| “ | Desperate to halt Cao Cao's unending conquests, Liu Bei sets out to find the renowned strategist 'Sleeping Dragon'. | ” |
| —In-game scenario description | ||
The Scholar and the Sandal Maker is the third scenario of the Liu Bei campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - The Three Kingdoms. It is about Liu Bei's service to warlord Liu Biao in Jing Province, with the first part of the scenario loosely based on his three visits to Zhuge Liang, also known by his nickname "Sleeping Dragon",
Intro[]
Liu Bei's tenure under Cao Cao was brief. After the powerless emperor ordered an assassination attempt on Cao Cao, Liu Bei feared he would be seen as an accomplice. He and his brothers escaped and began plotting against his former master.
Cao Cao responded with a lightning campaign, forcing Liu Bei to seek refuge with Cao Cao's northern rival, Yuan Shao.
In the heat of the fighting, the enemy captured Guan Yu. With his brother's fate uncertain, Liu Bei rode north with tears in his eyes.
Yuan Shao proved a benevolent host, but after Cao Cao crushed his armies at the battle of Guandu, Liu Bei once again found himself without refuge. With Cao Cao's riders at his heels, Liu Bei hurried south once more to seek shelter with the warlord Liu Biao.
Scenario instructions[]
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Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Castle Age - Ending Age: Imperial Age
- Starting resources: None
- Population limit: 150
- Starting units:
- 5 Crossbowmen
- 5 Pikemen
- 4 Hei Guang Cavalry
- Liu Bei (hero)
- Zhang Fei (hero)
- Lü Bu (hero) (if spared in Heroes of the Realm)
- 5
Objectives[]
- Find Sleeping Dragon.
- At least one of Liu Biao's Town Centers must stand.
- Find a way out of the mountains.
- Bring Zhuge Liang to the Transport Ship.
After taking over Liu Biao's Town Centers:
- Defeat Cao Cao.
- Defeat Cao Cao's Vanguard.
- One of your Town Centers must remain standing.
Optional objectives[]
- Research Chemistry.
- Damage the Wooden Tower to 200 HP.
Hints[]
- You can reach the Imperial Age and support 150 population. You cannot build Docks nor additional Town Centers.
- Liu Bei must hurry to find Zhuge Liang since Zhao Yun will only be able to hold out against Cao Cao's army for a limited time.
- War Chariots are powerful siege weapons whose rapid fire attack pierces masses of enemies. They can also switch to an attack mode that fires bolts over a wide area.
- The unique Shu technology, Coiled Serpent Array, increases Pikeman and White Feather Guard hitpoints when massed, giving them excellent durability as Liu Bei heals them.
- Cao Cao's base is large and well-defended, but Sleeping Dragon may know of a better way to destroy it.
Scouts[]
- Following some setbacks, Liu Bei (Green) marches his weary army south into Jing Province while his general Zhao Yun (Yellow) goes to fend off Cao Cao's vanguard to the north. Liu Bei and Zhao Yun initially cannot unite their forces.
- Fresh off a key victory at Guandu, Cao Cao (Blue) now attacks Jing Province. His ranks swell with veterans of prior campaigns, including a vanguard of fearsome Xianbei Raiders (Orange).
- Governor Liu Biao of Jing (Cyan) requires you to help him defend his northern borders.
- However, conspirators (Purple) are scheming to deal with Liu Bei before his conflict with Cao Cao escalates.
- Locals speak of a hermit (Grey) living in Sleeping Dragon Ridge to the northwest. His brilliant mind could be your only hope against Cao Cao.
Players[]
Player[]
- Liu Bei ( Shu): Begins the scenario with the heroes Liu Bei and Zhang Fei (and optionally Lü Bu), receiving some Crossbowmen, Hei Guang Cavalry, and Pikemen after a short cutscene with Liu Biao. This party must first make its way to the mountains in the northwest to find Sleeping Dragon (Zhuge Liang), on the way dealing with patrols, ambushes and obstacles set up by the Conspirators. In the second part, the player takes over the defense of the northern border from Zhao Yun, and must defend it against the attacks by Cao Cao and Cao Cao's Vanguard. Both of these players must be defeated to win the scenario.
Allies[]
- Liu Biao ( Shu): Controls a small city in the south of the map, and economic buildings and Town Centers near the northern border, with both parts being connected by a broken bridge. Any surviving buildings near the northern border are handed over to the player upon completion of the first part, as long as at least one Town Center remains standing.
- Sleeping Dragon ( Shu): This faction controls several Houses and units in the northwestern mountains, with the player visiting them in their quest to find Zhuge Liang. Once he is found, Zhuge Liang joins the player, and will be present in the second part of the scenario.
- Zhao Yun ( Shu): Leads the defense of the northern border against Cao Cao and Cao Cao's Vanguard, controlling military buildings and Watch Towers. He sends Crossbowmen, White Feather Guards, and Pikemen into battle. Any surviving structures and units become the player's in the second part of the scenario.
Enemy[]
- Cao Cao ( Wei): Their base in the northeast consists of a walled fortress centered on a Castle, and an economic base with Town Center northwest of it. Initially they do not take part in battle, but will join Cao Cao's Vanguard in attacks on the player once they take over the defense of the northern border. They train Long Swordsmen, Pikemen, Hei Guang Cavalry, Tiger Cavalry, Battering Rams, Traction Trebuchets, and heroes. Defeating this player is a main objective in the second part of the scenario.
- Conspirators ( Shu): Led by Lady Cai, they oppose Liu Bei's presence in Jing Province, and will actively try to hinder him in his quest to find Zhuge Liang. Aside from troops patrolling the way (Light Cavalry, Elite Skirmishers, and Pikemen in earlier parts, later also Hei Guang Cavalry, Crossbowmen, and Heavy Scorpions), they set up ambushes, Barricades, and Palisade Walls defended by Heavy Scorpions and Onagers. They do not take part in the second part of the scenario.
- Cao Cao's Vanguard ( Wei): They have a fortified base and a Castle in the eastern corner of the map, and attack both Zhao Yun and the player when they take over. They send Light Cavalry, Tiger Cavalry, and Xianbei Raiders into battle, later also Hei Guang Cavalry and Battering Rams. They too must be defeated to win the scenario.
Strategy[]
This scenario is made of two parts, each taking place on a different part of the map. The first part is a quest to find Sleeping Dragon (Zhuge Liang) in the northwestern mountains, and the second part the defense of the northern border against Cao Cao.
Phase one[]
After a short cutscene involving Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Liu Biao, the player gains control of a mixed force of Crossbowmen, Hei Guang Cavalry, and Pikemen. Just a little to the northwest, five each of Pikemen and White Feather Guards (if using infantry as a starting army) or Crossbowmen and Elite Skirmishers (if using ranged units as a starting army) join the player. Near the Trade Workshop on the way to the mountains, the Conspirators stage an ambush, which the player should easily beat with proper counters. After defeating a Conspirators patrol to the north, a Servant near the House informs the player's party that his master is out, and provides two possible ways to proceed: a Palisaded outpost defended by two Watch Towers, two Heavy Scorpions, and several Pikemen, or a more circuitous route around the outpost, which however contains four patrols and two Barricades, which automatically disappear upon defeating the associated patrol. Should all of the player's troops except the heroes fall in battle, Liu Biao will provide some reinforcements.
Since the player is on a soft timer, namely to reach Zhuge Liang before Cao Cao's Vanguard overruns Zhao Yun and destroys all of Liu Biao's Town Centers, the player can opt to go via the defended outpost to save time. Send the heroes to kill the Pikemen, then attack the locked Palisade Gate, along with a few accompanying units, making sure to avoid too much damage from Heavy Scorpion bolts. If the player spared Lü Bu in the previous scenario, they should make use of his powerful active ability, which can one-shot most enemy units. Kill the Heavy Scorpions, and ignore the Watch Towers. Just slightly further up the road, there is an Outpost, and again, the player has the choice between breaking through a walled gap, defended by three Heavy Scorpions outside and two Onagers between two layers of Palisade Wall, or going around through two Conspirators patrols and a Barricade. If attacking the gap, the player should first send the two heroes to take splash damage from Onager shots, and should attempt to make them hit the Heavy Scorpions and the Palisade Walls while dodging the shots themselves. Afterwards, the heroes or Hei Guang Cavalry can destroy the Onagers, and break through the now undefended Palisade Wall.
Behind this gap, the player meets Zhuge Jun, the younger brother of Zhuge Liang, who also provides a small reinforcement of Pikemen and Elite Skirmishers. Two more patrols, the first with Hei Guang Cavalry, Pikemen, and Scorpions, the second with Crossbowmen only, stand in the way, followed by another Palisade Wall. Behind it, the player finds Zhuge Liang, who joins the player's party. After clearing a small patch of forest slightly to the east, bringing Zhuge Liang to the Transport Ship ends the first part of the scenario.
Phase two[]
The second part of the scenario starts with the player taking over all of Liu Biao's and Zhao Yun's structures and units near the northern border, and gaining a small reinforcement of Crossbowmen, Pikemen, and White Feather Guards. Only Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang, and Lü Bu (if present) carry over from the first part. Initially, the player should make sure that the areas near the central and southeastern Town Centers are well-defended, and boom to increase resource collection rates to prepare to advance to the Imperial Age. Since both Cao Cao and Cao Cao's Vanguard send cavalry-heavy armies, Pikemen/Halberdiers and White Feather Guards are a good choice for defense. Additionally, if the players builds a Castle or two, not only does this help defend the area, the player also can research the Shu unique technology Coiled Serpent Array, which increases hit points of both Pikemen/Halberdiers and White Feather Guards when deployed close to each other. If healed by Liu Bei or Monks and strengthened by Blacksmith technologies, this makes them excellent units to stop Cao Cao's cavalry charges (although the player should be wary of Xianbei Raiders' mobility and charged attack).
Once the Imperial Age is reached, the player should immediately research Chemistry and other technologies benefitting their units. After Chemistry is researched, Zhuge Liang gives the player a secondary objective to damage the Wooden Tower close to Cao Cao's Vanguard base to 200 hit points (several Crossbowmen/Arbalesters should do the job, despite opposing arrow-fire and counterattacking cavalry). It is highly recommended that the player does this: not only this grants the Steam achievement "Awaken the Dragon" (awarded upon completing the scenario), the resulting fire engulfs Cao Cao's Vanguard base, destroying it and killing all units inside, leading to their resignation. Moreover, it will help the player in the subsequent scenario (The Great Escape) by giving them more time to escape Cao Cao's forces.
With Cao Cao's Vanguard out of the game, the player can now focus on Cao Cao himself. To aid in the siege of Cao Cao's fortress, the player should train a number of rams or Traction Trebuchets to break the Gates and destroy the Castle and all military buildings within the walls. In the meantime, another force should go northwest of the fortress to devastate Cao Cao's economic base and destroy the Town Center, and kill their Villagers to prevent them from rebuilding. With his military defeated and economy crippled, Cao Cao should resign, winning the scenario.
Outro[]
Zhuge Liang's advice to lure Cao Cao's men into a clearing worked. When the dry surroundings were set ablaze around them, thousands died in the flames.
Yet, when news arrived of Liu Biao's death at the hands of the Sun Clan, Zhuge Liang had no answer. Tired of war, Liu Biao's son and heir surrendered to Cao Cao, pulling the rug out from under Liu Bei.
The deaths of Yuan Shao and Liu Biao left Cao Cao unrivalled in the north. Liu Bei's only potential ally now was the Sun Clan, killers of his former master. The situation was more dire than ever.
Trivia[]
- Zhuge Liang's "fire trap" is based on Liu Bei setting fire to his own camp during the Battle of Bowang in 202 CE, to lure forces of Cao Cao's general Xiahou Dun into an ambush, which succeeded. Liu Bei only retreated after Li Dian, who had cautioned Xiahou Dan about Liu Bei's trap, arrived with reinforcements. In Chapter 39 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, this is expanded by crediting Zhuge Liang with creating a plan involving Liu Bei's sworn brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who were initially reluctant to follow his orders, to lure Xiahou Dun and surround him with fire, spread by strong winds. However, there is no mention of Zhuge Liang being involved in the Battle of Bowang in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, and is mentioned as being in Liu Bei's service only after this battle.
