| “ | The British army's summer push down the Hudson River Valley seemed unstoppable - but their supply lines were thinly stretched. | ” |
| —Scenario description | ||
Saratoga is the fifth scenario of Act I: Fire in Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs. The scenario is based on the Battle of Saratoga in which British General John Burgoyne led an invasion army in the Champlain Valley, expecting more reinforcements joining from the south and east, which never arrived. Two small battles broke out in which the colonials won and pushed the British further back.
Summary[]
The scenario starts off with the cinematic "Turning of the Tide", in which Amelia Black narrates how the colonials fought several indecisive skirmishes after the Battle of Trenton, until the summer in Saratoga. Nathaniel Black's scouts spotted a British column headed towards Albany, and Black ordered to spot down the troops and force them into a surprise fight.
The scenario is easier than it seems, as technically all that is needed to complete it is to build 3 Forts before the British can, and thus stop their advance. Fighting and destroying the enemy settlements is unnecessary, as continuous waves of enemy troops will pour from the north regardless of the enemy's situation.
Objectives[]
Primary objectives[]
- Destroy 3 British Fort Wagons.
- Race to build 3 Forts before the British build 3 Forts.
Secondary objectives[]
- Find Kuechler's bridge. (200 XP)
- Destroy the bridge of boats to delay Kuechler's arrival.
Players[]
Player[]
- Captain Black's Army (
Black Family Estate) - The player starts out slightly southeast in Saratoga with Nathaniel Black, 7 Revolutionaries, 1 Forest Prowler, 4 Native Scouts, and 1 Falconet, and will later be reinforced with a Covered Wagon and a few Dragoons. The player must build three Forts, while preventing the British from doing the same.
Enemies[]
- Burgoyne's Army ( British) - Forces are led by General Burgoyne, consist mainly of Musketeers, together with a few Falconets. They deploy small armies that escort Fort Wagons through the Trade Route, which will later attempt to build Forts on certain locations.
- Kuechler's Army ( Germans) - Forces are led by Colonel Kuechler consist of Jaegers guarding Outposts. They also deploy some Hackapells to attack the player's base. Their arrival can be delayed if the player manages to destroy Kuechler's bridge on time.
- Burgoyne's Supply Line ( British) - Will be found patrolling the caves and attacking in small waves, consist mainly of Hussar, Pikemen, Renegados, and Musketeers. They have a town east of the map.
Strategy[]
Players start out slightly southeast in Saratoga with Nathaniel Black, 7 Revolutionaries, 1 Forest Prowler, 4 Native Scouts, and 1 Falconet. As the first objective is revealed, the player should quickly destroy the first British Fort Wagon traveling down the road. Shortly afterwards, a small brigade of 7 British Musketeers will march out from the east forest, and the player should use Nathaniel's ability and their militia to quickly defeat the brigade. Note: The player can defeat Burgoyne's Army with the initial army. Don't kill 3 Fort Wagons. The player's Falconet can shoot the enemy's Falconet first. The enemy's Falconets shoot Nathaniel Black if he's in front, so the player's Falconet can shoot again and kill it. Repeat for enemy Musketeer,s or hit and run with the Falconet. Destroy enemy's Outposts with the Falconets. Destroy enemy buildings with other units.
As soon as the first brigade is defeated, the player should send the Native Scout directly south to the bottom of the map, to an undiscovered cave full of crates of resources and silver mines; these will be extremely useful later in the game. After the scout explores most of the cave, additional reinforcements arrive from the south of the map consisting of 7 Dragoons, 1 Falconet, and a Hackapell. 3 Villagers, and a Covered Wagon are also provided and immediately the Villagers should be sent to the cave to gather the crates of resources.
Note: With more units after killing 3 Fort Wagons, and if Burgoyne's Army is destroyed, the player can defeat Burgoyne's Supply Line by killing its Covered Wagons and units in the north. Destroying Kuechler's bridge makes Kuechler's Army spawn in waves in the north forever. The player should Camp the army there.
- Note: Small numbers of Burgoyne's Supply Line troops will be found patrolling the caves and must be avoided to prevent Villager casualties.
At this point the Covered Wagon and the reinforcements should be sent up north to cross the small river. A slightly stronger brigade of enemy Musketeers and a Falconet will charge at the player and must be put down swiftly before causing unnecessary causalities. Now the player can push their army further up north along the Trade Route and use the Falconets to destroy the enemy Outpost and Trading Posts. A secondary objective of finding Kuechler's bridge will be revealed. The bridge must be destroyed to delay Kuechler's troop arrival and give extra time to build the 3 Forts.
- Note: If Kuechler's bridge isn't destroyed, large numbers of Hessian troops will swarm from the east of the river and overwhelm the newly planned colony site.
At this point the Covered Wagon should be used to transform into a Town Center right alongside the large lake where the Trade Route snakes in a wide pattern. As soon as the Town Center is built, 500 coin is given from Nathaniel's fortune. The wood gathered from the cave should be used by the player to build a Dock, Market, Community Plaza, and a few Houses. A few Fishing Boats should be trained using the remaining wood, and a 5-minute countdown clock begins entailing Kuechler's arrival.
As the newly built town is slowly growing, the player's army should be stationed on the Trade Route where another enemy British brigade will be marching down. The enemy Falconets should be the first target of the player's artillery, and use Nathaniel's crack shot ability to take down the Musketeers and Fort Wagon.
Now the goal of the scenario is to quickly gather enough resources and race to build 3 Forts. Waves of enemy British and Hessian troops will constantly be sent down the Trade Route, so the player needs to build some Falonets of their own (at least 5) to deal with the British Musketeers. Kuechler will also send some Hackapells, so the player needs to protect their artillery with Tomahawks and/ or Dragoons (if the player has already managed to build a Fort, or if there are still alive from the initial ones provided). In case the British manages to build a Fort or two, the player should attack and destroy it to prevent defeat. That is why the Falconets escorted by Tomahawks are important. Otherwise, if the player is confident, they can complete the three Forts ahead of the British, and use the trained army to defend either the camp, or the Fort being constructed. Once the three Forts are built, the player has completed the scenario.
Trivia[]
- The Patriot victory at Saratoga was decisive in the recognition of France and Spain and changing the course of the American revolution in favor of the rebels.
Gallery[]
