The Siege of Wallingford is the second scenario of the The Anarchy chapter and overall seventh scenario of the The Normans campaign in Age of Empires IV. It is based on the Siege of Wallingford Castle by the forces of King Stephen of England in 1152-1153.
Intro[]
Scenario description[]
The future rule of the empire was at stake. Kings would be made... and unmade.
Opening cinematic[]
Victory over King Stephen at Lincoln gave Matilda the upper hand in her fight for the English crown. But in the years that followed, fragile loyalties shifted and, under threat of capture, Matilda was forced to retreat.
As her holdings in England came under attack from the king's army… it fell to her son, Henry, to keep Matilda's claim to the throne alive.
Loading screen[]
Matilda and Stephen's battle for the crown would all come down to Wallingford. If Matilda's army could hold the castle, she could restore her claim to the throne.
Start of scenario[]
Inside the strong stone walls of the castle at Wallingford, Matilda's men held firm against a brutal siege by forces loyal to King Stephen. King Stephen's army had constructed a fortified perimeter outside the castle, trapping Matilda's men inside. However, reinforcements were on the way from Matilda's son Henry. Her forces needed to hold the walls until they arrived.
Scenario instructions[]
- Age:
Castle Age - Units:
- 9
Horseman - 9 Early Man-at-Arms
- 15 Longbowman
- 18 Villager
- 9
- Resources: 600 food, 600 wood, 600 gold, 600 stone
Objectives[]
- Defend Wallingford
- Destroy the English outposts
- Defeat the final attack wave
Players[]
- Empress Matilda: The player begins with control of Wallingford Castle and a small defending force of Longbowmen, Early Men-at-Arms, and Horsemen. Wallingford is well-defended and has a fair amount of resources available, although the stone and gold mines will eventually be depleted, forcing the player to rely on trading resources at the Market. After surviving the enemy assault for ten minutes, the player will be reinforced by a relief party of eighteen Longbowmen, eighteen Men-at-Arms, and twenty-seven Knights. They are tasked with repelling King Stephen's attack parties and destroying his siegeworks, in the form of four Outposts.
Enemies[]
- King Stephen (English): King Stephen's forces are besieging Wallingford from the west, north and east. They also have military bases and settlements across the map, however, the player will have little opportunity to attack them, as King Stephen will continually be sending troops to assault their base. Their forces comprise a good mix of Veteran Spearmen, Longbowmen, Crossbowmen, Men-at-Arms, and Horsemen, as well as siege engines such as Battering Rams, Siege Towers, Springalds and Mangonels.
Strategy[]
This is a classic siege survival scenario. Victory is obtained by surviving the enemy assaults and by destroying the siegeworks encircling Wallingford in the form of four enemy Outposts.
After repelling the initial assault on the eastern wall and repairing the gate, the player should construct Stone Wall Towers on either side of each gate, starting with the one facing north, as the enemy's next assault will begin there. This will not only provide additional defense, but also give enemy rams a target besides the player's walls and allow defending units to benefit from the Network of Castles ability. As these are being built, additional Villagers should be produced and assigned to gather stone and gold to build up defenses and research improvements. The player should also research Boiling Oil and Balanced Projectiles as soon as they are able. Given that this is a scenario of endurance, a couple of Monks are a good investment as well.
Since the enemy siege engines are escorted by a good mix of units, it is generally best to wait until these come fairly close to the player's defenses before attacking. After the initial assault, it is recommended to use cavalry to attack the siege engines on the ground and to keep the player's Men-at-Arms on the walls, as the enemy will send Siege Towers with infantry to besiege Wallingford, beginning with the western wall. The player's starting stone, in addition to the stone mine behind the player's base, should be enough to build six Stone Wall Towers and upgrade them with Springald Emplacements, provided that not too much is required for repairs.
After ten minutes have passed (timer starting at fifteen seconds into the game), Henry Curtmantle's reinforcements will arrive in the form of eighteen Longbowmen, eighteen Men-at-Arms, and twenty-seven Knights. King Stephen's forces will not stop assaulting Wallingford, however, so the player should waste no time in sending these units to take out the eastern siegeworks. There will be enemy patrols along the way, so, as always, the player should make sure that their cavalry avoid the enemy Spearmen and charge the archers, while their other units deal with the infantry. The player will spot a neutral Trade Post along the way. However, since King Stephen will send further attack parties along that route, recruiting Traders is pointless.
As the player is destroying the enemy siegeworks, they should watch out for further waves of enemy units headed to Wallingford and make sure their forces do not become divided or attacked from behind while they busy themselves with destroying enemy buildings. After destroying the first two Outposts, it may be a good idea to bring the relief party to Wallingford in order to be healed before continuing. It is also important to keep in mind that even if part of the enemy siegeworks are destroyed, King Stephen will continue to send waves of attackers from all directions, so it is not necessarily a good idea to remove defenders from the walls.
After the last of the Outposts have been destroyed, the enemy will send a final attack wave to take Wallingford, so the player should send all their units to the northern and western gates and wait for these to arrive. As of the latest update, the pathfinding for this last wave of enemy units appears to often be bugged, causing them to move very slowly towards the player's base, a fact which the player can take advantage of to heal and replenish their forces before the final battle. Once all the units in the last attack wave are killed, the scenario is complete.
Achievement[]
Stopping any of the city's walls being destroyed grants the Quit Touching Me! achievement.
Outro[]
End of scenario[]
The joint forces of Matilda and Henry had thwarted King Stephen's siege of the strategic castle at Wallingford. After over a decade of conflict, Matilda's claim to the throne was still alive...
Post-game screen[]
Matilda's victory at Wallingford forced King Stephen to relent. Although she would not be queen, he heirs would continue her legacy as future monarchs of England.
Page From History: The Angevin Empire[]
| “ | When King Stephen died, Matilda's son, Henry, ascended the throne of England. He became the first king to rule over what is now known as "The Angevin Empire". Henry was an active and ambitious ruler, determined to expand and protect the heart of his empire. He personally traveled the extends of his lands, making deals, crushing rebellions and annexing new territory. Henry acted so swiftly and with such audacity that the kinf of France described him as "seeming rather to fly than to go by horse or ship." But just as Henry's ancestors had struggled to maintain their power, so the Angevin Kings would rule for only two more generations before the empire fractured, once again leading England to war. |
” |
