Moscow versus Lithuania is the first scenario of the Empire to Superpower chapter and the seventh scenario of the The Rise of Moscow campaign in Age of Empires IV. It depicts the capture of Smolensk by the Grand Duchy of Moscow under Vasily III in 1514.
Intro[]
Scenario description[]
With the might of a strong Moscow behind him, Vasily III laid siege to the great Lithuanian fortress of Smolensk.
Opening cinematic[]
In 1480, Moscow's army, led by Ivan III, faced off against the Mongols… across the banks of the Ugra River. But the Muscovites, armed with guns, were too much for the Mongol army. When the Mongols realized reinforcements weren't coming… they retreated. Now Ivan III was free to pursue his ambitions to expand Moscow even further.
Despite the rapid rise of Moscow, it was still a vassal of the Mongol Empire. But after the stand at the Ugra River, Ivan III's ongoing refusal to pay tribute antagonized the Mongols. Yet… retribution never came. Cracks had developed in the highest levels of Mongol rule… and the Golden Horde shattered into smaller Khanates beset by infighting. So Moscow was left free to expand.
Ivan III continued taking control of smaller Rus principalities… by any means necessary. Some had been ruled for over 100 years by an historic enemy – Lithuania. Ivan III was determined to take them back. By 1500, he had turned Moscow into more than just a city or a state; it was an entity that he claimed represented all the Rus people. Ivan's successor, Vasily III, would fight to take back the lands from Lithuania that he believed belonged to Moscow.
Loading screen[]
Ivan III's heir, Vasily III, picked up his father's fight to reclaim and unite the Rus lands. His next target was the fortified Lithuanian city of Smolensk.
Start of scenario[]
Grand Prince Vasily III dispatched his Rus army to Lithuania. His goal: to capture the fortress of Smolensk and expand Muscovy's influence.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Age:
Castle Age - Units:
- 2
Scout - 8 Knight
- 12 Man-at-Arms
- 12 Spearman
- 24 Crossbowman
- 2
- Resources: 200 food, 300 wood, 300 gold
Objectives[]
- Capture the villages surrounding Smolensk
- Capture Roslavl - (Cavalry)
- Defeat Roslavl resistance
- Capture Yelnya - (Archers)
- Defeat Yelnya resistance
- Capture Vyazma - (Infantry)
- Defeat Vyazma resistance
- Optional: Secure access to Krasny to receive cannons
- Breach Smolensk's walls
- Cut off supplies into Smolensk to stop attacks from the city
- Eliminate traders to stop supplies
- Capture Smolensk
- Defeat Smolensk resistance
Players[]
- Vasily III: The player begins with a sizeable force in the south of the map. They have no base, but can capture the outlying Lithuanian towns by defeating their garrisons, whereupon they will receive Villagers, additional resources, and have their population limit increased by 20 (starting at 140 with the first town). Although additional Houses can be built, these do not increase the population limit. With every town the player captures, a new type of military building will also be available for construction. The player will have to use these towns as a base of operations for their assault on Smolensk.
Neutral[]
- Sigismund I (Grand Duchy of Lithuania): The Grand Duchy of Lithuania controls the city of Smolensk in the center-north of the map, as well as the four outlying towns of Krasny, Roslavl, Vyazma, and Yelnya in the west, southwest, southeast, and the center of the map respectively. The city of Smolensk can only be accessed from the east and west and is well fortified, with Stone Walls and Stone Wall Towers in addition to Palisades and Outposts guarding its two gates. The outlying towns are less well-defended with only Palisades and Outposts for protection. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania is functionally identical to the Holy Roman Empire, and will field a mix of infantry, viz. Archers, Crossbowmen, Handcannoneers, Elite Spearmen, and Men-at-Arms, but not Landsknechts. Smolensk will also be guarded by Elite Horsemen, as well as several Cannons and Counterweight Trebuchets, while the Roslavl garrison will consist of Elite Horsemen, and Knights.
- Neutral (Rus): The Neutral citizens control the town of Krasny in the west of the map. All of their buildings and Villagers will switch to the player's control once their units come near enough.
Enemy[]
- Sigismund I (Grand Duchy of Lithuania): They control the Traders and their escorts on Smolensk's supply routes. They also control the two fortified bases: one in the west, and one in the east connected by Palisades to Krasny. These will initially block access to the supply routes. Unlike the main Lithuanian opponent, their buildings will not switch to the player's control when they are defeated. Their forces will consist mainly of Elite Spearmen and Men-at-Arms, as well as a few Cannons in Krasny.
Strategy[]
A progressive build-and-destroy scenario, similar to Fall of the Novgorod Republic, this time with a bit more complexity. The scenario consists of three phases. In the first phase, the player has to capture the towns surrounding Smolensk to use as a base of operations for their assault on the city. In the second, the player is tasked with cutting off Smolensk from supplies, the failure to do so leading to the Lithuanians sending large armies to attack the player. The final phase sees the player attack and capture Smolensk from the Lithuanians.
The first town captured should be either Roslavl to the west, or Vyazma to the east. Roslavl provides Stables and the Abbey of the Trinity landmark, which produces Warrior Monks at half cost. Vyazma provides Barracks and the The Golden Gate landmark, the campaign version of which is not especially useful, only improving the trade value of wood. Both towns have access to resources nearby, including Gold and Stone Mines, and Berry Bushes. As all of a town's buildings switch to the player's control once captured, it is better to avoid destroying the enemy Outposts, but rather focus on taking out the defenders as quickly as possible.
Until all three towns are captured, the northern half of the map remains inaccessible, so the only enemy attacks originate from these smaller settlements and are not substantial. Therefore, once the first two towns are captured with the player's starting force, the player should take their time to build up their forces and economy before attacking Yelnya. The surrounding areas have plenty to offer the player, including Sheep and Wolves, both of which can be killed for Bounty in campaign scenarios, Treasure Chests, and Relics. As always, the player should build a good number of Hunting Cabins near woodlines. The player should also send their forces to capture Krasny to the northwest, as this provides the player with Cannons and a University, and otherwise blocks access to a point of interest in the next phase of the scenario. The Lithuanian garrison near Krasny is made up of infantry and few Cannons, so the player should bring archers and Men-at-Arms, as well some cavalry to deal with the Cannons.
With Krasny, Roslavl, and Vyazma taken, the player should advance to the next Age - the High Armory landmark is a good choice - and upgrade their units, then attack Yelnya from the northwest, the direction of Krasny, as this approach is not guarded by any Outposts. As they do so, the player should bring the Cannons from Krasny with them, as these will soon be needed in the east. As soon as Yelnya is taken, the player should send the bulk of their forces, including their Cannons, to the east in order to take out the enemy's eastern fort. The rest of the player's troops, including some archers and Men-at-Arms, should be sent west to the crossroads north of the former western fort by Krasny.
The player is now tasked with cutting off Smolensk's supply routes by killing six enemy Traders travelling to the city by road from the east and the west each. As the eastern fort is not accessible until the outlying towns have been taken, the player likely will not make it to the eastern crossroads in time to intercept the first of the enemy Traders there. However, so long as no more than three enemy Traders reach Smolensk, the Lithuanians will not launch their counter-attack. It may be a good idea to build an additional Monastery nearby, to produce Warrior Monks to support the player's eastern troops and to garrison the Relic which sits on a hill to the east, surrounded by Treasure Chests.
Once the supply routes are cut off, the only task remaining is the capture of Smolensk itself. At this point, the enemy behaves quite passively, so it is simply a matter of building up the player's forces and attacking Smolensk when ready. There is a Trade Post in the far east of the map, past the area where the Relic and the Treasure Chests were located, which can be traded with for additional gold. If the player has not done so already, they should build a Keep, research Musketeer Regiment and Double Time, and begin producing Streltsy (named Musketeers in the campaigns), as these are effective against the armored Lithuanian infantry. Smolensk is guarded by Stone Wall Towers in addition to Outposts from both sides, so the player should also produce some additional Cannons to join their forces in the west.
When a significant force of Men-at-Arms, archers, Streltsy, and siege engines is amassed, the player can begin their assault on the city. Although the player may choose to attack from both sides in order split the enemy forces, attacking from the east is slightly trickier, as the bridge does not leave enough room for the player's other units to defend their Cannons should these be charged by the enemy. The player should thus take care to position their Cannons to take out the enemy Outposts without entering their range, while placing their archers and Streltsy just behind in order to defend from enemy infantry. Once the Outposts are down, the player can move their Cannons, guarded by their other units, up to attack the Stone Wall Towers and city gates. However, they should watch out not fall into the range of the large numbers of archers and Handcannoneers atop the walls.
Once their towers are taken out, it is not necessary to destroy any of the buildings in Smolensk, as these all switch to the player's control once the Lithuanian garrison is defeated. The defenders consist of a sizeable force of infantry, Crossbowmen, and Handcannoneers, some Elite Horsemen, as well as several Cannons and Counterweight Trebuchets, so the player should bring additional Cannons or Trebuchets of their own. With the Smolensk garrison defeated, the scenario is complete.
Outro[]
End of scenario[]
With the capture of the mighty fortress of Smolensk, Grand Prince Vasily III had succeeded in retaking the ancestral lands of the Rus. Muscovy's rise to dominance was gathering pace…
Post-game screen[]
Vasily III had succeeded in capturing Smolensk for Moscow. He would quickly fortify the city so it could not be lost again.
Page From History: Prosperity and Power[]
| “ | In 1498 at the Cathedral of the Assumption, one of the most grandiose spectacles of the age took place - the coronation of Ivan III's grandson, Dmitry Ivanovich as Grand Prince of Moscow and heir to Ivan's title of Grand Prince of All Rus. The building was adorned with gleaming cupola domes, it boasted an innovative blend of traditional and renaissance architecture, and inside an imposing wall of richly painted religious icons loomed over the congregation. The lavishness of the ceremony was designed by Ivan III's ministers to establish beyond doubt Moscow's place as the center of Rus power. "Dmitry the Grandson" eventually lost his place as heir to his uncle Vasily, and would spend the rest of his days in prison. Nevertheless, Ivan continued to use elaborate ceremony and ornate monuments to celebrate Moscow's ascendancy. This legacy of power and spectacle would earn him the post humous moniker of "Ivan the Great." |
” |
Trivia[]
- This is the only scenario in the campaign where the player is named after a ruler of Moscow, but the ruler himself does not appear as a leader in-game.
