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This article is about the scenario in Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome. For the scenario in the Definitive Edition, see The Coming of the Huns. |
Coming of the Huns is the fifth and final scenario of the Pax Romana campaign in Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome. The Roman Empire must overcome the invasion of the Huns from the east.
In the Definitive Edition, the scenario is significantly reworked into The Coming of the Huns.
Scenario instructions[]
Description[]
| “ | 373 to 453 AD A new group of barbarians, the Huns, have been moving west from Central Asia for many decades. They are fierce warriors and have been displacing tribes in their path. The Goths and the Vandals have broken through our frontiers to escape the Huns behind them. This is the ultimate test of our survival. If you cannot hold off these invaders, Rome will be engulfed and the empire will be destroyed. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Tool Age - Starting resources: 200 food, 200 wood, 1,000 gold, 150 stone
- Population limit: 50
- Starting units:
Objectives[]
- Destroy the Huns (red).
Hints[]
- Continue to pay the Huns as long as possible while building up a massive offensive force.
- Use the fact that the Huns are your allies to your advantage.
- There are many safe havens in the region. Establish remote camps to build up your troops.
Players[]
Player[]
- Roman ( Romans) - The player starts at the north of the map with a small Tool Age village, exposed to enemy attacks. There is plenty of wood around the player's base, however the other resource types are minimal.
Enemies[]
- Huns ( Hittites) - The main enemy in the scenario that needs to be defeated. They have their well-fortified and formidable base south of the map, occupied by a Post Iron Age army. Despite having a Town Center and few Villagers, they do not have an active economy and will only use the Villagers to build a Wonder close to the start of the game. If the player complies to their demand of tribute, they will change their diplomatic stance with the player to Ally, despite no Allied Victory checked.
- Hunnish Allies ( Hittites) - Their base lies west of the map. They actively attack the player with Chariots throughout the game. They also have a small navy which they will send upriver to harass the player's units close to the shore.
- Hunnish Allies ( Palmyrans) - Consists only of four Sentry Towers scattered at the center of the map.
- Goths ( Persians) - Their base is located east of the map. They will actively attack the player alongside the yellow player. They send Long Swordsmen and Priests. If the game takes too long, they will build a Wonder.
Strategy[]
Build up a base and build some defenses. The Huns start off as allies and will be demanding tribute to remain that way. Don't pay them; the player will have to destroy every last one of their units and buildings, and every bit of gold the player gives them will only strengthen them. When they declare the player an enemy, do the same. Alternatively, the player can choose to pay the Huns and take refuge in their village surrounded by trees. Stockpile food from Berry Bushes and animals, chop trees, mine stone and gold, race to the Iron Age, Build a Wonder in the red Huns village, and let the timer run out.
The player can also claim the gold island in the north-east, get the gold, build a Dock, and build Trade Ships to trade food for gold. Watch out for the Alligator which can instantly kill the player's units. Use the Scout to lure it away and have it run to the village on the western side. It will guard the player's village from the yellow Huns and kill their units.
Make sure to block off the Huns' village path with a wall and build towers to defend the village or the outside gold pile nearby from enemy Villagers.
Train Cavalry, Chariots, and Stone Throwers or Ballistae, and start taking out the Huns' allies, including the Villagers, to take them out of the fight. The player won't have to destroy every building and kill every unit, just the Villagers, Town Center, and military buildings. Watch out for enemy Priests, as they'll try to convert the player's units.
If anyone starts building a Wonder, immediately train an army and destroy it, as they'll do their best to protect them. When the Huns are defeated, victory is assured.
Alternately, in the original game, if the enemy starts building a Wonder, the player can slow down the game speed to normal and quickly build a wall around it, which will prevent the Huns' Villagers from starting. This is tricky to pull off, as the player cannot let one enemy Villager build the Wonder. Also, once the player reaches the Iron Age, they can stockpile 1,000 wood, 1,000 gold, and 1,000 stone, and build their own Wonder with many Villagers in a protected area like the Huns' village. After completing the Wonder, set the game speed very fast until the timer reaches 0 and the player wins the game.
History[]
Historical notes[]
| “ | The Huns were fierce Asiatic nomads who moved toward the West in the late fourth century AD for unknown reasons. By 373 AD they were conquering and pushing out the tribes on the Russian steppes. A million Goth refugees began moving toward the Danube, seeking refuge from the Huns, who pressed relentlessly westward. The Goths bribed and forced their way over the Danube. The Romans panicked and attacked them. The Goths escaped the Roman trap and began a large raid into Greece and northern Italy. At the same time, Germanic tribes began crossing the Rhine and the entire European border of the Roman Empire dissolved. The Vandals moved through Iberia and ended up conquering western North Africa. The Visigoths took and held Iberia. The Ostrogoths held northern and central Italy, sacking Rome in 410 AD. The Franks took northern Gaul. In 451 AD Attilla[sic] crossed the Rhine with at least 500,000 Hun warriors. The Roman general Aetius mustered a large army consisting of Gallo-Roman legions, Roman heavy cavalry, and large contingents of barbarian warriors. The Huns were defeated at Chalons, a victory that preserved the Christian religion and the remnants of Roman civilization in Western Europe. A Hunnish victory could have meant Asiatic domination of Europe. The Huns withdrew across the Rhine but turned south and invaded northern Italy from the East. Famine and disease were raging in Italy, however, and it was difficult for the Huns to advance. After a meeting with Pope Leo I, Attila withdrew. When Attila died in 453 AD, his vast empire fell apart. The Huns disappeared from European history but the great migrations that they set in motion brought an end to the Western Roman Empire. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Victory[]
| “ | The world is astounded at your success. You have rescued the empire from its darkest hour. Defeating the Huns and their allies is a remarkable military achievement. You have truly earned the mantle of Julius Caesar, greatest of the Romans. Hail Caesar! | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Loss[]
| “ | Your ineptitude has brought an end to 1,000 years of glorious history. Rome has fallen. The empire has come to an end. Welcome to the Dark Ages. The Huns are lauding you as one of their greatest generals. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
