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โ€œ The greeks launch an audacious counter-attack against Persia, striking the important naval base of Cyprus. Its many kingdoms will prove difficult to subdue... โ€
—In-game summary

Across the Wine-Dark Sea is the fifth scenario of the second act of the Battle for Greece grand campaign in Chronicles: Battle for Greece, and the twelfth scenario overall.

Intro[]

Like a hunter who at last looms over a cornered boar, only for the desperate beast to turn and gore him, Xerxes was stunned by the Greek victory. Themistocles seized this advantage - he tricked the Great King once again, sending word that the Greeks would sail to the Hellespont and destroy the Persians' bridge back to Asia. Having seen quite enough of Greece already, Xerxes fled as fast as his palanquin-bearers could carry him.

The Greeks, who usually love nothing more than fighting each other, had seen what could be achieved through unity. Headed by Pausanias, regent king of Sparta, they formed a grand alliance. It's goal was not simply to defend Greece, but to carry the war across the Aegean, into the Great King's domain.

The first target was an audacious one: Cyprus, deep within Persian waters. Only the Phoenicians and Egyptians supplied more ships to Xerxes than the many kingdoms of Cyprus. And so a Greek armada sailed eastwards, the likes of which none had seen since the days of Agamemnon: an endless tapestry of sails, bearing the proud symbols of cities large and small.

Across the wine-dark sea they came heading straight for the heart of the Persian realm.

Scenario instructions[]

Starting conditions[]

Objectives[]

Main objectives[]

  • Seize the village by capturing its Fortified Tower.
  • Control 4 Cities (0/4 Cities controlled).

Secondary objectives[]

  • Capture villages to generate different resources.
  • Use flares to direct Spartan attacks.
  • Capture 0/2 Cities to advance to Imperial Age.
  • Find the Bowl of Menelaus.
  • Bring the Bowl of Menelaus to the Temple near Salamis.

OR

  • Bring the Bowl of Menelaus to Pausanias' camp.

Hints[]

  1. You passively generate resources in this scenario. To increase the rate at which you generate resources, capture villages. Each village will increase your income of wood, food, or gold.
  2. To capture a village, capture its central Tower (reduce its HP); to capture a city, capture its Fort (reduce its HP).
  3. The first time you capture a village you will receive an influx of resources.
  4. Direct Pausanias to help you using flares. PC: button left of the minimap; Xbox: RT + D-Pad Up.

Players[]

Player[]

  • Player (Athenians Chronicles Athenians): The player begins with a small force and camp on the beach, with enough units to begin seizing small towns.

Allies[]

  • Pausanias (Spartans Chronicles Spartans): Similarly to the player, they begin with a small force and camp on the beach, and will replenish their forces as they are killed as the player directs them.

Neutral[]

  • Persian Army (Achaemenids Chronicles Achaemenids): The Persian Army has a single, large town that is currently inaccessible until the player seizes enough cities. The base is protected by several towers, but will not produce units until it becomes active. They land a decent army after a timer completes.
  • Tamassos (Achaemenids Chronicles Achaemenids - Cypriots): Tamassos has a city in the center of the map, and three towns around them, as well as a Temple in the mountains just west of their city. They can be aggressive as the player progresses towards them, but are little threat in the beginning.
  • Salamis (Athenians Chronicles Athenians - Cypriots): Salamis has one city and three towns on the eastern edge of the map, just above the Persian Army base. They also have a Temple near the coast. Salamis will immediately turn over all their towns and their city if provided with the Bowl of Menelaus at their Temple.
  • Paphos (Athenians Chronicles Athenians - Cypriots): The closest and most immediate threat to the player, Paphos owns the initial town the player takes. Their lands extend south along the edge of the map from the players initial camp.
  • Soloi (Achaemenids Chronicles Achaemenids - Cypriots): Soloi has three towns and a city immediately east and northeast of the players starting camp. They can be particularly aggressive in the beginning of the scenario as the player's territory borders or begins to take theirs.
  • Ledrai (Spartans Chronicles Spartans - Cypriots): three towns and a city in the north of the map. They can be aggressive as the player draws closer, but are little threat early in the scenario.

Strategy[]

Once the player lands, research technologies at the Blacksmith and Barracks to benefit the infantry and their damage against buildings. Then, take all the player's forces and seize the first town. It should pose little threat. Around this time, flares should appear on the player's minimap marking the Forts of each of the five cities. If the player were to head to the one immediately south, in Paphos, the player would have to travel around a forest and some rocks. This would lead the player through another town first, but this town has a Siege Workshop. Take this town, and build some rams.

Use the player's flares to get Pausanias to attack the Fort at Paphos, waiting for his forces to take the lead, and thus the brunt, before joining them, focusing on the Fort. Once it is down, the player will likely have to deal with reinforcements from Paphos' last town, southeast of the Fort. Head down and take this last town, while sending Pausanias directly north of the captured Fort to attack the first town of Soloi.

Immediately north of the town with the Siege Workshop, getting into some mountains, is a town owned by Tamassos. Use the player's forces to take it, while Pausanias either retries capturing the first Soloi town, or moves on to the next one, directly north of the first, past some trees. Once the player's forces have taken the Tamassos town, move them into the mountains immediately east to find a Temple. Clear the area and destroy to Temple to find the Bowl of Menelaus. Pausanias and Salamis will both want the Bowl, and two achievements rely in part on this decision.

If the player gives it to Salamis, they will immediately turn over all of their towns and their city with no fight, but Pausanias will sulk for five minutes, returning all his forces to his camp and not responding to flares. Giving the Bowl to Pausanias buffs the Spartan forces.

If the player decides to give the Bowl to Salamis, do not send it over, as it will be attacked and killed. Instead, defend it and attack the city of Soloi directly north of where the player claims the Bowl, in tandem with Pausanias. Cities will have plenty of units, and more garrisoning the Forts that will jump out and fight when attacked. Make sure the player's force is bolstered with numbers and technologies, and use the player's rams on the Fort while the troops clear the city. After taking this city, move just northeast to take Soloi's last town.

Around this time, the player should be warned that the Persian Army is coming and will land soon, led by Artemisia. They will land after 15 minutes on Standard, 10 minutes on Moderate, and 5 minutes on Hard.

From here, the player can either move back south and handle Tamassos, or move directly north and begin battling Ledrai. Ledrai's Fort is much closer, but Tamassos' Fort would allow the player to move through the center of the map easier. If the player gave the Bowl of Menelaus to the Spartans, focus on Ledrai first, as taking their Fort robs them of their strongest base and hampers their attempts to fight the player as the player turn to Tamassos. East of the Soloi Fort is another Tamassos town. Take this first on the player's way down to stop reinforcements attacking the player from behind, then proceed into the city and take Tamassos' Fort to win.

If the player plans to give the Bowl to Salamis, focus on Ledrai entirely, taking their Fort, moving towards the map edge to take another town, and then move southwest to take Ledrai's last town. Shortly southeast is a town of Salamis. Conquer this town, and from here it should be safe to send the Bowl to Salamis' Temple, and when they turn their Fort over to the player, the player wins the scenario.

It is possible, if the player is fast enough, to win the scenario well before the Persian Army ever arrives.

Trivia[]

  • If the player sends a unit south of the southernmost Paphos village, they will encounter a small lake, where Aristides comments: "Look at that โ€” a salt lake! The flamingos seem to have left, though...". This refers to the real-world Limassol Salt Lake southwest of the namesake city. Another such lake, which however does not trigger the line, is depicted south of the Persian Army's base, corresponding to the Larnaca Salt Lake (actually a network of four lakes), located between the namesake city and its international airport. Both salt lakes are noted for their flamingo populations during the winter months.

Gallery[]

Campaigns in Chronicles
Battle for Greece
Achaemenids Chronicles Achaemenids Prologue: Gates of the Gods ยท Greeks Bearing Gifts ยท The Ionian Revolt ยท A City Ablaze ยท Chasing Smoke ยท Death to Traitors ยท Earth and Water
Athenians Chronicles Athenians The Battle of Marathon ยท Raise the Sails ยท The Hot Gates ยท Divine Salamis ยท Across the Wine-Dark Sea ยท Wrath of the Regent ยท The Fruits of Empire ยท Within the Long Walls
Spartans Chronicles Spartans I am Brasidas ยท Pyres on the Coast ยท Speeches and Spears ยท To the Wall! ยท Blood and Gold ยท The Fall of Athens
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