I Shall Return is the fourth scenario of the Voices of Babylon campaign in Age of Empires. Babylon must escape from an Elamite invasion, build up an army and defeat them.
Scenario instructions[]
Description[]
| “ | Babylon, 1185 - 1155 BCE Following the Hittite sack of Babylon, the city has come under the dominion of the Kassites, who have controlled it for nearly 500 years. Kassite rule is in danger, however, because of Elamite and Assyrian intrusions. Another Elamite army is pressing forward at this moment and is moving to take Babylon. If the city cannot be held, you are to save what you can, retreat downriver, and build up a new army. When you are prepared, retake the city of Babylon and destroy the invading Elamites. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Iron Age - Starting resources: None
- Population limit: 75
- Starting units:
- 10 Composite Bowmen
- 5 Villagers
- 3 Cavalry
- 2 Stone Throwers
- 10
- Gaia units: None
Objective[]
- Escape the island and find a place to rebuild your army.
- Defeat the Elamites who have sacked your city.
Hints[]
- The Babylonians begin in the Iron Age and can support a population of 75.
- The lands east of the river offer a safe haven for you to escape to.
- The Elamites will be preoccupied with looting your old city for a while. Use that time to rebuild your strength and exact revenge upon them!
Description[]
| “ | Babylon, 1185 - 1155 BCE Following the Hittite sack of Babylon, the city has come under the dominion of the Kassites, who have controlled it for nearly 500 years. Kassite rule is in danger, however, because of Elamite and Assyrian intrusions. Another Elamite army is pressing forward at this moment and is moving to take Babylon. If the city cannot be held, you are to save what you can, retreat downriver, and build up a new army. When you are prepared, retake the city of Babylon and destroy the invading Elamites. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age: Iron Age
- Starting resources: 450 food, 550 wood, 300 gold, 150 stone
- Population limit: 50
- Starting units:
- Gaia units: None
Objective[]
- Destroy the Elamites.
Hints[]
- Escape may be your only answer.
- Look east for resources required for a victorious return to the city.
Description[]
| “ | 1125 BC Following the Hittite invasion and retreat, Babylonia has been ruled by Kassites for nearly 500 years. Kassite rule is in danger, however, because of Elamite and Assyrian intrusions. Another Elamite army is pressing forward at this moment. If the city cannot be held, you are to save what you can, retreat down river, and build up a new army. Retake Babylon for the Babylonians and destroy the Elamites. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age: Tool Age
- Starting resources: 300 food, 300 wood, 300 gold, 300 stone
- Population limit: 50
- Starting units:
- 5 Axemen
- 3 Bowmen
- 3 Villagers
- 1 Light Transport
- 5
- Gaia units: None
Objective[]
- Destroy the Elamites.
Hints[]
- Escape may be your only answer.
- Look east for resources needed to prepare for a victorious return to your homeland.
Players[]
Player[]
- Player ( Babylonians): The player starts in the Iron Age with advanced fortifications on the southwest edge of the map, a force of Composite Bowmen, Cavalry, and Stone Throwers outside the defenses, and enemy forces surrounding them. To the southeast is a group of Villagers flanked by Composite Bowmen, who can be evacuated to the eastern landmass by boarding a Light Transport that appears next to a Dock in the southeast corner of the island.
Enemy[]
- Elamite Army ( Assyrians): The Elamites begin in the Iron Age with a large force of Catapults, Heavy Cavalry, Improved Bowmen, and Sentry Towers surrounding the player's troops. They have a fledgeling town in the north of the island, and can train Villagers, Chariots, Chariot Archers, Hoplites, Ballistas, Helepolises, Fishing Ships, Light Transports, War Galleys, and Triremes.
Player[]
- Player ( Babylonians): The player starts in the Iron Age with advanced fortifications on the southwest edge of the map, a force of Composite Bowmen, Cavalry, and Stone Throwers outside the defenses, and enemy forces surrounding them. To the southeast is a group of Villagers flanked by Composite Bowmen, who can be evacuated to the eastern landmass using the Light Transport moored near a Dock on the southeast coast of the island.
Enemy[]
- Elamites ( Babylonians): The Elamites begin in the Iron Age with a large force of Catapults, Heavy Cavalry, Improved Bowmen, and Sentry Towers surrounding the player's troops. They have a fledgeling town in the north of the island, and can train Villagers, Axemen, Cavalry, Chariots, Chariot Archers, Ballistas, Stone Throwers, Catapults, Light/Heavy Transports, War Galleys, and Triremes.
Player[]
- Player ( Greeks): The player starts with a besieged Tool Age settlement in the southern half of the western island, and a small force that's incapable of repelling the invaders. It is possible to evacuate the Villagers to the eastern landmass using a Light Transport moored near a Dock on the island's southeast coastline, and eventually advance to the Iron Age.
Enemy[]
- Elam ( Greeks): The Elamites begin in the Iron Age with a large force of Catapults, Ballistas, Hoplites, Broad Swordsmen, Bowmen, and Horse Archers, led by Hero Alexander, surrounding the player's settlement. They have a fledgeling town in the north of the island, and can train Villagers, Axemen, Cavalry, Hoplites, Ballistas, Stone Throwers, Catapults, Light/Heavy Transports, War Galleys, and Triremes.
Strategy[]
- Evacuation
The scenario begins with the player's troops outside the walls of Babylon, surrounded by a superior enemy force: the fight breaks out almost immediately. Babylon shares an island with the enemy, and there's a large, verdant landmass across the water to the east. The player will need to abandon Babylon and sail to the new landmass to establish a base there.
The Babylonian troops are powerful enough to put a significant dent in the enemy forces, but will eventually be wiped out in a standing fight, as they have no counter for the Elamites' Heavy Cavalry. The player could choose to stand and fight, or initially withdraw and then choose a different position to engage, or round up all units before they can attack and flee to the coast.
If choosing to fight, the key targets are the enemy's six Catapults (two of which are initially out of sight to the east). The Elamites may not replace them, and they flatten buildings far faster than their other units. After the fighting is over, the Elamites usually turn their attention to the player's fortifications, and the longer the enemy forces are kept occupied razing the buildings, the longer it will be before they turn their attention to more valuable targets. This won't take long if the player chooses to flee, but takes at least half an hour if most of the Elamites' Catapults are destroyed.
A group of Villagers and Composite Bowmen are situated away from the fighting, to the southeast. Move them further southeast, to an outcrop across the shallows, where a Dock and Light Transport are waiting. Board the Villagers and send the ship to the other landmass in the east. Remember to bring the ship back afterwards to collect any surviving troops.
- Re-establishment
The eastern corner of the map has food and wood, so is a good location for a new Town Center. Stone and gold are nearby, to the northwest. There is more gold in the far north, but it's guarded by Lions (a deadly Lion (Alpha) in the Definitive Edition), so bring a large force to secure this region. The eastern landmass should be safe from enemy landings, so long as the enemy troops are busy razing the Babylonian city, and the player doesn't attack any of their units. However, it is still advisable to keep inland, away from the visibility of enemy ships, at least until enough wood is stockpiled to rapidly develop a navy.
- Invasion
The enemy only builds a small number of warships, so a trio of Fire Galleys should sweep them up, along with any shoreline towers. Support them with War Galleys, and the bulk of the enemy force - along with much of their economy - can be easily taken out from the ocean. The core of the Elamites' base, especially in Return of Rome, is concentrated in the north of the island, so a raid in this region can disable most of their farming capability.
The land invasion should primarily consist of Catapults to quickly raze the buildings, Cavalry/Scythe Chariots or mounted archers to hunt down Villagers and ranged units, and Hoplites to protect the Catapults. Ship them across with a couple of Villagers to add military production buildings on the island, so reinforcements can arrive quickly, and the island will soon be retaken.
- Evacuation
The scenario begins with the player's Tool Age settlement surrounded by an Iron Age Elamite army; immediate action must be taken to survive. The player shares an island with the enemy, and there's a large, verdant landmass across the water to the east. The player will need to evacuate their units and sail to the new landmass to establish a base there.
The player's starting units will be wiped out in seconds if they stand and fight, and won't make a dent in the enemy forces, so move them to the southeast coast as quickly as possible. There is a Villager slightly south of the initial fighting; if the other Villagers are lost, make absolutely sure to protect this one, otherwise the scenario will be unwinnable. Most of the buildings will be destroyed in just over a minute, it's not worth defending them.
Past the shallows on the southeast coast is an outcrop with a Dock and a Light Transport, use the ship to carry the survivors east to the other landmass. If using the Dock to train ships, ensure that at least 200 wood is saved for building a Town Center.
- Re-establishment
The eastern corner of the map has food and wood, so is a good location for a new Town Center. Stone and gold are nearby, to the northwest. There is more gold in the far north, but it's guarded by a deadly Lion King, so bring a large force to secure this region. Keep units and buildings inland, away from the visibility of enemy ships, otherwise it's possible that they may send landing parties - only expand when enough resources are stockpiled to quickly build a large navy or network of towers.
The player is at a massive technological disadvantage in this version of I Shall Return, so take advantage of the quiet period to develop a boom economy and advance to the Iron Age. Surplus Villagers can then be deleted to make population room for military units.
- Invasion
The majority of the Elamites' base is near the coast, so most of the fighting can be done with warships. Because the player controls the Greeks, they have access to Catapult Triremes, which are particularly effective against buildings. Their projectiles travel slowly though, so combat against units is best done with War Galleys/Triremes.
The enemy is mostly clustered around the north of the starting island, but the only source of gold on that landmass is on the southeast outcrop, near the player's starting Dock. This makes it very easy to cut off the Elamites' access to gold, and therefore their ability to train their best troops.
When commencing the land invasion, it's advisable to use Priests to convert Hero Alexander, as this is the most powerful unit in the scenario. The Greeks' great strength is their Academy units, so this should be the mainstay of the land invasion, supported by Ballistas to deal with any remaining Horse Archers and siege weapons. Bring a couple of Villagers to build military production buildings on the island, keep up a steady stream of reinforcements, and the island will soon be retaken.History[]
Historical notes[]
| “ | Although the beginning of the Kassite rule over Babylonia cannot be dated, it is known that their king Agum II ruled over parts of western Iran and the middle part of the Euphrates valley. Native Babylonian princes continued to reign in southern Babylonia in the interim until the Kassite king Ulamburiash finally annexed this region around 1450 BCE. The Kassite rulers had strong international ambitions, and they established diplomatic ties with Egypt to trade gems for gold and to establish royal marriages. Their ambitions, however, brought them in conflict with the Assyrians, and so they allied with the Hittites to stop the rapid expansion of the Assyrians. During the reign of Kashtiliash IV in the 13th century BCE, Babylonia waged a destructive war on two fronts against the Assyrians and Elamites, which resulted in the catastrophic invasion and destruction of Babylon by the Assyrian king Tukulti-Ninurta I in 1225 BCE. Their Hittite allies suffered a similar defeat, resulting in the loss of Hittite territory in Asia Minor and the Levant to the Assyrians. After this disaster, the Babylonians slowly recovered and once again experienced a period of prosperity and peace in the following years. However, when another war with Elam broke out in 1185 BCE, the Kassite dynasty was ultimately crushed and replaced by a native dynasty from the city-state of Isin. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Victory[]
| “ | Even though we lost the war against the Elamites, there is a silver lining in it all. Our Kassite overlords have fallen, and their dynasty has been overthrown. The new army you have built can serve the new Babylonian king. Under him, we will be able to restore Babylon to its former glory. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Loss[]
| “ | Our lands have been ravaged by the Elamites! Although the Kassite dynasty is weak, we do not have the means to overthrow them. It seems that we will be forced to endure their rule for yet another 500 years. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Historical notes[]
| “ | The Kassites took control of Babylon following the sack of the city by Hittites and ruled for approximately 500 years. This period was not one of peace, however. The Mitanni to the northwest were a powerful antagonist briefly, and conquered Assyria around 1440 BC after making peace with Egypt. The Mitanni in turn were conquered by the Hittites around 1370 BC. The Hittites did not venture further south, however. A middle Assyrian empire arose from 1363 to 1000 BC, pushing back through Syria to the Mediterranean and encroaching south against Babylon. A resurgent Elam to the east was also a source of conflict. In the middle of these 500 years, the eastern Mediterranean was overwhelmed by barbarian invasion that destroyed the Hittites, Myceneans, Minoans, and Canaanites. Around 1150 BC, the Assyrians and Elamites began serious attempts to take Babylon. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Historical outcome[]
| “ | Babylon changed hands several times between 1160 and 1125 BC, but was finally retaken and held by the Babylonians themselves under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar I. The reign of Nebuchadnezzar I was a second peak in the history of Babylonia, although a large empire was not established. The people took great pride in throwing out the somewhat foreign Kassites and holding off the attacks from Assyria and Elam. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Changes[]
- Definitive Edition
- Player names and civilizations: the player now controls the Babylonians rather than the Greeks, and the enemy has changed from Elam (Greek) to Elamites (Assyrian).
- Starting conditions: the player begins in the Iron Age rather than the Tool Age, with more resources, and more units. This means the player's force is able to put more of a dent in the enemy's during the initial conflict, and less time is needed to re-establish after evacuating the starting island.
- Villagers: all of the player's Villagers are now situated near the coast, so are under no immediate threat at the start of the scenario. Previously, most of the Villagers began in the thick of the fighting, with one Villager just slightly south.
- Player buildings: the player now begins with a set of Fortified Walls, three Guard Towers, a Market, and six Houses, as well as the Dock. Previously, the player base consisted of a Barracks, a Granary, a Farm, six Houses, which would typically be destroyed within two minutes, along with the Dock. This change keeps the Elamites' army occupied for far longer, and better-resembles the gates and walls of a Babylonian city.
- Enemy forces: the enemy has a less potent starting force, and no longer has Alexander.
- Main island gold: the starting island now has Gold Mines in the north and west, as well as the outcrop in the southeast near the player's starting Dock. This change makes it harder to deprive the enemy of gold.
- Eastern landmass resources: there are now fewer Berry Bushes in the eastern corner of the map. Instead there is now a large number of them in the middle of the landmass, near the shoreline. This change makes foragers more vulnerable to Elamite raids.
- Return of Rome
- Player names: the enemy name is changed from Elamites to Elamite Army.
- Starting conditions: the player initially has no stockpiled resources. When making landfall on the eastern landmass, the stockpiled resources reset to the original game's values of 300 food, 300 wood, 300 gold, 300 stone. By delaying the access to resources, it makes it less likely that the player will spend so much wood on ships and Market technologies that they can't afford to build a Town Center.
- Evacuation: the player's starting Dock is now initially under Gaia ownership, and the Light Transport doesn't appear until the player's units reach the Dock.
- Eastern landmass threats: the Lion (Alpha) in the north of the eastern landmass is replaced with a regular Lion.
Gallery[]
