Age of Empires Series Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Hammer of the Scots is the fifth and final scenario of the Edward Longshanks campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Lords of the West.

Intro[]

The Scots did not take their humbling well. A year after Balliol's defeat, they rallied around the fiery knight William Wallace and poured out of the highlands like rabid wolves.

Wallace was said to be a seven-foot-tall giant who lopped off the heads of horses and men with a five-and-a-half-foot sword: a barbaric match for my own ferocious father.

After a string of unexpected victories, Wallace's rebels were scattered at the Battle of Falkirk and forced into hiding. Like a vengeful spectre, he continued to harry English troops and convoys from the shadows.

Undaunted, Edward and his commander Aymer de Valence approached Stirling Castle. Accompanying them was Robert the Bruce, a Scottish lord sworn to Edward but known to covet the Scottish crown. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, as the ancient adage goes.

Taking after his famed predecessor Richard the Lionheart, he ordered the construction of a massive set of trebuchets near the walls of Stirling.

His warning to the defenders was simple and dreadful: surrender or face bombardment more ferocious than a rain of hellfire and brimstone.

Scenario instructions[]

Starting conditions[]

Objectives[]

  • Defend the English engineers from Scottish attacks.
  • (subsequently) Research Warwolf at your Castle.
  • (subsequently) Storm Stirling Castle and kill its garrison.

After killing Stirling Castle's Garrison:

  • Defeat Wallace's Army.
  • (secondary) Capture (kill) William Wallace to make his forces disband.
  • Defeat Robert the Bruce.

Hints[]

  1. King Edward's forces can support a population limit of 200, but still cannot construct Cannon Galleons.
  2. Shrewd management of your limited forces is key to accomplishing your initial objectives. Use Longbowmen against infantry, Pikemen against cavalry, and Knights against Skirmishers.
  3. Wallace's charismatic leadership holds his forces together. Kill him and his men will disband.
  4. Robert the Bruce covets the Scottish crown. He is your sworn vassal for the time being, but cannot be trusted.
  5. The Scots will defend their lands fiercely. Build forward bases to control resources and sustain offensives.

Scouts[]

Your scouts report:

  • King Edward (1, Red) camps outside of Stirling Castle with a besieging force, supported by the English army (3, Orange) and its engineers (2, Yellow).
  • Stirling Castle (5, Grey) is defended by a starving and desperate garrison (6, Purple) of infantry, Skirmishers, and Light Cavalry.
  • William Wallace (8, Blue) camps near Glasgow to the southwest, surrounded by a fiercely loyal bodyguard. His army (7, Cyan) is composed of cavalry, swordsmen, and Crossbowmen.
  • Edward's vassal Robert the Bruce (4, Green), a lord with a claim to the crown of Scotland, camps to the northeast near Methven. His forces of Pikemen, Woad Raiders, and siege engines are the best that Scotland has to offer.

Players[]

Player[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.
  • Player (CivIcon-Britons Britons): The player starts with a sizable army of Pikemen, Knights, and Longbowmen, and is tasked with defending the English Engineers while they are gathering the resources to build the Warwolf Trebuchet.

Allies[]

  • English Engineers (CivIcon-Britons Britons): They collect resources near Stirling Castle and must be protected.
  • The English Army (CivIcon-Britons Britons): They are inactive for the time being with Edward Longshanks, but their units and buildings will turn over to the player as soon as the Stirling Garrison is defeated.
  • Stirling Castle (CivIcon-Celts Celts): Controls the buildings in Sterling. They play no role in the scenario after the player defeats the Stirling garrison and get all their buildings.

Ally โ†’ Enemy[]

  • Robert the Bruce (CivIcon-Celts Celts): Robert is at first allied with the player, but will soon betray the player. He is the most dangerous player, and he maintains his base in the northern area of the map. He deploys Halberdiers, Elite Woad Raiders, and siege weapons to attack the player. He will also send Galleons to harass the player's eastern base.

Enemies[]

  • The Stirling Garrison (CivIcon-Celts Celts): A starving and depleted garrison, they occupy Stirling with Light Cavalry, Skirmishers, infantry, and Scorpions.
  • William Wallace (CivIcon-Celts Celts): He makes his camp in the southwest of the map along with his army. Killing their namesake hero will make Wallace's Army resign.
  • Wallace's Army (CivIcon-Celts Celts): The army of William Wallace. They are composed of cavalry, swordsmen, Crossbowmen, and rams.

Strategy[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

In the beginning, the player will be tasked with defending the engineers from the Garrison while they gather wood and stone for the player. After five minutes, the player is told to research the unique technology Warwolf, and then the hero Trebuchet will be created.

William Wallace and his army will be the player's only enemies at first, but soon, Robert the Bruce will betray the player. Both enemies will actively attack the player. However, killing William Wallace himself will make the Army resign.

Killing William Wallace[]

It is strongly recommended that the player kills Wallace as soon as they get the Trebuchet, as not only will the player have just one enemy to focus on, the "Malleus Scotorum" achievement (to kill William Wallace before Robert the Bruce's betrayal) will also be unlocked. Diplomatic stances are locked in this scenario, but the player can use Warwolf's blast damage to destroy the barricade using the attack ground feature. Send the army south, including the Trebuchet. Unpack the Trebuchet, and use it to destroy the Guard Towers guarding Wallace's camp. Wallace's army should come to attack the player, but they can easily be dealt with by using Longbowmen and Knights in front to tank. Lure Wallace's units out of the camp one by one, and watch out for Onager shots. The player has to practice utmost caution when it comes to Celtic siege weapons, because they fire faster and have extra hit points thanks to Furor Celtica. The player should use the Knights to shred the Onagers, although by timing it right they can actually use Warwolf to do so instead. As soon as Wallace's guards are killed, the player can proceed to kill Wallace himself. As Wallace has high HP, the player should make use of the elevated terrain, and fight the hero unit on the higher ground. He will go down with the Knights and Longbowmen the player has. Put the Longbowmen on one of the lower hills, and then use the Knights to lure Wallace towards them. As he is on defensive stance, he should never actually reach the Longbowmen, and the process can be repeated unit he is killed. Once Wallace is gone, the player has one less enemy to worry about. As soon as the player receives the buildings and resources, the Army resigns immediately.

Defeating the Garrison[]

If the player has a good number of units remaining, the player should use them to kill the garrison. As the gates are locked, the Long Swordsmen will fall to Longbowmen. Because the Longbowmen outrange the Skirmishers, they can actually kill them while standing safely out of range. The player still must exercise caution when dealing with Skirmishers. Use Monks to heal the Longbowmen while dealing with the Scorpions and Skirmishers. After most of the Garrison are gone, the player can smash the gate and then use the Knights to end the remaining Garrison. Once they are defeated, the English Army will turn all they have to the player.

Defeating Robert the Bruce[]

Shortly after the real game begins, Robert the Bruce will betray the player. The player has to wall off the shallows and bridges, and build ships to intercept enemy units, particularly Trebuchets, trying to attack the player's base. As mentioned before, the player has to watch out for their Siege Onagers, as Celtic ones are deadlier than generic ones. One Siege Onager shot can massacre a group of Longbowmen if it gets within range. If the Gold Mines are running out, the player can trade with the Market that Wallace left behind. There's no need to worry about the eastern base getting attacked by the Galleons, as most of the attention is paid in the western base. Robert's Galleons will get destroyed anyway.

By the time the player has a good number of Cavaliers, Elite Longbowmen, and Trebuchets, it is time to go on the offensive. Robert has three Castles: two at the northernmost corner of the map and one in the eastern base. The player should prioritize destroying the Castles first, since Robert's Trebuchets are the biggest threat. As soon as the Castles are razed, the player can attack the rest of Robert's base. Siege Workshops should be the next: while mass Elite Longbowmen can easily destroy enemy Siege Onagers using hit-and-run tactics (since they outrange them by 3 tiles), a small in-game distraction is all it takes for a Siege Onager shot to massacre them, so it is safer to ensure Robert cannot build them.

It should be noted that Robert will attempt to rebuild their Castles, so try not to let this happen. After all of the Town Centers are razed, the player should kill off any surviving Villagers wandering around in the map. As soon as the Town Centers, Siege Workshops, and Castles are down, the player can wipe out the rest of Robert's base, and the player will be victorious.

Alternative method to defeat Robert the Bruce earlier[]

Because the game starts with Robert the Bruce being allied to the player, it is possible to attack him before he betrays the player. To do this, kill Wallace first, then pack the Trebuchet and move it northeast, towards the top of the map. Because Warwolf is able to cause allied damage when attacking, it can be unpacked and used to attack ground on all of Robert's buildings. After destroying Robert's three bases, the player can come back and use Warwolf to snipe Robert himself and John Comyn. Due to their stance, they will not actually move, unlike the other units in Robert's army, and the 100% accurate Trebuchet can easily one-shot them. Killing them seems to have no detrimental effects, and is worth doing. Only after this should the Stirling garrison be destroyed. Robert's army will quickly try and rebuild after betraying the player, but it will be some time before they can produce new military. Use all the Villagers to start building Castles on the bridges to Robert's land, ideally near where his southernmost base was. Progressively step these in, and use them to kill all of Robert's military. The collective Halberdiers and Elite Woad Raiders will be able to destroy an ungarrisoned Castle, but they can be lured to a second one and easily dealt with. It does not matter if the player loses any, or even all, of the Villagers, provided they are able to kill Robert's entire army. The player should then research Bracer, and use the remaining resources to create as many Longbowmen as possible. Because Robert will not rebuild any Castles straight away, and instead will build a lot of other production buildings and try to re-boom, the player will be able to use Warwolf and the Longbowmen to destroy buildings and snipe Villagers, respectively. Once most/all of Robert's Villagers and production buildings are destroyed, the player will win the scenario.

Outro[]

William Wallace's body was butchered and his remains were scattered across Scotland as a grim warning to any who might fancy themselves a heroic rebel.

Yet, the effect was the opposite of what my father hoped for. The dying embers of rebellion were kindled into a raging flame as the treacherous Robert the Bruce renounced his vassalage and raised his banners.

With his last war still raging, my father, the mighty king of England and Hammer of the Scots, passed away. England is now mine to rule; his vision mine to fulfill... or to squander.

Robert the Bruce remains a threat and unrest brews throughout England; even my own barons show contempt and demand that my powers be diminished.

I have studied all that my father did, and still the task at hand terrifies me. He faced every adversity and grew to be a great king; yet I already feel my soul buckling under the weight of the crown.

I am king now, but what king shall I be? Should I be deceptive, as my father was in his youth? Should I be the pious and chivalrous administrator. Or brutal to no ends, a new Hammer of the Scots?

How ever can a man become so great as to fulfill all of these roles? I fear that there is no answer.

Even so... when I stand by my father's tomb, the fear and the shame sometimes sweep aside. Deep within me, I know that, whatever else, I must try. I must fight for my crown, my kingdom, and for my father's legacy...

โ€ฆI will not fail you, father.

Trivia[]

  • The scenario achievement's name, "Malleus Scotorum", is the Latin translation of the scenario's name.
  • In real life, Wallace survived his defeat at Falkirk in 1298 and fled to France, where he remained in exile until returning to Scotland in 1304. His capture, trial and execution by the English took place in 1305, a full seven years after the Battle of Falkirk.
  • Edward II failed to protect what his father achieved. He lost control of Scotland to Robert the Bruce, then he lost control of England itself to his wife Isabella of France, and finally Wales deported him back to London, where he had to abdicate to secure his son King Edward III's future.

Gallery[]

Campaigns in Age of Empires II
AoE2-DLCicon-0 The Age of Kings
CampaignIcon-WilliamDE William Wallace Difficulty easy PC: Marching and Fighting ยท Feeding the Army ยท Training the Troops ยท Research and Technology ยท The Battle of Stirling ยท Forge an Alliance ยท The Battle of Falkirk
Xbox: Preparing for Battle ยท The Battle of Stirling ยท Forge an Alliance ยท The Battle of Falkirk
CampaignIcon-JoanDE Joan of Arc Difficulty easy An Unlikely Messiah ยท The Maid of Orleans ยท The Cleansing of the Loire ยท The Rising ยท The Siege of Paris ยท A Perfect Martyr
CampaignIcon-SaladinDE Saladin Difficulty medium An Arabian Knight ยท Lord of Arabia ยท The Horns of Hattin ยท The Siege of Jerusalem ยท Jihad! ยท The Lion and the Demon
CampaignIcon-KhanDE Genghis Khan Difficulty easy Crucible ยท A Life of Revenge ยท Into China ยท The Horde Rides West ยท The Promise ยท Pax Mongolica
CampaignIcon-BarbarossaDE Barbarossa Difficulty easy Holy Roman Emperor ยท Henry the Lion ยท Pope and Antipope ยท The Lombard League ยท Barbarossa's March ยท The Emperor Sleeping
AoE2-DLCicon-1 The Conquerors
CampaignIcon-AttilaDE Attila the Hun Difficulty easy The Scourge of God ยท The Great Ride ยท The Walls of Constantinople ยท A Barbarian Betrothal ยท The Catalaunian Fields ยท The Fall of Rome
CampaignIcon-ElCidDE El Cid Difficulty easy Brother against Brother ยท The Enemy of my Enemy ยท The Exile of the Cid ยท Black Guards ยท King of Valencia ยท Reconquista
CampaignIcon-MontezumaDE Montezuma Difficulty easy Reign of Blood ยท The Triple Alliance ยท Quetzalcoatl ยท La Noche Triste ยท The Boiling Lake ยท Broken Spears
Battles of the Conquerors Icon Battles of the Conquerors Tours ยท Vinlandsaga ยท Hastings ยท Manzikert ยท Agincourt ยท Lepanto ยท Kyoto ยท Noryang Point
Hidden scenario The Saxon Revolt
AoE2-DLCicon-2 The Forgotten
CampaignIcon-AlaricDE Alaric Difficulty hard HD: All Roads Lead to a Besieged City ยท Legionaries on the Horizon! ยท Emperor of the West ยท The Sack of Rome
DE: The Battle of the Frigidus ยท Razing Hellas ยท The Belly of the Beast ยท The Giant Falls ยท A Kingdom of Our Own
CampaignIcon-DraculaDE Vlad Dracula Difficulty medium The Dragon Spreads His Wings ยท The Return of the Dragon ยท The Breath of the Dragon ยท The Moon Rises ยท The Night Falls
CampaignIcon-BariDE Bari Difficulty medium HD: Arrival at Bari ยท The Rebellion of Melus ยท The Great Siege
DE: Arrival at Bari ยท The Rebellion of Melus ยท Loose Ends ยท The Best Laid Plans ยท The Onrushing Tide
CampaignIcon-SforzaDE Sforza Difficulty medium HD: An End and a Beginning ยท O Fortuna ยท The Hand of a Daughter ยท The Ambrosian Republic ยท A New Duke of Milan
DE: Mercenaries and Masters ยท His Own Man ยท Prodigal Son ยท Blood and Betrayal ยท Viva Sforza!
El Dorado Icon El Dorado (removed) Tales of La Canela ยท The Split ยท The Amazones ยท The Cannibals
CampaignIcon-PrithvirajDE Prithviraj Difficulty medium HD: A Promising Warrior ยท The Digvijaya ยท The Elopement ยท Battles of Tarain
DE: Born of Fire ยท The Digvijaya ยท Hand of a Princess ยท The Fate of India ยท The Legend of Prithviraj
Battles of the Forgotten Icon Battles of the Forgotten Bukhara ยท Dos Pilas ยท York ยท Honfoglalรกs ยท Langshan Jiang ยท Kurikara ยท Cyprus ยท Bapheus ยท Kaesong (cut)
AoE2-DLCicon-3 The African Kingdoms
CampaignIcon-TariqIbnZiyadDE Tariq ibn Ziyad Difficulty medium The Battle of Guadalete ยท Consolidation and Subjugation ยท Divide and Conquer ยท Crossing the Pyrenees ยท Razzia
CampaignIcon-SundjataDE Sundjata Difficulty medium Hunted ยท The Sting of the Scorpion ยท Djeriba Gold ยท Blood on the River Bank ยท The Lion's Den
CampaignIcon-FranciscoDE Francisco de Almeida Difficulty hard The Old World ยท Lion of Africa ยท Ruins of Empires ยท Estado da India ยท A Son's Blood
CampaignIcon-YoditDE Yodit Difficulty hard Path of Exile ยท The Right Partner ยท A Fallen Crown ยท Broken Stelae ยท Welcome Home
AoE2-DLCicon-4 Rise of the Rajas
CampaignIcon-GajahMadaDE Gajah Mada Difficulty medium The Story of Our Founders ยท Unconditional Loyalty ยท The Oath to Unify Nusantara ยท Serving the New King ยท The Pasunda Bubat Tragedy
CampaignIcon-SuryavarmanIDE Suryavarman I Difficulty easy Usurpation ยท Quelling the Rebellion ยท A Dangerous Mission ยท Challenging a Thalassocracy ยท Nirvanapada
CampaignIcon-BayinnaungDE Bayinnaung Difficulty hard The Burmese Tigers ยท The Mandalay Cobra ยท The Royal Peacock ยท The White Elephant ยท The Old Tiger
CampaignIcon-LeLoiDE Le Loi Difficulty hard The Dai Viet Uprising ยท The Mountain Siege ยท The Battle at Hanoi ยท Reaching South ยท A Three-Pronged Attack ยท The Final Fortress
AoEIIDE icon Definitive Edition
CampaignIcon-TheArtOfWar The Art of War Difficulty easy Early Economy ยท Booming ยท Rushing the Enemy ยท Fast Castle Age ยท Defending Against A Rush ยท Land Battle ยท Destroying a Castle ยท Naval Battle ยท Battle Formations
CampaignIcon-Pachacuti Pachacuti Difficulty medium A New Power Arises ยท The Field of Blood ยท War of Brothers ยท The Falcon's Tent ยท Like Father, Like Son
00 historical battles normal Historical Battles Difficulty easy Scn 09 bukhara normal Bukhara ยท Scn 10 dos pilas normal Dos Pilas ยท Scn 01 tours normal Tours ยท Scn 11 york normal York ยท Scn 12 honfoglalas normal Honfoglalรกs ยท Scn 02 vinlandsaga normal Vinlandsaga ยท Scn 03 hastings normal Hastings ยท Scn 04 manzikert normal Manzikert ยท Scn 13 kurikara normal Kurikara ยท Scn 14 cyprus normal Cyprus ยท Scn 15 bapheus normal Bapheus ยท Scn 16 lake poyang normal Lake Poyang ยท Scn 05 agincourt normal Agincourt ยท Scn 06 lepanto normal Lepanto ยท Scn 07 kyoto normal Kyoto ยท Scn 08 noryang point normal Noryang Point
Event scenarios Mongol Raiders ยท Barbarossa Brawl ยท Mangudai Madness ยท The Siege (co-op)
AoE2-DLCicon-5 The Last Khans
CampaignIcon-Tamerlane Tamerlane Difficulty easy Amir of Transoxiana ยท Gurkhan of Persia ยท Harbinger of Destruction ยท Sultan of Hindustan ยท Scourge of the Levant ยท A Titan Amongst Mortals
CampaignIcon-Ivaylo Ivaylo Difficulty hard A Most Unlikely Man ยท An Unlikely Alliance ยท Tsar of the Bulgars ยท Echoes of Heroes ยท Where the One-Eyed Man is King
CampaignIcon-Kotyan Kotyan Khan Difficulty hard Raising the Banners ยท The Battle at the Kalka River ยท Saving the Huts ยท Blood for Blood ยท A New Home
AoE2Icon-LordsWest Lords of the West
CampaignIcon-EdwardDE Edward Longshanks Difficulty easy Vain Ambition ยท A Man of God ยท Of Castles and Kings ยท Toom Tabard ยท Hammer of the Scots
CampaignIcon-DukesDE Grand Dukes Difficulty medium A Kingdom Divided ยท The Wolf and the Lion ยท The Cleansing of Paris ยท Unholy Marriage ยท The Hook and Cod Wars ยท The Maid Falls
CampaignIcon-HautevillesDE The Hautevilles Difficulty hard Guiscard Arrives ยท Roger in Sicily ยท Bohemond and the Emperor ยท Bohemond in the East ยท Wonder of the World
Dawn of the Dukes icon Dawn of the Dukes
Algirdas icon Algirdas and Kestutis Difficulty easy Family Affairs ยท No Man's Land ยท The Tatar Yoke ยท A Worthy Opponent ยท In the Shadow of the Throne
32 jadwiga normal Jadwiga Difficulty hard The Matter of the Crown ยท Star of the Poles ยท Duel of the Dukes ยท The Siege of Vilnius ยท Vytautas' Crusade ยท The Fruits of Her Labor
Jan Zizka icon Jan Zizka Difficulty medium The One-Eyed Wanderer ยท Courage and Coin ยท The Iron Lords ยท The Golden City ยท The Emperor's Fury ยท Warrior of God
AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of India
Babur Icon Babur Difficulty easy Pearl of the East ยท The Last Timurids ยท Into India ยท The Battle of Panipat ยท The Rajputs
Rajendra Icon Rajendra Difficulty hard The Successor ยท Deeds of the Father ยท Rising Star ยท Sacred Waters ยท Slaying the Vritra
Devapala Icon Devapala Difficulty easy Dissatisfaction ยท Desire ยท Renunciation ยท Liberation? ยท Enlightenment
AoE2Icon-MountainRoyals The Mountain Royals
Tamar Icon Tamar Difficulty hard Takeover ยท Yury's Revenge ยท The Protectorate ยท Tamar the Builder ยท The Queen in the Panther's Skin
Thoros Icon Thoros II Difficulty easy Outlawed ยท The Emperor's Revenge ยท Caught in the Crossfire ยท Bloody Crestwaves ยท Of Turncoats and Traitors
Ismail Icon Ismail Difficulty medium The Red Hats ยท Road to Royalty ยท Alexander Safavi ยท The Fallen Amir ยท Khata'i
Aoe2 hb Victors and Vanquished
VictorsAndVanquished Campaign Icon
Victors and Vanquished
Difficulty easy Scn 23 charlemagne Charlemagne ยท Scn 39 drake Drake ยท Scn 26 finehair Finehair ยท Scn 25 ironside Ironside ยท Scn 38 nobunaga Nobunaga
Difficulty medium Scn 36 fetih Fetih ยท Scn 21 gaiseric Gaiseric ยท Scn 24 ragnar Ragnar ยท Scn 27 robert Robert ยท Scn 37 shimazu Shimazu ยท Scn 32 stephen Stephen ยท Scn 33 temujin Temujin ยท Scn 22 vortigern Vortigern
Difficulty hard Scn 35 constantine Constantine XI ยท Scn 30 karlsefni Karlsefni ยท Scn 31 komnenos Komnenos ยท Scn 34 mstislav Mstislav ยท Scn 28 otto Otto ยท Scn 29 seljuk Seljuk
Advertisement