โ | As the Mongol Yuan dynasty loses its grip on China, the powerful Han and Ming factions vie for the right to proclaim the next emperor. Propel the Ming to supremacy and claim the Mandate of Heaven! | โ |
—In-game scenario description in the Definitive Edition |
Lake Poyang (reworked from Langshan Jiang before the Definitive Edition) is a scenario of the Battles of the Forgotten in Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten. The player must make sure that all shipments arrive to the Temple Complex without losing them. The shipments arrive in different places every 25 minutes (25 minutes for the first one and 15 minutes subsequently in the Definitive Edition) after the start of the game. In this scenario, the player, allies, and enemies are all Chinese. It is based on the Battle of Lake Poyang (1363).
Before the Definitive Edition, the scenario was based on the Battle of Langshan Jiang (919). Despite being renamed after a different battle, the scenario is mostly the same, only with some small, but profound changes.
Intro[]
In the distance, wooden towers as tall as giants take shape in the dense morning fog that hovers over the vast Poyang lake. These wooden islands, each carrying two to three thousand men and horses, are tall enough to scale city walls. Their target is the Ming city of Nanchang.
The Mongol Yuan dynasty is on the verge of collapse and Chinese warlords are eager to take its place. The Han want to make use of the fighting between their rivals, the Ming and the Wu, to launch a surprise attack on the Ming and seize the Jiangxi region from them.
The Ming, however, are not prepared to surrender Nanchang so easily, and their army sails north to face the Han. The Ming general Zhu Yuanzhang is outnumbered, but he is determined to thwart the Han ambitions. After all, only one warlord can rule China.
10th century- the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Medieval China. The land is once again in turmoil. In the far East, near the sea, there is the small coastal state of Wuyue, advanced in science and culture. Due to its wealth it has given its ruler Qian Liu the opportunity to attack Wuyue's bigger and stronger neighbor, the state of Wu. Wu is a military powerhouse and hated by the other states, so Qian Liu aims to destroy his enemy and secure its military power for himself.
Success will ensure eternal glory for the king and his people and a chance at reuniting China. Defeat will mean the end of the Wuyue state and its great ruler. The invasion is to take place near the Langshan or the Wolf Mountain, on the northern shores of the Yangtze river, where the Wuyue navy under Prince Qian Yuanguan has quickly built a fleet of small war vessels, having modified fishing and trade ships. The Wu, however, got word of the river invasion and have sent their best commander, Peng Yanzhang, to protect the river at all costs.
Resources in this war-plagued land are scarce and technology and innovation will prove to play an important role in the upcoming battle. Outnumbered and in hostile territory, Qian Yuanguan will need to be creative and work quickly in order to succeed. Aside from technology, the prince will also have to rely on the support of the locals to obtain more supplies for his navy. Therefore, Qian Liu has ordered his son to sail down the river to a lake on whose shores he plans to build a grandiose temple.
If he succeeds in building it, the temple will show the people of Wu the might of the Wuyue and the ruler of Wu will quickly lose his support among his military leaders. While small rays of sun dance on the steady and calm Wolf Mountain River, shouts are heard in the far distance... If silent, one can hear them cry: "Enemy ships sighted!". Soon, the river will turn red...Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age: Imperial Age
- Starting resources: 200 food, 400 wood, 300 gold
- Population limit: 150
- Starting units:
- 6 War Galleys
- 4 Fire Ships
- 4 Demolition Ships
- 2 Transport Ships containing:
- Starting Age: Castle Age
- Starting resources: 200 food, 400 wood, 300 gold
- Population limit: 150
- Starting units:
- 6 War Galleys
- 4 Fire Ships
- 3 Demolition Ships
- 2 Transport Ships containing:
Objectives[]
Main objectives[]
- Clear the way for the first shipment for the Nanchang temple complex. You have 25 minutes.
- Escort the first shipment to the temple complex.
- Escort the remaining four shipments safely. Each will arrive 15 minutes after the previous one makes it to the temple construction site safely.
- Finish building the temple while protecting it from enemy attacks.
Secondary objectives[]
Initial[]
- You have 25 minutes to clear the blockade before the first shipment arrives.
Appearing later[]
- Escort the first shipment to the Temple Complex/Nanchang (Definitive Edition).
- Escort the remaining 4 shipments safely. Each will arrive 25 minutes after the previous reaches the temple complex.
- Build a Monument and protect it from enemy attacks.
Dragon ship quest[]
- Find a fuse to ignite the oil.
- Find a smith to cast the Fire Siphons.
- Find a Master Builder for the ships.
Secondary Objectives[]
- The rice farmers will provide the player with food as long as their market stands.
- As long as the Trade Workshop (cyan) stands, the player will receive Dragon Ships.
Hints[]
- The Ming navy is limited to a population of 150.
- The Ming have sent soldiers ahead to help your navy pass the Han blockade. You should look for them.
- You can either destroy all enemy towers and ships blockading the lake, or, if you are running out of time, use your own ships to distract the enemy vesels by letting them take enemy fire.
- Shipments for the city of Nanchang are being sent from all directions, and they will arrive in different places on the lake. Make sure to clear the blockades in time, as you will lose if any shipment is sunk.
- It is possible to bribe the nearby pirates to help you fight the Han, but it will not be cheap.
- Local Chinese peasants have said that they are willing to help the Ming by building special fire ships for them. Scouts say that their shipyard is to the north.
- Scout your starting position, as there are warriors willing to join you.
- You can either destroy all enemy towers and ships blocking the river passage or use your own ships to cover the shipment by taking the fire while it crosses.
- The shipments are being sent from all across the land and they will spawn in different places. Make sure to clear the enemy navy from the sea, as if any shipment is lost you will be defeated.
- The River Pirates may be open to negotiate an alliance, but they will not be cheap.
- Rumors say that a monk in the region is developing a secret weapon with which you can easily defeat the enemy navy.
Scouts[]
- The Ming Navy (1, Blue) approaches the lake from the west. Between them and the city of Nanchang is a blockade formed by the Han Navy (8, Orange).
- Nanchang (4, Yellow) is to the far south and has sent word that they have prepared the location where the great temple will be built. They are only waiting for the Ming navy and the construction materials to arrive.
- The Han admiral Chen (2, Red) has built fortifications on the lake's coast and is preparing to launch an amphibious invasion of the city of Nanchang. This must be prevented at all costs.
- Admiral Chen also has the support of the Han army (6, Grey) which will attack the city by land.
- Nearby Pirates (3, Green) have a naval base to the northeast of Nanchang.
- The Wu navy (Red) controls the shores and has blockades on all river crossings. The Wu army (Purple) has a strong base on the land and will train a large army. The River Pirates (Green) have a naval base to the northeast and small squads dispersed across the land guarding important resources.
- The Temple Complex (Yellow) is to the southeast and will assist the player, but has no army and needs protection. The Chinese Peasants (Cyan) have a few small villages in the area and can help as long as the player keeps them safe.
Players[]
Player[]
- Player ( Chinese): Starts with a few warships in the west and must break through the blockade of Lake Poyang to get to Nanchang.
Allies[]
- Chinese Peasants ( Chinese): Located at a few different places: just east of where the starting point is; at the far north of the map; and at the far east of the map. Only the northern village play an active role in the scenario by providing Dragon Ships for 70 gold per ship. The colony just east of the starting point will turn over to the player's control after defeating the first flotilla of Han Navy.
- Nanchang ( Chinese): The place where the player has to build the Temple of Heaven. In this scenario they play no role, and are located on the south side of the map. The player has to clear all the enemy ships blocking their way and escort 5 shipments which start from different locations on the map to Nanchang. After the first shipments reach Nanchang, the player will have the whole of Nanchang turned into their base.
Enemy โ Ally (potential)[]
- Pirates ( Chinese): Their base are located in the north east of the map. They are also scattered around Nanchang to the east and west. They ask for 2,000 gold from the player in return for their alliance. Even though they are easy to defeat, two shipments arrive from this direction, and it will be better if the player can make them allies. The Pirates are not that strong however, but it might still be useful to pay them as they offer a small distraction for shipments arriving on the north-east edge of the map.
Enemies[]
- Admiral Chen ( Chinese) - Located in different places on the map with Galleons, Fire Ships and several Transport Ships with Han Navy units. They are scattered in different places and block the passage of all shipments to Nanchang. As they don't have Villagers, destroying their docks is a good option. However, Admiral Chen has towers with extremely high range and attack guarding some of their docks, so destroying all of their docks will be near impossible. It is still important to destroy as many of their ships and docks as possible before, during, and after each shipment.
- Han Army ( Chinese): Located to the west of Nanchang. The Han Army includes rams and a sizable army of both missile and land units such as Light Cavalry, Cavaliers, Mangonels, Scorpions, Trebuchets, and Chu Ko Nu. Though they are difficult to defeat, building a Castle and some towers in their direction before the fifth shipment arrives, will help the player later in the game. They attack only on land. Mostly send small raids with Light Cavalry, but after the fifth shipment arrive, they will attempt an assault on the city with all their soldiers.
- Han Navy ( Chinese): They will attack the player and block the shipments, similar to Admiral Chen. Most of their ships are guarding the location where the Transport Ships is arriving. They have Galleons, Fire Ships, and some transports with soldiers later in the game.
Ally โ Neutral[]
Player[]
- Player ( Chinese)
Neutral โ Allies (potential)[]
- Temple Complex ( Chinese): The place where the player has to build the Temple of Heaven. In this scenario they play no role, and are located on the south side of the map. The player has to land here by clearing all the enemy ships blocking their way. The player has to escort 5 shipments which start from different locations on the map. The player will have their base here.
- Chinese Peasants ( Chinese): Located at different places where the player can complete the Dragon Ship quest. They will tribute 500 food and Dragon Ships, which are like Fire Ships, as long as the player protects their Market and Trade Workshop.
Enemy โ Ally[]
- River Pirates ( Chinese): Located in the north east of the map. They are also scattered around Nanchang to the east and west. They ask for 2,000 gold from the player in return for their alliance. Even though they are easy to defeat, two shipments arrive from this direction, and it will be better if the player can make them allies as they will be able to quickly wipe out the Siege Workshops and Docks located on the northern island and will produce a large navy to support the player.
Enemy[]
- Peng Yanzhang ( Chinese): Located in different places on the map with Galleons, Fire Ships and several Transport Ships with Wu Army units. The player should kill their ships before the fifth shipment arrives in order to make the game easier. They are scattered in different places and block the passage of all shipments to Peng Yanzhang. Clearing their ships before the second shipment arrives will be a better option for the player. As they don't have Villagers, destroying their docks is a good option.
- Wu Army ( Chinese): Located to the south of the starting point. The Wu Army includes four rams and a sizable army of both missile and land units such as Light Cavalry, Trebuchets, and Chu Ko Nu. Though they are difficult to defeat, building a castle and some towers in their direction before the third shipment arrives, will help the player later in the game. They attack only on land. When the player begins construction of the Temple of Heaven, they will attempt an assault on the city.
- Wu Navy ( Chinese): Located mainly in the west and in the south. They block the path of the five shipments. Clearing their ships before the second shipment arrives will be a better option for the player. They attack on land and with Galleons. As they don't have Villagers, destroying their docks is a good option.
Ally โ Neutral[]
Course of events[]
The player starts with a bunch of ships in the western corner of the map and has 25 minutes to clear the way for the first shipment (one allied Transport Ship, starting at the same spot as the player, that will go to the Temple Complex/Nanchang). For this, the player has to destroy the ships and Towers in the narrow waterway before them, and some small groups of ships in the open water in the middle of the map.
The Chinese Peasant village in the left map corner will be switched to the player once they discover it. When the first transport ship arrives, all the player's buildings and units will be switched to Chinese Peasants, i.e. they lose everything, except for the resources they have gathered. (This does not happen in the Definitive Edition) But at the same time, a part of the Temple Complex/NanChang will be switched to the player, so they will have a well developed base. It has enough housing for 100 units, while the maximum unit limit for this scenario is 150.
After that, every 25 minutes another allied Transport Ship will arrive at the map edges and go towards the temple. The second Transport Ship will appear behind the Pirate settlement on the northeast edge, the third on the northwest edge behind the peninsula, the fourth where the player started and the fifth on the southwest edge where the small creek with "seawall bridge" is. If any of those transports are destroyed, the player will lose the scenario. When all have arrived, the player has to send villagers to build the Temple of Heaven (a Wonder). When it is completed, the scenario is won.
Note: In the Definitive Edition, The 2nd, and 4th shipment arrivals are different. (2nd) will arrive north of the pirate base. (4th) east of the pirate base.
Strategy[]
At first, kill a few enemy ships in front of the player until the player gets in range of the first Tower. Meanwhile, send the Transport Ship with the Villagers to the right, and they will discover a few units, including a Trebuchet. Unload the Villagers to gather the gold and wood in that small piece of land. Load the Trebuchet and additional units, and take all the soldiers (in the transports) and take them a few tiles it to the small swamp spots along the waterway ahead.
(Definitive Edition: Unload them a couple of tiles north of the lumber camp. There, the player will find a small Chinese Peasant colony that will change to the player's control.)
Use the Trebuchet to destroy the towers and use the remaining soldiers to kill the scattered enemy around the area. Start gathering food with the villagers. Meanwhile, build a Monastery and 3-4 Monks and a Market to sell wood and food for gold and stone. Convert as many enemy ships as possible and repair the ships with Villagers. This will allow for two strategies from now on.
Definitive Edition: Be protective and try to destroy the towers first to protect the ships and soldiers, before moving in to kill the scattered enemy troops. Gather food, wood, and gold (there is another tile of gold just south east of the end of the river delta/swamp area). Build a Market to balance economy where needed. Build Monastery and 2-3 monks to convert as much enemy ships as possible. Be careful not to get the monks killed as they are expensive. Ensure Block Printing (See Chinese update where they can access Block Printing), and Illumination is researched. Build a university to research Chemistry. Build a Dock where the player loaded the Trebuchet, and create as many War Galleys/Galleons as possible, whilst researching Galleon, Shipwright, and Dry Dock. Add 2-3 fishing ships for additional food income.
Strategy A[]
The player must clear the way and wait for the Transport Ship to appear, then escort it, possibly sacrificing some units on the way. The player will now have a base behind the temple complex. Secure it to both sides on land and wear down the enemy as usual. Peng Yanzhang will build a lot of ships, but can't build any new buildings, so concentrate on their Docks to make things much easier (Cannon Galleons really help a lot here). Have 2,000 gold handy to pay the Pirates for alliance when that opportunity opens, or just destroy them if that's easier.
In this strategy, the player is under time pressure, and MUST clear the way for the Transport Ships in time or lose. Saving the game before each Transport Ship appears is strongly recommended.
Strategy B[]
Before the Transport Ship arrives, position all ships in a tight formation in the waterway, blocking it completely, so that the Transport Ship cannot pass. With careful re-positioning, it can be trapped so it can't move at all by just using a few ships and still be able to get around that spot with the player's own Transport Ships. The player should save the game before and after, to be on the safe side, because if the Transport slips through, it can't be caught anymore.
It is possible to block the narrow section of the river (right in between the first 4 red Towers) with only 4 ships.
As long as the Transport Ship is stuck there, the player can develop as slow as they want. Peng Yanzhang will send around some single ships that need a bit of attention, but otherwise the enemies will not move yet. That means the player can build a Dock at the waterway delta and establish a trade route with the Temple Complex with a lot of Trade Cogs and invest that heap of money in technologies. For example, it is easier to just wait until the player can afford Spies than exploring the map the hard way.
So this is a strategy for the "relaxed builder" type of gamer.
There is no need to let loose the trapped transport ship until every last enemy is wiped out completely. Then just let it slip, set time to 8x and wait until all ships have reached the temple, put a few dozen Villagers on the temple to build it and the scenario is over.
Strategy B is less practical in the Definitive Edition.
Definitive Edition Strategy[]
This strategy is similar to Strategy A, but requires a few amendments due to Definitive Edition changes.
The player must clear the way and wait for the Transport Ship to appear, then escort it, possibly sacrificing some units on the way. After the first shipment, the player will now have relatively built up base at Nanchang. Immediately start collecting resources and training additional villagers. Construct additional docks within the harbor to train Galleons at a faster rate. Although Fire Ships are better at fighting enemy Galleons, Han Navy and Admiral Chen will have Demolition Ships that damage Fire Ships easily. Mass Galleon + focus fire on enemy ships is important. Ensure all relevant Blacksmith, Dock, and University upgrades to improve Galleons is researched. Enemy ships appear to lack certain Blacksmith upgrades, so the ships will be able to tackle enemies.
Han Navy will eventually attack the initial colony in the west, so transport all the Villagers, Trebuchet, Monks, and soldiers across to Nanchang.
Secure both sides of Nanchang on land, especially the west of the city, as the Han Army will consistently attack. When enough resources are stockpiled, construct a castle outside the west gate of the city, and upgrade Architecture, Arrowslits, Keep, and Bombard Tower. With the soldiers the player initially starts with, as well as soldiers gained in Nanchang, scout to the east of the city and kill the small groups of Pirates in the area. Construct an additional TC east of the city and continue to gather the resources there. Use the soldiers to do the same for the west side of the city up until eastern gate of the Han Army base at the river ford. Note: There is a relic at the eastern peasant village, collect it and bring it to the city's monastery located on the west side of the city.
Admiral Chen and Han Navy will constantly patrol the lake and attack the city by water. Constantly build Galleons and clear the path for the transport ships. Cannon Galleons will help with destroying towers. Also, as the enemies can't build any new buildings, destroy their Docks to make things slightly easier. But, Admiral Chen has a few Fortified Towers that have a range as high as a Trebuchet and an attack level that can kill ships with one arrow, so the docks around those areas will not be able to be destroyed without heavy losses, and those areas should be avoided. These towers are located (1) to the north west of the lake, south east of Admiral Chen's base; (2) east of the lake, south of the pirate base; and (3) east of the Han Army base.
Eventually, pay 2,000 gold to the Pirates for an alliance when that opportunity opens, or just destroy them if that's easier, but it is better to just pay, as they distract the enemy.
After the second shipment and in preparation for the third, find the northern Chinese Peasant village. There, the player will be able to buy Dragon Ships for 70 gold each. Add them to the armada, as they are very strong and better than regular Castle Age Fire Ships (and the Chinese cannot create Fast Fire Ships). Be alert that the path of the third shipment takes it near a Fortified Tower with extremely long range and enough attack power to destroy it in a single shot- as this means it will be more than capable of sinking the player's own ships as well, it will be necessary to sacrifice a part of the fleet to create a distraction long enough for the shipment to pass by it safely.
Time management is key. Death of the transport ships will result in defeat. Saving at intervals of the scenario is highly advised.
Construct additional towers and bombard towers around the base. After all the shipments have arrived, bring as many villagers as possible to construct the Temple of Heaven. The player should have a large enough navy and army to protect the city. All Han forces (inc. Admiral Chen) will launch an 'all out' assault on the city. Defend the city until the Temple is completed.
Note: in the Definitive Edition, to earn the "Smoke on the Water" achievement, the player has to purchase 20 Dragon Ships and possess them at the same time. That is, the achievement is not earned if the player purchases 20 Dragon Ships in total, but some get destroyed.
The Dragon Boat Quest (removed in the Definitive Edition)[]
As soon as the player reaches the mouth of the waterway, they can see a grey, smoking area on the south bank. This has no actual purpose in game (i.e. they don't have to do anything there), just for the story, which says that the player found combustible tar oil here. Now the player needs black powder to ignite it, a smith to construct a flame thrower and a Dock to build special ships around it. Find the Monk in the southern corner of the map for the first task. The smith is in the eastern corner (discovering the Chinese Peasant village there will yield 500 food regularly, as long as their Market is not destroyed) and the shipyard is in the northern corner. Here, Dragons Ships (a special kind of Fire Ships with high pierce armor, strong against buildings) will trickle out as long as their Dock is not destroyed.
This is mainly for story purposes, as this was the first military use of black powder recorded in history (the ancient Greek used similar tactics in ship battles, but not with black powder). But for game play purposes, this quest is negligible, as the player will have to be at all corners of the map (which means they have progressed already quite far) and then they will only receive a small amount of ships over time. The default ship types do fine, and the player can build many more of them.
Outro[]
Although vastly outnumbered by the large Han tower ships, the smaller and more maneuverable Ming vessels were better suited for the shallow water. During the second night of the battle, the Ming launched a surprise attack with fire ships, which devastated many of the Han ships. Thousands of Han soldiers drowned or burned alive.
The Ming victory secured their position as the strongest faction in China. In time, they conquered the Middle Kingdom, ending a century of Mongol domination. The new dynasty ruled China for nearly three centuries, ushering in a great age of prosperity and stability.Qian Yuanguan used various tactics during the battle- he ordered his men to throw ashes into the faces of the enemy sailors and to use sand to protect the decks of their own ships from fire. Later, after his ascension to the throne, he was named Wenmu, or civil and solemn. King Wenmu's use of gunpowder to ignite his flamethrowers' oil and burn the enemy fleet is the first recorded use of the explosive mixture for military purposes. Although not a decisive end to the Chinese civil war, this battle is probably the most important event of its time and changed the future of the entire world.
Historical information[]
The scenario is based off the 919 CE Battle of Langshan Jiang during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, during which the navy of Wuyue general Qian Guanyuan (the player) defeated the Wu navy of Peng Yanzhang. Although the game depicts Wu as having a larger navy and army, the two forces were actually around the same size in real life.
In the Definitive Edition, however, the scenario is instead based on the Battle of Lake Poyang in 1363 between Zhu Yuanzhang rebel forces and Chen Youliang during the Red Turban Rebellion which brought the end of the Yuan dynasty. Chen besieged Nanchang with a large fleet on Lake Poyang and Zhu engaged with a much smaller fleet. As in the real battle, a small fishing ship managed to slip through the Chen blockade, as depicted by the Fishing boat warning the player of the enemy fleet. Although the scenario ends with Chen being defeated, the battle was less conclusive.
Trivia[]
- This is the only scenario in the entire game where the Chinese are featured as a playable civilization.
- In all the rest of the Chinese faction's appearances, they appear either as antagonists, this being the case in the Genghis Khan, Gajah Mada, Bayinnaung, Le Loi, and The Art of War campaigns or as an ally, in the Noryang Point scenario.
- As more shipments arrive, corresponding map objects are added around the Temple of Heaven. They are removed once the construction commences.
- The protagonist of this scenario, Zhu Yuanzhang, was the father of the Ming emperor Zhu Di, the primary antagonist in the campaign Le Loi.