Age of Empires Series Wiki
Advertisement
Age of Empires Series Wiki

The Siege of Jerusalem is the fourth scenario of the Saladin campaign in Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings. It is based on the Siege of Jerusalem of September 20 - October 2, 1187.

Intro[]

Jerusalem. Twenty years have I been with the Saracens...

Saladin's target is Jerusalem. The great, ancient city is sacred to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam and is the virtual capital of the Holy Land. If there can be a victor in this endless conflict, it will be the army that holds Jerusalem.

To complicate matters, Saladin is determined not to harm the city itself. If a single holy shrine is damaged, the populace might well view Saladin not as a liberator but as yet another conqueror.

Scenario instructions[]

Starting conditions[]

Objectives[]

  • Destroy the 5 towers defending Jerusalem so that Saladin's army can occupy the city.
  • Do not allow any Jerusalem Monastery or the Dome of the Rock to be destroyed.

Hints[]

  1. Saladin is restricted to a population limit of 100.
  2. The two crusader orders have outlying bases that should be dealt with before assaulting the city.
  3. Trebuchets can make short work of towers from a distance.
  4. Cut off Jerusalem's food supply by raiding outlying farms.

  • Cut off Jerusalem's food supply by raiding outlying farms.
  • The two Orders of Knighthood have outlying bases that should be dealt with before assaulting the city.
  • Trebuchets can make short work of towers from a distance.

  • Scouts (Definitive Edition)[]

    • Saladin's army (1, Green) has assembled to the northeast of Jerusalem and has already set up a small camp.
    • Jerusalem (2, Blue) is located in the center of the map. Its defenders will rely primarily on archery units and their powerful Cataphracts to parry any assaults that come their way.
    • The Hospitallers (3, Orange) camp to the west, but they have also own some military buildings inside Jerusalem. They will send Teutonic Knights, Scorpions and Knights into battle.
    • The Knights Templar (4, Yellow) have taken their position to the south. They are led by the Master of the Templar himself, who commands numerous swordsmen and Knights.

    Players[]

    Player[]

    • Player (Saracens AoE2 Saracens): The player starts with all starting units in the northeast of the map.

    Enemies[]

    Strategy[]

    Broom icon This section may need to be cleaned up to reach a higher standard of quality. This may include editing to correct spelling and grammar, and rewriting sections to ensure they are clear and concise.

    To win, the player must destroy all five towers within the City of Jerusalem at the center of the map. The player will lose if the Dome of the Rock or any of Jerusalem's Monasteries are destroyed (Monasteries belonging to the other players can be destroyed freely, even those within city limits). This is the first scenario in the Saladin campaign in which the player can research the entirety of the Saracens' technology tree, as the player can finally reach the Imperial Age.

    The opponents are the same as those from the previous scenario, except for the English. The Hospitallers' main base is in the northwest, while the Knights Templar are based in the far south. These bases are not well-fortified, but both orders of knights have major buildings in the city proper as well. Jerusalem is in the center of the map and is fully walled off. All three enemies will attack with heavy cavalry. Jerusalem will additionally field Pikemen, Crossbowmen, Mangonels, and Cataphracts (In the Definitive Edition, Jerusalem will also train Monks). The Hospitallers will use Teutonic Knights and Scorpions, while the Knight Templar will attack with Battering Rams. All three will start in the Castle Age, but Jerusalem will advance to the Imperial Age and may upgrade its units.

    There are two Relics on this map. One is in the far east corner, the second is in the Hospitallers' camp defended with Palisade Walls.

    Starting up the base[]

    The players start in the northeast with no buildings other than five Pavilions, which the Crusaders will keep trying to attack. Construct the village there - the player will have easy access to wood, gold, and stone as well as a few Sheep. Start with the Town Center, then get the first three Villagers on food and create more. The first priorities now should be setting up a defense. Scout around a bit with the Light Cavalry to see the whole area, then get to work on the Stone Walls and Gates. The starting units should be adequate to handle the first few attacks. Most of the crusaders' attacks will be on the west edge of the base, so the player should build a Castle on the outskirts. None of their units (with the possible exception of the rams the Knight Templar will use) are particularly threatening to a Castle, but they are exceptionally persistent and can cause significant damage. Building a second Castle nearby will mitigate the problem somewhat, and garrisoning the Archers of the Eyes (if they're still around) is not a bad idea. The cliff in the southeast corner of the base is a good place for the third Castle. Keep creating Villagers until the player has at least 35.

    Building and defending the base[]

    After the fortifications are in place, defense becomes much easier and the player can focus on building up. Make sure to keep melee units to protect against Battering Rams.Aside from that, the scenario is fairly straightforward. There are two Relics on the map: one in the far east, and one in the Hospitallers' base. The one in the east is easy to get, the other requires more effort (though the player doesn't really need it anyway). The area east of the base also has resources (two gold mines, a stone mine, and plenty of wood). Continue building an economy and advance to the Imperial Age.

    Attacking Jerusalem[]

    This scenario allows the player to use anything in the civilization's tech tree. The player will want a versatile army so they can handle the many types of troops the enemies will use, along with some powerful siege weapons to take down the towers. Mamelukes are a great choice as are either great or decent against every unit made by the enemy forces (with the exception of the Teutonic Knight), but the Saracens have many other units worth considering, including Heavy Camel Riders, Hussars, Arbalesters, Hand Cannoneers, Heavy Cavalry Archers, Siege Onagers, and Bombard Cannons.

    Before attacking, change diplomatic stance to Jerusalem to "neutral", to help prevent units from destroying the protected buildings. Although heavily fortified, the player does not have to break open the walls of Jerusalem and raid the city to destroy four of the towers, as they lie on the outer perimeter (a Bombard Tower and two Guard Towers/Keeps on the north, a Guard Tower or Keep on the south). There is a final Bombard Tower in the center of the city so the player will need to break to destroy it.

    Alternative strategy[]

    Alternatively, this scenario can be beaten in 10 minutes by following this strategy (not possible in the Definitive Edition):

    Age_of_Empires_2_-_Saladino,_Misiรณn_4

    Age of Empires 2 - Saladino, Misiรณn 4

    Outro[]

    The last time I entered Jerusalem, as a Crusading knight, I waded through the blood of victims. This time, not a building was looted, not a townsperson was injured. Saladin set free nearly every prisoner he took.

    The citizens of Jerusalem proclaimed Saladin as their savior. He offered to free me, but after 20 years in his service I have decided to see it out to the end.

    Trivia[]

    • It is possible to build a Wonder in this scenario after advancing to the Imperial Age. However, this will not result in victory.
    • When the Master of the Templar is killed, he says: "If you strike me down, I will grow more powerful than you can possibly imagine." This is a reference to Obi-Wan Kenobi's similar line from the 1977 film Star Wars.

    Historical comparison[]

    • Instead of advancing from Hattin to Jerusalem as in the campaign, Saladin first marched up and down the Mediterranean coast, taking most cities depicted in the following scenario before Jerusalem.
    • "Archers of the Eyes" was the name given by the Saracens to the Nubian archers at the time of the conquest of Egypt in the 7th century, who were said to be skilled enough to blind their enemies by shooting arrows in their eyes without killing them. Nubian soldiers were common in Egypt due to the Baqt, and Saladin called for Egyptian reinforcements after the Battle of Hattin, explaining their presence in this scenario and The Lion and the Demon.
    • The Master of the Templar was actually taken prisoner at Hattin and released in 1188 in exchange for the city of Tartus. In consequence, he could not be killed in action at Jerusalem, though he was captured again during the Crusader siege of Acre and executed.
    • In the outro, the narrator claims that the last time he entered Jerusalem he was forced to wade in the blood of its people. This is an obvious reference to the previous siege of Jerusalem, where the Crusaders were said to do such after massacring the Muslims taking refuge in the Temple Mount. However, it is impossible for the narrator to be a veteran of both sieges because they were 88 years apart.
    • The Templar castle and buildings in the southwestern corner of Jerusalem correspond to Al-Aqsa Mosque, which was indeed used as a fortress and stable by the Templars, who renamed it as "Solomon's Temple". It was, in fact, their headquarters and the source of their name, because they believed it was the ancient Temple of Solomon. As it is not a monastery in the scenario, the player has no penalty for destroying it - even though Saladin would have been as much against. In reality, it was the Dome of the Rock being built on the former site of the Temple of Solomon (the First Temple) and the Second Temple, while the Al-Aqsa Mosque was built on the former site of the Royal Stoa of Herod the Great.
    • In history, the Dome of the Rock was renamed as "Temple of the Lord" by the Crusaders.

    Gallery[]

    Campaigns in Age of Empires II
    AoE2-DLCicon-0 The Age of Kings
    CampaignIcon-WilliamDE William Wallace Difficulty easy PC: Marching and Fighting ยท Feeding the Army ยท Training the Troops ยท Research and Technology ยท The Battle of Stirling ยท Forge an Alliance ยท The Battle of Falkirk
    Xbox: Preparing for Battle ยท The Battle of Stirling ยท Forge an Alliance ยท The Battle of Falkirk
    CampaignIcon-JoanDE Joan of Arc Difficulty easy An Unlikely Messiah ยท The Maid of Orleans ยท The Cleansing of the Loire ยท The Rising ยท The Siege of Paris ยท A Perfect Martyr
    CampaignIcon-SaladinDE Saladin Difficulty medium An Arabian Knight ยท Lord of Arabia ยท The Horns of Hattin ยท The Siege of Jerusalem ยท Jihad! ยท The Lion and the Demon
    CampaignIcon-KhanDE Genghis Khan Difficulty easy Crucible ยท A Life of Revenge ยท Into China ยท The Horde Rides West ยท The Promise ยท Pax Mongolica
    CampaignIcon-BarbarossaDE Barbarossa Difficulty easy Holy Roman Emperor ยท Henry the Lion ยท Pope and Antipope ยท The Lombard League ยท Barbarossa's March ยท The Emperor Sleeping
    AoE2-DLCicon-1 The Conquerors
    CampaignIcon-AttilaDE Attila the Hun Difficulty easy The Scourge of God ยท The Great Ride ยท The Walls of Constantinople ยท A Barbarian Betrothal ยท The Catalaunian Fields ยท The Fall of Rome
    CampaignIcon-ElCidDE El Cid Difficulty easy Brother against Brother ยท The Enemy of my Enemy ยท The Exile of the Cid ยท Black Guards ยท King of Valencia ยท Reconquista
    CampaignIcon-MontezumaDE Montezuma Difficulty easy Reign of Blood ยท The Triple Alliance ยท Quetzalcoatl ยท La Noche Triste ยท The Boiling Lake ยท Broken Spears
    Battles of the Conquerors Icon Battles of the Conquerors Tours ยท Vinlandsaga ยท Hastings ยท Manzikert ยท Agincourt ยท Lepanto ยท Kyoto ยท Noryang Point
    Hidden scenario The Saxon Revolt
    AoE2-DLCicon-2 The Forgotten
    CampaignIcon-AlaricDE Alaric Difficulty hard HD: All Roads Lead to a Besieged City ยท Legionaries on the Horizon! ยท Emperor of the West ยท The Sack of Rome
    DE: The Battle of the Frigidus ยท Razing Hellas ยท The Belly of the Beast ยท The Giant Falls ยท A Kingdom of Our Own
    CampaignIcon-DraculaDE Vlad Dracula Difficulty medium The Dragon Spreads His Wings ยท The Return of the Dragon ยท The Breath of the Dragon ยท The Moon Rises ยท The Night Falls
    CampaignIcon-BariDE Bari Difficulty medium HD: Arrival at Bari ยท The Rebellion of Melus ยท The Great Siege
    DE: Arrival at Bari ยท The Rebellion of Melus ยท Loose Ends ยท The Best Laid Plans ยท The Onrushing Tide
    CampaignIcon-SforzaDE Sforza Difficulty medium HD: An End and a Beginning ยท O Fortuna ยท The Hand of a Daughter ยท The Ambrosian Republic ยท A New Duke of Milan
    DE: Mercenaries and Masters ยท His Own Man ยท Prodigal Son ยท Blood and Betrayal ยท Viva Sforza!
    El Dorado Icon El Dorado (removed) Tales of La Canela ยท The Split ยท The Amazones ยท The Cannibals
    CampaignIcon-PrithvirajDE Prithviraj Difficulty medium HD: A Promising Warrior ยท The Digvijaya ยท The Elopement ยท Battles of Tarain
    DE: Born of Fire ยท The Digvijaya ยท Hand of a Princess ยท The Fate of India ยท The Legend of Prithviraj
    Battles of the Forgotten Icon Battles of the Forgotten Bukhara ยท Dos Pilas ยท York ยท Honfoglalรกs ยท Langshan Jiang ยท Kurikara ยท Cyprus ยท Bapheus ยท Kaesong (cut)
    AoE2-DLCicon-3 The African Kingdoms
    CampaignIcon-TariqIbnZiyadDE Tariq ibn Ziyad Difficulty medium The Battle of Guadalete ยท Consolidation and Subjugation ยท Divide and Conquer ยท Crossing the Pyrenees ยท Razzia
    CampaignIcon-SundjataDE Sundjata Difficulty medium Hunted ยท The Sting of the Scorpion ยท Djeriba Gold ยท Blood on the River Bank ยท The Lion's Den
    CampaignIcon-FranciscoDE Francisco de Almeida Difficulty hard The Old World ยท Lion of Africa ยท Ruins of Empires ยท Estado da India ยท A Son's Blood
    CampaignIcon-YoditDE Yodit Difficulty hard Path of Exile ยท The Right Partner ยท A Fallen Crown ยท Broken Stelae ยท Welcome Home
    AoE2-DLCicon-4 Rise of the Rajas
    CampaignIcon-GajahMadaDE Gajah Mada Difficulty medium The Story of Our Founders ยท Unconditional Loyalty ยท The Oath to Unify Nusantara ยท Serving the New King ยท The Pasunda Bubat Tragedy
    CampaignIcon-SuryavarmanIDE Suryavarman I Difficulty easy Usurpation ยท Quelling the Rebellion ยท A Dangerous Mission ยท Challenging a Thalassocracy ยท Nirvanapada
    CampaignIcon-BayinnaungDE Bayinnaung Difficulty hard The Burmese Tigers ยท The Mandalay Cobra ยท The Royal Peacock ยท The White Elephant ยท The Old Tiger
    CampaignIcon-LeLoiDE Le Loi Difficulty hard The Dai Viet Uprising ยท The Mountain Siege ยท The Battle at Hanoi ยท Reaching South ยท A Three-Pronged Attack ยท The Final Fortress
    AoEIIDE icon Definitive Edition
    CampaignIcon-TheArtOfWar The Art of War Difficulty easy Early Economy ยท Booming ยท Rushing the Enemy ยท Fast Castle Age ยท Defending Against A Rush ยท Land Battle ยท Destroying a Castle ยท Naval Battle ยท Battle Formations
    CampaignIcon-Pachacuti Pachacuti Difficulty medium A New Power Arises ยท The Field of Blood ยท War of Brothers ยท The Falcon's Tent ยท Like Father, Like Son
    00 historical battles normal Historical Battles Difficulty easy Scn 09 bukhara normal Bukhara ยท Scn 10 dos pilas normal Dos Pilas ยท Scn 01 tours normal Tours ยท Scn 11 york normal York ยท Scn 12 honfoglalas normal Honfoglalรกs ยท Scn 02 vinlandsaga normal Vinlandsaga ยท Scn 03 hastings normal Hastings ยท Scn 04 manzikert normal Manzikert ยท Scn 13 kurikara normal Kurikara ยท Scn 14 cyprus normal Cyprus ยท Scn 15 bapheus normal Bapheus ยท Scn 16 lake poyang normal Lake Poyang ยท Scn 05 agincourt normal Agincourt ยท Scn 06 lepanto normal Lepanto ยท Scn 07 kyoto normal Kyoto ยท Scn 08 noryang point normal Noryang Point
    Event scenarios E3 2019 Demo ยท Mongol Raiders ยท Barbarossa Brawl ยท Mangudai Madness ยท The Siege (co-op)
    AoE2-DLCicon-5 The Last Khans
    CampaignIcon-Tamerlane Tamerlane Difficulty easy Amir of Transoxiana ยท Gurkhan of Persia ยท Harbinger of Destruction ยท Sultan of Hindustan ยท Scourge of the Levant ยท A Titan Amongst Mortals
    CampaignIcon-Ivaylo Ivaylo Difficulty hard A Most Unlikely Man ยท An Unlikely Alliance ยท Tsar of the Bulgars ยท Echoes of Heroes ยท Where the One-Eyed Man is King
    CampaignIcon-Kotyan Kotyan Khan Difficulty hard Raising the Banners ยท The Battle at the Kalka River ยท Saving the Huts ยท Blood for Blood ยท A New Home
    AoE2Icon-LordsWest Lords of the West
    CampaignIcon-EdwardDE Edward Longshanks Difficulty easy Vain Ambition ยท A Man of God ยท Of Castles and Kings ยท Toom Tabard ยท Hammer of the Scots
    CampaignIcon-DukesDE Grand Dukes Difficulty medium A Kingdom Divided ยท The Wolf and the Lion ยท The Cleansing of Paris ยท Unholy Marriage ยท The Hook and Cod Wars ยท The Maid Falls
    CampaignIcon-HautevillesDE The Hautevilles Difficulty hard Guiscard Arrives ยท Roger in Sicily ยท Bohemond and the Emperor ยท Bohemond in the East ยท Wonder of the World
    Dawn of the Dukes icon Dawn of the Dukes
    Algirdas icon Algirdas and Kestutis Difficulty easy Family Affairs ยท No Man's Land ยท The Tatar Yoke ยท A Worthy Opponent ยท In the Shadow of the Throne
    32 jadwiga normal Jadwiga Difficulty hard The Matter of the Crown ยท Star of the Poles ยท Duel of the Dukes ยท The Siege of Vilnius ยท Vytautas' Crusade ยท The Fruits of Her Labor
    Jan Zizka icon Jan Zizka Difficulty medium The One-Eyed Wanderer ยท Courage and Coin ยท The Iron Lords ยท The Golden City ยท The Emperor's Fury ยท Warrior of God
    AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of India
    Babur Icon Babur Difficulty easy Pearl of the East ยท The Last Timurids ยท Into India ยท The Battle of Panipat ยท The Rajputs
    Rajendra Icon Rajendra Difficulty hard The Successor ยท Deeds of the Father ยท Rising Star ยท Sacred Waters ยท Slaying the Vritra
    Devapala Icon Devapala Difficulty easy Dissatisfaction ยท Desire ยท Renunciation ยท Liberation? ยท Enlightenment
    AoE2Icon-MountainRoyals The Mountain Royals
    Ismail Icon Ismail Difficulty medium The Red Hats ยท Road to Royalty ยท Alexander Safavi ยท The Fallen Amir ยท Khata'i
    Thoros Icon Thoros II Difficulty easy Outlawed ยท The Emperor's Revenge ยท Caught in the Crossfire ยท Bloody Crestwaves ยท Of Turncoats and Traitors
    Tamar Icon Tamar Difficulty hard Takeover ยท Yury's Revenge ยท The Protectorate ยท Tamar the Builder ยท The Queen in the Panther's Skin
    Aoe2 hb Victors and Vanquished
    VictorsAndVanquished Campaign Icon
    Victors and Vanquished
    Difficulty easy Scn 23 charlemagne Charlemagne ยท Scn 26 finehair Finehair ยท Scn 25 ironside Ironside ยท Scn 38 nobunaga Nobunaga
    Difficulty medium Scn 39 drake Drake ยท Scn 36 fetih Fetih ยท Scn 21 gaiseric Gaiseric ยท Scn 27 robert Robert ยท Scn 33 temujin Temujin
    Difficulty hard Scn 35 constantine Constantine XI ยท Scn 30 karlsefni Karlsefni ยท Scn 31 komnenos Komnenos ยท Scn 34 mstislav Mstislav ยท Scn 28 otto Otto ยท Scn 24 ragnar Ragnar ยท Scn 29 seljuk Seljuk ยท Scn 37 shimazu Shimazu ยท Scn 32 stephen Stephen ยท Scn 22 vortigern Vortigern
    Chronicles logo Chronicles
    Battle for Greece
    Advertisement