The Battle of Zhongdu is the third scenario in the Shock and Awe chapter and the third scenario of the The Mongol Empire campaign in Age of Empires IV. It depicts the Battle of Zhongdu of 1215, which led to the Mongol conquest of northern China.
Intro[]
Scenario description[]
The quest for world domination brought Genghis Khan to the walls of China's prosperous capital: Zhongdu.
Opening cinematic[]
Genghis Khan had successfully breached the Great Wall of China. He led his forces to the greatest prize in the east: the capital city of Zhongdu. He besieged the city, knowing that its inhabitants could not hold out forever.
Loading screen[]
Zhongdu was a shining beacon of trade, healing, and technology. To take the great city for himself, Genghis Khan would employ a slow but reliable strategy: starvation.
Start of scenario[]
Bearing down on the gleaming capital of Zhongdu, Genghis Khan raised the black banner of war on his historic enemy: the Jin dynasty. To take the heavily garrisoned capitol, the Mongols would have to starve its army by eliminating Zhongdu's suppliers.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Dark Age - Population limit: 200
- Starting units:
Genghis Khan- 2 Scout
- 10 Lancer
- 10 Horseman
- 10 Mangudai
- Resources: None
Objectives[]
- Accumulate wealth to gather followers
- Burn buildings to earn pillaged Gold
- Optional: Acquire more Gold to attract more followers
- Starve Zhongdu by eliminating suppliers
- Eliminate Traders or Markets supplying Zhongdu
- Eliminate traders to stop attacks from the city
- Sack Zhongdu
- Set fire to the Spirit Way
- Set fire to the Imperial Academy
- Set fire to the Imperial Palace
Players[]
- Genghis Khan (Mongols): The player starts off in the west of the map with a mid-sized army of Horsemen, Early Lancers, and Mangudai, along with Genghis Khan and two Scouts. After achieving the first objective, they will receive six Villagers, ten Mangudai, ten Lancers, a Town Center, a Pasture, and a Ger. As the player burns more buildings, they will also receive further reinforcements until the optional objective is complete. These will consist of Crossbowmen, Spearmen, Men-at-Arms, and some additional Horsemen, as well as production buildings, such as Stables and Barracks. The last wave of reinforcements will consist of ten Mangudai, ten Lancers, six Villagers, and an Archery Range. The player is restricted to the Fedual Age.
Enemy[]
- Jin Dynasty (Chinese): The Jin Dynasty controls the city of Zhongdu near the center of the map, and the four surrounding trading villages of Shunyi, Fangshan, Daxing, and Tongzhou. The capital, where the final objectives are located, is heavily fortified with Stone Walls and Stone Wall Towers on all sides, and is additionally defended by a Keep. Each of the villages has a Market and a Town Center, and is defended by garrisons made up of Archers, Spearmen, and Militia, as well as multiple Fortified Outposts with Handcannon Slits. The Jin Dynasty will regularly raid the player with mixed armies of Horsemen, Archers, and Spearmen, and will further attack with larger armies of Horsemen and Fire Lancers as supplies make it to the city.
Strategy[]
While the intro to this scenario mentions Genghis Khan employing a slow but reliable strategy, the key to success here is speed, at least in the first phase. After destroying the first few buildings the player encounters, the player's initial task will be to eliminate the enemy Traders carrying supplies to Zhongdu along the four marked trade routes, as well as the Markets in the outlying villages which produce them. As the player does so, and as they set fire to enemy buildings, they will receive reinforcements which include Villagers and packed-up buildings, with which to build a base. The Jin Dynasty will not sit idle, however, and will periodically send counter-attacks against the player's base, which become more frequent and devastating each time a sufficient number of enemy Traders reaches the capital city.
The player must therefore hurry to destroy the outlying villages as quickly as possible, to avoid being overwhelmed by the enemy attacks, as these can spiral out of control as more Traders reach Zhongdu while the player remains on the defensive. The player should quickly set up their base either directly north or south of the bridge closest to their starting position. They should then use Genghis Khan and the Mangudai to draw out and kite the Spearmen guarding the enemy Outposts to the northeast, while the player's melee cavalry charge the enemy Archers and destroy the Outposts. This will open up the way to Shunyi village in the north. Genghis Khan's Charge Arrow will be useful for helping the player's melee cavalry to tank damage from enemy infantry and defensive structures, thereby reducing the need to employ hit-and-run tactics with Mangudai, which can take too much time.
Once a village's Market is destroyed, it will no longer produce Traders, so the player can focus on other sections of the map instead. As the player burns their way through the villages, they will continue to receive reinforcements until the optional objective is complete. Any cavalry should be sent to join the player's main force in destroying the outlying villages, while infantry should be positioned to guard the player's base from the Jin counter-attacks, along with a few Outposts. Given that the enemy Traders appear from nearly all corners of the map, it is almost impossible to avoid allowing any to reach the city. The player should therefore prepare for the counter-attacks by continually producing units, making use of the Mongols' Improved Production ability near an Ovoo, as well as upgrading Outposts to Fortified Outposts when possible. The Silver Tree is a good choice for the Feudal Age landmark, as it allows the player to quickly and cheaply produce Traders to collect gold from the Trade Post in the southwest of the map.
With the Market at Shunyi destroyed, the player should rush their cavalry to take out the Fangshan village in the south next, followed by the village of Daxing in the southeast, all while the player continues to produce cavalry to supplement the raiding forces. Once the Market at Daxing is destroyed, only the one in Tongzhou village in the east remains. At this point, the player can position their forces on the bridge that leads to the last village and take their time to build up their army and upgrade their units. From here on, the scenario is quite straightforward. While the Jin dynasty will continue to periodically send forces to raid the player, these will not be as substantial as before, nor come as frequently.
When the last Market is destroyed, the final task will be to sack the city of Zhongdu by setting its three landmarks on fire. As the player cannot advance to the Castle Age, they will have to rely on Battering Rams to get through the enemy defenses, particularly the Keep in the west of the city. Once the stone defenses are destroyed, the player can focus on completing the final objective. The landmarks do not need to be destroyed, only set on fire. Therefore, as soon as one is in flames, the player should focus their attention on the others. Once all three landmarks are in flames, the scenario will complete.
Alternative strategy[]
If the player moves quickly, and with good micromanagement, it is possible to speedrun taking out the supply lines early, by rushing the player's starting units and the first group of reinforcements to the enemy Markets, ignoring enemy units along the way. This way the player will not have to deal with significant Chinese counter-attacks, and can build up their forces at a more leisurely pace.
Outro[]
End of scenario[]
Zhongdu fell to the wrath of Genghis Khan's warriors. Yielding great riches for the Mongol Empire, the Battle of Zhongdu would be remembered as one of Genghis Khan's most devastating victories. But this was just the beginning of his quest to create a global empire under Mongol rule.
Post-game screen[]
The once proud stronghold of Zhongdu crumbled before the Mongols. Genghis Khan took the treasures within and used them to strengthen his growing empire.
Page From History: Spirit Banner[]
| “ | To a Mongol warrior, the horse was a supreme animal. Its power, spirit and endurance were vital to his survival, and in leading him to victory. As worshipers of the Eternal Blue Sky, Mongol warriors believed they could harness the power of nature by raising a personal banner of horsehair to capture the force of the wind. Black hairs were used in times of war, and white for peace. Over a warrior's lifetime, his banner would be infused with his spirit, and become the guardian of his soul in death. The warrior would be remembered by his descendants and kept close to his family through the reverence of his spirit banner |
” |
Unlockable content[]
- Campaign Video: The Battle of Zhongdu
- Historical Video: Making the Mongol Bow
- Page from History: Spirit Banner
