Of Turncoats and Traitors is the fifth scenario of the Thoros II campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - The Mountain Royals. It's about the second Byzantine attack against Cilicia in 1158.
Intro[]
Our success had made us careless. Now it was the emperor's turn to strike at us – and he did so where we least expected.
Instead of relieving Cyprus, he sailed his new fleet straight to Cilicia.
The Byzantines landed on the Cilician shoreline and besieged the coastal city of Tarsos, which Thoros had only recently seized. The prince hastened back to save his homeland, and I pledged to send my knights to his aid...
...yet secretly I wondered if I had backed the wrong horse. When the emperor's envoys arrived in my camp, each pile of gold that they presented added weight to my initial doubts, until I was fully convinced of my error.
Apparently Thoros' relatives had the same reservations – and they too were convinced by the Byzantines' impeccable logic. They were hopeless traitors, siding with whomever offered them the most gold.
Then again, in that respect we were much alike...
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Imperial Age - Starting resources: 600 food, 1,000 wood, 750 gold
- Population limit: 200
- Starting units:
- Thoros
- 20 Composite Bowmen
- 15 Pikemen
- 12 Long Swordsmen
- 6 Warrior Priests
- 20 Villagers
Main objectives[]
- Defend Tarsos against the Byzantines until Reynald's reinforcements arrive.
- Your Castle in Tarsos must not be destroyed.
- Thoros must survive.
- Bring Thoros to either Stephan's or Mich's camp
- Defeat Seljuks, the Byzantines. and the treacherous Reynald de Chatillon.
Secondary objectives[]
- Destroy the Byzantine Castle in Tarsos to liberate the city.
- Make a temporary truce with either Reynald of the Seljuks by changing your diplomatic stance with one of them to ally. This will allow you to fight one less enemy for a while.
Hints[]
- Thoros can support a population of 200.
- You cannot train Villagers or construct buildings such as additional walls, towers, Castles, Docks, or Town Centers while Tarsos is besieged. These restrictions will be lifted when you acquire another base.
- In the beginning, focus on defending your city. You will have time for extensive scouting later.
- Lifting the siege without Reynald's help is nearly impossible. Instead of wasting soldiers on costly counterattacks, wait for the Frankish knights that Reynald promised to send.
Scouts[]
Thoros (Orange) has deployed his army to garrison the city of Tarsos (Cyan).
- The Byzantine army (Purple) has laid siege to Tarsos with large contingents of Cataphracts, infantry, ranged units, and siege weapons.
- Reynald de Chatillon (Blue) has promised to come to Thoros' aid from the south with an army of primarily Knights and Crossbowmen.
- Thoros has tasked his brothers, Stephan (Yellow) and Mleh (Red), with guarding the Armenian heartland. Their camps are in the north of the map, but they cannot assist Thoros lest the Seljuks invade.
- The Seljuks (Green) lurk in the east, closely watching their opponents' moves. Once they deem their enemies sufficiently weakened, they will likely attack with Cavalry Archers and Light Cavalry.
Players[]
Player[]
- Player ( Armenians): The player begins in control of the city of Tarsos in the southwest of the map. They are encircled and besieged by the Byzantines, whose forces prevent any hope of breaking out. After the timer ends, Tarsos will fall in the Byzantines' hands and Thoros will need to escape in one Transport Ship with some troops to the Stephan or Mleh bases. Once the base passes into the hands of the player, must resist the attacks of the Byzantines and Reynald there.
Allies[]
- Stephan ( Armenians): His base is in the north of the map, it is safer than the Mleh base, but has less resources for the Armenian counterstrike. If the player takes this base, they will need to defeat the Byzantine base closer to it to avoid getting overwhelmed by the Byzantine and Frankish waves.
- Mleh ( Armenians): His base is in the east of the map, near the Seljuk base. The base has more resources than the Stephan base, but has less defenses that resist the attacks of the Byzantines, Franks and Seljuks. If the player takes this base, they will need to defeat the Seljuk base closer to it to avoid getting overwhelmed by the Byzantine and Frankish waves.
- Tarsos ( Armenians): Tarsos is the player's initial base encircled and besieged by the Byzantines. After the timer ends, Tarsos will fall in the Byzantines' hand. After the player destroys the Byzantine castle in Tarsos, the city will join with the player's allies to fight against the Byzantines and Franks.
Allies → Enemies → Potential Allies → Enemies[]
- Reynald de Chatillon ( Franks): Reynald begins the scenario with his base in the southeast, allied to the player, promising a force of Knights to relieve the siege of Tarsos. True to his shifting nature, however, Reynald cannot be trusted, and will soon defect to the Byzantines. It is possible to make a temporary truce with him once enough time has passed. Their army consists of Paladins and Throwing Axemen.
Enemies → Potential Allies → Enemies[]
- Seljuks ( Turks): The Seljuks are plotting their revenge, waiting until their enemies are divided to strike. They are a largely passive enemy, engaging Mleh in the east and largely building to defend their small base. It is possible to make a temporary truce with them once enough time has passed. Their army consists of Camel Riders and Cavalry Archers.
Enemies[]
- Byzantine Army ( Byzantines): They have various bases around Tarsos. Their army consists of Cataphracts and Dromons. After they conquer Tarsos, they will build a Castle that the player must destroy. After that, Tarsos will ally with the player and fight against the Byzantines.
Strategy[]
 |
This section may need to be cleaned up to reach a higher standard of quality. This may include editing to correct spelling and grammar, and rewriting sections to ensure they are clear and concise. |
Phase one[]
In this phase, protecting the Castle and Thoros are the only things that matter. The player should not bother about building up a stronger force, as it will be wasted. All resources will be lost when the timer runs out. Researching technologies before losing the resources is advisable. Primarily, focus on upgrading swordsmen and Composite Bowmen, and researching Fereters for good measure.
Instead, move the lumberjacks up, away from the crossing, so they will be less likely to be targeted by attacking forces, so they can keep getting wood. Ignore the Villagers who collect gold; they'll be attacked almost immediately, and the player shouldn't need too much anyway. Mainly, the player will want to keep the foragers inside the wall to build Fortified Churches as a distraction for the enemy. Use archers to shoot them through the wall, and keep melee troops in reserve for defending the Castle from siege weapons.
The Siege Rams and Trebuchets won't come in the first wave, but will arrive soon, and in numbers, so only kill the ones posing a threat to the Castle. Most will focus on the walls and other buildings. The Castle can be garrisoned with surviving archers, if any, and should focus on the melee and ranged units around it while the melee units focus on the siege weapons.
It can be close, but it should not be too difficult to keep the Castle alive long enough. When the town falls, the player needs to get Thoros to the ship that appears near where the lumberjacks are/were moved to. Get him there alive and move up to the flag. Any other surviving units can board, but the ship has low capacity.
Phase two[]
The player can choose to go to either Stephan or Mleh. Stephan is more distant from most enemies, and better fortified, but with less resources. Mleh is right next to both Reynald and the Seljuks, and is less fortified, but has more plentiful resources. Either way, in phase two, offense is the best defense.
Stephan's base[]
Stephan will cede his base to the player, giving the player a handful of working Villagers: four on wood, five on gold, two on food, and four spare. They also get 5 Crossbowmen, 5 Two-Handed Swordsmen, and a Light Cavalry. Upgrades from phase one apply.
Attacks will be almost immediate, with troops from all three Byzantine bases making their way to the player from the south. Attacks at the east gate are rare and usually weak, so there is little need to defend it. Initial forces will be small, but will very soon get tougher and larger. Take the troops and clear a path to the crossroads at the river, north of the bridge. It's directly south of the base, roughly the middle of the map. Trade for stone and have the four free Villagers build a Castle right there, garrisoned fully with Armenian archers. After that, put them on stone.
While doing this, try to get up to ten Villagers on wood, food, and gold. The player can trade with Mleh for gold too. A Relic next to the Monastery, and another at the northern crossing to Mleh, should be collected as soon as possible. Build a second Castle right next to the first, leaving enough room to move through them. Once all the stone is collected, move these four Villagers to another resource. Stone is scarce, and not really important anyway.
It is likely that by the time the player is building the second Castle, the first will be/nearly be destroyed. That is because the Byzantines use Cataphracts, Arbalesters, Siege Rams, and Trebuchets, while Reynald uses Paladins and Arbalesters, with the occasional Trebuchet. It can be very frustrating holding back these near-constant attacks while building up a force to counterattack.
If the player loses a Castle, don't worry, one is enough, if it has enough support. The key is to hold this area, as it forms a great chokepoint, allowing the player the space to breathe behind it. The player will need some extra melee units there to help quickly dispatch rams and Trebuchets.
Another important thing to do is to control the river. The player can and should build Galleons and Dromons to control the river, but keep in mind that Reynald and the Byzantines will do the same, so their Docks should be destroyed as soon as possible so that the player gains full control of the water. The player should also use the Galleons to attack any enemy units crossing the shallows and bridges, while the Dromons crush enemy siege weapons. Just watch out for friendly fire from Dromons.
Thankfully, after his first attack, or a period of time, Reynald will offer a temporary truce of 15 minutes. The Seljuks will offer the same. The player cannot accept both, so accept Reynald's. He is the bigger threat, and Mleh can hold back the Seljuks pretty well on their own. However, Reynald can make quick work of Mleh, so keep an eye out for that; Mleh is invaluable in defending the flank. However, the truce is fragile, as it can be broken when the player builds anything in Reynald's territory, sends military units into their realm, or change their diplomatic stance to enemy. Reynald will angrily warn the player once to stop provoking him before he responds.
While defending the Castles, use both Barracks to spam Champions, and use the Castles to build Armenian archers and garrison them to maximum capacity. The player will need a Villager to build plenty of Houses to reach the 200 population cap. Once the player has a fully garrisoned Castle, build two Trebuchets, and send 40 Champions down to them. With a full army of 40 champions, 20 Armenian archers, and two Trebuchets, move south to start wiping out the Byzantine buildings. Let the Trebuchets deal with the buildings, keeping the army back to defend them, because they are now the primary target for both Reynald and the Byzantines, likely ignoring even the Castles.
While that army is moving to clear that southern field between Tarsos and Reynald, build a second, identical army, preferably with two extra Trebuchets, but not necessarily. Have this army move to back the first up, which may be worn down by now. Once the field is mostly cleared, move to take down the Castle in Tarsos. Doing so will make Tarsos an ally again, and they build up quick to help reinforce the player as the player moves to clear out the rest of the Byzantines. Alternatively, the player can use the starting Transport Ship with five Trebuchets and unload it near the Castle, then transport them back to the base.
Start with the buildings immediately south of Tarsos, and move up into their main base in the corner, taking out the Castles with the Trebuchets, buildings and units with the fresher army, and using the remaining army, hopefully in decent condition, to keep Reynald off the Trebuchets. He will send counter Trebuchets, so watch out for them too.
Once this larger base id cleared out, the Byzantines surrender, without needing to attack their smaller, northern base. If they don't, make quick work of that base too. Pull the armies and Trebuchets back to the Castles, where hopefully, the player has a third identical army waiting. If need be, build this third army in Mleh's base to help defend it.
The next target is Reynald. Move everything straight down into his base, with Trebuchets focusing on Castles and military buildings while at least one army stays near them to protect them. The rest should hold back from the Castles, and then go wild. If the player has at least two full armies, and ideally four Trebuchets, they can manage him without too much difficulty, as Mleh has been constantly attacking him, wearing down some of his buildings and units, and Tarsos will be joining in too.
Once that's done, join the allies in pushing north into the eastern corner to deal with the Seljuks. Don't underestimate them. Make sure to build a reserve army to send to reinforce. With Tarsos and Mleh helping, the player should be able to clear the south of their base, and one of their Castles before the assault begins slowing down. Bring in the reserve army and focus Trebuchets on Castles, then production buildings, and the player should be able to finish clearing them fine.
Mleh's base[]
Mleh abandoned his base to join the Seljuks, leaving nothing more than Villagers and a few production buildings for the player to inherit. Minutes after the player takes the base, three relatively large armies will come near the undefended base: the Byzantine army with Cataphracts and Trebuchets heading north to attack Stephan, the Seljuk raiders of camels and Cavalry Archers returning to their base in the southeast corner, and Reynald's army of Paladins and Crossbowmen. If the player garrisons the Town Center, place an army or attempt to fortify the northern part of Mleh's base, it will cause the Seljuks and Byzantines passing by to attack. This, combined with Reynald's attack, will wipe the player out early on.
Instead, let the initial Byzantine and Seljuk armies pass by without harassment. While they are passing, build a wall to defend the Market and northeastern Gold Mines from Seljuk raids from the south. Buy stone and immediately build a Castle in the southernmost part of the base, by the border with Reynald's base to the east of the mountain range. Train Pikemen to protect the Castle as well. Meanwhile, in the north behind the walls, build a Town Center by the Gold Mines, as well as a Fortified Church to collect the Relic between the Gold Mines and Stephan's base. Send lots of Villagers to the gold and use the Market to balance the economy during the initial assaults. With the walls to the south and Stephan to the north, this area is fairly safe. Reynald and the Seljuks will focus their attacks on the southern Castle.
Reynald will soon attack with Paladins and Crossbowmen. Once they are repelled, build a second Castle to support the first, as well as a Watch Tower. Place the Watch Tower further into Reynald's base to deny his northern Gold Mines and to distract Trebuchets from the Castles.
Shortly after Reynald's attack, the Seljuks will attack with camels, Cavalry Archers, and rams. With 2 Castles and Pikemen, they are easily repelled. As long as the player does not interfere with them on the road northward, the Byzantines will focus on Stephan, and so the player can mostly ignore them for now.
Balance the economy using the Town Center in the north by adding Villagers on wood and food. Build Fishing Ships, since it seems Reynald only builds a navy if the player does. Mine the stone and gold in the south towards Reynald's base. Continue making Pikemen and upgrade them to Halberdiers. The Seljuks will continue sending armies of the same composition, while Reynald will start attacking with Trebuchets.
Begin trading with Stephan for additional gold. Send some infantry to start supporting Stephan, as the Byzantines will continue to attack him with Arbalesters, Cataphracts, Champions, and Trebuchets. With some support, Stephan is able to send his armies to weaken the Byzantines and start liberating Tarsos.
Continue deeper into Reynald's base. Destroy his Monastery early on and use Warrior Priests to capture his three Relics. Without his northern gold and three Relics, he produces far fewer Paladins. Continue countering his Paladins with Pikemen and use Composite Bowmen or Elite Skirmishers to fight the Crossbowmen. Destroy his two Castles. He will use lots of Trebuchets to defend these. Once the Castles are destroyed, he will surrender.
Take a transport and a Monk to capture another Relic in the bend in the river at the south of the map, while sending the army to attack the Seljuks. The Seljuk's base is heavily fortified with towers, but it is relatively small, with few production buildings and little economy. Since the player took the spot where they would normally gather resources in the late game, the player will find them much easier to subdue than if they had taken Stephan's base. The Seljuk towers are easily destroyed with Trebuchets. Use Halberdiers and Skirmishers to counter camels and Cavalry Archers. Once they are wiped out, they will surrender, allowing the player to focus their efforts on capturing Tarsos. Make sure to capture the Seljuks' Relic. With the gold in Reynald's and the Seljuk's bases, 5-6 Relics, and new Markets in the southeastern corner, with more more Trade Carts, gold will not be a problem.
The Byzantines in Tarsos will already be worn down by Stephan's armies. Liberate Tarsos by using Trebuchets to take out the Castle. Once the player does so, Tarsos will join the player's side. At this point, with three players vs one, it becomes fairly easy to mop up the remaining Byzantine forces. They will have Cataphracts, Champions, and some navy. With the allies, army, and gold supply, they will offer very little resistance.
Achievement[]
The achievement Church Sanctuary can be obtained by keeping all the starting Villagers alive until the player's control of Tarsos is lost. Place troops between the enemy paths and Villagers collecting resources outside. When the city's walls fall, it is best to garrison the Villagers in the Town Center or Castle to keep them safe.
Outro[]
When you summit a peak and there is no way to go but down again, some men feel a strange sense of despair, as if they suddenly understand the futility of the entire pursuit.
The same is true of men like Thoros, whose mountains to overcome are not physical but political.
Perhaps it was this sense of having accomplished everything he set out to do that made him relinquish the throne – or maybe he was simply fed up with the constant cycle of false promises, short-lived alliances, and treacherous friends that is politics.
Either way, it was in this moment of triumph, when all of his enemies – Byzantines, Seljuks, and crusaders alike – had been pushed back, that Thoros abdicated and left the throne to his eldest son.
The strain that I had once seen in him had finally become too much. He walked away from his life's accomplishments, discarding the crown for which he had fought so hard, and strode up into the mountains.
From what I hear, he now lives among the monks in an isolated monastery, far from bustling courts and scream-filled battlefields.
I have heard others applaud his wisdom in relinquishing earthly desires in the hope of finding peace. If that is wisdom, then I am no wise man, nor will I ever be.
I was and will remain a restless warrior, a servant of shifting masters, behind whose ever-changing mask rests an opportunistic, ruthless mercenary.
In that respect, Thoros and I are not alike...
Trivia[]
- Tarsus, the city where the player begins, is also where Barbarossa's heart and inner organs were buried after his drowning in the Göksu River.
- Depending on which base the player joins after escaping from Tarsus, they will be informed of what happened to the brother who controlled it: Stephan launched an unauthorized attack on the Byzantines and never returned (presumably dead), while Mleh joined the Seljuks and converted to their faith. It is historically true, however that Mleh betrayed his brother and joined the Seljuks after Stephan's death and the second Byzantine invasion of Cilicia. Thus, joining Stephan's base is the historically accurate option.
- In reality, Renaud was not "redeemed" by the Byzantines to fight Thoros again. Shortly after the sacking of Cyprus, he voluntarily surrendered before the Byzantine emperor, where he was pardoned for his treason.
- The dialogue in the beginning of the scenario where Reynaud promises to send Knights to aid Thoros is similar to Henry the Lion's dialogue in The Lombard League of the Barbarossa campaign. Both allies promise to send an army to reinforce the player, only to betray them later on.
