Age of Empires Series Wiki

Feel free to comment on a page! To do this, simply scroll to the bottom at type into the box.

READ MORE

Age of Empires Series Wiki
Age of Empires Series Wiki

Loose Ends is the third scenario of the reworked Bari campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. It depicts the Second Battle of Cannae in 1018, in which the Byzantine forces of southern Italy under Basil Boioannes fought the Lombard uprising led by Melus of Bari and their Norman mercenaries.

Intro[]

My father coughed and took another draught of wine. "Melus sought aid from Salerno, while Dattus fortified a tower on the Garigliano River. From there, they gathered support and renewed their strength.

Melus reached far for help. Lombards, Germans, and Apulians answered the call, eager for glory and plunder. But there was one more group whose help Melus enlisted!

A new generation of Norman adventurers, forebears of the scum who attack our city as we speak. It is because of Melus that this new menace is upon us.

In response, the Byzantine Emperor sent the general Basil Boioannes and an elite force of the fabled Varangian Guard to meet Melus in the field and crush the rebellion for good.

The armies drew up near the River Ofanto, not far from where the Romans had clashed with Hannibal of Carthage some twelve centuries earlier. The fate of the Mezzogiorno was about to be decided..."

Scenario instructions[]

Starting conditions[]

Differences between difficulty levels[]

Objectives[]

  • Defeat Melus' Army.
  • Defeat the Norman Mercenaries.

Hints[]

  1. The Byzantine forces are restricted to a population limit of 125.
  2. Remember that the Byzantines can advance to the Imperial Age quite rapidly because they do not have to spend as many resources as most other civilizations to do so.
  3. Protecting your ally keeps the possibility open of acquiring additional gold through trade.

Scouts[]

  • Basil Boioannes (1, Purple) has taken his position in the northeast of the map, while his allies of the Varangian Guard (2, Blue) have camped to the south. The Varangian Guard will mostly rely on infantry such as Berserks and Long Swordsmen. Although their loyalty is beyond question, they will be in for trouble if they are attacked by Norman cavalry.
  • Your enemies, Melus (3, Orange) and his Norman Mercenaries (4, Yellow), have pitched their camps across the river. Melus will send infantry into battle and he will also construct rams and Trebuchets. The Norman mercenary cohort consists of heavy cavalry and Serjeants.

Players[]

Player[]

Ally[]

  • Varangian Guard ( Vikings): they start in the South. the Varangian Guard is defended by just a couple of towers and a Castle, and will not build defensive walls. The Vikings field a strong army of Berserks, Skirmishers, and Scorpions that is very effective against Huskarls. They are scripted to advance to the Imperial Age a second after the player.

Enemies[]

  • Melus' Army ( Goths): they start in the North, directly opposite to the player, across the river. Melus will train Elite Huskarls, Halberdiers, Crossbowmen, Monks, rams, and Trebuchets, and will advance to the Imperial Age. His initial Castle is behind stone walls, but his base is mostly undefended, as Goths have no Stone Walls and the few Watch Towers in his base are fairly weak. He also relies on Villagers and Trade Carts that can be raided.
  • Norman Mercenaries ( Sicilians - Normans ( Franks before Lords of the West)): they only have Stables, some Houses, a Castle, and a Market in order to trade with Melus. Their base is surrounded by a palisade. They will initially field Serjeants and Knights, but will advance to the Imperial Age together with Melus and upgrade their Knights to Cavaliers and build Trebuchets. Since they have no Town Center or Villagers, they cannot be raided.

Dialogue[]

Byzantine Soldier: Commander Boioannes! Melus and his allies ready their forces across the river. Lead us to a swift victory and end the terror that they have brought to Apulia!


Varangian Guard: It is a fine day to grind an axe. We will lay your enemies low or die trying!

When Norman Mercenaries attack the player:

Byzantine Soldier: A party of shield-bearing Norman riders approach, led by Gilbert Buatรจre! May fortune guide our spears!

After Norman Mercenaries are defeated:

Byzantine Soldier: Gilbert Buatรจre has fallen and his Norman knights take to flight! Fortune is with us, Commander!

When Melus' Army attacks the player:

Melus: Let us now see whose blades are sharper! My men will cut through your ranks like a scythe through grain!

When Melus' Army camp is attacked:

Melus: Boioannes' forces threaten our camp! Send forth all reserves!

After Melus' Army is defeated:

Byzantine Soldier: Twelve centuries ago, a barbarian horde massacred our Roman forebears on this very field. Now it is the barbarians who lie slain beyond count!

If Varangian Guard is defeated:

Varangian Guard: Cattle and kindred fall alike, but words of praise and a noble name never perish. To Valhalla!

Strategy[]

There is very little gold on this map, so the player's first priority should be building a Monastery and training two Monks to recover the Relics. There is one easy to reach to the west, between the player and their ally's base. The other is north across the river, closer the Melus' base. There is a tower so it would be wise to distract it with some troops while the Monk runs the Relic. A Market for trade will help gold accumulation in the late-game.

The Varangian Guard will soon be under attack by the Mercenaries, but Melus is a stronger enemy, so the player can leave the Varangian Guard by themselves for the time being (the player can still win the scenario if the Varangian Guard is defeated). Since Melus focuses on infantry, the player should build a Castle and starting queuing Cataphracts to defend their base. Training more Villagers is also important, but the player is restricted to a population limit of 125 so they should either ensure they have enough population space for military units or delete Villagers later in the game when resources are not a problem.

When in the Imperial Age, the player should fully upgrade their Cataphracts (researching Logistica will be very important against Melus' infantry spam) and build at least eight Trebuchets. Now attack the Mercenaries, which should not be a problem with a big army of Elite Cataphracts and Trebuchets. Just avoid losing too many units as the gold will become scarce and Melus is way harder to defeat. After most of their buildings are destroyed, the Mercenaries will resign, but the player should still destroy their Market to disrupt Melus' trade.

Now it remains to defeat Melus. Even though the player's fully upgraded Elite Cataphracts deal +18 bonus against infantry and have 16 cavalry armor, Melus' Halberdiers still deal +16 bonus damage against Elite Cataphracts, and Cataphracts are also vulnerable to Crossbowmen (due to their low pierce armor) and Monks, as well as Towers and Castles, so the player should build a second Castle if they have enough stone and queue more Cataphracts to compensate for losses in battle and to counter Melus' infantry spam. At the same time, the Trebuchets should focus on taking down Melus' Castles first and then the Town Centers. Since Melus' Villagers will attempt to rebuild everything that was destroyed, the player should use their Cataphracts to kill as many enemy Villagers as possible and also ensure they do not rebuild (enemy Villagers will cancel the construction of any building, now matter how close to being built, as soon as they are attacked by any enemy unit). When Melus has no more Villagers, the player can finish the scenario by destroying Melus' remaining production buildings.

Outro[]

"Not unlike its predecessor, the Second Battle of Cannae was a massacre. The Lombards and their Norman allies were no match for Boioannes' strategic prowess and the ferocity of his Varangian troops.

Melus fled the field and sought refuge with the Pope, which sent him to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor. He gradually poisoned the minds of several influential courtiers and, eventually, the Emperor himself.

Melus died in exile, but the effects of his political machinations were soon to be felt throughout Italy."

Historical comparison[]

  • Following his defeat at Bari in the previous scenario, Melus spent several years in exile in Salerno, before raising a new Lombard force and convincing Norman mercenaries to join his cause. Assuring the Normans of an easy and profitable victory over the Byzantines, Melus' army quickly got the better of the Byzantines led by catepan Kontoleon Tornikios in two engagements and began Apulia. Tornikios was replaced as catepan by Basil Boioannes, whose army was able to deliver a devastating counter blow at Cannae, ending Melus' ambitions.
  • As in the previous scenario, the Lombards are again represented by the Goths in-game. Like the Goths, the Lombards were a Germanic tribe that migrated south and settled in Italy.
  • The Norman mercenaries are represented by the Sicilians after the Lords of the West update, replacing their earlier depiction as Franks. However, since the Normans had not yet begun their conquest and assimilation into southern Italy, they still use the Western European architectural style rather than their standard Mediterranean style.
    • Cannae was one of the first Norman ventures into Italy, but also a disaster: commander Gilbert Buatรจre and most his knights perished in the battle.
  • The Varangian Guard is portrayed as the Vikings. In real life, the Varangian Guard was an elite unit of Byzantine Empire, comprising recruits from Northern Europe. In 1018 its men were principally Swedes, but it also included Norse, Danes, Rus' and later Anglo-Saxons. In keeping with their Viking ancestors and the Berserk, the Varangians mainly fought on foot, relying on the Dane axe in combat.
Campaigns in Age of Empires II
The Age of Kings
William Wallace 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
PS5 - Xbox: Preparing for Battleยท The Battle of Stirling ยท Forge an Alliance ยท The Battle of Falkirk
Joan of Arc 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
Saladin 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
Genghis Khan Crucible ยท A Life of Revenge ยท Into China ยท The Horde Rides West ยท The Promise ยท Pax Mongolica
Barbarossa Holy Roman Emperor ยท Henry the Lion ยท Pope and Antipope ยท The Lombard League ยท Barbarossa's March ยท The Emperor Sleeping
Others E3 1998
* added with update 75350
The Conquerors
Attila the Hun 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
El Cid Brother against Brother ยท The Enemy of my Enemy ยท The Exile of the Cid ยท Black Guards ยท King of Valencia ยท Reconquista
Montezuma Reign of Blood ยท The Triple Alliance ยท Quetzalcoatl ยท La Noche Triste ยท The Boiling Lake ยท Broken Spears
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
The Forgotten
Alaric 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
Vlad Dracula 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
Bari 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
Sforza 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# (removed) Tales of La Canela ยท The Split ยท The Amazones ยท The Cannibals
Prithviraj* 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@ Bukhara ยท Dos Pilas ยท York ยท Honfoglalรกs ยท Langshan Jiang ยท Kurikara ยท Cyprus ยท Bapheus ยท Kaesong (cut)
# added with patch 3.3; * added with patch 3.5; @ added with patch 3.6
The African Kingdoms
Tariq ibn Ziyad The Battle of Guadalete ยท Consolidation and Subjugation ยท Divide and Conquer ยท Crossing the Pyrenees ยท Razzia
Sundjata Hunted ยท The Sting of the Scorpion ยท Djeriba Gold ยท Blood on the River Bank ยท The Lion's Den
Francisco de Almeida The Old World ยท Lion of Africa ยท Ruins of Empires ยท Estado da India ยท A Son's Blood
Yodit Path of Exile ยท The Right Partner ยท A Fallen Crown ยท Broken Stelae ยท Welcome Home
Rise of the Rajas
Gajah Mada The Story of Our Founders ยท Unconditional Loyalty ยท The Oath to Unify Nusantara ยท Serving the New King ยท The Pasunda Bubat Tragedy
Suryavarman I Usurpation ยท Quelling the Rebellion ยท A Dangerous Mission ยท Challenging a Thalassocracy ยท Nirvanapada
Bayinnaung The Burmese Tigers ยท The Mandalay Cobra ยท The Royal Peacock ยท The White Elephant ยท The Old Tiger
Le Loi 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
Definitive Edition
The Art of War 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
Pachacuti A New Power Arises ยท The Field of Blood ยท War of Brothers ยท The Falcon's Tent ยท Like Father, Like Son

Historical Battles
Tours ยท Vinlandsaga ยท Hastings ยท Manzikert ยท Agincourt ยท Kyoto ยท Noryang Point
Bukhara ยท Kurikara ยท Cyprus ยท Bapheus ยท Lepanto
Dos Pilas ยท York ยท Honfoglalรกs ยท Lake Poyang
Event scenarios E3 2019 Demo ยท Mongol Raiders ยท Barbarossa Brawl ยท Mangudai Madness ยท The Siege (co-op) ยท Ayn Jalut
The Last Khans
Tamerlane 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
Ivaylo 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
Kotyan Khan Raising the Banners ยท The Battle at the Kalka River ยท Saving the Huts ยท Blood for Blood ยท A New Home
Lords of the West
Edward Longshanks Vain Ambition ยท A Man of God ยท Of Castles and Kings ยท Toom Tabard ยท Hammer of the Scots
Grand Dukes 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
The Hautevilles 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
Algirdas and Kestutis Family Affairs ยท No Man's Land ยท The Tatar Yoke ยท A Worthy Opponent ยท In the Shadow of the Throne
Jadwiga 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 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
Dynasties of India
Babur Pearl of the East ยท The Last Timurids ยท Into India ยท The Battle of Panipat ยท The Rajputs
Rajendra The Successor ยท Deeds of the Father ยท Rising Star ยท Sacred Waters ยท Slaying the Vritra
Devapala Dissatisfaction ยท Desire ยท Renunciation ยท Liberation? ยท Enlightenment
The Mountain Royals
Ismail The Red Hats ยท Road to Royalty ยท Alexander Safavi ยท The Fallen Amir ยท Khata'i
Thoros II Outlawed ยท The Emperor's Revenge ยท Caught in the Crossfire ยท Bloody Crestwaves ยท Of Turncoats and Traitors
Tamar Takeover ยท Yury's Revenge ยท The Protectorate ยท Tamar the Builder ยท The Queen in the Panther's Skin
Victors and Vanquished
Victors and Vanquished
Charlemagne ยท Finehair ยท Ironside ยท Nobunaga
Drake ยท Fetih ยท Gaiseric ยท Robert ยท Temujin ยท Xie An*
Constantine XI ยท Karlsefni ยท Komnenos ยท Mstislav ยท Otto ยท Ragnar ยท Seljuk ยท Shimazu ยท Stephen ยท Vortigern
* added with update 141935
The Three Kingdoms
Liu Bei The Oath of the Peach Garden ยท Heroes of the Realm ยท The Scholar and the Sandal Maker ยท The Great Escape ยท The Battle of Red Cliffs
Cao Cao The Yellow Turban Rebellion ยท Emperor In All But Name ยท The Battle of Guandu ยท Lord of the North ยท The Battle of Red Cliffs
Sun Clan The Imperial Seal ยท The Conquest of Jiangdong ยท The White Tiger ยท The Avenger ยท The Battle of Red Cliffs