โ | The once-feared Rum Sultanate is swiftly declining, leaving Anatolia fragmented and weak. Osman the Bonebreaker, a strong-willed bey, aims to unite the Turks once more and form an empire with the strength to challenge the shrewd Byzantines. | โ |
—In-game scenario description in the Definitive Edition |
Bapheus is a scenario of the Battles of the Forgotten in Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten, depicting the eponymous battle. The map roughly shows Anatolia, the western part of modern Turkey. In this scenario, the player and the allies are all Turks.
Intro[]
As the Mongols descend on the Near East, the Turkish sultanate of Rum is on its last legs and will likely soon crumble. Several Turkish chiefs in Anatolia, called beys, are ready to seize the sultan's lands. Their warriors are hardy and fierce, untamed by the niceties of the Rum court. Once the sultanate is theirs, nothing will stop their further expansion west into Byzantine lands.
The most fierce of the Turkish beys is Osman "the Bone Breaker," a reputable man who claims to have been given the authority to rule over the world by God himself. He is determined to unite the Turks against their common enemies.
Facing Osman is the proclaimed savior of the Byzantine Empire: Roger de Flor, a former Knight Templar and commander of the Catalan Company of mercenaries. Years of service fighting for the lords and princes of Europe have made him and his soldiers hardened veterans.
The future of Europe and the Middle East will be decided by the outcome of the battle between these two great men.
Just as sun rises in the East, so did the hordes of Mongolia out of the steppes of the East. Their empire now stretched as far as Anatolia, where refugees of the fallen Eastern Turkish empires started occupying Byzantine land. Even the mighty Seljuk empire was gone and the Rum Sultanate and other minor kingdoms in Anatolia were the only kingdoms left in Turkish hands. At this moment, Osman, a young member of a Turkish tribe, became aware of the opportunity that lay ahead of him.
With many of the neighboring powers gone or busy fighting the Mongols while the Byzantine Empire in the West was slowly crumbling, he knew that he had to strike the iron while it was hot. Son of a Turkish Bey, he had followed his nomadic family to this new fertile place in former Roman lands. Now that he had grown up, he took his father's place and became a Bey himself. He was unmatched in physical strength and therefore got the name bone-breaker.
But Osman had more than just his strength. Soon he offered his services to the Rum Sultan and started dreaming of an empire of his own. His successes as a commander quickly spread and Persians, Arabs, and Turks, all fleeing the Mongol onslaught in the East, wanted to join under his command. Still, the way was long as Osman had to start almost from scratch in a place surrounded by rivals and hostile tribes.
Not to mention the Byzantines, who were now relying on aid from their Christian Brethren to the West. There had been some rumors about a former Knight Templar who was bringing a Spanish army to aid the old Byzantine Empire but Osman wasn't worried about mere rumors, as he knew his carefully crafted out plans would succeed. He would be the beginning of something that would determine the course of history for centuries to come...Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age: Castle Age
- Starting resources: 400 food, 500 wood, 200 gold, 150 stone
- Population limit: 175
- Starting units:
- Gaia units:
- 4 Camel Riders
- 7 Cavalry Archers
- 2 Light Cavalry
- 6 Villagers (after reaching the estate)
Objectives[]
Main[]
- Osman must survive.
- Locate the estate of the Osman family.
- Defeat the Byzantines by destroying 2 Byzantine Castles.
Secondary[]
- You can form an alliance with one of the other Turkish factions by bringing Osman to their castle. You have 10 minutes to do this. Each faction will give you free resources and technologies. Not choosing an alliance is also an option.
Hints[]
- The Ottomans are limited to a population of 175. They are also surrounded by hostile factions on all sides and will have a difficult time keeping all of their enemies at bay.
- The other Turkish factions might be interested in forming an alliance with Osman. Choose wisely, since they are fierce rivals of each other and you will only be able to choose one.
- The Turks have a wide array of units available. Will you preserve your nomadic traditions and rely on a mobile cavalry force, or will you upset the tribes and field a more innovative army of Janissaries and other gunpowder units instead?
Scouts[]
Your scouts report:
- Osman (1, Red) and his Ottoman soldiers initially reside in the Rum Sultanate (2, Purple) to the east. The Sultanate has been overrun by the Mongols, and so Osman must go west to claim the lands of his family.
- The Byzantine Empire (6, Blue) has several fortified cities to the northwest, which are vulnerable now that the Empire is weak. The Byzantines defend their cities with a force of Cataphracts, Pikemen and Skirmishers. Rumor has it that the Byzantines have hired Europeans from Iberia to fight for them.
- There are three minor Turkish factions in the region: Karesi to the west, Germiyan to the south and Candar to the east.
- Karesi (3, Green) is the only Turkish faction with access to the water, and will construct warships to contest the Byzantine supremacy at sea. Their land force consists of Skirmishers, Cavalry Archers, Hussars, and siege units. Later, they will replace their Skirmishers with Hand Cannoneers.[note 1]
- Germiyan (4, Yellow) has a strong nomadic tradition and it is said that their horse archers never miss their mark. They will field an army of Light Cavalry, Camel Riders, and Cavalry Archers that they will use to launch regular raids on their enemies.
- Candar (5, Cyan) has adopted the use of heavy cavalry and fortifications almost on par with those of the Europeans. Relying on their defenses, they will take their time before engaging their enemies in the field. They will train an army of swordsmen and heavy cavalry.
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age: Feudal Age
- Starting resources: None
- Population limit: 200
- Starting units:
Objectives[]
- Osman I must survive.
Main[]
- Seek out 5 Turkish tribes and convince them to join the Sultanate of Rum.
- Return with Osman to the Sultan.
- Destroy all Byzantine cities.
- Defeat Karesi.
- Defeat Germiyan.
- Defeat Candar.
Secondary[]
- Choose a bride for Osman by bringing Osman to one of the brides. Each Turkish faction will give you different benefits, so choose wisely. After 15 minutes the Turks will retract their offer and Osman will be unable to marry anyone.
Hints[]
- Be wary that not all of the Beys will decide to join the Rum Sultanate, they may support the nomads instead, thus you'll have to kill them to ensure the loyalty of their troops.
- Choose your bride from the strongest turkish state, because you'll have to conquer the rest after that.
- You can't recruit any gunpowder units, except janissaries.
Scouts[]
Your scouts report:
- Osman (Green) and his army start on the eastern edge of the map in the allied Rum Sultanate (Red).
- The Byzantine Empire (Purple) has settlements in the center of the map and to the northwest.
- There are three smaller turkish states: Karesi (Blue) to the west, Germiyan (Yellow) to the south and Candar (Teal) to the east.
- Enemy Turkish nomads (Gray) are dispersed all over the area and rumors say that a strong mercenary army called the Catalan Company (Orange) will come from the west.
Players[]
Player[]
Ally[]
- Rum Sultanate ( Turks): They are allied to everyone, including the player, and they are inactive. Their Gates are open to the player's enemies, but the player can hide in their Castles and towers if the need arises. Additional units will arrive here periodically as reinforcement for the players.
Enemies โ Allies โ Allies/Enemies[]
These are the three Turkish towns that will offer Bapheus an alliance. The one that the player picks will be a good ally, while the others will turn against the player.
- Karesi ( Turks): Located in the coast between two Byzantine bases, they are the only Turkish town with access to the sea (but not to warships). Their initial Castle Age army will first consist of Cavalry Archers, Scorpions, Battering Rams, Skirmishers, and Light Cavalry. Once they reach the Imperial Age, they will upgrade their units and eventually switch from Skirmishers to Hand Cannoneers, and they will also start building Trebuchets.
- Germiyan ( Turks): They are located south of the Rum Sultanate's base. They train Hussars, Heavy Camel Riders, Heavy Cavalry Archers, and Trebuchets when allowed to reach the Imperial Age.
- Candar[1] ( Turks): They are located north of the Rum Sultanate's base. They field an army of Crossbowmen, Champions and, Cavaliers with Trebuchets in the Imperial Age.
Enemies[]
- Byzantines ( Byzantines): The main enemy in the scenario. They have three bases along the coast in the north and west, and will keep sending groups of mainly Pikemen, Elite Skirmishers, Monks, and Cataphracts. In the late-game they might train Bombard Cannons and Trebuchets.
- Catalan Company ( Spanish): Will appear later in the game, build a base within the northernmost Byzantine town and will send Cavaliers, Hand Cannoneers, and Halberdiers. They even try to set up a base near the Byzantine Empire's northern base.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. |
Player[]
- Player ( Turks)
Ally[]
- Rum Sultanate ( Turks): They are allied to everyone, including the player, and they are inactive. Their Gates are open to the player's enemies, but the player can hide in their Castles and towers if the need arises.
Allies โ potential enemies[]
These are the three Turkish towns that will offer Bapheus an alliance. The one that the player picks will be a good ally, while the others will turn against the player.
Enemies[]
- Turkish nomads ( Turks): Small static groups of opponents littered all over the map that provide a nuisance in the early game but are not really a threat. However, they have a group in the northeast (among the Byzantines) which will come and attack the player.
- Byzantine Empire ( Byzantines): The main enemy. They have three bases along the coast in the north, and will keep sending groups of mainly Pikemen, Elite Skirmishers, Monks, and Cataphract, while using Galleons and Fast Fire Ships to patrol the sea. In the late-game they might train Bombard Cannons and Trebuchets.
- Catalan Company ( Spanish): Will appear later in the game, build a base within the northernmost Byzantine town and will send Cavaliers, Hand Cannoneers, and Halberdiers.
Strategy[]
First phase[]
The player will be tasked with meeting five tribes and then return to where they started. Until the player progresses in the story, the game will not really start to run, i.e. no one will start gathering, build up troops etc. That means the player should use this opportunity to explore the map and wipe out the Turkish Nomads completely. But this should be done very slowly and carefully, as the player only has a limited amount of units, and only cavalry units and Cavalry Archers. The player will come across a few units that join their army, and one place allows the player to upgrade the current units' armor a bit, but neither is all that important for the later game.
The player can also thoroughly plan where to put their base. One of the three towns (Candar/Karesi/Germiyan) will become an ally, so it may be a good idea to hide behind them. If choosing the yellow one, the base can be built in the lower corner. The blue town is only protected with Palisade Walls. The turquoise town has a lot of forest behind it and enough space for a big base, but harder to wall off than the corner behind the yellow one. The player may also want to gather sheep from all over and round them up in a safe place.
On normal difficulty, one of the five camps will yield a Monk (the upper blue one), two will comply with the order and dissolve, and two (the lower blue one and the turquoise one in the far east corner) will resist and fight the player until their leader is down, so the player should target the enemy leader. The other units will then instantly change to red (Rum Sultanate) and ride away.
On harder difficulties, more camps will fight the player.
Second phase[]
When the player returns with the Osman unit to the Sultan, the Byzantines will switch to enemy, so they can be attacked now. The player is tasked to attack the Town Center of Sogut (left of the lake in the center of the map), but before that, the player should attack and destroy as many Byzantine structures as they can (e.g. the unsecured villages in the northeast and the Barracks to the right of said Town Center). As long as the player stays away from the Town Center objective, the game will still be stopped, i.e. no one does anything yet. Be sure to exploit this as much as possible before attacking the Town Center.
Third phase[]
As soon as the Town Center is conquered, the game goes live. The Carts should be kept close, because they are the only resources the player starts with, i.e. not even a Villager can be built before the Carts reach their destination. As this is a strategically very bad position (the player is attacked from all sides), the player should quickly gather just enough resources to build a new Town Center elsewhere.
The Rum Sultanate main base should not be filled with buildings, because they are not safe there anyway (the Rum Sultanate is allied to everyone, see above), but also because the player will receive very useful reinforcements (e.g. Hussars, Imperial Camel Riders, Mamelukes, Bombard Cannons, and Monks carrying a Relic) over time until the end of the game (can be hundreds of units eventually), but they might be blocked if the player put Houses on the map edge.
The player will be offered a bride by all three Turkish towns, and while the one selected will become an ally, the other two will turn against the player, giving them three enemies.
Selecting a tribe will give the following resources and technologies:
- Karesi will give 600 food, 600 wood.
- Germiyan will give 500 food, 400 gold.
- Candar will give 600 food, 300 stone.
The Catalan Company will become the player's enemy at a certain point later.
Once all of the enemies have been defeated, the scenario is won.
Definitive Edition strategy changes[]
The layout of the scenario almost remains the same as the HD Edition. However, the player is immediately tasked on the "second phase" instead of the "first phase" to secure the Byzantine village in the middle of the map (because of this, the "Turkish nomads" player is removed from the map). The player will still be able to ally one of the three Turkish towns like the HD Edition, but will need to bring Osman to one of the allied towns instead of bringing the bride back to the base. The player starts in the Castle Age instead of the Feudal Age, giving the player ample time to build up and destroy the opponents. Finally, after certain updates, the player now only has to destroy two of the three Byzantine Castles to win the scenario. Because of this, the Definitive Edition edition of this scenario is significantly easier than the HD version.
The rewards for allying with a tribe have been modified, and now include technologies:
- Karesi will give 600 wood, 400 gold, and several naval technologies: Siege Ram, Ballistics, and warships enabled. Before an update[When?], the rewards were War Galley, Galleon, Careening, Dry Dock, and Shipwright.
- Germiyan will give 500 wood, 400 gold, along with the knowledge of Bodkin Arrow, Parthian Tactics, Heavy Cavalry Archer, and Sipahi.
- Candar will give 500 wood, 300 stone, and the technologies for Cavalier, Guard Tower, Chain Barding Armor, Masonry, Architecture, Murder Holes, and Fortified Wall.
- Not selecting a bride will give the player 600 gold and technologies for Conscription, Bombard Tower, Elite Janissary, and Artillery, three of which are Castle technologies, meaning the player can delay building a Castle, especially with the availability of +2 range Bombard Towers to defend.
After certain updates, no players have access to warships, so allying with Karesi is not recommended anymore. Therefore the player should choose to ally with Germiyan or Candar. Besides receiving useful technologies for free, the player can set up a secondary base in their town, offering them some protection. The player can move their base into the allies' camp if they cannot stand the heat.
It is important to note that if the player changes diplomatic stance with them to enemy, they will do the same.
After one of the Byzantine castles is destroyed, the Catalan Company will be activated and will take control of one of the two remaining Byzantine cities, including its Castle. Therefore the player now only has to destroy the other Byzantine Castle and, if they have a strong enough army for the final assault, the Catalan Company can be mostly ignored.
As the Turkish army is gold-hungry, with terrible trash units (excluding the Hussar), the player should establish solid trade routes with sufficient protection. Janissaries and Bombard Cannons should be the main core of the army, if their gold treasury permits. As the Turks get free Hussars in the Imperial Age, they should be the main cavalry force. Having Cavalry Archers in the army is important too, because they are tankier due to Sipahi, and they are more accurate than Janissaries. The player will also get Mamelukes and Imperial Camel Riders from the Rum Camp, so the player should spend less gold on camelry.
Once an enemy Turkish town is defeated by destroying its Castle, their remaining buildings are turned over to the player, while their units leave, giving the player land dominance.
There is an achievement that can be obtained called "Turkish Delight", which can be obtained by not allying one of the Turkish towns and defeating all three of them. Bear in note that in order to obtain this achievement, the player must destroy the Turkish rivals first, because the scenario will end if the player defeats the Byzantines. Also, the achievement will only unlock when the player finishes the scenario.
Outro[]
Roger de Flor proved to be a match for Osman. He managed to defeat Turkish armies on several occasions and almost drove them out of Anatolia.
Just as de Flor neared his greatest victory, he was betrayed. The jealous Byzantine nobles, fearing that de Flor would take the reconquered lands for himself, ordered his assassination. In retaliation, de Flor's Catalan Company ravaged Byzantine Anatolia and Greece before returning home with the body of their esteemed commander.
With de Flor finally gone, Osman could complete his conquests and consolidate his power. The other Turkish beys soon acknowledged his rule and he founded his own empire that would bear his name: Osmanli Devleti... the Ottoman Empire.
With the first successes of Osman came the first Ghazi warriors from the East. And after years of successful expansion, his small band of warriors quickly grew into a mighty army. Rich cities which had been in the hands of the Byzantines for almost a millennium fell to the Turks of Osman. The only one who stood in his way was Roger de Flor, the former Knight Templar and later condottiero, and his Catalan Company.
He was a genius commander and the only real rival for Osman. Several times did he manage to defeat the Turkish armies and even almost drove them out of Anatolia. But just at the moment he was to succeed, old politics and Byzantine feuds got the best of him. Roger de Flor was treacherously killed by the same empire he had fought so hard to defend. When hearing the news of his death his loyal Catalan Company started devastating the Byzantine lands and afterwards left for home with the body of their commander.
Osman had always respected his great rival whom he believed to be his equal but Roger's death opened the way for his ambitions, and soon his men conquered the lands around Sogut. Just before he died, Osman looked West across the Bosphorus and even prepared the invasion of Europe for his successors. Osman died as a satisfied man, for he had created his own empire-he had founded the Ottoman Empire...Trivia[]
- Unlike Manzikert, the player is able to train gunpowder units, including Janissaries, although this battle was fought in 1302, before the Janissaries were established in the year 1363.
Notes[]
- โ In the Definitive Edition, after certain updates, Karesi's base had its location switched with one of the three Byzantine bases. With a later update, no players have access to warships. However, the scout report was not updated. With another update, the Byzantines and Karesi can build warships.
References[]
- โ This tribe's name is written as "รandar" in Turkish alphabet. The letter "ร" is pronounced as "Ch" in "Cheese".