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Struggle for Sicily is the first scenario of the The First Punic War campaign in the Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome trial version. The Carthaginians must kill all the Roman soldiers in their lands. This scenario was replaced in the Definitive Edition by The Battle of Agrigentum, and again returned in Return of Rome, replacing the Definitive Edition version.

Scenario instructions[]

Description[]

NuRoR axeman attack
Sicily, 262 BCE

Your command in Sicily has been uneventful, save for a roving band of rebellious mercenaries who had pillaged much of the island and angered the tyrant of Syracuse. Carthage's ruling council sees this as an opportunity to expand Carthage's influence, but a strange Italian backwater town has intervened in these affairs.

The soldiers from this town call themselves Romans and they march on your positions. By the grace of Ba'al Hammon, King of the Gods, deal with these Roman upstarts.
—In-game section

264 BC

For years, your nation of Carthage has been the undisputed master of the Mediterranean. Recently, a new force has arisen on the scene. Rome, a small backwater of no importance, is challenging your mastery of the island of Sicily, an important center of trade for your empire. You have been assigned to drive the audacious Romans from Sicily.
—In-game section

Tutorial[]

RESOURCES
Assign villagers to chop wood, hunt, forage, fish, and mine to increase your stockpile of resources (shown in the upper-left corner of the game screen). Use these resources to expand your civilization by constructing buildings, training new units, and advancing to the next age.
To assign a Villager a task, select the Villager, and then right-click a work site on the game screen. For example, to assign a Villager to chop wood, select a Villager, and then right-click a tree. To gather food, assign Villagers to hunt animals, forage berry bushes, or fish near the shore. You can also build Fishing Boats to fish for food. Villagers gather as much as they can carry before depositing it at the Town Center (the primitive structure in the middle of the game screen when the scenario begins).
CREATING NEW UNITS
You can create new Villagers to gather resources more quickly and train military units to attack the enemy. You must build Houses to support the new Villagers, military units, and boats you create. Each House (and Town Center) supports four units.
To create a Villager, select the Town Center, and then select the Create Villager button at the bottom of the game screen. The Villager will appear beside the Town Center after a brief period.
To create a military unit, build a Barracks, Archery Range, Stable, Siege Workshop, Academy, or Temple. Select the building, and then select the button of the military unit to train. For example, to train a Clubman (at the Barracks), select the Train Clubman button.
To create a boat, build a Dock. Select the Dock, and then select the button of the boat to build. For example, to build a Fishing Boat, select the Build Fishing Boat button.
CONSTRUCTING BUILDINGS
To construct a building, select a Villager, select the Build button, and then select the button of the building to construct. For example, to build a House, select a Villager, select the Build button at the bottom of the game screen, select the Build House button, and then left-click a location on the map.
ADVANCING TO THE NEXT AGE
Advancing to the next Age lets you construct new buildings, train new military units, and research new technologies to increase your civilization's power. To advance from the Stone Age to the Tool Age, you need two different Stone Age buildings (not Houses) and 500 food. For example, you might build a Dock and a Barracks.
To advance to the Tool Age, select the Town Center, and then select the Advance to Tool Age button.

EXPLORING
Unexplored areas of the map are black. You need to explore the map to find sources of wood and food, as well as the Romans. To move units on the map, click a unit (such as a villager) and then right-click a location on the game screen.
ASSIGNING TASKS
You can assign villagers to chop wood, hunt, forage, fish, and mine to increase your stockpile of resources (shown in the upper-left corner of the game screen). You use these resources to expand your civilization by constructing buildings, creating new units, and advancing to the next age.
To assign a villager a task, click the villager, and then right-click a work site on the game screen. For example, to assign a villager to chop wood, click a villager, and then right-click a tree. To gather food, assign villagers to hunt gazelle, forage berry bushes, or fish near shore. You can also build a Fishing Boat to fish for food. The villager gathers as much as he can carry, and deposits it at the Town Center (the primitive structure in the middle of the game screen when the scenario begins).
CREATING NEW UNITS
You can create new villagers to gather resources more quickly and train military units to attack the enemy. You must build Houses to support the new villagers, military units, and boats you create. Each House (and Town Center) supports four units.
To create a villager, click the Town Center, and then click the Create Villager button at the bottom of the game screen. The villager appears beside the Town Center after a brief period.
To create a military unit, build a Barracks, Archery Range, Stable, Siege Workshop, Academy, or Temple. Click the building, and then click the button of the military unit to train. For example, to train a Clubman (at the Barracks), click the Train Clubman button.
To create a boat, build a Dock. Click the Dock, and then click the button of the boat to build. For example, to build a Fishing Boat, click the Build Fishing Boat button.
CONSTRUCTING BUILDINGS
To construct a building, click a villager, click the Build button, and then click the button of the building to construct. For example, to build a House, click a villager, click the Build button at the bottom of the game screen, click the Build House button, and then click a location on the map.
ADVANCING TO THE NEXT AGE
Advancing to the next age lets you construct new buildings, train new military units, and research new technologies to increase your civilization's power. Before you can advance from the Stone Age to the Tool Age, you need two different Stone Age technology buildings (not Houses) and 500 food. For example, you might build a Dock and a Barracks.
To advance to the Tool Age, click the Town Center, and then click the Advance to Tool Age button.

Starting conditions[]

Objectives[]

  • Eliminate all Roman soldiers.

Hints[]

  1. You can support a population of 50 and advance to the Tool Age.
  2. Advance to the Tool Age before engaging the Romans.
  3. A force of 10-12 units (Axemen, Bowmen, and Slingers) should be sufficient to win the battle.

  • Scouting suggests that a force of 10-12 units (Axemen, Bowmen, and Slingers) should be sufficient to defeat the Romans.
  • Advance to the Tool Age before engaging the Romans.

Players[]

Player[]

  • Player (Carthaginian AOE DE ROR icon Carthaginians): The player starts with a Town Center and trio of Villagers in the southeast of the map, and can advance to the Tool Age.

Enemies[]

  • Roman Army (Roman AOE DE ROR icon Romans): The Roman Army is based in the northern corner of the map, past a pair of red banners. They have a Town Center, Barracks, Storage Pit, five Houses, and a small group of resource-gathering Villagers. Their starting military comprises 10 Clubmen (upgradable to Axemen) and 5 Slingers. They can replenish Club/Axemen up to a force of 7, but are unable to replace lost Slingers. They eventually send raids against the player.

  • Roman Army (Roman AOE DE ROR icon Romans): The Roman Army is based in the northern corner of the map, past a pair of red banners. They have a Town Center, Barracks, four Houses, and an exploring Villager. Their starting military comprises 6 Axemen and 3 Slingers. They sometimes train one or two extra Clubmen, but only the starting troops need to be eliminated. Their soldiers are completely passive, staying within their base unless drawn out.

Strategy[]

Struggle for Sicily was designed as a tutorial scenario, so won't pose a challenge for experienced players.

The map is divided by a river snaking through it, with shallow crossings. Villagers can harvest resources from the forests that blanket much of the map, Berry Bushes close to the Town Center and towards the western extent of the map, a herd of Gazelles that is being menaced by a Lion immediately north of the Town Center, and fish in the ocean to the south (some of which can only be reached by Fishing Boats). Return of Rome also adds six Elephants dotted around the map. There is no stone or gold anywhere on the map (yellow patches on the minimap are actually desert terrain), and the player can advance no further than the Tool Age.

Threats are limited: there is a Lion immediately north of the player's base, another Lion inhabiting a grove of Berry Bushes in the western reaches of the map, and the original game has an Alligator slightly west of the river crossing. The enemy occupies the northern corner of the map, behind a pair of red banners. In the original game, their soldiers stay within their base unless drawn out; in Return of Rome, they do the same so long as the player remains in the Stone Age.

The early game can be played leisurely, as there are no serious threats in most of the map; a Villager can survive at least one predator attack. Players new to the game can take the time to read the tutorial (in Return of Rome this is accessible via the top-right Objectives button, or in the original game, by clicking Menu in the top right, then Scenario Instructions), and learn the basics of Age of Empires.

Fighting the Roman Army[]

The Roman Army is somewhat larger than in the original game: 10 Clubmen and 5 Slingers. At 10:40 on the in-game clock, the Clubmen upgrade to Axemen, which is the only technology the Roman Army researches.

The Romans stay within their base initially, but five minutes after the player reaches the Tool Age, they send a raiding party of all 5 Slingers, and 3 Axemen. It is advisable to develop as much as possible in the Stone Age before ageing-up, and then acting quickly to prepare for the raid.

While there are no Stone Mines on the map, the initial stone supply allows three defensive strategies. Research Small Wall at the Granary, then build walls and gates to block off the access points at the river crossing and northern cliffs - make sure to plug the entire gap! Another option is to spend all 150 stone on a Watch Tower (again researched at the Granary), which will slowly whittle down enemy units, can garrison Villagers for safety, and is more durable than any military unit the player currently has available. Or finally, the player could use the stone to train Slingers at the Barracks, which are generally used as an anti-archer unit, but the enemy's only archers are themselves Slingers. If necessary, more stone can be bought at the Market, in exchange for food or wood. Note that commodity trading and building garrisoning are features that were added in Return of Rome, so are not options in earlier versions of Age of Empires.

The river doesn't quite reach into the enemy base, but it does lead right to the entrance, so an effective defense can be to send Scout Ships to the shallow crossings and repel raids before they arrive. Their Axemen are helpless against warships, and a single Scout Ship can outshoot the entire contingent of Slingers.

The Romans are incapable of replenishing their Slingers, but have enough of an economy that they can train replacement Axemen, up to a maximum population of 7. After the initial raid, they will send further raids of four Axemen every 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

If wishing to speedrun the scenario, the Roman soldiers are defeatable in the Stone Age, but it is advisable to rush them with as many Clubmen and Villagers as possible before their Axemen upgrade completes. Otherwise, if taking a slower pace and advancing to the Tool Age, the Slingers are most vulnerable to a rush by Scouts, and the Axemen can be defeated by whittling them down with Bowmen, with a screen of Axemen ready to finish off any enemies that reach melee range.

The Roman Army is barely any threat in the original game. They only have 6 Axemen, 3 Slingers, and one Villager. The Villager explores a little, but the soldiers will remain stationary until approached.

They have no economy, but might train a couple of Clubmen or Villagers. However, only the starting Axemen and Slingers need to be eliminated to win the scenario, which can be done with about a dozen Clubmen or 20 Villagers. If the player is willing to spend longer and reach the Tool Age, a mass of Bowmen can wipe out the Axemen, and Scouts can rush to wipe out the Slingers.

History[]

Historical notes[]

While Rome gradually consolidated its control of Italy between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC, Carthage expanded its influence in the Western Mediterranean. Carthage came into conflict with Greek colonists, especially on the strategic island of Sicily, which was positioned as a naval gateway between the East and West. Rome, already controlling the mainland, was drawn into a struggle over the town of Messana in 264 BC. Carthage supported the opposing faction. The conflict between Carthage and Rome escalated into the First Punic War. The first objective of this confrontation was control of Sicily.
—In-game section in the original

Victory[]

The mighty Carthaginian host under your command has driven the Romans from Sicily. We have stopped their expansion to the south and their interference in efforts to control this key island.
—In-game section in the original

Loss[]

Your failure to defeat the Roman interlopers has lost the key island of Sicily to our enemies. Our colonies and trades routes to the West are now in great danger. Report to fleet headquarters for duty as a rowing bench.
—In-game section in the original
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