Holy Man

Holy Man is the first campaign map featured in the Voices of Babylon in Age of Empires. The campaign features Hammurabi, the founder of the Babylonian bureaucracy who is known for his creation of the first legal codes and documents, known as "Hammurabi's Code."

Scenario Instructions
''The small kingdom of Babylon is growing under the energetic leadership of its new king, Hammurabi. You have been sent down river to bring some enclaves of Elamites and Akkadians into the fold. Use your powers of persuasion where you can, but don't hesitate to resort to war if they prove difficult.''

Objective

 * Convert or destroy the Elamites and Akkadians.

Gameplay
In the beginning of this mission, the player starts out with a lone priest during the Stone Age along with two opposing civilizations the player must destroy. The civilization in red color is the Elam while the one in yellow are the Akkadians. The Elam is located to the east of the river while the Akkadians are located to the west of the river. There are two paths in which the player can choose from. The player can either establish the settlement where the priest originated from or in a location near the Akkadians. Since the Elam are more advanced than the player and the Akkadians combined, it is recommended to establish a civilization to a place far from Elam where there are many resources. Turtling in this campaign is advised as it is the best strategy available.

Guide

 * NOTE: This walkthrough was written for gamers playing on Normal difficulty with a population limit of 50. This is simply a rough guide on how to finish the mission. Due to the vast variability of the game, not everything written here will apply to another situation.

Tips

 * Players will have to attack two tribes at once, or else one tribe will grow too strong. Players should not neglect attacking the red tribe.
 * Convert regularly.
 * Keep all priests as safe as possible - they are expensive to replace.
 * During the stone age, convert Villagers rather than building them. Advance to Tool Age as quick as possible.
 * Once the player has advanced to the Tool Age, distribute the villagers' roles equally.
 * If possible, use two priests to convert an aggressive unit.
 * If players are experiencing difficulty, they are advised read the whole guide first, rather than focusing on one part.
 * Not everything here will apply to another situation.
 * It is imperative that players do not allow Yellow Tribe to build a Watch Tower, or build too much Clubman units.
 * Save regularly.

Walkthrough
Players begin with a slow priest and 200 Wood, with two enemies, the Elam (Red) and the Akkad (Yellow). To the north west is the Elam tribe, and to the north east, is the Akkad tribe. Note that it is imperative that the lone priest should avoid the red camp whilst in the Stone Age - they start with several clubmen and axemen, and if players attempt to convert any of them, the red units will catch up to the slow walking priest, and kill it. Walk in a north easterly direction, following the river, until the priest meets a swamp that allows it to cross to the other side of the river.

Keep walking east until the priest arrives at yellow camp. So far, yellow camp should consist of several houses, villagers, a storage pit, and a town center. Convert a villager, preferably one mining stone. This should take roughly 10 seconds, if it takes any longer, try another villager. Get the villager to build a town center anywhere near the vicinity of Yellow town. Now, save. The reason players should convert a villager mining stone, is because the yellow tribe can advance to the Tool Age, and build a tower, at any time. It is absolutely imperative that Yellow Tribe not be able to build a tower. If, by any chance, Yellow Tribe build a tower:


 * If they are in the process of building it, swarm the construction with attacking units whilst converting the villager building it.
 * If the tower has been built players can either relocate their town and units, or get every single unit, with the exception of the priest, to attack the tower.

By now, players should have a town center, a villager, a priest, and no supply of any materials. Get the converted villager to chop trees, whilst keeping an eye on the priests rejuvenation level. As soon as it reaches 100%, convert another villager. Get several villagers to cut trees, forage berry bushes. When the players have the right amount of wood, make a granary and barracks. Make approximately 5 or 6 clubmen, and attack the yellow barracks, to eliminate the threat. If a clubman is made, kill it. Keep the priest nearby to heal - it is crucial that units do not die, however remember to keep converting villagers. After destroying the yellow barracks, save.

If possible, build houses relative to population level. However, the main goal whilst in the Stone Age is to advance to the Tool Age as quick as possible.

Once all Akkad villagers are converted, the town is as good as dead, as the AI Akkad units just stand around doing nothing.

There is the threat of a pair of red clubmen or Axemen wandering around every now and then. Use all the clubmen, and swarm them, to lessen the chance of any unit dying. The new objective in the Tool Age is to accumulate as much food, and gold as possible (whilst still obtaining wood and stone of course - sensible distribution of roles is crucial), and build Watch Towers on the outskirts of the player's own camps. Place the Watch Towers strategically, there's no use in having them bunched up, when the red camp can attack from anywhere.

This will be a long mission - but it is possible to be in the Iron Age and to have Elam (Red) on Tool Age and Akkad (Yellow) all dead and unit-less on Stone Age at the same time.

The two buildings of choice for the Tool Age are the Market, and the Stable. The Market is important because it is required to build a Farm. Building a Stable is also important since it is the only structure that produces Scouts and Cavalry (Cavalry in Bronze Age). Both of these units are quite strong, high in hitpoints and quite fast, so they can evade danger if necessary.

The gold is required for priests and bonuses, and to enter Iron Age from the Bronze Age, and it is better to start stockpiling early. Note that it is not necessary to reach the Iron Age in order to defeat the Elam. Upgrade the stat properties of the Scout and Axemen through the Storage Pit, and once the player has 800 food, advance to the Bronze Age. If one runs out of gold to mine from, there is gold located in the original starting point of the campaign, and also near the southernmost point of the map, on the Akkadian side of the river.

When Bronze Age is reached, it is time to attack - build a temple and a siege workshop, which will produce priests and stone throwers. Again, upgrade the stat properties, and make a few cavalry, stone throwers, one Priest (two if the original priest died) and one or two Hoplites. This will suffice for the mission. Walk to the riverbank, with all infantry and cavalry units, and there will be an Elam Dock, accompanied with one or two Scout Ships. Players might want to bring a villager also, in order for it to build a tower on the Akkadian side of the riverbank, close to the river, to take care of any Elam units that wander around. The Elam should be in the Tool Age.

Use two Priests to convert the Scout Ship. If there are two Scout Ships, use the two Priests to convert one, and that Scout Ship will attack the other, leaving the player free to pass. Quickly bring all units over, and use all units to attack the Dock.

Move all units up - there will be several Watch Towers. Advance the Stone Throwers up - they will take care of the Towers. Keep all other units back, in front of the Stone Throwers. Unfortunately, attacking the towers provokes other units, and various Clubmen, Axemen and Bowmen will try to attack the Stone Throwers. The players statistically-improved Axemen and Hoplite will overwhelm the Elam Axemen and Clubmen dramatically, and the Cavalry, with high hitpoints, can take care of the Bowmen. Once all Watch Towers are destroyed, it is safe to move into town.

The buildings to destroy first are the Archery Range and Barracks. Use both Stone Throwers on the Archery Range, and all other units on the Barracks. Afterwards, destroy the Town Center, so that villagers can not be produced, then the rest of the town at the players choice.

Historical Result
"Hammurabi rule over Babylon for 42 years and lead the first Babylonian Empire, conquered Akkad and Sumer restoring the eastern part of the ancient empire of Sargon. It extended is influence beyond the Zagros mountains, subjugating the Guti tribes of the mountains and the Elamites of the plateau on the other side.

It reached great historical significance for his code of laws and punishments that uniformed the administrations of justice in every corner of his empire. To this day has come a copy of the code, carved in stone."