Serving the New King is the fourth scenario in the Gajah Mada campaign in Age of Empires II HD: Rise of the Rajas. As the name suggests, the scenario takes place during the reign of Hayam Wuruk, Tribhuwana's son and successor, and covers up the Majapahit conquest of the Eastern Indonesian archipelago.
Intro[]
Time is a cruel mistress as I grow older and older.
The queen abdicated so that her son, Hayam Wuruk, could take the throne. This does not affect my ambitions. My work is not complete as long as my oath is not fulfilled. Majapahit's navy will go east, towards the small but rich tropical islands of the archipelago.
There are as many as the stars in the sky, but they too will recognize my authority... and that of Majapahit's rightful king, of course.Time is relentless as I'm growing older and older. The queen abdicates now that her son, Hayam Wuruk has come of age. Nevertheless this does not affect my objectives. Retaining my position as prime minister, I'll continue my military campaigns. My work still isn't done as my oath is yet to be fully fulfilled. Majapahit's navy will go east, towards the rich tropical islands. There are as many as the stars in the sky but they too will recognize my authority... and that of the king, of course.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age: Imperial Age
- Starting resources:
- Population limit: 125
Differences between difficulty levels[]
- On Standard/Moderate difficulty, the player starts with Chemistry researched.
Objectives[]
- Destroy all of Kutai's docks.
- Destroy all of Makassar's docks.
- Destroy all of Luwu's docks.
Hints[]
- Due to the limited resources and space on these small islands, you are restricted to a population limit of 125. This also means it is very important to expand quickly to other islands to take control of vital resources and precious building space.
- Fish is probably the best way to get food in this region. Doing this saves wood from building farms and that wood can instead be used for building a navy. When fishing spots become depleted you can make use of the Malay's unique fish trap bonus to get an endless supply of food that way.[note 1]
- Your enemies have a strong naval presence. Building fortifications on the islands can help defend your bases and let you concentrate your ships in fewer locations.
- Some enemies have Fortified Towers. The best way to deal with these large towers is with several Cannon Galleons. Using other ships to distract the fire coming from the towers is also a good way to prevent your Cannon Galleons from taking fire.
Scouts[]
Your scouts report:
- The Majapahit navy (5, Cyan), or what is left of it after a heavy storm, arrived north and made landfall on one of the islands. Majapahit sailors (1, Red) have been ordered to look for a nearby village from where a new fleet can be build.
- To the east the Kutai (2, Blue) control many of the smaller islands. They are mainly pirates and rely on small but fast ships. They will also use rafts filled with gunpowder to take down larger vessels.
- The Makassar (3, Green) live on the other side of the eastern archipelago and southwest of our location. They are well-fortified and better equipped than the Kutai. They mainly rely on War Galleys and Fire Ships to deal with enemy vessels but also have archers defending their shores. We definitely can expect them to try to raid us.
- Farther to the south are the Luwu (4, Yellow). The most technologically advanced of the islanders, their island will be very difficult to take because of the Fortified Towers defending it. They are also accustomed to using gunpowder so they will deploy cannons on some of their vessels and towers.
Players[]
Player[]
- Player ( Malay): Gajah Mada's troops begin on a northern island, with a token force that can take over a local naval base.
Ally[]
- Majapahit ( Malay): They don't play much of a role in the scenario. Their three ships are blown up in the first few seconds, at which point they are defeated. They do send tribute to the player once though.
Enemy[]
- Kutai ( Chinese ( Malay before the Definitive Edition)): The least dangerous of the three opponents. Little more than pirates, they stay in the Feudal Age for the entire scenario and don't really behave aggressively. Their main base is in the eastern corner of the map, but they also inhabit the archipelago in the center. They build mostly Demolition Rafts, but also Galleys and Fire Galleys (War Galleys, Fire Ships, and Demolition Ships in the Definitive Edition). They also field an army consisting of Men-at-Arms and Archers, but don't seem to attempt any landings. Before resigning, they send all of their resources to Makassar.
- Makassar ( Vietnamese): A moderately advanced enemy. Their base is in the west, but they also gather resources on two islands. Being restricted to the Castle Age, they send War Galleys and Fire Ships, as well as Transport Ships filled with Rattan Archers and Pikemen. Before resigning, they send all of their resources to Luwu. Makassar is the enemy that most frequently attacks the player's base.
- Luwu ( Malay): By far the most dangerous of the three enemies. Their base in the south is fortified by Castles and numerous Bombard Towers and Fortified Towers. Being in the Imperial Age from the start of the game, they have Galleons, Fast Fire Ships, and even Cannon Galleons at their disposal. At home, they also secure the shore with Onagers, Bombard Cannons, and Arbalesters.
Strategy[]
A rough start[]
The player starts in the Imperial Age, but with only a few Champions and Karambit Warriors at their disposal. The small army has to make its way north by killing a few of Kutai's men. On the northern tip of the small island, a Gaia village loyal to the Majapahit can be found. The remaining soldiers should be garrisoned in the Town Center for healing, and Villager production should be started immediately.
Soon, the player's base will be under attack by Makassar and Luwu ships, so the player should start building some warships on their own. Like in the previous scenario, Fire Ships are better in small numbers than War Galleys in small numbers for a start. Thalassocracy is already researched, so Harbors, along with the existing towers, can do most of the work, but they have to be protected from Luwu's Cannon Galleons, which can otherwise level them in seconds.
Claiming islands[]
As the resources on the starting island are very limited, preparations should be made. Immediately southwest, there's an island containing gold and wood, which can be taken rather early, but the cliffs should be walled off and a tower should be built in order to protect the Villagers from Makassar landings.
Makassar mine all their gold on an island further southwest of the aforementioned one, so it might be a good idea to cut them off as early as possible. To do so, a Siege Workshop and a Battering Ram, as well as the starting soldiers, should suffice. The player can sneak a Transport Ship past Makassar's towers (and hopefully their ships) and land at a small beach in the northwest of the island. The garrisoned Ram can take care of the towers while the superflous infantry can kill the Villagers. Makassar will send a Transport Ship filled with Rattan Archers and Pikemen on their own, so the player has to act quickly. Taking this island early deprives Makassar of any gold income and also conserves minable resources for later. It is also a perfect second base for later, containing much gold and also wood and providing a good position for a Castle which can shatter most of Makassar's navy. The player should make sure to keep some Galleons or fast Fire Ships in the vicinity, though, in case Luwu's Cannon Galleons find their way to this island.
The order in which the three enemies are taken care of is up to the player, but it is recommended to take on Luwu first as their Cannon Galleons pose the greatest threat, whereas the ships of the other two factions can be easily sunk by fortifications. While it might seem to be a good idea to simply blow up the enemy Docks using Demolition Ships, the Malay lack the Heavy Demolition Ship upgrade, and the enemies' bases are all too well fortified to make a run for it, so it's mostly a waste of resources.
The other funny reason is that when Luwu are defeated, they give all their resources to Kutai(as mentioned in the Luwu intro section) who in turn would waste those resources on man-at-arms and archers
In the southern section of the map between Luwu and Makassar is an island with Gaia Monks with a relic. The island directly to the north is uninhabited and has a small gold mine. It is recommended that you build docks on this island to reinforce an attack on Luwu as they have many ships and can repel even large assaults. This can also be used as a staging area if Makassar has not been fully dealt with yet.
Luwu[]
As mentioned before, Luwu is the main threat and thus should be eliminated first. To do so, a large number of Galleons, as well as some Fast Fire Ships (to stall opposing Fire Ships) and Cannon Galleons is recommended. Their Harbors are located in an elongated bay and protected by numerous Towers and a Castle, as well as Onagers and Bombard Cannons (In the Definitive Edition, Luwu will also have a Sea Gate to protect the bay, so the advance will be much slower). While the Castle and Bombard Towers can be destroyed from afar by Cannon Galleons, the Fortified Towers outrange even Elite Cannon Galleons, so the best strategy to destroy them is sending in some standard Galleons to draw fire and then quickly take them down using multiple Elite Cannon Galleons. The push into the bay will be rather slow, and good micro management is required in order not to lose too many ships to Onager or Bombard Cannon shots, both of which have an attack bonus versus ships. Once Luwu's harbors are turned into rubble, they send all their resources to Kutai[?] and resign.
Whether to attack Kutai or Makassar next doesn't really matter and is completely up to the player's preference.
Kutai[]
Kutai shouldn't really be much of a problem, as they have only Feudal Age units. However, their fleet consist mostly of Demolition Rafts so, sending Fast Fire Ships is not advised, especially since their archipelago in the center of the map has rather narrow waterways. They also have quite a few towers, so Cannon Galleons should not be forgotten. Like Luwu they resign when their Docks are destroyed and will send their resources to Makassar[?].
In the Definitive Edition, Kutai will be stronger than the HD Edition, because they will train a Castle Age navy rather than the Feudal Age navy and will be played as the Chinese civilization. Being the Chinese, this means their Demolition Ships have extra HP and can blast the player's ships to smithereens easily, so the player has to be more careful. Despite they being stronger, they still will not go on the offensive.
Makassar[]
It is slightly more advantageous to attack Makassar's base from the north, as they have an already familiar Fortified Tower in the south, but by now it shouldn't really matter that much. Once their Castle on a small forward island is destroyed, the way to the bay in which their Docks are located is free. Like the other two opponents, they resign when their Docks are destroyed.
With all Docks destroyed, the player is victorious.
Outro[]
Never before has an empire controlled so much of the Indonesia. The Majapahit Empire is truly blessed and its reputation spreads. Emissaries from China and India come to our capital bearing gifts in recognition of our power.
All that remains is to take the last remaining kingdom on the island of Java. The kingdom of Sunda is a thorn in my side and should not be allowed to exist any longer. My king maintains good relations with Sunda, but I am determined to ber id of them! My oath must be fulfilled!Never before has an empire controlled so much of the Indonesian archipelago. The Majapahit Empire is truly blessed. Even the Chinese and Indians have recognized its power. All that remains for me to fulfill my oath is to take the one remaining kingdom on the island of Java, the kingdom of Sunda. They can no longer be allowed to exist on the very same island as us. Even though my king maintains good relationships with them, I'll find a way for them to submit to my will.
Trivia[]
- This scenario is a remake of Caesar vs Pirates, a scenario from Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome.
- As a result, the location of Kutai, Makassar, and Luwu don't match their real-world counterpart. Kutai is supposed to be located in the west, with Makassar in the southernmost area, and Luwu north of it. The location of the three entities is accurate if south is towards the upper part of the map instead, meaning the map is rotated 180 degrees.
- In the Definitive Edition, a sketch of a pinisi-rigged vessel is used to represent an east Indonesian ship. However, this is inaccurate, as pinisi-rigged vessels just started appearing after the 1900s. The hull isn't traditional either, it showed a modern hull with bridge, commonly used for yacht charter.
- The islanders of Makassar and Kutai are represented by Vietnamese and Chinese (in the Definitive Edition) for variety purpose. Makassar is Vietnamese because it will allow the player to fend off land invasions. As for Kutai, they are Chinese, because their bonus of 50% more HP to their Demolition Ships emphasizes their heavy use of Demolition Ships.
Notes[]
- ↑ With update 47820 for the Definitive Edition, Malay Fish Traps now provide 3 times more food as opposed to infinite. However, this hint was not updated.