A Second Alexander is the first scenario of the Pyrrhus of Epirus campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Return of Rome. It is based on the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC, in which Pyrrhus participated on the Antigonids' side.
Intro[]
How can a man make a name for himself when titans roam the stage of the world? When the heirs of Alexander the Great fight over who will succeed the greatest conqueror there ever was?
My friend and master often asks me this question, and I always give him the same answer: searching for greatness in this way is folly. One can only become content by refusing to give in to such desires.
Pyrrhus, of course, politely calls me an idiot when I say this, if not by that exact word. For him, carving a legacy is the one thing that truly gives life meaning. He says, 'a man must fight unrelentingly to become stronger than all others, until he finds himself alone on the throne of the world - just as Alexander did.
To which I politely reply that he is an idiot, if not by that exact word.
Pyrrhus was born on the edge of the thunderous storm that is Greek politics. At a young age, he was placed on the throne of Epirus, a small mountain kingdom on the fringe of the civilized world. But before he could get used to how the crown felt upon his head, it was ripped away.
The Epirotes rose up in rebellion against their young monarch and installed a man named Neoptolemus on the throne. He was a murderous, small-minded man who would sell his own mother for another province to rule.
In other words, he was just the sort of unremarkable ruler that the people desired.
Landless and crownless, Pyrrhus was forced to escape to the east. Here he joined the court of his brother-in-law Demetrius, whose father Antigonus was quickly becoming the most powerful of Alexander's successors.
Antigonus' growing power alarmed the others. From all over Alexander's broken empire, they now joined forces against him.
The two great armies met near the town of Ipsus in the heart of Antigonus' realm. Serving as one of Demetrius' commanders, Pyrrhus finally found a chance to test his mettle.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Bronze Age - Starting resources: 500 food, 400 wood, 300 gold, 200 stone
- Population limit: 75
- Starting units:
- Pyrrhus
- 10 Cavalry
- 10 Improved Bowmen
- 3 Trade Carts
- (after obtaining a base) 8 Villagers
Objectives[]
Main objectives[]
- Deliver Trade Carts to the allied camp. Each surviving cart will bring additional resources to either you or your allies.
- Destroy all of Antiochus' Stables.
- Neither Antigonus nor Demetrius may be defeated.
- (after destroying Antiochus' Stables) Protect at least 1 allied Town Center until the timer runs out.
Secondary objectives[]
- Use flares to signal your ally Demetrius to attack. To place a flare, press Alt-F, or click the Signal Allies button next to the minimap.
Hints[]
- Pyrrhus is limited to the Bronze Age and a population of 75.
- You can ask your ally Demetrius for military assistance by placing flares on the map. Antigonus, however, will not respond to such calls from a subordinate.
- Remember that you only have to focus on the enemy facing you to complete your objectives; your allies will take care of the rest, unless they explicitly ask for your help.
- The Macedonian army's greatest strength is its heavy infantry, which have better line of sight and more pierce armor than those of their opponents.
Scouts[]
- Pyrrhus (1, Green) and a small force have been tasked with delivering supplies to the Antigonids. He will take command of the right flank of the allied army once the battle begins.
- Demetrius (2, Purple) commands the center-right of the allied army. He trusts in your skill to command and will send his soldiers where you ask. His army consists of a mix of infantry and cavalry.
- Antigonus (3, Blue) is the leader of your faction. His forces occupy the left and center of the allied base and will do the heavy fighting on those fronts. His armies mainly consist of powerful Macedonian Infantry.
- On the enemy side, Seleucus (4, Red) has taken command of the second line. From his base at the rear of the enemy position, he will send his cavalry and bowmen towards all fronts, including yours.
- In front of him, Lysimachus (5, Cyan) commands the first line of the enemy army. His Greek infantry are the most advanced enemy units and will he a tough match for Antigonus, but he will likely not advance on your position.
- Finally. Seleucus' son Antiochus (6, Orange) commands the eastern flank of the enemy army, right in front of where you are camped. His powerful cavalry will be your primary concern.
Players[]
Player[]
- Player ( Macedonians): The player is restricted to the Bronze Age, controlling a convoy led by Pyrrhus in the western corner of the map. Once the battle phase of the scenario begins, they will be granted control of an established town at the bottom of the map.
Enemies[]
- Seleucus ( Persians): He controls a town across the river in the northern corner of the map, and exclusively trains Camel Riders. He also begins the scenario with a diverse force ambushing Pyrrhus' convoy, and a mass of Long Swordsmen in the middle of the map.
- Lysimachus ( Macedonians): Controlling an Iron Age city bordered by Guard Towers and walls just north of the center of the map, he trains Broad Swordsmen, Stone Throwers/Catapults and Hoplites/Phalangites. He also begins the game with a vast army of Hoplites, Long Swordsmen, Cavalry and Composite Bowmen, some lined up for battle in the middle of the map, but most behind his walls.
- Antiochus ( Persians): Located in the eastern corner of the map, this player produces Cavalry from his 4-6 Stables, and will resign when these buildings are destroyed. If allowed to complete a set of forward Archery Ranges, he can also train Composite Bowmen there.
Allies[]
- Antigonus ( Greeks): Controlling a semi-fortified Iron Age town just west of the center of the map, he fields moderate numbers of Hoplites/Phalangites/Centurions, Long Swordsmen, and Stone Throwers/Catapults. He will eventually retreat and leave the map.
- Demetrius ( Greeks): He possesses a camp in-between the player and Antigonus, and can be signalled to attack locations by using flares. His army mostly comprises Broad Swordsmen, eventually supported by Cavalry and Stone Throwers, along with a starting force of Long Swordsman and Hoplites. He will eventually retreat and leave the map.
Strategy[]
Pyrrhus starts the game with a Town Center and other buildings in the south of the map, but can't use them until the initial phase of the scenario is over. However, it's possible to temporarily bypass this restriction by pausing as soon as the scenario begins; the buildings can then be selected and used as normal. Fill up a queue of Villagers at the Town Center, set up a gathering point at a resource (for example the nearby forest), and it's possible to start the battle phase of the scenario with a far more developed economy. Alternatively it's possible to recruit an early military force to harass the enemy before the battle has started; Antiochus' base in the east of the map is initially defended only by a pair of Sentry Towers and 4-8 Cavalry. As soon as the game is unpaused, control of these buildings is lost as normal.
During the initial phase of the scenario, the player has three Trade Carts in the west of the map carrying supplies, and must rush through a gauntlet of Camel Riders, Short Swordsmen, Improved Bowmen, Small Walls and (on higher difficulties) a Ballista to reach the rendezvous point within 5 to 7 in-game minutes (depending on difficulty). Each supply cart grants 400-1,000 food, 400-1,000 wood, 200-400 gold, 100-300 stone (depending on difficulty) to one member of the player's team. If all three are delivered to the rendezvous point, the player, Antigonus and Demetrius each receive the resources. When only two are delivered, only the player and Antigonus receive the resources. If a single Cart is delivered, only the player gains the resources. If all carts are destroyed or fail to reach the rendezvous point in time, none of the allies receive anything.
All other players spend the initial phase of the scenario waiting for the battle to start, so there's no harm in waiting until the last few seconds to deliver the Trade Carts; enemies won't be spending that time building their economies.
As soon as the battle between the player's allies with Lysimachus and Seleucus commences, the player gains access to their base in the south, with an aural indicator being the Villager creation sound.
As the player is limited to the Bronze Age while Lysimachus can train a vast Iron Age army, speed is of the essence in this scenario. It is prudent to rush Antiochus as soon as possible, otherwise the player can get bogged down defending against the far more powerful enemy coalition. Antiochus only fields Cavalry, so is extremely vulnerable to Hoplites. Train at least 6 (9 if Pyrrhus is needed elsewhere), research Bronze Shield to protect them from towers, Metalworking to bring them down more quickly, and maybe Scale Infantry Armor to protect them from melee and Catapult attacks if there is enough food and gold to spare. Send them northeast towards Antiochus' base, which may be walled by this stage, but still open via the ruined bridge. Pyrrhus has the best pierce armor of anything in the scenario, and can regenerate hit points. This makes him an ideal choice to scout into the enemy base, draw out the enemy Cavalry, and lead them out, away from the towers, and into the clutches of the waiting Hoplites. With Antiochus' starting Cavalry dealt with, the towers and Stables can be swept away easily by Hoplites while the most powerful enemy, Lysimachus, is busy defending himself against Antigonus' infantry. The purple ally, Demetrius, can be summoned by sending a flare if support is needed. The goal in this part of the map is to destroy all of Antiochus' Stables, which will cause him to resign.
While the offensive in the east is underway, the player can send a few Villagers to complete the wall segments of the allies in the west, and research its related upgrades (Medium Wall and Architecture). This will give more breathing room to the player's allies, whose forces at this point would be severely outmatched by those of the enemy.
The central enemy, Lysimachus, is extraordinarily difficult to beat on harder difficulty levels. The scenario is designed to be won without tackling him directly. He has significant advantages: he begins the game with a vast army and a perimeter bristling with Guard Towers, and can eventually train Iron Age Phalangites and Catapults that have an edge over the player's units. The most efficient strategy is to avoid him, and focus on bringing down Antiochus in the east as quickly as possible. But if taking the fight to Lysimachus, the best time is after his starting Cavalry and Composite Bowmen are wiped out, but before Antigonus withdraws around quarter of an hour into the battle. This can be affected by how the initial fighting goes, so if opting for this strategy, try to quickly send support for Antigonus from the survivors of Pyrrhus' convoy, and any new archers and Hoplites that can be rustled up.
Lysimachus' weak point is an unwalled region around the middle of the map. This can be exploited either by marching a mob of Hoplites to target the Guard Tower and Siege Workshops in this area, or by sending squads of Cavalry rushing past the towers, and then northwest, where they can wreak havoc on Lysimachus' vulnerable farming economy. If opting for the Hoplite strategy, destroying the Siege Workshops will impact production of Lysimachus' most powerful unit - he'll build more, but usually just one or two, and often in impractical locations that are easily picked off by the player's allies. Send a flare to signal Demetrius to send Broad Swordsmen to support the embattled Hoplites. The Cavalry rush is less immediately useful, and requires a lot of micromanagement, but if Lysimachus' economy is destroyed, he'll be rendered helpless; none of the players send tribute to each other. The farms and forage bushes in the northwest of his territory have no towers to protect them, and are some distance from most of the military buildings. However, be very careful not to let Cavalry units stray across the river into Seleucus' territory, as he sends out swarms of Camel Riders that can defeat any mounted army the player can muster. Wait for Lysimachus' forces to be distracted by an ally before striking.
However, most players are likely to struggle with Lysimachus, and the battle becomes harder to win if it stretches on for too long. Lysimachus will eventually send powerful waves of Catapults and Phalangites that can quickly tear through the allies' walls. Have Cavalry ready to outflank the Catapults, while Composite Bowmen, Stone Throwers and towers behind the walls can thin out the crowd of infantry, with Hoplites ready to defend them against melee troops that breach the walls. If the stone and Villager labor can be spared, it's also worth building multiple sections of wall further back to keep enemy incursions contained as long as possible. Ideally though, focus on Antiochus: when all of his Stables are destroyed, he surrenders and the final stage of the scenario begins.
Antiochus' defeat is a mixed blessing: the player will be informed that Antigonus's lines have been routed, and the objectives will change to making sure that at least one of the three allied Town Centers are standing while the coalition evacuates. This task is made more difficult due to the allies evacuating their remaining units and destroying most of their buildings (except walls, towers, and the mentioned Town Centers). The player must hold off the enemy for 10 in-game minutes.
Seleucus will send regiments of Camel Riders into the abandoned ally bases, which can be handled by Hoplites without breaking a sweat. If the player finds it difficult to defeat the invading forces, then surrounding the Town Centers with layers of walls is also an option, with Stone Mines being conveniently present near some of them. Note that it's Antigonus and Demetrius' Town Centers that need protection, not Pyrrhus'.
Alternate strategy[]
When the player gains control of the base, boost the economy. Forget stone entirely, focusing on increasing gold and food income in particular, with wood boosted to provide Farms.
Build a second Academy and focus on Hoplites, researching all upgrades.
The player should defend themselves, and their allies if needed, until the player has a strong force of 20-30 Hoplites and Pyrrhus. Send them into Antiochus' base and lay waste to everything except one or two Stables. They will be capable of next to nothing without their Villagers, though keep a spare few Hoplites at the player's base in case they, or Seleucus, slip some units down. Make sure to eliminate their Docks just east of the broken bridge, to be sure they can't get resources.
Next, send the units through the gap in the wall between Antiochus and Lysimachus and focus on eliminating their Town Center and Villagers. The player will need to constantly reinforce, and deal with Seleucus harassing the player too, but if carefully managed, the player can severely hamper, and eventually overwhelm, Lysimachus' resource-gathering capacity, making it easier for the player's reinforcements to reach the main force.
The player should focus on their Villagers and Town Center, to keep them from being capable of much. They may begin trying to rebuild in Seleucus' base. If the player can, wipe out Lysimachus' buildings on the player's side of the river, though this is not necessary, as what little they can manage is dealt with by the player's allies.
Trap Seleucus on his side of the river by covering the crossing, and the bridge, near Antiochus' base. Move through the north and wipe out Seleucus' base and Villagers.
If managed correctly, the player can effectively cripple Lysimachus, making it much easier to defeat him and Seleucus before the player even defeats Antiochus. At this point, clean up the last Stable(s), and then the player wins instantly, skipping the next phase.
Outro[]
Despite having never lost a battle during his eighty years on Earth, Antigonus lost both the war and his life at Ipsus.
The retreat left Pyrrhus sour. He had routed the enemy on his flank, impressing his superiors with his courage – and yet, it was all for naught.
For a time, Pyrrhus wondered if he had tied himself to a sinking ship, yet he remained loyal to Demetrius. In time, that loyalty would pay off – but not in the way that he had expected.
Trivia[]
- The Seleucids were a Greek state in Western Asia, and their territory consisted primarily of Persia, Babylonia, Anatolia, and the Levant. This may be the reason why the player is depicted as Persians instead of Greeks.
- The achievement "What Would Alexander Have Done?" can be earned by winning the scenario with all three allied Town Centers remaining.
Gallery[]
