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The Canyon of Death is the fifth scenario of the Yamato, Empire of the Rising Sun campaign in Age of Empires. The Yamato army must make its way through enemy lands.

Scenario instructions[]

Description[]

โ€œMount Shigi, 587 CE

Much has changed in the many generations since the Yamato clan rose to rule Japan. Now, the clan has been splintered into many and the old Shinto ways have been challenged by Buddhist missionaries from China. The Mononobe clan are opponents of the new faith and have held the ears of the Emperors for generations, but the Soga are gaining influence. The sudden death of your father, the Emperor, has opened the rifts in the Imperial court and the Mononobe now threaten civil war. In an affront to your Buddhist beliefs, they have seized relics of the Buddha. Prince Shลtoku, travel to Mount Shigi, defeat the Mononobe and recover these relics.
โ€
—In-game section

Starting conditions[]

Objectives[]

  • Recover the Artifact.
  • Bring the Artifact to the flagged area.

Hints[]

  • Choose your battles carefully, as you will not need to defeat all enemies to recover the Artifact.
  • Friends hold keys to defeating the Mononobe.

Description[]

โ€œCanyon of Death, 380 AD.

The defeat of the Izumo and Kibi clans has consolidated the southern part of Honshu Island under Yamato rule. You wish to expand your influence southward now to the island controlled by the Shikoku clan. They showed you great disrespect, however, and have stolen important and valuable items that were being carried by your first emissaries. Rather than attempt an expensive war overseas from a long distance, your small party is to fight through Shikoku territory quickly and recover the items. Carry them to the offshore island that you control. This raid is to demonstrate the power of the Yamato and the futility of resisting your confederation..
โ€

Starting conditions[]

Objectives[]

  • Recover the Artifact.
  • Bring the Artifact to the flagged area.

Hints[]

  • Choose your battles carefully on the path to victory.
  • Friends hold keys to defeating the Shikoku.

Players[]

Player[]

Enemies[]

  • Mononobe (Yamato AOE DE ROR icon Yamato): The Mononobe clan have patrols guarding the Canyon, including Sentry Towers, and a small army in an island guarding the Artifact.

Player[]

  • Player (Yamato AOE DE ROR icon Yamato): The player starts with a warband in the east of the map.

Enemies[]

  • Shikoku (Yamato AOE DE ROR icon Yamato): The Shikoku have patrols guarding the Canyon, including Sentry Towers, and a small army in an island guarding the Artifact.

Strategy[]

Go north along the edge of the map, defeating the units in the player's way, until the starting army reaches the enemy towers. Go past them (don't try to destroy them, it'll cost more troops than just walking past) and head south-west, until the player reaches the shore.

Head south along the shore until finding a wall, and the units and tower protecting it. Kill the units and destroy the tower, then make way through the wall to find the Heavy Transports.

Head to the island (marked by flags) and pick up the reinforcements. Use the Priests to heal the player's wounded units, then transport the troops northeast to the enemy island. The enemy forces are found to the north, and marching against them will be risky.

An easier way is to send the player's Cavalry forth, crush any Stone Throwers, and then retreat. The enemies will follow the playerโ€”but at different speeds, so that their army will be scattered as they meet the unified starting force, and can be defeated piece by piece.

Once the units are dead, destroy the towers with the Stone Throwers, and capture the Artifact to transport it back to the island marked with the flag.

Alternate strategy[]

Players can take out the Sentry Towers in the northern most region of the map, send their Stone Throwers to the southwestern cliff side, and carefully take out the Guard Towers with Stone Throwers. A few foes can be either killed or converted at this distance, but they are difficult to hit, and players should be careful of the hostile Stone Throwers on the isle. The Attack Ground feature can be utilised against enemy units instead of targeting them directly as they do not presciently dodge the projectile when not directly targeted. After accomplishing this, players can send ten units somewhere on the southern shores of the isle to distract the Shikoku, send a horse-mounted unit to capture the Artifact, then carefully steer the Artifact away from the fighting and towards a Heavy Transport.

History[]

Historical notes[]

โ€œAs the Yamato consolidated control of Japan, their name became synonymous with the island empire. Influenced by China, the Yamato developed a central administration and an imperial court.

Many clans still aspired for power, however, and vied for influence over the Emperor. The Soga were one such family, occupying key positions in the Imperial family. Devout Buddhists, the Soga found themselves in conflict with the rival Mononobe clan, who held conservative Shinto beliefs.

The sudden death of the Emperor Yลmei in 587 CE brought the tension between clans to open warfare. A son of the Emperor, and scion of the Soga clan, Prince Shลtoku led the pro-Soga armies against the Mononobe at Mount Shigi. According to legend, the young prince prayed for victory and was visited by Bishamonten, the Buddhist deity of war, who led him to victory. In recognition of this aid, the prince would go on to construct many Buddhist temples through Japan. Although he never became Emperor himself, Prince Shลtoku held substantial power as regent for his aunt, the figurehead Empress Suiko.
โ€
—In-game section

Victory[]

โ€œPrince Shลtoku, your victory has crippled the Mononobe clan and restored Soga influence over the Imperial House. The relics you recovered will be deposited inside the foundations of a great Buddhist temple you will build at Asuka.โ€
—In-game section

Loss[]

โ€œBecause of your failure, your enemies now control the Emperor and Japanese Buddhism is in decline. Better luck next life.โ€
—In-game section

Historical notes[]

โ€œThe Yamato were moving on several fronts, both diplomatically and militarily. While the major effort was focused on the Izumo, negotiations had been opened with the Shikoku clan on the large island at the center of the Inland Sea. The Shikoku proved intractable at first, however, showing great disrespect to the Izumo emissaries. Once the Izumo were neutralized, the Yamato shifted a major effort against the Shikoku.โ€
—In-game section

Historical outcome[]

โ€œThe elite force of Yamato troops moved quickly through Shikoku lands and defeated a major Shikoku army. The island stronghold was stormed and the stolen artifacts were recovered. Yamato prestige soared while Shikoku spirits were deflated.โ€
—In-game section

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