Age of Empires Series Wiki
Register
Advertisement

O Fortuna is the second scenario of the Sforza campaign in Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten.

Intro[]

My new friend was quite curious to learn of the motivations behind Sforza's deeds, as well as what the man learned in his journeys. I was appreciative of his curiosity because the more questions he asked, the more food he brought me! "So Sforza learned politicking from an early age by dealing with his rebellious Captains," he stated quite thoughtfully.

It was true. Francesco was not a Lord, and he did not inherit his father's retainers. He also inherited few of his father's contacts such as Queen Joan of Naples. He served many important people well and grew in fame. "This was the time of the Lombardy Wars. The Florentines, Milanese, and Venetians were reaching a boiling point and scrambling to hire out Condottieri such as Sforza. Duke Visconti of Milan hired Sforza, as well as Malatesta. The Venetians hired Sforza's old rival Carmagnola."

Duke Visconti was an ugly man, both in face and character. He was always paranoid and shied away from dealing with people, but had a cruel streak and enjoyed punishing others. Carmagnola once worked for Visconti. The Duke disrespected him at every turn. He used to call us "contract dogs!" But when Carmagnola acted like a dog and left to join the Venetians for more money, Visconti was furious. He called a man with no loyalties to begin with a traitor. This meant he was more desperate to retain help and thus Sforza Brigata had greater opportunity for glory... and gold.

Players[]

Player[]

Allies[]

  • Brigata Malatesta (CivIcon-Teutons Teutons): Controls his army outside Milan, and at the end of the game the player witnesses his army besieging Pizzighettone in the north, and having a band of his army being ambushed and slaughtered by Carmagnola's troops in the northeast.
  • Duchy of Milan (CivIcon-Italians Italians): Controls Milan itself (northwest), Pavia (west), Piacenza (centre), and Cremona (east). Sforza meets Duke Visconti in Milan and obtains the market there, and brings his band of soldiers to Piacenza in preparation to raid Tuscany. Then the player is to defend Cremona from Carmagnola's invasion. Finally, the player is to return to Milan and then take over Pavia to defend Milan from the Venetian invasion.

Neutral โ†’ Enemies[]

  • Brigata Carmagnola (CivIcon-Spanish Spanish): Serves Venice, and become enemies with the player once the player boards on the second Transport Ship from Piacenza (going to Cremona). They attack the player's castle in Cremona with many Cannon Galleons and they stop around there once done, and they invade Cremona with many Bombard Cannons and Hand Cannoneers, in attempt to breach the wall. At the end of the game, they defend against Malatesta's army, escaping Pizzighettone and ambush the invaders.
  • Florentines (CivIcon-Italians Italians): Controls Tuscany, where the capital, Florence, is located in the south of the map. While the town is well-defended, the player is to destroy 25 buildings outside the town, including all the four Town Centers. Each time they defend against the player with several Hand Cannoneers and two bombard cannons in a group.

Neutral โ†’ Enemy โ†’ Ally[]

  • Venetians (CivIcon-Byzantines Byzantines): Based in the eastern tip of the map, becoming enemies with the player when the player boards on the first Transport Ship from Piacenza, and at this moment they send a few Demolition Ships to Pavia. After the player takes over Pavia, they send an army from the west (some in Transport Ships), in attempt to invade Milan and/or Pavia.

Enemy[]

  • Bandits (CivIcon-Italians Italians): Scattered all over the map, consisting of Halberdiers and Arbalesters. Sforza say that they "look Venetians". As they are 'allied' with the Duchy of Milan, the player cannot be protected by any of Milan's possessions against the bandits.

Strategy[]

The player starts with a band of Condottieri under Francesco Sforza, and Sforza is to meet Duke Visconti in Milan. The market in Milan is being given to the player, which the player has to rely on it for resources for the entire game. Then the player is to get some Paladins outside Milan, before setting sail to Piacenza. Along the way, the player will encounter bandits, and Sforza says that they look like Venetians.

As the player reaches Piacenza, they take over the Stables and Blacksmith there, and prepare for a raid on Tuscany, aiming to destroy 25 buildings, including all the four Town Centers outside the town of Florence. The player should not ever attempt to enter the well-defended Florence. The Florentines become enemies with the player once the player enters the countryside.

After the player completes the raid, they should get ready to head towards Cremona. Once the player boards on the Transport Ships, the Venetians and Carmagnola become enemies with the player. Since the Venetian Demolition Ships and a Cannon Galleon of Carmagnola pass by, the player must wait for all of them to sail past Piacenza before the player can set sail. When the player reaches Cremona, the Castle is given to them, but is immediately under attack by several cannon galleons from Carmagnola. The player should try their luck and quickly research Conscription before the castle is destroyed, so that they can create military units faster after this. (It is advisable for the player to save the game before heading to Cremona to ensure this research succeeds).

Sforza must meet the chief of Cremona before the player can take over the Barracks and start building an army to defend against Carmagnola's invasion. The invasion forces consist of Bombard Cannons and Hand Cannoneers, therefore the player should just create Condottieri, which have a bonus against gunpowder units. Carmagnola's troops aim to breach the wall on the western side of Cremona and cross it, and the player must prevent them from crossing, or else the game is lost.

Once Carmagnola's force is defeated, Sforza is to set sail back to Milan. However, Carmagnola's cannon galleons are an obstacle on the river, and attack the player if detected. If the player loses both of the transport ships, there are two more replacement ships in the west, where the player boarded from Piacenza. The player needs to distract the enemy ships elsewhere, or even destroy them whenever possible.

As Sforza returns to Milan and meet the Duke, the player will take over Pavia in preparation to face the Venetian invasion. The Venetians will invade Milan and Pavia, the Duke must remain alive and the castle in Milan must remain standing. At this point, the player will have a few Villagers who can gather resources, but might not be of much use because they will be very likely to be attacked by the Venetian troops later. The player should begin building troops. While the player can simply build a navy to destroy the Venetian transport ships in the east of Pavia (these contain bombard cannons, which are a very great threat), the player is likely to face much more challenge in facing Venetian troops that come from the west and from the northeast of Pavia, including those that come in transport ships.

After the player defeated the Venetian troops, the player will witness Malatesta's troops besieging Pizzighettone against Carmagnola, while Carmagnola's defensive troops flee. As Malatesta's troops are charging after Carmagnola's troops, they are ambushed and slaughtered by Carmagnola's hiding troops in a forest. After this, the player, Duchy of Milan, and Brigata Malatesta are jointly declared victors.

Outro[]

Visconti could be generous to his people and mercenaries who performed well for him. But the failure of his army and the destruction of his heavy cavalry enraged Visconti, as well as his pride in losing to Carmagnola. Malatesta had lost the day, but in his paranoia he imprisoned Sforza, believing him to have purposely taken too long at defending Pavia to help in Pizzighettone. I made sure my friend took great note when I told him, "Visconti sent one of the best Condottieri in Italy to rot in Milan's dungeons. He had risen to shine very great in his campaign in Lombardy but he was again laid low."

Trivia[]

  • In this scenario, the Elite Condottiero (Condottiero with +20% hit points) appears when Francesco Sforza leads an army of them to meet Duke Visconti in Milan before meeting Brigata Malatesta, who gives Sforza an army of Paladins.
  • If the player does not board both Transport Ships, but instead only board one, the Cannon Galleons will not come to attack.
  • If the player kills off all the Crossbowmen waiting to ambush Malatesta's troops using Trebuchets, the win condition won't be triggered.
  • The player has a camel on a Milanese transport ship in the river on the northwestern edge of the map. This exists to prevent auto-defeat while the starting cut-scene is playing, and can be collected by sending a unit to the edge of the river and telling the unit to board the ship, so that the ship sails to the edge of the river, and then clicking on the camel's icon so that it ungarrisons. If the player has lost their two Transport Ships, they will instantly produce new two to prevent stalemate. However, before The African Kingdoms, this trigger does not exist.
Campaigns in Age of Empires II
AoE2-DLCicon-0 The Age of Kings
CampaignIcon-WilliamDE William Wallace Difficulty easy 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
Xbox: Preparing for Battle ยท The Battle of Stirling ยท Forge an Alliance ยท The Battle of Falkirk
CampaignIcon-JoanDE Joan of Arc Difficulty easy 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
CampaignIcon-SaladinDE Saladin Difficulty medium 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
CampaignIcon-KhanDE Genghis Khan Difficulty easy Crucible ยท A Life of Revenge ยท Into China ยท The Horde Rides West ยท The Promise ยท Pax Mongolica
CampaignIcon-BarbarossaDE Barbarossa Difficulty easy Holy Roman Emperor ยท Henry the Lion ยท Pope and Antipope ยท The Lombard League ยท Barbarossa's March ยท The Emperor Sleeping
AoE2-DLCicon-1 The Conquerors
CampaignIcon-AttilaDE Attila the Hun Difficulty easy 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
CampaignIcon-ElCidDE El Cid Difficulty easy Brother against Brother ยท The Enemy of my Enemy ยท The Exile of the Cid ยท Black Guards ยท King of Valencia ยท Reconquista
CampaignIcon-MontezumaDE Montezuma Difficulty easy Reign of Blood ยท The Triple Alliance ยท Quetzalcoatl ยท La Noche Triste ยท The Boiling Lake ยท Broken Spears
Battles of the Conquerors Icon 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
AoE2-DLCicon-2 The Forgotten
CampaignIcon-AlaricDE Alaric Difficulty hard 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
CampaignIcon-DraculaDE Vlad Dracula Difficulty medium 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
CampaignIcon-BariDE Bari Difficulty medium 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
CampaignIcon-SforzaDE Sforza Difficulty medium 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 Icon El Dorado (removed) Tales of La Canela ยท The Split ยท The Amazones ยท The Cannibals
CampaignIcon-PrithvirajDE Prithviraj Difficulty medium 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 Icon Battles of the Forgotten Bukhara ยท Dos Pilas ยท York ยท Honfoglalรกs ยท Langshan Jiang ยท Kurikara ยท Cyprus ยท Bapheus ยท Kaesong (cut)
AoE2-DLCicon-3 The African Kingdoms
CampaignIcon-TariqIbnZiyadDE Tariq ibn Ziyad Difficulty medium The Battle of Guadalete ยท Consolidation and Subjugation ยท Divide and Conquer ยท Crossing the Pyrenees ยท Razzia
CampaignIcon-SundjataDE Sundjata Difficulty medium Hunted ยท The Sting of the Scorpion ยท Djeriba Gold ยท Blood on the River Bank ยท The Lion's Den
CampaignIcon-FranciscoDE Francisco de Almeida Difficulty hard The Old World ยท Lion of Africa ยท Ruins of Empires ยท Estado da India ยท A Son's Blood
CampaignIcon-YoditDE Yodit Difficulty hard Path of Exile ยท The Right Partner ยท A Fallen Crown ยท Broken Stelae ยท Welcome Home
AoE2-DLCicon-4 Rise of the Rajas
CampaignIcon-GajahMadaDE Gajah Mada Difficulty medium The Story of Our Founders ยท Unconditional Loyalty ยท The Oath to Unify Nusantara ยท Serving the New King ยท The Pasunda Bubat Tragedy
CampaignIcon-SuryavarmanIDE Suryavarman I Difficulty easy Usurpation ยท Quelling the Rebellion ยท A Dangerous Mission ยท Challenging a Thalassocracy ยท Nirvanapada
CampaignIcon-BayinnaungDE Bayinnaung Difficulty hard The Burmese Tigers ยท The Mandalay Cobra ยท The Royal Peacock ยท The White Elephant ยท The Old Tiger
CampaignIcon-LeLoiDE Le Loi Difficulty hard 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
AoEIIDE icon Definitive Edition
CampaignIcon-TheArtOfWar The Art of War Difficulty easy 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
CampaignIcon-Pachacuti Pachacuti Difficulty medium A New Power Arises ยท The Field of Blood ยท War of Brothers ยท The Falcon's Tent ยท Like Father, Like Son
00 historical battles normal Historical Battles Difficulty easy Scn 09 bukhara normal Bukhara ยท Scn 10 dos pilas normal Dos Pilas ยท Scn 01 tours normal Tours ยท Scn 11 york normal York ยท Scn 12 honfoglalas normal Honfoglalรกs ยท Scn 02 vinlandsaga normal Vinlandsaga ยท Scn 03 hastings normal Hastings ยท Scn 04 manzikert normal Manzikert ยท Scn 13 kurikara normal Kurikara ยท Scn 14 cyprus normal Cyprus ยท Scn 15 bapheus normal Bapheus ยท Scn 16 lake poyang normal Lake Poyang ยท Scn 05 agincourt normal Agincourt ยท Scn 06 lepanto normal Lepanto ยท Scn 07 kyoto normal Kyoto ยท Scn 08 noryang point normal Noryang Point
Event scenarios Mongol Raiders ยท Barbarossa Brawl ยท Mangudai Madness ยท The Siege (co-op)
AoE2-DLCicon-5 The Last Khans
CampaignIcon-Tamerlane Tamerlane Difficulty easy 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
CampaignIcon-Ivaylo Ivaylo Difficulty hard 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
CampaignIcon-Kotyan Kotyan Khan Difficulty hard Raising the Banners ยท The Battle at the Kalka River ยท Saving the Huts ยท Blood for Blood ยท A New Home
AoE2Icon-LordsWest Lords of the West
CampaignIcon-EdwardDE Edward Longshanks Difficulty easy Vain Ambition ยท A Man of God ยท Of Castles and Kings ยท Toom Tabard ยท Hammer of the Scots
CampaignIcon-DukesDE Grand Dukes Difficulty medium 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
CampaignIcon-HautevillesDE The Hautevilles Difficulty hard 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 icon Dawn of the Dukes
Algirdas icon Algirdas and Kestutis Difficulty easy Family Affairs ยท No Man's Land ยท The Tatar Yoke ยท A Worthy Opponent ยท In the Shadow of the Throne
32 jadwiga normal Jadwiga Difficulty hard 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 icon Jan Zizka Difficulty medium 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
AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of India
Babur Icon Babur Difficulty easy Pearl of the East ยท The Last Timurids ยท Into India ยท The Battle of Panipat ยท The Rajputs
Rajendra Icon Rajendra Difficulty hard The Successor ยท Deeds of the Father ยท Rising Star ยท Sacred Waters ยท Slaying the Vritra
Devapala Icon Devapala Difficulty easy Dissatisfaction ยท Desire ยท Renunciation ยท Liberation? ยท Enlightenment
AoE2Icon-MountainRoyals The Mountain Royals
Tamar Icon Tamar Difficulty hard Takeover ยท Yury's Revenge ยท The Protectorate ยท Tamar the Builder ยท The Queen in the Panther's Skin
Thoros Icon Thoros II Difficulty easy Outlawed ยท The Emperor's Revenge ยท Caught in the Crossfire ยท Bloody Crestwaves ยท Of Turncoats and Traitors
Ismail Icon Ismail Difficulty medium The Red Hats ยท Road to Royalty ยท Alexander Safavi ยท The Fallen Amir ยท Khata'i
Aoe2 hb Victors and Vanquished
VictorsAndVanquished Campaign Icon
Victors and Vanquished
Difficulty easy Scn 23 charlemagne Charlemagne ยท Scn 39 drake Drake ยท Scn 26 finehair Finehair ยท Scn 25 ironside Ironside ยท Scn 38 nobunaga Nobunaga
Difficulty medium Scn 36 fetih Fetih ยท Scn 21 gaiseric Gaiseric ยท Scn 24 ragnar Ragnar ยท Scn 27 robert Robert ยท Scn 37 shimazu Shimazu ยท Scn 32 stephen Stephen ยท Scn 33 temujin Temujin ยท Scn 22 vortigern Vortigern
Difficulty hard Scn 35 constantine Constantine XI ยท Scn 30 karlsefni Karlsefni ยท Scn 31 komnenos Komnenos ยท Scn 34 mstislav Mstislav ยท Scn 28 otto Otto ยท Scn 29 seljuk Seljuk
Advertisement