The Many Kings of Macedon is the second scenario of the Pyrrhus of Epirus campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Return of Rome. It is based on the campaigns of Pyrrhus from 297 BC to 289 BC against various enemies in Macedon, notably his old ally, Demetrius.
Intro[]
For most people, war is like a bad marriage: an unending affair of strife, bitterness, and glimmering moments of joy that serve only to prolong the suffering. But for Pyrrhus, fighting came as naturally as breathing.
Following a war between Demetrius and the king of Egypt, Pyrrhus was sent to the desert kingdom as a hostage. Here, his luck finally returned.
His many war stories made an impression on the Egyptian king — as did his ability to laugh off any insult thrown at him. With such a capable friend in his court, the king sensed an opportunity. He equipped Pyrrhus with a small army and the ships needed to transport it to Epirus, hoping to forge in him an ally on the Greek mainland.
The prospect of retaking Epirus thrilled Pyrrhus — as did the chance to exploit the chaos in nearby Macedon to seize both realms for himself. At long last, the exiled king was returning home.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Bronze Age - Starting resources: None
- Population limit: 100
- Starting units:
- Pyrrhus
- 9 Hoplites
- 5 Short Swordsmen
- 5 Cavalry
- 10 Improved Bowmen
- 2 War Galleys
- 3 Heavy Transports
- (after obtaining a base) 6 Villagers
Objectives[]
Main objectives[]
- Take control of Epirus either by reducing Neoptolemus to 5 soldiers, or by destroying his 4 Guard Towers.
- Become King of Macedon by asserting yourself over the other local rulers. This can be achieved in two ways: either by defeating Demetrius, or by destroying 5 out of 6 enemy Town Centers. (the last is possible only before Demetrius' army arrives)
- (after he rebels) Defeat Neoptolemus by destroying his army and Town Center.
Secondary objectives[]
- Ally with one of the neutral Macedonian rulers.
Hints[]
- Pyrrhus is limited to the Bronze Age and a population of 100.
- Taking on Neoptolemus' army Is the most direct approach, but by destroying his towers you can keep his army alive for the battles to come and loot resources from the rubble.
- Neoptolemus will initially be slow to react, as he does not expect an attack at night. However, if you delay the attack until morning, you will have more time to explore the potential avenues of attack.
- You can ally with any of Lysimachus, Antipater or Alexander V, or wage war on them all. However, once you establish an alliance, expect the other two factions to join forces against you.
- Only maintain an alliance if it furthers your goals. If you need to destroy an allied Town Center to win, you can always break the alliance.
- Although Demetrius is away on campaign in the east, his gaze will likely soon return to Macedon. Do not neglect to prepare your eastern flank for the coming conflict.
- Macedonian siege engines come at a discount. Use these to knock down enemy Town Centers!
Scouts[]
- Pyrrhus (1, Green) has arrived from Egypt and is poised to retake his throne in Epirus. Once the kingdom is back under his control, he must cow the squabbling rulers of Macedon.
- The usurper Neoptolemus (2, Red) still rules in Epirus. He has learned of Pyrrhus' departure from Egypt and has ordered his guards to watch for any approaching ships.
- To the east of Epirus lies Macedon, which is split between three warring rulers. Alexander V (3, Yellow) rules the heartland. He is the weakest of the three, but will provide you with resources if you ally with him.
- In the south, his brother and rival Antipiter (4, Blue) is locked in conflict with Alexander's forces. His fleet rule the waves and siding with him could open up the sea for your ships to navigate freely.
- To the north lies the realm of Lysimachus (5, Cyan). This confidant of Alexander the Great has the most powerful land army of the three. Siding with him could allow you to attack Macedon from two fronts.
- While he has yet to enter the conflict, Demetrius (6, Purple) still has a stronghold in the east from which he could launch a full-scale invasion of Macedon. Expect him to field an army of Cavalry and Iron Age heavy infantry.
Players[]
Player[]
- Player ( Macedonians): The player begins on an isle in the western ocean with an army consisting of Pyrrhus, 9 Hoplites, 10 Improved Bowmen, 5 Cavalry and 5 Short Swordsmen, with a fleet of 3 Heavy Transports and 2 War Galleys to bring them north to Epirus. After conquering the city, the player will be granted control of a Bronze Age-limited town just west of the center of the map, south of Epirus.
Allies[]
- Epirus ( Macedonians): This player passively controls the kingdom of Epirus until given over jointly to the player and Neoptolemus.
Neutral → Enemy or Ally[]
- Alexander V ( Greeks): Occupying the centre of the map and largely unwalled, this potential ally (or enemy if not befriended) specialises in Stone Throwers and infantry. If chosen as an ally, they will send the player tribute of 400 food, 200 wood, 300 gold every 5 minutes.
- Antipater ( Greeks): Based in the south and east of the map and mostly fortified, this potential ally (or enemy if not befriended) specialises in naval and infantry units.
- Lysimachus ( Macedonians): Located in the north of the map and heavily walled, this potential ally (or enemy if not befriended) specialises in Cavalry and archery units.
Enemy → Ally → Enemy[]
- Neoptolemus ( Macedonians): Controlling an army of Short Swordsmen, Hoplites, Improved Bowmen, a Stone Thrower and 3-4 War Galleys, this player will initially oppose the player's attempt to regain control of Epirus, then propose a power sharing arrangement. Occupying the northern part of Epirus, Neoptolemus will turn on the player after a period; when beaten after this point all his remaining units and buildings transfer to the player's control.
Enemies[]
- Demetrius ( Macedonians): Initially inactive and mostly unassailable in the east of the map, with five Heavy Transports guarded by three towers. After a period of time, the transports will land and the Iron Age horde inside will attack the player, and any ally they might have.
Strategy[]
The city of Epirus is initially ruled by Neoptolemus; it's some distance north of the player's starting position near the edge of the map. The bulk of his military patrols the landmass south of the river, but a smaller force backed by a Stone Thrower and four Guard Towers remains in the citadel. The Epirote civilians are passive in the conflict, while the towers and soldiers are hostile. When entering the range of towers or archers, use Pyrrhus as the lead unit to draw enemy fire, as he has by far the best resistance to arrows of any unit available to the player, and slowly regenerates health. Withdraw him after taking significant damage, as if he goes down he won't return until the next scenario.
The player has 4 to 6 in-game minutes (depending on difficulty) to take Epirus before it is daylight. In the night phase, Neoptolemus's forces operate independently and are not aware of the player's attacks elsewhere to reinforce positions or mount a counter-offensive. When the player reveals themselves to the enemy guards inside the city or to the large patrol over the bridge southeast of the city, another in-game countdown of 80 seconds starts. After either timer expires, all of Neoptolemus's troops stop their patrols and actively seek out Pyrrhus's forces.
There are two Catapults west of the city near the shore which can be captured by the player, be careful to immediately move them out of the towers' range after taking possession.
The best route to reach Epirus via the Catapults is to send the fleet northwest to the edge of the map, then hug the edge of the map northwards past an island until reaching a Dock, beyond which are the Catapults. On harder difficulties, this route subjects the fleet to fire from Guard Towers on the island and a single War Galley, but it's safer than skirting around the eastern side of the island where another three War Galleys are waiting.
During this initial phase of the scenario, none of the players builds an economy, and their troops stand waiting for orders. It's possible to exploit this by targeting the other players before finishing off Neoptolemus (although it will help enormously to capture the two Catapults first). The other would-be kings of Macedon have their diplomacy set to neutral, so Transports can slip safely past Antipater's warships, but not War Galleys.
Each destroyed tower within the walls of Epirus yields 100 food, 100 wood, 100 gold, 50 stone. It will be possible to destroy these towers later in the game but there won't be a reward, nor is anything ever given for destroying the towers on the western island. Destroying the army does not grant any bonus resources either.
If Epirus was taken by destroying its Guard Towers, it becomes more susceptible to enemy attacks, as the Epirotes do not rebuild any towers. Pyrrhus himself can build only Sentry Towers, as he is restricted to the Bronze Age. However, this route grants extra resources from plundering the towers, which are not available if the route of destroying the Epirote army was chosen, and it ensures that the large Epirote patrols outside the city live and are able to take offensive against the other Macedonians.
Taking Epirus by destroying its troops can lead to fewer losses in the player's starting army, and ensures the Guard Towers remain standing, which will be useful once they are pacified.
Upon destroying all four towers or reducing Neoptolemus's troops to fewer than five, the second stage of the scenario begins. The former sole king of Epirus allies with the player and hands over a small base south of the city and a stockpile of 600 food, 600 wood, 400 gold, 200 stone. The granted base contains a Town Center and Villagers, several Farms, a Granary, Storage Pit, Market and Barracks as well as a Dock with fish nearby.
Neoptolemus will now attempt to attack the other Macedonian rulers, particularly Lysimachus. The player is also informed that his former master and comrade, Demetrius, is arriving to Macedon to conquer it for himself. The player has 40 to 50 in-game minutes (depending on difficulty) to fully conquer all of Macedon before Demetrius arrives. If the timer expires the only path to victory will be defeating Demetrius' large, advanced army.
The various other kingdoms are neutral to Neoptolemus, to the player, as well as to each other. This means they only attack towers and military units, civilians and wooden buildings are safe; initially they won't send out raiding parties either. Against the naval power Antipater, this neutral phase of the scenario can be exploited by sending Transports loaded with troops into his southern base; these ships count as civilian units so won't be attacked. Each faction controls two Town Centers some distance apart, and will resign if both are destroyed.
The Greek ruler Alexander the Fifth rules two ungated settlements in the center and east of the map. He trains Hoplites, Short Swordsmen and Stone Throwers. He can be countered with a combination of Composite Bowmen with a buffer in front such as Swordsmen or Hoplites. Utilize a few Cavalry or Pyrrhus himself to snipe their Stone Throwers, which would otherwise devastate a foot unit army. If chosen as an ally, Alexander will send 400 food, 200 wood, 300 gold in tribute every five minutes.
His brother Antipater is another Greek ruler holding two cities in the south; the westernmost is walled off on its east side but its west is a shoreline patrolled by his formidable navy; the eastern settlement is fully enclosed. He raises Short Swordsmen, Hoplites and Bowmen (not the Improved Bowman line), as well as maintaining a fleet of War Galleys. He can be countered by Hoplites. His War Galleys can be countered with the player's own, but investing too much in them can be wasteful, as no other player builds a navy. Further, the eastern and western seas are not interconnected to be able to utilize the ships in attacking the coastal cities of the east. Sentry Towers are another option to hold off the enemy ships; if Antipater remains undefeated for a significant length of time then his navy can grow enormous.
Lysimachus rules two fully walled citadels in the north, although his eastern Town Center is out in the open between the two forts. He fields a relatively swift army of Cavalry, Composite Bowmen and Hoplites, which can be countered well with a similar composition of Hoplites and Composite Bowmen.
Soon after the second stage of the scenario starts, Pyrrhus will gain an option to ally with any one of the three neutral kings of Macedon. He will have 10 in-game minutes to choose an ally. If the player chooses an ally, or if the timer expires before it is done, the remaining kings become enemy and hostile to the player's team, and periodically send armies to invade. If the player aims to win before Demetrius' army arrives, this ally will eventually have to be betrayed, because 5 of the 6 Town Centers must be destroyed (Neoptolemus' doesn't count). After Demetrius arrives there's no reason to turn against the ally, they'll play an important role in thinning down the invading army.
20 minutes after his initial defeat, one of Neoptolemus' men defects to the player and informs him of his two-faced ally's conspiracy to poison him. This starts a five minute timer during which the player can position troops strategically and wait for the betrayal, or change diplomatic stance and attack Neoptolemus in advance. The player must destroy the Town Center and most of his military units to fully defeat the traitor. The player can utilize the time to position their army, preferably with several Stone Throwers, inside the citadel and change stance at an opportune moment, such as when Neoptolemus mounts another offensive towards Lysimachus, to destroy the Town Center quickly. When Neoptolemus is defeated, the player gains control of all his remaining units and buildings, along with a cache of 600 food, 600 gold.
Conquering all of Macedon before Demetrius arrives will make the player victorious without having to fight his army. Doing so will unlock the achievement "Greece'd Lightning".
In case this could not be done, Demetrius' vast army will arrive from the east, consisting of Cavalry, Phalangites and Ballistae, and will single-mindedly attack the player and their ally. The enemy factions all align with Demetrius, and winning the scenario by destroying Town Centers ceases to be an option: Demetrius' army must be destroyed. Defeating this Iron Age horde will be a challenge no matter the army composition chosen, and will require a strong and robust economy as well as multiple production buildings to quickly replace lost troops. Demetrius' only siege weapons are a small collection of Ballistae, which take quite a while to bring down stone buildings - so an effective strategy is to fortify heavily, with many layers of walls (no gates) to keep the Phalangites busy, and ranks of Composite Bowmen and Sentry Towers behind the walls whittling away at the exposed melee troops. Build the Sentry Towers some way back from the walls so that Ballistae have to move into archers' range to attack them. Have a squad of Cavalry take the long way round the map to approach the attackers from behind, the Ballistae should all be wiped out in a single charge.
Outro[]
Had the struggles for Macedon been a play, it would have been booed out of the theatre for its confusing, overlapping plotlines. Stories, after all, should be simple, straightforward, and with an entertaining hero to cheer for; all of the things that real politics lack.
At the end of the war, Pyrrhus came to blows with his old master Demetrius. Each led their forces against each other - and, in what must have been an act of divine mischief, the two armies marched right past each other.
As Demetrius raided across Epirus, a second army commanded by his finest general, Pantauchus, met Pyrrhus in battle. Pantauchus challenged the Epirote king to a duel - and Pyrrhus accepted.
With thousands of men watching and cheering for their leaders, the two commanders fought man against man. Swords clashed, shields buckled, and for a short while, the brutality of the war was distilled into the shapes of those men, those two kingdoms personified.
Panlauchus managed a single strike on Pyrrhus; but not long after. Pyrrhus wounded his opponent in the thigh and neck.
Pantauchus was forced to retreat and Pyrrhus claimed victory. His boldness earned him the nickname "The Eagle", but his triumph proved hollow when the war ended in a stalemate. For all his efforts, Pyrrhus returned to Epirus empty-handed.
Bug[]
Sometimes, Demetrius will unload some of his army on the island to the east, across the water. Fortunately, there are two spots the player can build a Dock in the eastern blue base, right next to the Watch Tower that is protecting the southern entrance (where the walls are rubble). The player can make a navy and hunt down the remaining units of Demetrius' army. There only two towers protecting them.
