A Perfect Martyr is the sixth and final scenario in the Joan of Arc campaign in Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings. It is based on the Battle of Castillon (July 17, 1453), the final battle of the Hundred Years' War.
Intro
July 14, Bordeaux
No Joan of Arc. A rich world made empty and poor! The English put her on trial as a heretic. Joan's mind was as sharp as her sword, and she avoided all the cunning verbal traps of her prosecutors.
In the end, Joan would not renounce her mission. The English found her guilty...
...and burned her at the stake.
But her death is not in vain. "La Pucelle" is the rallying cry as peasant and nobleman alike take arms. My army is an army of the people, and even without the king we are poised to strike at the English stronghold of Castillon.
A victory at Castillon will crush the English pretensions to France forever.
Should I die in this battle, I die for the Maid of Orléans. I die as a patriot of France.
Scenario instructions
Starting conditions
- Starting Age:
Castle Age - Starting resources: None
- Population limit: 75 (125 in the Definitive Edition)
- Starting units:
- Gaia units:
- La Hire
- Constable Richemont
- Jean Bureau
- 16 Arbalesters
- 8 Champions
- 8 Hand Cannoneers
- 8 Hussars**
- 6 Villagers
- 6 Paladins
- 6 Bombard Cannon*
- 2 Trebuchet*
- * On the hard difficulty, there is only one Trebuchet and three Bombard Cannons.
- ** Light Cavalry in The Age of Kings.
Differences between difficulty levels
- On Hard, the player only receives one Trebuchet and three Bombards, the Burgundians have three Bombard Cannons of their own within their walled base, as well as a Guard Tower protecting the entrance to their southern settlement. Finally, the English will construct an additional Town Center in their base after 15 minutes have passed.
Objectives
- The Trade Cart carrying the French flag must survive.
- Plant the French flag (loaded in a Trade Cart) on the hill in Castillon (covered with flags).
- Rendezvous with the French artillery, commanded by Jean Bureau.
- Rendezvous with the French army, commanded by Constable Richemont.
Hints
- The French army can only support a population of 75/125
- Most of the land here is occupied. You will have to displace Burgundy in order to build a town. Don't knock down all of Burgundy's walls - you can use them for your own defense.
- Longbowmen are powerful, but Bombard Cannons are better!
- You can order Bombard Cannons and other siege weapons to the No Attack Stance if they are hurting your own troops.
Scouts (Definitive Edition)
- The French (1, Blue) are mustering their forces to avenge the death of Joan and to drive the English out of France once and for all. Josselyne, the French commander, has brought the French flag to the battlefield with the aim of planting it on the hill near Castillon.
- A large French army awaits his command, but it is low on supplies. The Burgundians (2, Purple) have a walled town to the west of your position with ample resources.
- The Earl of Shrewsbury (4, Orange) camps to the north of the Burgundian town. He has brought heavy cavalry to the battlefield, but they should be no match for the French heavy cavalry.
- The English army (3, Red) is the most dangerous opponent. They will fiercely defend the hill with Longbowmen, Cavaliers, Trebuchets, Onagers and fortifications.
Players
Player
- Player (Franks): The player starts in the very northeast of the map only with the must-survive Trade Cart and Guy Josselyne. A large army waits just southeast of the starting position and joins the player as soon as they get there.
Enemies
- British/English in the Definitive Edition (Britons): The British occupy most of the western part of the map. They field an army consisting of Longbowmen, Knights, Trebuchets, and Siege Onagers. They also have a small navy. Their town is well fortified with Bombard Towers and Castles.
- Shrewsbury (Britons): Shrewsbury is a fortified town in the north fielding Cavaliers and Capped Rams.
- Burgundy (Franks): Burgundy is a fortified town that lies rather central. It is defended by Crossbowmen, Long Swordsmen, Throwing Axemen, Onagers, and Bombard Cannons. They also have a small encampment in the south corner of the map and, given a chance, will rebuild and mount their attacks from there.
Strategy
Joan has died. In order to avenge her and defeat the British, Guy Josselyne forms a huge force. It consists of the French army and French artillery (gaia units listed above). They will acquire both shortly after beginning the scenario: head southeast to get the army, then head briefly west to get the artillery. The Trade Cart the player starts with contains the French flag, and they must take it to the marked area inside Castillon.
All three enemy players start in the Imperial Age. The British have rather tight control of the west side of the map, with many Bombard Towers and Keeps guarded by Elite Longbowmen and Cavaliers. Burgundy has two bases: a well-fortified one just west of where you found the artillery, and another one in the far south. Almost all of Burgundy's Villagers are in the southern base, and the northern one contains all of the military units. Shewsbury's base is located in the north. The east side of the map is very crowded - to stand a chance, it's essential to eliminate both Burgundy and Shrewsbury as soon as possible.
Taking out Burgundy and starting the base
The player starts with no resources and no buildings. There are two ways to get them: either destroy the Town Center in Burgundy's north base, or defeat Burgundy completely. The latter isn't too difficult with the player's big army, and it would be much better off managing it. The player will need to micromanage their units well though. Set control groups for each type of unit (heavy cavalry, Bombard Cannons, Trebuchets, Arbalests, Hand Cannoneers, swordsmen, Hussars, Villagers, and the Trade Cart itself). As suggested by the hints, set the Bombard Cannons to the "no attack" stance. From where the player encountered the army, head due south and follow the river to the west. The player will eventually come to a rocky outcrop covering the water to the west. It is here the player may want to cross - although it looks impassable, their units actually will be able to make it through. (Note: This is no longer possible in the Definitive Edition. Since the road is now filled with rocks which makes it truly impassable, the player can no longer directly attack the southern base of Burgundy; additionally, the northern base has received a Town Center as well, allowing them to rebuild from the north if needed.) The Burgundian base is to the south. Use the siege weapons to attack the Town Center and military buildings while defending them with Hand Cannoneers. Use the Hussars to kill the Villagers one by one. Leave the Trade Cart and the player's own Villagers in a relatively safe place. Burgundy will soon bring out the army from its northern base. It consists mainly of Crossbowmen, Long Swordsmen, and Throwing Axemen - nothing your archers can't handle. When Burgundy's more dangerous units appear (Monks and siege weapons), focus all melee units on them. The player may lose a few units, but they will come out on top. There's also a British Keep just west of the entrance to Burgundy's southern base that it would help to get rid of. If Burgundy hasn't withdrawn yet, use Hussars to track down the last Villager or two. They won't have gone too far from the northern base. After Burgundy has been defeated, the player will loot 400 food, 50 gold, 150 stone, and some wood from them (the exact quantity depends on how much they have left). Burgundy's south base is the perfect place to set up a town. It's easy to fortify, quite far from enemies, and has enough resources to last for quite a while (though not forever). (Note: In the Definitive Edition, the northern base's walls and buildings will be given to the player if the Burgundian Castle and Town Center are destroyed, making it an equally suitable position.) Build the Town Center right where Burgundy's was.
Building up and eliminating Shrewsbury
Once the Town Center is built, first priorities should be stone and defensive structures. Build a Mining Camp next to the stone mining site and a Stone Wall with a Gate right next to it, walling off the shallow water crossing to the north. Then start mining, aiming for the 488 stone that are needed to build a Castle, right behind the wall.
While Villagers are working on all this, the player should use their army to take out Shrewsbury. As long as the player has at least fifty units and most of your siege weapons, it should be no problem. Bring the siege weapons, heavy cavalry, and Arbalests. Leave behind the light cavalry, swordsmen, Hand Cannoneers, and the Trade Cart - this should be enough to take care of any British attacks on your base. The player should also use these units to clear out any remaining Burgundian buildings (except Farms, which can be converted by Villagers when ready to start gathering food) while the player is raiding Shrewbury - the player doesn't have much space to build, so tp acquire more space will be needed. To get to Shrewsbury's base, head back the same way the player's forces came from. Then go west to Burgundy's former north base and destroy one of their Gates (their walls will come in handy later on, but the Gates are useless because enemy units can go through them but the player's own units cannot). Keep going north through the base until the forces reach Shrewsbury's walls. Destroy one of their Gates with the siege weapons and defend them with soldiers. Shrewsbury will mainly attack with heavy cavalry, Trebuchets, and Capped Rams. It is recommended to destroy a Town Center and a Castle. Kill all of their Villagers - it shouldn't be long before Shrewsbury resigns.
Building and defending the base
Bring the rest of the units back to base. With enough wood, the player should be able to construct several buildings. First build a Lumber Camp near the trees to the west so that they can start gathering more. Also construct Houses - they will be needed to support more population before the player can start creating Villagers. Pack them in tightly, as there is not much space to build. For major buildings, first priorities are a University, a Stable, and a Market for defense and to exchange resources.
Some British ships will harass the player from the north. They consist of two Galleons and a Cannon Galleon. There are a few ways to deal with them: shoot at them with siege weapons, lure them toward the Castle, build defensive structures on the coast (Watch Towers or a Castle), or build a Monastery and convert them with Monks. The British will not rebuild them, but player should avoid building anything (other than defensive structures) too far north until they're gone.
The British will soon attack. Their forces include Trebuchets, Onagers, Scorpions, Cavaliers, and Elite Longbowmen. Their first attack or two can cause quite a bit of damage, but it will be a while before they attack again so the player's forces are in good shape if the player stands firm. Save the game frequently, as the player is one heartbeat away from losing the scenario. Once the coast is clear, rebuild whatever has been knocked down and construct the rest of the base. Create more Villagers when possible and get five on each resource, plus a few more to build and repair. Build a Blacksmith and research defensive technologies (Murder Holes, Ballistics, Husbandry, Fortified Wall, Bodkin Arrow, and Masonry). Keep building Houses until the population limit is 75. Keep enough military units on hand to fight off British attacks - heavy cavalry are the most effective units against Longbowmen and Trebuchets.
Advancing in age
As usual, invest in economic technologies and build the last few major buildings (the Barracks, Siege Workshop, and a Monastery). Then save up enough resources to advance to the Imperial Age.
The player can research everything your civilization has to offer in this scenario. The Cavalier and Paladin upgrades will be worth researching right away, as well as Conscription. There are actually two different ways to win this scenario: complete the stated objectives, or build a Wonder.
Capturing Castillon
The player will finish the scenario if they can bring the Trade Cart to the flagged area inside the British base. By now, the resources inside the base might be running dry. To get more, the player can gather from Burgundy's other base or from Shrewsbury's base in the far north. Both of these areas have mining sites (both stone and gold), food (either Forage Bushes or preplanted Farms), and trees. The Shrewsbury one is recommended because it's easier to fortify and is in a more strategic position. There is also gold to mine on the southeast edge of the map in no-man's land. Shrewsbury has a Market too, but sending Trade Carts to it is inadvisable unless the player can somehow keep them away from the river (as the British will shoot at them). If the player chooses to use Trade Carts, be sure to keep the special cart inside the base and away from the Market (as it's indistinguishable from a normal Trade Cart and can even trade with Markets). Assigning a control group to the special cart is also a good idea.
Send some Villagers to the former enemy base, along with some military units. Before starting gathering, the player will need to do some renovations. Add walls where necessary, and demolish any enemy Gates before replacing them (remember that an enemy gate will open for the British, but not for the player's units) and construct Castles. Add a Town Center and any other important buildings that are needed, then begin gathering.
The British are very strong at the river crossing, but they have no navy (aside from the three ships they had at the beginning). Furthermore, the northwest edge of the map is relatively unprotected (and close to the player's destination). This should give the player a good idea of how to get in: by water. Build a Dock in Shrewsbury's former base. Create a Transport Ship and research Careening as well as Dry Dock. The player army should have at least five Monks (to heal the Trade Cart), five Bombard Cannons or Trebuchets (either will get the job done), a few Villagers (to construct buildings on the west side of the river) and plenty of Paladins. Other than that, it's hard to go wrong. Bring the army and the special Trade Cart to the base in the far north, and ferry them across with the ship. It will probably take two or three trips, but the distance is very short and the fully-upgraded Transport Ship can carry up to 20 units at a time.
Once the player gets across their entire army, scout around until the player can spot two Guard Towers and a Castle to the southwest. It is recommended to build a Castle nearby before knocking the enemy buildings with siege weapons. Combined with soldiers, this should be enough to counter the British defense. Keep an eye on the Trade Cart (healing it if necessary) and move further southwest when it's safe. The player can create more Trebuchets if they lost any. There's a Bombard Tower behind the British walls that is recommended to be taken out. After it's gone, simply knock down their wall and move the Trade Cart into the flagged area to win.
Building a Wonder
The scenario can also be won by simply constructing a Wonder. This is probably faster and easier than fulfilling the objectives, and there might not even be a need to build a second base or research many military technologies. Defensive technologies like Architecture and Hoardings are worth the investment however, and Treadmill Crane will make constructions easier. Use the Market to acquire the necessary resources, then get all Villagers working on the Wonder. Keep creating Paladins as well, just in case the British manage to launch a serious attack. The player will win if the Wonder stands for 200 "years". (Note: This is no longer possible in the Definitive Edition; the player can build the Wonder, but there will be no timer.)
Alternative strategy
Alternatively, this level can be beaten in 10 minutes by following this strategy:
Age of Empires 2 - Juana de Arco, Misión 6
Alternative strategy II
Another strategy that works (on Moderate Difficulty in any case) is to build the town at Shrewsbury's location after displacing the Northern Burgundian Town. This is a good location both because it is rich in gold, stone and wood (as well as food in the form of Shrewsbury's farms, which the player's Villagers can take over, and Shore Fish in the water west of the town), and it is relatively easy to defend, due to Shrewsbury's walls and the natural cliffs, which can be defended by building a Castle in the location between the gates (just be careful about attacks from ships coming up the river or longbows and Trebuchets firing from across the shore from Castillon). Unfortunately, in the Definitive Edition, this will likely force the player to abandon their newly acquired buildings in the northern Burgundian Town, which will get razed, the benefit of which is that the most of the English and Burgundian units (though sadly not all of them) will spend a considerable period of time destroying the walls before moving north to the player's position, buying some time to fortify.
Outro
A century of English toil, blood, and victories was reversed in a little over a year by a teenage girl. The Hundred Years War has ended.
Even more importantly, Joan's act reignited a sense of French nationalism. Peasants and nobles alike no longer belonged to lords and kings, but to France herself.
We will not let Joan be forgotten. Already, statues and stained glass portraits have been commissioned in hundreds of towns and cities throughout France.
Her verdict of guilt was rightfully reversed, and eventually Joan of Arc was beatified as a saint.
Sometimes the outcome of history is determined by strength of arms, other times by happenstance.
But in fifteenth century France, history was determined by the will of a young girl...
...the only person in history to command the armies of an entire nation at the age of seventeen.
Trivia
- This is the only scenario where Guy Josselyne, the narrator of the Joan of Arc campaign, appears as a playable unit. It is also the only scenario where the player begins without Joan.
- It is possible to finish this scenario without even building a base or creating a unit. Simply use your starting army to cross the river, destroy any threatening buildings or units, and break into Castillon from the northwest. This is a promising strategy on the standard and moderate difficulties if you can micromanage well. However, it's less viable on the hard difficulty because you'll start with fewer siege weapons (and Burgundy will have its own Bombard Cannons right off the bat).
Historical comparison
- Players may get the impression from the cutscene that the Battle of Castillon happened shortly after Joan of Arc's death, yet 22 years passed between the events in reality. The conquest of Normandy in the intervening years is omitted, but the presence of La Hire and the Constable Richemont in this scenario is probably an indirect allusion to it, given that they fought in Normandy but not in Castillon.
- In fact, La Hire had been dead for a decade before Castillon. Richemont was not present at the battle but his nephew, Peter II of Brittany, led the cavalry charge that routed the English.
- Josselyne gives his pre-battle location as Bourdeaux, but the city was occupied by the English at the time.
- The presence of Burgundy as a secondary enemy is both out of place and time. In the first case, because the battle happened in Guyenne, where English rule stretched back 300 years and was not dependent on Burgundian support. In the second, because Burgundy switched sides and allied with the French in 1435.
- The enemy player "Shrewsbury" is a reference to Sir John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury (c. 1387 - 1453), who commanded the English forces and died in the battle along with his son. Talbot had also commanded the English at Orleans and Patay, and was made prisoner in the latter.
- The role of Shrewsbury as essentially a repeat of Fastolf's Army in The Cleansing of the Loire is ironic because Talbot blamed his capture at Patay on the "cowardice" of Sir John Fastolf, who escaped that battle in reality.
- The town was originally known as Castillon-sur-Dordogne. It was renamed Castillon-la-Bataille in commemoration of the decisive French victory.
- In the outro, Guy Josselyne claimed that "Her verdict of guilt was rightfully reversed, and eventually Joan of Arc was beatified as a saint". While she was indeed pronounced innocent and considered a martyr in 1456, 25 years after her execution, Joan was not beatified until 1909 and canonized as a saint until 1920. Considering this character was living in the 15th century, the fact that he knew she would later became a saint nearly 500 years later is illogical.
- Also, beatification is the recognition of the Catholic church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven, not recognition that he or she is a saint (canonization), so it would be incorrect to say that Joan was "beatified as a saint".
