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The Rising is the fourth scenario in the Joan of Arc campaign in Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings. It is loosely based on the March to Reims of June 24 to July 16, 1429 which immediately preceded the coronation of Charles VII as King of France.

Intro[]

June 25, Orléans

Dead France is returning to life. Our army swells with new recruits. In olden times, men swore fealty only to their particular lord.

Now we fight not for insolent lords and ladies, but for France. For all of us, Joan is France. There is no distinction in our minds.

The Dauphin himself has arrived in Orléans. Never have I seen such a celebration. France needs a king now, so we must escort the Dauphin to Rheims where he can be properly crowned.

Yet the city of Rheims is dangerously menaced by the Anglo-Burgundian army. The cities of Troyes and Chalon also bar the way.

Joan commands that we must liberate all three cities before the coronation, and we eagerly seek to fight.

Scenario instructions[]

Starting conditions[]

  • Starting Age: Castle Age
  • Starting resources: 200 food, 200 wood, 50 gold, 150 stone
  • Population limit: 75 (125 in the Definitive Edition)

Objectives[]

  • Travel west to help reinforce the French town. Be wary of opposition along the way.
  • Joan must survive.
    • Destroy the Town Center of Rheims.
    • Destroy the Town Center of Chalons.
    • Destroy the Town Center of Troyes.

Hints[]

  1. The French can now advance to the Imperial Age, but they still cannot produce gunpowder weapons. Their population limit is 125.
  2. Gaining control of the river may be a good strategy, but do not squander your resources needlessly on ships.
  3. Chalon is the closest and most vulnerable of the three English-occupied villages. Making an example of them early could help even the odds for you in the long run.
  4. Remember your objectives. It is not necessary to level the cities, only to force the English to withdraw.
  5. Wall off all shallows to slow enemy attacks.

  • Gaining control of the river may be a good strategy, but do not squander your resources needlessly on ships.
  • Chalon is the closest and most vulnerable of the three English-occupied villages. Making an example of them early could help even the odds for you in the long run.
  • Remember your objectives. It is not necessary to level the cities, only to force the English to withdraw.
  • Wall off all shallows to slow enemy invaders.

Scouts (Definitive Edition)[]

  • The Army of France (1, Blue) is traveling to a French camp in the west, but the road there is defended by English Guards (5, Red). Joan of Arc will need to reach the camp before she can liberate Troyes, Chalons and, most importantly, Rheims, if the French are to crown the dauphin. Chalons (3, Green), Troyes (2, Orange) and Rheims (4, Yellow), the three towns occupied by the English, are across the river and are well defended.
  • The English at Chalons will field Knights and Scorpions, and even warships if threatened. Their town is unprotected and can be easily reached by crossing the shallows.
  • Troyes is slightly better defended, with walls and a Castle protecting the river crossing to the east. However, they are not prepared for an attack from the flank. They will train Pikemen and Knights to fight the French, but will also build warships if they feel that they are about to lose control of the river.
  • Rheims is a walled city protected by Castles and towers. The English garrison there will include Longbowmen, Light Cavalry, Knights, Mangonels and Trebuchets-a true challenge for the French. Luckily, it will be quite some time before they feel confident enough to launch an attack.

Players[]

Player[]

  • Army of France ( Franks): The player starts with Joan of Arc and her starting army in the southeast of the map.

Enemies[]

  • English Guards (British Guards before the Definitive Edition) ( Britons): The English Guards only have one camp on the road just west of the player's starting position consisting of Men-at-Arms and Crossbowmen. They are easily defeated.

Enemies → Allies[]

  • Chalons ( Franks): Chalon is an unfortified town located on the western part of the map. They field Knights and Scorpions. If given enough time, they will build Cannon Galleons. They possess four towers in the south, which each of them is guarding Gold Mines and Stone Mines, and at "standard" difficulty the towers will not attack the player unless being attacked.
  • Rheims ( Britons): Rheims is a fortified town in the northernmost part of the map. They are strongest opponent in the scenario. They attack with Longbowmen, Light Cavalry, Knights, Mangonels, and Trebuchets. If given enough time, they will advance to Imperial Age and upgrade their units.
  • Troyes (colored cyan in the Beta) ( Britons): Troyes lies in the east. The crossing of the river is blocked by a wall, but otherwise it is not fortified. They field Pikemen and Knights. They also build War Galleys.

Player[]

  • Army of France ( Franks): The player starts with Joan of Arc and her starting army in the southeast of the map.

Enemies[]

  • Chalons ( Franks): This player controls the British Guards and Chalons. His personality is the same as Chalons of the PC version.
  • Rheims ( Britons): Rheims is a fortified town in the northernmost part of the map, and the strongest opponent in the scenario. They attack with Longbowmen, Light Cavalry, Knights, Mangonels, and Trebuchets. If given enough time, they will advance to the Imperial Age and upgrade their units.
  • Troyes ( Britons): Troyes lies in the east. The crossing of the river is blocked by a wall, but otherwise it is not fortified. They field Pikemen and Knights. They also build War Galleys.

Dialogue[]

The players attacks the English Guards:

English: Joan of Arc is attacking our camp!

Rheims: Do not let her cross the river!

The players captures the Gaia camp:

French Soldier: We were assigned to help you construct your military camp.

The army of Chalons is attacking:

Chalons: Charge!

The player crosses the river or builds a Transport Ship:

Rheims: To arms! The French are trying to cross the river!

Chalons Town Center is destroyed:

French Soldier: Chalons has been freed!

Troyes Town Center is destroyed:

French Soldier: The English in Troyes have been defeated!

Rheims Town Center is destroyed:

French Soldier: Rheims has been liberated!

When all the towns are liberated:

French Soldier: Now the coronation of the dauphin can proceed!

If Joan of Arc dies:

French Soldier: We will bury Joan beside the river.

Strategy[]

This guide is applied to hard difficulty. It is, of course, also applicable for the other grades of difficulty. It describes only one way to win it. Naturally, there are alternative ways to win.

Joan4lure

Lure away the Scout Cavalry to ease passage to the west.

The player starts with a small army in the southeast of the map. The first objective is to reach a small village that lies to the west. To reach it first lure away the Scout Cavalry that is patrolling the player's path. Lure it to the south with one of the player's Scout Cavalry. The Scout Cavalry is best sacrificed there to ensure the army is not spotted. With this done, the path is clear. Take the entire army (best set it to 'Stand Ground' for the journey to avoid distractions and attention) and move a few steps north until it reaches a river. Now travel west (keep close to the river to avoid the British Guards), past shallows and an enemy Guard Tower, until a second river crossing is reached. Once there, take the second Scout Cavalry and travel south until it reaches the flagged area. A small village will be given to the player, along with a few Villagers that immediately start gathering resources. Start creating more Villagers immediately and assign them to collect resources.

Joan4chalon

Chalon will fall to an early attack.

Meanwhile, take the rest of the army and cross the river northwards. Once the river is crossed, four Knights from Chalon attack. Try to convert two of them with the brought along Monks and kill the other two. Take out the enemy Scorpions coming from the east with the Knights and then attack the Town Center while also dealing with the enemy Crossbowmen that retaliate. The army is large enough to overpower Chalon without too much difficulties. Once the Town Center is razed, Chalon resigns, or becomes an ally in the Definitive Edition.

With that done, take the army back to the player's base and heal off the units with the Monks. Store Joan at a safe location and leave her there (west of the player's settlement is the quietest area). By now, the area south of the river should be largely safe and the player can access most resources safely. There should be enough wood to construct a second Town Center. Doing so is optional, but it noticeably boosts the player's economy. Soon, the British Guards will attack the player's town with Crossbowmen and Men-at-Arms. Ringing the Town Bell and sending out the Knights is enough to fend them off. Also, Troyes may build a military forward base just east of the player's settlement and attack with their trained Pikemen. Raze it with the starting army. Meanwhile, continue to collect all resources (there are Stone and Gold Mines nearby) and create more Villagers (a total Villager count of 20-30 is recommended). Don't forget to build Houses.

Joan4forwardbase

A forward base greatly helps attacking Troyes and Rheims.

Also, research important technologies, especially the cavalry technologies available at the Blacksmith. If 488 stone is collected, construct a Castle near the river bank. Also build at least one Stable there to create Knights. There is also a Gold Mine close by that can freely be mined (Note: In the Definitive Edition, especially on harder difficulty, it is important to control two Gold Mines outside Rheim's base. This will significantly slow down the booming and attack from them). Stock up on Knights and advance to the Imperial Age as soon as enough resources are collected. Apart from Troyes' forward base, no serious attacks await the player to this point.

Joan4troyes

Troyes' Town Center is best razed from the distance far distance to avoid the Castle.

Once the Imperial Age is reached, build a few Trebuchets and upgrade to Cavalier. If enough resources are available, upgrade to Paladin as well. Don't forget the Blacksmith technologies. Get rid of the weak starting units (Crossbowmen, Men-at-Arms) by killing them or use them for scouting to make room for Cavaliers/Paladins so the total count for these units can go up to 20+. Attack Troyes as soon as possible and directly attack the Town Center with Trebuchets. Defend the siege units with Paladins while the former quickly level the Town Center. Once it is razed, Troyes resigns or becomes an ally in the Definitive Edition..

Joan4rheims

The Town Center of Rheims can be taken out with Paladins.

Keep training Paladins until the population limit at 75. To launch the final attack, attack the Gate in the north with Trebuchets and then directly attack the Town Center of Rheims with Paladins, ideally with at least 15. The Trebuchets can also take down the Castle of Rheims from outside the city wall in the north. Rheims defends itself mostly with Longbowmen, making it easy for the Paladins to dominate the field. The final attack should be quick and successful as Rheims rebuilds lost Castles and towers. Once their Town Center is razed, however, the scenario is won. If the player kills all of Rheims' Villagers, military units, and towers, the scenario can also be completed.

Note: This is another Joan campaign scenario where the player can build a Dock although the hints suggest otherwise. Should the enemies harass the player much with ships, a Dock may be necessary.

Outro[]

As we rode into Rheims, a sea of peasants and lords knelt before Joan. Some even knelt to kiss her horse's hoofprints. Cannon thundered and a thousand flags danced in the breeze.

In the enormous palace, the Dauphin knelt before the archbishop and rose as King of France. Prayers, anthems, and sermons filled the great château.

Interspersed among perfumed dukes and ladies were tattered soldiers from our army, many still bearing wounds.

Joan herself was at the king's side, as was her bedraggled battle standard.

Despite the celebration, I know in my heart that this war is far from over. Our fathers and grandfathers died fighting against the English.

Joan gives us hope, but I do not know if hope is enough to ensure victory.

Trivia[]

  • This is the only scenario in the campaign where Burgundy does not appear as an enemy. Also, the British Army is represented only by a few British Guards that can be taken out early.
  • This is also the only scenario of the campaign with no hero units besides Joan of Arc herself.
  • It is possible to build a Wonder after advancing to the Imperial Age. However, this will not result in victory.

Historical comparison[]

  • Though all enemies in the scenario bar Chalon are portrayed as Britons, in reality all cities were part of, or occupied by, Burgundy, and would be more accurately represented by Burgundians or Franks.
  • This campaign caused no casualties on either side in real life. Reims, Chalon, Troyes (and also Auxerre) had garrisons and made preparations for siege, but all surrendered to Charles VII after the English and Burgundians decided to reinforce Paris instead of sending troops to assist them.

Gallery[]

Campaigns in Age of Empires II
The Age of Kings
William Wallace PC: Marching and Fighting · Feeding the Army · Training the Troops · Research and Technology · The Battle of Stirling · Forge an Alliance · The Battle of Falkirk
PS5 - Xbox: Preparing for Battle· The Battle of Stirling · Forge an Alliance · The Battle of Falkirk
Joan of Arc An Unlikely Messiah · The Maid of Orleans · The Cleansing of the Loire · The Rising · The Siege of Paris · A Perfect Martyr
Saladin An Arabian Knight · Lord of Arabia · The Horns of Hattin · The Siege of Jerusalem · Jihad! · The Lion and the Demon
Genghis Khan Crucible · A Life of Revenge · Into China · The Horde Rides West · The Promise · Pax Mongolica
Barbarossa Holy Roman Emperor · Henry the Lion · Pope and Antipope · The Lombard League · Barbarossa's March · The Emperor Sleeping
Others E3 1998
* added with update 75350
The Conquerors
Attila the Hun The Scourge of God · The Great Ride · The Walls of Constantinople · A Barbarian Betrothal · The Catalaunian Fields · The Fall of Rome
El Cid Brother against Brother · The Enemy of my Enemy · The Exile of the Cid · Black Guards · King of Valencia · Reconquista
Montezuma Reign of Blood · The Triple Alliance · Quetzalcoatl · La Noche Triste · The Boiling Lake · Broken Spears
Battles of the Conquerors Tours · Vinlandsaga · Hastings · Manzikert · Agincourt · Lepanto · Kyoto · Noryang Point
Hidden scenario The Saxon Revolt
The Forgotten
Alaric HD: All Roads Lead to a Besieged City · Legionaries on the Horizon! · Emperor of the West · The Sack of Rome
DE: The Battle of the Frigidus · Razing Hellas · The Belly of the Beast · The Giant Falls · A Kingdom of Our Own
Vlad Dracula The Dragon Spreads His Wings · The Return of the Dragon · The Breath of the Dragon · The Moon Rises · The Night Falls
Bari HD: Arrival at Bari · The Rebellion of Melus · The Great Siege
DE: Arrival at Bari · The Rebellion of Melus · Loose Ends · The Best Laid Plans · The Onrushing Tide
Sforza HD: An End and a Beginning · O Fortuna · The Hand of a Daughter · The Ambrosian Republic · A New Duke of Milan
DE: Mercenaries and Masters · His Own Man · Prodigal Son · Blood and Betrayal · Viva Sforza!
El Dorado# (removed) Tales of La Canela · The Split · The Amazones · The Cannibals
Prithviraj* HD: A Promising Warrior · The Digvijaya · The Elopement · Battles of Tarain
DE: Born of Fire · The Digvijaya · Hand of a Princess · The Fate of India · The Legend of Prithviraj
Battles of the Forgotten@ Bukhara · Dos Pilas · York · Honfoglalás · Langshan Jiang · Kurikara · Cyprus · Bapheus · Kaesong (cut)
# added with patch 3.3; * added with patch 3.5; @ added with patch 3.6
The African Kingdoms
Tariq ibn Ziyad The Battle of Guadalete · Consolidation and Subjugation · Divide and Conquer · Crossing the Pyrenees · Razzia
Sundjata Hunted · The Sting of the Scorpion · Djeriba Gold · Blood on the River Bank · The Lion's Den
Francisco de Almeida The Old World · Lion of Africa · Ruins of Empires · Estado da India · A Son's Blood
Yodit Path of Exile · The Right Partner · A Fallen Crown · Broken Stelae · Welcome Home
Rise of the Rajas
Gajah Mada The Story of Our Founders · Unconditional Loyalty · The Oath to Unify Nusantara · Serving the New King · The Pasunda Bubat Tragedy
Suryavarman I Usurpation · Quelling the Rebellion · A Dangerous Mission · Challenging a Thalassocracy · Nirvanapada
Bayinnaung The Burmese Tigers · The Mandalay Cobra · The Royal Peacock · The White Elephant · The Old Tiger
Le Loi The Dai Viet Uprising · The Mountain Siege · The Battle at Hanoi · Reaching South · A Three-Pronged Attack · The Final Fortress
Definitive Edition
The Art of War Early Economy · Booming · Rushing the Enemy · Fast Castle Age · Defending Against A Rush · Land Battle · Destroying a Castle · Naval Battle · Battle Formations
Pachacuti A New Power Arises · The Field of Blood · War of Brothers · The Falcon's Tent · Like Father, Like Son

Historical Battles
Tours · Vinlandsaga · Hastings · Manzikert · Agincourt · Kyoto · Noryang Point
Bukhara · Kurikara · Cyprus · Bapheus · Lepanto
Dos Pilas · York · Honfoglalás · Lake Poyang
Event scenarios E3 2019 Demo · Mongol Raiders · Barbarossa Brawl · Mangudai Madness · The Siege (co-op) · Ayn Jalut
The Last Khans
Tamerlane Amir of Transoxiana · Gurkhan of Persia · Harbinger of Destruction · Sultan of Hindustan · Scourge of the Levant · A Titan Amongst Mortals
Ivaylo A Most Unlikely Man · An Unlikely Alliance · Tsar of the Bulgars · Echoes of Heroes · Where the One-Eyed Man is King
Kotyan Khan Raising the Banners · The Battle at the Kalka River · Saving the Huts · Blood for Blood · A New Home
Lords of the West
Edward Longshanks Vain Ambition · A Man of God · Of Castles and Kings · Toom Tabard · Hammer of the Scots
Grand Dukes A Kingdom Divided · The Wolf and the Lion · The Cleansing of Paris · Unholy Marriage · The Hook and Cod Wars · The Maid Falls
The Hautevilles Guiscard Arrives · Roger in Sicily · Bohemond and the Emperor · Bohemond in the East · Wonder of the World
Dawn of the Dukes
Algirdas and Kestutis Family Affairs · No Man's Land · The Tatar Yoke · A Worthy Opponent · In the Shadow of the Throne
Jadwiga The Matter of the Crown · Star of the Poles · Duel of the Dukes · The Siege of Vilnius · Vytautas' Crusade · The Fruits of Her Labor
Jan Zizka The One-Eyed Wanderer · Courage and Coin · The Iron Lords · The Golden City · The Emperor's Fury · Warrior of God
Dynasties of India
Babur Pearl of the East · The Last Timurids · Into India · The Battle of Panipat · The Rajputs
Rajendra The Successor · Deeds of the Father · Rising Star · Sacred Waters · Slaying the Vritra
Devapala Dissatisfaction · Desire · Renunciation · Liberation? · Enlightenment
The Mountain Royals
Ismail The Red Hats · Road to Royalty · Alexander Safavi · The Fallen Amir · Khata'i
Thoros II Outlawed · The Emperor's Revenge · Caught in the Crossfire · Bloody Crestwaves · Of Turncoats and Traitors
Tamar Takeover · Yury's Revenge · The Protectorate · Tamar the Builder · The Queen in the Panther's Skin
Victors and Vanquished
Victors and Vanquished
Charlemagne · Finehair · Ironside · Nobunaga
Drake · Fetih · Gaiseric · Robert · Temujin · Xie An*
Constantine XI · Karlsefni · Komnenos · Mstislav · Otto · Ragnar · Seljuk · Shimazu · Stephen · Vortigern
* added with update 141935
The Three Kingdoms
Liu Bei The Oath of the Peach Garden · Heroes of the Realm · The Scholar and the Sandal Maker · The Great Escape · The Battle of Red Cliffs
Cao Cao The Yellow Turban Rebellion · Emperor In All But Name · The Battle of Guandu · Lord of the North · The Battle of Red Cliffs
Sun Clan The Imperial Seal · The Conquest of Jiangdong · The White Tiger · The Avenger · The Battle of Red Cliffs