Saving the Huts is the third scenario of the Kotyan Khan campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. It depicts the migration of 40,000 "huts" of Cuman-Kipchaks under Kotyan Khan to Hungary.
Intro
Although many of us had given up hope, Khan Kotyan still believed in our survival. The messengers that he had sent west returned with good news. Even though we did not expect much grace from the Europeans that we raided for so many centuries, King Bela IV of Hungary offered our people asylum in his country. For the first time in months, our people rejoiced.
However, before we leave for Hungary, we must first save kinsmen trapped by Mongol and Tatar raiders in nearby Wallachia.
The situation is dire, but news reached us that a fellow khan named Girgen is fighting off the enemy raids, trying to rescue our people. If we can reach him in time and rally the remaining tribes, we might have a chance of saving what is left of the free Cumans.
Scenario instructions
Starting conditions
- Starting Age:
Feudal Age - Starting resources: 400 food, 200 wood, 100 gold
- Population limit: 150
- Starting units:
- Kotyan Khan
- 7 Kipchaks
- 3 Steppe Lancers
- 1 Light Cavalry
Objectives
- Kotyan Khan must survive.
- Subotai is hunting you down. Find support from the Cumans living here in Moldavia.
- Reach Girgen Khan and his tribes.
- Travel to the northern Cuman village.
- Protect your village.
- Liberate 5 Cuman tribes.
- Bring Kotyan to the Hungarians.
Hints
- The Cumans are restricted to the Castle Age and a population of 150. They are also unable to construct stone walls.
- You do not have the resources to fight the Mongols and Tatars head on, so pick your fights wisely. Sometimes it is better to avoid conflict.
- It is possible to fight off the initial attacks of the Mongol army, but once its supplies reach the region it is unlikely that you will be able to hold them off for very long. Focus instead on saving the lives of your people.
- At first, the Tatar horsemen are a real threat to Kotyan and his men. However, with some upgrades from the Blacksmith and other military buildings your men will be able to combat those Tatar raiders much more easily.
Scouts
Your scouts report:
- Kotyan (1, Green) has arrived in Moldavia with a small band of horsemen. This region is home to a Cuman tribe led by Girgen Khan (2, Cyan).
- Tatar raiders (4, Yellow) are spread throughout the land, raiding and attacking everything that they can. Their Cavalry Archers, Light Cavalry, and fearsome Keshiks are extremely mobile.
- In the meanwhile, the Mongols (6, Orange) are occupying the outlying villages in an effort to to[sic] bolster their power in the region. They will train Cavalry Archers, Light Cavalry, and siege units in their quest to destroy all resistance. All of this is in preparation of the arrival of the main Mongol army led by Subotai. He will bring the best units that the Mongols can field: Hussars, Mangudai, and advanced siege equipment.
Players
- Player (Cumans)
- Girgen Khan (Cumans)
- Cuman Tribes (Cumans)
- Tatars (Tatars)
- Hungarians (Magyars)
- Mongols (Mongols)
- Subotai (Mongols)
Strategy
On hard, put the first 6 Villagers on Sheep, then a few on wood. From there, the player will want to keep killing Sheep while getting up to around 14 food gatherers and 8 wood gatherers, then put a whole lot of Villagers on gold. When possible, buy 100 stone and build a second Town Center north by the other gold and start producing Villagers to mine gold there.
At some point, the player will get a large tribute of resources. Try to use this to get to the Castle Age. The idea here is to buy 850 stone for a second Town Center and then a Castle, and then Murder Holes, which is able to stop the frequent cavalry attacks against the base.
Once the Castle is up to protect the base, keep mining gold until it is exhausted, then focus more heavily on wood and food which the player will start selling for gold while they purchase all of the upgrades for the cavalry army and start spamming horse units. Once the player is approaching the population cap and have maxed all of the upgrades, start liberating the Cuman camps. The enemy has not upgraded their troops, so at this point the player should be able to steamroll all 5 of the Cuman camps and then finish the scenario by sending the hero to the far south. Note: there are a lot of enemies (Even 3-4 Mangonels) protecting the route, so send him with the rest of the army.
At a certain time, the player will receive the report that Subotai will be here in 45 minutes. The player may be able to defeat the first and second waves of his army, but as time goes by, Subotai will eventually send many fully upgraded Elite Mangudais with siege units, making it very difficult to defend. Thus, the player should not only keep in mind of the timing but also focus on the scenario objectives, instead of trying to defeat all of the enemies.
Outro
Although our people numbered up to 40,000 men, women, and children, the Hungarian king welcomed us with open arms. Hungarians and Cumans greeted each other amicably and festivities ensued for days. Our leaders were baptized by the Hungarian priests and many of our people followed their example.
When the festivities end, we will settle in the Hungarian valleys, set up our yurts there, and send our herds out into the field. Everything seems to be better now. Still, we should not get too comfortable with the Mongol army converging on the Hungarian border.
Our horsemen will help the Hungarians defend their lands, but we are not the only ones who have come to their aid. Duke Frederick of Austria, an old rival of King Bela, has come to Hungary with a company of heavy armored German knights. We are suspicious of these strangers, but there is no time for internal squabbling. Not is such dire times.
