Holy Roman Emperor is the first scenario of the Barbarossa campaign in Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings. It is a symbolic representation of the political division of Germany at the time of Barbarossa's accession rather than based on a particular military campaign.
Intro[]
So you have come to hear the tale of Frederick Barbarossa? Better order us another round. Maybe three. You see... it is a great tale. But then again, everything about the man was great.
Barbarossa was a man of great appetites... great ambition... and a great, red beard. But the question - the question you want to know - is: Was that enough? Is the will of one man enough to forge an empire?
For there was no Holy Roman Empire at that time, only a gaggle of quarrelling city-states. These dubiously loyal princedoms were more interested in a loose confederation than a unified empire.
But Barbarossa, he believed that he was the emperor by will of God, and he intended to bring the Holy Roman Empire back to its former glory. If that meant crushing all of the German princes, well, so be it.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Castle Age - Starting resources: 200 food, 200 wood, 500 gold, 500 stone
- Population limit: 125 (75 before the Definitive Edition)
- Starting units:
- 6 Villagers
- 3 Knights
- 3 Men-at-Arms
- 1 Light Cavalry
- 1 Mangonel
- 6
- Starting units:
- 3 Villagers
- 2 Knights
- 3 Men-at-Arms
- 1 Light Cavalry
- 3
- 2 Cavalry Archers
- 5 Mangudai
- 3 Mangonel
Objectives[]
- Main objectives
- Capture, and garrison in your Monasteries, 4 of the 6 Relics from the surrounding German duchies.
- Secondary objectives
- Hire the Cuman soldiers for 200 gold.
- Collect 4 of the 6 relics from the surrounding German duchies.
Hints[]
- Barbarossa has access to all Imperial Age technologies, but his population is capped at 125.
- Because Barbarossa faces so many enemies, it would be wise to dispose of one or two early before they become a real threat.
- Remember, only Monks can transport and garrison Relics.
- Take care to have a Monk nearly to transport the Relics that you locate.
- You can tell if an enemy Monastery has Relic garrisoned inside if the Monastery has a flag perched on top of it. The only way to recover Relics inside an enemy Monastery is to destroy the Monastery.
- Because the empire faces so many enemies, it would be wise to depose one or two early before they become a real threat.
- Remember, only Monks can transport and garrison relics.
- Take care to have a Monk nearby to transport the relics you locate.
- You can tell if an enemy Monastery has a relic garrisoned inside if the Monastery has a flag perched on top of it. The only way to recover relics inside an enemy Monastery is to destroy the Monastery.
- Because the empire faces so many enemies, it would be wise to depose one or two early before they become a real threat.
- Remember, only Monks can transport and garrison relics.
Scouts (Definitive Edition only)[]
- Barbarossa's duchy (1, Red) is surrounded on all sides by hostile duchies. Barbarossa will need to convince all of the other duchies in order to become emperor.
- To the southeast is Austria (2, Blue). They do not pose a real threat, but are in close proximity to two stronger duchies. They will train Long Swordsmen and Battering Rams.
- The Bavarians (3, Green) are one of the stronger factions, as they control a walled town. Fielding Knights and Scorpions, they are a formidable opponent.
- The Duchy of Saxony (4, Yellow) has a fortified town to the north and are strong enough to oppose Barbarossa head on. They use Crossbowmen and Teutonic Knights in battle.
- The Duchy of Lorraine (5, Orange) is not as formidable, but they will conduct early raids. They will focus on Spearmen, but will also train Knights and Mangonels given enough time.
- The Bohemians (6, Cyan) start of rather weak initially, but if left alone will grow into a strong foe. Fielding two of the most powerful Castle Age units—Knights and Crossbowmen—they are not to be underestimated.
- The Burgundians (7, Purple) are one of the weaker factions. They train Crossbowmen, Skirmishers, and Knights, but in low number.
- To the east towards Hungary, Cuman warriors (8, Grey) have been spotted.
Players[]
Player[]
- Barbarossa ( Teutons): The player starts in the center of the map on a small landmass surrounded by rivers with a Castle, Monastery, and Town Center. They also start with a free Light Cavalry, which cannot usually be trained by the Teutons. In the Beta, there is also an Outpost next to Swabia's base, and the player initially sees the scouts charging to destroy the Outpost before moving the view to the main base.
Ally[]
- Cumans (Mongols before the Definitive Edition) (colored orange in the Beta) ( Cumans ( Mongols before the Definitive Edition)): The Cumans' stance with the player is set as 'ally' (players can switch their stance with them as 'ally' to see them). They are located to the far east and possess an army, but do not have a settlement, nor any Villagers. The Mongol/Cuman army consists of three Siege Onagers, six Kipchaks (six Mangudai before the Definitive Edition), and four Cavalry Archers. Once given 200 gold as tribute, all units will join the player. In the Beta, this player only has six Cavalry Archers and an Outpost.
Enemies[]
- Austria ( Goths): Austria is located in the southeast, where it has a small town. It is one of the weaker factions on the map, but their Relic is defended by a Castle. It is also close in proximity to the stronger teams of Bohemia and Bavaria and primarily uses Long Swordsmen and Battering Rams in battle.
- Bavaria ( Teutons): Bavaria to the south is one of the stronger factions on the map. They primarily use Knights and Scorpions in battle. Their settlement is surrounded by Stone Walls.
- Bohemia (colored purple in the Beta) ( Bohemians ( Teutons before the Definitive Edition, Slavs in the Definitive Edition and before Dawn of the Dukes)): Although starting in the Castle Age, the Bohemians are initially rather weak and only have a small town to the east. Nevertheless, they grow quickly and become a strong faction as the game progresses. They will behave defensively.
- Burgundy (colored grey in the Beta) ( Burgundians ( Franks before Lords of the West)): Burgundy is one of the weaker opponents on the map and is easily accessible from the initial base. They pose no real threat to the player, but their Guard Towers are scattered throughout their village. Their settlement resides just southwest of the player's village and they mainly use Crossbowmen and Elite Skirmishers in battle along with a few Knights (since Lords of the West, they will eventually upgrade them to Cavaliers). It is recommended to claim Burgundy's Relic first.
- Saxony ( Teutons): The Saxons have a fortified town to the north and are one of the stronger opponents. Despite their walls there is a hole on the south-eastern side along the river allowing an early raiding (the hole is blocked by walls in the Definitive Edition). They primarily use Crossbowmen and Teutonic Knights in battle.
Player[]
- Barbarossa ( Teutons): The player starts in the center of the map on a small landmass surrounded by rivers with a Castle, Monastery, and Town Center. They also start with a free Light Cavalry, which cannot usually be trained by the Teutons.
Enemies[]
- German Duchies 1 ( Goths): This player is controlling Austria and Burgundy, his personality is the same as Austria of the PC version.
- German Duchies 2 ( Teutons): This player is controlling Bavaria and Swabia, his personality is the same as Bavaria of the PC version.
- German Duchies 3 ( Teutons): This player is controlling Saxony and Bohemia, his personality is the same as Saxony of the PC version.
Dialogue[]
When approaching Cumans:
- Original: Teutonic Soldier: Your Majesty, this way leads east to Hungary. We must be careful. There are Mongols in that direction!
- DE: Teutonic Soldier: Your Majesty, this way leads east to Hungary. We must be careful. There are Cumans in that direction!
Upon reaching Cumans:
- Original: Teutonic Soldier: Your Majesty, these Mongolian warriors say that they will join our army for 200 gold.
- DE: Teutonic Soldier: Your Majesty, these Cuman warriors say that they will join our army for 200 gold.
After sending a tribute to Cumans:
- Original: Mongols: A wise choice.
- Cumans: A wise choice.
After capturing 4 Relics or defeating all the enemy players:
Teutonic Soldier: By capturing all of the holy relics, you have reestablished your claim as Holy Roman Emperor.
Strategy[]
In this scenario the player faces alone six enemies, however there is only one task to complete, and the player has a few early advantages over their enemies. First of all, the player's territory contains quite enough resources, it is surrounded by rivers with only four points of access. These can be blocked quickly by the starting villagers with walls and protected with towers since the earlier attacks will consist of just Spearmen and archers. Also, when the player starts at the Castle Age, most of the enemies start in the Feudal Age. The time it takes them to advance age can be used to raid a town with the starting army if it is correctly deployed. There are various kinds of Fish in the rivers. However, with the various bridges, it would be impractical to build Docks and Fishing Ships.
For raiding any enemy city, it follows almost the same dynamics, it is a matter of pushing back enemy units, protecting Monks and siege weapons, until they are no longer vulnerable and the player has a chance to attack Monasteries. Once each Relic drops from a Monastery, it is time to pick it up and move on to another city.
It is possible to eliminate most of the towns early; Only Bavaria starts fortified, so it is better to bypass them. Even though there is a Relic in Saxony's territory, they don't start with a Monk nor can create one, so their Relic stays out in the open until it is usually picked up by the Swabians/Lorrainers or Bohemians. Austria, Burgundy, and Swabia/Lorraine train Militia, Skirmishers, and Spearmen respectively to protect themselves, while Bohemia has no way to counter an early attack. Despite being easy to get rid of Austria, they have a Castle near their Monastery, at this moment it is not recommended to attack them since the player get units and Monks lost in vain.
At this moment, the best choice is to take down Bohemia quickly, as they will become a powerful threat. The east shallows are protected by two towers; To avoid these, other way to reach them is the path to the south then follow the river heading east, until shallows are found, they are located east across the river. Meanwhile, at the base, it is important to create and send at least two Monks to retrieve Relics, villagers can be assigned to build up defenses, gather resources and improve the army, while military units are on their way.
After reaching the enemy's village, the Mangonel can attack the town center while Knights go after villagers without getting close to the town center or once it is already destroyed. Since at this moment the siege strength is quite limited, all units can concentrate their attacks to the Monastery, Monks should be already there by when the Relic is out, knights can eliminate any standing villagers until they retreat.
When done, the other opponents will have reached the Castle Age by then, and will start producing better units and some siege weapons. Next priority should be attacking Swabia/Lorraine, as besides Pikemen, they will also train Knights and Mangonels. The bridge to the north can be used to reduce the Swabian/Lorrainer army by luring them there, where the structure prevents being flanked by them. A small group of Crossbowmen and Pikemen can deal most of it, some Knights should be on frontline if any Mangonel gets close they can quickly come defend and attack and Monks can stay safe back to heal units taking advantage of Teutons' bonus. Once they exhausted most of their units, the offensive can be sent further in the village get near the Monastery.
Now, Austria and Burgundy are still the weakest enemies, and either can be the next target. The first creates some rams and Long Swordsmen that cannot stand a chance against a group of cavalry or Teutonic Knights. They have a Castle near their Monastery that now, with a well prepared army, it can be destroyed to allow Monks to get the Relic. The later will have towers scattered in their territory, and train mostly Crossbowmen, Elite Skirmishers and a few Knights. Cavalry should be enough to counter these ranged units, and their Knights should be no problem with Pikemen or if they are outnumbered and outperformed by heavy cavalry.
Given the case that none of the first raids dropped two Relics, invading both Austrians and Burgundians should still be fairly easy to achieve the main objective. Two curious aspects regarding the Definitive Edition version of the scenario is that Austria used to be stronger (all of their starting Militia were removed) and the bizarre southeastern Saxony's area missing a whole wall section is now properly walled, which makes then less susceptible to raids.
Alternatively, it is worth mentioning that with some skill and micromanagement, it is feasible to neutralize the enemies with the starting Mangonel or with the Siege Onagers belonging to the Mongols/Cumans simply by targeting the ground near any extremity of a Town Center outside of arrow fire. The AI does not respond very well to such tactics and may lose their initial Town Center(s), along with Villagers, due to lacking an army to defend, and also because the Villagers will not attack the siege weapons. Cutting trees with Siege Onagers or sending five Petards to demolish Town Centers are also powerful tools to engage the opponents. The latter only possible from The Conquerors onward.
A multiple rush against many enemies simultaneously might be complex to pull off, but will grant the player the possibility of rendering useless or defeating early at least 2 to 3, or even 4 enemies without much effort. Not only that, the player will start with a good amount of stone in the stockpile (500), which makes easier for the player to build a forward Castle on any non-walled enemy city on the map, which will also be devastating and basically nullify one of the opponents early on. Another option is to build multiple forward Town Centers.
Some experience with multi-tasking may grant a "Conquest" victory in this scenario in around 20 minutes or less with the total destruction of the six enemies, as long as the player accepts the Mongol/Cuman mercenaries in the army. This is excellent information for achievement hunters looking for the Furor Teutonicus achievement. Below, there are two examples of the rush strategy focusing on taking off all enemies before they start to mass units or boom, utilizing several offensive approaches. The first video (left) used the strategy in Age of Empires II HD: Rise of the Rajas, and the second one (right) was an improved strategy for the Definitive Edition.
Outro[]
They have called Barbarossa the scourge of Europe. But he was as skilled a diplomat as he was a warrior.
He united the German principalities with more than just the sword. He established a set of legal codes known as the Land Peaces. He helped the hungry by fixing an official price for grain after every harvest. The provinces of Germany quickly became the wealthiest and most powerful in Europe.
The Holy Roman Empire was so successful, in fact, that it quickly became strong enough to expand.
They have called Barbarossa the scourge of Europe. But he was as skilled a diplomat as he was a warrior.
He united Germany with more than just the sword. He established a set of legal codes known as the Land Peaces. He helped the hungry by fixing an official price for grain after every harvest. The provinces of Germany quickly became the wealthiest and most powerful in Europe.
The Holy Roman Empire was so successful, in fact, that it quickly overgrew its boundaries.Tips[]
- It is not necessary to completely defeat any enemy, but doing it prevents a future besiege on the player's base.
- Accepting the Mongols'/Cumans' offer, gives all their units along with three Siege Onagers that can assist the initial siege.
- In the Definitive Edition, clearing the scenario by defeating all enemies rather than collecting four Relics will award the "Furor Teutonicus" achievement. It is worth noting that, while the player cannot collect four Relics, they can collect three and still get the achievement.
Historical comparison[]
- Barbarossa was crowned King of Germany, Italy, and Burgundy in 1152, and Roman Emperor on January 2, 1155. The titles were largely ceremonial in the aftermath of the Investiture Controversy, but Barbarossa regained some power through political alliances and prestige acquired in military campaigns outside Germany. He added the word "Holy" to the Holy Roman Empire in 1157, at the beginning of his conflict with the Pope.
- In addition to the Kingdom of Burgundy, there was also a County of Burgundy(Franche-Comté) within the Holy Roman Empire, of which Barbarossa became Count through marriage in 1156; and a Duchy of Burgundy directly west of it, which was part of France. During the regin of Philip the Bold, the county was incorporated by the duchy.
- Of the other enemy factions, Swabia, Saxony, Bavaria, and Bohemia were Duchies within the Holy Roman Empire, and Austria was a Margraviate subject to Bavaria (until Barbarossa separated and elevated it to Duchy in 1156). The Duke of Bohemia proclaimed himself King in 1158.
- Barbarossa had been Duke of Swabia before being elected King of Germany. Because he could not hold both titles at the same time, he arranged for the Duchy to pass to his six-year-old cousin, Frederick IV.
- Although Swabia is placed at the north of the map, real-life Swabia is in the south of Germany, directly west of Bavaria and east of Burgundy. This was corrected in the Definitive Edition by replacing Swabia with Lorraine.
- The location of Barbarossa's base in the scenario and intro corresponds loosely with Franconia, which was indeed the center of Barbarossa's power.
- The presence of Mongols in Hungary is anachronistic, as they did not invade the region until 1241. This was corrected in the Definitive Edition by replacing the Mongols with the Cumans, who have a presence in the Carpathian Mountains and also launched several wars against the Kingdom of Hungary.
- Bohemia is a Slavic nation. However, since the Slav civilization was not introduced until The Forgotten, Bohemia is represented by Teutons (like in The Promise), likely due to Bohemia being one of the Imperial States in the Holy Roman Empire.
- In Definitive Edition, Bohemia is now represented by the Slavs, and in the Dawn of the Dukes, the Bohemians are accurately portrayed by their civilization.
- The Austrians in this scenario are Goths, whereas the Austrians in the fourth and fifth scenarios of the Kotyan Khan campaign are Teutons.
- This is historically accurate, as before being controlled by the Holy Roman Empire, Austria was occupied by both Visigoths and Ostrogoths. Also, Goths in the game speaking German language represent the fact that Austria is a German-speaking country.
Trivia[]
- The Franks/Burgundians are the only faction in this scenario featuring Western European architecture.
- If the player wins by defeating all enemies, it will still trigger the victory message "By capturing all of the holy relics, you have reestablished your claim as Holy Roman Emperor.", even if the player has not captured a single Relic.
- A modified version of this scenario was released as an event challenge scenario named Barbarossa Brawl.
- In the PS2 version, there is still the dialogue to send 200 gold to the Mongols, but the game is limited to 4 players, and this player doesn't exist and is replaced by Gaia, so the player receives them for free. There are two Cavalry Archers, five Mangudai, and three Mangonels, instead of the PC version's three Cavalry Archers, seven Elite Mangudai, and three Siege Onagers. Unlike the PC version, the player also receives two Yurts.
Gallery[]
