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This article is about the scenario in Act II: Ice. For the random map, see Great Lakes. |
| “ | John and Ká:nien head west, following Warwick's trail - and Nonahkee, Ká:nien's strong-willed sister, goes with them. Washington has promised help, but will his ships arrive in time? | ” |
| —Scenario description | ||
The Great Lakes is the fifth scenario of Act II: Ice in Age of Empires III. With the help of Washington's ships, John Black, Ká:nien and Nonahkee sink the Boneguard navy and destroy their bases.
Summary[]
After their victory over Washington's British forces, John and Ká:nien ask Washington for help to continue the trail of the traitor Warwick and he offers them his ships, but it will take time for them to arrive, time of which John and Ká:nien don't have it, since they need to get to Warwick before the water from the destroyed Fountain of Youth is taken.
Objectives[]
Primary objectives[]
- Advance to the Fortress Age and build an Artillery Foundry.
- Destroy the three Boneguard Outposts before Warwick's navy reaches Lake Erie.
- Destroy Warwick's navy and his Town Center.
Secondary objectives[]
- Avoid losing any of Washington's fleet. (300 XP)
Players[]
Player[]
- John Black (
John Black's Mercenaries) - The player begins in the Commerce Age, with a Town Center, two Houses, one Mill, 12 Settlers, John Black, Nonahkee and Ká:nien.
Enemy[]
- British ( British) - The enemy of this scenario. It has a well-protected base in the left of the map, with Outposts, and a second base in the north near the player base that has few defenses. Its forces consist of Longbowmen, Musketeers, Falconets and two Galleons.
Treasures[]
There are 7 treasures on the map:
- Click for a list of treasures and their guardians related to the "The Great Lakes" scenario
| Treasure | Reward | Guardians | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| A supply of limestone worth | 150 coin | None | In the east near the player's base |
| A pot of blueberries worth | 140 food | 3x  Black Bear
|
In the east of the start isle |
| The elusive jackalope worth | 320 XP | 4x  Bandit Rider
|
In the center of the start isle |
| A cache of tin worth | 150 coin | 4x  Wolf
|
In the west of the start isle |
| A grove of chile peppers worth | 55 coin | 1x Bandit Rider
|
In the south of the northwest isle |
| Lost Moche gold worth | 80 coin | 2x Wolf
|
In the center of the northwest isle |
| A stand of chokecherry trees bearing fruit worth | 30 food | 1x Coyote
|
In the north of the northwest isle near the enemy base |
Strategy[]
Booming and destroying the first base[]
The first objective of the scenario is to build a Artillery Foundry, but the player needs to start building up the base and produce Settlers. There's plenty of huntables, mines and other resources close to the player base, but be careful that the player's units don't wander too close to the enemy base - it's protected by Outposts and more than a few units. The player needs to build several Barracks. The heroes' abilities can help deal with the Longbowmen, and some early Pikemen may be helpful clearing the Outposts, but Skirmishers will be optimal for most of the objectives. War Wagon cards sent from the Home City will also be useful against enemy cavalry, while being safe from the Boneguard's hand attacks.
HINT: It is possible to force the player's heroes through the Outpost on the north side, especially considering Nonahkee's healing ability (it doesn't work if units are in combat). The immediate vicinity around the 320 XP treasure is safe from all the Fortified Outposts and Town Centers' reach, so the player can easily use ranged heroes to harass the AI's economy.
Once the player has aged up and built an Artillery Foundry, they should send the 2 Falconets card and train a few Artillery units to take down the enemy buildings, and some Mercenaries (in the Definitive Edition) or other troops for protection.
Note: Even without an Artillery Foundry, if the player ships enough Falconets and starts knocking out the Outposts, the game will consider the player to have enough artillery to deliver a pair of Caravels. For the secondary objective, the player tries to keep them safely out of range of the Outposts.
Destroying the second base[]
With the enemy on the player's side of the river defeated, use Washington's navy to transport the army across the water – the southern part of the island is clear from enemy defences. Anti-ship defences and Culverins/Mortars (if available, Mortars are cheaper and more effective, as mobility is not an issue) placed on the ruins can be useful for fighting Warwick's navy.
Several casts of the Monitors' ability can clear out the Outposts safely. Advance on land to start destroying the enemy's main base, while using the ships to sink the enemy navy. There's a secondary objective to make sure the player doesn't lose any of Washington's ships; they are very durable, but make sure none of stray into the Outposts' anti-ship cannonfire or get focused down in the naval fight, as Docks are unavailable for repairing them.
Aftermath and scenario ending[]
When the enemy Town Center is in ruins and their ships at the bottom of the river, the victory is for the player and the scenario ends with a cinematic where Nonahkee returns home, while John Black and Ká:nien continue the pursuit of Warwick to the Great Plains.
The map[]
Unlike the skirmish version, which is a circle of water/ice surrounded by land, the Great Lakes map in this scenario is a great lake with a large river flowing into it.
Gallery[]
