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Montezuma is the Aztec campaign in Age of Empires II: The Conquerors that focuses on the three city-states that ruled the Valley of Mexico, the Aztec Empire (also know as Triple Alliance or, in classical Nahuatl, Ēxcān Tlahtōlōyān) from 1428 until the combined forces of the Spanish conquistadores and their native allies under Hernán Cortés defeated them in 1521. It is named after Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin or Montezuma II (c. 1466 – June 29, 1520), the 9th Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan and the 6th Huey Tlatoani or Emperor of the Aztec Empire at the time of the Spanish arrival.

Scenarios[]

After centuries of conquest, the Aztecs now rule the mightiest empire in Central America. But when strangers appear on the shores of the Caribbean Sea, Montezuma, emperor of the Aztecs, is unsure whether they are conquerors…or gods. Can a vast empire of warriors using obsidian spears and cotton armor hold off mounted invaders armed with metal armor and gunpowder?
—In-game campaign description

The Montezuma campaign consists of 6 scenarios. The player plays as the Aztecs and the player color is green.

  1. Reign of Blood
  2. The Triple Alliance
  3. Quetzalcoatl
  4. La Noche Triste
  5. The Boiling Lake
  6. Broken Spears

Despite its name, the campaign's narrator and arguable real protagonist is Cuauhtemoc, Montezuma's eventual successor as the (last) emperor of the Aztecs.

Trivia[]

  • This is the only campaign that takes place in North America (only featured besides in the scenarios Vinlandsaga and Dos Pilas).
  • This is the only campaign that grants access to the Xolotl Warrior, as non-American civilizations don't appear in Dos Pilas and Pachacuti, and no other campaign features the American civilizations.
  • Neither Montezuma nor Cuauhtemoc appear physically in the campaign, though there is a Cuauhtemoc unit in the Scenario Editor (since The Forgotten).
  • The campaign is notable for deviating from recorded history perhaps even more than any other, to the point of attributing key episodes of the Spanish conquest to the Aztecs.
    • The Triple Alliance presents a Tlaxcala-Aztec war that did not happen (although the Tlaxcalans were traditional enemies of the Aztecs) but is loosely similar to the Spanish-Tlaxcala War (only referenced in the cutscenes).
    • Quetzalcoatl offers the player a chance to save Tabasco from the Spanish, which is depicted as an ally of the Aztecs. In reality, Tabasco was independent and was attacked by the Spanish before they and the Aztecs knew about each other.
    • The Boiling Lake substitues the Battle of Otumba, where the Spanish first used cavalry charges to defeat the Aztecs decisively, for the Aztecs training their own cavalry to defeat the Spanish.
    • Broken Spears has the Aztecs win the final siege of Tenochtitlan.
  • The spelling "Cortéz" used in the game is actually a combination of the original Spanish surname Cortés (meaning "Polite" or "Kind") and the Latin American Cortez, which evolved from the former as an imitation of Spanish patronymics (ex. Ramírez, Sánchez, etc).
  • The campaign icon is a Chacmool, a statue of a reclining man used in human sacrifices. It is also present in the Aztec Wonder (Templo Mayor) and as decoration in the Editor (in the Definitive Edition).
  • The colors used cause the player's Jaguar Warrior shields to have a green background, Eagle Warrior shields to have a green symbol over yellow background, and Tlaxcalan Jaguar Warrior shields to have red backgrounds. This is obviously deliberate, as all such combinations are found in the Codex Mendoza.
    • Furthermore, the green Jaguar Warrior shield becomes the Aztec civilization's icon in the Definitive Edition.
  • Two of the four omens mentioned in the cutscenes of the first to fourth scenarios took place during the Spanish presence in Mexico. However, there were actually eight omens, and all of the omens took place before the Spanish landed in Mexico.[Clarification needed?]

Gallery[]

Campaigns in Age of Empires II
The Age of Kings
William Wallace PC: Marching and Fighting · Feeding the Army · Training the Troops · Research and Technology · The Battle of Stirling · Forge an Alliance · The Battle of Falkirk
Xbox: Preparing for Battle· The Battle of Stirling · Forge an Alliance · The Battle of Falkirk
Joan of Arc An Unlikely Messiah · The Maid of Orleans · The Cleansing of the Loire · The Rising · The Siege of Paris · A Perfect Martyr
Saladin An Arabian Knight · Lord of Arabia · The Horns of Hattin · The Siege of Jerusalem · Jihad! · The Lion and the Demon
Genghis Khan Crucible · A Life of Revenge · Into China · The Horde Rides West · The Promise · Pax Mongolica
Barbarossa Holy Roman Emperor · Henry the Lion · Pope and Antipope · The Lombard League · Barbarossa's March · The Emperor Sleeping
Others E3 1998
* added with update 75350
The Conquerors
Attila the Hun The Scourge of God · The Great Ride · The Walls of Constantinople · A Barbarian Betrothal · The Catalaunian Fields · The Fall of Rome
El Cid Brother against Brother · The Enemy of my Enemy · The Exile of the Cid · Black Guards · King of Valencia · Reconquista
Montezuma Reign of Blood · The Triple Alliance · Quetzalcoatl · La Noche Triste · The Boiling Lake · Broken Spears
Battles of the Conquerors Tours · Vinlandsaga · Hastings · Manzikert · Agincourt · Lepanto · Kyoto · Noryang Point
Hidden scenario The Saxon Revolt
The Forgotten
Alaric HD: All Roads Lead to a Besieged City · Legionaries on the Horizon! · Emperor of the West · The Sack of Rome
DE: The Battle of the Frigidus · Razing Hellas · The Belly of the Beast · The Giant Falls · A Kingdom of Our Own
Vlad Dracula The Dragon Spreads His Wings · The Return of the Dragon · The Breath of the Dragon · The Moon Rises · The Night Falls
Bari HD: Arrival at Bari · The Rebellion of Melus · The Great Siege
DE: Arrival at Bari · The Rebellion of Melus · Loose Ends · The Best Laid Plans · The Onrushing Tide
Sforza HD: An End and a Beginning · O Fortuna · The Hand of a Daughter · The Ambrosian Republic · A New Duke of Milan
DE: Mercenaries and Masters · His Own Man · Prodigal Son · Blood and Betrayal · Viva Sforza!
El Dorado# (removed) Tales of La Canela · The Split · The Amazones · The Cannibals
Prithviraj* HD: A Promising Warrior · The Digvijaya · The Elopement · Battles of Tarain
DE: Born of Fire · The Digvijaya · Hand of a Princess · The Fate of India · The Legend of Prithviraj
Battles of the Forgotten@ Bukhara · Dos Pilas · York · Honfoglalás · Langshan Jiang · Kurikara · Cyprus · Bapheus · 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 · Consolidation and Subjugation · Divide and Conquer · Crossing the Pyrenees · Razzia
Sundjata Hunted · The Sting of the Scorpion · Djeriba Gold · Blood on the River Bank · The Lion's Den
Francisco de Almeida The Old World · Lion of Africa · Ruins of Empires · Estado da India · A Son's Blood
Yodit Path of Exile · The Right Partner · A Fallen Crown · Broken Stelae · Welcome Home
Rise of the Rajas
Gajah Mada The Story of Our Founders · Unconditional Loyalty · The Oath to Unify Nusantara · Serving the New King · The Pasunda Bubat Tragedy
Suryavarman I Usurpation · Quelling the Rebellion · A Dangerous Mission · Challenging a Thalassocracy · Nirvanapada
Bayinnaung The Burmese Tigers · The Mandalay Cobra · The Royal Peacock · The White Elephant · The Old Tiger
Le Loi The Dai Viet Uprising · The Mountain Siege · The Battle at Hanoi · Reaching South · A Three-Pronged Attack · The Final Fortress
Definitive Edition
The Art of War Early Economy · Booming · Rushing the Enemy · Fast Castle Age · Defending Against A Rush · Land Battle · Destroying a Castle · Naval Battle · Battle Formations
Pachacuti A New Power Arises · The Field of Blood · War of Brothers · The Falcon's Tent · Like Father, Like Son

Historical Battles
Tours · Vinlandsaga · Hastings · Manzikert · Agincourt · Kyoto · Noryang Point
Bukhara · Kurikara · Cyprus · Bapheus · Lepanto
Dos Pilas · York · Honfoglalás · Lake Poyang
Event scenarios E3 2019 Demo · Mongol Raiders · Barbarossa Brawl · Mangudai Madness · The Siege (co-op) · Ayn Jalut
The Last Khans
Tamerlane Amir of Transoxiana · Gurkhan of Persia · Harbinger of Destruction · Sultan of Hindustan · Scourge of the Levant · A Titan Amongst Mortals
Ivaylo A Most Unlikely Man · An Unlikely Alliance · Tsar of the Bulgars · Echoes of Heroes · Where the One-Eyed Man is King
Kotyan Khan Raising the Banners · The Battle at the Kalka River · Saving the Huts · Blood for Blood · A New Home
Lords of the West
Edward Longshanks Vain Ambition · A Man of God · Of Castles and Kings · Toom Tabard · Hammer of the Scots
Grand Dukes A Kingdom Divided · The Wolf and the Lion · The Cleansing of Paris · Unholy Marriage · The Hook and Cod Wars · The Maid Falls
The Hautevilles Guiscard Arrives · Roger in Sicily · Bohemond and the Emperor · Bohemond in the East · Wonder of the World
Dawn of the Dukes
Algirdas and Kestutis Family Affairs · No Man's Land · The Tatar Yoke · A Worthy Opponent · In the Shadow of the Throne
Jadwiga The Matter of the Crown · Star of the Poles · Duel of the Dukes · The Siege of Vilnius · Vytautas' Crusade · The Fruits of Her Labor
Jan Zizka The One-Eyed Wanderer · Courage and Coin · The Iron Lords · The Golden City · The Emperor's Fury · Warrior of God
Dynasties of India
Babur Pearl of the East · The Last Timurids · Into India · The Battle of Panipat · The Rajputs
Rajendra The Successor · Deeds of the Father · Rising Star · Sacred Waters · Slaying the Vritra
Devapala Dissatisfaction · Desire · Renunciation · Liberation? · Enlightenment
The Mountain Royals
Ismail The Red Hats · Road to Royalty · Alexander Safavi · The Fallen Amir · Khata'i
Thoros II Outlawed · The Emperor's Revenge · Caught in the Crossfire · Bloody Crestwaves · Of Turncoats and Traitors
Tamar Takeover · Yury's Revenge · The Protectorate · Tamar the Builder · The Queen in the Panther's Skin
Victors and Vanquished
Victors and Vanquished
Charlemagne · Finehair · Ironside · Nobunaga
Drake · Fetih · Gaiseric · Robert · Temujin · Xie An*
Constantine XI · Karlsefni · Komnenos · Mstislav · Otto · Ragnar · Seljuk · Shimazu · Stephen · Vortigern
* added with update 141935
The Three Kingdoms
Liu Bei The Oath of the Peach Garden · Heroes of the Realm · The Scholar and the Sandal Maker · The Great Escape · The Battle of Red Cliffs
Cao Cao The Yellow Turban Rebellion · Emperor In All But Name · The Battle of Guandu · Lord of the North · The Battle of Red Cliffs
Sun Clan The Imperial Seal · The Conquest of Jiangdong · The White Tiger · The Avenger · The Battle of Red Cliffs