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This article is about the scenario in Age of Empires II. For other uses, see White Tiger. |
| “ | Continuing his quest to unite the south, Sun Ce faces the famous bandit king White Tiger Yan. | ” |
| —In-game scenario description | ||
The White Tiger is the third scenario of the Sun Clan campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - The Three Kingdoms. It is based on Sun Ce's campaign against bandit leader White Tiger Yan, also known as Yan Baihu, in Jiangdong.
Intro[]
The "bandit" White Tiger Yan was no mere renegade. Ruling over large swaths of land in the southeast, he had begun to style himself as a king. His parody of a court attracted many warlords whom the Sun Clan had dispossessed.
Seeing Sun Ce's forces stretched thin after their quick victories, the tiger pounced. With tens of thousands of men, the bandit king marched on Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, forcing the Little Conqueror to dig in and make a stand.
Doubt clouded Sun Ce's mind. With every look and word, his brother reminded him of their unfulfilled vengeance. Was Sun Quan right? Was he losing sight of the true goal? After all, Liu Biao, not this bandit, had murdered their father.
Every decision seemed to take him further from the promise they had made after escaping death at Liu Biao's hands... but what could he do? His brother could afford to be impatient. Sun Ce held the entire clan's future in his hands. He did not have that luxury...
...at least, not until the White Tiger was dead.
Scenario instructions[]
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This section is most likely incomplete and may need expansion. You can help by adding to it. |
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Castle Age - Ending Age: Imperial Age
- Starting resources:
- Population limit: 150
- Starting units:
- Sun Ce (hero)
- Zhou Yu (hero)
- 6 Spearmen
- 5 Fire Archers
- 5 Jian Swordsmen
- 4 Cavalry Archers (changed to Imperial Cavalry if the player rescued the nobles in The Imperial Seal)
- 4 Hei Guang Cavalry (upgraded to Imperial Cavalry if the player rescued the nobles in The Imperial Seal)
- 4 Scout Cavalry
- 2 Fishing Ships
- 1 Monk (if the player reached the Temple in time in The Conquest of Jiangdong)
- Hero Cheng Pu or Hung Gai (depending on choice made in The Conquest of Jiangdong)
Main objectives[]
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This section is most likely incomplete and may need expansion. You can help by adding to it. |
- Defeat White Tiger Yan.
- 0/5 towns liberated.
Secondary objectives[]
- 0/6 camps looted.
- 0/12 buildings repaired.
- Defeat Liu Biao.
Hints[]
- You can advance to the Imperial Age and support 150 population, but cannot construct warships or stone walls.
- Most buildings are initially unavailable, but repairing a damaged building in the outlying towns will enable you to construct more of them.
- As tempting revenge on Liu Biao is, he is currently a minor threat. Focus on White Tiger Yan.
- Use your powerful Hei Guang Cavalry to quickly control the region.
- Use resources looted from rebel camps to rapidly grow your economy.
Scouts[]
- Sun Ce (Red) holds Wang Lang's old city of Wu. The southlands are nominally his, but must be protected from White Tiger Yan.
- White Tiger Yan's retinue of bandits, disgruntled warlords, and other unsavory characters (Yellow) prepares to attack from the south across the river. They are mainly ranged soldiers and infantry.
- Liu Biao (Cyan), Sun Ce's father's murderer, has intervened from the west. His Archers and War Chariots are more of an annoyance than a true threat.
- Scattered across the region are Chinese Villages (Grey) overrun by White Tiger Yan's Rebels (Green). Reclaiming these villages will provide Sun Ce with a lasting power base.
Players[]
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This section is most likely incomplete and may need expansion. You can help by adding to it. |
Player[]
- Sun Ce ( Wu): Starts in the north of the map with a small army. The player must proceed and liberate the five towns initially occupied by the White Tiger Yan Rebels, and build up to parry White Tiger Yan's attack and incursions by Liu Biao, before going on the offensive and razing White Tiger Yan's base to win the scenario.
Ally[]
- Chinese Villages ( Wu): They represent the towns the player must liberate. Once all White Tiger Yan Rebels in a town are killed, its Villagers, Houses, and economic buildings (except the Market) are transferred to the player. Some damaged buildings remaining unavailable until fully repaired, upon which they are also handed over to the player, with the repaired building type becoming available for construction.
Enemy[]
- White Tiger Yan ( Wu): The main opponent of the scenario, White Tiger Yan has a large base in the south of the map with three Castles, three Town Centers, and multiple military production buildings. He is initially passive, but will attack the player after a 30-minute countdown, starting at the five minute mark, expires. He sends Arbalesters, Elite Skirmishers, Champions, Hei Guang Cavalry, Jian Swordsmen, and Traction Trebuchets into battle. Destroying his Castles and Town Centers results in his defeat, winning the scenario.
- Liu Biao ( Shu): Has his base in a walled military camp with a Castle in the west of the map, with an economic base either side of it. He will harass the player with Elite Skirmishers, Pikemen, and War Chariots after some time passes. Defeating him stops his raids, but is not compulsory.
- White Tiger Yan Rebels ( Wu): They are present in the five towns the player must liberate, and in the six rebel camps (represented by Yurts) that the player can loot. Crossbowmen, Elite Skirmishers, Light Cavalry, and Long Swordsmen make up the bulk of their force, with a few Hei Guang Cavalry also present. They do not actively attack the player.
Strategy[]
This scenario is considerably easier than it may appear at first glance. The player faces three opponents: White Tiger Yan, White Tiger Yan Rebels, and Liu Biao. White Tiger Yan Rebels is entirely passive and will never attack; White Tiger Yan remains idle for a long time, giving the player an opportunity to expand and boom. Liu Biao will attack for the first time approximately 10 minutes into the game. Constructing a Castle early close to the enemy base is sufficient to defend against Liu Biao's pressure.
At the start, the player should use their starting army to quickly liberate the southern villages. The village with the Town Center is the top priority. Prioritize liberating the Town Center and Castle locations early. Once a village is repaired, the player can rebuild its structures.
Scattered across the eastern part of the map are small White Tiger Yan Rebels outposts that can be raided for resources. The player's hero units are strong enough to capture most outposts without additional support. Using Monks to convert White Tiger Yan Rebels' units can help build a respectable army, as the White Tiger Yan Rebels offer little resistance.
While raiding, build a strong economy. Since enemy factions do not build ships, the player can safely use Fishing Ships instead of Farms. Enemy attacks mainly target villages containing a Town Center, Archery Range, and Stable.
Fire Archers are powerful and should form the core of the army. With good micromanagement, just twenty Fire Archers and two Monks can capture the western enemy base. Against Castles and Watch Towers, use siege weapons for support and siege speed.
Liu Biao does not need to be eliminated entirely. His attacks are minor, but can be annoying over time.
White Tiger Yan begins attacking when the timer expires or if the player attacks White Tiger Yan early. White Tiger Yan's army always crosses the bridge near the southern village, making it a good defensive chokepoint. Use a mix of Halberdiers, Fire Archers, and Skirmishers. This composition can repel White Tiger Yan's strong initial wave.
After defending, use high-range units to destroy White Tiger Yan's fortifications. Prioritize Fire Towers (which pose a major threat), Siege Workshops (as their units outrange Fire Archers), Castles, and Watch Towers (which will not be rebuilt by the enemy). While the archers can close the distance quickly, siege units require attention and pose the greatest risk in late-game combat.
Once the initial wave from White Tiger Yan is defeated, clearing out their base becomes largely a matter of time. Maintain pressure with ranged units and siege support to secure victory.
Trivia[]
- White Tiger base Gold and Stone Mines are undepletable, so they can be used as endless source of stone and gold.
Outro[]
White Tiger Yan's death solidified Sun Ce's position as the most powerful ruler in the region. Yet, he was not to savor his victory for long.
As he routed the enemy, a stray arrow struck Sun Ce in the jaw, leaving him with a ghastly wound. He asked his healers time and time again: "How bad is it?", but they kept avoiding the question. Finally, he impatiently ordered a mirror to be brought before him.
Sun Ce had always been a handsome man. He was so used to the inherent respect his looks commanded, that he was unable to suppress his tears when he saw the disfigured face staring back at him.
"With a face like that, how can anyone look upon me and see a leader? How can I inspire men to follow, if they recoil from the very sight of me?!" He slammed his clenched fist on the armrest. This sudden impact ripped open all of the stitches in his face, causing blood to stain his robes.
Sun Ce, the Little Conqueror, died that night from his wounds, leaving his brother Sun Quan to pick up the mantle.
