Quetzalcoatl is the third scenario in Montezuma campaign in Age of Empires II: The Conquerors. This scenario is named after the Native American deity Quetzalcoatl, for Cortéz was being mistaken as Quetzalcoatl upon his arrival.
The first objective in this scenario is to defeat the Tlaxcalans' empire. Next the player either have to capture 20 Spanish Horses blocked by walls and then taking them to a pen near their camp or defeating the Spanish in order to slow their advance. The player ally, Tabasco (orange), will resign, depicting the Battle of Centla.
Scenario instructions
Starting conditions
- Starting Age:
Imperial Age (easy difficulty), File:Castle-age-reseach.jpg Castle Age - Starting resources: 200 wood, 200 food, 200 gold, 200 stone
- Population limit: 75
- Starting units:
- Gaia units: None
Objectives
- Defeat the Tlaxcalans.
- Prevent the Aztec allies in Tabasco from being defeated.
- Capture 20 Spanish horses and return them to the flagged pen in the Aztec camp
OR - Defeat the Spanish.
- Capture 20 Spanish horses and return them to the flagged pen in the Aztec camp
- Prevent the Aztec allies in Tabasco from being defeated.
Hints
- 1. The dense rain forest is home to many jaguars. Be cautious.
- 2. Tabasco, your ally, lives dangerously close to your enemies. It may be possible to save them, but do not despair if Tabasco is destroyed.
- 3. Do not slay the Spanish beasts if they can be of some use.
Scouts
- Your scouts report: The Aztecs of Montezuma (green) have a small fortress to the south. In the center of the area is a large cliff and north of this is your ally, Tabasco (orange). To the west is the sprawling city of your enemies,the Tlaxcala (red). To the east are the Spanish (blue). Their motives are unknown.
- The Tlaxcala army is composed of Archers, Skirmishers, and Eagle Warriors led by Monks. Their production might be slowed by an early attack.
- The Spanish are far more powerful. Defeating their cavalry and swordsmen will require siege weapons as their fortress is protected with cannon.
Players
Ally
- Tabasco (Mayans) is based at the northern part of the map. They are situated dangerously between the two enemies, and they resign at some point by committing suicide, leaving behind only buildings that do not produce units (houses, lumber camps, mining camps etc).
Enemies
- Cortéz (Spanish) is based at the eastern part of the map. They tend to attack with Conquistadors, Bombard Cannons and limited number of Cannon Galleons, all being gunpowder units which cannot be produced by the "new world" civilizations.
- Tlaxcala (Aztecs) is based at the western part of the map. They tend to lay siege with trebuchets.
Strategy
Cortéz has four horse pens (built with Palisade Walls), one at the northern part of the map, or the west of Cortéz's base (just across the river from Tabasco's base), two at the southeast of Cortéz's base, and one at the northeast of Cortéz's base. As your ally, Tabasco, would have partially destroyed the western horse pen, it would be the easiest for you to take out the horses from there. But as the horses become yours, your enemies might attack the horses, if sighted. Taking out the horses from the two southeastern pen would require dealing with Cortéz's Conquistadors and bombard cannons. Once you get that area clear of Cortéz's threat/defense, it would be easy to break the northeastern horse pen.
Cortéz's Conquistadors can be easily dealt with pikemen, towers and castles. On the other hand, his bombard cannons are a great threat, as they outrange towers and castles, and being much more efficient than trebuchets, therefore you must have your infantry ready to kill them. However, you may also try to use your Monks to convert these gunpowder units, as you cannot produce them by yourself. Converting bombard cannons requires researching redemption (because bombard cannons are siege units), and in order to keep your Monks safe, move your Monk(s) near the cannon before converting it so that the cannon cannot attack the Monk(s). A damaged (but not yet destroyed) bombard cannon cannot be healed by a Monk but can only be repaired by a villager. Conquistadors can be healed by Monks because they are considered "cavalry archers".
History
- Cortéz was mistaken as Quetzalcoatl due to the prophet, Yaxchilan, who was a former Mayan, but was exiled due to his radical views. He imposed his beliefs on a smaller section of prophets and other exiles. These beliefs held a small cult in Aztec lands until trading contacts moved the beliefs inland and greatly expanded the impact of the religion. This belief led to Montezuma, a Yaxchilan scholar's understudy, to pardon and submit to Cortéz.
- Even though Tabasco isn't attacked, they will always commit suicide.
