| “ | Morgan heads for Florida, hoping to beat the Spanish to the Lake of the Moon, but a hurricane drives his ships off course, forcing him to land in Cuba. | ” |
A Pirate's Help is the sixth scenario in Act I: Blood in Age of Empires III.
On his way to catch up with the Spanish Treasure Fleet and Delgado, Morgan Black is forced to land in Havana due to a hurricane. The player needs to obtain Lizzie's help by doing various favors for the pirate captain.
There is no access to the Home City for this scenario, and no shipments can be sent. However, Experience may be collected and new Home City Cards chosen.
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Commerce Age - Ending Age: Fortress Age
- Population limit: 200
- Starting units and technologies:
- Morgan Black
- 6 Crossbowmen
- 2 Pikemen
- 2 Hussars
- (After defeating the starting Carib attack) Up to 18 Settlers
- Starting resources: 950 food, 600 wood, 500 coin
Objectives[]
Primary objectives[]
- Gain 8,000 Experience before Lizzie sails to Florida. (500 XP)
- Bring Morgan to Lizzie before she sets sail.
Secondary objectives[]
- Stop the raiding Native Americans from attacking the settlers of Havana. (350 XP)
- Build the first Stable in Havana. (500 XP)
- Reopen trade with the rest of Cuba by building a second Trading Post. (850 XP)
- Take Lizzie's Native American friend to his family on the nearby Island. (1000 XP)
- Find and gather the stolen gold. (900 XP)
- Return the lost herd to Havana's Livestock Pen. (350 XP)
- Retrieve stolen artifact. (1500 XP)
Players[]
Player[]
- Knights of St. John ( Knights of St. John) - The player starts in the Commerce Age with two Hussars, Morgan Black himself, two Pikemen and six Crossbowmen. The player is neither able to receive shipments from their Home City, even when Havana switches to the player's side nor to train naval units.
Allies[]
- Havana ( Spanish) - This player consists of the namesake port of Havana, a town including two Mills, a Church, multiple Docks and Houses, a Town Center, a Barracks and a Trading Post, as well as several Settlers. When the first raid by Blowgunners is beaten, most of the town will switch to the player's command, notably excluding the Docks, the Trading Post and the Church.
- Lizzie's Pirates ( Lizzie's Pirates) - This player consists just of Elisabet Ramsey, her ship and two Pirates.
- Native Tribe ( Native Tribe) - A neutral tribe, they are the main focus of a secondary objective: to ferry a native child to an islet with a Canoe controlled by this player. As soon as the child is returned to his village, the chieftain will offer eleven Seminole Sharktooth Bowmen to the player.
Enemy[]
- Caribs (Native Americans) - The enemy for this scenario, they consist of the Carib Blowgunners raiding Havana, as well as the ones scattered around the south of the map. They also control ten Pirates and two Falconets that guard a Carib artifact, the focus of the last secondary objective.
Treasures[]
There are 5 treasures, all of which are guarded.
- 4x - The rutters of El Pollo Guapo, worth 50 XP. Guarded by 2 Jaguars. There are four duplicates of this treasure scattered about the mainland, one of which has just 1 Jaguar guardian.
- A Carib sacred artifact worth 500 XP. This an objective treasure. While it does not actually have treasure guardians, it does have 9 Buccaneers, 1 Barbary Corsair, and 2 Falconets belonging to the Caribs in its vicinity.
Strategy[]
Immediately as the scenario starts, the local Settlers to the west will be attacked by some Carib Blowgunners. The player's forces should be sent to kill them; Morgan's Oberhau attack can speed up the process. Once they are slain, the player gains control of Havana. To boost the economy in the fastest manner possible, research the Market upgrades. Hunt the local Turkeys and fatten the Sheep to harvest their meat; ignore the Mill and do not upgrade them, as they provide food more slowly.
Build a Stable and train Hussars, as well as Crossbowmen. When the army is decent-sized, head south along the road and kill the natives guarding the Trading Post site. Build a Trading Post, then head west into a village. Kill the Natives there and leave the Settlers there to collect the gold bags.
By now Lizzie should have asked Morgan to escort her Seminole friend to his family. With the soldiers at Havana, escort the native boy to the main army. Note that there are many natives on the beach where the Canoe is waiting. Make good use of Morgan's Oberhau attack. Before loading up troops and the native boy into the canoe, go south and take control of the Cows grazing there.
Send the cows to the Livestock Pen for some experience. Load the best troops, Morgan and the boy into the canoe. Unload them on the eastern island. A few natives will be waiting; kill them. Go to the village to gain 1000 XP, a new objective to recover an artifact, and 14 Seminole Sharktooth Bowmen. The artifact is on the southeastern end of the island and is guarded by Pirates and two Falconet.
Have the Hussars deal with the cannons while infantry handle the Pirates. Retrieving the artifact should give enough experience to fulfill the 8000 experience point requirement. If the player has ample time left before Lizzie sets sail, build many of buildings and units to gain even more experience and wander around the map looking for more natives to kill. To win, take Morgan to Lizzie before the timer in the top right runs out.
Card List Used[]
Cards in italics are selected for the player when they gain their deck of cards
- HC Level: 12
- Exploration Age: 2 Settlers, Crates of 300 Food, 300 Wood, 300 Coin, Pioneers and Improved Buildings.
- Commerce Age: 8 Crossbowmen, 6 Rodeleros, Native Lore, 4 Settlers, 600 Wood and Royal Decree to Claim the New World.
- Fortress Age: 1 Covered Wagon, 1 Falconet, 2 Falconets, Fort, Heavy Fortifications, 4 Lancers.
Gallery[]
