The Battle of the Metaurus is the fourth scenario of the The Rise of Rome campaign in Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, replacing Metaurus from The Rise of Rome. It depicts the eponymous battle during the Second Punic War.
Scenario instructions[]
Description[]
| “ | Metaurus River, 208 to 207 BCE Hannibal is at the gates! Though the Carthaginian general and his savage mercenaries lack the strength to take Rome itself, they have set the Italian countryside aflame and have defeated every legion sent against them for the past ten years. Now, spes tell us that Hannibal has sought out his brother, Hasdrubal, who has slipped our grasps in Hispania and crossed the Alps just as Hannibal did a decade ago. If Hasdrubal's army is allowed to join Hannibal's, Rome would surely fall to the barbarous Carthaginians! Go now, Consul of Rome, divide our enemies and conquer them! | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Bronze Age - Starting resources: 400 food, 400 wood, 200 gold, 150 stone
- Population limit: 50
- Starting units:
- 10
Short Swordsmen - 2 Scouts
- 5 Villagers
- 10
- Gaia buildings:
Objectives[]
- Destroy the two Carthaginian forces, or build a Wonder that stands.
Hints[]
- Friendly Roman villages lie beyond the rivers. They will help you if you find them.
- Hannibal has a foothold to the east. An aggressive strike against this base will give you additional space and access to more resources.
- Shallows are important strategic positions to hold.
Players[]
Player[]
- Player ( Romans): The player starts in the southwestern part of the map with a base containing several economic and military buildings, and some troops intercepting those sent by Hasdrubal in the base.
Enemies[]
- Hasdrubal ( Carthaginians): Hannibal's brother has set up camp in the northwest of the map, which while initially small is still protected by several Sentry Towers.
- Hannibal ( Carthaginians): Hannibal has a base nearby due east of the player's, which is even smaller and initially protected by just one Hoplite and a Sentry Tower. He also has another Town Center and Docks on the easternmost part of the river delta.
Strategy[]
Defeat Hasdrubal's raiders in the starting camp and then focus on developing the economy. Grab Wheel and the other market technologies, and continuously produce Villagers. Gather gold at the start as well, as the remaining mines are not at secure locations and if the gold mines are raided, running out of gold can be deadly for the Romans. Build Docks at the western and southern banks and start fishing. The northeastern banks are patrolled by Hannibal's war ships and so aren't safe to venture into at the start.
Wall off some of the passageways from Hasdrubal's camp to make his raids easier to manage. Hasdrubal will send Scouts and Slingers at the start, following up with Cavalry and Camel Riders, and eventually add War Elephants and Elephant Archers. Hannibal will send mostly Hoplites initially, but will construct Ballistae once in the Iron Age.
Once the main economy is set up, upgrade and train some Broad Swordsmen while also building a Light Transport ship. Send these troops to the two landmasses at the western and southern corners of the map and kill Hasdrubal's Short Swordsmen present there, once each area is cleared, send over Villagers so that the Gaia buildings and resources there can be utilised to create a economy safe from Carthaginian raids.
- Destroying the Carthaginians route
Build a Government Center and a Siege Workshop and advance to the Iron Age. After clicking up, research other military technologies and produce more troops. A recommended composition is the typical Roman strengths of Swordsman line and Ballistae, but depending on how far the enemy has developed and their unit composition, this may be changed. For example, if Hannibal is already producing Ballistae before the Romans could field their own siege, it may be wiser to go for Chariots instead to tank the enemy bolts as well as close in and dispatch the siege quickly. While Roman Helepolis are excellent against nearly all units and buildings, adding a few Catapults can be very beneficial to destroy enemy defenses much faster.
Defeat Hannibal first, as he is the more dangerous opponent and will fully upgrade his troops faster, consisting of Centurions and Helepolises, as well as upgrading to and building lots of Ballista Towers, Triremes, and even Fire Galleys. His navy is restricted to the eastern waters and can harass the player's units if they are near the river bank, but investing in water is not required. He also has Docks on the other side of the river which can be reached by siege weapons without having to make a crossing. Once he has been mostly defeated, leave a few troops behind to destroy any straggler units and buildings, and send the rest of the army to Hasdrubal's base.
Hasdrubal trains some fast units such as Cavalry and Camel Riders which can wreak havoc on the player's siege weapons if they are left unguarded and do not have critical upgrades like Ballistics. He also trains Elephant units which can be dealt with using siege, Priests, or Centurions.
- Wonder victory route
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It is preferable to build the Wonder in the southern or western lands beyond the river after clearing the enemy troops there.
History[]
Historical notes[]
| “ | Despite successive victories over the Romans early in his Italian campaign, Hannibal lacked the siege equipment and manpower to take Rome itself and end the war. The defeat of Carthage's ally, Syracuse, in 212 BCE and Carthaginian reverses and stalemates at Tarentum, Capua, and Beneventum in Southern Italy the same year, weakened Hannibal's position and whittled down his forces, made up primarily of Iberian, Gallic, and Numidian mercenaries. A rival political faction in Carthage, led by Hanno II the Great, had opposed the war from the start and refused to provide support to what was viewed as the personal vendetta of an overly ambitious Hannibal. What support the Carthaginian leadership provided to the war effort was sent to Iberia, where Carthage had significant commercial interests. Fortunately for Hannibal, his brother Hasdrubal was committed to the war against Rome. In 207 BCE, Hasdrubal marched a fresh army from Iberia and across the Alps just as Hannibal had done a decade prior. The two brothers hoped that their combined armies would be sufficient to conquer Rome. While Hannibal fought the Roman consul Claudius Nero at Grumentum in Southern Italy, Hasdrubal crossed the Metaurus River hundreds of miles to the north and approached the legions of the second consul, Marcus Livius Salinator. Hasdrubal sent messengers to his brother with his plans, but these were captured en route by Claudius Nero. Realizing the danger that the union of the two armies would pose, Nero took a detachment of his army and rapidly marched north, reaching Livius' camp at night. The following morning, as the Roman and Carthaginian armies deployed for battle, Hasdrubal realized that the Roman army had swelled overnight. Suspecting that he was now facing two armies, Hasdrubal retired to his fortifications. That night, Hasdrubal led his army out of camp in an effort to cross the river and retreat to a more advantageous position. Perhaps betrayed by his guides, the Carthaginian general searched futilely for a ford across the Metaurus. The next morning, with the backs of the Carthaginians against the river, the Romans attacked. Hasdrubal was killed and his army annihilated. In an infamous act, Claudius Nero had Hasdrubal's severed head taken south and thrown into Hannibal's camp. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Victory[]
| “ | Your victory at the Metaurus River has given hope to all Romans, long terrorized by the dark specter of Hannibal. With the Carthaginian general stalemated in Italy, our legions march against our enemies in far-off Hispania. Led by Publius Scipio, a son of the storied House Cornelius, the legions have defeated Carthage's allies, the Iberian tribes. The promising young general is not satisfied by these triumps—he has designs on Africa and Carthage herself. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Loss[]
| “ | Your failure has condemned Rome. Bolstered by Hasdrubal's army, Hannibal marches on our capital. Our Republic is on its death throes. The Senate requires that you strap yourself to the ram of a trireme and put your thick skull to good use. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
