| “ | Reeling from the defeat at Manzikert, the Roman Empire is plagued by internal power struggles, rebellions, and foreign invasions. Amid this chaos, Alexios Komnenos resolves to seize the throne and restore the empire's power. Will he rise to be a new Augustus or will he become yet another failed ruler of a dying empire? | ” |
| —In-game scenario description | ||
Komnenos is one of the scenarios in the Victors and Vanquished campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Victors and Vanquished. In this scenario, the player plays as the Byzantines and the player color is purple. This scenario is based on the Komnenian restoration of the Byzantine Empire under Imperator/Autokrator Alexios I Komnenos.
Intro[]
Alexios Komnenos must have known he was a dead man.
He had been sent by the emperor to kill the usurper Melissenos. Alexios would not have hesitated to go to battle, but the usurper was married to Alexios' own sister. Rather than kill a member of his family, he chose to disobey the emperor.
Now, he was summoned to the imperial court. Surely, Alexios was facing his own death.
But also surely, there were many in Constantinople who would support him. Alexios had heard the whispers in the market and the senate hall. The emperor was a weak and old man who could only watch the empire being consumed by war and rebellion.
He clung to power only through the fear brought by his Varangian Guard of Norse Vikings. Surely, plots were forming to depose him.
As he went to the emperor, Alexios knew that it was time for decisive action.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Dark Age (eventually automatic Castle Age) - Starting resources: None, then 500 food, 250 wood, 500 gold
- Starting units:
- Alexios Komnenos (renamed Belisarius)
Objectives[]
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(First part)
- Report to the Emperor.
- Report to the Army Camp.
- Kill the Emperor's Varangian Guardsmen.
- Recruit soldiers in the countryside.
- Do not destroy the city's gates.
- Report to the Army Camp.
- Alexios must survive.
(Upon becoming Emperor)
- Defeat the Seljuk Turks.
- Defeat the Normans.
- Maintain 90+ Legitimacy.
- Eunuch
- Recruit 20 Varangians.
- Conquer Crete and Cyprus.
- Kill the Turkish warlord Tzachas.
- Research Imperial Age at the Hagia Sophia.
- Strategos
- Find the Army Camp in northwestern Anatolia.
- Find the lost army.
- Destroy the Norman camp.
- Destroy the Bulgarians in the Balkans.
- Prepare for the Pechenegs.
- Beat back the Pecheneg horde.
- Patriarch
- Recover 3 Relics.
- Defeat the Fatimids.
- Bring 3 Monks to the Monastery in the west to visit the Pope.
Hints[]
- As emperor, you receive taxes in gold every spring. Trade this gold for resources at the Market.
- Conquer cities from your enemies to increase your tax revenue. Kill all the enemies occupying a city to capture it.
- Workers for building defenses and repairing ships can be trained at the Market. These Villagers cannot gather resources, however.
- The Byzantine tech tree has been modified. Imperial Legionaries are trainable at the Barracks and Varangians can be recruited at the Monument. You do not have access to Camels or Knights.
- Three prominent men will offer objectives: the Eunuch, the Strategos, and the Patriarch. Each represents their own interests (the state, the military, and the church), but they will help you strengthen the empire.
- Monitor your legitimacy (on a 0 – 100 scale). If legitimacy falls below 50, rebellions will occur.
- You lose legitimacy by losing men or buildings in battle and being wounded. Legitimacy can be restored by completing the Eunuch's objectives or giving to the masses at the Amphitheater by holding a chariot race. Note that the cost of races will increase with each use.
- There are four chariot teams in Constantinople: White, Green, Red, and Blue. If you favor the team that wins the race, you receive an additional boost to legitimacy.
- Complete the Strategos' objectives to provide temporary boosts to your Legionaries and Cataphracts. Complete the Patriarch's objectives to receive cohorts of Western crusaders.
Scouts[]
- Alexios Komnenos begins as a strategos (general) serving the Emperor Nikephoros at Constantinople. Much of the empire has been conquered by rival peoples or taken by various rebel groups.
- Just east of Constantinople is Anatolia, controlled by the Seljuk Turks (Green). They are fearsome horsemen who fight as Steppe Lancers, Keshiks, and Cavalry Archers. Through their conquest of Arab and Persian lands, the Seljuks have learned the value of heavier armaments and are well-equipped. Rather than fight directly, the Turks prefer to lure the Byzantines into the open steppe.
- To the west, Italy is controlled by the Normans (Cyan). While their armies include footmen, their knights are their most powerful asset. Not even the Byzantine Cataphracts are able to resist the charge of the Norman cavalry.
- The Fatimids (Yellow) rule the city of Tripoli in the southeast, an important waypost on the pilgrim's road to Jerusalem. Their caliphate is plagued by civil war so they cannot expand aggressively. Their city is well-defended with infantry and Mamelukes, however.
- To the northwest, the River Danube marks the Roman frontier. Beyond the river are Pecheneg steppe nomads (Orange) who fight as Tarkans and Kipchaks. Though the river barricades keep the Pechenegs at bay, a mass migration of this people will quickly threaten Byzantine lands.
- Various rebels (Red) control the cities and islands of Greece and the coastal cities of Anatolia and Italy. Defeating these rebels will restore these cities to imperial control.
- If the imperial legitimacy is allowed to decline, pretenders (Blue) will claim the throne. These claimants will command Byzantine-style armies of Legionaries, Cataphracts, and siege.
Players[]
Player[]
- Player ( Byzantines): The player starts with just Alexios and is tasked first meet the Emperor, then the Eunuch in the Army Camp (with an interlude with the Empress Maria in between). Eventually the player must gain control of the city and the empire, and then rule.
Ally[]
- Peasants ( Byzantines): Represents various passive civilians and settlements outside Constantinople. Defeating Enemies of Rome troops in the fortified towns hands over control of the town to the player, a sum of gold, and an increase in annual tax revenue. The various capturable cities are marked in the map in the strategy section below.
Ally → Neutral → Ally → Enemy[]
- Romaioi → Pretenders ( Byzantines): Initially representing the Eastern Romans ruled by Emperor Nikephoros, when the plan to overthrow him is hatched, this player becomes Neutral. After the coup, the player gains control of their buildings and one Monk. This player reappears later as pretenders to the throne.
Enemies[]
- Seljuk Turks ( Tatars): The Seljuks rule from their stronghold in Anatolia. They train and attack with cavalry armies and Mangonels, and also some warships. Defeating them is a compulsory objective.
- Fatimids ( Saracens): The Caliphate has extended from Arabia and reached into Syria. Their stronghold of Tripoli will not be easy to take, with its walls, many towers, Heavy Camel Riders, Eastern Swordsmen, and Mamelukes. They do not actively attack the player.
- Normans ( Sicilians): The main Norman stronghold is in Southern Italy. They have also built a small war camp (with a Castle) in Dyrrachium (northwestern Balkans) from whence they will launch attacks against Eastern Rome. Defeating them is a compulsory objective.
- Pechenegs ( Cumans): They have several yurt camps along the Danube riverbank in the northeastern Balkans. Their main invading horde will arrive from across the river, whose shallows are initially blocked by some Barricades which will disappear when the invasion begins.
- Enemies of Rome ( Byzantines): They represent various unnamed factions, ranging from marauding highwaymen on the roads, deserter Byzantine troops in Greece, Bulgarians in the mountains, isolated nomads in Anatolia, to the naval island-states of Crete and Cyprus. Some groups of them will also attack the player, by both land and water.
Strategy[]
The coup d'état[]
After the meeting with the Eunuch, the player gets a timer of 10 in-game minutes to find troops, enter the city by subterfuge, and slay the Varangians (hero Berserks) near the Emperor (represented by a Merchant). The player can use the Eunuch to look for the recruitable rebels, but not to fight, as he will leave the player's control upon taking damage.
There are three groups of "rebels" to find, who are just Gaia units which are captured by the player as soon as the player gains Line of Sight on them. These groups are all nearby, so the player should not go far from the city, as many enemies of Rome have set up camps all around and will relentlessly pursue and attack any units they detect.
The biggest recruitable rebel group is directly to the northwest of the army camp, near a ruined temple, consisting of three Legionaries and two Cavalry Archers. Another group of three Crossbowmen is near the Mill in the south of the army camp, right near the wall. Another pair of Legionaries is to the northeast, just north of the city. There is also a Transport Ship near the Legionaries, which the player can use to disembark in the city docks in the southeast, which opens directly into the inner city. The disadvantage in using the ship is the long path to be taken, and the two trips needed to transport all the units (as there are 11 in total not counting the Eunuch, and the ship's capacity is 10). Once landed, the player should kill the Turkeys above to open a gap in the northern path, rather than move west, as a Monk lies in the west and may convert one of the player's units, tipping the balance of the fight.
The player can also enter the city via land without destroying the walls or gates; an Ox Cart belonging to the peasants periodically moves in and out of the city through the main gate near the Aqueduct. As soon as the Gate is opened by the Ox Cart, the player's units can move in. The disadvantage in this way is that there are several Romaioi troops on the way which the player will have to kill or distract with another unit. Once inside, the Gate to the inner city becomes the player's as the Eunuch has bribed the guard in advance.
Once in the inner city, the player should make their way to the Hagia Sophia. The player must kill the two Varangians (one is a modified Hrolf the Ganger, and another is a modified Harald Hardrada) to complete the coup. It will not be an easy fight, as the Varangians are quite strong and deal a lot of damage, and one of them attacks from range. There are also other troops nearby. The player should use Alexios to attack a unit momentarily to gain all of their attention, then run around. As most of the guards continue to chase him, the player should use the other units to kill the Varangians. When they are dead, the player becomes the new Emperor, gaining control of the city and advancing to the Castle Age. All the other units of Romaioi in the city, except the Monk, vanish.
Under new management[]
The scenario at this point onward has a very different system compared to regular matches in the game. The player's reign is only conditionally absolute, as they must maintain their legitimacy through various actions, and may also be affected by random events outside the player's control. Losing units or buildings in combat reduces legitimacy, while defeating enemies entirely provides a significant boost.
The legitimacy is shown at all times in the top-right, in the objectives panel. The panel also shows the season and year, which starts at Spring 1081. The season changes (Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter) every two in-game minutes, i.e. a year passes every 8 minutes. Several objectives will appear over time, some must be completed within a certain duration, and some others should be handled quickly lest they become bigger problems.
The player's economy is based exclusively on taxation. Every spring the player earns taxes in gold, which must be exchanged for other required resources at the Market. The amount of gold gained increases when more cities are held. Extra gold can be earned by retrieving the three Relics scattered across the map.
The player can train certain non-standard units:
- Imperial Legionary (60 food, 30 gold, 40/20 seconds in the Castle/Imperial Age, respectively): Heavy infantry unit. Strong vs. infantry. Weak vs. cavalry and archers. Replaces the Militia-line at the Barracks.
- Varangian (200 gold, 12 seconds): Available at the Hagia Sophia. These are neither as strong nor ranged like the two the player initially fought, but are still excellent against melee opponents. They are similar to Viking Elite Berserks, but with more hit points, and are strong against infantry and siege weapons.
- Villagers are trainable at the Market. They can build and repair buildings, but cannot collect resources, so should be trained in limited numbers. Villagers can only build Outposts, Palisade and Stone walls and gates, and the Watch Tower line.
The player cannot train Fishing Ships, Trade Cogs, or Trade Carts (thus also lacking Caravan). In the Stable, the player lacks Camel Riders and Knights. No gunpowder units or buildings are available (despite the Bombard Tower being available to research). War Galley can be researched only in the Imperial Age, and the player lacks access to Imperial Age upgraded forms for warships. The Imperial Age can be researched at the Hagia Sophia only when the objective is provided by the Eunuch.
Alexios Komnenos is no longer a must-survive unit, as he respawns at the Hagia Sophia when he falls in battle. The player's legitimacy takes a hit every time he falls.
The restoration[]
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As the player's starting forces are few, the player should utilize the starting gold to train some more Monks and upgrade them, then venture outside with the rest of the troops and convert as many isolated units as possible to increase numbers. The remaining resources can be spent on Cataphracts or Varangians for their powerful attributes. The player can train one Villager to build some Watch Towers near the walls (where there are none at the start), to be able to fight off attackers in case the player's army is elsewhere.
At the Amphitheatre, the player can host Chariot races. Race cost starts at 400 gold and has a ramping cost of 200 gold. Holding a race boosts legitimacy by 10 points, and if the team that the player bets on wins (randomly chosen), the player gains an additional 10 points.
The player will begin to receive objectives from the various Byzantine officials. Completing the objectives can also have some hidden benefits:
- Eunuch: His objectives are related to statecraft. Completing any of his objectives improves the player's legitimacy.
- Strategos: The General's objectives are related to military matters. Completing any of his objectives temporarily increases the hit points of Cataphracts by 50, and that of Legionaries by 25.
- Patriarch: His holiness provides religious objectives. Completing any of his objectives prompts twenty European crusader units to arrive to aid, via two Transport Ships from the southwest. The crusader units comprise of 8 Crusader Knights, 5 Teutonic Knights, 2 Missionaries, and 5 Genoese Crossbowmen.
The lost army camp mentioned by the Strategos is just to the east of the city across the water. Once the player reaches it, the player gains its buildings and erects new towers on the cliffs (which are affected by upgrades researched). The lost army is found to the northeast of the camp. Finding the army is of no help as they are all corpses skewered on stakes by the Seljuks, but it does give the bonus for the Strategos as listed above.
The Seljuks periodically attack the player's army base in Anatolia. They are initially weak and can be countered with good micro, and Monks converting their Steppe Lancers. Their Cavalry Archers can be a threat to the Monks.
The Bulgarians in the mountains have ranged units, including Mangonels. These are best countered by Monks with Redemption. They also have many Konniks who will retaliate to attacks. They have no buildings and do not gain any more troops.
After some time as the Emperor, when the news of the forward Norman camp is received, the player gains control of a small walled town in the west containing several military production buildings, a Dock, and some Spearmen. The player can train units except unique units and siege weapons from here to reinforce the attack on the Norman base. The Normans are an aggressive enemy and will soon start attacking Constantinople with Cavaliers, Serjeants, and Capped Rams. The player should have a strong army to counter this and to destroy their base in the far northwest of Greece. They also train some warships and may land with Transport Ships from their second base in Italy. When attacking the Norman camp, it is advisable to convert their rams and Siege Workshop instead of destroying them, which will then be useful to quickly destroy the Castle, as moving the slow siege weapons all the way from Constantinople takes a long time.
One Relic can be found in Anatolia, southwest of the army camp, near a ruined Greek temple. Another Relic is in southern Greece on a thin long island (south from center of the map). The last Relic is on an islet south of Anatolia (southeast from center of map). There are enemy Legionaries and Crossbowmen on this islet.
Freeing a former Byzantine city (controlled by the Peasants player) by killing enemy units and destroying enemy towers in them hands over control of the city to the player, and grants 500 gold per city (250 for the island cities). Capturing Bari requires not only clearing the troops in the city, but also defeating the Pechenegs, possibly due to an oversight. The increased Byzantine territory also increases the annual tax revenue. At the beginning, the player earns 1,000 gold every spring. With all cities captured, the player gains 4,000 gold as taxes annually.
While in the Castle Age, the player needs to use rams to take down Castles. They can be garrisoned with infantry to increase their power and speed.
When the scenario has run for long enough, news of the Pechenegs mobilizing arrives. If the player is not able to complete the main objectives (90+ legitimacy, and defeat of the Normans and Seljuks) soon, then they must prepare for the invasion. The player should wall off the shallows on the Danube river northwest of Constantinople (with the Barricades). It is better to have multiple layers of walls, with multiple layers of Keeps behind. The Pecheneg horde, consisting of Tarkans and Kipchaks, will be immense and therefore needs a significant amount of expense to hold back. Keeps are the best counter to their cavalry armies, as the player's own troops will not be able to match their numbers. If intending to fight in the field instead, the player should have lots of the cheaper Byzantine Halberdiers and Elite Skirmishers.
When the scenario has run for even longer (approximately two in-game hours), the Pretenders return with a vast army to take the throne, irrespective of the player's successes or legitimacy. This army consists of Cataphracts, Imperial Legionaries, Heavy Scorpions, Onagers, and Monks.
Once the player has completed the main objectives, the scenario is won. It enters a free-play mode, such that the player can continue playing and completing objectives to see out the results to the end, or choose to end the scenario with victory by clicking the Declare Victory button at the Hagia Sophia.
Scandals[]
There are various scandals which occur in the following order and decrease Komnenian legitimacy.
- Scandal: Soldiers arguing over a dice game brawled in the streets and accidentally struck a senator. Some wonder why the emperor cannot control his soldiers. Your legitimacy is reduced by 5 points.
- Scandal: You drank a little too much wine and the court is gossiping about what you said in your drunken state. Your legitimacy is reduced by 5 points.
- Scandal: There have been rumors that your wife is sleeping with a prominent strategos. Though these rumors are certainly false, the scandal has damaged your legitimacy by 10 points.
- Scandal: Your brother has gotten a servant girl pregnant. Since he is your kinsman, the scandal has damaged your legitimacy by 10 points.
- Scandal: A preacher has been spreading heresies in the countryside, reducing your legitimacy by 10 points.
Outro[]
The Roman Empire had seemingly breathed its last, devastated by Turks and Normans. But amidst this darkness, Rome's brightest son rose and brought a new dawn to the empire.
After overthrowing the ineffective Nikephoros, Alexios began a series of reforms and conquests that restored the empire to greatness. Over a reign of thirty-seven years, he proved to be among the empire's greatest rulers.
Without Alexios Komnenos, the empire would not have survived.
Trivia[]
- This map is a remaster of the custom scenario called "Komnenos - The Byzantine Restoration", present in the mod center.
- Like another scenario in the expansion, Seljuk, the Seljuk Turks are portrayed by the Tatars civilization rather than the Turks, whereas the appearance of this faction in scenarios of previous expansions has always been as Turks, such as in Barbarossa, Manzikert, The Hautevilles, Tamar, and Thoros II.
- The map lighting changes based on the current season. The lighting can be seen if Map Lighting is enabled in Graphics settings page (default).
Gallery[]
See also[]
- Bohemond and the Emperor: Part of the events of this scenario as witnessed by the Normans under Bohemond.
