps are flipped and retreated one space. If the Russian Fronts are not currently on the map, they are returned on their highest numbered spaces on both maps.
• Bolshevik Revolution: Remove all Russian units on both maps.
• Kaiserschlacht: See 14.5

Game Credits

• Game Design: Darin A. Leviloff
• Development: Kevin Fortuna
• Documentation: Kevin Fortuna
• Map Art: Tim Allen
• Cover Art: Brett Mitchell
• Graphic Design: Michelle Ball
• Playtesting: Charles Dudgeon, Wes Erni, David Kennedy, LTC Robert Smith
• Proofreading: Ian Wakeham, Karen Wolterman, Leigh Toms, LTC Robert Smith