| “ | Liu Bei sets off on a perilous journey south to reach the Sun Clan and avoid Cao Cao's wrath. | ” |
| —In-game scenario description | ||
The Great Escape is the fourth scenario of the Liu Bei campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - The Three Kingdoms. It is based on Liu Bei's retreat from Cao Cao's pursuing force in Jing Province, the Battle of Changban in October 208, and Liu Bei's subsequent evacuation to Xiakou to reach the Sun Clan.
Intro[]
Apart from Liu Bei, the only man in China both willing and able to stand up to Cao Cao was Sun Quan of the powerful Sun Clan. On Zhuge Liang's advice, Liu Bei proposed an alliance to the southern warlord and led what remained of his army toward Sun territory.
Cao Cao himself picked up the chase. Every passing day, the old cavalry commander gained on them. Liu Bei had faced impossible odds before, but this time was different. If Cao Cao caught him, or if Sun Quan refused the alliance, all would be lost.
Darkness was creeping up on all sides, but a spark of light still remained. As Liu Bei hurried south, news reached him that Guan Yu was alive. After briefly serving Cao Cao after his capture, Guan Yu had broken with him and was now bringing reinforcements to support his sworn brother, Liu Bei.
Perhaps there was still hope.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Imperial Age - Ending Age: Imperial Age
- Starting resources: 2,000 food, 2,000 wood, 2,000 gold
- Population limit: 100
- Starting units:
- 10 Heavy Hei Guang Cavalry
- 10 Pikemen and 10 White Feather Guards (if starting with an infantry army)
- 10 Crossbowmen and 10 Elite Skirmishers (if starting with a ranged army)
- Liu Bei (hero)
- Zhao Yun (hero)
- Lü Bu (hero) (if spared in Heroes of the Realm)
- 10
Main objectives[]
- Bring Liu Bei to Sun Quan.
- At least 8 Civilian Carriages must reach Sun Quan's base.
- Cross the Yangtze[sic] River.
- Find Zhuge Liang.
- Meet Zhang Fei.
- Find Guan Yu.
- Capture Hanjin's Monument.
Secondary objectives[]
- 0/10 villages liberated.
- Reduce Jiangling's Castle to 50% HP.
- 8/20 Civilian Carriages arrived. (after eight Civilian Carriages reach Sun Quan's base)
Hints[]
- You can support 100 population but cannot train Villagers.
- Cao Cao is too strong to defeat. Instead, delay him and clear the way to Sun Quan.
- Zhuge Liang has invented an improvement to the crossbow, the Bolt Magazine, which causes crossbow units and War Chariots to fire more arrows. You can research this unique technology as soon as you have captured a Castle.
- The Lou Chuan is a siege ship effective against enemy warships and defenses.
Scouts[]
- Liu Bei (Green), has assembled his followers to flee Jing Province (Cyan).
- Fresh off his conquest of Jing, Cao Cao has settled his main army (Blue) across the north. He will attack with cavalry and infantry. Eventually, he will also deploy warships along the Han River.
- Sun Quan (Red) is the only fellow warlord capable of standing up to Cao Cao. Liu Bei must reach him in Xiakou to the east, so the two can discuss an alliance.
- The riverside town of Hanjin (Purple) supports Cao Cao with warships, soldiers, and Monks. They will surrender if you bring soldiers to their Monument.
- The southwest city of Jiangling (Yellow) is guarded by light soldiers and Onagers. To capture this city, damage its Castle.
- Cao Cao has scattered many bands of troops (Orange) across Jing Province to intercept Liu Bei.
Players[]
Player[]
- Liu Bei ( Shu): Starts in the northern corner of the map with just Liu Bei himself against Cao Cao's Army units, soon joined by Heavy Hei Guang Cavalry, the player's starting army (either infantry or ranged), and hero Zhao Yun. The player must make their way to Sun Quan's base at Xiakou in the east by liberating villages on the way and escorting Civilian Carriages, while defeating numerous Cao Cao's Patrols units, and making sure to stay ahead of the steadily advancing Cao Cao's Army. The player cannot train or upgrade units until they reach Guan Yu's riverside base. After subjugating Hanjin, they must decide between a land or a river route to reach Sun Quan with Liu Bei and at least eight Civilian Carriages to complete the scenario.
Ally[]
- Jing Province ( Shu): They consist of 10 villages across the map, which the player can liberate from Cao Cao's Patrols. Each village's Villagers transform into two Civilian Carriages under the player's control when liberated.
- Sun Quan ( Wu): The ultimate goal of Liu Bei, this player is based in Xiakou in the eastern corner of the map. He will aid the player with some reinforcements off Hanjin after they decide on their approach to Xiakou, but otherwise plays no active role.
Enemy[]
- Cao Cao's Army ( Wei): Comprising two in-game players (2 and 8), Cao Cao's Army has a large, fortified base near the starting area with seven Castles and many production buildings. They will steadily advance across the map in their pursuit of the player, as indicated on the provided timer, and will take over any cities and bases standing in the way. They send increasingly large forces of (Elite) Tiger Cavalry, Hussars, Pikemen/Halberdiers, and Xianbei Raiders. On the water, they build Galleons and Lou Chuans, which they send against the player and Hanjin (once subjugated by the player).
- Cao Cao's Patrols ( Wei): They have their units spread out all over the map, initially occupying all 10 Jing Province villages, and also patrolling the roads between them. Their composition in the villages typically consists of Crossbowmen, Hei Guang Cavalry, Pikemen, and Scorpions, but also have units such as Mangonels and Two-Handed Swordsmen present on the map, and may send small cavalry counterattacks after a village is liberated. On the river between Hanjin and Xiakou, they have several Fast Fire Ships, Galleons, Lou Chuans, Demolition Ships, and towers.
Enemy → Ally[]
- Hanjin ( Wu): Located near the southeastern edge of the map in a walled city, they are initially an enemy of the player. They behave defensively, and will defend themselves with Cavalry Archers, Monks, Scorpions, and Two-Handed Swordsmen on land, and War Galleys and Demolition Ships on the water. Defeating their troops around the Monument and capturing it makes them change their stance to Ally, and they will remain so until Cao Cao's Army destroy the Monument, taking over Hanjin.
- Jiangling ( Shu): A city near the southwestern edge of the map, they are inactive until the player takes over Guan Yu's base. Afterwards, they will harass the player with Light Cavalry, Pikemen, Battering Rams, and Onagers. Damaging their Castle to 50% of its hit points results in their defeat, turning over their base and resources (but not units) to the player. If subjugated, Cao Cao's Army will usually attack and take over Jiangdong after conquering Hanjin.
Strategy[]
Being on the move as much as possible, and knowing when to fight and when to run, is the difference between a successful escape and defeat in this scenario, especially on the Hard and Legendary difficulties. Cao Cao's Army will eventually overwhelm the player's army, capped at 100 units, by sheer numbers, and should never be engaged in large groups. If necessary, sacrifice a few units so that Liu Bei and the Civilian Carriages can keep moving to Sun Quan. Completing Zhuge Liang's secondary objective in the previous mission (The Scholar and the Sandal Maker) makes this scenario slightly easier by increasing the delay at which Cao Cao's Army advances.
The player starts with Liu Bei against the incoming Cao Cao's Army, with 10 each of White Feather Guards and Pikemen (if using infantry)/Crossbowmen and Elite Skirmishers (if using ranged units), Heavy Hei Guang Cavalry, and hero Zhao Yun joining after a few seconds. Using Liu Bei as a meat shield, while the other units defeat the initial attack by Xianbei Raiders, Light Cavalry, and Pikemen by the right counters, goes a long way to preserving all units. Afterwards, the player should move southwest to the ford, guarded by a few Hussars and Xianbei Raiders, joined by a few Pikemen coming from Cao Cao's Army base. Generally, after each engagement, units should move in a group around Liu Bei, to take advantage of his passive healing ability (60 hit points per minute in a range of 10), preserving them for longer.
On a river island, a mixed group of Crossbowmen, Pikemen, and White Feather Guards joins the player's retinue. Just beyond it is the first village (out of 10) the player can liberate. These are defended by Cao Cao's Patrols units, typically Crossbowmen, Pikemen, Hei Guang Cavalry, and Scorpions. Defeat these units with the right counters, again using heroes to soak up damage. After each village is liberated, two Civilian Carriages spawn. Bringing at least eight Civilian Carriages to Sun Quan, in addition to Liu Bei himself, is required to win the scenario, so protect the slow-moving units well. Note that after moving out of a village with the Civilian Carriages, Cao Cao's Patrols may counterattack with a few Light Cavalry and Hei Guang Cavalry units, so have a few units ready for such occasions. Cao Cao's Patrols also have units patrolling on the open road, necessitating constant vigilance.
Right after liberating the second village, the player meets Zhuge Liang, who advises that Zhang Fei is waiting a little further ahead at the Changban Bridge. Before reaching him, it is advised to liberate another village in the western corner of the map. After meeting Zhang Fei, he will remain on the bridge as an uncontrollable unit for five minutes, killing any approaching Cao Cao's Army units, while the six War Chariots join the player's army.
The village southeast of the bridge is defended by three Mangonels in the back, which are reachable via a back route along the map's edge. The player should send Hei Guang Cavalry that way to destroy them (and the Scorpions if possible) before the other units in the front engage enemy Pikemen, Crossbowmen, and Scorpions. After this, the player should send a cavalry unit, such as hero Zhao Yun, to dash past the enemy patrol of Two-Handed Swordsmen, to reach Guan Yu in a riverside Gaia military base with a Castle and Docks further to the east, while the rest of the player's units move towards a village just northwest of the Gaia base, defeating a cavalry patrol on the way. At about this time, Zhang Fei should become a controllable unit, and should join the rest of the player's army. Once the Gaia base is handed over to the player, Guan Yu, three Traction Trebuchets, four War Chariots, and 10 White Feather Guards join the land forces, and the player also receives three Lou Chuans and nine War Galleys. Train two Transport Ships at the Docks: one to hide Civilian Carriages, and another for a landing party against Hanjin later in the scenario. The player should also research a few Blacksmith technologies, and train additional units such as Pikemen/Halberdiers, White Feather Guards, or Traction Trebuchets to help them.
Before moving against Hanjin, the player should liberate another village north of the Gaia base. As the patrol blocking the way has a balanced composition, using Zhang Fei's active ability can help the player to deal with it with no losses. After defeating the enemy garrison in that village, all units should move south. Meanwhile, the player's navy should engage the village garrison south of the base, and should either eliminate it completely or at least leave only one or two surviving units, to be finished off by the player's land units.
At about this time, Jiangling to the southwest should start sending Light Cavalry, Pikemen, Onagers, and Battering Rams against the player's base. While subjugating Jiangling by damaging their Castle to 50% hit points is not compulsory, it stops their attacks against the player, and grants the player 1,000 food, 1,000 wood, 1,000 gold and another military base with a Blacksmith and a University for the player's use. Far to the south is another village the player can liberate, after defeating a patrol standing in the way. The player should monitor Cao Cao's Army progress: if it starts getting beyond the Changban Bridge, move all units out of the riverside base, as the flood of Elite Tiger Cavalry, Hussars, Xianbei Raiders, and Pikemen/Halberdiers will eventually overwhelm the Castle and turn the base to the control of Cao Cao's Army.
To deal with Hanjin, the player should first lure their navy out, destroying their Demolition Ships before sinking the War Galleys. Then, the Lou Chuans should destroy towers threatening them, and pull down a Gate next to the Monument. Then, the player should draw out Hanjin's units by attacking Houses west of Hanjin's walled base, while sending a Transport Ship or two with units such as the player's heroes and some cavalry or White Feather Guards to Hanjin's Monument, with their warships providing additional firepower if needed.
Once all enemy units around the Monument have been killed, the player captures it and Hanjin changes their stance to Ally, and the player is presented with a decision how to reach Sun Quan: a shorter land route, fighting the way through a walled Cao Cao's Patrols Castle base with a sizable garrison of Hei Guang Cavalry and Pikemen (and two Traction Trebuchets on Legendary difficulty), or a longer river route, with opposing Fast Fire Ships, Galleons, Lou Chuans, Demolition Ships, and several Guard Towers and Sea Towers. Either way, the player should move all of their units to Hanjin, and unload any garrisoned Civilian Carriages for the onward journey. If Cao Cao's Army is already located close to or inside Hanjin, the player should immediately leave the city and save the Civilian Carriages and Liu Bei, as Hanjin will come under Cao Cao's Army's control once it destroys the Monument.
Depending on difficulty, progress of Cao Cao's Army, and chosen route to Sun Quan, the player may or may not have time to liberate the remaining two villages. One is located north of Hanjin on the northwestern bank of the river, the other northeast of Hanjin and west of the walled Castle, near some riverside cliffs, and also has a Dock.
If going for the land-based approach, the player receives reinforcements of three Capped Rams, five Hei Guang Cavalry, and 10 each of Fire Archers and Jian Swordsmen from Sun Quan. Together with the other units, use them to quickly defeat the patrol on the way, and then besiege the Castle. Since the garrison behaves defensively, the player should first lure them out and defeat in the open, before sending in the Capped Rams, while any surviving Traction Trebuchets deal damage from a distance. If possible, the player should also liberate the village close to the Castle. Once the Castle and any Gates blocking the way have been destroyed, the player should send all surviving Civilian Carriages and Liu Bei forward after killing any other Cao Cao's Patrol units, followed by the other units. If necessary, have some units, preferably Pikemen/Halberdiers and White Feather Guards, fight as a rear guard to delay Cao Cao's Army. They will not pursue any units inside Sun Quan's base.
If the player opts for the river route instead, they receive 800 wood, 500 gold, four Transport Ships, and three Docks from Hanjin. As such, it may be prudent to save some wood and gold to be able to build a bigger navy, and also food if the player intends to upgrade their ships. Sun Quan will also help the player with 10 Galleons, three Heavy Demolition Ships, and four Lou Chuans. The player should liberate the two Villages down the river: use Lou Chuans to destroy the Guard Tower in the eastern village, and kill the remaining garrison with combined fire of War Galleys/Galleons and Lou Chuans. The Civilian Carriages will go to the Dock, and the player also receives an extra Transport Ship. The last village on the northwestern riverbank can also be liberated with warships: if necessary, use a hero or a cavalry unit to lure any unit too far for Lou Chuans to reach, then load the Civilian Carriages. The rest is essentially about countering the enemy's naval units in different configurations: Heavy Demolition Ships or careful baiting with Galleons will make short work of the first patrol of Fast Fire Ships, while Fire Ships supported by the player's Galleons effectively counter enemy Galleons and Lou Chuans in the next patrol. Lou Chuans excel at taking down enemy structures and as a long-range support, and massed Galleons will stop Demolition Ships in their tracks. As such, it should not be very difficult to clear the way to Sun Quan using the shortest possible route through the Sea Gate, and since Cao Cao will not attack the fleet from behind, the Transport Ships should remain safe until it is time to unload near Sun Quan's base.
When Liu Bei and at least eight Civilian Carriages reach the flagged area in Sun Quan's base, the escape is successful, and the player may declare victory in the decision panel. Saving 12 Civilian Carriages grants five extra Villagers in the final scenario of the campaign, The Battle of Red Cliffs. If the player manages to save 16 Civilian Carriages, they will receive additional resources (2,000 food, 2,000 wood, 2,000 gold) in the next scenario as well.
Achievement[]
The Steam achievement "Man of the People" is granted when all 20 Civilian Carriages reach Sun Quan. As noted above, it might be very difficult if not impossible to earn it on Legendary difficulty if using the land route, due to masses of Cao Cao's Army moving against Hanjin and the player after roughly 30 minutes. However, using the river route makes it fairly easy to save all Civilian Carriages if the player liberated eight villages before reaching Hanjin, as the last villages north and northeast of Hanjin are right next to the river, and the Civilian Carriages can be loaded quickly into the player's Transport Ships, with warships providing cover if necessary.
Outro[]
There was a heaviness to the air when the new allies Liu Bei and Sun Quan finally met. Liu Bei had narrowly escaped Cao Cao's grasp, but that was where the good news ended.
One by one, the towns north of the Yangtze fell into the usurper's hands, like pebbles torn away in a flood. With two hundred thousand men at his back, Cao Cao now prepared to cross the river and deliver the killing blow.
Liu Bei had reached the end of the road. If Cao Cao was not stopped here, it would mean the end of the dynasty that he had sworn to protect. Only with his new ally by his side would he stand a chance...
...provided their alliance held true.
Trivia[]
- One of the scenario's objectives near the beginning asks the player to cross the Yangtze River. This is incorrect, as it's actually the Han River, a left-hand tributary of the Yangtze, that the player crosses, and where the river escape downstream from Hanjin, if chosen, takes place. The Yangtze flows close to Jiangling and Xiakou, both near the edges of the scenario's map.
Historical comparison[]
In reality, Liu Bei and his entourage reached Xiakou by sailing down the Han River from Hanjin. As such, choosing the river route is the historically accurate option.
