Great Stand on the Ugra River is the third scenario of the State to Empire chapter and the sixth scenario of the The Rise of Moscow campaign in Age of Empires IV. It depicts the incident of the same name in late 1480, during which the Rus forces of Ivan the Great of Moscow stood off against the Mongol forces of the Great Horde under Ahmed Khan.
Intro[]
Scenario description[]
In a show a strength, the Rus would stare down their conquerors in a resolute stand for independence.
Opening cinematic[]
While Ivan III consolidated Moscow's power, the Golden Horde was succumbing to discord. Seizing on this weakness, Ivan withheld tribute, equipped his men with firearms, and marched to meet the army of the khan. On the banks of the Ugra River, the Rus stood defiant, prepared to contest over two hundred years of Mongol dominance.
Loading screen[]
As the Mongol army once again marched to punish Moscow, Ivan III chose his position to make a stand against the weakening power of the Horde. He would hold the line at the Ugra River.
Start of scenario[]
The shadow of Mongol rule had darkened the Rus lands for more than two centuries. But now, Ivan III stood on the banks of the Ugra River ready to cast off the shackles of the Golden Horde. But if he failed Moscow itself could fall.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Age:
Castle Age - Units:
- Resources: 800 food, 1,000 wood, 600 gold, 300 stone
Objectives[]
- Prepare for the Mongols
- Hold the fords
- Repel the Mongol vanguard
- Repel Mongol scouts at south ford
- Repel Mongol scouts at north ford
- Maintain superiority over the fords
- Optional: Intercept the southern reinforcements
- Destroy reinforcements before they reach Southern Ford
- Destroy the Mongol encampment
- Destroy the Mongol Town Center
Players[]
- Ivan III: Ivan and his forces begin on the eastern side of the map must guard two fords on the Ugra River from the Mongols, who will periodically send forces to probe the Rus defenses. The player begins with Ivan III, a mid-sized force of infantry and archers, and a town with an economy already set up, with Villagers gathering food, wood, gold, and stone. After defending the fords for over 15 minutes, the player will be tasked with going on the offensive and destroying the Mongol camp.
Enemies[]
- Ahmed Khan (Mongols): The Mongols have a base on the western side of the map, with Outposts guarding their side of the river fords, as well as the bridge to the south. They will periodically send forces to attack the player's positions on the fords, bringing a mix of Archers, Crossbowmen, Spearmen, Men-at-Arms, and cavalry, including Horsemen, Lancers, and Mangudai. If the player's units on either of the fords ever become too few in number, the Mongols will send a large force to attack the player's defenses and town. After some time, they will attempt to send reinforcements from the east, which include a few packed-up military production buildings. If these are not intercepted by the player, the Mongol forces will become stronger, and will additionally include siege engines, such as Mangonels. Once the 15-minute timer is up, they will pull back their forces towards their Town Center, which is also guarded by a Khan.
Strategy[]
This scenario consists of the two parts. The first and longer part will be played on the defensive, with the player guarding two river crossings from Mongol attacks until the enemy withdraws. The second part will see the player cross the river and destroy the enemy base.
The player begins with a mid-sized force and a town with an economy already set up. They will have seven minutes to prepare for the first Mongol assaults, so the first order of business is to produce more Villagers to gather resources and construct additional defenses at each ford crossing. Ivan III's Production special ability will be essential to keeping up with the enemy attacks in this scenario, so he should be kept near the player's Town Center and military production buildings throughout, reactivating his ability at every opportunity. The player should build at least one additional Wooden Fortress near each ford and divide all of their starting forces to guard each crossing. Once the attacks begin, the player should never remove their units from either ford, as doing so will prompt the Mongols to send a large force to attack the player's base. The fords will have to be held for 15 minutes, with control of the fords measured by the number of units that each player has on both sides of the crossing.
The enemy will send a mix of Veteran Spearmen, Men-at-Arms, Crossbowmen, Archers, and cavalry, so a good mix of forces is needed. Siege engines such as Mangonels will also be effective at taking out the clumped-up masses of enemy units as they are funneled into the ford crossings. Since this is a defensive scenario, building a Monastery and training some Warrior Monks to join the defenders at each crossing is a good investment. These can also be used to gather the Relics and capture the Sacred Site on the player's side of the river. The player should assign additional Villagers to gathering stone, which can be used to purchase upgrades for the Wooden Fortresses, as well as the Boiling Oil technology at the Arsenal, all while producing additional units to guard the crossings.
Once enough stone is amassed, the player should also build a Keep near one of the crossings, while the Spasskaya Tower landmark can be built near the other. After the first Gold Mine is depleted, the player should assign the Villagers to hunting the Deer and two Boars by the river to the south of the player's town, as this will boost their global food and gold income, and the latter require a good number of Villagers with Survival Techniques to take down safely. It is also a good idea to produce some Traders to trade with the nearby Trade Post, as the enemy will concentrate their attacks on the two fords, and so long as these are held, the player's side of the river will be relatively safe. Once the player reaches the Imperial Age, they should research Musketeer Regiment and begin producing Streltsy (named Musketeers in the campaign scenarios), as these can be quite effective against both infantry and cavalry.
When the timer reaches six minutes, the Mongols will send for reinforcements to bolster their forces. These will appear on the road in the eastern corner of the map, on the player's side of the river, and will consist of a Battering Ram, two Mangonels, a packed-up Archery Range, Barracks, and Stable, and a mid-sized force of Lancers, Mangudai, and Veteran Archers. The player must destroy the enemy convoy before it reaches their base, or else the enemy assaults will become more substantial and additionally include siege engines. A good-sized force of cavalry will be able to deal with the reinforcements, although guarding the fords is the first priority. It may be a good idea to pre-emptively build a Keep on the road where the reinforcements will appear, so that the player does not have to redirect too many units to deal with them.
Once the timer is finished, the enemy will withdraw from the fords, leaving only their Outposts, and the player will now be tasked with crossing the river and destroying the enemy camp by razing the Mongols' Town Center. While it may appear as if the enemy forces have retreated, in actuality they have only regrouped near their Town Center and their numbers are still quite formidable. The player should therefore take the time to build up their forces before attacking the enemy base from both sides. The Mongols are on the defensive from this point, so even if the player's first assault fails, they will still be able to rebuild their forces and try again at their leisure. As always, Ivan III should be kept by the player's production buildings to mass units. With the enemy Town Center destroyed, the scenario will complete.
Achievement[]
Killing 50 enemies with Wooden Fortresses grants the Ancient Tower Defense achievement.
Outro[]
End of scenario[]
Through perseverance and a mighty display of force, Ivan held the Ugra river, blocking the Mongols from reaching Moscow. The Rus had finally cast aside the shackles of the Golden Horde.
Post-game screen[]
Ivan III's display of strength forced a Mongol retreat. He had secured the path to Rus independence.
Page From History: The Cannon Yard[]
| “ | Across the banks of the Ugra River, the Mongol army stared down the barrels of Ivan III's formidable array of cannons... and retreated. It was the final stand - a display of might - that shook Muscovy free from its conquerors. Under Ivan III, Rus firepower advanced ever more rapidly. Where before, the Rus had adopted the simple guns of their neighbors and used them only to defend against sieges, Moscow now had its own cannon yard - a great foundry where huge cannons were cast in bronze and mobilized with carriage wheels. Now they could be brought to the battlefield, their power shattering stone walls and bringing cities to their knees. Muscovite cannons would continue evolving to enormous scales, and stand as an imposing symbol of the military might of the Rus. |
” |
Historical comparison[]
- In reality, the Standoff on the Ugra River saw little fighting. After one attempt to cross the river by the Mongols was turned back under Russian fire, the Mongols pulled back their forces and did not attempt to force a crossing after that.
