Religion (named Crusade in the original) is the eighth scenario in the Ascent of Egypt campaign in Age of Empires: Definitive Edition and in Return of Rome.
A different version is the third scenario of the Dawn of Civilization CGW Trial campaign. The scenario teaches the player about Priests and how to convert enemy units.
Scenario instructions[]
Description[]
| “ | Heliopolis, around 2500 BCE Egypt's culture is flourishing and the population is growing. In order to provide for the administration of the kingdom and serve the gods, new professions have been established. Scribes and priests help the pharaoh in his dealings with the military, the people, and the gods. These new specialists have quickly gained prominence and become vital to Egyptian civilization. In the north, west of the Nile Delta, scouts report Libyan raiding parties are approaching one of Egypt's most sacred cities, Heliopolis, built to honor the Sun God Ra. As the lector priest of the city's main temple and army scribe of the pharaoh, you are commanded to stop these raiders at all costs. The priests in the city have offered their services to support the army. However, you must be wary of the Libyans who bring a siege engine with them to demolish the city's walls. This machine could be useful for our own armies, so instead of destroying it, the pharaoh has ordered you to capture this Stone Thrower and bring it to the Town Center at Heliopolis. |
” |
| —In-game section | ||
| “ | 1900 BC The great new temple has had a powerful effect on the people of Egypt. Priests are revitalized in their fervor and are spreading the word up river and along the coast. You are leading a new settlement in the west near Libya where raiders have been harassing Egyptian towns. These raiders possess a powerful new weapon called a Ballista. Capture the Ballista and bring it to your Town Center. |
” |
| —In-game section | ||
| “ | Crusade, 4000 BC After establishing and defending their settlement, the Egyptians have grown. Their knowledge has increased with their numbers and they are now on the verge of the Bronze Age. They still suffer from one disadvantage, unfortunately: horses are not native to Egypt. A tribe from afar has recently attempted to colonize the lands to the west of your settlement and they are rumored to have brought horses with them. Capture one of their horses and return it to your Town Center so that your wise men might learn from it. |
” |
| —In-game section | ||
Tutorial[]
- CONVERTING ENEMY UNITS
- To convert an enemy unit, select a Priest, and then right-click the unit to convert. Or select the Convert button, and then select the enemy unit to convert. A successful conversion will bring the unit under your control. Priests must rejuvenate their faith after making a conversion. The rejuvenation percentage is shown in the Priest's status box. Priests do not automatically convert nearby units unless they are attacked. When the Priest has converted a unit, he stands idle until given another command.
- You can improve your Priests by researching technologies at the Temple. Fanaticism lets Priests rejuvenate more quickly. Afterlife increases Priests' conversion range. Astrology lets Priests convert units more quickly. Monotheism lets Priests convert buildings and enemy Priests. A Priest must move adjacent to a building to convert it.
- Boats and Chariots are more resistant to conversion than other units. If a Priest converts a Light Transport or Heavy Transport carrying units, the ship is converted but its cargo is not. Converted units maintain their attributes (attack, range, etc.) at conversion; they cannot be upgraded. Priests cannot convert Town Centers, Wonders, or allied assets.
- CONVERTING ENEMY UNITS
- To convert an enemy unit, click a Priest, and then right-click the unit to convert. Or click the Convert button, and then click the enemy unit to convert. The unit is converted to the Priest's civilization. Researching Afterlife (at the Temple) increases the range of Priests for converting military units. Researching Monotheism (at the Temple) lets Priests convert buildings and enemy Priests. To convert buildings, the Priest must move adjacent to the building. Boats are twice as resistant to conversion as other units. Chariots are also resistant to conversion. Researching Astrology (at the Temple) lets Priests convert units more quickly. Priests must rejuvenate their strength after attempting a conversion. The faith percentage is shown in the status box at the bottom of the game screen. Researching Fanaticism allows Priests to recover their faith more quickly. Priests do not automatically convert nearby units, unless they are attacked. When the Priest has converted a unit, he stands idle until given another command. If a Priest converts a Light Transport or Heavy Transport carrying units, the ship is converted but its cargo is not. Converted units maintain their attributes (attack, range, etc.) at conversion; they cannot be upgraded. Technologies you research do not apply to converted units, except Monotheism, Astrology, Fanaticism, Ballistics, and Siegecraft. Priests cannot convert Town Centers, Wonders, or allied villagers, military units, or buildings.
- COUNTER UNITS
- In this game, every unit has its weaknesses and counters that prevent it from dominating a match. A good example of this in the Tool Age is the Bowman. This Tool Age ranged unit is quite cheap and can easily hit-and-run enemy units, making it a very difficult unit to beat when in large numbers. A good answer to a high number of Bowmen are Slingers. Slingers can be built at the Barracks, costing food and stone. Aside from strong pierce armor, the Slingers also have a hidden attack bonus against all ranged units, making them the perfect counter for large numbers of Bowmen.
- To display the objectives while you are playing the game, click the Objectives button in the upper-right corner of the game screen. For more tips on achieving the objective, click on Hints. To open this page again while you are playing the game, open the menu and click on the Scenario Instructions button.
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Bronze Age - Starting resources: 100 food, 100 gold
- Population limit: 50
- Starting units:
- Starting Age: Bronze Age
- Starting resources: 100 food, 100 wood
- Population limit: 50
- Starting units:
Objective[]
- Convert the enemy Stone Thrower.
- Bring the Stone Thrower to your Town Center.
Capture (convert) the Stone Thrower and bring it to your Town Center.
- Use Priests to convert enemy units
- Research at the Temple for upgrades to Priests
- Mine gold to replace killed Priests
- Capture (convert) the Ballista and bring it to your Town Center.
- Convert the enemy Scout unit and bring it back to your Town Center.
Hints[]
- You must convert the Stone Thrower and then prevent the enemy from destroying it while you move it to your Town Center.
- If your original Priest is killed, you can mine nearby gold in the area to create additional Priests.
- One possible strategy is to train an army to destroy all units guarding the Stone Thrower before your Priests convert it. Another option is to approach more slowly and use your Priests to convert the enemy guards before converting the Stone Thrower.
- The enemy has many Bowmen. Slingers are strong against other ranged units such as the Bowman, so train some to protect your Priests.
- You must convert the Stone Thrower and then prevent it from being destroyed by the enemy before you can move it to your Town Center.
- One possible strategy is to use your resources to build a large force to destroy all units guarding the Stone Thrower before your Priest converts it. Another option is to approach more slowly and use your Priest to convert the supporting enemy units one by one before converting the Stone Thrower.
- If your original Priest is killed, you can mine the deposits of gold in the area to create additional Priests.
- The enemy has many Bowmen. It is a good idea to train several Slingers to protect your Priests, since Slingers are strong against other ranged units such as the Bowman.
- You must convert the Ballista and then prevent it from being destroyed by the enemy before you can move it to your Town Center.
- You might use your resources to build a large force to destroy all units supporting the Ballista before your Priest converts it. Or you might approach more slowly and use your Priest to convert the supporting enemy units one by one before converting the Ballista.
- If your original Priest is killed, you can mine the deposits of gold in the area to create additional Priests.
- To win this scenario, you must make use of a new type of unit, the Priest. Priests don't damage an enemy unit directly but convert it instead to your side. A converted enemy unit becomes one of your units. Priests have a good range but be cautious-they are weak and slow. Some units may also take longer to convert than others so it is unwise to send priests out alone. Priests can also heal friendly units that have taken damage. To heal, have the Priest "attack" the friendly unit.
- The Priest becomes available in the Bronze Age and is built at the temple. To enter the Bronze Age (where the temple becomes available) requires two Tool Age buildings (which exist already) and 800 food. Build Farms to get the food needed to reach the Bronze Age. Unlike the units seen so far, Priests cost gold to build. There is a small gold mine on the map that contains enough gold to produce several Priests. Once you locate it, mine it in the same way any resource is gathered (left click on the Villager you want mine gold; right click on the gold mine.)
- Build as many Priests as you can afford and group them with several different combat units. Sneak up on the enemy slowly, using the Priest's sight advantage to spot them without being spotted, and convert the enemy unit with a horse (Scout) as soon as it is sighted. Once the Scout has been converted, immediately left click on it and move it away from the enemy units. Send the Scout to the Town Center to win the scenario. If you have trouble converting the Scout, group several Priests together and order them all to convert the Scout - their effectiveness increases in groups.
Players[]
Player[]
- Player ( Egyptians): The player starts with a Bronze Age base in the eastern corner of the map. It includes all buildings of the previous ages and a Temple, some Villagers, and a Priest. The base is open and has no walls. The player has access to all resources within and near their base including gold mines. The player can research all technologies at the Market.
Enemies[]
- Libyan Raiders ( Egyptians): The Libyan Raiders starts with a base, several Bowmen, and the Stone Thrower in the western corner of the map. They have no Villagers nor will produce any, and remain passive throughout.
Player[]
- Player ( Egyptians): The player starts with a Bronze Age base in the eastern corner of the map. It includes all buildings of the previous ages and a Temple, some Villagers, and a Priest. The base is also surrounded by walls. The player has access to all resources within their base except gold. Due to a bug, the initial player is unable to research Bronze Age technology at the initial Market, so they have to build another to do so.
Enemies[]
- Libyan Raiders ( Egyptians): The Libyan Raiders starts with a base, several Bowmen, and the Stone Thrower in the western corner of the map. They attempt to gather resources in the area next to the player's base after some time and will counter-attack if the player raids their Villagers.
Player[]
- Player ( Egyptians): The player starts with a Bronze Age base in the eastern corner of the map. It includes all buildings of the previous ages and a Temple, some Villagers, and a Priest. The player has access to all resources within their base except gold. Due to a bug, the initial player is unable to research Bronze Age technology at the initial Market, so they have to build another to do so.
Enemies[]
- Enemy ( Egyptians): The enemy (whose name is picked randomly from the pool of Egyptian AI names) starts with an army of seven Bowmen and the Ballista. They also have some buildings but does not produce any villagers. They changes diplomatic stance towards the player from neutral to enemy within the first seconds of the game.
Player[]
- Egypt ( Egyptians): The player starts with a Tool Age base in the eastern corner of the map. It includes all buildings of the previous ages and an Archery Range, and some Villagers. The player has access to all resources within their base. The player cannot build a Stable.
Enemies[]
- Libyan ( Egyptians): The Libyan start with a Tool Age base including all Stone age buildings, a Farm, and an Archery Range. The base also includes five Watch Towers. They train Villagers and gather resources but their economy is disabled in reality because all technologies and buildings are locked to this player.
Strategy[]
The enemy does not attack, so the player can improve their economy by producing more Villagers and researching Market technologies. Eventually, they can build up a force of Priests and upgrade them at the Temple, and then attack the Libyans.
The enemy Stone Thrower can kill a Priest in one strike, so the player can either use multiple Priests spaced out (use the staggered formation) to convert it from outside its range (the player already has Afterlife researched, providing +3 range to Priests).
Alternately, the player can catch the attention of the Stone Thrower with any unit by attacking it first (including attempting conversion by a Priest) and then keep moving that unit around to dodge the stones while other Priests convert the target.Train additional villagers for gathering wood, food, and gold. Train one additional Priest, a scout, and some military, and send them to the southern exit of your base, next to the gold. Secure the gold with a tower once you start gathering gold. Eventually the Libyan Raiders will attack. Fend them off and wait for the Stone Thrower to appear. Convert it before it gets destroyed and send it to towards the starting town center to win this scenario.
This scenario can be won in a matter of minutes. The Ballista is just south of the town, and the player starts off with a Priest. Train some Scouts, and send them to kill the Bowmen, which may otherwise kill either the Priest or the converted Ballista. Once the Bowmen have been dealt with, the player can send some Villagers south to a Gold Mine and create two more Priests. Send the three Priests south, taking advantage of their good range and making sure they outrange the Ballista, and the Ballista will be converted within moments. Take it to the player's Town Center and the scenario is completed.
First objective is to reach Bronze Age. So build up an economy of about eight foragers (later farmers) and four woodcutters. Research domestication and build farms as soon the berry bushes are depleted. Meanwhile train additional villagers to gather stone and gold. Research the watch tower and build some to fend off possible attacks. When Bronze Age is reached, build a temple and a siege workshop and build at least a priest (it is also recommended to fully upgrade him) and a stone thrower. Also research wheel and build 8-12 chariot archers. Approach the enemy base with this force and level the three outer watch towers while defending the stone thrower with your chariot archers. Fight through the base heading to the western corner of the map where the scout is walled in, defended by two watch towers. Keep away your chariot archers so the do not kill the scout by accident, causing immediate defeat. Level the towers with your stone thrower, then convert the scout with your priest (again do not let the other units kill the scout). Then destroy a segment of the wall and let the scout ride towards your town center to win this scenario.
History[]
Historical notes[]
| “ | The Egyptians developed a rich and varied religion based on the worship of around 2000 gods and goddesses. Some of these deities were worshiped throughout the country, some by a specific town, and others within the home. Many of their religious beliefs were linked to the sun and the Nile—the two entities most responsible for the agricultural bounty that was the basis for Egypt's relative affluence. The pharaohs, With the help of priests, conducted rites throughout the year to ensure the regular flood of the Nile and movements of the sun. For major deities, great temples were built. A temple was not a Place of worship, rather it was considered a home on earth for the god or goddess to which it was associated. The cult statue representing the deity might only be shown a few times each year at special festivals. Offerings brought to the temple were collected by priests and priestesses. The people would pray to a statue of the pharaoh because it was believed to possess divine powers and might intercede on behalf of the petitioner. Questions for the god or goddess were passed to priests or priestesses for reply. One of the most unique religious events in Egyptian history happened during the New Kingdom. Amenhotep IV—presumably the father of the famous Tutankhamun—created a cult around Aten, the sun god. Amenhotep IV renamed himself Akhenaten, in honor of the god, and while he still acknowledged the existence of other gods, he only worshiped Aten. This created a quasi-monotheistic religion. The impact of this new cult was very limited and, after his death, it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. The decline of the Old Kingdom happened during the sixth dynasty (2345-2181 BCE) when the power of the pharaoh gradually weakened in favor of regional governors. Internal disorders and a serious drought, combined With unusually low Nile floods, were the final blows to a decaying kingdom. The Old Kingdom period was followed by the First Intermediate Period, during which Egypt was divided for over a century. |
” |
| —In-game section | ||
Victory[]
| “ | You have saved Heliopolis from the Libyan marauders, and the gods are pleased. The pharaoh is grateful and has promised to fund the creation of a statue resembling your visage. lt is an honor not usually bestowed upon someone other than the pharaoh himself. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Loss[]
| “ | The sacred City of Heliopolis and its mighty temples have been plundered by the Libyan raiders. In anger, the pharaoh has stripped you of your titles and forces you to help work on his monument for the afterlife. In case you have forgotten, the builders are buried in the tomb With the pharaoh when he dies. lt appears that you will have all of eternity to make up for your mistakes. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Historical notes[]
| “ | The Egyptians developed a rich and varied religion based on the worship of around 2000 gods and goddesses. Some of these deities were worshipped throughout the country, some by a specific town, and others within the home. Many of their religious beliefs were linked to the sun and the Nile, the two entities most responsible for the agricultural bounty that was the basis for Egypt's relative affluence. The pharaohs, with the help of priests, conducted rites throughout the year to insure the regular rise of the Nile and movements of the sun. For major deities great temples were built. Each temple was considered a home on earth for the god or goddess to which it belonged. A temple was not a place of worship. The cult statue representing the deity might only be shown a few times each year at special festivals. The people brought offerings to the temple that were collected by priests and priestesses. The people could pray to a statue of the pharaoh, believed to be a descendant of the gods, who might intercede on behalf of the petitioner. Questions for the god or goddess were passed to priests or priestesses for reply. |
” |
| —In-game section | ||
Historical outcome[]
| “ | The religion of Egypt remained a powerful unifying force for thousands of years. It overshadowed or influenced the religions of smaller neighboring barbarian cultures. Egyptian religion was not without disruption, however. During the reign of Akhenaten (1364-1347 BC), for example, the old gods and goddesses were briefly deposed. The pharaoh insisted the people worship only one god, Aten, represented by the disc of the sun. He built a new city and temple for Aten and banned the worship of the old gods, causing great disruption. The names of the old gods were physically removed from many inscriptions. The idea of one god only may have influenced later religions. Within a few years of his death, Akhenaten was branded a heretic and the old gods and goddesses were restored. Akhenaten is believed to have been the father of Tutankhamen. |
” |
| —In-game section | ||
Historical notes[]
| “ | Although the Hyksos were pushed back for a time, they did not give up the quest of taking Egypt. They continued to infiltrate in small groups and become part of the culture. A series of week Pharaohs and squabbling over the kingship weakened the country eventually, including the frontier fortresses. A crisis occurred around 1700 BC when Hyksos armies using horses invaded Lower Egypt and took control over most of the river delta. The next 100 years were known as the Second Intermediate Period when rule of Egypt was shared by several groups. |
” |
| —In-game section | ||
Victory[]
| “ | Congratulations! You have obtained a horse for your wise men to study! Historical Outcome: Obtaining the use of the horse and the technology of the chariot were critical steps to the revival of the Egyptian kingdom. Upper Egypt was able to rebel against the Hyksos rulers of Lower Egypt and begin the struggle to reconquer the whole Nile Valley. |
” |
| —In-game section | ||
Loss[]
| “ | You have been defeated! The horse has been lost. Try again and remember to check Hints if you need guidance. |
” |
| —In-game section | ||
Trivia[]
- The name of the scenario was probably changed due to the anachronistic nature of the former title, as the Crusades were religious wars fought in the Medieval period.
- Apart from enabling Farms to be built, the starting Market does not have any function, as the player is unable to research any technology from it, and the player is still notified that a Market must be built in order to pay tribute at the diplomacy settings.
- There is an historical inconsistency in the Trial version: while the enemy is named "Libyans" and depicted correctly in the west of the river Nile delta, the historical outcome (as well es the "historical notes") mentions the Hyksos instead.
- There is another historical/gameplay inconsistency in the Trial version: the player's objective is to convert an enemy's Scout to obtain horses. Consequently, the Stable is locked in this scenario. Despite that, the player can still train Chariot Archers if Wheel is researched. Since it is impossible to lock single units or technologies in Age of Empires, it is likely that this inconsistency caused the developers to change the conversion target from Scout to Ballista in the final release.
Gallery[]
The Market that the player begins the game with is not recognized by the system, which only allows the player to build Farms
