The Song Fortress is the first scenario of the Domination chapter and overall seventh scenario of the The Mongol Empire campaign in Age of Empires IV. It is based on the lead-up to the Siege of Xiangyang, which took place between 1267 and 1273.
Intro[]
Scenario description[]
Kublai Khan set his sights on the throne of China. But in his way stood an impregnable fortress and its unyielding garrison.
Opening cinematic[]
After a stunning victory of the Hungarian king at the Battle of Mohi, the Mongols seemed unstoppable.
But a year later, the Great Khan, Ogodei, died. The Mongols pulled out of Europe and returned home. Over the next 20 years, two more Great Khans ascended to the throne. Their conquests continued to expand the empire in the east. Then in 1260, the grandson of Genghis became the next Great Khan. His name… was Kublai Khan. He would rock the foundations of one of the medieval world's most advanced civilizations: China.
This is Shangdu. Remembered today as Xanadu, it was once Kublai Khan's great northern capital. From here, he jealously eyed the wealth of Southern China's Song Dynasty. He wanted to take it… and become emperor of all China.
The Song Dynasty had ruled over Southern China for more than 300 years, and the country was prosperous and well-governed. Kublai Khan knew that the key to victory was capturing a strategic city lying far to the south of Shangdu… It was called… Xiangyang.
Xiangyang was the gateway to the south… and the heart of the Song Dynasty's power… controlling the Han river, a critical access route to cities further along the Yangtze. Capturing Xiangyang was Kublai Khan's only hope of becoming emperor of all China. The Mongol Horde had to take the city… at all costs.
Loading screen[]
Eager in his quest to become Emperor of China, Kublai Khan sent his army to seize the richest cities of the Song Dynasty. Sitting either side of the Han river, the twin fortresses of Xiangyang and Fancheng braced for a direct assault.
Start of scenario[]
Kublai Khan, not content with rule over his own lands, coveted the riches of the Song Dynasty to the south. He ordered his army to the twin cities of Fancheng and Xiangyang, confident in his tried and tested tactics.
Although Kublai's ultimate target was the fortress of Xiangyang, the Mongols would first have to control its sister city of Fancheng.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Age:
Castle Age - Starting units:
- 2
Scout - 14 Early Lancer
- 14 Horseman
- 28 Mangudai
- 2
- Resources: None
Objectives[]
- Seize Fancheng
- Advance on Fancheng
- Destroy the Song camp
- Protect the allied Trebuchets from Song soldiers
- Optional: Bring units to be healed by the Monks
- Besiege Fancheng and Xiangyang
- Move units to occupy the Western bridgehead
- Keep units at the Western bridgehead
- Move units to occupy the Northern bridgehead
- Keep units at the Northern bridgehead
- Move units to occupy the Southern bridgehead
- Keep units at the Southern bridgehead
- Prepare for the Song counterattack!
- Hold the bridgeheads against the counter attack waves
- Maintain your hold on the Western bridgehead
- Maintain your hold on the Northern bridgehead
- Maintain your hold on the Southern bridgehead
Players[]
- Kublai Khan (Mongols): The player begins in the east of the map with a mid-sized force of Horsemen, Mangudai, and Early Lancers, as well as two Scouts. They are initially tasked with reaching the Chinese city of Fancheng to the west, and will be joined by an additional force of thirty-five Early Lancers and forty-three Mangudai, and two more Scouts, once they reach the larger of the two Song military camps on the road to the city. They will then join the allied Mongol forces in besieging the Song fortress, receiving additional reinforcements including several military production buildings and a Blacksmith, and will be tasked with maintaining control over three bridgeheads to the west, north, and south of the city. Although the player is unable to build an economy, they receive increased rewards from setting enemy buildings on fire, and can also collect the Treasure Chests located around the map for additional resources. The player begins in the Castle Age and has no means of advancing to the next age.
Allies[]
- China (Chinese): The allied Chinese are mostly passive in this scenario. They have a small village to the southwest of the player's starting position which contains a Treasure Chest worth 400 wood, as well as a Pagoda just to the northwest of the larger Song camp on the road to Fancheng. There are ten Monks at the Pagoda which will heal the player's units if they come near. The forest south of the southern village will disappear later on in the scenario, revealing a path to the southern bridge leading to the enemy fortress.
- Kublai Khan (Mongols): The allied Mongols await the player's forces to the west of Fancheng with a large force of Horsemen and Early Lancers, as well as four Traction Trebuchets. Once the initial counter-attack from Fancheng is repelled, they will divide their forces between the western, northern, and southern bridgeheads and assist the player in fighting off the Chinese attack waves.
Enemy[]
- Song Dynasty (Chinese): The Song control the fortified twin cities of Fancheng and Xiangyang in the west of the map, as well as several smaller villages and military camps in the vicinity. Outside of the fortress, their forces consist mostly of Veteran Archers, Spearmen, Militia, and a few Palace Guards and Scouts, while the city defenders include elite troops such as Grenadiers, Fire Lancers, and Zhuge Nu, as well as Horsemen and additional Palace Guards. There are also a few Nests of Bees in the southwest of Fancheng, guarding the southern end of the southwestern bridge which is destroyed by the Song once within the player's sight. Once the player encircles their fortress, they will attempt to break the siege by sending several counter-attack waves to each of the three remaining bridgeheads.
Strategy[]
Note: This strategy is intended for the Hard difficulty. Lower differences may differ slightly from what is described below.
This is the second scenario in the campaign, after the first, without any real base-building. It is also the first scenario where the player does not control a leader unit.
The player starts in the far east of the map with a mid-sized force and the objective of reaching the fortified Chinese city of Fancheng in the west. From their initial position, the player can first advance west, taking out the patrolling Palace Guards on the road, before turning north to destroy the small enemy camp guarding the nearby bridge, or alternatively first head north to raid the village of Doutai before turning west and doing the same. The player should also send one of their Scouts to collect the Treasure Chest in the nearby allied Chinese village to the south. The rewards from burning enemy buildings are greatly increased in this scenario and, unlike in other campaign scenarios, it is also possible to earn stone by burning. As the player will not be able to establish an economy in this scenario, they should make sure to earn as many resources as they can through raiding, as well as by collecting the Treasure Chests found across the map.
Once across the bridge, the player will head north to find another bridge, guarded by enemy Militia, Veteran Archers, and Spearmen, positioned behind indestructible barricades. To avoid attacking these head on, the player can cross at the ford a little to the east and attack the defenders from behind. Either way, once the enemy is first engaged, the player should withdraw their units so that their Mangudai can take out the enemy melee infantry while retreating. With the enemy units at the bridge defeated, the player should destroy the enemy Tents, as well as the small farming village to the northeast for additional resources, before continuing along the road to Fancheng.
The player will next come to a section of road guarded by several rows of barricades manned by Veteran Archers and Spearmen. A similar tactic should be employed as before, sending the Mangudai in first to draw out and kite the Spearmen, before sending the player's melee cavalry in to take out the Archers. Two side paths among the forests to either side of the road also provide ideal avenues for flanking and ambush tactics. Once the player reaches sight of the larger Song camp further down the road, they will receive reinforcements from the north in the form of thirty-five Early Lancers and forty-three Mangudai, as well as two Scouts. Using the two forces, the player can lure the enemy units to one side of the camp and retreat while their other forces takes out the camp defenses, making it easier to deal with the defenders. Before sending the northern force to the Song camp, the player can visit the Chinese village down the small path to the east for some raiding income, as well as collect the Treasure Chest worth 500 food to the west of the road.
Once the camp is destroyed, the player can bring their units to the Pagoda to the northwest to be healed by the allied Chinese Monks. It may be best to leave the Scouts behind until this is finished, as their extended Line of Sight may prematurely trigger the next phase of the scenario. With their units healed, the player can then proceed west to rendez-vous with the allied Mongol forces waiting to besiege Fancheng. The allied Mongols will deploy four Traction Trebuchets to either side of the nearby bridge which must be protected from enemy attacks as they unpack. Since the Mongol allies will initially deal with any units coming from the bridge leading directly to Fangcheng, the player should move their units to intercept the enemy troops coming from the bridge further to the southwest. After the second bridge comes into the player's view, the Chinese will destroy it to prevent the Mongols from crossing there, which also means that no further enemy units will approach from that direction.
The player will then be given several production buildings, including three each of Stables, Barracks, and Archery Ranges, and tasked with positioning at least fifty-five units at the western, northern, and southern bridgeheads. The player should already have a sufficient number of units at the Western bridgehead, so the military production buildings should be placed near the other two. If these are attacked while the player is massing units to send to the other locations, the Chinese Monks in the northwest will still be available to heal the player's units. As the other bridges are broken until the player has massed sufficient units at the those locations, all of the Chinese attacks will initially be at the western bridgehead. As the player should have plenty of resources at this point, including stone, they can use the latter both to research improved Blacksmith technologies and mass units faster with the Improved Production ability, since the The White Stupa landmark acts as an Ovoo without the need of a Stone Mine. The Market can be placed near the allied Chinese village to the south, in order to trade with the Trade Post in Doutai.
Once sufficient units are placed on each of the three bridgeheads, the player will be given thirty seconds to "prepare" for the Song attacks. The enemy unit composition will be different at each bridgehead, with Fire Lancers, Veteran Horsemen, and Grenadiers in the west, Veteran Spearmen and Zhuge Nu in the north, and Palace Guards and Veteran Archers in the south (and sometimes in the west as well), so the player should prepare accordingly by deploying the appropriate counters. The enemy fortress is protected by Stone Wall Towers which are outfitted with Cannon Emplacements and have very long range, so it is important not to let the player's units charge too close. Once all the attack waves are defeated, the Chinese will destroy all the bridges leading fortress, leaving the siege in a stalemate. The scenario will then complete.
Outro[]
End of scenario[]
Desperate to stop an all out Mongol assault on their walls, the Song destroyed the remaining bridges to the twin cities. Unable to advance, the fortress of Xiangyang remained locked to the Mongols. But with a siege established, the Khan's cause was not yet lost…
Post-game screen[]
The Song army successfully defended their fortress against the Mongol attack. But Kublai Khan would not relent in his ambition to become Emperor of China.
Page From History: Queens of the Empire[]
| “ | The pre-empire life of Mongol women was one of constant peril, where prominent wives were prizes to be won or stolen. But when Genghis Khan united the Mongol nation, he transformed the position of women from possessions to equals - a reflection of his belief in the spiritual balance between male and female. His wives and daughters would rule the conquered territories as queens, while their husbands and sons went away on campaign. Soon, almost the entire empire was ruled by Mongol queens. However, after Genghis Khan's death, it would be his own sons that would cause this delicate balance to topple. The position of women once again became uncertain as they were forced from power, violated, murdered, and chased into hiding. And so the khanates descended into rivalry.... |
” |
Unlockable content[]
- Campaign Video: Domination
- Page from History: Queens of the Empire
