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This article is about the scenario in Age of Empires IV. For the economic feature, see Tribute. |
Tribute is the first scenario of the City to State chapter and the second scenario of the The Rise of Moscow campaign in Age of Empires IV. The scenario depicts the consolidation of the eastern Rus' principalities under the Grand Duchy of Moscow during the 14th century, as well as the long period of political domination of the Mongols over Moscow and the other Rus' states known historically as the Tatar yoke.
Intro[]
Scenario description[]
Moscow walked a dangerous line. While Prince Dmitry paid tribute to the Golden Horde, he quietly forged alliances to challenge it.
Opening cinematic[]
By 1303, Moscow controlled land that encompassed the entire flow of the Moskva River. Its ambitions didn't end there. Moscow continued to expand its borders… through its wealth rather than warfare. Its tactic was to buy land from bankrupt rulers; acquiring entire towns and villages in the process.
As Moscow was still a vassal of the mighty Mongol Empire, it had to send envoys to pay them tribute. And Moscow's ever-expanding borders meant more and more revenue for the Mongols. But not everyone was content with the rise of Moscow.
As Moscow grew in power and influence, its Grand Prince, Dmitry Ivanovich reinforced its vulnerable defenses. Its wooden fortress – the Kremlin – was rebuilt… this time in stone. But even stone walls didn't deter its enemies.
By 1368, Lithuania saw rapidly expanding Moscow was a real threat. Joining forces with the principality of Tver… they set out to challenge its dominance. They attacked Moscow. But the stone walls held. And the enemy retreated. Tension between the factions refused to die down. In 1370, Moscow marched on territories belonging to both Tver and Lithuania – igniting a full-blown war. Years of bloody conflict ensued… until Moscow's Grand Prince, Dmitry Ivanovich, finally defeated both enemies. Yet Moscow was still a vassal of the Mongol Empire… which still demanded tribute.
Moscow must keep up the payments… or face retribution.
Loading screen[]
As Moscow's territory grew, it owed more and more tribute to the Golden Horde. Prince Dmitry would need a constant flow of taxes from his allies in order to appease the khan.
Start of scenario[]
Trade routes between Rus settlements supported a vibrant economy which in turn allowed Moscow to pay forward tribute to the Golden Horde.
If Moscow was to avoid a Mongol attack, Dmitry would have to meet the Horde's demands before the khan's patience expired.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Age:
Feudal Age - Units:
- Prince Dmitry
- 2 Scout
- 2 Horseman
- 12 Archer
- 23 Spearman (5 garrisoned in Wooden Fortresses)
- 2 Trader
- 14 Villager
- Resources: 200 food, 300 wood, 300 gold
Differences between difficulty levels[]
- On Easy difficulty: The Mongols begin by asking 1,300 gold in tribute, and increase their demand by 200 gold after every second 8 minute-timer. The player has an optional objective prompting them to build Hunting Cabins for extra gold income. Whenever a settlement is claimed, the foundations for Wooden Fortress defenses will automatically be laid, and Villagers produced tasked to building them.
- On Intermediate: The Mongols begin by asking 1,500 gold in tribute, and increase their demand by 200 gold after every 8 minute-timer. The bandits are more aggressive.
- On Hard: The Mongols begin by asking 1,700 gold in tribute, and increase their demand by 300 gold after every 8 minute-timer. The bandits are even more aggressive.
Objectives[]
- Pay the Mongols
- Pay Gold in Tribute
- Collect taxes from neighboring settlements
- Maintain trade routes of settlements
- Protect trade routes from bandits
- Optional: Build 3 Hunting Cabins near the forest to earn gold
(Easy difficulty only) - Optional: Destroy the bandit camps
- Buy settlements to expand Moscow
Players[]
- Prince Dmitry: The player begins in control of the fortified town of Moscow, which consists of a main section surrounded by Stone Walls, and an outer town surrounded by Palisades and Wooden Fortresses garrisoned with Spearmen. They also have a Wooden Fortress each on the roads leading to the nearby settlements of Colunma and Troitskoy. They must expand Moscow's influence while paying tribute to the Golden Horde, which requires defending the trade routes and settlements outside of Moscow from bandit attacks.
Enemies[]
- Bandits (Rus): The bandits will harass the player's trade routes and settlements outside of Moscow with raiding parties originating from all corners of the map. They have six camps which can be destroyed, yielding a Treasure Chest each of 100 gold. Their forces consist of Horsemen, Hardened Spearmen, and Archers.
- Golden Horde (Mongols): The Golden Horde will demand tribute from the player at regular intervals which must be paid to avoid losing the scenario. If the player fails to pay the tribute in time, a Mongol force of Horsemen and Lancers will appear on the map. There will be no opportunity to fight these, however, as the scenario will be lost moments after.
Strategy[]
The main objective of this scenario is to purchase the allegiance of five of the seven nearby settlements surrounding Moscow (represented by Trade Posts), while paying gold in tribute to the Golden Horde at regular intervals. Failing to pay the Golden Horde after being prompted results in the scenario being lost. However, so long as the player has sufficient gold in their treasury, the tribute will be sent automatically.
The biggest challenge in this scenario is the high number of locations which will demand the player's attention. The player should therefore take time to build up their forces and economy between each expansion, as additional and longer trade routes will attract more bandit attacks. The player's first move should be to produce additional Villagers and set them to gathering wood, food, and stone. The latter will be important for upgrading the player's Wooden Fortress defenses, which are key to area control in this scenario. As the player is restricted to the Feudal Age, they will have to rely on greater numbers to defeat enemy forces, which will appear sporadically all over the map, so building up defenses around settlements and along trade routes is crucial. This is particularly true since the population cap means that the player will not be able to keep sufficient forces at every location of importance, and the large size of the map makes sending forces where they are needed tricky.
While the objectives (except on Easy difficulty) seem to suggest that trading will be the player's main source of gold, Hunting Cabins boosted by the Bounty mechanic are a more reliable source, and should be built near woodlines in defended areas. With a solid economy and defensive force, the player can focus on the annexation of the two closest settlements: Colunma to the east, and Troitskoy to the northwest. This requires guarding the trade routes leading to the settlements until the player's Traders have accrued 1,000 gold from a given settlement.
At that point, the player will be given the option to "buy" the settlement for 1,000 gold, transforming it into a Town Center under the player's control which additionally generates 30 gold/minute. Whenever a settlement is purchased, the player should immediately set about building defenses to guard it, as it will inevitably come under attack by the bandits and cannot be rebuilt once destroyed. A good strategy which can reduce the number of units needed to defend a settlement is to build Palisade Walls around it, while leaving a narrow gap for the enemy to attack through. The gap can then be covered by the player's Spearmen while their Archers pick off enemies from behind.
There is an additional objective to destroy the bandits' six camps, located across the map. However, on higher difficulties this does not reduce the number of bandit attacks, and the only benefit is a single Treasure Chest containing 100 gold in each camp, so this should not be made a priority. With Colunma and Troitskoy annexed, the player should send their Traders next to the settlements of Clin and Pereslaw in the west of the map, as these will require the player to extend their defenses the least. When these are annexed and fortified, the player can choose which of the remaining settlements they wish to focus on, bearing in mind that the bandits will continue to send attack parties from all directions. Once five settlements have been purchased, the scenario will complete.
Achievement[]
Paying off the Mongols within 3 minutes grants the Keep the Change achievement.
Outro[]
End of scenario[]
With the surrounding principalities under Dmitry's sway, Moscow was now the preeminent power among the Rus.
The time was coming to throw off the Mongol yoke.
Post-game screen[]
Dmitry had maneuvered Moscow into a position of strength. With powerful Rus allies at his command, he would soon face a pivotal moment in Moscow's rise.
Page From History: Ushkuinniki[]
| “ | Stalking the trade routes of medieval Russia were bands of roaming pirates, known as ushkuinniki. Although they were few in number, their attacks would shake the very foundation of Mongol-Rus relations. Time and again, these bandits seized vital silver shipments, captured entire towns and controlled rover transport; they raided merchants for their booty and sold it on for profit. Soon, the flow of silver all but dried up, spelling disaster for the Rus princes. As they began to miss their tribute payments to the Horde, the threat of Mongol retribution drew ever closer. The desperate princes tried again and again to stop the bandit raids and reestablish safe trade routes. But their efforts failed to keep favor with the Khan... whose patience would not hold out much longer. |
” |
Historical comparison[]
- While the annexation of the neighboring Rus' settlements by Moscow is depicted as having been accomplished by means of purchase, in real life the expansion of Moscow's influence over its neighbors was accomplished by varying means, including marriage alliances, political maneuvering and outright conquest.
