The Battle of Formigny is the second scenario in the Ascendancy chapter and the eighth and final scenario of the The Hundred Years War campaign in Age of Empires IV. It depicts the Battle of Formigny, fought on 15 April 1450, which brought an end to English rule in Normandy.
Intro[]
Scenario description[]
The Hundred Years War had raged through invasions, uprisings, disease and devastation. France now stood on the threshold of victory.
Opening cinematic[]
Thanks to the explosive force of cannon fire, the French were close to victory in this century-long war.
But in a final grasp at power, the English dispatched a fresh army, equipped with their tried-and-tested longbows.
Formigny would be a trial of old versus new to determine the fate of France.
Loading screen[]
In the last gasps of the Hundred Years War, England clung to its territories in the north of France, sending a vast army to defend them. At Formigny, it would meet the force of France's momentum head-on.
Start of scenario[]
English commander Sir Thomas Kyriell sent a large expedition to crush the French in Normandy. The village of Carentan was directly in their path.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
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- Age:
Imperial Age - Units:
- 40 Man-at-Arms
- 20 Archer
- 40
- Resources: None
Objectives[]
- Defend Carentan to the last man
- Weaken Kyriell's English army
- Drive the English from Normandy
- Find Kyriell's English army
- Destroy Kyriell's English army
- Defeat the English occupiers
- Capture Formigny
- Optional: Save Valognes
- Defeat the English units attacking Valognes
Players[]
- Charles VII: The player begins the scenario by the village of Carentan, with a mid-sized force of Elite Archers and Men-at-Arms. They will soon be overwhelmed by the larger English force, however, at which point the objectives will change and the player will be given another, larger force in the south corner of the map, which consists of 45 each of Elite Men-at-Arms, Arbalétriers and Spearmen, as well as 35 Elite Horsemen. As the player progresses through the scenario, they will receive some additional units, however there is no possibility of training more, with the exception of a limited number of Monks.
Allies[]
- Charles VII (French): The allied French control the town of Valognes, as well as a number of smaller civilian settlements across the map. They are largely passive, however Valognes has a few units defending it which will pass to the player's control once the English units attacking the town are defeated. The player will also receive control of the Blacksmith, Arsenal and Market in the town, allowing them to research technologies to improve their units. They also control the French Monastery in the southeast of the map, near English-held Saint-Sauveur, which will pass to the player's control, along with four Monks, once within the player's sight.
- Arthur de Richmont (French): The Bretons control a small town to the north of Formigny across the plain where the main battle takes place. Once enough of the English army is defeated, they will send reinforcements in the form of 60 Elite Royal Knights under the player's control.
Enemies[]
- Thomas Kyriell (English): The English control the town of Formigny in the northwest of the map, as well as the smaller towns of Bricquebec and Saint-Sauveur in the south and southeast. They have units scattered across the map, including in each of their settlements, as well as a larger force arrayed on the field north of Formigny, across the Aure. Their army will eventually retreat into the town and must be defeated to complete the scenario. Their forces are composed of Elite Men-at-Arms, Longbowmen, Spearmen, Horsemen, and a few Knights in Formigny.
Strategy[]
This is yet another straightforward scenario, as there is no base-building or choice of unit composition, and the enemy must simply be defeated one group at a time as they are encountered. The first battle at Carentan is hopeless, so kill as many English units as the player wishes, and then they will be given command of a larger force in the south corner of the map, which will be the main force for the majority of the scenario.
Progress northward along the path to the English-controlled town of Bricquebec, defeating the English ambushes along the way. Make sure to pull away the cavalry from the enemy Spearmen and send them at the Longbowmen to avoid unnecessary losses. Dispatch the English garrison in Bricquebec and be sure to collect the Treasure Chests for the gold. Unlike in previous scenarios, clearing out the English-held settlements does not change their ownership, so don't worry about destroying buildings. The allied village to the west contains a few Treasure Chests, so send a Horseman to collect them.
From Bricquebec, continue north until the player reaches a crossroads, whereupon the allied town of Valognes to the west will be revealed and the player will receive an objective to defend it from an attacking English force. Once the English attackers are defeated, the defending units will switch to the player's control, and the player will additionally receive some resources and control of the Blacksmith, Arsenal and Market in the town, which will allow for the research of technologies to improve the units.
From here the player has two options. Taking the path west and then back south to the intersection near Bricquebec, the player can take the path east towards an allied village with a Monastery, although watch out for an English ambush in the Stealth Forest along the way. Once there, the player will be given control of four Monks to heal the troops, as well as of the Monastery, from which more Monks can be trained if needed, provided the player has the gold. From there, head north and destroy the English-held town of Saint-Saveur, ideally keeping out of range of their Outposts until the defending units are defeated. Alternatively, the player can head straight to Saint-Saveur from Valognes, and then head down to the Monastery after the town has been cleared.
From Saint-Sauveur, head north once again. Here the path splits in two between some Stealth Forests, with the eastern path leading to a few Treasure Chests before rejoining the main road. There are English units waiting in the Forests, so watch out. However, the cavalry should be able to speedily collect the Treasure chests and deal with the ambushers with few or no losses if the player is careful.
The path then heads west, so keep following it until reaching sight of a couple of English Outposts and a few Men-at-Arms defending the bridge across the Aure. At this point, the entire plain north of Formigny will be revealed with the main English army waiting there, which the player will be tasked to defeat. Once the player takes out the English Outposts and units on the near side of the bridge, the Bureau Brothers will send six Cannons as reinforcements. The English have a large force and are positioned defensively, so the player will have to draw them out. Divide all the units into two groups and place them by the fords on either side of the bridge and then have the Cannons fire at the English to draw them into battle. Be careful with bringing the Monks too close to the fighting, as the enemy Longbows will target them.
Once they have lost a number of units, the English will retreat to a position further northwest on the plain. Use the same tactic as before to draw the enemy units towards the player's own, making sure to have the cavalry flank and charge the archers while the other units deal with the infantry. The Cannons may not move up to fire on their own, so make sure to assign them targets. Once more of the English army is destroyed, they will turn to retreat again, this time into the walled town of Formigny. Do not have the units pursue, as they will come into range of the enemy's outposts and will not be able to breach the walls without siege engines.
By this point, the player will also have received reinforcements from Brittany in the form of 60 Elite Royal Knights. Now place the units near the town walls and have the Cannons take out the defenses. Once they are down, send the units into the town to clear it of its English occupiers. With superior numbers, the remaining English units should be easily dealt with. The player does not need to destroy the town, as once the English units are destroyed, the buildings will switch to the player's control and the scenario will complete.
Outro[]
End of scenario[]
With the last English army destroyed and the gates of Formigny thrown open, the French force in Normandy was victorious. Their well-organized forces and superior fire-power had brought the arduous Hundred Years War closer to its conclusion...
Post-game screen[]
After a hundred years of conflict, France had overpowered its long-standing enemy. The nation had been transformed, and was almost ready to stake out its final borders on the modern map of the world.
Closing cinematic[]
At Formigny, the roar of cannon fire sounded the death knell for England's ambitions in France. King Charles and the Bureau Brothers did not let up on the offensive, and in 1453, the English retreated across the Channel. France was finally at peace.
More than one hundred years had passed since the first English chevauchées had scorched the land. The iconic French knights who fought in those early days would not have recognized their own military a century later. The English longbow, once the scourge of France, was no match for French artillery in the last years of the war.
And by 1453, France's border looked very different, growing to encompass territories once claimed by England and their allies. After enduring a century of conflict, France emerged as a transformed nation. The country and its people had persevered and unified... into a kingdom that could defend itself.
Against all odds, France had won the Hundred Years War.
Page From History: Castillon: End of the War[]
| “ | The French victory at Formigny had finally ousted the English from Normandy. But the English retained a foothold in Gascony: the city of Castillon. In 1453, Charles VII once again employed his vast artillery forces and besieged the city. With some 300 cannons and handgunds, his army was poised to end the war. Meanwhile, the English commander at Castillon was under pressure to order a direct charge at the massing French forces. Against his better judgment, he succumbed to the goading and ordered the charge. His gamble ended in disaster. The English were met with an unrelenting barrage of French firepower - each cannon shot knocking down a dozen men. Reinforcements trickled in, but they, too, fell to the merciless onslaught. The Hundred Years War had come to a resounding end, and Charles could begin rebuilding his resilient nation. |
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Trivia[]
- Arthur de Richmont (usually spelled Richemont), at that time Duke of Brittany and one of the allies in this scenario, also appears in the final scenario of the Age of Empires II Joan of Arc campaign as a hero unit named Constable Richemont.
